text:
Submit a Review & Earn an Amazon Gift Card
You can now submit reviews for your favorite Tocris products. Your review will help other researchers decide on the best products for their research. Why not submit a review today?!Submit Review
TAT-cyclo-CLLFVY is a selective HIF-1 dimerization inhibitor. Blocks protein-protein interaction of recombinant HIF-1α, but not HIF-2α, with HIF-1β (IC50 = 1.3 μM). Inhibits hypoxia-induced HIF-1 activity, and decreases VEGF and CAIX expression in osteosarcoma and breast cancer cells in vitro. Also reduces tubularization of hypoxic HUVECs.
|M. Wt
(Modifications: Lactam bridge: Cys-1 to Tyr-6), Disulfide bridge: 1-1*)
|Store at -20°C
|CAS Number
|PubChem ID
|InChI Key
The technical data provided above is for guidance only. For batch specific data refer to the Certificate of Analysis.
Tocris products are intended for laboratory research use only, unless stated otherwise.
|Soluble to 1 mg/ml in water
References are publications that support the biological activity of the product.
Miranda et al (2013) A cyclic peptide inhibitor of HIF-1 heterodimerization that inhibits hypoxia signaling in cancer cells. J.Am.Chem.Soc. 135 10418 PMID: 23796364
If you know of a relevant reference for TAT-cyclo-CLLFVY, please let us know.
Keywords: TAT-cyclo-CLLFVY, TAT-cyclo-CLLFVY supplier, HIF-1a, 1b, 1beta, 1alpha, α, β, hypoxia, inducible, factor, cancer, angiogenesis, antiangiogenic, dimerization, inhibitors, inhibits, Hypoxia, Inducible, Factors, 5582, Tocris Bioscience
Citations are publications that use Tocris products. Selected citations for TAT-cyclo-CLLFVY include:
Ying et al (2022) CAMK2/CaMKII activates MLKL in short-term starvation to facilitate autophagic flux. Autophagy 18 726-744 PMID: 34282994
Do you know of a great paper that uses TAT-cyclo-CLLFVY from Tocris? Please let us know.
There are currently no reviews for this product. Be the first to review TAT-cyclo-CLLFVY and earn rewards!
$50/€35/£30/$50CAN/¥300 Yuan/¥5000 Yen for first to review with an image
$25/€18/£15/$25CAN/¥75 Yuan/¥1250 Yen for a review with an image
$10/€7/£6/$10 CAD/¥70 Yuan/¥1110 Yen for a review without an image
Tocris offers the following scientific literature in this area to showcase our products. We invite you to request* your copy today!
*Please note that Tocris will only send literature to established scientific business / institute addresses.
This product guide reviews some of the main areas in cancer metabolism research and lists around 150 products that can be used to investigate metabolic pathways in cancer including:


text:
MA, Stanford University
Teaching in the San Francisco Bay Area
Alissa is currently a teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area and Brightstorm users love her clear, concise explanations of tough concepts
Finding the Slope of a Line from a Graph - Concept
MA, Stanford University
Teaching in the San Francisco Bay Area
Alissa is currently a teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area and Brightstorm users love her clear, concise explanations of tough concepts
One of the most important things to understand about lines is the definition of slope. Slope is the 'steepness' of the line, also commonly known as rise over run. We can calculate slope by dividing the change in the y-value between two points over the change in the x-value. In order to understand the importance of the definition of slope, one should understand how to interpret graphs and how to write an equation.
One of the most important ideas you're
going to see in your whole study
of algebra is the idea of slope.
And slope just refers to
how steep a line is.
And that's kind of the basic definition.
That's something that I help -- or helps
me remember what slope means.
There's a whole lot of fancy notation
that goes along with it.
And we'll get into that in just a second.
But if you can just remember in the back
of your head that slope means how steep
the line is, it will
help you a lot.
So one thing you see is that anytime I
draw a straight line, the slope ratio
stays the same for
that entire line.
And here's what I mean.
Let's say those are my X and Y axes
and I have this line right here.
The line is equally steep
the entire time.
It has the same slope ratio.
And we're going to get in a second
what I mean by ratio.
And here's what I'm talking about.
When we talk about slope or steepness,
the way it's defined is by change of
Y over change of X. Like
in a fraction.
Change in Y on top of change in X.
That's why we call it a ratio.
Remember ratio is like a fraction.
So if I were to draw a little triangle
here that represents how steep my line
is, this would be my change in Y
piece because Y is up and down.
This would be my change in X piece,
because X is horizontal.
And whatever those numbers were on the
graph, I would write as a fraction.
That's one thing you want
to keep in mind.
Change in Y on top of change in X.
Sometimes we write it using this little
This triangle is the Greek letter
delta, which is tricky.
Not only do you have to learn math
but now you have to learn Greek.
This means change in Y on top of change
in X. That delta just represents
the word change.
And a third way we write this is using
the letter M. M stands for slope,
and if I had two points,
I'll use them up here.
Let's say I had this point I'm going to
call it X from my first point and then
Y from my first point.
Here's my second point.
X from my second point I'm going to use
that little 2 to show it's my second
point. Y for my second point.
Then there's a formula I could use using
those X and Y numbers to find M, or
the slope.
And the way I would write that is Y to
take away Y1 on top of X2 take away X1.
This is the same thing just
written in a different way.
I'm finding out how much did my Y values
change and putting that on top of how
much did my X values change
in a fraction.
So this formula is really important anytime
you have two points like this.
These little numbers down here are tricky.
It doesn't mean take your Y value and
multiply it by 2 or take your Y value
and multiply it by 1. What it means
is we're just notating using
what's called a subscript.
That's my second Y value.
I'm subtracting my first Y value.
And we'll get into that more later as you
guys start your homework problems.
A couple other things I want you to keep
in mind with slope, and that is
sometimes slopes are positive numbers
and sometimes slopes are negative
numbers. And here's how you can tell.
Anytime you're given a graph, there's
my axis and here's my line.
Think about if you were like skateboarding
and you were coming along, and you
hit this ramp.
This is an uphill ramp.
We call that a positive slope.
As opposed to if you hit this line here,
here you come along skateboarding,
I don't know why that's a skateboarding noise.
I just made that up. You're skateboarding.
You hit that thing, you're going down.
That's why we call it a negative slope.
Anytime a line increases from left
to right it's called a positive.
Decreases from left to right,
it's called a negative.
That's a whole lot to keep in mind when
you guys approach your problems.
This is all mathematical notation that
you're going to see over and over and
over again.
So you'll get used to it.
The one last thing I want to leave you
with is thinking about word problems,
because a lot of times graphs, as we
know, represent the real world.
Like this graph might be growth per day,
or how much something changes over
So slope becomes really important when
you're looking at word problems.
It can be growth per day.
Like let's say my slope was 5. I would
change like five inches per day
or something like that.
It's really important when you're looking
at word problems that you keep in
mind the units that go with your X
and Y values so you can relate the
slope back to the real world.
You guys are going to do all
kinds of practice with this.
Again, slope is a really, really important
idea that's going to show up over
and over, but I think you'll be successful
if you can just remember that
slope means how steep
the line is.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Next Evolution in CBCT: Combining Digital Technologies
A precise approach to planning dental implant reconstruction enhances accuracy.
Dental implants have provided clinicians with an increasing variety of solutions for patients who have lost or will lose their teeth, improving both function and esthetics while significantly impacting their quality of life. Treatment plans originally derived from two-dimensional (2-D) periapical or panoramic radiographs offered a limited appreciation of the bone and adjacent vital structures. The use of three-dimensional (3-D) imaging technologies has greatly enhanced the diagnostic modalities available for clinicians to treatment plan dental implants and associated grafting procedures. The recent move from medical computed tomography (CT) to cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) has provided lower radiation alternatives and removed many other barriers related to the use of the imaging modality, including immediate access through small-footprint, in-office machines.1
Managing the workflow has become an important part of the process, as many of the CBCT scanning machines have different protocols for diagnostics and the ultimate production of surgical templates. The native digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) data needs to be converted for visualization and manipulation on a computer monitor. The ideal scenario would allow clinicians to accurately assess patient anatomy through the use of CBCT imaging while having an understanding of the desired final restorative result. This is best accomplished through the use of interactive treatment-planning software that helps to re-process the DICOM digital data for clinical interpretation and manipulation.2
While CBCT provides insight into the 3-D assessment of the mandible or maxilla for implant placement, it does not do the best job of replicating the surface detail of teeth or surrounding anatomical structures. Surface data acquisition can be accomplished by using one of three methods: (1.) placing a stone cast into an optical scanner to capture the surface detail and occlusal morphology; (2.) placing a stone cast into the same CBCT scan machine with the same settings as the patient's scan; or (3.) using intraoral scanners to take a virtual impression of the patient's dentition. The majority of clinical applications use a stone cast fabricated from an intraoral impression with standard trays and impression materials (Figure 1). The diagnostic process has been further enhanced by the development of software applications that allow data from different sources to be combined. Merging the digital information from either method (optical or DICOM) with the original CBCT data greatly enhances the diagnostic phase and improves restoratively driven treatment planning (Figure 2).
Figure 3 illustrates a CBCT-derived volumetric rendering of a mandibular arch with missing teeth in the right posterior quadrant (Imaging Sciences, Inc., www.imagingscience.com). The stone cast data, as seen in Figure 1 and Figure 2, were merged with the DICOM data within the interactive treatment planning software (Invivo5 Anatomage, Anatomage, www.anatomage.com) to aid in the planning of the mandibular distal extension case. The "virtual teeth" were digitally fabricated to help plan three implants supporting three proposed crowns in the desired occlusal relationship, while avoiding the inferior alveolar nerve. The red "projections" seen in Figure 3 help provide the clinician with the trajectory of the implant and how the abutment would connect to the intended position of the desired restorations or within the envelope of the tooth. This type of planning aids clinicians in determining the prosthetic requirements prior to the surgical intervention. Armed with an individualized 3-D assessment of patient anatomy, educated decisions can be made with regard to crown-to-implant ratio, implant diameter and length, and the design of the restoration in terms of screw or cement retention.3 The clear, illustrative images are excellent for communicating with all members of the implant team, greatly improving the communication process for patient education and thus resulting in increased case acceptance.4
The third method for intraoral data acquisition is gaining popularity as the use of intraoral scanners precludes the need for conventional impression materials, while allowing for accurate surface reproduction using novel optical scanners chairside.5 Intraoral scanners streamline the digital workflow—just as digital cameras obviated the need for film—and the images go directly to the computer for interpretation. Intraoral scanners can be used in a variety of methods to enhance planning for dental implant placement and restoration. Intraoral scanners include but are not limited to: iTero™ (Align Technology, www.aligntech.com); E4D Dentist (D4D Technologies, www.e4d.com); TRIOS® (3Shape, www.3Shape.com); Lava™ C.O.S. (3M ESPE, www.3mespe.com); and CEREC® (Sirona Dental Systems, www.sirona.com).
It is now possible to merge the new digital data set from an intraoral scanner to the original CBCT scan data within the software used. The two separate files must go through a registration process to confirm accuracy. Once combined, the surface detail of the surrounding tooth anatomy is then incorporated into the interactive treatment planning software, and assessment of potential implant receptor sites can be evaluated with increased accuracy. Manipulating the software allows for a variety of different views to help aid in the planning process. For example, "removing" the bone and stone cast from view reveals the underlying precision placement of the simulated implants, abutments, and translucent virtual teeth in proximity to the natural tooth roots (Figure 4) (SimPlant®, Materialise Dental, Inc., www.materialisedental.com). Note that each implant and abutment realistically represents the actual manufacturer's design, as chosen from the software library of components (ANKYLOS®, DENTSPLY Friadent, www.dentsply-friadent.com).
The patient's original clinical presentation can be used for planning, or if desired, a diagnostic wax-up of the desired final restoration. Surgical templates can then be accurately fabricated from the 3-D virtual simulation to provide the link from the simulated plan to the surgical intervention. Templates derived from the CBCT scan data and interactive treatment planning software serve to increase surgical accuracy, diminish chairtime, decrease patient morbidity, allow for minimally invasive surgery in selected cases, and increase clinician confidence due to the improved understanding of the patient anatomy, while removing the guesswork from the process. However, it must be emphasized that the template will be only as good as the plan; therefore, the diagnosis and treatment-planning phase is critical to success.
The ability to plan dental implant reconstruction with greater precision is possible today due to the complete assessment of each potential implant receptor site, the length and width of each implant, the type of abutment to be used, and the components required to complete the case from surgical intervention through prosthetic rehabilitation. Having this knowledge before the scalpel ever touches the patient prepares all members of the dental implant team for successful outcomes without surprises. The ability to combine different technologies—including CBCT, optical scanning, interactive treatment planning software, and intraoral impressioning—enhances the process of providing accurate solutions for patient care, further defining the expanding arena known today as "digital dentistry."6
1. Benavides E, Rios HF, Ganz SD, et al. Use of cone beam computed tomography in implant dentistry: the International Congress of Oral Implantologists consensus report. Implant Dent. 2012;21(2):78-86.
2. Ganz SD. Advanced Case Planning with SimPlant. In: The Art of Computer-Guided Implantology. Tardieu P, Rosenfeld Al, eds. Hanover Park: IL: Quintessence Publishing Co, Inc.; 2009.
3. Ganz SD. Defining new paradigms for assessment of implant receptor sites. The use of CT/CBCT and interactive virtual treatment planning for congenitally missing lateral incisors. Compend Contin Educ Dent. 2008;29(5):256-267.
4. Tischler M, Ganz SD. The CT/CBCT-based team approach to care. Part I: Identifying the implant patient and prosthetic options. Dent Today. 2012;31(8):
5. Lee CY, Ganz SD, Wong N, Suzuki JB. Use of cone beam computed tomography and a laser intraoral scanner in virtual dental implant surgery: part 1. Implant Dent. 2012;21(4):265-271.
6. Ganz SD. Establishing New Prosthodontic Fundamentals for Implant Reconstruction through Technological Advances: Myths vs Realities. Presented at the ICOI Winter Symposium. Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV February 10, 2011.
About the Author
Scott D. Ganz, DMD
Private Practice in Prosthodontics
Maxillofacial Prosthetics and Implant Dentistry
Fort Lee, New Jersey


