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Cloud Mountain Sanitarium evolved after 15 yrs of riding around the pisgah nc area and fine tuning the sweet spot for road and mt. biking. We decided on Balsam Grove NC. A small little town at 3,000 ft. We picked this neat little town to start a cycling compound where cyclist (of all types) can come and ride right out the front door and do literally 100's of routes both road, mountain, and cross. You can pull out on your road bike and go from 3,000-6,000ft if you wish, 3,000-1,000ft into south carolina and everything in between. We are only about 5 miles from davidson river trailhead and dozens and dozens of other trails in pisgah and wayahutta forests along with being in the mecca for fly fishing, hiking, canoeing, hunting, etc.. We sit right in the middle of 100,000's of acres of national forest. You have unlimited choices really. This is a place cyclist come to get well (hence the name sanitarium) and go back to your day job in a little better mood. Currently we can hold around 10 people in house with RV site also at house and plans for more expansion to hold around 20-25 of your cycling friends. Hope you can make it down sometime. Opening scheduled for fall of 2016. Here is rental site https://www.vrbo.com/911227 You can email firstname.lastname@example.com for questions or check out our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cloudmountainsanitarium for the latest details.
|207h 28m
|Elevation Gain
|Total Distance
|Total Time
|880h 20m
|Total Elev Gain
|Total Rides


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- figgnewton
- 5 years ago
- Wedding: October 2012
I just saw a scary video on FB of a woman getting beat to hell by an intruder. Thankfully her 3 YEAR OLD wasn't hurt but the guy beat her infront of the kid.
Anyways, it made me question what do I have to protect my family?
I thought about a gun but with two little kids, that's not happening.
I thought about mace but honestly, what would that do?
What about a taser? Knife?
My mom has two baseball bats under her bed.
What do you ladies have?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
With so many SAT prep books to choose from, how can you tell the good ones from the bad? Not to worry - we've evaluated the books for you. This fully updated guide gives you our recommendations for the top 11 new SAT preparation books to help you achieve the scores you seek.
To best outline the differences, I've divided the books into three sections: the best overall books, the best books for SAT Math, and the best books for SAT Reading and Writing. Before jumping into the recommendations, a word about my perspective.
Disclaimer: Why Am I Recommending Books?
You might be wondering why PrepScholar, known for its online SAT prep program, is going old school and recommending an SAT book list. As SAT experts who have made it our mission to understand the test and help students succeed, we are dedicated to providing you with the best resources to achieve your academic and personal goals. If you're self-motivated and prefer to have SAT books for your prep, then they can be a great way to learn content, practice strategies, and try sample questions.
That being said, all of the books recommended below have strengths and weaknesses. Several of them seem as if they were rushed to publication to get ahead of the new SAT, and many unfortunately don't offer the same level of quality that they did in previous versions (more on this below).
I believe PrepScholar has managed to integrate the best parts of these books into its online prep program while adding the helpful element of accountability. We help you plan out and stick to your study schedule, keep track of your progress, and focus on the specific skills and practice problems that you most need to improve your scores.
With books, you can try to customize your study plan to your specific needs too—but with PrepScholar, we do all that heavy lifting for you. Plus, considering the huge gains you can get from it, it's much more cost effective than buying all these books.
Since we're not necessarily benefiting from these book recommendations, you can trust that our advice is neutral, objective, and based on our and students' real experiences with these SAT preparation books. Before delving into the list, there's one more important thing for you to keep in mind about this list of best SAT prep books.
In the race to publish new SAT prep books, some companies chose to offer a mediocre version now instead of a better version later.
A Note on Prep Books for the New SAT
The new SAT (out of 1600 points) came out in March 2016. Because we're still in the early phases of this new test, there's not as much practice material for the new SAT as there was for the old SAT. Unlike your predecessors, you don't have years of previously administered tests to practice with. Instead, you have exactly eight official new SAT practice tests—better than nothing, but a small number compared to all the practice tests for the old SAT.
Your limited official material makes it all the more important to find high quality, realistic practice questions for the SAT. As I mentioned above, I'm confident that PrepScholar offers these high-quality questions in its online program. Some of the books I recommend below also offer realistic problems, but not all of them have been fully updated for the new SAT, even over a year out.
These books are produced at the ultra-competitive intersection of publishing and SAT prep, so some of them may have been slapped together in a rush. Many have complained that Barron's, for instance, recycled way too many old SAT Math problems, and Princeton Review has come under fire for using now obsolete, abstract wording rather than the straightforward style of the redesigned test. Rather than treat the new SAT as its own test and build material from the ground up, as PrepScholar did with its materials, these companies tried to reuse questions that are no longer relevant.
To give you variety in your book choices, I've included the top 11 SAT prep books that are available at this time. Unfortunately, some of the books on this list have significant weaknesses, so you should make sure to be discerning as you select your study materials. You can also check back over the year for updates, as some books are set to be updated and republished soon.
Since the best representation of SAT questions always come from the test makers themselves, I'll start this list with College Board's The Official SAT Study Guide. In the past, I would always recommend College Board's book as the best source of official practice questions. In this case, though, I don't necessarily think you should buy this book! Read on to find out why.
College Board's Official SAT Study Guide
Amazon price: about $21
In past years, I told students that College Board's book was the number one, critical book they had to have in their study arsenal. Now, I'm saying pretty much the opposite —don't bother. Why? Because you can find all of its material for free online!
In a pretty decent move, College Board has stated its commitment to transparency and provided free online practice materials (they're also strongly promoting their partnership with Khan Academy, which has useful video explanations to go along with the official questions).
Some students and educators were disappointed to buy The Official Study Guide book only to find that its tests were the same exact ones offered online. Since the book doesn't have scoring charts, you'll need to go online anyway to score your practice tests.
So does the book offer anything beyond the practice tests? It does dedicate a bunch of pages to explaining the test structure, basic strategies, and answer explanations. Since you can find the majority of this info online, though, I wouldn't recommend buying the book unless you really want all the material printed out for you.
If you have access to a printer and a working internet connection, I'd say to take advantage of the free online material and learn about the SAT that way. The total number of tests is still limited, though, so you might space out these official tests throughout your prep as a way to gauge your progress and determine what concepts you need to study most.
In between these tests, you can supplement with questions from other books on this list. Read on for the pros and cons of the best overall books, along with the best books by section.
Best Overall SAT Prep Book: Kallis' SAT Pattern
Amazon price: about $32
Students and educators alike have reported having great experiences with Kallis' Redesigned SAT Pattern Strategy book. It provides six full-length practice tests, which add up to about 24 hours of practice testing. The questions are realistic and closely patterned after official College Board questions.
Kallis goes beyond College Board's simple explanations to give step-by-step answer explanations for each question. These in-depth descriptions help you understand any mistakes and fix them for next time, a key practice for improving your scores.
Kallis discusses 100 topics that you'll find on the new SAT and gives a clear and focused presentation of fundamental concepts in grammar, literature, and math. Beyond reviewing content, this book gives some analysis of the various question types, allowing you to take a more strategic approach as you test.
Finally, Kallis goes over the structure, format, and topics covered on the SAT in detail, so you'll have a strong grasp of logistics before test day. This review will save you time in reading any instructions or understanding timing since you'll know exactly what to expect when you take the SAT.
While Kallis has done a good job with realistic practice questions and content review, it's less helpful for SAT strategies, like time management or process of elimination. Kallis emphasizes a "learning by doing" approach, so it doesn't spend a lot of time going over mindset or strategies.
The Kallis book is relatively expensive, and it requires a lot of independence and self-discipline from you. You'll need to take responsibility for dividing up the material in the most effective way and for designing and sticking to a productive study plan. The practice questions are there, but it's up to you to put in the work and make the most out of them.
While Kallis is one of the best books out there right now for SAT prep, there are some others that offer comprehensive review for the SAT. Read on for four more suggestions for instruction, strategies, and practice problems.
Best Traditional Prep Books for Instruction, Strategy, and Practice Questions
The following books are of decent quality, but they have some serious weaknesses too. Since there are a limited number of prep books for the new SAT, these four are the best currently available for content review and practice problems. Let's go over the pros and cons of each.
The SAT Black Book, Second Edition
Amazon price: about $29
I highly recommend the SAT Black Book, Second Edition for its insightful strategies and advice on the SAT. The Black Book is written by Mike Barrett, who has taken the time to understand the New SAT inside and out. He reveals the different types of questions, and how you can recognize certain tricky wording and "distractor" answer choices.
I definitely recommend the Black Book for students who want to learn about the structure, format, and tricks of the test, as well as gain practical strategies for answering the questions and saving time. This book can be useful for students at all levels, as Barrett customizes his advice depending on your target scores.
Besides its strategies, the Black Book gives you thorough answer explanations for questions on the first four official SAT practice tests. Where College Board doesn't walk you through the steps of a problem, or explain exactly why the other answer choices are incorrect, the Black Book guides you through each question on each practice test in detail.
This can help change your mindset when actually taking the SAT. You can incorporate this book's explanations and strategies into your own approach, so that you're confident when answering each question type. While the Black Book is great for strategy, though, it's less helpful for studying concepts.
