text:
Solo Backpacking Trip
Ultimate Guide to Your First Solo Backpacking Trip
So what's all this hype about going solo backpacking somewhere cold and sleeping on stiff bunk beds? Solo backpacking or traveling, whatever you prefer to call it, is leaving home and your dog for an epic adventure on your own, going out of your comfort zone and living on a backpack, spending frugally, in unfamiliar territory.
Being on your own in an unfamiliar territory teaches you a lot about being independent. Learning how to take care of yourself abroad when you are the only foreigner in a small cramped bus, where your knees get scraping wounds from the seat in front of you, headed for Panglao in Bohol, Philippines builds self-confidence and courage. Not to mention that you get to experience colorful festivals, incredibly hospitable locals, amazing destinations, interesting culture and lifestyles on the other side of the planet.
Why go on a solo backpacking trip?
Because it is good for you. Because you get to spend some time alone to discover more about yourself. Get to know yourself better. You commune with nature using its own silent language. The best part, aside from the awesome experience, is freedom. Freedom to change your itinerary, to eat wherever and whenever, to go anywhere, to be flexible in your travel plans, to rest when you are tired, to get a good relaxing massage at the end of the day instead of partying with friends, freedom to just sit in peace in a little side street cafe and do some people watching.
The truth is…
You will experience homesickness at times. You will miss your bed and your dog. Sure you can think about home for a while and think about how everyone back home is doing. But why wallow in being homesick when you can sit back and watch the red-orange sunset with a cold beer in the beaches somewhere in southern Thailand? Your shoulders and back will cry in pain because of that heavy backpack you've been carrying from international airports to domestic airports to bus depots to hostels. That's why you should keep in mind to pack and travel light. Indulge yourself to a yoga by the beach and feel the back pains swimming away. And then there's jet lag, long overnight bus rides, crappy free coffee on ferry boats, no heated water, bedbugs and a lot more. I don't mean to scare you. I'm just sharing what I have experienced so far. But the rewards will change you as person in a better way and you're going to love you more!
The reward…
Waking up in the morning and deciding on your own, "what do I want to do today?" Whatever it is that you have decided, just do it! If your current hostel turns out to be boring, just check out and leave. The rainy weather bumming you out? Then go to a local cooking school and learn how to make the sumptuous Pad Thai. You are on your own so go ahead, just do it!
Indulge yourself to a local massage that costs way less than what you normally have at home. Experience thai massage in Thailand. Get a tattoo the traditional way from a local tattoo artist in the Philippines. Discover how coffee is a way of life in Sweden.
You discover yourself, and realize that you have itinerary planning and budgeting skills. Maybe you never realized that you have these skill before and just found out now that you're travelling solo. Have you been bargaining for a cheaper deal with a local tour operator and got the deal? Then you have bargaining and haggling skills in you too!
Even after all that I have mentioned, the reward or the payoff of the destination itself is breathtaking. Literally taking your breath away. You shout to the top of your lungs, that you've arrived! J'ai arrivé! Jag är här! Really, I do that!
I experienced the Northern Lights in Abisko Sweden
How to prepare yourself
For your first solo backpacking trip, you need to prepare yourself. Yes, you. You are the most important part of this journey in your life. You need to prepare yourself as a whole, physically, mentally, financially, and spiritually.
- Prepare yourself mentally. Being solo with only your thoughts for 24 hours may drive you crazy at times. Practice meditation and the art of being at peace with yourself.
- Be physically fit. Remember there's no one to carry the backpack that weighs about 10-15 kilos for you. There will be a lot of walking, hiking, lifting your backpack from the ground to shelves or bus seats.
- Prepare to get out of your comfort zone. Be prepared to sleep in cots and bunk beds. Be prepared that sometimes there's no heated water. Be prepared of dead spots and no connectivity.
- Accept that something will go wrong. Not all that you have planned will work out perfectly and that is totally OK. Don't despair if the bus schedules in Cebu, Philippines is not as on time as on the website. Or if you missed your train stop in Abisko Ostra and you have to walk back to the last train stop for 2 hours in the dark. Happened to me but it didn't ruin my spirits at all. Just seeing another angle of Mount Noulja blanketed in snow against the gray skies backdrop is a payoff.
- Let your family and trusted friends know of your travel plans. Let them know how you are doing it, when you are going, where you are going, how you are supporting yourself out there alone. There's nothing like having the support of your family and friends to rally behind you and welcome you back after months of being a nomad. During your travel, check in with them once in a while to let them know that you are safe and having a grand time.
- Prepare to open your mind. You will be travelling to a lot of new destinations, each with different cultures and different beliefs. Open your eyes and mind to a whole new world of travel and discover how small you are in this big planet. You will learn a lot if you're more open-minded.
- Prepare to do some cost-cutting in your daily lifestyle so you can save up more for your dream trip. That would mean less dining out and partying with friends, cutting back on Starbucks coffee, less shopping, fewer desserts, and midnight snacking. You're hitting 2 birds with one stone here, saving up and cutting back on calories too!
Planning your first solo trip
- Plan your travel dates and check the weather. Planning to hike Patagonia in Chile or planning to ride the hot air balloon in Bagan, Myanmar? Check when is the best time for your activity. There is no worst news ever than finding out that the hot air ballooning season is only between October and April in Myanmar and yet you arrived in May. Checking the weather also plays a big factor in planning what to pack for your trip.
- Plan your budget. Set a target amount and work within this amount. If you don't have this much amount on hand yet, then make it your goal to save up for this trip. Be realistic on how much you can afford. Pay for flights and transfers and accommodation in advance so you won't be carrying that much cash with you all the time.
- Shop and choose carefully your travel insurance company. Travel insurance is important for all kinds of travelers. When something goes wrong, like delayed flights or lost baggages, or an accident while hiking, you have peace of mind. I highly recommend World Nomads Travel Insurance because of its comprehensive packages and its simplified tool.
Choosing your destination
Be specific with your plans for activities. If Iceland has always been in your bucket list, be specific what part of Iceland is it that you want to experience? Do you want to go in summer to experience the midnight sun? Do you want to go during the wintertime to chase the aurora borealis?
Plot your destination. Create a map on google or buy a map from the local store and plot the destinations where you want to go. A plotted destination map gives you a clearer picture of your whole trip. It gives you a whole new perspective on planning flights, accommodations, activities, and tours. Makes the planning more exciting too!
- Do your research well on getting from point a to point b. Like in my Eastern Mindanao backpacking map above, I plotted the towns where I will be staying overnight. I've done my research on bus lines and schedules, how much are the estimated fares, bike rentals, and the like. I've also researched on the places where there are tours that I can join. Though I have not made any bookings and confirmations yet, at this stage I already know what my options are.
- Download travel apps with offline maps. There are hundreds of travel maps available in the Apple AppStore and Google Market Place for download across devices and Tables. Select the one that gives you the option to save your map offline so that no internet connectivity in remote areas is not a problem.
Packing 101
- Lighter is better. Way better. Believe me when I say that a pair of hiking shoes, running shoes, and flip-flops is all that you need. Choose clothing materials that is made of light fabrics. The best tip is not to bring any pair of denim jeans. Ever.
- Don't pack too many gadgets or camera gear. For long-term travel or if you need to work while traveling, you might need to bring your laptop with you. For short-term travel or if you are going on a trip that involves a lot of hiking activities, it may not be a good idea to bring your laptop. The same thing to the camera, if your travel destination will be involving a lot of island hopping tours and many overnight bus trips then bringing a bulky DSLR and a number of lenses with you might not be a good idea due to its weight and for your safety too.
- Research the destination and the tour activity if you need to bring a sleeping bag or tent with you. Some tour operators offer tents for rent so feel free to ask if this is offered.
- Choose your backpack wisely. Do a lot of research on which backpack is the best fit for your physique or body frame. Usually, you will need to bring 2 kinds of backpacks. One backpack is the main backpack for all your stuff and the other one is a day backpack for when you go on day tours and have to leave the big backpack at your hostel. I usually bring two.
Osprey Packs Women's Kyte 46 Backpack
This backpack is the best decision I've ever made in choosing which one to buy. There are hundreds to choose from and with almost the same features. But the Kyte 46 comfortably matches my height and my body frame. It has adjustable straps that can adjust to your height, and the breathable mesh at the back so your back can breathe. I loved that it already has its own rain cover so I don't have to buy one.
Osprey Packs Women's Tempest 20 Backpack I love this backpack because it adaptable to any kind of day trip. Be it adrenaline-packed like cycling or hiking or a simple walking tour around the city center. It has a separate compartment if you plan to bring a bladder during your hike. It has a LidLock feature for your helmet when you're done cycling the city. The hip belt sits exactly at my waist! Perfect for coins and small bills.
Common mistakes for first timers
- Planning too much. The information from all the research for your travel destination can be overwhelming at times. But it doesn't mean that you have to plan everything up to the last detail of what's for dinner on July 6.
- Not being flexible with your plans. What if it turns out that there is a colorful street parade on the day you leave for your next destination? Do you stay another day? I definitely would!
- Buying too much stuff; Once you've signed an agreement with yourself that you will go backpacking, don't immediately go shopping for backpacking gear and mindlessly shop like a kid lost inside a candy store. Remember that you have a budget that you need to stay within. Cover most of the planning stages first like the travel dates, destination, and activities that you want to do before you go crazy shopping for gear. That way, you can come up with a list of what you need to buy, saving you some money and less mindless shopping.
- Don't camp out solo on your first backpacking trip in an unfamiliar destination. If its your first time backpacking in the Himalayas, for your safety and security, check with tourist information desk or a local tour guide before camping on your own.
- Being a cheapskate and staying in cheap hostels totally destroy your hostel experience. Weigh your options if saving up means more to you than sticking it out with a boring hostel with bunk beds without linens and lockers. Yes, lockers are important!
We all need to travel once in our life. We all need to be alone sometimes. So why not combine the two and travel on your own for a memorable adventure of a lifetime and open your eyes and mind to new cultures and new friends? Most of the time that I travel solo, I wasn't really alone. I met new friends, mainly locals and some hostel owners that I befriended, each with interesting funny anecdotes about the last person who stayed in the room where I'm staying.
Solo backpacking and making it on your own is not scary as the internet and the media projects it to be. Trust your instincts and always be alert. Bring your common sense with you everywhere you go and you'll be fine.