text:
Exodus 7
Living Bible
7 Then the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have appointed you as my ambassador to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, shall be your spokesman. 2 Tell Aaron everything I say to you, and he will announce it to Pharaoh, demanding that the people of Israel be allowed to leave Egypt. 3 But I will cause Pharaoh to stubbornly refuse, and I will multiply my miracles in the land of Egypt. 4 Yet even then Pharaoh won't listen to you; so I will crush Egypt with a final major disaster and then lead my people out. 5 The Egyptians will find out that I am indeed God when I show them my power and force them to let my people go."
6 So Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them. 7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three at this time of their confrontation with Pharaoh.
8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 "Pharaoh will demand that you show him a miracle to prove that God has sent you; when he does, Aaron is to throw down his rod, and it will become a serpent."
10 So Moses and Aaron went in to see Pharaoh, and performed the miracle, as Jehovah had instructed them—Aaron threw down his rod before Pharaoh and his court, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh called in his sorcerers—the magicians of Egypt—and they were able to do the same thing with their magical arts! 12 Their rods became serpents, too! But Aaron's serpent swallowed their serpents! 13 Pharaoh's heart was still hard and stubborn, and he wouldn't listen, just as the Lord had predicted. 14 The Lord pointed this out to Moses, that Pharaoh's heart had been unmoved, and that he would continue to refuse to let the people go.
15 "Nevertheless," the Lord said, "go back to Pharaoh in the morning, to be there as he goes down to the river. Stand beside the riverbank and meet him there, holding in your hand the rod that turned into a serpent. 16 Say to him, 'Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me back to demand that you let his people go to worship him in the wilderness. You wouldn't listen before, 17 and now the Lord says this: "You are going to find out that I am God. For I have instructed Moses to hit the water of the Nile with his rod, and the river will turn to blood! 18 The fish will die and the river will stink, so that the Egyptians will be unwilling to drink it."'"
19 Then the Lord instructed Moses: "Tell Aaron to point his rod toward the waters of Egypt: all its rivers, canals, marshes, and reservoirs, and even the water stored in bowls and pots in the homes will turn to blood."
20 So Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them. As Pharaoh and all of his officials watched, Aaron hit the surface of the Nile with the rod, and the river turned to blood. 21 The fish died and the water became so foul that the Egyptians couldn't drink it; and there was blood throughout the land of Egypt. 22 But then the magicians of Egypt used their secret arts and they, too, turned water into blood; so Pharaoh's heart remained hard and stubborn, and he wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted, 23 and he returned to his palace, unimpressed. 24 Then the Egyptians dug wells along the riverbank to get drinking water, for they couldn't drink from the river.
25 A week went by.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


