text:
Netbox is used by Wikimedia as a tool for data center infrastructure management (DCIM) and IP address management (IPAM). It also serves as an integration point for switch and port management, DNS management, and other network operations.
Web UI
- https://netbox.wikimedia.org/
- Login using your Developer account/LDAP/Wikitech credentials (Hiera
profile::netbox::cas_group_attribute_mapping, *NOTE*: To login you must be a member of either the wmf or nda group as membership in those sets
ndagroup members have a partial read-only access - task T302870
wmfgroup members have a full read-only access
opsgroup members have full read-write access
- To request membership in any of those groups, see SRE/LDAP/Groups
Content-Security-Policyheaders are set - task T296356
- Endpoint
- From an internal host (eg. everything BUT your laptop or WMCS), you MUST use netbox.discovery.wmnet
- Create a token on https://netbox.wikimedia.org/user/api-tokens/, ideally read-only, ideally with an expiration date
- Doc: https://netbox.wikimedia.org/api/docs/
- Python library: https://github.com/netbox-community/pynetbox/
- Note that the REST API is quite slow, make sure to optimize your queries and use pynetbox threading
- GraphQL
- Spicerack
- See https://doc.wikimedia.org/spicerack/master/api/spicerack.netbox.html for the Netbox support
- It's preferred to use the built in wrapper functions and not the pynetbox interface directly as your cookbook might break if they're not updated when Netbox introduces breaking changes
- It consists of a single bullseye VM (netbox-devXXXX) combining frontend and database
- Reachable on netbox-next.wikimedia.org and netbox-next.discovery.wmnet
- Behind caches, similarly to the prod infrastructure
- It's data comes from a manual dump of production's database
- Reach out to Infrastructure Foundations if you need a more fresh database
- Be careful not to leak any of its data
- It is used to test Netbox upgrades, scripts, reports, etc
- This host is active in monitoring (with notifications disabled)
- As such, make sure that all the alerts cleared after your tests
Production infrastructure
the production Netbox infrastructure consists of 4 bullseye VMs (see all Netbox VMs):
- 2 active/passive frontends (netboxXXXX)
- Using the central Redis
- 2 primary/replica postgresSQL databases (netboxdbXXXX)
By default the active/primary servers are the eqiad ones.
The public endpoint is behind our CDN so the request flow is:
- CDN - (using the wildcard *.wikimedia.org as its TLS certificate)
- active frontends
- Apache (using cfssl for its TLS certificate)
- Django app (through uwsgi)
- Active database
See all Netbox related Icinga checks: https://icinga.wikimedia.org/cgi-bin/icinga/status.cgi?search_string=netbox
In addition to the regular set of VM checks that are run on all servers, there are Icinga checks that only run on the active servers.
Controlled by the
profile::netbox::db::primary and
profile::netbox::active_server Hiera keys.
Controlled by the
profile::netbox::active_server Hiera key:
- Alerting for the Ganeti sync systemd timers (are they running correctly?) - see also Netbox#Ganeti sync
- Alerting for the Netbox reports (is there invalid data in Netbox?) - see also Netbox#Reports
- Alerting for the DNS export automation (are there Uncommitted DNS changes in Netbox?) - See also Netbox#DNS
The replica have a check for replication delay.
Setup task: https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T243928
Global health overview (beta): https://grafana.wikimedia.org/d/DvXT6LCnk/
Using confctl, pool the passive server and depool the previous active one.
confctl --object-type discovery select 'dnsdisc=netbox,name=codfw' set/pooled=true
confctl --object-type discovery select 'dnsdisc=netbox,name=eqiad' set/pooled=false
If the failover is going to last (eg. longer than a server reboot), change the
profile::netbox::active_server Hiera key to the backup server. This will ensure the cron/systemd timers as well as Icinga checks are running.
Note that having the active frontend in a different datacenter than the primary database will result in Netbox being slower.
If the primary database server needs a short downtime it's recommended to not try a failover and instead have Netbox offline for a short amount of time.
There are currently no documented procedure on how to fail the database over, and even less how to fail back to the former primary.
See also Postgres
First of all analyze the Netbox changelog to choose what's the best action to perform a restore.
The general options are:
- Manually (or via the API) re-play the actions listed in the changelog in reverse order. The changelog entries don't have full raw data, some of them might show the names instead of the IDs required in the API
- Restore a database dump. This ensure consistency at a given point in time, and could even be used to perform some partial restore using
To restore files from Bacula back to the client, use bconsole on helium and refer to Bacula#Restore_(aka_Panic_mode) for detailed steps.
Dumps backups
On the database servers, a Puppetized systemd timer (class postgresql::backup) automatically creates a daily dumps file of all local Postgres databases (pg_dumpall) and stores it in /srv/postgres-backup
- On primary node: daily dumps
- On secondary node: hourly dumps
This path is then backed up by Bacula#Adding a new client
For more details, the related subtask to setup backups was Phab:T190184, improved in task T262677
Restore the DB dump
NOTE: The below instructions are valid to copy live db dump to 'netbox-next', the postgress db runs locally on that host rather than connecting to a dedicated DB VM. Also see note below about running puppet afterwards to change the netbox db user password (which is different on the dev host so should be changed if we dump the db from live one).
- Check the dump files on the secondary DB host (as of Dec. 2022
netboxdb2002) in
/srv/postgres-backup, if any issue with those files, do the same on the primary host. The secondary host performs hourly backups while the primary only daily.
- If the secondary host has a more newer backup:
- Copy the dump to the primary DB host (as of Dec. 2022
netboxdb1002), you can use from one of the cumin hosts (
cumin1001.eqiad.wmnet, cumin2002.codfw.wmnet) as root, run:
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/run/keyholder/proxy.sock scp -3 firstname.lastname@example.com:/srv/postgres-backup/psql-all-dbs-SOME_DATE.sql.gz email@example.com:/srv/
- SSH into the primary DB host (as of Dec. 2022
- Change the permissions of the copied backup to be owned by
- Copy the dump to the primary DB host (as of Dec. 2022
- Take a one-off backup on the primary DB host (as of Dec. 2022
netboxdb1002) right before starting the restore with (the .bak suffix is important to not be auto-evicted):
$ su - postgres $ /usr/bin/pg_dumpall | /bin/gzip > /srv/postgres-backup/${USER}-DESCRIPTION.psql-all-dbs-$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).sql.gz.bak
- Connect to the DB, list and drop the Netbox database:
postgres=# \l
postgres=# DROP DATABASE netbox;
- Restore the DB with:
$ gunzip < /srv/psql-all-dbs-SOME_DATE.sql.gz | sudo -u postgres /usr/bin/psql
If the dump has been restored to the DEV host hosting
netbox-next, run puppet to fix the netbox DB user password at this time.
Restart the UWSGI server after a restore
After a restore Netbox should be restarted. SSH into the Netbox active host (as of June 2022
netbox1002) and execute:
sudo systemctl restart uwsgi-netbox.service
sudo systemctl restart rq-netbox
Then check the logs in
/srv/log/netbox/main.log and that
netbox.wikimedia.org works properly. Check also the last item in the Netbox changelog section in the UI to ensure the data is correctly loaded.
Sanitizing a database dump
The Netbox database contains a few bits of sensitive information, and if it is going to be used for testing purposes in WMCS it should be sanitized first.
- Create a copy of the main database
createdb netbox-sanitize && pg_dump netbox | psql netbox-sanitize
- Run the below SQL code on
- Dump and drop database
pg_dump netbox-sanitize > netbox-sanitized.sql;
dropdb netbox-sanitize
-- truncate secrets
TRUNCATE secrets_secret CASCADE;
TRUNCATE secrets_sessionkey CASCADE;
TRUNCATE secrets_userkey CASCADE;
-- sanitize dcim_serial
UPDATE dcim_device SET serial = concat('SERIAL', id::TEXT);
-- truncate user table
TRUNCATE auth_user CASCADE;
-- sanitize dcim_interface.mac_address
UPDATE dcim_interface SET mac_address = CONCAT(
LPAD(TO_HEX(FLOOR(random() * 255 + 1) :: INT)::TEXT, 2, '0'), ':',
LPAD(TO_HEX(FLOOR(random() * 255 + 1) :: INT)::TEXT, 2, '0'), ':',
LPAD(TO_HEX(FLOOR(random() * 255 + 1) :: INT)::TEXT, 2, '0'), ':',
LPAD(TO_HEX(FLOOR(random() * 255 + 1) :: INT)::TEXT, 2, '0'), ':',
LPAD(TO_HEX(FLOOR(random() * 255 + 1) :: INT)::TEXT, 2, '0'), ':',
LPAD(TO_HEX(FLOOR(random() * 255 + 1) :: INT)::TEXT, 2, '0')) :: macaddr;
-- sanitize cricuits_circuit.cid
UPDATE circuits_circuit SET cid = concat('CIRCUIT', id::TEXT);
Netbox Extras
CustomScripts, Reports and other associated tools for Netbox are collected in the netbox-extras repository at https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/plugins/gitiles/operations/software/netbox-extras/. This repository is deployed to the Netbox frontends under /srv/deployment/netbox-extras. It is not automatically deployed on merged, and must be "manually" updated after merge on the front-ends. This can be most comfortably accomplished with a cookbook on a Cumin host:
For Netbox DEV:
sudo cookbook sre.netbox.update-extras --reason 'a good reason' -a netbox-canary
For Netbox PROD:
sudo cookbook sre.netbox.update-extras --reason 'a good reason' -a netbox
This will also reset any local changes.
Netbox (and source of truth) principles
- Data automatically synced from the infrastructure should not drive the infrastructure
- It is to be used for information purposes (eg. VM disk space) or as support for original data (eg. server interfaces for cables/IP/dns_name)
- All data manually entered will have entry mistakes
- Use helper scripts, input validation or post entry consistency checks (reports)
- All data manually entered will go stale
- Refrain from adding data that will not drive the infrastructure
Netbox features
Custom Links
WebUI (defined there): https://netbox.wikimedia.org/extras/custom-links/
Doc: https://docs.netbox.dev/en/stable/models/extras/customlink/
Netbox allow to setup custom links to other websites using Jinja2 templating for both the visualized name and the actual link, allowing for quite some flexibility. The current setup (as of June 2022) has the following links:
- Grafana (for all physical devices and VMs)
- Icinga (for all physical devices and VMs)
- Debmonitor (for all physical devices and VMs)
- Procurement Ticket (only for physical devices that have a ticket that matches either Phabricator or RT)
- Hardware config (for Dell and HP physical devices, pointing to the manufacturer page for warranty information based on their serial number)
- LibreNMS (for Juniper, opengear and sentry devices)
- Puppetboard (for all physical devices and VMs)
WebUI (reports results): https://netbox.wikimedia.org/extras/reports/
Doc: https://docs.netbox.dev/en/stable/customization/reports/
Defined in https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/plugins/gitiles/operations/software/netbox-extras/+/refs/heads/master/reports/
Netbox reports are a way of validating data within Netbox.