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SELECT fix.biggie AS notorious FROM source_table_with_xmltype_column o, XMLTABLE ( '/*' PASSING o.xml_field COLUMNS biggie VARCHAR2(4000) PATH 'substring(/path/to/offending/item/text(),1,3999)' ) fix;
The gist of the fix is to use xpath to truncate the text value before it's
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biggie VARCHAR2(4000) PATH 'substring(/path/to/offending/item/text(),1,3999)'
- how to get the text from an xpath and truncate it to 4000 chars.

subset: commoncrawl


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Introduction Essay
1st extraction (Q21Q21 tek) -Great yields?
1st extraction (Q21Q21 tek) -Great yields?
Posted :
DMT-Nexus member
Posts: 88
Joined: 31-Aug-2023
Last visit: 16-Feb-2024
Location: Spaceship Earth
This is part 2 of a fictional story about someone called "Myself" who is, of course, not myself at all, but for convenience sake I shall proceed in the 1st person. For those who care, here is
. For those who don't, It ends with me, sitting on a stack of screen shots of hand written notes and all the necessary supplies to do an MHRB extraction, and an absent guide, coming here for answers.
TLDR / take aways:
I *think* I got 2.5g of spice out of 100g of MHRB. Maybe. If so, that would seem to indicate either a really potent batch of MHRB powder, OR, that there are a few additional steps possibly worth taking to maximize yields from the Q21Q21 Vinegar/Lime/Limonene tek. My process and findings are detailed below.
Edit (Sep 4):
After weighing left over chalky residue from a vaporized dose which I now believe to be calcium carbonate, the byproduct of decomposition of calcium acetate present in my tincture, and subtracting that from my expected dose, I now believe my total yield to be about 55% of my initial estimate, so something like 1.375g
A bit of searching later I discovered that the hand written notes I was following were pretty much verbatim
Q21Q21's Vinegar/Lime A/B Extraction Tek.
So, I followed the process, almost to the letter, with a few minor changes as noted below, and just wanted to report what I did and what resulted. Spoiler alert- success! ( I think)
As per the advice I was given by my absent guide, I used Tek 1/ The Jimjam Party. I wanted to end up with Jimjam acetate, which is my only previous reference point, and I didn't want to f**k around with noxious/flamable fumes in my kitchen. Vamos.
Starting with 100g MHRB, the tek was followed to the letter with the following exceptions:
*It took a bit more lime to achieve what I think is the right consistency. Recipe called for 150g lime per 100 MHRB "but more won't hurt". So I ended up using 200g of lime to soak up enough liquid.
*Wasn't clear to me from the write up if I was to wait the 6-8 hours before or after drying the mix to a "crumbly" consistency, so I let it sit overnight, then spread on a SS baking tray and used a dehydrator (not oven. Lower temp, constant built in fan going) to get it to a pretty dry, crumbly texture, which only took about an hour, as opposed to the 3-5 days I was told it might take to evaporate on open air.
*It took more Limonene than suggested to cover my sludge. Way more. The tek suggests up to 200ml limonene for 100g MHRB. I ended up having to pour in 500ml to saturate the mixture and have a layer of clear solvent on top.
*Did 3 solvent pulls each followed by a vinegar wash at 0,24,48 hrs as suggested, except on 3rd solvent pull, I wanted to recover as much solvent as possible so piled my wet sludge into some cheese cloth and squeezed the living bejeezus out of it. All told I recovered 400ml of solvent (out of 500ml used)
*After this 3rd pull, I did 3 vinegar washes of the solvent until on the third one I couldn't see any noticeable colour in the vinegar. To get a complete and clean separation, I picked up most of the vinegar with a glass turkey baster, and then put the jar in the freezer. The vinegar freezes, the limonene doesn't (unless your freezer goes to -75c). Pour off the limo and store for future use, wipe down the jar and frozen vinegar with a paper towel and then remove the ice and add to the vinegar jar. Voila. Full separation without picking up any solvent.
The idea for multiple vinegar washes and freezer separation came from a mescaline extraction tek *somewhere* on this forum (but I can't remember where) that seems essentially identical to the Q21Q21 tek. I came across it searching for answers because I was worried about a slight film/bubbles that were forming in the jar where the vinegar contacts the solvent. Did I use some non solvent safe plastic that has ended up in my brew? I now believe that was very fine plant matter particulates causing a bit of an emulsion.
At any rate- I think the multiple washes and freezer step were worth it- I ended up with two 250ml jars of collected vinegar- one contained the combined vinegar from the first 2 pulls/washes, and the other had the results from the 3 washes on the 3rd and final pull. This may not be a conclusive indicator, but both jars contained roughly as much vinegar, and my "3rd pull" jar had as much colour or slightly darker than the other.
Now to evaporate and reduce to a tincture...
Done in a small pot on the stove top until I was left with pretty much exactly 14 ml of reddish liquid, measured quite precisely by picking up with a syringe and transferring into a dropper bottle.
At this point I don't know, and was not able to find out what my MIA guide usually did to measure the concentration. Being rather precision oriented myself, and wanting an objective measure of my yield independent of my vaporization technique, which no doubt would present it's own learning curve (there will be another post on that VV soon, I have some questions...)I opted for the "Quantitative Method"
I evaporated 10 drops on a glass coaster heated on the stove top to 110c (verified by meat thermometer) until dry/ no detectable vinegar fumes. interestingly, I did not end up with so much of a "goo" as expected, but more of a waxy substance with a dark amber colour. Anything more liquid than that really still smelled of vinegar. Diligently scraped this up onto a clean, previously weighed razor blade, and weighed in at 45mg.
Some (litteral) back of the envelope calculations indicated that I had produced 25g of Jimjam out of my 100g of MHRB powder! That's not only the most phenomenal yield anyone has ever reported, it's also a Christmas miracle, in that a bottle containing roughly 14g of liquid can hold 25g of magic! A bit of head scratching later I figured out that I was not in posession of a hyperspace tincture bottle, I had just lost a decimal. That's 45 mg per 10 drops, not per drop. Or 4.5mg per drop.
Interesting point- The internet will tell you that the unit of measure "drop" equals 0.05ml. However, with several attempts at measuring with a syringe and the dropper from my bottle, I clocked an average of 20 drops per 0.5 ml. or 0.025ml/drop, and that's the figure I used to calculate the total Jimjam content of my 14ml of tincture at 2.52g.
That's still a phenomenal yield, *if* I'm correct. I have some doubts due to the test evaporation becoming more of a solid/ wax than a goo, which is just not what I expected. I *did* vaporize this 45mg of waxy goo over several attempts with varying success, and one attempt did send me deep into the cosmic waiting room but only for about 5 minutes... There's no doubt I'm having some issues with vaporization though, and there will be another post for that. More test flight will be occuring in short order, and I'll be sure to report back.
Thoughts? Prayers? Hopes? Your input is welcome. Please be kind to a rookie pilot.
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Good quality Syrian rue (Peganum harmala) for an incredible price!
Posted :
Boundary condition
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While a 2.5% yield from MHRB is not wholly unheard of, I rather suspect that the acetate decomposition does not run to completion. This may have inflated your yield by some small amount, although there may indeed be some amount of contaminants such as calcium acetate in particular increasing the apparent mass as well.
Thus the question: did you let the limonene stand so that any fine particulates had time to settle out and get removed by decanting the limonene off into a clean vessel before doing the vinegar washes? If there is lime in the limonene you will get calcium acetate in the end product. One easy presumptive test for it is to add isopropanol, which forms a gel with calcium acetate (and this gel is used nowadays for bbq lighting paste and similar purposes). Ethanol (everclear) may also work, iirc.
What form - liquid or solid - did the end product of the thermal acetate decomposition have while it was still hot?
Ora, lege, lege, lege, relege et labora
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Posted :
DMT-Nexus member
Posts: 88
Joined: 31-Aug-2023
Last visit: 16-Feb-2024
Location: Spaceship Earth
downwardsfromzero wrote:
While a 2.5% yield from MHRB is not wholly unheard of, I rather suspect that the acetate decomposition does not run to completion. This may have inflated your yield by some small amount, although there may indeed be some amount of contaminants such as calcium acetate in particular increasing the apparent mass as well.
Thus the question: did you let the limonene stand so that any fine particulates had time to settle out and get removed by decanting the limonene off into a clean vessel before doing the vinegar washes? If there is lime in the limonene you will get calcium acetate in the end product. One easy presumptive test for it is to add isopropanol, which forms a gel with calcium acetate (and this gel is used nowadays for bbq lighting paste and similar purposes). Ethanol (everclear) may also work, iirc.
What form - liquid or solid - did the end product of the thermal acetate decomposition have while it was still hot?
I'm more inclined to believe there's room for improvement rather than my first extraction being absolute wizardry...
There's just a lot of factors to consider and more trials are needed before drawing conclusions. The test you propose should be done on what material? At what stage? If you could please elucidate. Definitely looking to improve on the next batch.
To answer your question, I didn't ever let the limonene stand for very long on it's own after decanting from the bark mush, but I did filter through a SS funnel with a cotton ball before adding the vinegar, as instructed. If you read carefully through the post I did mention some sort of film or emulsion forming at the barrier between the two liquids. A bit more on that might shed some light here: Not knowing what it was and wanting to investigate, I scooped it carefully out as much as possible with a fine mesh sieve. Outside of the liquid it looked to me like very fine plant matter. Now that you mention it, it did seem to be trapped in a kind of gel. I do believe I got most of it out and it was discarded. The vinegar was likewise filtered through cotton several times after each wash. I do wonder if a coffee filter might not be more consistent /effective.
As for the end product of evaporation- it wasn't liquid, as shown in the pictures on the tek page. I used very low heat, the minimum setting that caused evaporation. What happened is slowly from the ends of the puddle towards the centre the liquid flashed off leaving a waxy film on the glass, even while still hot.
Something else maybe worth noting, after vaporizing some the other night (which definitely was active) I had some residue- a very light tan coloured almost powdery substance, not really a resin. Come to think of it, it's very similar in colour to the gunk I pulled out from between the liquid layers, only now dry. Sound like calcium acetate? It did clean up with water.
I'm using a DT V5 ceramic crucible atomizer on an eLeaf Pico, something I have no prior experience with, and there's a whole learning curve to that as well. I'm going to do a separate post on that but I want to do some more experimentation with it first so as to have something useful to write about. For the time being I don't want to rush and attribute to impurities what could quite possibly be due to poor vaporizing technique. I do suspect I am not getting the material to a high enough temperature, being overly cautious not to burn it. I did some testing today with just the device and a thermal probe that suggest the effective temperature reached is much lower than the (manually calibrated) set temperature on the mod. Makes sense, with the cooling effect of evaporation and cool airflow drawn in by inhalation. Jungle spice directly in the ceramic bowl doesn't seem to work very well. I ordered some ceramic "flavor discs", or a cheaper version of a Healthstone, but I don't have them yet. I'm reluctant to vaporize off of copper or any kind of metal for that matter.
More experimentation is definitely needed.
Posted :
DMT-Nexus member
Posts: 88
Joined: 31-Aug-2023
Last visit: 16-Feb-2024
Location: Spaceship Earth
Quick search on calcium acetate yields the following:
Physical State; Appearance
Physical dangers
Chemical dangers
Decomposes above 160°C . This produces acetone vapour and calcium carbonate. Reacts violently with strong acids. This produces acetic acid fumes.
Inhalation risk (powder form)
A nuisance-causing concentration of airborne particles can be reached quickly when dispersed.