The Black Book is a highly useful resource, but it's not sufficient on its own. First off, it doesn't have any of its own SAT practice questions. Instead, it needs to be used in conjunction with the official SAT practice tests. It refers directly to official SAT questions and gives thorough explanations, especially of the hardest questions.
The Black Book focuses on strategy and understanding the SAT, so it's not the strongest resource for reviewing concepts and content. If you're looking to completely relearn sentence parallelism or shape geometry, for instance, you would need an additional resource.
Finally, while I find this book to be written in a more engaging style than the traditional SAT prep books, this is entirely a matter of opinion; Mike Barrett's explanation style and strategies might not work for everyone. I highly recommend checking it out and seeing which strategies work for you.
McGraw-Hill Education SAT 2018
Amazon price: about $13
If you're looking for an informative overview of the structure and content of the SAT, then McGraw-Hill Education SAT 2018 is a decent choice. It goes over the test in detail, from the number of questions to the time limits of each section, so you know exactly what to expect.
The practice questions, especially those in math, are realistic and resemble official College Board questions. For instance, the math questions feature real-world scenarios with problems about temperature and selling tickets for a performance. All the writing questions are based on passages, and the Reading questions feature tables and graphs to reflect the SAT's emphasis on data interpretation.
While this book reviews content, it's strongest in its presentation of math concepts. The book breaks down the topics in detail, including Heart of Algebra concepts—expressions, linear systems, inequalities, etc; Passport to Advanced Math—functions, quadratics, etc; Problem Solving and Data Analysis—rates, ratios, percentages, table, etc; and Additional Topics—geometry, basic trig, complex numbers.
Finally, this book gives you some helpful guidance when it comes to mapping out your study plan. Like PrepScholar's program, it suggests that you begin with a diagnostic practice test and use it to shape your study plan. It also offers a few basic strategies, like improving your calculator fluency so you know when using a calculator is useful and when it might just slow you down.
This book also has four full-length practice tests.
The other major con is its weakness in reviewing Reading and Writing. While it goes over the Math section in detail, its presentation of the verbal sections is more limited and somewhat unusual. It only discusses "ten essential rules" for Reading and Writing, and its review of the verbal sections is more conceptual and experimental than it is specific to the SAT. For instance, it features chapters with titles like the "Language of Truth, Truthfulness, and Beauty" and the "Language of Dissent, Criticism, and Rebellion."
While these sections may be interesting to book lovers, they aren't super specific to the SAT—a feature that I consider to be critical when prepping for this unique, idiosyncratic test. Perhaps these sections reflect the rush to get published that I mentioned above. Since the Math section isn't changing all that much, McGraw-Hill was able to adapt and produce math problems pretty well. But since the Reading and Writing sections were dramatically revamped for the new SAT, they proved a greater challenge to capture in time for the new edition.
Students have cited a similar problem with Barron's New SAT. Read on for the pros and cons of Barron's guide to the SAT.
Barron's New SAT
Amazon price: about $19
Barron's New SAT is another thorough prep book that offers content review, sample questions, and practice tests. Barron's 29th Edition has four full-length practice tests, plus access to two more full-length online practice tests, meaning you'll get about 24 hours of testing. It also offers a diagnostic test, a helpful tool to familiarize you with the SAT, get you into a testing mindset, and help you become aware of any weaknesses you need to address moving forward.
Barron's is very comprehensive and covers most of the topics you need to know. Because of its dense format, it's typically more effective for high scorers who are able to engage quickly with the content and maintain focus throughout. If you can divide up and scaffold the material in a manageable way, then you'll be able to gain some valuable practice with this book.
Barron's has been criticized for recycling practice questions from its old books, rather than creating new SAT content, a problem that remains in the 29th edition. There are a lot more changes to the SAT than having four answer choices instead of five, so simply re-using old questions won't give you a realistic sense of the question types and concepts on the SAT. This book appears especially guilty of this in its math sections, and it lacks a sufficient focus on algebra—a major component of the new SAT.
In addition to not being as realistic as they should be, some of the questions are overly confusing and have complicated wording. While the SAT will feature multi-step problems that call for in-depth reasoning skills, its problems will have relatively straightforward wording—much like its counterpart, the ACT. Therefore, the questions you'll get in Barron's, while helpful, may be too hard and not as useful as they could be for your SAT prep.
Princeton Review's Cracking the New SAT 2018
Amazon price: about $15 ($25 for premium version)
Like Barron's, Princeton Review's Cracking the New SAT prep book provides a comprehensive review of the three sections of the SAT. It has four full-length practice tests, as well as one additional practice tests that you can access online (or, if you get the premium version, three additional online practice tests). Princeton Review covers concepts you need to know, like grammar rules and algebraic functions, along with strategies for approaching the questions and managing your time.
It also gives thorough answer explanations which help you think about how you can approach similar questions in the future. Along with the book, there's an online component that helps you with scoring your practice tests. Given that this book is similar to Barron's in many ways, does it have the same drawbacks?
Princeton Review shares some of Barron's drawbacks, mainly that some of its questions have overly elaborate wording and don't match the straightforward style of official SAT questions as well as they should. The practice tests, while helpful, are not the best representation of SAT sample questions.
Unlike Barron's though, some of Princeton Review's content review and questions err on the side of being too easy conceptually, rather than too difficult. While Barron's might be better for especially motivated students aiming for top scores, Princeton Review is more appropriate for students scoring around 600 or below. It probably won't help you break out of that range and score much beyond that, especially since it doesn't break each content area down into as many subtopics as it could.
The other potential downside of Princeton Review is its style. Like Barron's, it's a big, traditional test prep book with a straightforward approach. Some students appreciate this; others find it boring. If you're looking for a more personable or entertaining type of writing to keep you focused, these books are not the ones to break the mold. Unfortunately, books that used a more entertaining approach for the old SAT haven't yet been updated for the new SAT.
All the books mentioned have strengths and weaknesses, but combined provide relatively comprehensive prep in all the important areas: practice questions, content review, and strategies. If you're looking to focus even more on a particular section, then you would benefit from a subject-specific test prep book. The following are my recommendations for SAT Math, Reading, and Writing.
Unlike his couches, this frog prefers his SAT prep one section at a time.
Best Books for SAT Math
Books that focus on a single subject often provide especially in-depth prep. Plus, they can be easier to approach than the huge comprehensive test prep books. If you need more prep in one section than the others or are taking advantage of your colleges' superscoring policies by building up your SAT scores one section at a time, then these books could be a great resource.
Below are my recommendations for math prep books, starting with Dr. Steve Warner's New SAT Math Problems.
Dr. Steve Warner's 320 SAT Math Problems
Amazon price: about $30
Steve Warner's New SAT Math Problems is his most recent in SAT math preparation. Just like with his last series, Steve Warner offers comprehensive and clear content review and instruction. He discusses each area on the test: Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and Geometry and Trigonometry (College Board calls this last section, Additional Topics).
This book helpfully arranges concepts by level of difficulty, with the easiest being Level 1 and the most advanced classified as Level 4. This organization ensures that math problems from all the different content areas are integrated, and it allows you to focus on certain chapters depending on your own level. Students already aiming in the 700s, for instance, will be helped most by studying Level 4 and 5 concepts and problems.
Each lesson in this book is carefully crafted, and practice problems are realistic and reinforce your understanding. The answer explanations are also useful, as they go over a few different approaches. As mentioned above, these kinds of multifaceted explanations appeal to different kinds of learners and allow you to carefully understand your mistakes and fix them for next time.
While it's perhaps unfair to compare this book to its predecessors for the old version of the SAT, I can't help but find it limited next to the previous Steve Warner series of math books. As more are updated and published, the Steve Warner books will be able to break down each content area into smaller and more specific subtopics.
The other downside of this book is its limited number of practice problems (only 320). While it's helpful for instruction, you'll want to supplement it with other practice materials for more hours of practice testing. The next two books offer many more practice problems for you to try as you study for the SAT Math section.
Dr. Jang's SAT 800 Math Workbook for the New SAT, Second Edition
Amazon price: about $25
Dr. Jang's SAT 800 Math Workbook for the New SAT's major and impressive strength lies in its sheer number of practice problems—over 1,500 of them! This book definitely allows for a "learning by doing" approach, as you can time yourself and answer practice questions for days.
The question types are arranged by difficulty level, so you can break them up and customize them for your needs. You may start out with Dr. Jang's diagnostic test and space out the book's 10 sample tests as you prep.
Of course, having a lot of practice problems isn't so useful unless the questions are good. Fortunately, Dr. Jang's SAT math problems are realistic samples of what you'll see on the SAT. The book emphasizes algebra, includes basic trigonometry, and divides questions into non-calculator and calculator sections, just like the test. It offers a strong representation of the concepts, format, and rules you'll encounter on the math section of the SAT.
Dr. Jang's SAT 800 Math Workbook is like the flipped version of Steve Warner's book—lots of practice problems, but not a ton of content review. For more instruction, as well as strategies and detailed explanations, you'd probably want to supplement this workbook with another book.