text:
IT Pro Tuesday #42
Mega List of Tips, Tools, Books, Blogs & More...
It's time for this week's IT Pro Tuesday! As always, we have to state that we don't have any affiliation with any of the brands listed below unless we say otherwise.
In this mega edition, we're rounding up our most useful tips to date.
This open-source platform allows you to access your preferred software on the move. You'll sync it to the cloud storage service of your choice, store it on your PC's drive or put it on an external storage device like a USB drive. This makes this it easy to take your apps with you when moving between different work areas. The platform allows you to access several different freeware and open-source programs. It also supports commercial software.
Netcat is a Linux-based utility for network admins. It makes it possible to read or write data across a network connection. The data is transmitted using UDP or TCP. It's extremely useful for monitoring your network, testing it, and sending data through it.
The features included are, amongst others:
File transfer
Port scanning
Port listening
Necrowerx gave us this top tip.
Are you looking for an alternative to Launchy? Then Keypirinha may well be it. If you need to supercharge Window's load speed, this tool offers customization options that Launchy can't match. Thanks DrnZxz for letting us know about this outstanding tip.
This tool is designed to make screen capturing and the sharing of files easier. Stesha83 recommended it as a life-changing productivity tool.
Censys lets you search for and monitor any web-connected server. It allows you to see which devices on your network are exposed and where you need to shore up security. Videoflyguy recommends this software because it updates in real-time. The basic account allows you to run ten searches a day for free. If you need to run more than that, you'll have to upgrade your account.
Cuckoo Sandbox
Cuckoo Sandbox was recommended to us by NerdBlender, and we can see why. This is a sophisticated system that allows you to analyze malware safely. It is able to analyze any suspicious files and can scan sites that run under different kinds of software to see if they contain malware.
Another useful feature is that it allows you to trace API calls. It runs it's analysis and distills the important security information, like signatures. You're also able to monitor and network traffic and analyze that as well.
The Lazy Administrator Tool
This tool makes it simpler to create new users for Office 365 and Active Directory. It makes the process automatic to save you time. You can use it for your full range of clients. It's simple to use and extremely useful.
Netwrix Account Lockout Examiner
This tool notifies you when a user has been locked out of Active Directory. It is particularly useful for troubleshooting accounts that are consistently locked. It runs off your PC or through the mobile app, which makes it useful when you're on the go and need to unlock an account.
Thanks tGasMaskt for this great tip.
PuTTY is a telnet and SSH client. It's open source and was initially intended to be used on the platform Windows was building. The software has an active community of volunteers who are developing other useful applications.
Security Onion
Security Onion was suggested to us by NameThatIMadeUp. It's a valuable Linux-based security tool. It:
Monitors for signs of intrusion
Helps you monitor the security of the company
Assist with log management
The setup guide takes you through the steps to create your own customized set of servers. It also has a range of security tools like Logstash and CyberChef built into it.
Your Universal Multiboot Installer was recommended to us by videoflyguy, and he's hit another home run. If you need to create a bootable flash drive with a number of programs on it, this program will do the trick. It will work across a wide range of programs. YUMI takes a different approach in that it makes use of syslinux to boot distributions on the USB drive. This approach enables you to install a number of different ISOs onto the same drive.
Snappy Driver Installer Origin
This software will make your life simpler when it comes to installing or updating drivers for Windows XP and up. It can be run from a flash drive and can be set to automatically update drivers. Oh, and best of all - it's free.
This tool makes managing IT assets and inventory simple. It works with Windows-based systems and is simple to use. It makes it easy to see which user is using which devices. Chess_Not_Checkers says that it's a tool that he can't live without. You get a full 20 days to try it out. If you want to continue using it after that, you'll have to buy it.
If you're looking for a lightening fast search utility, Listary might fit the bill. It will work on Windows-based systems and speeds up app launching and finding or relocating files. It's light on system resources and will integrate with various tools. jelloeater 85 gets a big shout out here for telling us about this tool.
This software makes managing your SSH sessions a lot easier. It has clever navigation tools and a range of keyboard shortcuts. These allow you to start a new session or switch over to another easily, so it doesn't matter if you have more than one system to manage. Thanks to Specific_West for this suggestion.
AD Tidy
This tool allows you to spring clean your Active Directory domain easily. If you need to clear out orphaned users, then this tool is perfect. Just input the search parametres, and from there, identify accounts you want to remove, move or delete. Nachomountain gets a big thank you for this tip.
Advanced IP Scanner
If there's a more user-friendly network scanner out there, we don't know about it. This program lists any device on your LAN. Use it to access folders that have been shared with you and for remote control of computers (via RDP and Radmin). dRaidon likes it for those times when you can't access nmap.
This tool detects security issues in your Active Directory. It not only lists issues but gives you idea on how to correct them. SysAdmineral recommended it as a way of testing whether there are small security issues that could cause big problems later.
16 Powershell Modules
If you want information straight from the source, it doesn't get much better than 16 Powershell Modules.This software contains many of the best tools that PowerShell architect Przemyslaw Klys has created.
These include:
PSWinReporting: To monitor changes to Active Directory. A report is provided showing all the changes that have been made.
PS WriteWord: If you don't have Word installed, but need a Word document, this tool can help.
WiFi Analyzer
According to thenewimprovedhankp, Wifi Analyzer will help you find the best channel to connect up to. It looks for networks that aren't as busy for you. Works on Android devices.
Jarun Terminal Utilities
Jarun Terminal Utilities is composed of handy Terminal utilities that make it possible to crossover between Terminal functions and a GUI environment. The idea behind the tool is to make it easier for sysadmins working remotely to access and work on their terminals.
There are several tools available including:
One of the smallest file managers we've seen. It allows navigation, transfer of files, editing texts and a lot more.
A time-saving Google search tool.
And a whole lot more.
We'd like to thank sablal for the recommendation.
This is another sophisticated piece of software. Speccy provides information about what your PC has under the hood. Choose between a fast summary or a much more detailed report. NoelSlevin told us that this tool is quite useful to keep on hand,
GNU Midnight Commander
Do you prefer working with a visual file manager? Then you'll love GNU Midnight Commander. It's packed with useful features that allow you to move, delete or copy individual files or file trees.
BorgClown enjoys using it for complicated directory structures. It's easy to use and quick.
The Book of Secret Knowledge
This site offers a range of manuals, hacks, blogs, web/CLI tools and lists. If you're a sysadmin, you'll want to bookmark this site. We're grateful to wheybee99 for sending in this tip. Some examples of the things that you'll find include:
Can I use: Gives you an updated list of what front-end technology the different browsers support
ShellCheck: This tool helps you debug your scripts
The Powershell Cheatsheet Compilation
Prateeksingh1590 sent in this useful link. He also compiled the cheatsheets on this site. There are several cheatsheets available. Most reference Powershell, but there are some others thrown in for good measure.
Windows Shortcuts
Brother_bean sent in this useful list of shortcuts.
Click on the Windows Key and:
The directional buttons: Left or right will halve the size of the active window and snap it left or right. Up allows you to go back to fullscreen mode. Down gets to back to your desktop.
M: Allows you to minimize all screens
Shift + directional arrows: Will move the screen to an adjacent monitor.
RegularAlicorn sent in this batch of helpful shortcuts:
Win + Ctrl + D: Creates a virtual desktop
Win + Ctrl + left or right arrow: Switches between the active and virtual desktops.
Ctrl + Shift + Enter: Plug this in from the Start Menu and you'll be able to open programs with administrator's privilege.
Win + X: This creates a neat menu to work from.
Here are some of the shortcuts we like to use:
Win + Pause: Opens the system settings
Win + L: Locks the computer
Ctrl + Win + Shift + B: This resets the graphics driver and may save you having to restart altogether if there are docking issues.
UptimeRobot alerts you if any of the sites you are monitoring go down. You choose how often your sites are pinged. When a site doesn't respond, a message is sent out via your chosen contact method. Orgitnized suggested that we try this one, and we're glad that he did.
Blacklist Monitor
Blacklist Monitor alerts you if any of your domain names or IP addresses have been blacklisted. This gives you a chance to find the source of the issue and start the delisting process fast.
"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history—with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila." —Mitch Ratcliffe
Sysinternals Video Library
Sysinternals Video Library is a resource that's a little outdated. That said, there are still a lot of useful troubleshooting information for videos. Many of the tools that they talk about are still the same as they were when the videos were made. As andyinv says, "The basics still apply."
NixCraft began as a useful resource for sysadmins working with Linux or Unix. Since then, it's grown into an active community. You'll find a lot of interesting research into and discussions about open-source software.
Check it out for yourself - there are many resources on this site. And, you're also able to ask the community for advice if you're really stuck.
The Deployment Bunny
The Deployment Bunny is another great resource. This one is based on virtualization, OS deployment and infrastructure for Microsoft systems. The site owner, Mikael Nystrom, is a Microsoft MVP and holds a senior position at TrueSec.
Slipstick Systems Outlook and Exchange Solutions Center
This site is the brainchild of Diane Poremsky, an industry expert and Outlook MVP. If you're an exchange administrator or an outlook user, the resources, tutorials and so on will come in handy. There's also a forum if you'd like input from the community.
Podnutz Tech Podcast Network
This series of podcasts has been created for the end users of various types of tech. You'll find topics as diverse as support for Windows through to gaming for Android devices. Speel recommended the site for its straightforward advice.
Smashing Security
This podcast is hosted by Carole Theriault and Graham Cluley. They draw on their extensive experience in the cybersecurity industry. The result is a set of interesting discussions on cybercrime, privacy, and hacking. It received the award for "Best Security Podcast of 2018."
Jupiter Broadcasting
This is another network of podcasts built around the successful, "The Linux Action Show." You'll find that a range of topics is discussed as diverse as News and Politics through to open-Ssurce software.
We might just have to call speel the podcast whisperer for alerting us to this site.
Security Now
This podcast is hosted by Leo Laporte and Steve Gibson. They cover the hot-button issues in cybersecurity. Gibson coined the term "spyware" and offered the first program to defeat it. Laporte has extensive experience in the tech media industry. The result is a dynamite podcast every Tuesday.
This podcast is centred on sysadmins within the Microsoft stable of products. It's aired once a week on Wednesday. Richard Campbell, the host, interviews a new industry expert every week. Thanks johnjohnjohn87 for this tip.
Defrag Tools
This podcast aims to teach you how to get the best out of your Sysinternals tools. The episodes feature a different tool or aspect of that tool each week. You get an in-depth explanation of how to use the tool and what it's good for. Thanks to Phil4real for this outstanding tip.
The Case of the Unexplained
This webcast is drawn from TechEd sessions presented by Mark Russinovich. It deals with the most-difficult problems you may encounter with Windows and other apps that us Sysinternals or similar tools. Every episode gives you a few different ways to troubleshoot these issues. Thanks bagaudin for recommending this one.
Jigsaw Google Phishing Quiz
In our opinion, everyone should take this quiz, and we recommend sharing it with anyone you're working with. It'll help you assess how good you are at determining if an email is legitimate. It's interesting - some of these examples look like the real deal. You'll also get advice on recognizing the tell-tale signs of a scam.
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
This book is not specifically related to sysadmins or IT Pros. It does, however, give advice on building your focus when it comes to tasks that require intense concentration. It's an excellent book that can be applied across a lot of disciplines.
PowerShell in Depth, 2nd Edition
This book should be required reading for anyone who works with PowerShell. The authors, Jeffrey Hicks, Richard Siddaway and Don Jones are all PowerShell MVPs. This is for the intermediate to advanced user. There's a ton of information on just about every PowerShell question you might have.
Pro SQL Server Internals, 2nd Ed.
This book was written for database admins and developers who want to leverage SQL Server. You'll learn how to track down the cause of issues, instead of just having to use quick patches. If you're an intermediate user of SQL, this will advance your skills to the advanced level. Thanks become_taintless for this recommendation.
Information Security Policy Templates
This set of templates was originally created to assist those attending SANS courses. They've since been made available to all. Bfrd9k suggested them because they don't require a lot of tweaking to make them useful.
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Blog
This blog is the brainchild of Charles Parker, who has extensive industry experience in systems deployment. He shares the experience he's gained over the last 15 or so years in the industry working on Microsoft-based systems.
This blog by Andrea Mauro centres on storage, cloud and virtualization. Mauro is a systems architect, administrator and virtualization professional who is alsoa university lecturer and highly sought after trainer in this area. I
Techbunny: Random Thoughts About Tech
This blog is administered by Jennelle Crothers, who uses her 15 years of experience as a systems administrator to create a valuable resource for other sysadmins. She's passionate about Microsoft and will help you get the best performance out of their systems.
The Practical Sysadmin
This blog is the creation of Josh Reichardt, who specializes in building simple systems that are easy to scale up in size. He shares his knowledge in the blog and also covers a lot of other topics related to tech. He's got extensive experience in building distributed systems and in making infrastructure simpler through coding automation.
Adam the Automator
This blog is run by Adam Bertram, a Microsoft Powershell MVP who started an innovative technology company, TechSnips. The focus of the blog is on DevOPs, scripting and automating various functions through software.
NT Weekly
This tech blog focuses on Microsoft Azure Infrastructure. It's been going since 2006, so there is information on a range of different versions covering:
Azure AD
Office 365
Windows server
ShyAwayFromLight gets the kudos for finding this little gem.
IT Humor
Shit Sales People Say
This Twitter account is something that all sysadmins and developers working with a sales team can relate to. Kenelbow recommended it to us as a fun way to pass a few minutes. If you thought your sales team made unrealistic promises to clients, you haven't seen anything yet.
A bit of fun, compliments of SonOfDadOfSam:
A programmer is going to the store.
His wife says, "Get a loaf of bread—and if they have eggs, get a dozen."
The guy comes back with 12 loaves of bread.
His wife says, "Why did you buy so much bread?"
He says, "They had eggs."
Thanks to CoilDomain, figfigworkwork and wagodago for these clever jokes that most people will never understand:
I'd tell you a joke about UDP, but you probably wouldn't get it.
A TCP packet walks into a bar and says, "I'd like a beer."
The bartender replies, "You want a beer?"
The TCP packet replies, "Yes, I'd like a beer."
An SQL statement walks into a bar and sees two tables.
It approaches and asks, "May I join you?"
Graham | CEO | EveryCloud