In summary, reports produce a series of log lines that indicate some status connected to a machine, and may be either
warning, or
success. Log lines with no particular disposition for information purposes may also be emitted.
Report Conventions
Because of limitations to the UI for Netbox reports, certain conventions have emerged:
- Reports should emit one
log_errorline for each failed item. If the item doesn't exist as a Netbox object,
Nonemay be passed in place of the first argument.
- If any
log_warninglines are produced, they should be grouped after the loop which produces
- Reports should emit one
log_successwhich contains a summary of successes, as the last log in the report.
- Log messages referring to a single object should be formatted like <verb/condition> <noun/subobject>[: <explanatory extra information>]. Examples:
- malformed asset tag: WNF1212
- missing purchase date
- Summary log messages should be formatted like <count> <verb/condition> <noun/subobject>
- If possible followed with a suggestion on how to fix it (for example what are the proper values
Report Alert
Most reports that alert are data integrity mismatches due to changes in infrastructure, as a secondary check, and the responsibility of DC-ops.
Some (eg. network report) can have unforeseen consequences on the infrastructure (eg. miss-configurations).
|Typical Responsibility
|Typical Error(s)
|Faidon or DC-ops
|DC-ops or Netops
|You can ignore a LibreNMS device by setting its "ignore alert" flag in LibreNMS
|Whoever changed / reimaged host
|<device> missing from PuppetDB or <device> missing from Netbox. These occur because the data in PuppetDB does not match the data in Netbox, typically related to missing devices or unexpected devices. Generally these errors fix themselves once the reimage is complete, but the Netbox record for the host may need to be updated for decommissioning and similar operations.
|DC-ops or Netops
Custom Scripts
WebUI: https://netbox.wikimedia.org/extras/scripts/
Doc: https://docs.netbox.dev/en/stable/customization/custom-scripts/
Defined in https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/plugins/gitiles/operations/software/netbox-extras/+/refs/heads/master/customscripts/
While Netbox reports are read-only and have a fixed output format, CustomScripts can both write to the database and provide custom output.
In our infrastructure they're used for those two aspects:
- Abstract and automate data entry,
- Interface_automation
- Offline_device
- Replace_device
- Format and expose data in a way that can be consumed by external tools,
- Capirca
- Getstats
- Hiera_export
The above scripts should probably be moved to the plugin feature.
Review the changes that would happen.Then a second time with "Commit changes" checked to make the changes permanent.
Extra Errors, Notes and Procedures
Would like to remove interface
This error is produced in the Interface Automation script when cleaning up old interfaces during an import.
Interfaces are considered for removal if they don't appear in the list provided by the data source (generally speaking, PuppetDB); they are then checked if there is an IP address or a cable associated with the interface. If there is one of these the interface is left in place so as to not lose data. It is considered a bug if this happens, so if you see this error in an output feel free to open a ticket against #netbox in Phabricator.
Error removing interface after speed change
This error is produced in the Interface Automation script when cleaning up old interfaces when provisioning a server's network attributes.
Specifically for modular interfaces on Juniper devices, the interface name is determined by the speed of the interface, and the port number. If an old interface exists, say xe-1/0/8, on a modular port and we replace the 10G SFP+ with a 25G SFP28, the name of the interface will change to et-1/0/8. JunOS cannot have both defined so the import script will remove the old (xe-1/0/8) interface in Netbox before adding the new one.
This error will get thrown if the old interface still has a cable connected, or an IP address assigned. This shouldn't normally happen, but if it does the old interface should be manually removed, and cables/IPs cleaned up as necessary. Feel free to ping netops members on IRC if there is any confusion, or open a Phabricator task.
Custom Fields
WebUI (defined there): https://netbox.wikimedia.org/extras/custom-fields/
Doc: https://docs.netbox.dev/en/stable/customization/custom-fields/
Please open a task if you need a new Custom Field.
Not a user facing feature, but an admin feature, useful for troubleshooting.
Doc: https://docs.netbox.dev/en/stable/administration/netbox-shell/
The bellow command will drop you in a python shell with access to all the Netbox models, similarly to what the CustomScripts use.
sudo -i
cd /srv/deployment/netbox && . venv/bin/activate && cd deploy/src/netbox && python manage.py nbshell
When performing changes it's ideal to make them show up in the Netbox changelog. That can be achieved with something like this:
import uuid
request_id = uuid.uuid4()
user = User.objects.get(username='my_username')
# When modifying an object save also the changes:
device = Device.objects.get(name='hostname')
device.comments = 'some comment'
# See the available choices in:
# https://github.com/netbox-community/netbox/blob/master/netbox/extras/choices.py#L81
log = device.to_objectchange('update') # create/update/delete
log.request_id = request_id
log.user = user
For a create, add the log entry after the object creation. For a delete add it before the object deletion.
Tags are a slippery slope as they are global and don't have built in mechanism to prevent typos. ConfigContext are much more difficult to audit than fields. We've so far managed to not need them. Therefore,
A systemd timer runs once a day to perform background cleanup of expired data. More details on https://docs.netbox.dev/en/stable/administration/housekeeping/
Tracked in https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T310590
Unlike reports which only trigger after the erroneous change was made, validators ensure that the data entered (using the UI or the API) respect our custom ("business") rules.
Reports should only be used when validators are not suitable (eg. using external tool, sequence of changes).
Our convention is to have a single validator file per Netbox model, each of them have a single class
class Main(CustomValidator). Per Netbox requirements, this class MUST have a function named
def validate(self, instance).
To "activate" the validator, add the model to the relevant
profile::netbox::validators key (prod or dev).
A few things to keep in mind when working on validators:
- Bugs in the validators code will return an error 500 when the user will try to interact with Netbox, which could make them think that there is something wrong with Netbox itself.
- When editing Netbox through the API, a validator failure will return an error 400
- Validators are run for all modifications, please make sure your code is as lean as possible, with the least amount of dependencies
Set of resources that exports Netbox data in various formats.
A git repository of DNS zonefile snippets generated from Netbox data and exported via HTTPS in read-only mode to be consumed by the DNS#Authoritative_nameservers and the Continuous Integration tests run for the
operations/dns Gerrit repository.
The repository is available via:
$ git clone https://netbox-exports.wikimedia.org/dns.git
To update the repository, see DNS/Netbox#Update_generated_records.
The repository is also mirrored in Phabricator: https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/source/netbox-exported-dns/ though it may not be immediately up-to-date.
some of the information in netbox is useful in puppet for example
- host rack location
- hosts managment ip address
- hosts status
- network devices
- network prefixes
In order to make this information available to puppet we have create the
sre.puppet.sync-netbox-hiera cookbook which preforms the following actions.
- uses graphQL to retrieve the necessary data
- publishes the information to git via https://netbox-exports.wikimedia.org/netbox-hiera/
- syncs the data to all netbox and cumin hosts
- syncs the data to the puppetmaster hosts
At this point the data is available to puppet via the hiera entry for hosts and the common section and can be looked up with the normal hiera lookup methods e.g. to get the host location run
In order to make it easier for users to consume this data we pre load it via dedicated profiles. As such the better way to load data is to include the specific class and then access the data.
include profile::netbox::host
if profile::netbox::host::location['rack'] == 'D3' {
fail("${facts['networking']['hostname']} should not be in rack D3")
We also store bulk information in hiera related to the network and devices not managed by puppet e.g. network devices or management interfaces. This data is mostly useful for monitoring however in future it may replace the current uses of
network::constants. you can load this data as follow however please not it is a lot of data and should only be included if needed
include profile::netbox::data
$profile::netbox::data::mgmt.each |$host, $data| {
if $data['rack'] == 'D3' {
fail("${host} should not be in rack D3")
$profile::netbox::data::network_devices.each |$host, $data| {
notice("${host} is a ${data['role']}")
$profile::netbox::data::prefixes.each |$prefix, $data| {
notice("${prefix} (${data['description']}) is in vlan ${data['vlan']}")
The "GetStats" CustomScripts exports Prometheus metrics about devices statistics.
Which is used to generate https://grafana.wikimedia.org/d/ppq_8SRMk/netbox-device-statistic-breakdown?orgId=1
This might get replaced with a plugin, see https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T311052
Ganeti sync
Refactor and improvements (eg. cluster_group support) in T262446
For each entry under the
profile::netbox::ganeti_sync_profiles Hiera key, Puppet created a systemd timer on the active sever to run ganeti-netbox-sync.py with the matching parameters.
External scripts
Scripts and tools not previously listed that interact with Netbox, and thus need to be checked for compatibility after significant Netbox changes (eg. upgrades).
Cookbooks with direct pynetbox calls:
- sre.pdus.uptime
- sre.pdus.rotate-snmp
- sre.network.configure-switch-interfaces
- sre.network.peering
- sre.hosts.dhcp
- sre.pdus.rotate-password
- sre.hosts.provision
- sre.hosts.reimage
- sre.pdus.reboot-and-wait
Cookbooks using GraphQL
- sre.puppet.sync-hiera
Upgrading Netbox
Will be cleaned up/updated with the next minor Netbox upgrade.
Upgrading Netbox is usually an extremely simple procedure as within patch-level releases they maintain a reasonable level of compatibility in the APIs that we use. When it comes to upgrading across minor versions, breaking changes may have occurred and careful reading of changelogs is needed, as well as testing of the scripts which consume and manipulate data in Netbox.