You'll also want to look elsewhere for test-taking strategies, like time management. This book has lots of practice problems appealing to students at all levels, but it's probably not sufficient on its own to prep you for all aspects of SAT Math.
PWN The SAT: Math Guide 4th Edition
Amazon price: about $29
PWN the SAT is geared towards high-achieving, motivated students aiming for a top score in SAT Math. The book is written in an engaging, irreverent style, which helps students stay engaged with the material.
It's divided into five categories: Techniques, Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and Additional Topics in Math. The book breaks down each SAT Math category into its component concepts.
It has realistic practice problems that are designated as either "Calculator" or "No calculator" to help you get ready for both question types. Each chapter also provides a list of official questions of a certain type to help you drill specific skills.
Finally, you can register on the PWN SAT website to get bonus material, as well as watch video answer explanations that walk you through practice problems, step by step.
The main con of PWN the SAT Math Guide is that its target audience is limited. It will help top scorers with strong math skills, but it won't be as accessible to students who struggle with math.
If you're looking for foundational knowledge, then PWN the SAT isn't the book for you. It won't be the best resource to raise low math scores. Rather, it's better to bring already strong scores into the top percentiles.
While there are works by several different authors to choose from to maximize your math score, I just have one author recommendation to boost your reading and writing scores: Erica Meltzer.
Quick coffee break, and then it's on to SAT Reading and Writing.
Best Books for SAT Reading and Writing
If you're looking to brush up your reading comprehension skills or knowledge of grammar rules, I recommend Erica Meltzer's books on the Reading and Writing sections of the SAT.
The Complete Guide to SAT Reading by Erica Meltzer, Third Edition
Amazon price: about $33
While studying for the Reading section might seem hard to break down into specific parts, The Complete Guide to SAT Reading does a good job of outlining the skills you'll need. It also has helpful strategies for answering questions. While your English class may leave more room for subjective interpretation, the SAT Reading section does not. This book helps you locate the one unambiguously correct answer on reading comprehension questions.
In addition to time management and reading comprehension techniques, this book teaches you how to locate and identify key information quickly and efficiency. It discusses useful strategies for approaching paired supporting evidence and data interpretation questions, many of which require you to read tables or graphs. Additionally, this book has a list of common, multiple-meaning words with their various definitions alongside strategies for how to use context clues to uncover meaning.
This book also discusses question type, so you gain a sense of what kind of questions appear on Reading, like main point, interpretation of detail, and vocabulary in context. Finally, it's full of high quality passages that resemble what you'll see on the SAT, including passages from U.S. or world literature, history or social studies, and science. In addition to its own realistic practice questions, The Complete Guide to SAT Reading incorporates questions from College Board and Khan Academy so that you can match up concepts with relevant official sample questions.
Overall, students are highly satisfied with the content and strategies provided by Erica Meltzer. However, not all are a fan of the overall layout and formatting, which has small, crowded font and is not very creative.
Similarly, the writing style is all to the point. Some people appreciate this for its directness; other students find it dry. You can learn more about it at Erica Meltzer's blog, The Critical Reader, and see how it suits you. It's also relatively expensive for a book that only covers one section of the SAT.
In addition to her guide to SAT Reading, Erica Meltzer provides a high quality book for the SAT Writing and Language section.
The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar by Erica Meltzer, Fourth Edition
Amazon price: about $30
The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar clearly articulates the important grammar rules you need to know for the SAT Writing section. The questions are realistic and resemble the Writing section, as they all are connected to the context of a longer passage.
This book breaks down skills and grammar rules so you can study them individually. By learning the rules of grammar and usage, you can then apply them to practice problems. Rather than just choosing an answer that "sounds right," Meltzer's book will teach you all the rules of grammar and usage that you need to know.
While this book is helpful in the way it breaks the section down by skill and grammar rule, the questions on the real SAT will be in random order. This book is useful for learning and drilling the rules, but then you want to take practice tests to make sure you can still identify the grammar rule when it's not clearly laid out for you. There also isn't a frequency guide, so it's hard to know which rules to prioritize over others.
It is written in a similar style to her Critical Reading book, which some students find dry. These two books together, furthermore, are relatively expensive at a combined $50-60.
As this guide is meant to help you streamline your studying, let's discuss how you can best use these books to prep for the SAT and achieve your target scores.
How to Best Study From Books
There are a lot of options when it comes to studying for the SAT from books. Rather than reading them cover to cover, you would be better served coming up with a plan and breaking each book down into smaller, manageable goals.
I would recommend using an official College Board practice test to give yourself a pre-test and gain a sense of your starting level. Take the time to score it and analyze your results to determine what areas you need to focus on. You could also save one of the tests to take right before you take the official SAT, to gain a sense of how much you've improved. As mentioned above, the other tests could be used as benchmarks along the way to gauge your progress and readjust your study plan if need be.
A comprehensive book like Kallis' or Barron's could be used alongside a subject-specific book, like Steve Warner's math book and Erica Meltzer's guides. Depending on your goals and needs, you can decide how much time you devote to each subject to get the most out of your studying.
There's a lot of room here to customize your study plan for your own particular strengths, weaknesses, and goals. This requires a good deal of planning, as well as self-discipline to actually stick to your plan. You also will benefit from reflecting on what works best for you in terms of maintaining interest, retaining information, and staying organized.
If this sounds like a lot of "study prep" before you even get to your test prep, you might benefit from exploring SAT prep options beyond using an SAT book list.
Time to explore!
Explore Your SAT Prep Options
The SAT is a unique test. Doing well in math and English class doesn't necessarily guarantee you a high score on SAT Math or Reading. Prep is a critical component of getting a high score for most students, which College Board is finally acknowledging with its efforts to provide free online practice material. Since you probably don't have time to waste, you want to make the most of your prep time. If you're taking time out of your schedule to study, you should see results.
PrepScholar's online test program was developed with these goals in mind. It retains the quality of content review, practical strategies, and SAT practice questions while adding those elements of accountability and customization. It ensures that you're getting the most out of your prep time, rather than wasting time on material you already know or that won't help you on the SAT.
With that same goal in mind, we've made available a number of in-depth strategy guides for the SAT, which we're adding to all the time. These are some of the most popular:
- How Long Should I Study for the SAT? 6 Step Guide
- Should You Guess on the SAT? 6 Guessing Strategies
- The 21 Critical SAT Math Formulas You Must Know
- How to Get an 800 on SAT Reading
- The Complete Guide to SAT Grammar Rules
- SAT Essay Prompts: The Complete List
- The Best Way to Review Your Mistakes for the SAT
- Choose Your SAT/ACT Test Dates: When's a Good Time for You?
- How to Study for the New SAT in 2016
- How to Get a Perfect 1600 SAT Score, by a 2400 Full Scorer
The recommended SAT prep books can be very useful in getting you ready, but they can also feel overwhelming and repetitive, not to mention expensive (unfortunately there aren't too many options when you search for "SAT preparation books PDF free download").
Take the time to explore your options, while also learning about the SAT from high quality online resources and our detailed guides. If you're putting in the time to prep for the SAT, make sure that you're seeing results and enjoying the process along the way.
What's Next?
Before delving into content and strategies, you should familiarize yourself with exactly what's on the SAT. Learn all about the Reading, Writing, and Math sections individually and in our Complete Guide to the SAT, fully updated for the 2016 revision of the test.
An important part of your study schedule is knowing exactly when you plan to take the SAT. Read all about how to choose your test dates.
Did you know that a lot of colleges superscore the SAT, or take your highest section scores across all dates? Learn how you can use this policy to your advantage and build up your scores across different test dates.
Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible.
Check out our 5-day free trial today:
Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!
Rebecca graduated with her Master's in Adolescent Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has years of teaching and college counseling experience and is passionate about helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT.


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BREAKING NEWS: BLUE®M vs CHLORHEXIDINE IN-VITRO RESULTS
24th January 2018: The University in Toronto has executed an in-vitro evaluation of antimicrobial activity of Blue®M mouthwash. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the antibiofilm and antimicrobial effects of Blue®M mouthwash against the caries pathogen Streptococcus mutans. Dr. Céline M. Lévesque has concluded that Blue®M mouthwash solution is effective in killing unicellularRead more →


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250th Anniversary
of the First
Volga German Colonies
Saturday, 9 August 2014
This year marks the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the first five German colonies along the Volga River in Russia: Anton, Beideck, Dobrinka, Galka, and Schilling. The Center for Volga German Studies at Concordia University is hosting a conference on the campus of Denver Lutheran High School in Parker, Colorado, in celebration of these anniversaries! This conference will include sessions on each of these colonies, but will focus on Beideck because of the number of descendants from Beideck who live in Colorado and the surrounding states.
Onsite Registration is $30 (registration after August 1).
Child Registration is $15 (age 12 & younger, register any time).
To register & pay by credit card, call Sue Cotton at 503.493.6369.
The public is invited to attend.
Early Registration is $25 (registration before August 1).
Onsite Registration is $30 (registration after August 1).