So the main hazzard here would appear to be the release of acetone vapour. Not great, but at these quantities/frequency, not that aweful. I've probably inhaled more acetone vapour in an evening sitting next to my GF removing her nail polish...? Probably.
Does make one question the safety of "food safe" extractions though... Just cause you didn't put in anything nasty doesn't mean it's not there at some stage. Kinda like how they add amylase to "unsweetened" drinks or celery culture to "naturally preserved" deli meats.
Posted :
DMT-Nexus member
Posts: 88
Joined: 31-Aug-2023
Last visit: 16-Feb-2024
Location: Spaceship Earth
just came back from a rocket ship ride to infinity... or god knows where.
Still some improvements to be made to vaporization technique but Jeezus Christmas that was one of the most intense rides yet taken.
There are some insights to be had into the previous conundrum. Not from hyperspace, but from the kitchen. If
's guess is correct, lets assume there's some calcium acetate in my tincture, the result of failing to separate excess lime from the limonene before salting.
That would decompose to calcium carbonate and acetone vapour at 160c, so within the same range as spice. Dry, chalky, non volatile residue in the cup after vaporization of everything that will vaporize seems to confirm this. Weighing this should give a ballpark of how much is present in the tincture.
Attempt #1, using 10 drops- or what should have contained 45mg, left somewhere between 17-25 mg of said powdery residue. Quite a bit. The measurement was non conclusive, I think the scale was off balance.
Attempt #2, now aware of the reduced concentration:
After flashing off the vinegar and completely vaporizing 14 drops, The remaining residue weighed in at 28mg.
(<-my first estimate based on concentration/volume)
=1.386g yield
Some mass would have flashed off as acetone, but my lungs and throat wouldn't know it if no one told them. Still, Myself probably got over 1% yield, so happiness! Steps can be taken on the next batch to avoid this unwanted byproduct, but I'm not too worried, as mentioned in the previous post.
So much for (dubious) math... subjectively, that estimated 32mg-35mg dose, which was not 100% consumed on the first attempt- (there was a bit left to give a nice glowy buzz on vaporization after initial come down). Was just about right. Might try to go higher if I ever get comfortable with this level.
And what-the-even-happened. The only thing I can predictably expect from a ride to hyperspace is that it will be *nothing* like what I expect. Even if I was just there 20 minutes ago. Every time I step through that door, the first (coherent) though my brain can form is
Oh yeah. Remeber how last time you thought you'd remember what is was like? Well, how about that now?"
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Globally distributed teams cannot bridge the communication gap between business users and development professionals. Business users cannot communicate what changes need to be made to reflect business goals and development teams are unable to respond effectively. This becomes especially problematic in companies with highly dynamic business models or globally distributed development teams. Disbursed intelligence and teams: Different users have and require different information about their applications. A CIO may need to know the availability, cost and risk of the application portfolio. She herself knows the value of executing certain development tasks to support a larger strategic priority. But are these priorities acted on from a daily maintenance perspective? A business analyst may need to know the adaptability of the application that runs a key business process. He also understands the structure and sequencing of business processes from an abstract level. But do development team members share that critical insight? This is especially true in outsourced teams that may lag in their knowledge about an application portfolio. Addressing the Challenge: Business Intelligence for Applications How can we overcome the challenges of complexity to improve maintenance activities? The answer is by collecting and using business intelligence for applications. By sharing information about application portfolios across global teams, users can better respond to the needs of the business. And they can start reallocating resources away from the daily firefighting toward higher value activities. Business intelligence for applications allows the following: Managers to better prioritize maintenance activities based on business needs Business analysts to better communicate change requests Development managers to better focus effort Developers to better execute necessary changes Improved knowledge transfer between development teams But what does business intelligence for applications entail? Let's look at its constituent parts. Technical Insights Development professionals must be able to understand the complex structures and behaviors of their enterprise applications. This requires visualizations of how data and other elements flow through a system. It requires the ability to probe an application for artifacts of interest, such as variables that require extra security, elements that will be affected by a proposed change, or code that is inefficiently architected. It requires the ability to measure the size and complexity of the applications to assess the size of a project and focus effort. To fully understand the reality of our application portfolio requires rich technical insight. Rather than relying solely on high-level scans of artifacts, users must be able to assess their applications to a level that is useful. A manager or architect may find summary analytics to be sufficient. A developer will require highly detailed analysis within programs. Similarly, users will require technical insight across diverse applications. Application portfolios consist of software from Cobol to Java. Technical analysis must be just as inclusive. Business Insights Over time applications tend to lose their connection with the business function they were designed to support. This is manifested in the creation of names for variables, programs, and other elements that are impenetrable to business users. This requires a shared lexicon that allows business analysts and development teams to speak the same language. Additionally, it is important for users to understand the logic of how a system behaves. This logic describes business decisions like "approve discount if customer status equals 'gold.'" Governance of this logic allows analysts to better communicate how a process must adapt to support new goals. It also allows development teams to focus immediately on adapting the correct logic. Stakeholder Insights As discussed, users have different information and information needs related to the application portfolio. Complexity can be reduced by collecting relevant insights and making them available where necessary. For example, a business user may have insight into the purpose and behavior of a business process. Mapping this intelligence onto software assets allows development staff to more readily understand how code modifications should be executed. Other kinds of information can also be associated with applications to provide a richer insight. For instance, executives can assign value and risk to portions of the application portfolio. Similarly, cost and business service data like availability could be associated with an application. This metadata requires a mechanism for associating it with the underlying applications. Stakeholders have different levels within and different functions across an application. This means that their information needs will be different. A CIO will need a portfolio-wide view of her applications. A developer will need a deep view of a particular portion of an application. Similarly, a manager of a business process will require information about, say, availability and complexity, to be process-centered. The manager of an outsourcing relationship will require information about adherence to service level agreements to be provider-centered. This mechanism for grouping intelligence and abstracting it to the appropriate level is business contextualization. This aids maintenance by providing the right kind of intelligence to the right user in the maintenance process. Each will consume information in a different fashion for different goals. Let's turn to the three ways in which the intelligence is utilized. Assessment and management reports: Summary inventories and assessments provide managers with a foundation for planning maintenance activities. For instance, management may discover that maintenance activities are focused on burning platforms or non-strategic applications. Priorities can then be reallocated. In this case, complexity is overcome through intelligence on what the contents of the portfolio are. Portfolio management dashboards allow managers to track KPIs (key performance indicators) over time. This allows executives to determine where misalignments exist between goals like availability or efficiency and the reality of their applications. Complexity is mitigated by identifying priority development tasks and redirecting resources away from uncritical activities. This kind of information can be made manifest via browser-based dashboards. Similarly, managing adherence to service level agreements is especially important for outsourced or globally distributed teams. Collecting business intelligence lets management better partner with remote locations. Development teams: As discussed previously, business analysts and development teams are heavy consumers of the collected intelligence. They use the always-current, always-shared information to better communicate business requirements and technical challenges. The information is also vital for executing daily development tasks and more sophisticated modernization initiatives. Developers can understand the targeted applications, locate potential impacts, create test cases, and more. This is very true for outsourced or global development, where knowledge transfer about complex application portfolios must be a priority. In parallel, development managers will want to ensure that developers are focused on the right tasks. By constraining analysis within a defined "context," developers can see and analyze a sub-set of their application portfolio. This ensures that maintenance professionals are equipped with the information they need to focus on. Third-Party Software: Enterprise software tools are made significantly more useful when they can be connected to business intelligence about applications. Software tools that directly relate to applications but ignore the reality of the application code itself provide specious information. However, when used in concert with business intelligence about applications, they provide an extremely powerful combination: Requirements management tools can link with underlying software to estimate necessary effort. Integrated development environments can provide query results, such as impact analysis, that focus on areas in the application as they are being maintained. A test or build management tool could invoke services from the business intelligence repository to determine where complexity has risen, and if so, then the build may be flagged to fail. A source code management system could invoke a service to determine how code quality measures have changed between versions. A SOA/BPM suite can link coarse-grained business processes the atomic logic hidden within. Application maintenance is a serious drain on resources and can impair operational flexibility. Companies must make the maintenance process as effective as possible to ensure that applications can adapt to business needs. This requires that the challenge of complexity is overcome. This requires business intelligence on the applications that you are targeting. Charles Dickerson is senior vice president at Relativity Technologies, a provider of enterprise application modernization solutions. He has 20 years of product marketing and product management experience in the software industry. ...
North American manufacturers have faced years of intense, globalized competition. This onslaught compelled them to modernize their manufacturing processes to compete effectively. The result has been that many plants have become models of efficiency and agility. This modernization allowed manufacturers to more quickly adjust production to address shifts in demand and business goals...
Understanding the business and technical reality of your software assets is imperative in order to align them with corporate priorities ...
How many times have you read a book and realized that you can't recall a major character? Or, maybe you were left wondering how an important plot came to pass. The average novel contains 50,000 lines of text. Now, imagine a multimillion-line novel written by a team of authors over the course of decades that was repeatedly rewritten to the point that entire chapters were no longer relevant to the plot. That is the typical application portfolio of today...
As your business has grown, its office space requirements have changed. New buildings may be bought and sold as divisions are launched and canceled. Existing offices may be heavily renovated to make them more flexible and efficient, and cubicles may be constantly adjusted to support smaller organizational shifts. In each case, the portfolio of office space is adjusted based on the needs of the business...
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AI No Longer Curiosity for Retailers but Key to Better Business: Report