- Update WMF version of netbox
- Review changelog and note any changes that may interact with our integrations or deployment
- Update deploy repository
- Deploy to netbox-dev2001
- Simple tests
- Review UI and note any differences to call out during announcement
- (if API changes or minor version bump) Complex tests
- (if breaking changes) Port scripts
- (if breaking changes) Test scripts
- Deploy to production
Update the WMF Version of Netbox
We maintain a minimal fork of Netbox to change a few small things that are required for our configuration. This takes the form of two commits in the WMF version of the Netbox repository:
|Commit hash
|Switches swagger into Non-Public mode
|Adds a way to pass settings directly into the configuration.py that we use for configuring the Swift storage backend
|Add CAS authentication support
Generally these are cherry-picked into a copy of the upstream branch, and then pushed to main on https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/g/operations/software/netbox/, with the following procedure:
- In a working copy of operations/software/netbox, add an upstream remote
- Pull the upstream remote's commits into the working copy
- Cherry-pick the above hashes into the working copy's HEAD
$ git cherry-pick -x 03e3b07f5dcf5538fb0b90641a4e3d043684bb37
Auto-merging netbox/netbox/urls.py
[wmf-dev 6467d1651] Switch swagger to non-public mode
Author: Cas Rusnov <email@example.com>
Date: Thu Aug 8 13:48:34 2019 -0700
1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
$ git cherry-pick -x 824fe21597c251ce6e0667b97b258a23ff210949
Auto-merging netbox/netbox/settings.py
[wmf-dev a653243bc] Add a passthrough configuration system
Author: Cas Rusnov <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Date: Tue Jul 30 15:22:28 2019 -0700
1 file changed, 8 insertions(+)
$ git cherry-pick -x 98f32d988d7e1bc146298025900ba54969e8d3c1
Auto-merging requirements.txt
CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in requirements.txt
Auto-merging netbox/users/views.py
Auto-merging netbox/netbox/settings.py
CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in netbox/netbox/settings.py
Auto-merging .gitignore
error: could not apply 98f32d988... Add CAS authentication support
hint: after resolving the conflicts, mark the corrected paths
hint: with 'git add <paths>' or 'git rm <paths>'
hint: and commit the result with 'git commit'
- Remove the master branch
git branch -D master
- Create a new master branch
git branch master
- Create a tag for the version number, it is our standard to append -wmf to the version number, so for Netbox version 2.10.4 we would
git tag v2.10.4-wmf
- Force push master to gerrit
- Go to the administrative panel of the netbox repository https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/admin/repos/operations/software/netbox, click Access, Edit,
Reference: refs/heads/masterand set to
Allow pushing with or without force, and Save
git push --set-upstream origin master --force --tags
- Return to administrative panel above, and switch access back to
Allow pushing (but not force pushing)and save.
- Go to the administrative panel of the netbox repository https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/admin/repos/operations/software/netbox, click Access, Edit,
Build deploy repository
Netbox is deployed using Scap, and thus has a deployment repository with the collected artifacts (the virtual environment and associated libraries) is used to deploy it. This is updated separately from our branch of Netbox with the following procedure which uses the operations/software/netbox-deploy repository https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/g/operations/software/netbox-deploy/
- In a working copy of operations/software/netbox-deploy, update the src/ subdirectory, which is a submodule of this repository pointing at the above operations/software/netbox; to do this
git pullin that directory, and then check out the tag of the version that is being updated to, for example
git checkout v2.10.4-wmf.
- Update the .gitmodules file with the correct version as checked out above.
- Build the artifacts by doing a
make cleanand then
make. This uses docker to collect all of the required libraries as specified in the various requirements.txt files. It creates the artifacts as
- Commit the changes to the repisitory and submit for review, be sure the following files have changes: frozen-requirements.txt,artifacts/artifacts.buster.tar.gz, .gitmodules, and src
Once the repository is reviewed and merged via gerrit, it is ready to deploy!
Deploy to Testing Server
The next phase, even for simple upgrades is to deploy to
netbox-dev2002.codfw.wmnet for basic testing prior to deploying to production.
- Login to a deploy server such as
- Go to
/srv/deployment/netbox/deploy; this is a check out of the -deploy repository from above.
- Pull to the latest version, make sure you're on the good branch, and update the submodule in
srcby pulling and checking out the tag that is going to be deployed.
- Deploy
netbox-dev2002, with bug reference in hand running the cookbook:
sudo cookbook sre.deploy.python-code -t T12345 -r 'Release v3.2.9-wmf2 to netbox-next' -u netbox netbox 'A:netbox-canary'
- This process should go smoothly and leave the target machine ready to test.
It may be necessary to deploy a new production database dump to
netbox-dev2002's database to ensure parity with production.
It may be necessary to make changes to the puppet side of the deployment due to changes in Netbox's requirements, which will be generally called out in the upstream changelog. In addition, Puppet is used to ship the configuration files, so any new or different requirements in those may need to be accounted for. Additionally, occasionally new or different tools are invoked in upstream's
upgrade.sh; we use netbox-deploy/scap/checks/netbox_setup.sh to perform these tasks and it may need to be updated.
Simple Testing
On https://netbox-next.wikimedia.org we can perform some basic tests:
- Test login
- Test each Report (Other/Reports menu) and compare to production
- Test each CustomScript (Other/Scripts menu) and compare to production
- Look at some samples of Devices (Devices/Devices menu) and compare to production
- Look at some samples of IPAM (IPAM/IP Addresses menu) and compare to production
- Look at a cable trace and compare to production (go to an active Device, Interfaces tab, click the 'Trace' button next to a connected interface)
Complex Testing
In the event that a more breaking update is being made, more extensive testing, and potential porting to account for API changes might need to be done. Note in the above
Simple Testing, any of the reports or CustomScripts that produce errors due to API changes (
errored state indicates some python error occured which most often is the result of API
changes). If the outputs of the reports or scripts vary substantially from the production versions, for example unexpected failures or warnings, this may also indicate that porting is required.
In addition to the above, the following things need to be tested:
- DNS generation. This should produce no diff if the database and DNS repository on netbox-dev2001 are updated to production contents.
- Script proxy on getstats.GetDeviceStatistics. This should produce results similar to production.
- The ganeti sync script. This should be a no-op on a recent production data. If additional tests are desired, removing Virtual devices and rerunning should recreate them. Note that an existing bug in the sync script produces ignorable errors when trying to remove ganeti nodes that are no longer in the network.
- Homer. This should produce no diff if the database is updated to production contents.
Porting and Testing
This process doesn't generalize, but over time there are drifts in the internal and external APIs used by our integrations, and some porting work may be required to operate against them as they change. Generally these changes are minor such as changing method names or adding arguments, and other times they are rather more complicated such as splitting Virtual device interfaces from non-virtual device interfaces. In general once porting is thought to be complete, the changes should be deployed to netbox-dev2001 and a full run of testing should be done to verify that the changes made fix the problems that turned up in initial testing, including attempting to go down avenues of execution that may not normally be hit.
Any or all of the items tested in Simple and Complex testing may need porting depending on which internal or external APIs have changed.
Deploy to Production
After a final run through of any problem areas exposed in above testing and fixes are deployed to
netbox-dev2001 it is finally time to deploy the new version to production, with the following procedure:
- Announce that the release will be occuring on
#wikimedia-dcops, #mediawiki_security, #wikimedia-operations, #wikimedia-sreand, if necessary, coordinate a time when integration tools or DCops work will not be interrupted.
- Merge any outstanding changes to
netbox/deployrepositories (if necessary).
- On
netbox-db2001, perform a manual dump of the database.
- Deploy
netbox-extrasto production using cumin, as in #Netbox_Extras
- Announce on IRC that a deploy is happening, on
!log Deploying Netbox v2.10.4-wmf to production Tbug
- Deploy to production:
- Login to a deploy server such as
- Go to
/srv/deployment/netbox/deploy; this is a check out of the -deploy repository from above.
- Pull to the latest version, and update the submodule in
srcby pulling and checking out the tag that is going to be deployed.
- Deploy with the cookbook with bug reference in hand:
sudo cookbook sre.deploy.python-code -r 'Release v3.2.9-wmf2 to production' -u netbox netbox 'A:netbox'
- Login to a deploy server such as
- Announce on IRC that the deploy is complete, on
!log Finished deploying Netbox v2.10.4-wmf to production Tbug
- Perform simple and Complex testing as above, and in general make sure everything is as expected.
Here are cut-and-pastable checklists for tickets for doing this upgrade process. They should be used in a ticket titled "Update Netbox to vN.M.X-wmf" tagged with sre-tools and netbox.
Simple upgrade
Use when patch level updates or a review of the changelog shows nothing that should break things.
[] Update netbox repository + deploy repository [] Upgrade -dev2001 [] Rerun reports [] Try a PuppetDB import for an existing host [] Check diffs in DNS generation [] Coordinate time with DCops and SRE for release [] Dump a pre-upgrade copy of database [] Release to production [] Perform simple tests
Complex upgrade
Use with any update that may cause breaking changes to the API, or that the simple testing indicates may have extra work involved.
[] Review upgrade.sh [] Examine change log for any major changes [] Update netbox repository and deploy repository [] Look around the UI for any changes, rearrangements or process changes [] Upgrade -dev2001 [] Check and make any necessary changes to reports: [] accounting.py [] cables.py [] coherence.py [] librenms.py [] management.py [] puppetdb.py [] Check and make any necessary changes to scripts: [] getstats.py [] interface_automation.py [] offline_device.py [] Check DNS generation, and review diffs [] Make any necessary changes to generate_dns_snippets.py [] Check custom_script_proxy.py [] Execute CSV dumps and examine dumps for any anomolies. [] Update dumpbackup.py for any model changes, and any issues [] Execute Ganeti sync against all sites [] Make any necessary changes to ganeti-netbox-sync.py [] Check and make any necessary changes to Homer [] Coordinate time with DCops and SRE for release [] Dump a pre-upgrade copy of database [] Release to production [] Perform simple tests [] Recheck DNS generation and examine diffs
It's possible to run scripts through the command line, for example:
python3 manage.py runscript interface_automation.ImportPuppetDB --data '{"device": "ml-cache1003"}' --commit
CablePath matching query does not exist
If getting the following error when saving a cable through a script, after deleting a cable:
dcim.models.cables.CablePath.DoesNotExist: CablePath matching query does not exist
Make sure you're running
i.refresh_from_db() where
i is the interface(s) where the previous cable was attached to.
Future improvements
Phabricator project - https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/tag/netbox/
Improve our infrastructure modeling
Add license keys as inventory items - task T311008
- Make more extensive use of Netbox custom fields - task T305126
Represent sub-interface and bridge device associations in Netbox - task T296832 Netbox: use Custom Model Validation - task T310590 Netbox: use Provider Networks - task T310591 Netbox: investigate custom status - task T310594 Netbox: use FHRP Groups feature - task T311218 Move AS allocations to Netbox - task T310744 netbox network report improvement - task T310299 Import row information into Netbox for Ganeti instances - task T262446
Improve automation and reduce tech debt
- Netbox: investigate GraphQL API - task T310577
- Netbox: use Journaling feature - task T310583
- Netbox: basic change rollback - task T310589
- Netbox: drop profile::netbox::active_server parameter - task T309034
- Netbox: replace getstats.GetDeviceStats with ntc-netbox-plugin-metrics-ext - task T311052
Upgrade pynetbox - task T310745 Pynetbox: enable threading - task T311486
- Netbox: get rid of WMF Production Patches - task T310717
Netbox: replace CSV dump with more frequent DB dumps task T310615
- Netbox in codfw slowness issue (path to active/active) - task T330883
- At Wikimedia it was evaluated in T170144 as a replacement for Racktables.
