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Late in December, one the long awaited portions of functionality inside SSDT was released to an eager public, that being unit testing. There has been a lot of noise generated about sql unit testing as a concept recently and hopefully you have decided that that is now the way to go. Bill Gibson of Microsoft has blogged at quick beginners guide to SSDT unit testing here.
This is not a post about unit testing per se or the operation of SSDT unit testing, but what you need to do to run the same unit tests across multiple environments. Even the smallest shop will have multiple SQL servers that you will wish to run tests against (DEV, UAT, integration etc) and if you use SSDT for more than 5 minutes you will discover that there is no easy way to aim the tests at these servers.
Jamie Thomson(b|t) has previously blogged about this inside datadude (SSDTs' predecessor) and what a pain it can be. Well, it is still a pain and the supported route is still via this method and it does work in SSDT. I will say two things though, firstly the config override file has HAS to be called machinename.sqlunittest.config or username.sqlunittest.config nothing else will do, and secondly the file is very sensitive to formatting. I had a single leading whitespace in mine, which meant that the file couldn't be processed correctly ! Also note that the element naming has changed to SQLUnitTesting_VS2010 ( im not running VS2012 to see if it is still the same there)
As I say, this does work, but is not very clear and quite limiting in scope. I can only have effectively one override file and what if i have a centralised CI build server I wish to run our tests from against multiple environments ? Well, without more confusing workarounds (that I can think of but haven't tried) you cant.
So, do we have any other options ?
Our friends in the application development world have faced and solved this problem, though I don't believe their problems are exactly analogous, but this is probably the simplest route to solve it. Using a VS plugin called Slow Cheetah the app.config file can be transformed at build time to support multiple environments. Each build configuration (Debug / Release) can have a transform for app.config, after installing the plugin and R-Clicking on the app.config, you should see an 'Add Transform' option.
After selecting that, for each of your build configurations (you can always add more) you will see an app.buildname.config file.
The transform to be added to files is:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<!-- For more information on using transformations
see the web.comfig examples at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=214134. -->
<configuration xmlns:xdt="http://schemas.microsoft.com/XML-Document-Transform">
<ExecutionContext Provider="System.Data.SqlClient" ConnectionString="Data Source=Server;Initial Catalog=DataBase;Integrated Security=True;Pooling=False" CommandTimeout="30"
xdt:Transform="Replace" />
<PrivilegedContext Provider="System.Data.SqlClient" ConnectionString="Data Source=Server;Initial Catalog=DataBase;Integrated Security=True;Pooling=False" CommandTimeout="30"
When you now build and run your tests Slow Cheetah will apply the transforms to app.config and you will connect to the specified server. Slow Cheetah includes a 'Preview Transform' option to aid with development so you don't have to guess To me this seems like a much more preferable route that the mstest overriding method.
This is all well and good, but what if you want even more control.
Disclaimer: I have not tried this any more that detailing it here, I cannot vouch for long term (or even short term) stability. You are on your own if it all goes wrong.
There is a method by which you can specify exactly which instance/ database to use. You can programmatically override the connection. If, in Visual Studio, you select 'View Code' on one of your C# unit test modules, you will see a member called TestInitialize. Inside this member we can close the existing connection and open one to the server we really wish to test against like so:
public void TestInitialize()
base.ExecutionContext.Connection = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection("Data Source=Server;Initial Catalog=Database;Integrated Security=True;Pooling=False");
Obviously I have hardcoded the connection string here, but you could have it read from an environment variable or topology file or somewhere else.
Have fun with any of these methods and any one should get you closer to the goal of more reliable code.
Do you know of a more user friendly and workable solution ? I'd love to hear it.
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Everyday Things
Replacement lid to a hen or chicken dish or box. The interior is white. It is approximately 3 1/4 inches in height, 3 7/8 inches in length and 2 3/4 inches in width. It has no chips, cracks, breaks or rough rim, but shows minor finish wear. I need your zip code to calculate the postage.
Everyday Things
Vintage porcelain hen figurine measuring 3 x 2 1/2 x 2 inches. There is wear to the finish. I need your zip code to calculate the postage.

subset: commoncrawl


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Main navigation | Main content
|Hans Courant at work at Los Alamos
|courtesy of Hans Courant
Professor Hans Courant, veteran of the Manhattan Project, was featured in the New York Times, "Voices of the Manhattan Project"
Professor Courant participated in the "Doctor Atomic Symposium" at the City University of New York, where the recording was made. Professor Courant worked on the Manhattan Project from 1942 - 1945 at Los Alamos as a Special Engineer. He witnessed the Trinity Test on July 16, 1945 from a distance of 10,000 yards away.
You can hear more of his recollections at the Doctor Atomic Minisite.