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Carlos Nava
Trinidad Garza Early College High School Alumnus
Carlos Nava is a freelance writer living in Dallas, TX. He has a passion for history and has ventured around the globe multiple times to explore historical sites. He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.A. in History and also studied ancient history at The University of Oxford in the U.K. He plans on continuing to study history in graduate school and become a professor in history.


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Age Discrimination/Wrongful Dismissal
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Age Discrimination/Wrongful Dismissal
I am 59. I was let go on 4-30-16 from an aircraft engine manufacturer. I was an engineer. I had excellent annual reviews for the near 11 years employed there. At the separation meeting, I wasnt told why I was being laid off and was givne a separation agreement with complete release of claims and covenant not to sue. I later found out that I was replaced with a young engineer at noon the same day. Do I have any rights regarding my dismissal?
Asked on July 12, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, Texas
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
You may have suffered illegal age-related discrimiantion, and therefore have grounds to recover compensation. What you have stated appears to be a "prima facie" (basically, "on its face") case of discrimination: an older engineer with good reviews fired and replaced with a younger one. That seems to be a case of discrimination. It is possible that the employer will later be able to provide some credible, non-discriminatory reason for the action--maybe the new engineer has some degree or credential you lack, for example--but if they cannot, there is a good chance you will win. Based on what you write, it would be worthwhile for you to contact the federal EEOC or your state's equal/civil rights agency to file a complaint, and/or speak with an employment law attorney about legal action.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.


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Russell County is located in the state of Alabama. The population is 55,364.
There are 4 public schools in Russell County with an average Homefacts rating of NA. There are 141 registered sex offenders residing in the county. Unemployment in Russell County is low and the median home sales price is $0.


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Turmeric Ginger Tonic (Home Delivery)
Friday Home Delivery. Orders must be placed by Wednesday for Friday delivery. Our Tonics will be delivered cold so we ask that you have a cooler ready for us by your front door. MAUI RESIDENTS ONLY.
Please make sure you live in one of these delivery areas before ordering:
North Shore + Upcountry: Makawao, Pukalani, Paia, Haiku (certain roads only)
Central Maui: Kahului, Wailuku
South Maui: Kihei, Wailea
Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory superfood and may be the most effective nutritional supplement in existence. Curcumin, the active ingredient, is credited with providing the anti inflammatory properties. Ginger is also one of the healthiest spices on earth, loaded with nutrients and bioactive compounds. Together with turmeric it becomes a powerful synergistic benefit.
Black pepper has been shown to increase curcumin absorption by 2000% and has also been shown to boost metabolism. Lemon is loaded with Vitamin C and is absorbed into the digestive system quite easily. Consuming all of these together creates a powerful synergistic tonic.
✓ Anti Inflammatory
✓ Digestive Health
✓ Immune System Support
✓ Skin Health
✓ Joint Health
✓ Can help regulate blood sugar
Recommended serving size:
4 ounces per day / 1 quart = 8 servings
1 quart: Only $3.63 per 4oz serving
Subscribe for FREE Maui Home Delivery!
Customer Reviews
Organic Turmeric, Organic Ginger, Organic Lemon, Organic Black Pepper.
Packaged in recyclable PET (BPA + BPS free) bottles - approved for food + beverage contact by the FDA.
Please make sure you live in one of these delivery areas before ordering:
North Shore + Upcountry: Makawao, Pukalani, Paia
Central Maui: Kahului, Wailuku
South Maui: Kihei, Wailea
Orders must be placed by Wednesday for Friday delivery. Our Tonics will be delivered cold so we ask that you have a cooler ready for us by your front door. MAUI RESIDENTS ONLY.
All deliveries will be no-contact and we will be practicing sanitization with the utmost standards.
By signing up, you agree this subscription will be active for a minimum of 2 months and continue until you cancel. You may cancel by signing into your account and cancelling the plan. You will be charged the amount stated above at the interval stated above to the credit or debit card used to complete this purchase. Cancellations are effective at the end of the then-current subscription period. To avoid future charges, cancel 5 business days prior to renewal.
Our tonic has not been heat treated or pasteurized – it is a raw product. If you are pregnant, have any allergies or are taking medication please seek medical advice before consuming our product. Any information published on this site or any information we may send you does not constitute medical advice. We do not intend to treat or diagnose any illnesses or diseases.
Turmeric Tonic is NOT a juice, it's a nutritional tonic and is to be taken as a dietary supplement in small doses. If you'd like to enjoy long-term effects, we recommend taking our Turmeric Tonic on a daily basis as daily self-care regimen, rather than for a 'quick fix'. On average, it takes between 4-6 weeks of daily consumption to notice a change.
Focused Nutritional Healing
We believe in the power of nature and with that we strive to nourish everyone from the inside out. We bring that precious gift straight from nature directly to you, in the purest form possible. Maui Tonics® contains hundreds of the most elegant compounds created by nature along with lots of loving nurture by our local farmers. No scientific lab can ever beat that!