- In T199083 the actual migration between the systems took place
- T266487 - Netbox 2.9 upgrade
- T288515 - Netbox vs. Nautobot
- T296452 - documents the large upgrade from 2.10 to 3.2 and the subsequent improvements it brought
- T314933 Upgrade Netbox to latest 3.2
- T336275 - Upgrade Netbox to 3.5.x
See also
External link
- https://netbox.wikimedia.org (restricted)


text:
The command M-d (
mh-redistribute) is similar in function
to forwarding mail, but it does not allow you to edit the message, nor
does it add your name to the 'From:' header field. It appears to
the recipient as if the message had come from the original sender.
When you run this command, you are prompted for the recipients.
For more information on redistributing messages, see
dist(1). Also investigate the command e
mh-edit-again) for another way to redistribute messages
(see Editing Old Drafts and Bounced Messages).
The option
mh-redist-full-contents-flag must be turned on if
dist33 requires the whole letter for redistribution,
which is the case if
send34 is compiled with the BERK option (which many
people abhor). If you find that MH will not allow you to redistribute
a message that has been redistributed before, turn off this option.
The hook
mh-annotate-msg-hook is run after annotating the
message and scan line (see Sending Mail).
See the section Distributing Messages with dist in the MH book.
See the section Sending Some Mail: comp send in the MH book.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Henry Charles Carey Biography
Henry Charles Careyeconomist, publisher
Born: 12/15/1793
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pa.
Having foregone college to get an early start in his father's publishing business, he became a partner by age 24. He educated himself by reading manuscripts, and sold the company at age 42 to devote his energies to writing about economics. He published seminal works, Principles of Political Economy (3 vol., 1837–40) and Principles of Social Science (3 vol., 1858–59) espousing laissez-faire views, though in Harmony of Interests: Manufacturing and Commercial (1851) he advocated protectionism. He was also responsible for the development of American economic nationalism.Died: 10/13/1879
See also:
Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.


text:
Microsoft grabbed headlines Wednesday with its report about the successful takedown of the Kelihos botnet, but while the company detailed the achievements of its Digital Crimes Unit, it failed to mention the major role security firm Kaspersky Lab played in the operation.
Microsoft's Kelihos takedown announcement centered on the fact that its specialized team of lawyers succeeded in naming defendants in a botnet-related federal court complaint for the first time -- such cases usually involve unknown parties.
[ Master your security with InfoWorld's interactive Security iGuide. | Stay up to date on the latest security developments with InfoWorld's Security Central newsletter. ]
The named defendants were Alexander Piatti and his Czech-based company dotFREE Group SRO, which operated an SLD (second-level domain) registration service in the .cz.cc name space. This service was abused by the botnet's operators to set up hosts for their control infrastructure. A temporary restraining order was obtained by the Digital Crimes Unit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, forcing VeriSign to suspend the cz.cc domain.
Microsoft did not disclose any technical details about how Kelihos was hijacked from its original operators because Kaspersky Lab handled that part of the operation. The security company's experts explained Thursday in a lengthy blog post how they took control of the botnet, but they probably didn't appreciate being left out of the story in the first place.
"Hey @msftmmpc [Microsoft Malware Protection Center] why didn't u mention all truth about Hlux/Kelihos botnet taking down?" Dmitry Bestuzhev, head of Kaspersky Lab's global research and analysis team for Latin America, wrote on Twitter.
"Kaspersky Lab played a critical role in this botnet takedown initiative, leading the way to reverse-engineer the bot malware, crack the communication protocol and develop tools to attack the peer-to-peer infrastructure," said Tillmann Werner, a senior virus analyst with Kaspersky in Germany. "We worked closely with Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit (DCU), sharing the relevant information and providing them with access to our live botnet tracking system," he added.
Even the antivirus vendor's co-founder and CEO, Eugene Kaspersky, linked to his company's blog post with the message: "The flipside of the Microsoft's takedown of Kelihos (Hlux) botnet."
Kaspersky Lab currently operates the only server where computers infected with this malware connect to, which effectively puts it in control of the botnet. The company has the resources to keep this so-called sinkhole operational for a long time, but the end goal is to reduce Kelihos' size as much as possible.
Sending commands to clean the infected systems remotely would be illegal in most countries, so this won't be an easy task. Microsoft has added detection for the Kelihos malware family to its MSRT (Malicious Software Removal Tool), which is distributed to computers worldwide via Windows Update, but the effects have yet to show.
The software giant claims that not crediting Kaspersky Lab in its original announcement was the result of poor communication between the two companies. "Due to an unfortunate miscommunication between Microsoft and Kaspersky prior to the announcement, Microsoft was operating under the belief that it was Kaspersky's desire to not be proactively mentioned in the announcement --- as some partners commonly request and which we understand and respect given the sensitivity of these situations," said Richard Boscovich, a senior attorney with the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit.
"However, we were very glad to see Kaspersky subsequently come forward with their role in the operation, because we very much want to give them the credit they deserve. Their research and unique, in-depth insight into the botnet was invaluable in this case and we are grateful for their support and determination to make the Internet safer for everyone," he added.
That being said, Microsoft did credit another partner in their original announcement, a company called Kyrus Tech, which served as a declarant in the legal case that enabled the Kelihos takedown.


text:
Karrine Steffans: When Video Vixens Attack
Karrine Steffans When Video Vixens Attack
Karrine Steffans, the woman who wrote "Confessions of a Video Vixen," called into the Rod Ryan radio show to plug her newest book -- but instead ignited a classic on-air verbal throwdown with the Texas DJ.
Steffans slammed the host for asking about her sexual exploits with celebs like Jay-Z and Jamie Foxx -- which made the interview get real ugly, real fast. Which means it's awesome.


text:
Creativity for Kids
Creativity for Kids offers fun and creative experiences today to nurture children's confidence for life. 40+ years of experience makes us THE experts in the creative activities category that we founded. We know that engaging children in creative activities develops confidence through problem solving, self-expression and independence. Award-winning and highly engaging, the Creativity for Kids line has a wide variety of activities for girls and boys. Craft activities kits span a variety of subcategories such as fashion, jewelry, paper & memory crafts, light-up crafts, room décor, preschool crafts, sensory crafts, GROW gardening crafts and holiday crafts.
0 products


text:
Product Information
Device Database®
Compliance Testing
Infineon XC2788X-136F
The Infineon XC2788X-136F is a Microcontroller built around the synthesizable C166SV2 Core with 2K Bytes Dual-port RAM for Register Sets and System Stack, 8K Bytes stand-by RAM (SBRAM), 24K Bytes data RAM (DSRAM), 64K Bytes program/data RAM (PSRAM), 64K Bytes Data Flash, 1024K Bytes Program Flash, Memory Protection Unit (MPU), Intelligent On-chip Peripheral Subsystems, 2 10-Bit ADC Units with 24 channels, 1 Capture Compare Unit (CC2), 4 Capture Compare Units 6 (CCU6), 6 Universal Serial Interface Channel Modules (USIC), 2 MultiCAN Nodes with 128 message objects, Device Access Port (2 Wire JTAG), On-Chip Debug and Emulation Control Block.
Arm's Privacy Policy has been updated. By continuing to use our site, you consent to Arm's Privacy Policy. Please review our Privacy Policy to learn more about our collection, use and transfers
of your data.


text:
Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) resorts are kicking off spring ski season with cost saving specials and a multitude of options for entertainment. To entice skiers and snowboarders to take advantage of the spring snow conditions, calendars are filled with activities including free live music concerts, invitations to a pop-up bar, scavenger hunts, beach parties, and a St. Patricks Retro Day.
Mother Nature has rewarded Colorado with several large storms recently, with more yet to come. Snow conditions are excelling across much of Ski Country, and Colorados snowiest month is still ahead. March typically brings robust snow storms, creating powdery playgrounds for spring break revelers. Bountiful storms in March are part of the reason Colorados ski season stretches well into May, June, and sometimes July.
Below is a calendar of highlighted events offered throughout Colorado Ski Country this spring, and further below are highlighted resort spring deals.
The Little Nell is taking the pop-up trend to a whole new level this spring roughly 11,000 feet as the resort opened The Oasis on Aspen Mountain on February 17, with a Veuve Clicquot branded POP-Up Champagne Bar. Celebrating Veuve Clicquots annual celebration of winter, Clicquot in the Snow, The Oasis hosts guests aprs ski for flutes of champagne and spectacular views of Aspen Mountain.
The stylish POP-up bar is adorned in the champagne houses iconic yellow color. It is the worlds only ski-in ski-out champagne bar and the highest champagne bar on the planet. The bar features umbrellas, lounge chairs, solar-powered sound system, flags and other eye-catching features. For more information on The Little Nell call (970) 920-4600.
March 2
From March 2 4, Winter Park is hosting the 37th Annual Wells Fargo Cup. This event brings together world-class disabled ski racers, Denver celebrities, Broncos alumni along with amateur skiers and snowboarders of all abilities for a weekend of activities to benefit the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD).
Competitors in the Governor's Cup, a Pro Am race, assemble a team of five friends, family members or co-workers to compete for cash prizes and bragging rights. The highlight of the weekend is the World Disabled Invitational, when disabled skiers compete head-to-head on parallel courses. The Celebrity Challenge is one of the most entertaining events of the weekend as celebrities and former football stars make their way down a race course. Shoppers can also enjoy a giant silent auction. For more information on this event, visit http://www.winterparkresort.com/events.
March 3
Powderhorn is offering a one day downhill extravaganza, Telefest, which features guest clinicians, equipment demos, fun events and an Apres-Nord Party with a live band on the Sunset Deck. The lift ticket and clinic is $60.00, clinics are $25.00, the party is $10.00 and a t-shirt is $15.00. For more information, visit http://www.powderhorn.com/6th-annual-telefest.
March 10
Bud Light Rocks the Boat Free Concert Series kicks off on March 10 in Steamboat for the 13th season, and offers a great mixture of various musical genres. All concerts start at 3 p.m. on the Steamboat Stage in Gondola Square, except for closing day, April 15, when there will be two bands and the concert will begin at 2:30 p.m.