Child Registration is $15 (age 12 & younger, register any time).
Registration includes your choice of sessions and lunch.
To register & pay by credit card, call Sue Cotton at 503.493.6369.
To register & pay by check, print the Registration Form and mail it in with your check. Mailed registrations must be postmarked by the dates above in order to qualify for a specific rate.
All sessions will be held on the campus of Denver Lutheran High School, 11249 Newlin Gulch Blvd. in Parker, Colorado - south of Denver, Exit 192 on I-25, just off the Ridge Gate Parkway.
Conference Schedule
Please check out the Conference Schedule. [There have been some changes since the original list of speakers and topics was posted.]
Lunch is included with registration.
Hotel Accommodations
Coming soon . . .
Sponsorship Opportunities
There are several opportunities to have your family, company, or organization recognized during the conference. For details, contact Sue Cotton (email: email@example.com; phone: 503.493.6369).
Last updated 25 July 2014.


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The spot of Teahupoo is both feared and admired the world over and is on just about every Surfers bucket list of waves they must Surf. Chopes is drooled over every single day by wave riders globally, with comments like "I would love to surf there" and "I would tear that wave up", but chances are, most will never ever get there and of those that do, a fair percentage will sit in the channel,to scared to paddle into the back breaking wave. This makes the fact that a 12 year old lad by the name of Kauli Vaast, who has been Surfing Teahupoo 5 times the size of him, seem so jaw droppingly impressive.
Kitted out with a helmet and the courage of a bear, young Kauli surfs the wave with a confidence and authority that you wouldn't normally find in a kid who hasn't even touched teenage years. In face most lads of a similar age are hooked up to a games console or scuffing the knees out of their trousers playing football.
With Teahupoo ticked off at such a young age, the future obviously bodes well for Master Kauli and we will no doubt be hearing more from him over the next few years. One thing that does spring to mind though, is, if you are riding Chopes at 12 years old, what comes next? Shipsterns? Ours? Jaws? Mavericks? When I was a mere grom, we were over the moon if we could snag a lift to the next town to Surf!
In case you still can't quite believe it, the video of Kauli out at Teahupoo is embedded below this article, and I feel sure you will be impressed. Take a look and let us know what spot you think the heroic youngster should take on next and what was the scariest wave you had tackled by the age of 12?


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June 18, 2011, 2:46 p.m.
posted by vdv
File Encryption Functional Description
There's no getting around it. File encryption is a complex beast. EFS uses technologies that are only just now entering their maturity. You need to plan deployment carefully to ensure that files remain secure and available. EFS also requires a measure of insight and work from users, not always a key to success.
File Encryption Process Description
File encryption uses elements from a variety of Windows subsystems. To introduce the cast of characters, here is a summary of what happens when a file is encrypted. See Figure for a block diagram of the components:
Figure. Data encryption elements.
The end result is an NTFS file with gibberish in the $Data attribute that can only be understood when decrypted using the FEK. Only the user who encrypted the file or the DRA can decrypt the file because only they have FEKs in the file record. (As we'll see, Windows Server 2003 and XP have a new feature that permits giving additional users access to the file.)
File Decryption Process Description
Here's a quick rundown of what the system does to decrypt an encrypted file when a user opens it (see Figure):
Figure. Data decryption elements.
Seem complicated? You bet it is. EFS has lots of moving parts. The remainder of this topic discusses how the parts work, how they mesh together, and what to expect if they don't interact as expected.
Data Encryption
When a user encrypts a file, the EFS driver works in concert with the NTFS driver in the Windows Executive to encrypt the $Data attribute of the file. Figure shows a diagram of the Master File Table (MFT) record before and after encryption.
Figure. MFT record before and after encryption.
EFS converts the $Data attribute into a series of cipher blocks that it stores in the same location on the disk where the clear-text file originally resided. (If the $Data attribute is resident in the MFT record, it is made non-resident and placed out onto the disk.)
During this encryption transaction, a clear-text copy of the file is created. You can avoid this by setting an encryption flag on a folder and then saving files directly into the encrypted folder. This encrypts the data stream before it hits the disk and avoids temp files. See the following sidebar, "Wiping EFS Temp Files."
Data Encryption Algorithms
For many years, the only exportable encryption option was the Data Encryption Standard, or DES. Developed by IBM back in the 1970s, DES has just not been able to keep up with modern computing capabilities. A moderately priced machine can now break standard DES encryption handily.
To overcome this weakness, EFS uses one of two encryption mechanisms that are more secure than DES while retaining its exportability and most of its speed: DESX or 3DES (Triple-DES).
This is the encryption mechanism used by Windows 2000. DESX was formulated by Ronald Rivest at RSA Data Security in an effort to shore up DES by making it more resistant to brute-force dictionary attacks. In broad terms, DESX is a block cipher that uses a three-step process to encrypt a file:
The combination of these three steps results in an encrypted file that is much less susceptible to key-search attack than DES. Unfortunately, DESX is not much better than standard DES when it comes to resisting sophisticated cryptanalysis.
The crypto community, pragmatists to the core, reacted to the failure of DES with the same kind logic used by television producers:
So, the basis of 3DES is to simply run the data through the engine three times, each time using a different one-third of a big master encryption key. The result is a cipher block that is a billion times more secure than DES alone, but performance is three times slower. DES isn't all that slow, though, and 3DES is still faster than many other alternatives.
A body called the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, decides on procedures and practices that companies must follow to do business with the government. Because everyone wants to do business with the government, many NIST recommendations become de-facto standards for industry.
NIST standards are published in a set of Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) publications. The FIPS publication that describes general requirements for computer security is FIPS-140-2, Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules. This standard is also used by the Commerce Department to determine technologies that can be freely exported and those that require special handling.
Although 3DES is strong, it is subject to certain cryptanalytic attacks. To be fully FIPS-140-2 compliant, Microsoft changed the default EFS encryption algorithm in Windows Server 2003 and XP SP1 to the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). This can cause interoperability problems with existing Windows 2000 and XP computers that still use DESX. You cannot transport an encrypted file from Windows Server 2003 to a Windows 2000 server and do a data recovery.
For backward compatibility, you can set a group policy to force Windows Server 2003 and XP SP1 to use DESX rather than AES until you have completed your migration. The group policy that controls encryption is System cryptography: Use FIPS compliant algorithms for encryption. The policy is located under Computer Configuration | Windows Settings | Security Settings | Security Options.
File Encryption Key Protection
DESX, 3DES, and AES are symmetrical algorithms, meaning that the same cipher key is used for encryption and decryption. Longer keys are better than shorter ones, and the Microsoft Crypto Provider takes advantage of the loosening of export restrictions in 2000 to use a 128-bit random number as a cipher key. This is called the File Encryption Key.
Ordinarily, you would expect a security system to treat a cipher key like you would treat your house key. You do not leave your house key near your front door where someone could easily find it and break in. Unfortunately, the FEK must accompany a file because of portability considerations. For instance, if you do a tape restore of encrypted files to another location, you still want the capability of opening the files.
So, the FEK must accompany a file. But it must be adequately protected or else the entire encryption scheme would be compromised. What's needed is a separate encryption mechanism to protect the FEK. That's where Public Key Cryptography Services (PKCS) come into play.
PKCS is a system of public/private key pairs. Anything encrypted with one key in a public/private key pair can only be decrypted with the other key. EFS encrypts the FEK with the user's public key. Only the user's private key can decrypt the FEK, which is necessary to decrypt the file. The user's private key, then, is the sweet spot in making EFS work.
The private key is stored in the user's profile. The file holding the key is a hidden, system file. This keeps it from being encrypted by the Encrypting File System.
EFS does not use PKCS for encrypting an entire file because of poor performance. The encryption methods used by PKCS are impressively secure but very slow and processor-intensive. The combination of a moderately secure bulk file encryption mechanism and a highly secure PKCS key protection mechanism is fairly standard in the industry. S/MIME (Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) uses it to protect email. IPSec (IP Security) uses it to protect data communications.
FEK Storage
The data structure used to hold the encrypted FEK is called a Data Decryption Field, or DDF. The DDF also contains a copy of the user's public key certificate for identification. The DDF is stored along with the file in a special NTFS attribute called $Logged_Utility_Stream.
EFS also makes provision for accessing a file if the user accidentally deletes the private key. When EFS encrypts a file, it includes another copy of the FEK encrypted with a File Recovery public key issued to the domain Administrator account. This account is called a Data Recovery Agent, or DRA. You can use the DRA's private key to decrypt its copy of the FEK, which then gives access to the file.
EFS stores the DRA's copy of the FEK in a data structure called a Data Recovery Field, or DRF, along with a copy of the DRA's public key certificate. The DRF is stored in its own $Logged_Utility_Stream attribute in the file record.
Encrypted File Sharing
Windows .NET/XP permits sharing access to encrypted files. It does this by encrypting another copy of the FEK with the public EFS key of any selected users. This gives the users the ability to decrypt the file, assuming that they have sufficient NTFS permissions to open it in the first place.