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Sarah Sparks explores the inner minds of those suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and why the cancelling of July's OCD conference in Scotland was a setback for individuals diagnosed with this 'hidden epidemic'.
Breathing: It is something most of us take for granted. From the moment we first enter the world to the moment we leave it – we breathe. It is an instinctive, mechanical reflex. We never give it a second thought. But for some people even a simple, basic act – such as breathing – can become an obsession, taking over and breaking into pieces their otherwise normal lives.
For Stevie*, this is how it all began. At the age of 12 he started to obsess about his breathing, constantly checking to make sure he was still alive.
Stevie said: "I could obsess about my breathing all day long. It would make me panic, and I found it extremely hard to concentrate."
Soon Stevie noticed other problems beginning to emerge, including a compulsion to crack his joints and pull out his hair. At 21, Stevie's troubles worsened. After watching a television programme about a homosexual relationship, he began to obsess about his own relationships and sexuality. Before long his life began to spiral out of control.
Stevie said: "My life was being controlled by my thoughts. I found it difficult to function both at work and socially. I had visions of suicide and could spend some days obsessing about the quickest way to kill myself. I was having an emotional breakdown."
Stevie is just one of over 101,000 people in Scotland who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which according to the World Health Organisation, is one of the top ten most debilitating illnesses in terms of lost income and decreased quality of life. According to the support group OCD-UK, OCD is the fourth most common mental disorder nationwide, affecting more than one in every 40 people.
OCD takes on different forms in different people. For most sufferers, the disorder is composed of two parts: obsessions and compulsions. These sufferers are overcome by neurotic thoughts. As a response to these thoughts, they feel the uncontrollable need to engage in certain types of behaviour. These can take the form of physical actions, such as hand washing, or mental actions, such as silently counting. For some sufferers, like Stevie, OCD can also appear in the form of 'Pure O' – where the person is overcome with obsessive thoughts but those thoughts are not always accompanied by compulsive actions.
Stevie said: "Because there are very few or no physical compulsions, sufferers of 'Pure O' generally keep their disorder quiet. They are embarrassed to speak about such bizarre thoughts."
Dr Fred Penzel a clinical therapist said: "[OCD] has been referred to as the hidden epidemic. People with OCD are not crazy. They realize that their thoughts and behaviours don\'t really make sense. Therefore, they keep their thoughts to themselves, and do their compulsions out of sight of others. There is a big shame factor here."
Like many OCD sufferers, Stevie had a problem trying to get a medical diagnosis. Stevie said: "My experience of the NHS is that they have very limited knowledge of the disorder and find it hard to make a diagnosis and get sufferers the correct treatment. There also seems to be a distinct lack of therapists within the NHS to treat sufferers, which means long waiting times."
According to the UK's leading OCD expert, Prof Paul Salkovskis, there is an average of 17 years between onset and diagnosis of the illness, and sufferers can spend up to two years on clinical waiting lists for treatment. Prof Salkovskis says that this is due to problems with resources at all levels, from government funding to local GPs, and also due to the fact that there is no universal treatment for OCD.
Prof Salkovskis said: "Some doctors are offering alternative types of therapy, like Freudian therapies, which are ultimately no good and can even make OCD worse."
In Stevie's case alternative therapy did make his OCD worse. Because of the nature of Stevie's obsessions, his doctor referred him to a sexual therapist. Stevie said: "I explained my thoughts to her, and she immediately tried to convince me to accept myself, i.e. possibly being gay. This was the last thing that I wanted to hear and made things 10 times worse."
Caroline Jannetta, who helps run an informal OCD Support Group in Edinburgh, said: "There is a lack of understanding about OCD. Most people think it's psychological – it's not. It's a neurobiological disease that needs to be treated by a combination of medication and behavioural therapy."
While medical evidence shows that OCD is a biological disorder, the actual causes of OCD are unknown.
In his book, Brain Lock, Dr. Jeffery Schwartz outlines how the brain reacts differently in people suffering from the disorder. Dr. Schwartz claims OCD symptoms can be overcome both with medical therapy and the practicing of the Buddhist Philosophy of Mindfulness –a redirection of attention through various forms of meditation, mental exercises and self understanding.
While Prof Salkovskis says that the success of mindfulness has not been scientifically proven, he does advocate the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT is a psychological treatment that looks at how people with OCD think. It uses 'behavioural experiments', whereby OCD sufferers expose themselves to what makes them feel anxious, but they do not follow through with their usual compulsive rituals. This allows them to see for themselves what happens when they do not play into the hands of their OCD.
Prof Salkovskis was scheduled to be the featured speaker in this July's OCD conference in Edinburgh, organised by OCD-UK, a charity run by sufferers for sufferers. But due to the organisation's lack of funding the conference was cancelled and the support group faced closure. Having raised enough funds to remain open for the time being, the group hopes to permanently stabilise its finances and bring the conference back to Scotland in 2007.
OCD-UK managed to stay financially afloat through the fundraising efforts of its members – members like Stevie who, having got his own illness under control, participated in a 95 mile walk to help raise funds for the organisation.
Stevie said: "The walk was gruelling and tiring but much enjoyed all the same. The aim was to raise as much money as possible for OCD-UK, which in turn could be spent helping sufferers and raising the profile of the disorder. This [support group] for me is a big thing, as I now know that I am not alone, but there are thousands of people out there going through the exact same experiences."
* For the purposes of this article, Stevie asked that his last name not be revealed.


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On July 11, 2018, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued notices of violation under Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) and monetary penalties totalling C$250,000, against two companies for allegedly aiding in the installation of malicious computer programs (or malware) through the distribution of online advertising. These fines mark the first time the CRTC has taken enforcement action to combat the installation of malware under CASL.
The decision indicates the CRTC's willingness to impose fines on businesses that do not have adequate safeguards in place to prevent infringement of CASL's malware provisions and underscores the importance of companies implementing the appropriate internal policies and procedures to ensure that they comply with CASL.
While many are familiar with CASL's anti-spam provisions, which apply to commercial electronic messages, CASL also contains provisions relating to the installation of computer programs. CASL makes it illegal to install, cause the installation of a computer program on another person's computer without his or her express consent, or to aid in such an act. While these prohibitions are contained in sections often referred to as CASL's malware or spyware provisions, they apply to almost any program installed on a computing device (including mobile phones) as part of a commercial activity.
Datablocks, Inc. (Datablocks) and Sunlight Media Network Inc. (Sunlight Media) operate in the online advertising industry, by providing networks to online advertisers to distribute their advertisements on websites. Sunlight Media uses Datablocks' bidding platform to operate as a broker between advertisers and publishers.
The CRTC determined that advertisements prepared by third parties and distributed through Sunlight Media and Datablocks' services resulted in the installation of malicious programs on the devices of users who viewed the advertisements. Once installed, the malware enabled third parties to lock the user's system, steal users' data, or use the victim's computer resources for illicit monetization.
Sunlight Media is alleged to have accepted unverified, anonymous clients who used its services to distribute this malware. Datablock is alleged to have provided the necessary infrastructure and software for Sunlight Media's clients to distribute the malware. Following its investigation, the CRTC determined that both companies could have prevented the distribution of malware, but omitted to implement the necessary safeguards to do so, thus violating CASL. Consequently, the CRTC fined Datablocks and Sunlight Media C$100,000 and C$150,000, respectively.
The CRTC's decision reminds businesses of their CASL compliance requirements:
- A failure to act or to have the appropriate safeguards in place can render a company susceptible to penalties under CASL, even in the absence of any willful violation of the law
- Companies must implement appropriate internal policies and procedures to ensure Canadians' online safety, such as:
- Concluding written contracts with clients that bind them to comply with CASL
- Implementing monitoring measures governing how clients use a company's services
- Implementing written corporate compliance policies or procedures to ensure compliance with CASL
- Companies that are in a position to allow or enable CASL violations by others must take action to prevent such violations
- Policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with CASL must take into consideration that the law applies not only to commercial electronic messages, but to the installation of computer programs on another person's computing device as well.
For further information, please contact:
Sunny Handa 514-982-4008
Tricia Kuhl 514-982-5020
Wendy Mee 416-863-3161
or any other member of our Anti-Spam group.
Blakes and Blakes Business Class communications are intended for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice or an opinion on any issue. We would be pleased to provide additional details or advice about specific situations if desired.
For permission to republish this content, please contact the Blakes Client Relations & Marketing Department at [email protected].
© 2024 Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP