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National Endowment for the Humanities Invites You to a Lecture on the Tenement Museum and the Story of American Immigration
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) invites you to attend a free public lecture by Morris J. Vogel, President of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum entitled "Making the Jewish East Side Iconic: the Tenement Museum and the Story of American Immigration" at 6 P.M. on Wednesday, May 23 at NEH headquarters.
In honor of Jewish Heritage Month, Dr. Vogel will speak about the Tenement Museum's unique approach to Jewish history in America and the work of the museum's curators in researching and drawing from the particular histories of the former residents of Orchard Street in the Lower East Side to create exhibits reflective of the American immigrant experience.
"At one time, when we thought about what made this country, we talked in terms of the West or the motivations that drew the Pilgrims to a shining city on a hill, or the ideals of Constitutionalism and political liberty," said Vogel. "All those subjects remain important. But the Tenement Museum has been part of a recent effort to include the aspirations and struggles that brought generations of immigrants to America's shores, many of whom settled in New York City, and in the process turned the Lower East Side into the icon of immigrant America."
The National Endowment for the Humanities has supported the Lower East Side Tenement Museum since its founding in a condemned tenement in 1988. The Tenement Museum enables visitors to forge emotional connections to the people of the past, develop an understanding of their struggles, and cultivate an appreciation for the hurdles immigrants encountered as they became Americans. One of the fastest growing cultural institutions in New York City, the museum welcomed over 175,000 visitors in 2011, including more than 40,000 K-12 students.
Since its founding, the Tenement Museum has received numerous NEH grants, including for the preservation of the museum's archival materials, and the implementation of permanent installations on a 19th-century sweatshop and on public health and urban sanitation. During his talk Dr. Vogel will discuss an upcoming NEH-supported exhibit at the Tenement Museum called "Shop Life" on the varieties of commerce conducted by Lower East Side immigrants, presented through a recreation of a German saloon from 1870, a kosher butcher from the 1890s, a Depression-era auction house, and an underwear discounters from the 1970s.
Dr. Vogel joined the staff of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in 2008 after serving as director of Creativity and Culture at the Rockefeller Foundation. For more than thirty years, Dr. Vogel was a professor and administrator at Temple University. He is a first generation American, born in Kazakhstan to a Jewish family who fled from Poland during World War II and later immigrated to the United States.
Please join us on May 23rd for the free public lecture and reception at NEH in the Old Post Office Building in Washington, DC. Members of the press should R.S.V. P. to Paula Wasley at @email or (202) 606-8424.
Event: "Making the Jewish Lower East Side Iconic: the Tenement Museum and the Story of American Immigration" reception and presentation by Morris J. Vogel, President of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum
Date: 6 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.; Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Location: The National Endowment for the Humanities
Old Post Office Building
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20506
Room M-09 (Ground Floor)
Event is free and open to the public. Members of the public may R.S.V.P. to Caitlin Green: @email


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We've had a thread about sports you love watching during the olympics, are there any sports at the Olympics that you really dislike and think shouldn't be on the schedule?
Personally, I can't stand the Modern Pentathlon. There is a simple reason why. In the equestrian round the competitors are allocated horses randomly. Some horses are better trained than others. But the athletes who get the poorer horses always react so petulantly when the animal refuses to jump. I've seen many Modern Pentathletes hit or physically abuse the reluctant horse, and then they come on TV and complain about it. Such behaviour is firstly cruel to the animal concerned, who has no choice about whether to participate or not, and secondly ignores the fact that the allocation is random and an integral part of the sport. It flies in the face of the Olympic spirit. The IOC has talked about removing it before and I wish they would.