text:
A lot of people are suddenly talking about modesty. Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio did a study on children's clothes and found that about a third of the clothes on the websites of popular stores have clothes for kids and tweens that are way too sexy for little girls to be wearing. They had suggestive words on them or they were designed to show off the children's bodies in inappropriate ways. Does it matter?
Well, it probably does. As a teenager, you've already decided how you feel about yourself and your body, but you are also making new decisions on these subjects and you have more control over what you wear. These attitudes you're developing started shaping when you were younger and they're affecting how you live your life and how you look at yourself right now. It also affects how other people see you.
One group of researchers showed adults pictures of girls. The people who looked at these pictures assumed the girls who were dressed immodestly were less intelligent and less competent. Now, that might not seem fair to you and your answer might be that people shouldn't judge you that way. You're probably right, but that isn't really the point. The point is that you don't get to choose how other people see you. They're going to see whatever they decide to see and you're going to pay the price for it.
Whether you like it or not, there are times it will matter to you how other people see you. You don't want your teachers to see you as less intelligent, for instance. If your grade is on the border between two grades, the teacher will decide whether to give you the higher or lower grade and you want to be seen as intelligent and competent. Their opinion of you might impact how they grade a paper. If you have a job, you want your boss to see you that as a competent person as well. For that matter, you would probably want everyone to know you're smart and good at things.
Girls who wear immodest clothing are also at a higher risk for eating disorders and poor body image. They train themselves to think their job in life is to be physically appealing to men, and not in an appropriate way. It's important for girls to understand their personalities, their character, and their intelligence are what are important about them. These are the parts of themselves they need to spend the most time developing. While it's important to be neat and to take care of the body you were given, it is not really who you are. You don't want people thinking your body is all there is to you.
When one of my daughters was a preteen, she had an eighteen-year-old teacher at church just for the summer. The teacher would be going off to college in the fall, but in the meantime, she had a big impact on those kids she taught. She was pretty and really smart. She had been a cheerleader and homecoming queen. She told the class she had never found it necessary to dress immodestly to be popular. She wanted people to like her for who she was inside. She wore fashionable clothes and had pretty hairstyles and nice makeup, but her hair, clothes, and makeup were modest and not attention-grabbing. She had a huge amount of self-esteem because she knew people liked her for all the right reasons. She put her energy into being a moral, kind, and friendly person, not a sexy one and people loved her. She was very popular with her own peers, but also with teachers, other adults, and children.
Grace, who is 13, says dressing modestly makes her feel comfortable. She doesn't have to worry that she is showing parts of her that shouldn't be showing. Like a lot of teens today, she echoes the popular phrase, "Modest is hottest!"
Lila (17) says she dresses modestly because it's uncomfortable to be immodest. "It makes me feel like people respect me."
How would it affect your life if you know people liked you just for who you were? Would the friends you have today and the boys you date still feel the same way about you if you wore modest clothes, or suddenly became poor and couldn't afford the latest fashions? Would they still care about you if your standards were really high and you didn't want to do some of the things they did because of it? What if you had an accident and it affected how you look? Would your friends stick around?
Mormon teens are taught to be modest in their clothing. That includes not wearing clothing that has sexy sayings or that is too tight or emphasizes the wrong things. It isn't only about covering up. One speaker told teens if you're dressed properly, people will notice your face first (assuming it isn't because you're wearing too much makeup or something.)
Being dressed modestly tells the world you feel confident about yourself and that you don't need to show off your body to get attention. You're worthy of attention just because of the amazing person you are.
Of course, modesty isn't just for girls. The article I'm writing about was about girls, so that is where I'm focused today, but the same principle applies to boys. Everyone benefits from being dressed modestly.
Take a look at this quote from Silvia H. Allred. Notice what she says about the example God set for us:
The doctrine behind modesty begins with our knowledge that we are children of God, created in His image (see Moses 2:27). Our bodies are sacred gifts from Heavenly Father and have specific purposes that He has planned. As grateful recipients, we acknowledge this gift by treating our bodies as He has asked us to (see D&C 88:33). We learn to train, control, and bridle our bodies and their physical uses to become like Heavenly Father.
From the beginning, the Lord has asked His children to cover their bodies. After Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened and they became aware that they were naked. Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves with simple aprons made of fig leaves. But the aprons were not enough, so the Lord made them more modest coats of skins. (See Genesis 3:7, 21.)
God had a higher standard then, just as He does now. His standards are not those of the world." (See Silvia H. Allred, "Modesty: A Timeless Principle for All," Ensign, Jul 2009, 28–32.)
Modesty isn't about people trying to control you or about being ashamed of your body. It actually shows more pride in your body because when you know your body was created by Heavenly Father in His image, and you are proud of who you are, you don't want to treat it in a disrespectful way. You don't have any desire to invite other people to view your body in a disrespectful way, either. You are content to use it for the exact purposes for which God created it. You honor and respect yourself and you work to enhance your personality, your character, your spirit, and your talents because you know you are a child of God.