2012 Music Line-up:
Saturday, March 10th – Band of Heathens
Saturday, March 17th – See-I
Saturday, March 24th – ALO
Saturday, March 31st – New Monsoon
Saturday, April 7th – Keller Williams
Sunday, April 15th – TBD @ 2:30pm & JJ Grey & Mofro @ 4pm.
For more information visit www.steamboat.com/concerts.
March 11
Butterfly Roundup is one of the feature events at Monarch this year. Teams of two hunt around the mountain collecting colored butterfly stickers worth various points, and the top three teams win prize packages. There are extra points awarded for costumes, and the event is open to all ages. The cost is $10 per team. For more information, call (719) 530-5081.
March 17
Crested Butte Mountain Resort is once again hosting FestEVOL on March 17 and 18, bringing the unique lifestyle experience that combines mountain sports, live music, innovative natural brands and a sustainably focused "eco-village." The headline bands for 2012 include Barenaked Ladies on Saturday, March 17, and Guster/Big Head Todd and the Monsterson Sunday, March 18. More info can be found on http://www.skicb.com/cbmr/info/things-to-do/festevol.aspx.
Additional musical artists playing at FestEVOL will be announced soon. Tickets and ticket packages are on sale at www.festevol.com and on each of the host mountain resort websites.
Also on March 17, Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort is featuring the annual Steamworks Brewing Company Clambake on Purgatory Beach. Guests can enjoy a delicious bowl of steamed clams, corn on the cob and potatoes and pair it with Steamworks award winning beers. A portion of the proceeds benefit La Plata County Search and Rescue. Clam-tastic tunes round out this fun aprs ski event, which runs from 2 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.durangolatenight.com.
In celebration of St. Patricks Day, Eldora Mountain Resort is hosting its Retro Day, where guest can dig out their favorite retro ski gear and party all day on the mountain. There will be live music, costume party, prizes and drink specials throughout the day. For more information, contact the mountain at (303) 440-8700.
Copper Mountain presents OFuego by Sprint, for a St. Patricks Day family fete. Guests are invited to celebrate St. Paddy's Day Copper Style, where En Fuego meets the luck of the Irish. This years OFuego will feature DJ Leprechaun Landry, fire pits, green beer and green fireworks over West Lake at 7pm. It's a free street party the whole family can enjoy.
March 19
Sol Vista Basin will hold a Beach Bash and invites guests to chill out. The resort will serve island drinks from a tiki snow bar and play reggae music. There will be fun for the whole family with snow games, an outdoor BBQ, an all-natural log jam, and night skiing and tubing from 5 8 p.m. For more information please call 1.888.850.4615 or visit www.GranbyRanch.com.
March 31
New Belgium is back with their infamous on-mountain Scavenger Hunt at Loveland Ski Resort. This is a day for guests to don their best costume, chase chickens, search for Bigfoot and answer ridiculous riddles all while skiing, raising money for The Alliance For Sustainable Colorado, and bonding with friends. Guests are invited to grab a buddy or four, bring $10 per person and a lift ticket or season pass, and join the fleet of New Belgium characters on the slopes of Loveland Ski Area for a Scavenger Hunt. For more information, visit http://www.skiloveland.com/events/March.aspx.
Echo Mountain is calling all cowboys and cowgirls as that resort hosts the Echo Mountain Round Up, Echo's version of the Wild West. Guests are invited to don boots, hats and western garb as Denvers closest ski and snowboard area transforms into the Ol West with Lil' Wranglers (ages 12 & under) Rail Jam for kids (skiers and snowboarders), evening adult racing, costume contests, BBQ, Rocky Mountain Chili Bowl snowboard giveaway, eating competition, stick horse races, prizes and much more. For more details please visit www.echomt.com/calendar.
April 8
The BeachN Egg Hunt is on once again this year at Arapahoe Basin. The Easter Bunny and Chicken visit A-Basin for an Easter Egg Hunt on skis. Both skiing and non-skiing children can participate. The Easter Bunny arrives at noon just outside the Snowsports Center. The free egg hunts take place on Molly Hogan for guests who do not ski and on Wrangler for those that do ski. Full details about this event can be found at www.arapahoebasin.com/events.
This spring, Sunlight invites skiers and riders to "Learn to Shine" with a three day lesson, rental and lift ticket package.Skiers and snowboarders that participate inthe"Learn to Shine" program arematched with top instructors from Sunlight Mountain Resort. The three lessons can be taken on the dates of the students choice andparticipants get a free 5-Day ski pass to practice upon completion ofthe lessons.Skierscan take advantageof this package for $280 and snowboarders for $295. For details please visit www.sunlightmtn.com/snow-school.
Kids ski free, rent free and eat free with Telluride Resort Lodging. When guests book five nights of lodging and a four day lift ticket and ski rental package with Telluride Resort Lodging, they receive one comparable child lift ticket per adult lift ticket purchase and one child equipment rental per adult equipment rental. Guests will also receive a $50 Mountain Dining Card to put towards lunch at one of their resorts on-mountain restaurants. Call 1-800-778-8581 for more information.
Ski Cooper
Launched on February 22, skiers and riders can bring a season pass from any ski area in Colorado and buy two full day adult lift tickets for the price of one.This offer runs through March 6. No more than one transaction per season pass holder per day can be used, the deal is not valid with any other offers and has no cash value. More information can be found at www.SkiCooper.com.
Wolf Creek
On March 25 and again on March 31, Wolf Creek is offering lift ticket specials for college students. On these two days, students can purchase a ticket for $33.00 with a current student photo ID. On March 28, locals can take advantage of Locals Appreciation Day to hit the slopes for only $33.00 adult lift tickets, and $19.00 senior and child lift tickets. No ID is required. For more information call (970) 264-5639.


text:
Okay, I give in. I am going to give you the secrets. I've been the sales person. I've been the senior recruiter. I have been the account manager. I have been the corporate recruiter. I went back to school to get a Master's Degree and have some HR sense. I have even been a VP of HR's right hand person.
Recently, I have had a lot of people in staffing asking me how to break into an account. I have heard "They just won't return my call" to "I've tried to be introduced through someone else". I have also heard "HR is just not bringing on additional vendors right now" or "How do I get on the vendor list?". If you work with a staffing firm, does this sound familar?
So since I have been on both sides of the coin (agency and corporate) and I am truly a sales person, I am going to help you out. I shouldn't, but I will. Being a corporate recruiter, it pains me to see the countless errors most staffing professionals make. Most every account can be broken, but you need to know some things if you want to do it. Here are 5 logical tips. Give them a try and see if you become more successful and see if your paycheck increases next month.
1. HR & Corporate Recruiters Won't Help Much- Truthfully & respectfully, as a corporate recruiter, HR could care less about what you offer. We get paid the same way. We don't feel like we need your services. People are going to question HR and the value we bring to an organization when we use an agency. Paying you only makes us look like we aren't capable of doing our jobs. We also have busy schedules and agencies aren't on the top of our list. Depending on the size of the company, HR departments can receive 10-20 staffing calls a day. There is a strong probability that you won't get called back simply because sometimes we have to prioritize and agencies aren't at the top of our priority list.
2. If you Go After The Managers That Have Pain, Have a Plan & Make Sure The Company Can Pay You- As an Agency recruiter, developing the relationships with managers that need recruiting help is important to your success. HR has a hard time saying no to a manager who has found the candidate they want with an agency. The managers are the customers of HR and recruiting. That being said, make sure you aren't crossing any bridges and make sure the company can pay the fees. If you don't do this, you are wasting your time.
3. Kill Them With Kindness & Be Real- So you say your company has placed x amount of people? I heard it before. Remember I was the person that pitched it. If you aren't a likeable person, they won't want to do business with you. Develop some common ground between the manager and YOU before going in for the kill. You may get a one time hire by going in and flexing your muscles, but no one wants to do business with people that they don't like, and can trust.
4. Be Persistent- & Patient Do you know how many people I see that come and go in staffing every year? Start early, and remain comitted to your profession. If you plan on being in recruiting 6 months, you might as well quit now. If you have to deliver donuts for 2 years, or if you have to send an e-mail every week, that may be what it takes. Don't give up and don't take the first 10 no's. The tortus wins the race, not the hare.
5. Have An Outstanding Reputation- Treat every client, and I do mean every client, like they are your only client. Word of mouth goes a long way. If you have treated someone right and have supplied them with good people, then they will be willing to help you out in any way. It is hard to overcome a bad reputation and you may spend a career trying to fix what you messed up.
Hopefully that helps your career as a staffing profesional. I have great admiration for you as I have been in your shoes at one point in my career. You have a tough job and if done correctly, you could help many organizations.
If you liked this article, please share it, follow me on Twitter at @WThomsonJr, and send me a Linkedin invitation. You can read my weekly blogs at http://bit.ly/RqwiMB . I am looking forward to networking with you
Views: 954
Couldn't agree more Amy. As a corporate recruiter, you will be dealing with me, so you better treat me right! You also better make sure we can pay you. Open, Honest & direct communication. If you approach a manager, be prepared to get your hand slapped more than a few times. I get it though, we all need to make a dollar. I've been on the other side also.
Exactly! I'm totally cool when a manager introduces me to "their" recruiter, and am happy to play nicely... so long as I have an email from your VP saying "yes we've worked out contract details and the fee is X% please take care of it" No problem! :)
Great post, Will! I have been in sales, as well as recruiting. Breaking into an account requires diligence and persistence - but in a respectful way. Once a key person in your target company gets to know you as real human being they will be more likely to do business with you.
Thanks Malia! What you said is so true. Being a staffing agent can be like someone who calls you late at night for a donation for your college. People just need to get to know you. If you are persistant, people will eventually talk to you. People have a hard time saying no to people who are polite. My brother is in sales and he says this: "How does your company make money?" Once the company says they have sales people, he says "I am just doing what they do". That makes him more human.
Thank you Will, very helpful post!
Gotta disagree on #1. Strongly.
Just thinking here about my new clients this year. So far there are 3. EACH of them is a relationship started through HR.
Are we stuck in 1988 here? HR are not the bad guys they once were. They've come a long way - and you/we BETTER find a way to connect with them.
Thanks Lonut!
Jerry- thanks for the comments. You are correct by saying relationships with HR and staffing companies have to be made. It is a partnership.