The user who first encrypts a file selects additional users to share the file via the file's Properties window. Click Advanced to see the encryption option, then click Details to see the list of users and DRAs assigned to the file. Figure shows an example.
Figure. EFS Details for a file showing the users selected to access the encrypted file and the DRAs assigned to the file.
When a name is added to the list of authorized users for an encrypted file, EFS obtains the user's public key certificate either from the local certificate store (the Registry) or from Active Directory.
Any user with access to an encrypted file can add other names to the list of authorized users. Train your users to grant shared access only when absolutely necessary and then only to trusted colleagues.
The Resource Kit includes a command-line tool called EFSINFO that can quickly display the name of the user who encrypted a file, any users who have been added to the file, and the DRA(s), if any, assigned to the file. Here is an example EFSINFO listing for a file on a standalone server without a local DRA:
E:\>efsinfo /u /r /c test.txt test.txt: Encrypted Users who can decrypt: CX612097-B\Admin (Admin([email protected])) Certificate thumbprint: 839E 9492 CF52 C280 6BB3 5EF5 1C60 B38A C464 5E8C Unknown (Bill([email protected])) Certificate thumbprint: BEB0 795E 3F50 F36B 6357 C660 1164 C707 52F8 666B No recovery agent is found.
The thumbprint information comes in handy if you have a user with multiple EFS certificates. You can quickly identify which certificate was used to encrypt the file. You can find out the user's current certificate using cipher /y. Here is a sample listing:
E:\>efsinfo /y Your current EFS certificate thumbnail information on the PC named localbox is: 839E 9492 CF52 C280 6BB3 5EF5 1C60 B38A C464 5E8C
Private Key Protection
Have you ever seen the old 1970's television series Get Smart? At the start of each episode, Maxwell Smart (played by Don Adams) walks down a long corridor through a series of doors that leads to a phone booth where he dials a number and drops through a trapdoor. That pretty much sums up the way a user's private key is protected, one key after another key after another. Ready to see them in action? Here goes. . . .
The private key is stored in the user's profile under \Application Data\Microsoft\ Crypto\RSA\<User_SID>. To protect the private key, the Microsoft Crypto Provider uses a Session key generated by the Data Protection API, or DPAPI.
The DPAPI generates this Session Key using a secret derived from the user's password hash. Details of how this secret is generated can be obtained from www.microsoft.com/serviceproviders/whitepapers/security.asp. In essence, the user's standard logon password hash is hashed again, this time using the 160-bit SHA-1 algorithm. It is then run through 4000 iterations of a password protection algorithm, PBKDF2, described in a document titled PKCS #5, "Password-Based Cryptography Standard." (See www.rsalabs.com for more information.) This creates a pseudo-random number based on the user's password hash. DPAPI refers to this as a Master key.
The Master Key is itself encrypted using a special function called an HMAC (or Hashed-based Message Authentication Code). An HMAC incorporates a secret key into a standard hashing function. The HMAC used to encrypt the Master key is a hash of the Master key itself with the user's password hash as the secret key. The encrypted Master key is stored in the user's profile under \Application Data\Microsoft\ Protect\<User_SID>. So, as you can see, the reliability of the entire structure comes down to the security of the user's password. If I know your password, I can get access to your encrypted files. Simple as that. You can avoid this vulnerability by using smart card authentication. See Chapter 20, "Managing Remote Access and Internet Routing," for details about deploying smart cards.
When a user changes her password, DPAPI builds a new Master key and then uses it to generate a new Session key to re-encrypt the private keys when the user next logs on. If you as an administrator reset a user's password in Active Directory, DPAPI will build a new Master key the first time the user logs on with the new password. DPAPI then generates a new Session key derived from the new Master key and uses it to re-encrypt the private keys.
For machines that are members of a Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2000 domain, a backup copy of the Master key is stored at the local machine. This backup copy uses a public key stored in Active Directory as the secret key for the HMAC used to encrypt the Master key. This permits Master key recovery should the local copy get corrupted.
Private Key Protection on Standalone Machines
In a domain environment, the user password hash is stored in Active Directory. A copy of the hash is cached locally in the Registry under the Secrets key in the Security hive (often called LSA Secrets) but this copy cannot be changed as long as the user is off the network.
The same is not true for standalone machines, where the user password hash is stored in the local SAM. If a bad guy can get physical access to a standalone machine, he can use one of several utilities to change the user passwords stored in the SAM, including the Administrator password. Because the local Administrator account is the DRA for file encryption on a standalone machine, if you can log on as the Administrator, you stand a chance of compromising the user's encrypted files.
At least this was the situation in Windows 2000. The operation of the DPAPI has been changed in Windows Server 2003 and XP to eliminate this security flaw. In Windows Server 2003 and XP, if a user's password on a standalone machine is changed by any means other than one that includes DPAPI function calls, the Master key is not re-encrypted. Without access to the Master key, EFS cannot access encrypted files on behalf of the user. This keeps encrypted files safe from interlopers.
Windows Server 2003 and XP also have a new feature called a Password Reset Disk, or PRD. The PRD permits a user who has forgotten his password to change it at the logon window. DPAPI does not update the Master key if the user changes his password using the PRD. This means that the user loses access to encrypted files, which is especially nasty on XP because there is no requirement to have a DRA.
There is a workaround, however. The user can log on with the new password and then change the password back to what it was, if he can remember it. This will cause DPAPI to create a new Master key with the new user credentials. The Session key derived from this Master key will decrypt the user's private EFS key, giving the user access to encrypted files once again.
This change to the DPAPI does not prevent a bad guy from changing the Administrator account password then logging on and poking around trying to find clues for the original user passwords. For example, the bad guy might use a password cracker like L0phtcrack to derive the user passwords from the hashes stored in the SAM. It's possible that the user of the standalone laptop who was so concerned about protecting files with encryption was not as concerned about access security and used a simple password, or maybe even a blank password, for logon.
For this reason, users on standalone machines who want to encrypt files should always use long, complex passwords and should never save password hints or save dial-up passwords or save any application password if it is the same as their logon password. This potential vulnerability is only present on standalone machines.
EFS Key Storage
When a user first encrypts a file, the system obtains a set of EFS keys issued in the form of certificates. PKCS certificates are normally issued for specific reasons. In this instance, the certificate is issued for the express purpose of supporting the Encrypting File System. An EFS certificate cannot be used to digitally sign an email message, for instance.
If there is no Certification Authority (CA) available, the Microsoft Crypto Provider on the local machine issues the EFS certificate. This is called a self-signed certificate, meaning that it has no chain of authority leading to a CA. Self-signed certificates have security significance only on the local machine because other machines cannot check validity of the issuer.
If you have a Microsoft CA, a group policy informs the local clients of the CA's existence by distributing the CA's public key certificate. Clients use this public key to encrypt certificate requests that they send to the CA. When the CA gets a certificate request, it decrypts it with its private key, verifies the requestor's identity, then issues the certificate. It digitally signs the certificate with its own private key so the client can validate the certificate with the CA's public key.
After they are obtained, the EFS keys are stored in the user's local profile under a hidden folder called Application Data. Figure shows the key locations.
Figure. Key storage in the user profile.
It is very important to train desktop technicians to treat profiles carefully after you deploy file encryption. If you delete a user's profile, the user loses access to all encrypted files on that machine.
As we'll see a bit later when we look at data recovery, the domain Administrator account is the default Data Recovery Agent for all member servers and desktops in a domain. A profile is created for this account on the first domain controller in the domain. The profile contains the File Recovery (FR) public and private keys used by the DRA. If you delete the Administrator profile on the first domain controller in the domain, you cannot recover any encrypted files in the entire domain.
You can and should export the Administrator's FR private key to a certificate so it can be safely stored away and used only when necessary. You can also designate other DRAs to use in addition to the domain Administrator.
EFS Keys and Roaming Profiles
The Application Data folder travels with a user who has a roaming profile. This is good news, because it means the same public key is used to encrypt files on different machines. This simplifies aggregating the files for the user, should that become necessary.
The bad news is that you cannot encrypt files within a roaming profile because of a Catch 22 in file handling. Let's say that you were able to encrypt a file in the My Documents folder of a roaming profile. When you log off, that encrypted file would be copied to a server.
When you log on the next time, the system downloads the contents of your roaming profile then uses it to initialize your local operating environment. But wait, there's an encrypted file in that roaming profile, and you can't open that encrypted file without your private key; but your private key is in your profile, which the system won't initialize until it has copied all the contents.
To avoid this situation, Microsoft prevents users from storing encrypting in roaming profiles. If a user does encrypt a file inside a profile, the system gives an error at logoff stating that the file will not be copied to the server.
Users with roaming profiles who want to encrypt files in My Documents can do so this way: use folder redirection to place the My Documents folder on a server, enable offline folders, then encrypt the contents of the offline folder cache.


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**This post contains affiliate links which means that I receive a small commision if you purchase through my link. There is no additional cost to you and our family is forever grateful!**
If you've followed my blog long enough to read any of my food posts, you know we are not a very health conscious family. Honestly, being raised in the South, it's kind of a way of life here. We fry things, we butter things, and we add a little gravy to it.