text:
Getting information can be a complex process. As a result, many of us simply ask our friends' opinions. If your friends tell you that they have been to a particular outlet or movie theatre, you are more likely to visit it. Similarly, while thinking about securing a loan to pay off a debt or to tide over an unexpected expense, we should do a comparative study before choosing the ideal loan option. A smart customer always looks around and shops around before choosing a particular choice. Make sure you do too.
We must always educate ourselves on the various loans that are available, the rates of interest that are applicable, the time that is available to repay these loans, and which bank offers the best deals. This will help us determine the loan that will be the most suitable for our needs. Making choices is driven by multiple factors. But one factor we cannot ignore is affordability.
Payment terms are important in the repayment of any loan. Take for instance a loan for study abroad. This loan better have a long repayment tenure. This would allow the student in question to graduate and start earning before the question of repayment arises. Getting a job should happen before one is expected to repay such a student loan.
The borrower and the lender are the two parties to any loan agreement. All loans should take the interest of both parties to heart. While entering into a loan agreement, the terms and conditions are clearly written down and agreed upon by both the parties. That means that once sealed, neither party can deviate from the agreement.
An astute buyer realizes the importance of shopping around for a loan. There are hundreds of loans that are populating the personal finance markets. Thus, it can become confusing to decide which loan to take up. Given that most of us do not have expert knowledge of personal finance issues, it is helpful to contact a financial advisor. That is not all. Here is more to mull over:
1. Is the lender fulfilling your entire loan requirement?? – Is the bank approving the entire amount or only a portion of it? What is the initial amount that you need to pay? No matter what kind of a loan you are applying for, you will be expected to pay a nominal fee as part of the initiation process.
2. How much will you have to pay and for how long – Can you afford to pay the amount or will it be difficult? If you choose the latter as your answer, then you need to speak to the bank and try and alter the EMI payment pattern
3. Fines and Penalties – If you are not able to meet the EMI dates, what penalty will be levied? Will this be calculated on that particular installment or on the overall principal amount? There is always the chance that there might come a rainy day when your check does not clear. Find out what the lender will do then?


text:
Sorption-desorption properties of dual oxide gels in the system BeO-In_O3
Adams, Charles Rex, 1930-
Milligan, W. O.
Master of Arts
Water vapor sorption-desorption isotherms at 2° and 12° have been obtained for a series of eleven heat-treated (2 hour periods) gels selected at every 10 mole per cent in the system Be0-1n203. Two zones of enhanced adsorption occur at compositions of about 40-60 and 90 mole per cent BeO, in a plot of specific adsorptive capacity at constant P/P0 as a function of composition. Plots of BET surface area as a function of composition lead to the same conclusion. The two zones of enhanced adsorptive capacity correspond to the zones of mutual protection against crystallization previously detected by x-ray diffraction methods. Isosteric differential heats of adsorption are likewise higher in the regions of mutual protection. The observed enhanced composition zones of amount of adsorption and the enhanced heats of adsorption confirm a prediction set forth in an earlier paper. The most frequent uncorrected. Kelvin pore radii computed from the desorption isotherms are 125 A for pure In203 and 25 A for pure BeO. As the amount of BeO is increased the pore radii decrease regularly, the greatest changes occurring at compositions of 10 and 90 mole per cent BeO.


text:
WI ALWAYS THOUGHT clothes pegs were just for hanging out the washing on the clothes-line.
Since I began caravanning many years ago, I've discovered there are many more uses for the humble peg – and I'm sure you can add to the list.
The little plastic closer they use on bread is an example of things that annoy me intensely – that is until I found that the spring-loaded clothes peg does the job admirably. Sometimes they use a twisted piece of plastic coated wire to do the same job and that's just as annoying.
If you need to fasten several pieces of paper together and you don't have a paper clip or a spring clip handy, just go to the peg basket and grab a peg – it will do the trick.
What about curtains? you may well ask.
I use clothes pegs to clip the curtains closed in my little motorhome – and to hold them open as well.
Then there's the freezer. The partially-used bags of frozen peas, beans, etc. can be kept air-tight by folding the bag over a few times and then pegging it. Works for me at home or away.
Oh yes – if you still have any pegs left, you can use them to hang out the washing – unless, like me, you find a couple of dollars in the caravan park laundry dryer is much quicker and easier.
Share your ideas below.
WORDS AND PICS Lionel Mussell
Written exclusively for Caravan World online


text:
thursday night live presents:
Salah Addin lädt Tahereh "Tata" Nourani & Mr. Shankar zu einer musischen Runde.
Salah, the Magic voice and musician, invites Tata, the muse with the flute and the bass, into the room.
shankar will be arriving with his set of percussive treasures and the whole establishing trio will do something
that musicians really know how to do: Music!
it is the first thursday in december and the first day in december..so you know what that means!


text:
Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
The much anticipated book by Harper Lee, Go Set A Watchman was released on July 14, 2015.
With a media storm for over a year now about this lost manuscript has come to a conclusion. Now that it is out, is it what people have been waiting for?
Harper Lee is the very successful author of To Kill A Mocking Bird. Published in 1960, To Kill A Mockingbird was the only book that Harper Lee published until Go Set a Watchman
, more than 50 years later. Lee wrote the books based on the racism that she saw growing up in Monroeville, Alabama. Much of Lee's home life made it into both books. Finch, the main characters last name was her mother's maiden name. Her father A.C. Lee was a defense lawyer in a case in Alabama where two black men, father and son, were accused of killing a white store keeper. A.C. Lee lost the case and the two men were hung. Her father moved on to become a title lawyer. Much like the character of Atticus Finch.
Dill, Scout's childhood friend, was modeled after Lee's own friend Truman Capote. In turn, Truman Capote created a character in his first book, Other Voices, Other Rooms. Go Set A Watchman was actually completed before the manuscript of To Kill A Mockingbird, and it was originally intended to be a trilogy with Mockingbird first, a short novella in the middle to connect the books and Watchman as the third book.
Go Set A Watchman takes place 20 years after To Kill A Mockingbird. A grown up Scout is heading home from New York for her annual two week visit. When she returns home she is welcomed by her childhood friend/boyfriend to find that Atticus, her father is not well. Scout struggles as her town is moving on without her. Her father is in a new build home, having sold the family home and now it's been converted into an ice cream shop. Because of Atticus' condition he now lives with his staunch sister, Alexandra.
Peppered with flashbacks that bridge the gap between To Kill A Mocking Bird this book. In the flashbacks we see Scout trying to navigate a changing world. With the subject of racism from Mockingbird carried over into Watchman we also see Scouts views change as the subject of segregation starts spreading into the county. And Scout gets a good look at her father, is Atticus the person she thought he was?
The biggest controversy that is surrounding the book is that, is Atticus racist? The public outcry came after reading some of the remarks that Atticus said in the book. Rev Al Sharpton was quoted in the Observer: "Finch reflects the reality of finding out that a lot of those we thought were on our side harboured some personal different feelings.".
There are other opinions that Go Set A Watchman was just a flawed draft of a book that was never suppose to be published. Galanty Miller from the Huffington Post argues just that. In Miller's opinion Watchman is not a sequel to Mockingbird but "rejected experiment that Lee would use to perfect her writing and polish her ideas." Miller goes onto argue his point comparing the rise of baseball player Alex Rodriguez to comparing the first draft Atticus to the Atticus we know in Mockingbird. Miller quoted: "when A-Rod retires, is it fair to include the first time he played catch in the backyard among his lifetime stats?"
Where does popular opinion fall in the tale of the two very different Atticus Finch's? When the manuscript of Watchman was getting ready to be put to print it was only "lightly copy-edited". This is shown in the inconsistency in the Atticus character's behaviours as well as the mention of the case that Atticus defended in Mockingbird. The Tom Robinson's trial in Mockingbird ends with Tom Robinson being convicted and was shot while trying to escape from jail. However, in Watchman Scout makes a comment when referring to the case and recounts it as Tom Robinson being acquitted of the charges.
There have been numerous requests for interviews since the release of Go Set A Watchman. Reporters are being turned down left and right, even Oprah herself, who has interview Lee in the past has received a decline to interview. Even a US reporter received a handwritten "Go away!" signed by Harper Lee herself.
No matter which side of the fence you fall in the Atticus debate, it is still a must read. It gives another dimensions to the characters and a look into the evolution of Harper Lee's writing style.
Please comment below on your thoughts about the book and what you think about the different sides of Atticus Finch.