Many organizations are cost cutting now though. Many mandates have been made by larger organizations to cut out staffing costs completely. Every week at a certain company I was given a report to show agency activity and it was monitored very closely. People who used an agency were put on a "list".
I too think that agencies should contact HR first. My point was, don't be suprised when they aren't jumping for joy to hear from you.
Jerry- you are great at what you do and are a model for most recruiters. Not everyone, unfortunatley, will be able to crack the account by going straight to HR without one heck of a reputation and a track record.
Great Post!
Thanks Rebecca!


text:
As many surveys have suggested, fear of public speaking is one of our strongest anxieties, often ranking above the fear of dying.
The following won't help: These days, the audience could be skewering you on blog sites -- not after your presentation, but during. And just about everyone in attendance could know about it, except you.
A journalist fell victim to something like this at a recent tech conference in Texas. Her chatty, overly familiar style of interviewing a prominent young CEO grated the audience so much that they unleashed a tirade of complaints and sarcasm against her on Twitter.
Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging site to which users can post short comments that are viewable to anyone anywhere (including in the auditorium, in this case). They can send posts via SMS, instant messaging, or the Twitter site itself, using their cell phones or laptops and cellular, wi-fi or other connections.
"Never, ever have I seen such a train wreck of an interview," read one "tweet," as a post on Twitter is called.
The heckling soon migrated from the online space to the real world. Audience members started yelling out comments that reflected the online chatter. When the CEO suggested the interviewer might want to ask some questions, the audience erupted into cheers vigorous enough to surprise those not following the tweets.
When the audience got their turn to ask questions, they were, one tweet opined, better than the interviewer's.
The event in question was the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive conference, and the CEO was Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. So far, it's at tech-oriented conferences like this where people are most aware of the "backchannel," or the real-time electronic chit-chat going on about presentations as they occur.
A few tech events have for years featured screens behind the speakers projecting the online chats of audience members with laptops. But it's becoming increasingly commonplace, especially at tech-savvy conferences. (And not necessarily on a big screen visible to all.)
As micro-blogging sites such as Twitter become more mainstream (similar offerings include Pownce and Google's Jaiku), the practice will likely spread more widely.
From the point of view of event organizers, there's little that can be done to control this phenomenon. Even if they provide no wi-fi or other online access at the event, the "Twitterati" can still share comments via their own phones and cellular or other connections.
At South by Southwest, attendees could simply add "#sxsw" to their Twitter posts to indicate they were talking about the conference. Then they could enter "track #sxsw" to follow the tweets of others.
During the interview with Zuckerberg, most but not all of the "#sksw" tweets were related to how bad the interview was. Not everyone at the festival attended that interview, so other tweets focused on different things. You can read some of the tweets here.
Backchannel chatter is happening in the broader context of audiences in general expecting and receiving greater interactivity. In TV land, viewers of the megahit U.S. show "American Idol" vote with their phones, shaping its future along the way. Some book authors now post rough drafts online to collect reader feedback. And on sites such as Wikipedia and YouTube, audiences create and interact with the content.
But there's something rather intense about online comments pertaining to speakers seated directly in front of an audience. Gone is the physical distance that reduces the tension surrounding nasty attacks in other online forums, for instance in multiplayer games, chat rooms, or in the reader comments sections below news articles or blog posts.
Some presenters and panelists are starting to monitor the backchannel during their presentations in hopes of better serving the audience, and to check how they're being perceived. Not everyone thinks this is such a good idea. Why physically congregate if everyone is glued to their screen and multitasking? And who says a few angry tweets represent what most of the audience is thinking?
But backchannel savvy can pay off.
During a panel about online community building at the Web 2.0 expo in San Francisco in April, for instance, one panelist monitoring the tweets noticed this comment: "I agree with @nickionita...community building panel is a snooze."
The panelist, Forrester Research analyst Jeremiah Owyang, took action, as he recounts on his blog: "I acknowledged them in Twitter, and let everyone know we would quickly shift to questions, so the audience could drive the agenda."
Positive tweets soon followed.
Tool for the classroom
Panelists at conferences are not the only ones who can benefit from knowing what the audience is thinking. Teachers and instructors can benefit, as well.
A 5-year-old tech start-up called Smartroom Learning Solutions, based in Georgia, offers an interactive classroom system called Beyond Question.
With it, students get wireless remote controls that let them answer multiple-choice questions. Once they've all answered a question by pressing their buttons, the teacher uses another remote to flash the correct answer on the screen and show, with automatically generated graphs, how many of the students got it right.
Kathleen Schofield, an instructor at Argyle Elementary School in Florida, has been using the system for about a year to teach science. With it, she assesses her class to figure out what they know, so she can plan her lessons. During lessons, she poses questions to make sure everyone has grasped concepts before she moves on. She sometimes uses it for official quizzes -- quizzes that offer instant feedback to students, instead of coming back in a few days.
For students, "it has a real-life connection," she notes. "It also builds community in the learning environment, as they love it when everyone is successful."
Perhaps most important, the SRS, or "student response system," boosts classroom enthusiasm.
"On the days that they saw 'SRS' on the list," she observes of when they walked in the room, "I always heard them go 'yessss ...'
Those kids sound like Twitterati in the making.
All About Twitter Inc. • Technology • Blogs and Blogging • Social Software and Tagging


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DVD on
Padre Pio - St. Pio of Pietrelcina
3 Catholic Documentary Films in one DVD
JPN Film Production
and Most Complete Catholic DVD on Padre Pio Ever Made
Over 2 Hours Long
St. Pio of Pieltrecina as shown on EWTN of Mother Angelica
Celebration of Padre Pio" - DVD
(Pray, Hope and Don't Worry)
(This DVD is playable in all regions)
in English
By award winning British film director J. Paddy Nolan
- ST. PIO of PIETRELCINA
Padre Pio famous Italian saintly priest who bore the stigmata, or wounds of Christ. (Padre Pio died in 1968.)
He possessed the gifts of celestial perfume, bilocation, healing, prophecy, tongues and reading of hearts.
Considered by many as the greatest mystic of the 20th Century.
3 Documentary Films in one DVD
by A JPN Production
Best and Most Complete DVD on Padre Pio Ever Made
Over 2 Hours Long
This DVD is playable in all regions
Celebration of Padre Pio"
(Pray, Hope and Don't Worry)
together with
"Padre Pio's Way of the Cross"
"The Canonization of Padre Pio"
UPC / Product ID: 634479239830
minutes, DVD
This DVD is playable in all regions
Item Number: SIB12D
Sale Price: $19.95
1st Documentary Film:
Celebration of Padre Pio - Pray, Hope and Don't Worry"
(Pray, Hope and Don't Worry)
Documnentary Film on ST. PIO of PIETRELCINA
the first time, you will see exclusive scenes of His Holiness, Pope John Paul
in prayer and deep meditation at the tomb of Padre Pio. And you will witness trestimonies
by some who have been touched by Padre Pio's miraculous insights.
50 years, Padre Pio lived with the pain and the glory of the stigmata, the five
wounds of Our Lord,
Jesus. Here is an absorbing hour of faith and joy about this
gentle priest who may become become a saint in our time.
John Paul II recently visited the historic monastery where Padre Pio lived and
This was the third time he had come to the remote village in southern Italy, San Giovanni Rotondo.
his first visit many years ago, His Holiness was just a simple priest and
it was then that Padre Pio told him he would,
one day, become Pope and that he would be covered in his own blood. Both prophecies have come to pass!
On his second visit, John Paul II was Cardinal of Krakov, in his native Poland.
But on his third visit he came as Christ's Vicar on earth to celebrate The Holy Mass.
It was 25 May 1987, the 100th anniversary of Padre Pio's birth.
of the greatest stories ever told. As recently as 1968 Padre Pio died in a Franciscan
Monastery in Southern Italy.
For 50 years he bore the wounds of Christ's Passion. Thousands visited him every year when he was
alive to be cured of their bodily and spiritual ills. Even more visit his tomb today. Why?
This video includes personal testimonies of healing, bilocation, powers of conversion,
prophecy etc., and Pope John Paul II's visit to San Giovanni Rotondo. A CELEBRATION OF PADRE PIO
was directed by award-winning English filmmaker, J. Paddy Nolan with the spoken word
by Sir Michael Hordern.
(As seen on EWTN of Mother Angelica).
"This is a beautiful film" (Padre Alessio O.F.M. CAP)
"My teenagers liked it because it was not sentimental ... but they were moved by it" (Mrs. S. Stacey)
"You've got a winner there" (B. Ness)
"My hearthfelt thanks for this masterpiece so skillfully directed and artistically realized" (Padre Villani V.F.)
"A powerful weapon in the work of saving souls" (S.R. Patricia)
"Thank Goodness you have brought this message right up to date" (FR.S)
One Hour Documentary Film
2nd Documentary Film:
Pio's Way of the Cross"
Documnentary Film on ST. PIO of PIETRELCINA
Pio said, "After the sacrifice of the Mass, the Way of the Cross is the
most powerful prayer of petition.
"Father Alessio invites you to come to San Giovanni and follow the Way of the Cross in the footsteps of Padre Pio.
The director of the English office, Father Alessio, looked after Padre Pio constantly for six years
towards the end of his life. In this video he leads us on the journey to Calvary, as he reads Padre Pio's
own words on the Passion of Jesus. In the Fifth Station Padre Pio is shown with his pierced hands carrying
the cross in place of Simon of Cyrene. The first stone of the Way of the Cross was blessed by
Padre Pio on the day before he died in 1968. This beautiful devotion completes a pilgrimage to
San Giovanni Rotondo, offering a quiet place for meditative prayer,
in the "city on the mountain" prophesied by Padre Pio.
PIO'S WAY OF THE CROSS was directed by award-winning English filmmaker, J. Paddy
(As seen on EWTN of Mother Angelica).
40 minutes Documentary Film
3rd Documentary Film:
a Journey of Faith and Hope
from San Giovanni to Heaven
with Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
Best Selling New Documentary Film on Canonization and Life of ST. PIO of PIETRELCINA
The NEW VIDEO of the CANONIZATION of PADRE PIO
the first time on video, the complete life story and the Canonization ceremony
in Rome with POPE JOHN PAUL II of the stigmatic friar from San Giovanni, PADRE PIO.
the millions gathered in ST. PETER'S Square in Rome, and in San Giovanni, to
hear, and see, the Pope declare him to be a saint of the church.
amazing never - seen - before footage of Padre Pio saying Mass, opening, and
cutting the tape of his new hospital, laughing and joking with his fellow friars in the
monastery, and even taking a ride in a car!
video includes the story of the miraculous recovery of eight-year old Matteo
Collela, following the intercession to Padre Pio of his parents. He took the name Pio
in gratitude for his recovery.
with friars who knew him well, and were with him when he died, and with
people whose lives were completely changed by attending his Mass.