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lostprophets – save yourself lyrics
save yourself
can't you hear them, hear them howling
yeah the wolves are at my door
call the doctor, call me crazy
but i know that you need more
what i thought would really help me
has now knocked me to my knees
yeah you're calling it a poison
i'd say more of a disease
i'm haunting hearts apart and time
and time and time again
h-ll i'm picking up the reminents from
much much better men
yes i'm sinking in the shadows
and i'm drowning on your bleach
and i'm laughing at the lessons
that you all forgot to teach
why can't you hear it baby?
why do you pay no mind?
why don't you hear them darling?
why won't you listen
so save yourself
save yourself
save yourself
i've been gone forever
yeah eternally
bleed internally
why don't you see
i've been gone forever
woah woah
woah woah oh oh
i can't turn the other way
i can't see it anymore
i won't wait in all the wreckage that
keeps washing up on sh-r-
they keep telling you i'm bad news girl
it's time that you believe
cause i'm pulling out this anchor
and i'm sailing at out to sea
[chorus x3]
Random Lyrics


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You are here
Hodgin Hall
The oldest building on campus, Hodgin Hall records both the origins of the university's image as a "pueblo on the mesa" and its institutional growth.
Designed in 1890 by the architect Jesse Wheelock in the Richardsonian Romanesque Style, it was then redesigned in 1908 by E.B. Cristy in the Pueblo Style. Originally designated the "Main Building," it housed the university's offices, classrooms, assembly room, laboratories, and library until the construction of other buildings (starting in 1901) allowed it gradually to divest these multiple functions. It served as the administration building until 1936, when Scholes Hall was completed. Renamed Hodgin Hall after Charles Hodgin, a university administrator and head of education, it was occupied by the College of Education from 1936 until 1963, when that college moved to new quarters. Hodgin Hall was slated for demolition in the 1970s, only to be saved by a group of alumni, and has housed the Alumni Association since 1983.
Wheelock's three-story, brick structure rested on a base of red Cerrillos standstone, which was also used for the west-facing entrance archway and the first floor windowsills and lintels; a steeply pitched, gabled, timber-framed roof capped the building. The exposed, wind-swept site threatened the structure as wind loads on the tall and heavy roof deflected the building's thin brick walls with its many windows. In 1901, E.B. Cristy advised stabilizing the walls with wrought iron rods run through the top floor in both directions.
Continuing problems with the structure gave the university president, William Tight, the pretext he needed to remodel the building in the Pueblo Style that he had adopted for the campus. Cristy, who had already designed a heating plant and two dormitories in the style, was contracted in 1908 to transform the Main Building into a simulation of New Mexican adobe construction. He removed the gabled roof, filled in the building's arches, covered the brick with brown stucco, and added brick buttresses at visually strategic (if structurally irrelevant) points, along with porches and balconies detailed with the projecting beams and corbel brackets or corbel capitals of a Spanish Colonial portico. Rodey Hall, a general-purpose auditorium whose interior and exposed timber roof quoted Pueblo mission churches, was erected on the building's north side.
John Gaw Meem remodeled the main entrance in 1957, and Rodey Hall was demolished in 1971 to make way for the peripheral loop road stipulated in the 1959 Warnecke General Development Plan. In 1982–1983, Hodgin Hall was restored to its 1908 appearance.
Bunting, Bainbridge, and Joe McKinney, "Hodgin Hall," Bernalillo County, New Mexico. National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, 1978. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
Hooker, Van Dorn. Only in New Mexico: An Architectural History of the University of New Mexico. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico, 2000.
University of New Mexico. Department of Facility Planning Records. Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico.
Writing Credits
If SAH Archipedia has been useful to you, please consider supporting it.
SAH Archipedia tells the story of the United States through its buildings, landscapes, and cities. This freely available resource empowers the public with authoritative knowledge that deepens their understanding and appreciation of the built environment. But the Society of Architectural Historians, which created SAH Archipedia with University of Virginia Press, needs your support to maintain the high-caliber research, writing, photography, cartography, editing, design, and programming that make SAH Archipedia a trusted online resource available to all who value the history of place, heritage tourism, and learning.


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'Like a canary in a coal mine'
With a mission to help people avoid unnecessary radiation, and the continuing launch of related products, the Swedish company is now the world's only provider of comprehensive solutions to measure, monitor and manage X-ray radiation dose, reports Brenda Marsh
Founded 1994 by Tomas Unfors in Billdal, Sweden, Unfors Instruments began life providing measurement equipment for quality assurance of X-ray machines. However, although still a leader in that market segment, in March this year, the company was renamed Unfors RaySafe. 'We have made this change because our new brand will better represent our company moving forward,' explained its CEO Magnus Kristoferson.
In just under two decades of its existence, the Unfors RaySafe now has 150 employees. 'To enable a rapid international expansion and better serve our market, we are represented by subsidiaries in seven countries, including United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, India, Japan and China. In addition we are present in 60 further countries represented by local distributors,' the firm's CEO adds. 'Among the customers are major X-ray manufacturers as well as some of the most well-known university hospitals worldwide.'
Revenues of around €20 Million Euros were reported in the fiscal year 2011/2012
'Like the canary in the coal mine helped miners avoid dangerous gases,' Magnus Kristoferson points out, 'the RaySafe solutions, now and in the future, will enable users to help themselves and others avoid unnecessary radiation. Our philosophy of combining the simple and intuitive with the most advanced and innovative technology has made us a world-leading supplier of radiation measurement solutions in the medical field. Radiation, however, is not confined to the professional sphere. For the past 20 years, the average person's exposure has increased dramatically - a trend that is likely to continue. Therefore, we are constantly exploring new ideas and expanding our portfolio of products and services to help those we serve avoid unnecessary radiation.'
So what has the company, now with a symbolic canary in its logo, launched recently?
'Early this year we introduced a new segment to our portfolio – personal dosimetry,' Magnus Kristoferson said. 'With the real-time solution medical staff is able to see, control and influence the amount of dose they are exposed to during interventional procedures. And now, during the RSNA in Chicago, we have launched a software solution to better manage patient dose, improve process quality before, during and after X-ray procedures and to reduce a number of unnecessary exams. The key words here are justification, optimisation and control. With this introduction we can now provide a comprehensive solution to improve safety in the X-ray room – from quality assurance of X-ray equipment, to real-time dose monitoring for medical staff and dose management solutions for the benefit of the patient.'
Radiation dose warning in real-time
During ECR 2012 this spring, the company launched its real-time dose monitoring system RaySafe i2. The basic package has one real-time display and four dosimeters, which can be extended with additional dosimeters and advanced data management software.
By using the system during imaging procedures, medical personnel receive instant information on their current exposure to X-ray, giving them prerequisites to adjust their behaviour to minimise unnecessary exposure, the firm explains.
Studies presented at ECR and RSNA indicate a dose reduction among personnel up to 40% when using Unfors RaySafe's real-time dosimetry technology. Workplace efficiency and safety can be improved, and work processes streamlined, by facilitating the time-stamped, dose data collected by RaySafe i2.
'RaySafe i2 is proven to reduce staff dose, and makes it easy to work correctly and achieve a well-functioning radiation safety culture in hospitals,' Magnus Kristoferson concludes.
Dose Management
The new cloud-based software RaySafe S1 is prepared for integration in a multi-modality environment within diagnostic radiology, with equipment from different X-ray manufacturers that support the DICOM standard.
Whilst it enables medical staff to manage and lower patient dose it still retains image quality, thus reducing the number of unnecessary radiological examinations.
Additional assets: The software supplies justification support with evidence-based referral guidelines; optimises features that help find the right balance between image quality and dose -- as well as minimise often hidden retakes and rejections; helps retain workflow control; provides online with notifications, alerts, checklists and protocol guides, and on demand can supply relevant statistics and key performance indicators.
Radiology information is also collected and shared with various individuals in the diagnostic process, including referring physicians, radiologists, operators, medical physicists, Radiation Safety Officers (RSO) and medical engineers. Additionally, the system can provide managers with insight into the radiology department's usage, to support efforts to increase productivity.