text:
Washington(CNN) The Department of Justice will retry a woman whom prosecutors say disrupted Jeff Sessions' confirmation hearing for attorney general by laughing.
After rejecting a plea deal, Desiree Fairooz will again face charges of unlawful conduct for disrupting Sessions' hearing in January.
According to court records, Fairooz rejected a deal offered by prosecutors that would have required her to plead guilty in exchange for a recommended sentence of time served.
Jeff Sessions hearing: Activist's giggle leads to conviction
Fairooz was detained after audibly laughing after Sen. Richard Shelby told senators at Sessions' confirmation hearing that the then-Alabama senator had a record of "treating all Americans equally under the law."
Her laughter lasted seconds and Shelby continued with his speech without acknowledging the disturbance.
In a statement, Fairooz said she let out a spontaneous "reflexive noise" because Shelby's description was not true.
"It was an immediate rejection of what I considered an outright lie or pure ignorance," she said.
Fairooz was previously convicted of a misdemeanor connected to disrupting the hearing, but a judge threw out the guilty verdict in July and ordered a new trial.
The new trial is scheduled to begin on November 13.


text:
I specialize in helping with Mucus control for ALS patients. Below are 10 strategies I can help you with:
- Glycopyrrolate (robinul): This drug reduces the amount of oral secretions and dries out the mouth. It may make phlegm a little stickier, but it reduces the amount of runny saliva that can cause a gag reflex. Take it 4 times a day with the largest dose before bed. It has helped many with sleep.
- NAC Nebulizzer: This is great for breaking up the phlegm that's deep in the lungs. It can cause coughing, So do it with albuterol.
- Cough assist machine: Every ALS patient should have one of these… When the individual's cough capability starts declining, it can provide mechanical assistance. Many do the cough assist once or twice per day. Often, it causes what many call a "waterfall", where one empties out a significant portion of the junk that was in his throat/lungs.
- Dental-style suction machine: This is very useful for getting out runny phlegm in the mouth or if one is having difficulty coughing.
- Sleeping at an incline: Sleeping on your back on a very gentle incline works very well for phlegm drainage. If you had been sleeping on your side, the saliva can pool in the mask, waking you up.
- Mouth rinses with hot water: If at the sink coughing up sticky gunk, this helps get it out a lot faster.
- Mucinex: OTC expectorant. Works for some people in thinning the phlegm. A
- mbroxol monosulfate: An OTC drug from Mexico (that is sold in most countries). I read on a forum of people trying this.
- Papaya juice: This may help, but could be hard to swish it around in your mouth in a coordinated way.
- Coca cola: The same challenges as with the papaya juice. It may be difficult for some to manipulate the fluid in their mouth


text:
I was expecting seven whole days of complete & utter relaxation. I was expecting the lazy days of floating on a pink raft just outside our swim up suite. I was expecting the long walks on the powdery white beaches, my hand in my husband's. I was expecting the romantic dinners & the afternoons spent dozing off in the beach beds. I expected the golden bronze tan that I would turn by the end of our week long stay. I was even expecting the little something extra I would be returning home with; a little something that would later be confirmed by two pink lines on a home pregnancy test.
But there was something from our anniversary trip to Mexico that I was not expecting. Something that came as a complete surprise. Something that was the cherry on top of the great big, already absolutely delicious hot fudge sunday we were devouring.
That something was a friendship.
A friendship we'd made with another couple who happened to be staying at the same resort as us that week. A friendship that blossomed & flourished in a matter of seven days & one we felt like we'd had our entire lives. A friendship, that after saying all of our good-byes & exchanging every bit of contact information, we promised we'd keep alive.
This past weekend seemed like a good enough time as any to jump in the car for a little roadtrip to visit those friends of ours.
And this time, instead of sitting poolside sipping fruity drinks, we spent time snuggling each other's babies.
Instead of dining on gourmet dinners out on the beach, we sat out on the deck underneath the stars sharing pregnancy wars & sleeping through the night techniques, while the quiet hum of a baby monitor buzzed in the background.
Instead of floating leisurely on rafts underneath the Mexican sun, we made memories with our kiddos at a nearby waterpark.
And we spent every single moment pouring out our lives, catching up, & filling in all of the in between.
This view sure is different than the one the four of us had just a couple of years ago. It's amazing how much can change in such little time.
I'm glad to know that there's one thing that has stayed the same in the midst of all our life changing events, & that's the real, true, genuine friendship that we share.
I'm also thankful that the only thing that stands between keeping that friendship alive is a long stretch of highway & a little thing called a roadtrip.


text:
No - Nitrate Corned Beef, 10 oz.
Regular price ₱550.00
Absolutely NO preservatives. Local beef from the South of Luzon.
Taste the difference of an all-natural corned beef.
You can actually consume this straight out of the jar since it is already cooked. However, we highly recommend that you brown this with garlic and onions.
In a smoking hot pan, put a little olive oil and toss our corned beef and brown it with garlic and onions. You may overcook and it will still taste delicious.
Enjoy with fried rice and egg if you prefer, you may also also mix in cubed potatoes and make corned beef hash or you can use it to make a Reuben sandwich! :)
You may also enjoy it with our Baked Beans. :)
Shelf - stable for two (02) years.
No preservatives, no nitrates / no nitrites, no food coloring, No MSG.


text:
Education: Books, Videos & Herding Clinics
The History of Australian Shepherds
Chapter VI: Jay Sisler
Jay Sisler, a rancher and rodeo competitor from Idaho entertained rodeo audiences during the 1950s and 1960s with his Australian Shepherds and their amazing tricks. When he was a little boy, he wanted to be a sled driver in Alaska. Jay taught his father's bird dog and some of the family's cow dogs to pull him around the ranch on a cart. Jay's professional career as a dog trainer began by accident. He was working with horses when he got stepped on and broke his ankle. While he was healing, he taught his two young cow dogs tricks.
He divided each task into small segments and used leftover pancakes, petting, and kind words to teach the pups to balance on bars, stand on their heads, jump rope, walk on their front legs, play leap frog while hopping on their hind legs, and feign an injured leg, among countless other tricks. Stub and Shorty were eager to please. As the pups grew he phased out the pancakes. In that way the dogs worked for him and not for the food reward. Though he trained many dogs over the years, Jay said, "If I hadn't had real good dogs when I started, I probably never would have learned to train dogs. I'm sure that some of the dogs I've trained since would have discouraged me before I got started."
All of his training was done without the use of a leash. Jay's philosophy was to never force a dog to do something but to persuade it to do the behavior voluntarily. For example, if to teach a dog to stand, he wouldn't lift him into position; instead, he coaxed the dog into position. He believed that you had to take the necessary time to teach a pup slowly. He felt if you pushed a dog into something he couldn't do or understand, he would become discouraged and wouldn't be able to do what was expected of him.
Jay got his first job in 1949, when a promoter offered him $10 to perform at a rodeo in Star, Idaho. That launched his rodeo career and opened the door into show business. Besides performing at many of the largest arenas in the United States and Canada, he toured with Roy Rogers and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. His dogs were featured in several Walt Disney productions: Cow Dog (1956); Run, Appaloosa, Run (1967); and Stub: Best Cow Dog in the West (1973), featuring his Australian Shepherds, Stub, Shorty, and Queen, performing their trademark tricks and working an ornery 1,800-pound horned Brahma bull in the picturesque Santa Inez Valley.
In 1959 Jay purchased the 300-acre property he had worked as a boy and paid for it with the earnings from his highly successful rodeo act - he said it was "a ranch the dogs bought." Part of the property is set on a plateau overlooking a valley bordered by the Payette River on the south. Jay was called to greener pastures in 1995, but his extraordinary way with animals will continue to inspire generations to come.
Copyright © 2010 by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor. All Rights Reserved.
No part of the material covered by this copyright may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.