For followers of Padre Pio this is the definitive story of his life, death, and Canonization.
Join us on a journey of FAITH and HOPE, from SAN GIOVANNI to HEAVEN with
SAINT PIO of PIETRELCINA
St. Pio Pray for us.
The video was produced and directed by award-winning English director,
10 of
Seeing is Believing
A Video Series
(As seen on EWTN of Mother Angelica)
35 minutes Documentary Film
3 Documentary Films in one DVD
"The Celebration of Padre Pio" - DVD
and Most Complete DVD on Padre Pio Ever Made
Over 2 Hours Long
Celebration of Padre Pio
together with
Padre Pio's Way of the Cross
The Canonization of Padre Pio
minutes, DVD
This DVD is playable in all regions
Item Number: SIB12D
Sale Price: $19.95
Available in Spanish too
Known as Padre Pio
Monday, 17 June 2002
Dear Brothers and Sisters, 1. It is a great joy for me to meet you again the day after the solemn canonization of the humble Capuchin of San Giovanni Rotondo. Dear pilgrims and devotees, I greet you with affection who have gathered in Rome in such large numbers for this special occasion. I first of all greet the bishops, priests and religious who are present here. I want to pay special attention to the Capuchin Franciscans who in communion with the whole Church praise and thank the Lord for the marvels he has worked in their exemplary confrere. Padre Pio is an authentic model of spirituality and humanity, two characteristic features of the Franciscan and Capuchin tradition. I greet the members of the "Padre Pio Prayer Groups" and the representatives of the family of the "Home for the Relief of Suffering", that great institution for the treatment and the care of the sick that came forth from the new saint's charity. I embrace you, dear pilgrims from the noble land that gave birth to Padre Pio, from the other regions of Italy and from every part of the world. By your presence here, you witness to how widespread are devotion to and confidence in the holy Friar of the Gargano in the Church and on every continent. 2. But what is the secret of such great admiration and love for this new saint? He is first of all a "friar of the people", a traditional characteristic of the Capuchins. He is also a saint who is a miraculous healer, as the extraordinary events which are part of his life attest. However, above all Padre Pio is a religious who is deeply in love with the crucified Christ. He even shared physically in the mystery of the Cross during his life. He liked to link the glory of Tabor with the mystery of the Passion, as we read in one of his letters: "Before exclaiming with St Peter "Oh how good it is to be here', it is necessary first to climb Calvary, where one sees only death, nails, thorns, suffering, extraordinary shadows, abandonment and fainting" (Epistolario III, p. 287). Padre Pio made his journey of demanding spiritual ascesis in communion with the Church. The temporary misunderstandings he had with one or other ecclesial authority did not put a brake on his attitude of filial obedience. Padre Pio was a faithful and courageous son of the Church and in this situation following the shining example of the "Poverello" of Assisi. 3. May this holy Capuchin to whom so many people turn to from every corner of the earth point out to us the means to reach holiness which is the goal of our life as Christians. How many faithful in every social condition, from the most diverse places and the most difficult situations hurried to ask his help! He knew how to offer them all what they needed most, which they were often groping for without being fully aware of it. He passed on to them the comforting and enlightening Word of God, enabling each person to draw from the sources of his grace through his diligent dedication to the ministry of the confessional and the fervent celebration of the Eucharist. So it was that he wrote to one of his spiritual daughters: "Do not be afraid to come to the Lord's altar to be fed with fleshoftheImmaculateLamb,because no one will better reconcile your spirit than your king, nothing will warm it more than his sun, and nothing will soothe it better than his balm" (ibid., p. 944). 4. The Mass of Padre Pio! It was an eloquent reminder to priests of the beauty of the priestly vocation. For the religious and the lay people who flocked to San Giovanni Rotondo even at the early morning hours, it was an extraordinary catechesis on the value and importance of the Eucharistic sacrifice. Holy Mass was the heart and the source of his whole spirituality: "There is in the Mass", he used to say, "the whole of Calvary". The faithful who crowded round his altar were profoundly impressed by the intensity of his "immersion" in the Mystery, and perceived that "the Father" participated in his person in the Redeemer's sufferings. 5. St Pio of Pietrelcina presented himself to everyone - priests, men and women religious and lay people - as a credible witness to Christ and to his Gospel. May his example and intercession spur everyone to greater love for God and concrete solidarity with his neighbour, especially those who are in greatest need. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom Padre Pio called by the beautiful name of "Our Lady of Grace" (Santa Maria delle Grazie), help us to follow in the footprints of this religious who is so beloved by the people! With this hope, I cordially bless you who are present here, your loved ones and all who are committed to following in the spiritual footsteps of the beloved saint of Pietrelcina.
DVDs and Videos Sale
Other Documentary DVD Videos on
Sr. Faustina, Padre Pio and Objective Report on Apparitions at Medjugorje
St. Pio of Pietrelcina and St. Faustina
"Seeing Is Believing" Video Library
Padre Pio Revisited
From San Giovanni to Heaven - New DVD on Canonization of Padre Pio
The Beatification of Padre Pio
The Life of Sister Faustina - The Apostle of Divine Mercy
Spanish Edition - La Historia De Sor Faustina
A Celebration of Padre Pio - Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry
Spanish Edition - Homenaje Al Padre Pio
Padre Pio - At The Gates of Heaven
Medjugorje - The Miracles and The Message
Sister Faustina - The Promise of Mercy
The Beatification of Sister Faustina - Join the Celebration
Padre Pio's San Giovanni - "I Can Refuse No One"
Padre Pio's Way of the Cross
Rafael Brom
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Russian security forces battle militants before Olympics
(Reuters) - Three Russian servicemen and four gunmen were killed in a shootout in southern Russia on Wednesday during a sweep for militants before the Sochi Winter Olympics.
Russia's National Anti-terrorism Committee (NAC) said the dead gunmen included a man accused of carrying out a car bomb attack in the city of Pyatigorsk late last year which killed three people.
Russia in on high alert following two suicide bombings in southern Russia last month that fuelled security concerns before the Olympics, which Islamist militants waging an insurgency in the North Caucasus have threatened to attack.
President Vladimir Putin has staked a lot of personal and political prestige on the success of the Games, which open on February 7, and has put security forces on combat alert in Sochi.
The NAC said in a statement that a group of militants had been trapped in a house in the village of Karlanyurt in the Dagestan region of the North Caucasus. Five officers were also wounded in what a spokesman called a special operation.
Dagestan's capital, Makhachkala, is about 620 km (385 miles) east of Sochi. The mostly Muslim region is plagued by bombings and shootings that mainly target police and state officials as part of the militants' fight to create an Islamist state.
At least 34 people were killed last month in the suicide bombings in the southern city of Volgograd. Putin ordered safety measures to be beefed up nationwide after the attacks.
About 37,000 personnel are now in place to provide security in Sochi, which is on the Black Sea and on the western edge of the Caucasus mountains, and the International Olympic Committee has expressed confidence the Games will be safe.
But, underlining the danger of attacks, security forces said on Saturday they had arrested five members of a banned militant group in southern Russia and defused a homemade bomb packed with shrapnel.
The main spokesman for Russia's Investigative Committee, whose responsibilities include looking into bombings and other attacks, appealed to civilians on Tuesday to be more vigilant and help avert the threat of "terrorist" attacks.


text:
John Bandimere Sr. built the Safety Proving Grounds of America in 1958 after he purchased 180 acres of land for $13,500. His plan was to provide a …
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John Bandimere Sr. built the Safety Proving Grounds of America in 1958 after he purchased 180 acres of land for $13,500.
His plan was to provide a place for young men and women to drag-race and learn about automobiles.
John Bandimere Sr. passed away in 1986, but his proving grounds, now named Bandimere Speedway, located along the Hogback near Morrison, is celebrating its 55th year of drag racing and will host its biggest event of the season, the Mopar Mile High Nationals, July 19-21.
"I'm a Wheat Ridge kid," said John Bandimere Jr. "I'm a Wheat Ridge Farmer. I graduated from high school in 1956. I raced on the street and so did a lot of kids. My dad wanted a place for us to be away from all the dangers.
"I first came out after Dad bought the property and was moving dirt. Rooney Road was a dirt road. Actually Alameda wasn't totally paved. The way you came in was off Colfax."
Bandimere Jr. took an active role in the track operations in the mid-1970s and tried to find a national event to host because the track was not making money. In 1977 the track, nicknamed Thunder Mountain, hosted the NHRA Sports Nationals and the next year the NHRA Mile High Nationals was the first race with professional categories to compete at Bandimere.
"In 1987 the president of the NHRA at that time, Dallas Gardner, came to me after the event and said, `You need to do something because we can't come back here,'" recalled Bandimere. "The reason was, we were putting 100 matches in a matchbox that maybe held 50. That sort of thing.
"I said to Dallas, `I have one question. If we spend the money and we bring this facility up to stature, will you give us a sabbatical where we could have a year off and then come back?' He said, `Absolutely.'"
Bandimere Speedway overcame financial difficulties and underwent a $4.2 million renovation in 1988.
"Highway 470 started being built in September 1987," said Bandimere. "So what happened, we needed to move a lot of dirt. We were on the side of a mountain and needed to flatten things out. I went to the (Jefferson) County and in those days got a permit for $15. They asked me what we were going to do and I said we had to move a little bit of dirt. They didn't ask me how much. They wanted their $15.
"They were building the highway and we were moving all this dirt. We moved almost 4 million yards of dirt. While we were moving all the dirt, the public thought the highway was being built."
The track renovation, however, was red-flagged.
"The day came when they were ready to dedicate the bridge on Morrison Road," continued Bandimere. "They were all there with dignitaries and I've got tractors going up and down the hill. They came over that day and red-tagged it. I said we were moving some dirt and rebuilding our facility. I thought that was probably going to be the end of the rebuilding.
"The county realized this was a needed thing and went along with us, took the red flags off and we had to meet a few rules. The track is in the exact same place. What we changed was all the parking, the pit area, building of the tower and the Eliminator Club."
After the track facelift, Mopar came on as the sponsor of the Mile High Nationals.
"They have been our sponsor of this event from that day until now," Bandimere said of the 25-year partnership with parts, service and customer care branches within Chyrsler Group LLC. "It's been among the longest-running sponsorships in racing history. They redid the contract a year ago for three more years. This is the first of another three years that we're involved with them."