My husband loves to eat and most nights, I cook a pretty good supper. If I do say so myself. 😉 I've learned a lot since we've been married and by now, it's kind of second nature to just cook.
Since we have had babies I've wanted to make changes for our health. Not sudden, noticeable changes. But gradual changes. You know, the kind where my husband and kids don't really notice that things are healthier.
Also, I wanted to start with changes that wouldn't break the bank. Because let's face it, if I go buy all organic products, it's going to be a lot more costly than my normal trip to the grocery store. In the summertime, it's much easier to find locally grown produce or grow a small gardens to save money. I usually freeze a lot in the summertime, but this year, I'm hoping to get some canning done too. I'll definitely do a post on that in the future.
With that being said, here are a few changes I've made:
No More Plastic: I've thrown out all of our old plastic storage containers and replaced them with these. They are reasonably priced and look much better than the 5,000 cool whip containers that fall out when you open your cabinets. Just me? Oh okay. Any who, plastic is full of chemicals that are especially released when you add warm foods. The less cancer causing toxins we add to our body, the better.
We also stopped buying plastic cups and began using mason jars for glasses. You only need a couple and it actually saves money because you're not buying plastic cups over and over each week. If I'm drinking water, I use a stainless steel thermos, but otherwise it's my mason jar. I would say 1-2 cups per person. I use the same cup all day and wash it that night.
I also threw out all the sippy cups, and y'all, it felt good. All the cups and all 20 of those lids that don't fit any cup in the cabinet, but I keep hoping it will show back up. Yep, they're gone. I replaced them with stainless steel and glass sippy cups. For Allie Beth, I use the stainless steel with a straw. She needs about two cups and that's it. One for every other day. Andie has one stainless steel cup with a soft nipple and one glass sippy that comes with the nipple and straw for later. I love this one because it's outer shell is plastic. It also has holes in the bottom to immediately drain the liquid should the inner glass chamber break. It's definitely a lot of parts to wash, but worth it!
Anything plastic that can be tossed and replaced with glass or stainless steel is a good start.
Microwave: We still have a microwave and definitely still use it, but not as often. I try to heat things on the stove top or in the oven to minimize the microwave use. Usually things heated on/in the stove taste much better anyway.
Healthier snacks: I have been trying once or twice a week to make healthier snacks. This helps me and Allie not to turn to junk/processed food when we need a snack throughout the week. I've recently tried broccoli tots and chocolate oatmeal bites. I actually really enjoyed the broccoli tots and Allie will eat them dipped in ketch up too. The oatmeal bites took a bit more coercing because she just wanted to pick the M&Ms out to eat. Maybe I should try chocolate chips next time?
Elderberry syrup and vitamin D: it's no secret that flu season has been a bit crazy this year. I've hardly let my girls out of the house trying to protect them from it. And while I continue to pray for protection from the flu for them, I also jumped on the elderberry bandwagon. Here is the recipe I used. I ordered elderberries, cinnamon, and ginger from amazon and used local honey. I've heard that using local honey helps with allergies common in your area. Because of the honey, Andie still can't have the elderberry syrup (she's too young for honey). I have, however, been giving both girls vitamin D to amp up there immune systems!
These are all definitely small, inexpensive changes that anyone can make to be a little healthier. It's a step in the right direction for us and i definitely plan to continue this way for my sweet babies!
**Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and this not intended to be used as medical advice. These are just small changes we've made.**


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November 2, 1997Operation What?
A broadside against the keeping of the national secrets.
Read the First Chapter
By TIM WEINER
The CIA's War at Home.
By Angus Mackenzie.
Illustrated. 241 pp. Berkeley:
University of California Press. $27.50.
wo years ago, I met an F.B.I. agent with whom I shared an interest in certain Central Intelligence Agency shenanigans. He shook hands, smiled and said: ''I feel like I know you. I've done three leak investigations on you.'' Angus Mackenzie might have appreciated the moment. He was a man obsessed by the Government's legal and illegal attempts to control information.
Mackenzie was the long-haired great-grandson of the magazine publisher S. S. McClure, who gave the great muckrakers Ida Tarbell and Lincoln Steffens their platform at the start of this century. In 1970, when Mackenzie was 19, he was arrested for selling issues of an underground newspaper he had founded, called The People's Dreadnaught. From this formative experience onward, he was like a man who pulls a loose strand from a thick sweater and keeps pulling until he has unraveled half a mile of wool.
He spent the rest of his life as a freelance muckraker, gathering information on Government secrecy and striving to finish this book. Left in draft form at his death from brain cancer three years ago, completed by his friends and family, ''Secrets'' is Mackenzie's legacy: a book obsessed. Like the man, it is an unruly piece of work, but it grabs you by the lapels and holds on.
Throughout the cold war -- and after -- the White House asserted that the President has a right to control and classify information as he sees fit. Mackenzie argues that such sovereign powers are for kings, not freely elected leaders.
''Secrets'' begins with the C.I.A.'s assault on Ramparts magazine in 1966, after that leftist journal disclosed some of the agency's secret campus programs. The C.I.A., barred by its charter from spying on Americans, quickly began sending the White House reports on the editors and writers of Ramparts.
This exercise in extralegal snooping grew into a much larger effort: prying into the unruly world of the underground press. And that grew into Operation Mhchaos, the biggest domestic spying caper in the C.I.A.'s
history, aimed in essence against Vietnam War protesters. The exposure of Mhchaos during and after Watergate remains a low point in the agency's history.
Chastened but determined, the agency started going after books -- for example, censoring large swatches of ''The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence,'' by Victor Marchetti, a former C.I.A. officer, and John Marks. (This, of course, guaranteed the book's commercial success.) Then the agency refined its tactics, winning in court the right to enforce secrecy contracts with its employees.
In the 1980's, as Mackenzie explains, the Reagan Administration expanded this into a grand strategy to impose secrecy restrictions on all Government workers, on the principle that Presidents, not the people, own the information that the Government generates.
Since Mackenzie's death, the Clinton Administration has let some light into the enormous secrecy bureaucracy, but it also wants secrets kept where it sees fit. It saw nothing wrong with the C.I.A.'s destroying the career of a State Department official who blew the whistle on the agency's malfeasance in Guatemala. The White House has placed the National Security Council's records beyond the reach of the Freedom of Information Act. And F.B.I. agents are still conducting scores of leak investigations on reporters and their sources.
More than a quarter-century ago, around the time that Mackenzie was arrested for peddling The People's Dreadnaught, Justice Hugo L. Black of the Supreme Court wrote in the Pentagon Papers case: ''The guarding of military and diplomatic secrets at the expense of informed representative government provides no real security for our Republic.'' That, simply stated, is what Angus Mackenzie is trying to say in this good old-fashioned broadside.
Tim Weiner is a correspondent in the Washington bureau of The New York Times and a co-author of ''Betrayal: The Story of Aldrich Ames, an American Spy.''
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Item (a): Members suggested reimbursement of the whole or part of the course fees to participants (or the sponsoring employers or trade associations) on satisfactory completion of the safety training courses organized by CITA.
The Construction Industry Training Authority (CITA) noted that whilst the Members' suggestion might overcome the anticipated problem of absenteeism by enrolled trainees if the safety training course was free, the first two reasons mentioned in the Administration's response dated 29 March 1999 remain valid. CITA stressed that offering the already heavily subsidised safety training course free of charge would impose a very heavy financial burden on the resources of the Authority. Also there has never been any complaints that the $100 course fee being charged is deterring construction workers from attending the safety training course. CITA reiterated that it is prepared to waive the course fee on CSSA recipients intending to enroll on the course upon the production of proof.
Item (b): The Administration to provide quarterly accident statistics in the past three years in industrial undertakings, with a breakdown and analysis by type of industrial undertakings, type of accidents and severity of injuries.
The statistics for the four quarters in 1996 and 1997 and the first three quarters of 1998 are given in the Annex. The full year statistics for 1998 will only be available later this month. The statistics provided in the Annex are arranged by industry and by type of accidents (known as "Cause of Accidents" in 1996 and 1997). The Labour Department does not have an analysis of such accidents by severity of injuries.
Item (c): The Administration to explain why there is a substantial increase in the number of accidents in industrial undertakings in the 3rd quarter of 1998.
Based on the experience and observations of the Labour Department, the number of industrial accidents usually shows an increase in the second and third quarters of a year. We believe that this phenomenon could likely be due to the climate in this time of the year which is hot and humid and when rainfall is more frequent. Working in a hot and humid environment would make it easier for a worker to feel tired or exhausted and hence less alert to potential dangers at work. The rainy season also creates additional hazard for outdoor workers. Also, in the months in these two quarters, there are more working days than other months (e.g. the long Chinese New Year holidays fall in the 1st quarter) and this increased working time may also result in more work injuries.
Item (d): The Administration to provide a breakdown on the 8 fatal accidents in the 3rd quarter of 1998 by type of industrial undertakings.