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For more than 85 years, rupture disks have been economical and effective as passive safety mechanisms for protecting tanks and other enclosed vessels against overpressures and potentially damaging vacuums. However, to meet the demands of a new generation of smaller, lighter applications, disk manufacturers had to come up with new designs and materials to overcome several engineering challenges.
Fortunately, leading rupture disk manufacturers were up to the tasks and were able to come up with novel structures, advanced materials, and design elements that let disks as small as 1/8th of an inch handle pressures ranging from low (15 to 1,000 psi) to medium (350 to 16,000 psi) to high (1,500 to 70,000 psi).
Rupture Disk Basics
Rupture disks (also known as bursting disks) and relief valves are the two most common pressure-relief devices. Rupture disks burst and activate within milliseconds after a differential pressure, either positive or vacuum, reaches a predetermined level. They rely on a one-time-use membrane usually made out of various metals, though exotic alloys and graphite are also used. The disk must be replaced after it is activated; these are one-time use devices.
Relief valves also open when a specific level of pressure or vacuum is reached, but they reset once the pressure returns to a safe level. Some relief valves reseat themselves and are re-used. Others—mainly those with small, threaded connections—pop open accurately once and then crudely reclose, but not with the original level leak tightness.
In many applications, engineers prefer the superior leak tightness and flow characteristics of rupture disks over pressure relief valves, which are known to leak. Rupture disks also have flow areas and, hence, flow capacities in line with their nominal connection size. Valves, on the other hand, have flow area and capacities routinely smaller than their nominal connection size. This is because relief valves have a host of components that need to be accommodated and they obstruct the flow path. In general, a rupture disk of the same nominal size as a relief valve will let 2 to 8 times the amount of gas or liquid escape in the same amount of time.
Because overpressures and vacuums are so potentially damaging, many engineers incorporate a relief valve and a rupture disk, with the disk positioned between the pressurized fluid and the valve. The disk prevents leaks and buildup of process materials that might get stuck to the valve, preventing it from operating, or else corroding and damaging the valve.
Rupture disks have also been used as one-time fast acting valves or triggering devices to reliably and quickly initiate a sequence of actions. For example, miniature rupture disks in vehicle air bags seal off small cylinders filled with pressurized gas. The disks are blasted open by a pyrotechnic device triggered when sensors identify a vehicle collision. In the oil industry, rupture disks are used in a downhole tool as a fluid seal that is also pyrotechnically actuated. When the disk is burst, it lets fluid flow through a drill pipe at the desired location deep underground.
Going Small
For decades, rupture disks usually ranged in size from 1 to 6 in. and were used in a wide variety of applications: petrochemical, aerospace, defense, medical, railroad, nuclear, chemical, pharmaceutical, food processing, and oil field. When needed for larger piping applications, the disks can be as large as 60 in. nominal size. To install the disks, they are held in place with a device called a safety head and mounted between flanged pipe ends (see image below). The safety head seals the rupture disk into the piping system with its required dimensions and seating arrangement, thereby getting the best performance from it.
However, manufacturers making parts and assemblies for vehicles and other transportation equipment have increased their focus on making vehicles lighter to conserve fuel. This means they want smaller, lighter rupture disks, increasing the demand for disks well under 1 in. in diameter.
Disks have traditionally used a forward-acting design in which loads are applied to the concave side of the dome. The thickness of the dome material and diameter of the fitting in which it is mounted determine performance. However, in this approach the rupture disk is prone to metal fatigue that results if there is aggressive pressure cycling and operating conditions, and these can shorten the disk's operational life. To compensate for this, forward-acting disks have been limited to applications having operating-to-burst pressure ratios of 75% or less to avoid fatigue, which can lead to unwanted activation.
Exacerbating the issue, forward-acting miniaturized disks with low set pressures use tissue-paper-thin domes that are fragile and prone to leaking when assembled. In a reverse buckling design, on the other hand, the dome is inverted toward the source of the load.
The burst pressure of forward-acting rupture disks is a function of the dome material's tensile strength, thickness, temper, diameter, and control features (such as a score line on the dome). The burst pressure of a reverse buckling rupture disk is also a function of the material tensile strength, thickness, temper, and diameter, as well as the dome material's modulus of elasticity and the shape of the dome. The domes in reverse- and forward-buckling disks can also have control features such as structural apex forming (SAF), an indent made in the apex of the dome. That means designers have more variables to adjust the burst pressure when manufacturing reverse-buckling disks.
By loading the reverse-buckling disk in compression, it is able to resist operating pressures up to 100% of minimum burst pressure even under pressure cycling or pulsating conditions. The result is greater longevity, accuracy, and reliability over time. For all these reasons, designers concentrated on reverse-buckling designs when it came to miniaturized burst disks.
But even reverse-buckling domes are not that easy to make smaller. Decreasing these domes' diameters makes it difficult to design them to reliably collapse through such small orifice sizes. But engineers eventually learned how to create specially shaped domes that collapse in a predictable manner.
For example, engineers at BS&B created a hybrid dome shape that combines reverse and forward bulging characteristics that are pre-collapsed. In this type of design, mechanical scoring creates a line of weakness that helps control the collapse of the dome and opening of the disk upon activation.
Rupture disk performance is also dictated to some extent by the diameter of the dome: The smaller the area of the dome, the more effect the dome's diameter has. In fact, with smaller disks, the influence of every feature of both the rupture disk and its holder is amplified. This means that normal manufacturing variations of machined supports for the dome can throw off the accuracy of the dome's prescribed burst pressure. BS&B uses a proprietary design and manufacturing method to maintain burst-pressure accuracy of the smaller domes.
However, we can say that for rupture disks between 0.25 and 1 in. in diameter certified for burst pressures up to 70,000 psi, BS&B manufactures them and the holder from a single piece of Hastelloy, Inconel, or carbon steel. This eliminates the usual connections between the dome and its support fitting. It also makes the rupture disk is intrinsically leak-tight by virtue of their unitary construction.
The miniature rupture disks are typically threaded for installation, but configurations are available for welding, soldering, or crimping based on the application conditions and leak tightness requirements. This includes "sealed for life" applications such as refrigeration systems, air-bag inflators, fire protection equipment, and aircraft safety devices that require exacting reliability, and which owners do not want to recharge repeatedly.
Looking for parts? Go to SourceESB.


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Thales demonstrates how forging strong local networks in Asia spells is the right business model
2012 marked a crucial period for Thales's Air Traffic Management in Australasia with an overwhelming presence across Eastern Asia, systems covering more than 50% of the region, and continuing strength across Asia Pacific and Australia.
Forging strong relationships that stand the test of time is at the heart of the group's strategy in Asia, which is why key partnerships and a significant presence on the ground in advanced and complex jurisdictions is the basis through which the group does business.
Partnerships such as in Singapore, where Thales has long had a major support centre and where the group now manages over 305,000 traffic movements every year in one of the most densely packed single ATM networks in the world. Close by, in Thailand and Vietnam, Thales manages the air traffic control for Bangkok and Ho Chi Min City Airports, both major hubs, as well as supplying a number of radars and navaids. Further afield, Thales is the most important player in Australia, where the group manages the entirety of the region's ATM network. Most notably, Thales has successfully implemented the world's first ADS-B system in Australia, as well as developed the breakthrough technology used in Singapore's LORADS III system at the company's ATM centre of excellence in Melbourne – the result of long-term investment and commitment to innovation.
China represents the quintessential proof of the success of developing strong local partnerships. Beijing EasySky Technology Ltd., a joint venture between Thales and the Civil Aviation Air Traffic Control Technology & Equipment Development Co. Ltd., now produces all ATM systems for the Western route Radar project, as well as the Lanzhou air traffic control system. These received official acceptance from the Civil Aviation Administration of China in November 2012. With this partnership, Thales now delivers over 60% of all ATC systems in China. These cross-national operations across Australia, Singapore and China illustrate the robustness of the group's market position in the region.
The group is also employing its considerable talents in innovative ATM solutions for large regional networks across the South Pacific. Thales's systems in Tahiti make its ATM system the first in the Asia Pacific region to receive European standard regulatory approval, whilst in Taiwan, Thales recently installed one of the most sophisticated TopSky-ATC turnkey solutions ever deployed.
Lionnel Wonneberger, Thales Director of Strategy for ATM, said: "By 2030, 4.5 billion passengers will crisscross the Asia Pacific skies – this hemisphere is the future of civilian air travel. These staggering numbers point to only one solution: the market needs the solid expertise, tried and tested methodologies and innovative approaches of providers who have demonstrated their mettle across the world's most densely packed and challenging networks. Customers in these markets are also extremely savvy and demanding, which is why it is an honour to be entrusted with the safety of the skies here in Asia. We will repay this trust with continued excellence of service, so our customers can meet the requirements of their numerous and varied stakeholders."
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57,95 €Preface
Chapter 1: The Wheel of Diagnosis
Chapter 2: Color in Differential Diagnosis
Chapter 3: Diagnostic determinants of primary lesions
Chapter 4: Secondary lesions: the clues they provide, and an approach
Chapter 5: An introduction to the reaction patterns
Chapter 6: Papulosquamous reaction pattern
Chapter 7: Vesicobullous reaction pattern
Chapter 8: Eczematous reaction pattern
Chapter 9: Dermal reaction pattern
Chapter 10: Vascular reaction pattern
Chapter 11: Ancillary reaction patterns: reticulate and poikiloderma
Chapter 12: More useful differentials
Chapter 13: More thoughts on groupings
Chapter 14: More thoughts on distribution
Chapter 15: An approach to mucous membrane and scalp lesions
hapter 16: Special tests
A unique systematic approach to dermatologic diagnosis
Guidebook to Dermatologic Diagnosis provides an innovative and methodical approach to the diagnosis of skin lesions and rashes. Centered around "The Wheel of Diagnosis? which factors in several important clinical considerations necessary to formulate an accurate diagnosis, the book is enhanced by numerous full-color images organized by clinical appearance rather than known diagnosis. This type of image grouping is specifically designed to teach readers how to think through and eventually arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Each chapter is also enhanced by tips on special testing, management, as well as the diagnostic approach. Although primarily written to be an innovative way to enhance dermatologic diagnostic skills, this unique resource can also be used at the point of care to confirm diagnosis.