text:
I received an offer from the Cosmopolitan Hotel for a free room, and couldn't resist accepting the free room for September. I was just there back in June, so I gave this free room to Stephen's mother, while we booked a room at Caesar's Palace, located 2 hotels away.
So, why blog about this stay?
First, this room is a standard room with 2 beds, and without a balcony, and
Secondly, it is an ADA room, which is a specially modified room to accommodate people with disabilities.
When I checked in, I asked if we could get a higher floor, and facing the Bellagio hotel, instead of the Aria/ Strip. Sara was very accommodating, and found the room on the 49th floor, facing Bellagio, and it was also an ADA room. Quite honestly, it was nicer than our room at the exclusive Nobu Hotel, Caesar's Palace.
The standard room was smaller than the balcony room we had last time, but this room had more storage for personal items. Even though it was nice to have a balcony, the view from this room was worth the savings.
The bathroom was ADA modified, where the towel rack was lower, there was no bathtub, and the shower had a curtain instead of a steam shower with a heavy glass door. The toilet was inside the bathroom area, instead of being in its own room.
The closet was also modified where the hangers were lower, and the cubby holes were also lower. Aside from those modifications, the room was absolutely fantastic. I give Cosmopolitan another "thumbs up" and still say its my favorite hotel on the Strip.
|Higher floor, facing Bellagio
|View from room 4937
|Double beds
|More storage than the balcony room didn't have
|ADA bathroom with lower towel rack
|ADA shower
|Same great ammenities
|ADA closet, with lower hangers


text:
Messages from John T. Hughes Camp #614 Sons of Confederate Veterans. We are constantly looking for news and information related to Southern Heritage and the War Between The States.
From everyone at the Civil War Trust, I want to wish you the happiest of holiday seasons. We simply could not do what we do without the support of our wonderful friends, such as yourself.


text:
For both EF/FX and EF/GFX, followings were updated:
Nikon F Mount to Fujifilm GFX Smart AF Adapter Almost Here and Steelsring Smart Adapters EF/FX and EF/GFX Firmware 2.02/2.04
Nikon F to Fujifilm X Smart Adapter
Steelsring is about to release their Nikon F to Fujifilm GFX mount smart adapter. You can see the latest protoype in the image above. On their website here, they write:
Main features:
- Support Nikon AF-S G and E type lens, and AF-P G type lens contrast based AF in GFX 50s body.
- Electromagnetic diaphragm of type E Lens can be controlled by GFX 50s body, allows AF in full open ( decided by camera body ) and step down for exposure.
- Diaphragm of G type lens was manually controlled by aperture ring of adapter in real-time, so AF is conducted in real effective aperture as exposure. AF performance may be bad in low light/contrast, benefits are 1) Real aperture priority, 2) and totally no noise of consistent IRIS moving.
- Full EXIF info recording. ( For G type lens, only the current max open aperture was displayed and recorded, no way to adjust it ).
- Lens VR was support and effective on demand.
FX mount version adapter is in design phase, maybe with better performance of PDAF and auto aperture control version for your choice.
Support to AF-D type lens will be very limited, EXIF may works, but no AF absolutely.
Firmware Updates
Steelsring has a new firmware for the EF-FX and EF-GFX adapters.
- Lens Image Stabilizer activation mode change: From always on after camera powered on to effective only when shutter button was half pressed and camera exposing.
- Solved the problem that sometimes lens was identified as wrong lens.
- Improve AF accuracy for all lenses, and AF speed for Canon EF 100-400 lenses
- Disable lens parking in infinity end if an AF lens is set to MF mode during picture reviewing or camera powered off.
Additionally for EF/FX only:
- PDAF performace update for: EF 35mm f/1.4L II, EF 50mm f/1.2L, EF 50mm f/1.4, EF 85mm f/1.2L II
Details of the updates and download links here.
- EF/FX v2.02 Firmware Download (for Windows/PC)
- EF/FX v2.02 Firmware Download (for Mac)
Here is the full list of available or soon to come smart adapter for Fujifilm X and GFX.
- Techart (Canon EF-GFX)
- Steelsring (Canon EF-Fuji X, Canon EF-GFX, Nikon F-GFX, Nikon F-Fuji X)
- Fringer (Contax 645-GFX, Canon EF-Fuji X)
- Kipon (Canon EF-GFX, Baveyes EF-FX AF 0.7x, Canon EF-Fuji X, Contax 645-GFX)


text:
What is Umbrella Insurance?
A personal umbrella liability policy provides an extra layer of insurance coverage over your standard liability policies. It protects your personal assets by kicking in when your standard liability coverage is exhausted.
It's an unfortunate fact that accidents happen—and it's not uncommon for jury awards and out-of court settlements to run into the millions. While it's difficult to pinpoint the monetary consequences of the risks you and your family take each day, are you certain your current liability insurance offers you enough protection?
Consider these scenarios:
- Your teenager runs a stop sign, causing a serious accident.
- A deliveryman falls on your sidewalk and is seriously injured.
- A babysitter is injured by your otherwise friendly dog.
If you are found to be legally responsible for injuring someone or damaging their property without a personal umbrella liability insurance policy, anything beyond the limits of your standard liability insurance coverage will come out of your own pocket. Standard liability insurance generally includes homeowners, renters, auto and watercraft policies.
How Much Coverage Do I Need?
You'll want to take into consideration not only your total personal assets but also your potential personal risks. For example, do you operate a business in your home and have employees and clients to your home on a regular basis? Does your profession or location of your home make you an easy target for a big settlement? Determine your personal risks to evaluate the amount of additional liability coverage that makes the most sense for you.
Coverages start at $1 million, and can go as high as $10 million. When considering the value of the umbrella policy, discuss your personal needs with Peoples First Insurance.
How Much Does Coverage Cost?
Additional liability insurance is inexpensive when compared to the added coverage you gain. Depending on the policy value and your personal risk factors, such as recent auto tickets, your credit rating and more, a $1 million umbrella policy typically costs about a dollar per day. Costs go up an additional $50 to $75 for each million thereafter.
Don't wait for a rainy day to find out you need the additional protection a personal umbrella liability policy can provide. Call Peoples First Insurance today at (850) 770-7047 to discuss your unique needs and learn about all of our liability insurance solutions.