In 2008 an all-concrete racing surface was installed, with a cooling system under each lane to circulate chilled water in an area 20 feet wide, extending from 40 feet behind the staging beams to 120 feet after it. The system reduces the track temperature between 15-20 degrees.
A trans-lux scoreboard was installed in 2009 and a timing system with fiber optic lines has also been added to the track.
"This is one of the only tracks that has a downhill for staging and an uphill to shutoff," pointed out Bandimere. "That's what my dad really, really wanted. There are a lot of tracks around the country that you have to go uphill to get to the staging. You have to start and stop and many times they get up there ready to make a run and their battery is dead because these cars don't run generators. "
Bandimere, 75, admits he almost sold the track several years ago, when he considered joining a group that was pondering building a NASCAR track with a drag strip in Aurora. Several factors were involved in rejecting that project.
More than 125 events a season, including the Mile High Nationals, are held at Bandimere Speedway each season to help keep the track profitable.
Bandimere says 2008 set a standard for the track.
"That particular year was the best year the facility has had," he said. "Everything, the weather and events, worked out really good that year. We've never been able to hit that same standard. We always kind of look at things and say, `How does it compare to 2008?'
"There are not many facilities in the country like this that make any money. The reason they don't in most cases is that they are not willing to pay the price. We develop relationships. God has blessed us. We are not at 2008 this year, but we're way ahead of last year. We're happy with that."
Bandimere has future plans for the track his dad built.
"I have no interest in leaving at this point," he said. "We have a lot of things on our plate but what we really want to do is get water and sewer onto the property. For 55 years we've run this facility with port-a-pots, and actually, with this type of race, even if we had water we would use a lot of port-a-lets. The reason is because it is so spread out.
"I want to make changes. I want to build some new buildings. I want to build better concessions, hopefully by next year."
Two sessions of professional preliminaries of this year's Mile High Nationals, set for 5:15 and 7:15 p.m., will be held July 19. Two more qualifying runs will be held at 1:45 and 4:45 p.m. July 20, with the final eliminations set to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday July 21.
Defending Mile High pro winners are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
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text:
These are the things about which one begins to wonder when forced to read or watch a story more than 10 times:
If the nice fairies in Sleeping Beauty had the power to alter the evil fairy's killing spell, why didn't they just say that when she turned 16, she'd touch a spindle, receive a deliciously near-fatal orgasm, and then develop a lifelong obsession with spinning wheels?
Why make her, the royal family, and everyone who works in their castle, fall asleep indefinitely while waiting for a chance encounter to bring them back to daily life? How is that the easiest solution, even if we decide they were limited by adapting the language without the intent of the spell?
Can you imagine missing out on a decade without realizing it? Strutting around with bell bottoms and pork-chop sideburns when everyone else is gelled up with Hammer pants... the horrors go on.
Which decade would you pick to skip, and why?
After you're done pondering this, you might want to weigh in on some other of Life's Most Important Questions, especially the original.


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Lovers of art and history can find hotel suites near Old Colorado City. This area has over 100 shops, dining establishments, and attractions. Some of the most popular tourist destinations include the Carnegie Library, the Old Colorado City Historic Center, and the Garden of the Gods.
The World Arena welcomes top comics, world-class performers, and sporting events. Located in the Broadmoor neighborhood, those who seek resorts in this scenic area will have nice views of the mountains while staying near such spots as the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun.
We at Expedia.com offer the best prices on hotels in Colorado Springs regardless of your needs and desires. Colorado Springs vacation packages can include flights to Colorado Springs, cheap hotel deals in Colorado Springs, and even rental cars for those who wish to explore the wonders made by man as well as Mother Nature. Because Colorado Springs is known as a destination for those who love animals and the outdoors, there are many pet friendly hotels that can be included as part of Colorado Springs vacation packages as well.
With plenty of things to do in Colorado Springs, many visitors seeking hotels in Colorado Springs, Colorado may wish to put together their own discount vacations. Expedia.com can help with this as well. The handy hotel map helps tourists decide whether to choose a bustling area, a neighborhood known for fine dining, or accommodations on the outskirts of the city where peace and quiet are the main courses on the hotel menu.


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Dealing with genocide and Holocaust across religious lines: What's politics got to do with it?
By Wayne Slater | [email protected]
9:35 am on January 25, 2014 | Permalink
Ghouse is frequently introduced as 'the first Muslim guy to commemorate
the Holocaust" with an appeal across broad religious lines. The idea is
to recognize what people have in common, regardless of their
differences as a way of lessening the conflicts, prejudices and
intolerance that has produced genocide. And to go beyond politics to
find common ground. On Sunday, a program attracting disparate groups
around the idea "Never again" is scheduled for Unity Church on Forest
Lane in Dallas, sponsored in part by Ghouse's organization, the
Foundation for Pluralism. The event is entitled Holocaust, Genocides of
Native Americans and Gujart Massacre.The theme: Sparks of hatred and how
to extinguish them.
Mike Ghouse, speaker, writer and advocate of pluralism across religious lines
says he hopes attendees will walk out better appreciating the
sufferings of others and seeing "the perpetrator in us" as a way of
building trust across social and religious lines.
"I called
on my friends with the idea of commemorating the event, and thus began
this journey," said Ghouse. "Education is the purpose; we have to learn,
acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things that we humans have
inflicted upon each other, and we have to understand that our safety
hinges on the safety of all others around us."
Ghouse says the
conference is designed as a comprehensive event where various human
failings, massacres, genocides and the murder of 6 million Jews in the
Holocaust will be addressed. The conference begins at 3 pm with an
American Indian genocide museum exhibit, then a program between 4-6 pm.
have always believed, and I read the assessments of some of the best
brains, that if we can resolve the Jewish-Palestinian conflict, i.e.,
security to Jews and justice to the Palestinians, most of the world
issues will collapse and a period of peace on earth will begin," said
"There is a shameless cruelty in us, either we shy away
or refuse to acknowledge the sufferings of others, worrying that it will
devalue our own or somehow it amounts to infidelity to our own cause,"
he said. "Shame on us that we justifying massacres by believing and
propagating that the victims deserved it or asked for it."


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|Jan 13, 2012
New silicon probe assists in disease diagnostics and drug discovery
|(Nanowerk News) IBM scientists have developed a flexible, non-contact microfluidic probe made from silicon that can aid researchers and pathologists to investigate critical tissue samples accurately for drug discovery and disease diagnostics.
|Tissue staining is widely used in pathology to detect disease markers in a patient's sample. More specifically, a particular disease marker is bound with an antibody, which is then chemically colored or stained on the tissue. The intensity of the color classifies and determines the extent of a disease.
|Tissue staining is a tedious process with many chemical steps analogous to developing photographs, whereby excessive chemical solution or long exposures can overdevelop the sample or photograph. In the context of pathology, this can cause false positives and negatives, which can lead to misdiagnosis. According to a report issued by Johns Hopkins Hospital (pdf), of 6,171 biopsy slides that were sent from late 2008 for a second review, pathologists disagreed with the diagnosis on 86 of them.
|Obtaining a biopsy is an invasive procedure for the patient, so small samples are taken whenever possible. Pathologists are determined to gain as much information as possible from these small samples, which can be only a few millimeters in length. Working at this scale requires staining to be performed on many thin slices of the sample to identify and sub-type diseases such as cancer, for treatment. Pathologists are often challenged in performing a sufficient number of important tests on these limited samples, critical for personalized treatment strategies.
|"A key aspect of taking clinical samples is to ensure a high diagnostic capability while minimizing patient discomfort—the probe developed by IBM scientists does exactly that. The probe allows one to stain a very small section of a tissue with virtually any biomarker that may be clinically relevant. This capability allows the clinician to not only do more with a smaller sample, but will also allow the use of multiple stains on the same sample, therefore increasing the accuracy of the diagnosis. Thus this work may be transformative for diagnosing a variety of ailments ranging from cancer to cardiac disease," said Prof. Dr. Ali Khademhosseini, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.
|To address these important challenges, IBM scientists in Zurich are reporting in the peer-reviewed journal Lab on a Chip ("Micro-immunohistochemistry using a microfluidic probe") an innovative proof-of-concept technology called the microfluidic probe, which can accurately stain tissue sections at the micrometer scale.
|The probe (see artistic rendering) consists of a silicon microfluidic head having two microchannels. Unlike an inkjet printer cartridge, the head re-aspirates the liquid that it injects on a surface. This prevents spreading and accumulation of the liquid on the surface, which can lead to overexposure.
|The eight millimeter-wide, diamond-shaped probe consists of a silicon microfluidic head with two microchannels at each tip. Similar to an inkjet printer cartridge, the head injects the liquid on the surface, but then unlike a printer, it continuously aspirates the liquid to prevent spreading and accumulation on the surface, which can lead to overexposure.
|Specifically for tissue section analysis, the probe can deliver an antibody very locally in a selected area of a tissue section with pinpoint accuracy. Since analysis can be done on spots and lines instead of on the entire tissue section, the tissue is better preserved for additional tests, if required. In addition, only a few picoliters (one trillionth of a liter) of liquid containing antibodies are needed for each analysis spot.
|"We have developed a proof-of-concept technology, which I hope puts pathology on a modern roadmap—benefiting from the latest developments in silicon-based microfluidics," said Govind Kaigala, a scientist at IBM Research - Zurich. He adds, "This new approach will enable pathologists to stain tissue samples with micrometer precision and easily perform multiple tissue stains on limited samples."
|This research is based on IBM's decades of experience with silicon, which is now being applied to novel micro and nanotechnologies to solve today's greatest challenges ranging from energy production and consumption to healthcare.
|The microfluidic probe fits to standard workflows in conventional pathology. In addition, it is compatible with current biochemical staining systems and is resistant to a broad range of chemicals. The small size of the probe also enables easy viewing of the sample from above and below by an inverted microscope commonly used in research and clinical laboratories.
|Prof. Dr. Khademhosseini said, "The developed system may have great potential in applications where sample size and the need for testing various types of biological analysis are required. I am confident that one day such approach will enable us to take small tissue biopsies and be able to obtain significantly more information."
|IBM scientists will continue to test and improve the probe and potentially begin using it in laboratory environments in the next several months. In addition, the team plans to explore specific clinical applications, possibly with partners in the field of pathology. The microfluidic probe promises to support the work of pathologists and become a tool of choice for pharmaceutical research and diagnostics involving biological specimens.
|Source: IBM