According to the statistical table on number of industrial accidents provided to Members on 30.3.99, there were 8 fatal accidents in the "Mining and Quarrying, Utilities, Transport and Servicing Industries" for the first three quarters of 1998 (not the 3rd quarter of 1998). A breakdown of these 8 cases by type of industrial undertakings is as follows:
Item (e): The Administration to consider whether the manufacturing industry should be subject to less stringent requirements for safety management in view of its lower accident rate and different operation from the construction and container handling industries.
Implementation of a safety management system is the key recommendation in the 1995 review of industrial safety in Hong Kong. It has been accepted by the Administration as a new and effective strategy to enhance industrial safety after receiving general support during the public consultation period. As the matter concerns safety and the life and limbs of workers are at stake, we do not consider it appropriate to make exception to the requirement on implementing the safety management system by particular industrial sectors.
It should be noted that the safety management system in the proposed Regulation has already been developed with the ease of implementation by the industrial sectors in mind. To ensure that the system is an effective one, it has to embody a certain minimum number of elements. These elements are also inter-related and support one another and only partial implementation of some of the elements will render the whole safety management system ineffective. If the manufacturing industry has a better safety record because its work process is less hazardous or it has already in place a good system of work, then the industry as a whole should find that it has to commit lesser effort in fulfilling the requirement of the elements under the proposed safety management system.
Item (f): The Administration to confirm whether the Bill and the proposed Regulations will apply to sub-contractors employing less than 50 employees who work with employees of other sub-contractors on the same construction site.
The mandatory safety training provisions as proposed in the Bill will apply to all contractors on a construction site, irrespective of the size of employment.
The proposed Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation does not apply to a sub-contractor employing less than 50 workers. It is however the long-term objective of the Administration to extend the requirement to industrial undertakings employing less than 50 workers.
If several sub-contractors each employing less than 50 workers work together and the aggregate number of their workers is 50 or more, the contractor(s) at a higher level will be subject to the control of the proposed safety management regulation.
Item (g): The Administration to confirm, if the Bill also applies to the case in (f), which party (the sub-contractor or the principal contractor) will be held liable for breaches of the provisions in the Bill and the proposed Regulations.
In the case of a breach of the mandatory safety training provisions of the Bill, all contractors and sub-contractors, irrespective of their employment size, can be held liable because application of the safety training requirement is not dependent on the number of employees. As for the proposed Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation, the principal contractor and sub-contractors employing 50 workers or more will be held liable for breaches of the proposed Regulation.


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Would you choose Belief over Hope?
Countless times I have heard a phrase start with… "I hope that…."
Something to me didn't seem or better yet, feel right about this certain way of thinking. Hope is the last ditch call when everything else has failed and circumstances are now out of your control. Why settle for hope when you can have belief. Already you may be disagreeing with me. That's cool, I hope you do, otherwise life would be boring if we all got along.
Ok, I'm not talking about situations which you cannot control in the sense of natural disasters, alien invasions, incurable illness and so on… I'm talking situations that are more in your control than you think. The game you have coming up, the job interview you just had, the promotion you want & the goals you aspire to.
Here is the the definition of both:
Hope is the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life.
Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true.
Could you tell the difference in both? Well to me the 'psychological state' is the importance in how you perceive the situation, your mental state and approach. Why settle for hoping for something when you can believe in it with a burning desire. There is something quite strange and paranormal about this state of mind, don't just take my word for it, research the sporting greats. They all believe in the outcome before it has happened. Yeah I know you've heard this before, but if you have then why are you still hoping for that one thing to change. If you believed from the start you would not be hoping now and it's quite ironic that the definition of hope above has the word 'belief' in it.
So lately I wrote my new mission statement (straight from the teachings of Stephen Covey – legend) which came from the basis writings of my principles. I've had it in my head for a while so I've been visualising the outcome for some time. Funny thing is, what I wanted actually came true, the job I'm aiming to required a career diversion and I now have that opportunity. Not from wishing, hope or luck, but from hard work, faith and belief.
Look I'm not hope bashing, It's not like I don't 'believe' in it (ok lame joke), I have wished on it may a time. It does not seem like a happy place to end up, but there is a choice and I choose belief.
"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe." Gail Devers
For those who hold on to hope and hate me for going against it, before you unleash a tyrant or criticism I suggest you look up the meaning of 'faith' in Wiki. And faith is something I have belief in strongly.


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Hong Kong, Dalian, Shenyang, Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing in 13 days, I can assure you it was a real tour de force. I absorbed tons of information, observed, tasted and tried to immerse myself as much as possible in Chinese culture. I have tried to reflect on it, but must admit that the tardiness of this post is due to how difficult it is to interpret what will happen in the future in China. This post will be a bit disconnected and the topics and feelings expressed might not seem rationally connected; more than a post I would say these are notes.
One thing is certain, the consumption of wine in China will increase, because it is a status symbol. What might give Italy an edge over the rest is tourism: we bring well-off Chinese to Italy, and our wine makes a bang.
Just as we need to absorb their nobile, thousands-of-years-old culture mixed with unscrupulous capitalism, the Chinese appreciate Italian wines when they understand the inseparable link between our wines and their territory of origin.
When I talk about China, I always exclude Hong Kong, an extremely sophisticated metropolis with a market differentiation very similar to that of the west. Giant China looks to Hong Kong and sees it as a reference point; for this reason the former British colony plays a strategic role throughout the Far East.
Every day, I tried to explain Piedmont wine, through workshops organised by my representatives, to their vendors or directly to customers. I was dealing with a wine culture operating at the most very basic levels and a knowledge of Italy reduced to the most minimal terms.
This intense trip taught me to not take anything for granted; in my explanations I tried to use clear, simple ideas. My thanks go to Fabio Grasselli who translated all of my words into perfect Chinese and who was fundamental for communicating the quality of our wines.
Me and my travelling companion, my old school chum Alessio Povero, now owner of Cantine Povero in Cisterna d'Asti, experienced truly intense days, trying Chinese cuisine of the north and south, and even that of Uighur, an ethnic Muslim community of the west, discriminated against by Beijing and where alas wine cannot be served, for religious reasons.
The five-year Chinese plan puts a spoke in the wheel of agricultural food imports, a protectionism detected in the new law requiring a further chemical analysis, this time on phthalates, a chemical component in found in rubber tubes. In fact just recently tons of chocolate cakes coming from Europe were blocked, for the presence of a bacteria considered dangerous by the Chinese authorities.
Many times during the trip I asked myself where the devil this wine is being consumed and who is buying it. In China, wine is mostly sold to individuals (above all to be given as gifts); in restaurants wine consumption is almost inexistent. We need to be patient, it will be necessary to earn Chinese trust and not assume that rip-offs are only sent one-way from China to Italy. I have realised that Asians' occasional suspicion of Italians is truly well-founded. Many of them have money to invest, but they want to test their prospective partners before launching a business venture.
All in all, I think that seriousness, transparency and the ability to find the right partner, independent of the volumes that sooner or later will arrive for everyone, is fundamental for entering a market as chaotic, unsystematic and difficult to understand as that of China.
It is not easy to understand whether a Chinese man or woman is pleased after tasting a wine or after participation in an event, their way of being is difficult to interpret, even among the Chinese themselves. The only way is a pragmatic look at purchases: the more they buy, the happier they must be … an unerring, mathematical system.
The positive side of the Chinese wine market is that during tastings, even if there were lots of communication problems, I noted a very strong desire to learn about wine. The road ahead will be very long, but I am comforted by the fact that during our presentations I saw many people taking notes and asking lots of questions, demonstrating a very strong basic interest. As compared to France or Australia (the latter just sealed an agreement with China that zeroed out duties on wine imports), the Italian government and the various organisations in charge absolutely do not help the promotion or circulation of our wine culture, and so as ever we have to count on ourselves.
I would like to conclude this post with a phrase often repeated by my friend Alessio, who knows China better than I do, which perhaps not all of you will understand: "In China, if you don't have we chat you're a dead man" :):)


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New Labour councillor Patrick McKinley said plans to build 250 houses on the site of the Ashworth prison site could reignite calls for a north Maghull train station.
It is understood that a planning application is to be submitted for 250 new properties on the site which was to be a prison.
As much as 30% of the overall build could be set aside for affordable housing.
Labour's Cllr Patrick McKinley now hopes the housing plan will reopen the case for a new Maghull train station.
Cllr McKinley said: "These plans are still in the early consulation phase, but if given the go ahead, it would strengthen the call for a new train station.
"An extra 250 homes in this community would mean that there is potentially another 250 families in this part of Maghull. A part of the town which is already poorly serviced by the local infrastructure.
"So as well as the housing, I'd like to see some basic shops as well as improved public transport which includes a new train station to serve the people in this comunity."
Plans to build a new train station in north Maghull were on track until the Lib Dems and Tories slashed Merseytravel's funding from £32m last year to just £11m this year.
Cllr McKinley said although the Conservative-Liberal Democrat cuts mean there is no way the station could be built under Merseytravel's extsting funding, he would work with Sefton Central Labour MP Bill Esterson to lobby the government for funding for the scheme.