text:
Why Some of the Proposed Medicare Part D Regulations Dropped by the Administration Were Sound
In March, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it would not finalize certain aspects of proposed regulations related to the Medicare prescription drug benefit (Medicare Part D).[1] Although one provision of the proposed regulations that wasn't put into effect — scaling back a requirement that insurers cover all drugs in certain protected classes[2] — raised significant concerns and attracted the most public attention, other provisions that some insurers opposed were, in fact, sound.[3] One such provision would have made it simpler for beneficiaries to choose better, potentially more affordable, drug plans. Another provision would have reduced costs to beneficiaries and the federal government. This analysis explains why CMS should consider fully adopting the two proposed regulations in the future if and when it revisits these Medicare Part D issues.
Permitting Part D Insurers to Offer Only Two Plans per Geographic Area
The premise of the Medicare Part D program is that Medicare beneficiaries would make informed choices among an array of plan options, which would encourage competition among Part D insurers based on price and quality. A growing body of research shows, however, that only a small percentage of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in the Part D plan that would minimize their out-of-pocket costs (premiums, deductibles, and other cost-sharing) considering the prescription drugs they actually use.[4] Moreover, as a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis finds, on average, the overwhelming majority of Part D enrollees — 87 percent — did not change their plan during annual open enrollment periods between 2006 and 2010, even though people who voluntarily switched plans were more likely to lower their costs. Overall, 72 percent of Part D enrollees who were continuously enrolled in Part D between 2006 and 2010 remained in the same plan throughout. Even beneficiaries facing relatively large monthly premium increases of $20 or more for the following year didn't switch to more affordable plans. Nearly 72 percent of enrollees facing such premium increases remained in their existing plans.[5]
To help beneficiaries make more informed choices, CMS has instituted several requirements to reduce beneficiary confusion and to make differences between plans more transparent. For example, CMS now requires insurers to only offer plans that have "meaningful differences" in their benefits and prohibits them from offering more than three plans per region (one plan with "basic" benefits and two plans with "enhanced" benefits[6]). In its proposed rule in January, CMS had originally proposed to reduce the maximum number of plans an insurer can offer to two plans per region — one basic and one enhanced — starting in 2016 although, as noted, CMS did not finalize the proposal.
The enhanced plans that insurers offer have tended to provide some coverage in the coverage gap (commonly called the "donut hole"). CMS pointed out, however, that it was no longer necessary to allow two such enhanced options because health reform has extended Part D coverage to the donut hole and will close it over time. As a result, two enhanced plans can no longer be meaningfully different from each other in how they provide more generous coverage than the basic plan, when the basic plan already provides some (and, eventually, full) donut hole coverage. Moreover, as CMS noted, some insurers offering a second enhanced plan have used that plan to cherry-pick the healthy. Some of these plans offer very few added benefits but end up charging lower premiums than basic plans because their enrollees are healthier and hence lower-cost. That leaves enrollees in basic plans sicker-than-average overall, which raises basic plan premiums. Because low-income beneficiaries eligible for the Low Income Subsidy (LIS, which subsidizes premiums, deductibles, and cost-sharing) can be automatically enrolled only in basic plans and few LIS-eligible beneficiaries enroll in enhanced plans, this raises federal LIS costs as well. (CMS also indicated it would consider other policy changes to address insurers' use of enhanced plans to segment risk.)
CMS expected minimal disruption from this proposal, as second enhanced plans constitute only 2 percent of total enrollment in stand-alone Part D plans; many of the second enhanced plans have very limited enrollment.[7] Jack Hoadley, a Part D expert at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute and lead author of the Kaiser Family Foundation study, concluded that the proposal was sound, noting that only a small share of beneficiaries appear to be enrolled in plans that would no longer be offered under the CMS proposal. (He found that based on the latest enrollment figures, insurers had substantially exaggerated their estimates of the number of people who would have been affected.) Moreover, among those who would be affected, the impact would likely have been modest; although some beneficiaries may have had to switch to plans with somewhat higher premiums, the expected premium increases would have fallen within the range of typical year-to-year premium changes for a plan. Hoadley also pointed out that beneficiaries' current plans are frequently dropped or modified from year to year; he found that these annual disruptions, including the resulting premium increases, would have a greater impact than the CMS proposal would have had.
Hoadley concluded that the proposal would "reduce beneficiary confusion in the Part D market by both lowering the number of choices that they face and ensuring that the differences between competing options are clear and meaningful to them." [8]
Addressing Pricing Issues Arising from Insurers' Use of "Preferred Pharmacies"
Part D insurers are increasingly using preferred pharmacies, through which enrollees may incur lower co-payments or co-insurance charges than if they use other in-network non-preferred pharmacies. Pharmacies may pay insurers periodic lump-sum payments (usually based on the volume of prescriptions filled) in exchange for this preferred status.
These lump-sum payments lower insurers' overall costs and hence beneficiary premiums, which are based on the costs that insurers incur in offering the plans. But some insurers are not incorporating these payments into the official "negotiated price" that supposedly represents what they are paying the preferred pharmacies for drugs dispensed to Part D enrollees. And failing to factor these payments into the "official" price of the prescription drugs adds to overall federal costs, because the federal government — through reinsurance — picks up a portion of the cost of drugs furnished to beneficiaries with high drug spending, as well as nearly all of LIS beneficiaries' cost-sharing charges, and both of those sets of transactions are based on these "official" negotiated prices. In other words, for reinsurance and the LIS, the federal government is reimbursing insurers based on the official negotiated prices, which are higher than insurers' actual drug costs if the official prices don't reflect the lump-sum payments the insurers receive.
Failing to factor the lump-sum payments into the official negotiated drug prices can also raise beneficiaries' costs in some cases. For example, if a beneficiary is charged a percentage of a drug's cost, basing that charge on a drug's official negotiated price rather than its actual cost will make the beneficiary cost-sharing charge higher than it would otherwise be. CMS had proposed to remedy these problems by requiring that starting in 2015, insurers incorporate all of these lump-sum payments into their official negotiated prices. (Under the final rule, CMS did not completely drop this provision; it delayed its application until 2016 and then created an exception under which "price concessions that cannot reasonably be determined at the point-of-sale" would continue to be excluded from official negotiated prices. The final rule did not define what price concessions would qualify for this exception or whether it would cover the lump-sum payments discussed here. CMS said it plans to issue additional guidance in the future after consultation with industry stakeholders.)
In addition, CMS has found that in some Part D plans, the negotiated prices for drugs dispensed in preferred pharmacies are actually higher than prices for drugs dispensed in non-preferred in-network pharmacies, particularly among preferred mail-order pharmacies. In other words, in some plans, beneficiaries who use preferred pharmacies face lower co-payments or coinsurance to encourage them to use those pharmacies for their prescriptions, even if the negotiated price of a drug is higher than in non-preferred pharmacies. That further drives up federalcosts, since Medicare reimburses insurers based, in part, on those negotiated prices, as discussed above. CMS was concerned that in the case of mail-order pharmacies, this may be the product of a conflict of interest; insurers and their pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) may be using lower cost-sharing in preferred pharmacies to spur enrollees to get their prescriptions at preferred mail-order pharmacies that the PBMs themselves own. As a result, CMS had originally proposed to continue to allow insurers to charge lower co-payments or co-insurance when their prescription drugs are purchased at preferred pharmacies, but only if the insurers ensure that they are offering "consistently lower" negotiated prices in the preferred pharmacies. In other words, insurers can still encourage enrollees to use preferred pharmacies by offering lower cost-sharing charges as long as that would reduce both beneficiaries' out-of-pocket costs and federal costs.[9] This provision, however, was not finalized.
Unfortunately, the concerns over the proposed rule's provision related to the protected drug classes and their potential impact on beneficiary access to needed drugs were used to cast a shadow on other, unrelated provisions and resulted in the Administration decision not to proceed with major aspects of the proposed rule as part of the final rule issued this month.
Yet, the provisions related to plan offerings and preferred pharmacy pricing issues were sound, and abandoning them will keep costs both to beneficiaries and to the federal Treasury higher than they should be. CMS should strongly consider fully adopting these proposals as part of future rulemaking.
End Notes
[1] Robert Pear, "White House Withdraws Plan Allowing Limits to Medicare Coverage for Certain Drugs," New York Times, March 10, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/11/us/politics/white-house-withdraws-plan-allowing-limits-to-medicare-coverage-for-some-drugs.html?_r=0. The final rule was issued on May 23, 2014. See Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, "Medicare Program; Contract Year 2015 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs; Final Rule," 79 Fed. Reg. 29844, May 23, 2014, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-05-23/pdf/2014-11734.pdf. For the original proposed rule, see Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, "Medicare Program; Contract Year 2015 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs," 79 Fed. Reg. 1918, January 10, 2014, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-01-10/pdf/2013-31497.pdf.
[2] See, for example, Testimony of Joe Baker, President, Medicare Rights Center, before the Subcommittee on Health, House Energy and Commerce Committee, February 26, 2014, http://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF14/20140226/101788/HHRG-113-IF14-Wstate-BakerJ-20140226.pdf.
[3] America's Health Insurance Plans, "What You Need to Know About the Medicare Part D Prescription Program," February 26, 2014, http://www.ahipcoverage.com/2014/02/26/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-medicare-part-d-prescription-drug-program/.
[4] Jack Hoadley, Elizabeth Hargrave, Laura Summer, Juliette Cubanski, and Tricia Neuman, "To Switch or Not to Switch: Are Medicare Beneficiaries Switching Plans to Save Money?" Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, October 2013, http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/8501-to-switch-or-not-to-switch1.pdf. See also Jason Abaluck and Jonathan Gruber, "Evolving Choice Inconsistencies in Choice of Prescription Drug Insurance," National Bureau of Economic Research, June 2013, http://www.nber.org/papers/w19163.pdf?new_window=1 and Chao Zhou and Yuting Zhang, "The Vast Majority of Medicare Part D Beneficiaries Still Don't Choose the Cheapest Plans That Meet Their Medication Needs," Health Affairs, October 2012, http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/31/10/2259.abstract?sid=38c49013-6fc4-4f8f-b853-fcaaf15d51f1
[5] Hoadley et al., op cit.
[6] Basic plans offer the standard coverage required under Part D (or its actuarial equivalent). Enhanced plans offer more generous coverage such as lower deductibles or cost-sharing charges or coverage of drugs within the coverage gap also known as the "donut hole."
[7] Testimony of Jonathan Blum, Principal Deputy Administrator and Director, Center for Medicare, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services before the Subcommittee on Health, House Energy and Commerce Committee, February 26, 2014, http://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF14/20140226/101788/HHRG-113-IF14-Wstate-BlumJ-20140226.pdf.
[8] Jack Hoadley, "Assessing a CMS Proposal to Improve Competition among Medicare Part D Drug Plans," Health Affairs blog, March 4, 2014, http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2014/03/04/assessing-a-cms-proposal-to-improve-competition-among-medicare-part-d-drug-plans/.
[9] CMS also proposed to allow all network pharmacies to obtain "preferred" status if they meet all relevant terms and conditions, which insurers also strongly opposed. CMS also did not finalize that proposal.