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The wecraftcards Forum is holding a Fall Crop this week. So, I'll be posting cards that I am making for their challenges, and also entering them into other challenges that have a similar theme. Here is my first card for the Crop. It's for a Sketch challenge. I used a few digi images from Bugaboo stamps. The little scarecrow is getting rave reviews by other members!
Entered into:
Bugaboo Stamps- Anything Goes (catchthebugblog.blogspot.com)
Deep Ocean Challenge- Colors of Autumn (deepoceanchallengeblog.blogspot.com.au)
Cute Card Thursday- Circles (cutecardthursday.blogspot.com)
CAS-ual Fridays- Sketch (CAS-ualfridays.blogspot.com)
SS WCMD- Anything Goes (simonsaysstampblog.com/blog/happy-world-card-making-day-from-simon-says-stamp)
I'm hosting one of the challenges in the crop, with a theme of Holiday Table Favors. I made samples for several holidays. Here is my first- a cute goodie bag for Halloween. I found the idea here- http://creativemeinspiredyou.com/give-your-guests-unforgetable-party-favors/ and the template used to make mine was found here- http://www.fun-stuff-to-do.com/gift-box.html
Entered into:
We Craft Cards Fall Crop Challenge- Table Favor (wecraftcards.com/forum)
Simon Says Monday Challenge- Not a Card (simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge)
Artistic Inspirations Challenge-Challenge 186 (artisticinspirationschallenges.blogspot.com.au)


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VIC'sS @ Seasons ★★★☆
4 Station Street Riddells Creek VIC 3431 Australia Vic's @ seasons is the ideal country style cafe. Cute and welcoming interiors with friendly service. Food and coffees are good. Would recommend Cappuccino Good coffee art and decent coffee ★★★ Pulled Pork Benedict $18 with Poached Eggs on Rosti, Pulled Pork, Baby Spinach and topped with home made Apple Cider Hollandaise Sauce Loved the juicy pork, which was already flavoured very well. No need for the hollandaise. Eggs done perfectly ★★★★ Menu VIC'S @ Seasons Most Popular/Recommended : Pulled Pork Beneduct Price : $$ Address : 4 Station Street Riddells Creek VIC 3431 Australia Opening Hours : Every Day: 8am to 4pm Have these details changed? Submit an Update!


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Israel has condemned as unacceptably slow Iran's cooperation with a UN watchdog inquiry into suspected atomic bomb research and accused Tehran of providing "false" explanations for its disputed activities.
At a weekly board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said Iran had finally begun to engage with an investigation into allegations that it has worked on designing a nuclear warhead.
Western envoys to the IAEA cautiously welcomed the development, calling for Tehran to pick up the pace of its cooperation, but Israel's ambassador suggested Iran was just trying to buy time while pressing on with its nuclear work.
Widely believed to be the Middle East's only nuclear-armed power, Israel sees Iran's atomic programme as a direct threat and has in the past warned it could carry out unilateral strikes on Iran's nuclear sites.
Iran, which rejects accusations that it has been trying to develop a nuclear bomb capability, says it is Israel's presumed arsenal that endangers regional peace and security.
"Iran continues to abuse what is termed as a 'step-by-step' approach to the resolution of outstanding issues," Israeli Ambassador Merav Zafary-Odiz said, referring to a phased cooperation pact agreed in November between Iran and the IAEA.
"This pace of investigation is unacceptable … Iran will continue to provide false explanations and to hide the true nature of its activities," she said, without giving details.
Because of a Jewish holiday, Zafary-Odiz did not deliver her statement during Wednesday's IAEA board debate on Iran, but it was posted later on the UN agency's web site.
Israel is also deeply sceptical of US-led efforts to reach a final international accord to scale back a nuclear programme which Iran says is peaceful but the West fears may be a covert bid to develop the means and expertise to build nuclear weapons.
US officials say it is vital for Iran to resolve the IAEA's concerns if the parallel negotiations between Tehran and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia on the long-term agreement to settle the dispute are to succeed.
Those talks aim to set verifiable, civilian limits to Iran's nuclear programme and end punitive international sanctions imposed on Tehran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has complained that sanctions on the Islamic Republic are being eased prematurely.
The IAEA's inquiry focuses specifically on what it calls the possible military dimensions of Iran's atomic activities, notably whether it has carried out research and tests relevant for nuclear weapons.
Iran says the allegations of a nuclear weapon agenda are baseless but has offered to address them since pragmatist Hassan Rouhani took office as Iranian president last year, partly on a platform to end the Islamic state's international isolation.
Last month, Iran gave the UN watchdog some information requested in the inquiry as to its purpose in developing Exploding Bridge Wire (EBW) detonators, which can be used to set off an atomic explosive device. Iran has said it needed them for civilian purposes.
In a meeting in Tehran on 20 May Iran also agreed to address two other areas of the investigation by 25 Aug.
Western governments regard Iran's increased readiness to co-operate as positive but are likely to remain sceptical until it has cleared up all allegations of illicit atomic work.
"It is essential that Iran delivers substantive progress in the near future," the 28-nation European Union said in a statement to the IAEA's quarterly board of governors meeting.


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Pulmuone Air Dried Mild Ramen 3.41oz(96.5g) x 4 Packs
- Feed Your Curiosity, Satisfy Your Cravings - Pulmuone's Korean ramen noodles are exactly what you need if you are looking for gourmet instant ramen! The rich and umami-filled broth with signature Korean spices and the chewy noodles make all the difference.
- Air-Baked Not Fried - Instant Korean ramyun is usually fried in oil. But, Pulmuone's Korean noodles ramen are air-baked, making it much healthier and more flavorful! You don't have to worry so much about how healthy the dish will be for your waistline.
- Level Up Your Ramen Game - The pack itself is enough, but if you want your ramyun to be more satiating, you can top it with onions, fresh vegetable, kimchi, cheese, egg, and meat! It'll be an extremely enjoyable ramen night or a k-pop party with family and friends!
- Quick and Easy - You can cook it with a pot or in a microwave. And within just a few minutes, you can have your very own instant ramen bowl! Perfect when cold weather hits, Pulmuone's ramyun noodles can be your go-to comfort snack - morning, afternoon, or midnight.
- BEYOND TRADITIONAL - Pulmuone is known for its healthier and more sustainable food products. This Korean instant ramen is manufactured using only traceable ingredients with no artificial additives, colors, preservatives, and flavors.
All orders are processed within 1-2 business days. Orders are not
shipped or delivered on weekends or holidays. If we are experiencing a
high volume of orders, shipments may be delayed by a few days. Please
allow additional days in transit for delivery. If there will be a
significant delay in shipment of your order, we will contact you via
email or telephone.


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Samsung's Q1 appears on the FCC
Yeah, there's a certain novelty to getting FCC shots and info -- it's usually nothing we've never seen before, but after all those pristine press photos and well-buffed display units, that down and dirty FCC photography is jarring in a good way -- kind of like tabloid shots of your favorite star a drunken wreck early Sunday morning. So if you wanted the lowdown, the Q1's (still) got a Celeron M ULV, 256MB (upgradeable to 1GB), an Intel 915GMS chipset, 60GB drive (up from 40GB!), Ethernet, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR, two USB 2.0 ports, VGA out, audio out, a 7-inch 800 x 480 display, and three cell battery. Like we said, not a lot there we didn't know. But if you did want to snag a sneak peek at how Microsoft Touch Pack and all that UMPC multimedia software works, they've got a hefty 140-some-odd page user manual for you to peruse at your leisure (PDF links part 1 and part 2). Say goodbye to your afternoon.


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Sometimes called Cascadia, and frequently short-handed the PNW, the Pacific Northwest retains a rugged coastal charm that can be hard to come by in the United States.
To my good fortune, I live in Portland, Oregon, where I find myself endlessly exploring the surrounding region as my personal playground. There is something so sweet about having an abundance of natural wonders in your own backyard, which is why I've decided to take you along on a visual journey. So grab your hiking boots, put on a wide-brimmed fedora, and buckle your seat belt—we're going on a road trip.