Cllr McKinley said: "Hundreds of people signed our petition calling for the new station for Maghull and that was before we heard about any plans for these new houses. The need for a new station would be even greater if this housing scheme was given the greenlight.
"The cuts to transport in Merseyside really are disgraceful and will have a very real impact on our services in this region.
"But I do know that the people of Maghull would like another train station. The Labour Group was liaising with Merseytravel in an attempt to get the green light for the station, but that was before the Tories and Liberal Democrats savagely slashed the money which is being made available for transport in Merseyside.
"We now need to go back to the government to call for them to make funding available."
Patrick compiled a petition of hundreds of names calling for the train station to be built. And although the new prison has now been axed which the station was planned to service, Patrick said there is still a very real need for a new station for Maghull.
He said: "This station was called for long before the prison was ever mooted. So the prison and the station are not interlinked.
"There is still a very really need for this station in Maghull and there is a very real demand from the people who live in the northern part of the town.
"Hundreds of people have signed the petition and backed the campaign to get the station built.
"I will continue the campaign and will be writing directly to the department of transport calling for them to at least look into granting funds for the station."


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|Reviews for The Path of Mielikki
| Guest chapter 10 . 9/6/2016
interesting story
| Hopefuly waiting chapter 10 . 7/11/2012
Have you abandoned this fic? You haven't updated in so long, and it's a really good story. Please take it up again! I got sucked in and now I want to see where it's going
| frankie the elf chapter 10 . 2/28/2010
Dear me, looking at how many years it has been since you have updated, I take it I am to assume you are not going to update anytime soon? A deep disappointment for me to be certain. Although, seeing as you have posted on Gaia recently you haven't totally dropped of the face of the planet. Please continue this story, it is so well written. Or at least post more chapters on Gaia?
Sincerely, a very hopeful fan.
| Angel Of Storms chapter 10 . 12/18/2008
Yo! Great story so far. But one question. Have you abandoned this fic? or did you forget about it completly?
| valjean chapter 9 . 3/12/2007
Given that you haven't up-dated since 2004 this will probably prove to be an exercise in futility. However, I like you story so much that I felt that I should review.
The plot is a good one, and I think you could have great fun with it if you ever return to develop it further.
There are one or two things that do need correction, but these are just small things.
1) Check you grammer and spelling. Sometimes you have a word in there that scrammbles the meaning of the sentance.
2) The changes in perspective are little abrupt. I believe most people us a line of stars or O's to indicate when there is a shift in perspective or time.
Those are really the only suggestions that I have, other than the plea that you return to this story soon, for it truly is a good one.
| RBMIfan chapter 10 . 3/5/2007
I just realized I haven't reviewed this fic at all. I love it Zaknafein's my favourite character in the entire Drizzt series. The only fault I can find with it is I find Zaknafein acts too much like Drizzt. That's just from my own take on his character, though, so it doesn't really count. Anyway, I hope you update soon, I really like how you're writing this. Have Kannath and Iria heard of Drizzt? I was wondering, since it seems he's gotten kind of famous on the surface.
| megatronia chapter 10 . 5/28/2006
Please, please write on. I just stumbled over "Forgotten Realms" via the graphic novel and immediately fell for Zaknafein.
You managed to keep his character very well. Half tragic, half happy, strong, yet vulnerable. Trying to deal with a life, that he knows to be wrong, even though he tried to make the best of it. I guess that is what draws me to Zaknafein more than Drizzt, even if he is the hero of the story.
I also like the story your developing, it's an fascinating idea to have Zaknafein live on the surface, as he never had been there before. Iria and Kannath are very interesting characters, too. I always hated about comics that most characters were either sickeningly good or absolutely evil. You managed to avoid that (as did R. A. Salvatore for most of his characters, except for most of the females).
So please go on with the story. I really hope that is possible even though the last update is such a long time ago.
| Susan chapter 10 . 4/7/2006
I hope you haven't given up on this story because I love it. I know it is hard to take up a story once it has been dormat this long but I and others are dying to read what happens next. I promise to be a faithful reader so it will be worth your time to continue. If you can't please at least put up an author's note.
| Griffo Bumbleroot chapter 10 . 1/7/2006
NO! HOW COULD YOU! HEY TEACHERS LEAVE THOSE KIDS ALONE! Anyway. . . WOW! this is probably one of the most original Ideas I have ever stumbled across. . . It is also VERY well written. . .. . . . . Um, I do have one question. . . Will Drizzt be in this? . . . . Um, One thing that bugged me about the story. . .(Even though it's to late to fix it now. . .) In the beginning you had Drizzt writing a journal entry. . . then in every chapter after that Drizzt isn't even mentioned. . . . so it seems sort of like an unneeded chapter. . . but like I said it's a bit to late to change that. . . . . . . . . Also. . there really isn't too much of a plot. . . . . it's sort of like an autobiography. . . and not to be rude but no matter how well written a story like this is it tends to get sort of boring .. . . BUT I am expecting an author as talented as you has something up their sleeve that will blow my socks off. . . . Um, another thing that I liked is how Zaknafein is having problems with his concience.(?) Which is a very real scenerio for someone like him. . . Um, I really hope that your semester ends soon. . . (I know how it is. . . . I have 5 finals I have to study for. . . . . . . it scares me man. . . seeing as in they told me 3 days before the test. . . . scary. . . . . .
| Sabaal chapter 3 . 12/7/2005
I just started reading your fic. I printed it whole, but I think I read up to this chapter up to now. I hope to read more soon. I'm willing to read how Zak... I mean, Dathien will find Drizzt :D
| catti chapter 10 . 10/19/2005
wow if this was a belated update i scared to think of what the name would be if you ever updated again. please continue if school permits, i find few good forgotten realms stories that arnt terribly angsty and just odd and beyond what think the characters would. i respect others pov but im am sometimes scared, very. you story did not make me cower or anything please continue.
| Ellenlome chapter 10 . 7/13/2005
ON. MY. FAVS. LIST! Wow! Awesome work! I really love it, and I believe that if you keep writing this in the same fashion and finish it, you could publish it as a whole new book! Very nice work, Hope to read more soon,
| aryatai chapter 10 . 5/27/2005
You aren't abandoning this are you? Please don't... Update!
| MidnightSpiral87 chapter 1 . 4/30/2005
Your fanfiction truely captures Zak's personality! And the current suitation he is in is perfect stroy plot. Please update soon - I would like to read somemore _
| Zara chapter 10 . 4/19/2005
This is the best FR fanfic I've ever read. I too felt pretty down when Zak didn't come back, I like him too. I think you've managed to capture the very essence of him in your story and your writing style is very similar to Salvatore's. I've read every FR book Salvatore has written and he doesn't mention Zak's eyecolor but I think blue would fit just fine. Can't you imagine it too? I beg you to continue this story.


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Should I Refinance Now?
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2016 Reading ChallengeElisabeth has read 32 books toward her goal of 100 books.hide
Author Archives: Elisabeth
Cross stitch update
Cross stitching is ridiculously time consuming. So I have been working on this piece on and off for a couple of years now. It's probably gonna take me a couple more years to finish. So yah. This would be my … Continue reading
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I will end up with a schawl, and the lacey pattern is really starting show. Slowly taking shape. #lecturecraft #crochet A photo posted by Elisabeth (@librarymonster) on Sep 6, 2016 at 5:05am PDT
New semester, new #lecturecraft #crochet A photo posted by Elisabeth (@librarymonster) on Aug 24, 2016 at 5:02am PDT I've started a new semester, and therefore a new lecturecraft. This will (hopefully) become a new scarf 😉
Anxiety is a Bitch!
I have slept like crap. It's my sister-in-law-to-be's bachelorette party tonight, which I have been looking forward to for weeks. And then, this morning, I realised that means meeting a lot of new people. I don't do well with new … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized 1 Comment
Norway is pretty
I am currently on a 9 hour bustrip to go to a bachelorette party in a different city. My sister-in-law-to-be is getting married, and I don't do to good on planes, so I am taking the buss half way across … Continue reading
That kind of day
Do you ever have a "that kind of day"? Where nothing seems to go right? I am having one of those days. I woke up 30 minutes before my alarm sounded, and thought I would have lots of time to … Continue reading
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Exam rant
So I sit down with my computer, my coffee, some snacks, my school books, a pretty and inspiring notebooks and some colourful pens. I take a deep breath, know that for the next three days I will be in home-exam … Continue reading
Posted in Books and comics ++, My life, random writing Leave a comment
Weekend crafts – before
Let's see how far I can get this weekend=D
Posted in Cross-stitching Tagged craft, cross stitch, weekend craft Leave a comment
Lecture crafts
Three little chrochet flower bookmarks. Amazing what tightening or losening my chrochet stitches can do to the size of a finished project isn't it? These are all made with the same type of yarn and the same needle.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged bookmark, crochet, lecture, lecture crafts Leave a comment
Spring! Almost.
It's 5c degrees out today, so I busted out my cute little red docMarten heels and am pretending it's spring. It's not ofcourse, but I am still gonna soak up whatever little sun I can and eat icecream with my … Continue reading