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Economist Janet Yellen is poised to succeed Ben Bernanke as chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve when his term expires Jan. 31. If the Senate confirms her nomination, as expected, she will become the first woman to run the planet�s largest national economy. This 67-year-old academic worked her way up at the Fed. She has served as a supportive No. 2 to Bernanke since 2010. The new job would be a huge step up in influence from her current title of vice chair.
If she is confirmed, bankers and traders will hang on her every word, as they have on Bernanke�s and previous Fed chiefs. Other central banks will look to Yellen for direction. Her ascension will mean that women � Yellen, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and International Monetary Fund boss Christine Lagarde � hold three of the global economy�s most critical posts. That�s quite a milestone.
Yellen has the background and experience to be a very effective Fed chair. The challenge she faces will demand a very effective Fed chair. Bernanke has been pouring on monetary stimulus for years. He has expanded the Fed�s balance sheet from $859 billion in mid-2007 to $3.7 trillion. His successor will be left to deal with the consequences.
During her tenure at the Fed, Yellen has played Bernanke�s game. She was a strong advocate of the central bank�s aggressive intervention during the financial crisis of 2007-09. The Fed did what was required to rescue a banking system in danger of collapse. But we�ve been skeptical about what the Fed has done since the economy stabilized � continuing to pour on stimulus, to less and less effect. The Fed should have backed off its unprecedented quantitative easing program long ago. Yet Yellen still favors the $85 billion a month bond-buying binge known as QE3, which continues today.
As of Jan. 31, Yellen will own it. All those securities the Fed has picked up in a bid to keep interest rates low and boost economic activity will have to be sold off eventually. Never before has the Fed had to manage such a massive effort, so there is no road map for Yellen to follow.
Similarly, the Fed�s easy money policy of near-zero interest rates can�t go on forever. Someday, Yellen will have to �take away the punchbowl� (that�s Fed-speak for tightening the money supply). Otherwise, inflation will erode the dollar�s value and asset bubbles will form that can do terrible damage when they pop: Witness the recent real-estate bust. Yellen has consistently predicted that despite all the Fed stimulus, inflation wouldn�t break out. She has been right � so far, anyway. Inflation could come on fast.
Many commentators have tried to peg Yellen: She�s a Democrat. She�s a Keynesian. She�s a Bernanke acolyte. She cares more about reducing unemployment than fighting inflation. She may be too soft to crack down on inflation before it gets going. Let�s wait and see. Often the circumstances make the chairman. Everyone can speculate based on her history, but no one really knows how a Chairwoman Yellen will play whatever hand the economy deals her.
Bernanke and Yellen recognize that uncertainty hurts the economy. In a speech earlier this year, Yellen spoke approvingly of the �revolution� in communication at the Fed�s policymaking open-market committee. �The revolution in the FOMC�s communication, however, isn�t about technology or speed,� she said. �It�s a revolution in our understanding of how communication can influence the effectiveness of monetary policy.�
Tell us more. We will be listening.
- Chicago Tribune


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Scientists find Achilles' heel of cancer cells
Several substances inhibiting so-called HDAC enzymes have been studied in trials searching for new anti-cancer drugs in recent years. "Trials have shown that HDAC inhibitors are very effective in arresting growth of cultured cancer cells. But apart from a very rare type of lymphoma, these drugs unfortunately do not clinically affect malignant tumors," says Prof. Dr. Olaf Witt, who heads a research department at DKFZ and is pediatrician at the Center for Child and Adolescent Medicine of Heidelberg University Hospital.
In the cell, histone deacetylases (HDAC) are responsible for removing small chemical tags called acetyl groups from histone proteins. Histones serve as coils the genetic material wraps around in the nucleus. The presence or absence of acetyl tags determines where genetic material is accessible and can get transcribed.
Now this is where Witt and his colleagues suspect the reason for the problems in clinical application of HDAC inhibitors. Currently available substances equally block all members of the large family of HDAC enzymes. Thus, they interfere with vital cellular functions and also harm healthy cells. This can lead to severe side effects preventing their administration at a sufficient dosage.
Searching for a solution to this dilemma, Witt's team came across a member of the HDAC family, HDAC11, which was identified only recently. The researchers could show that many cancer cells, including cells of breast, liver and renal cancers, produce extraordinary high levels of HDAC11. This has not been observed in healthy cells, and hardly any specific functions of HDAC11 are known there. "It therefore seemed obvious that a specific HDAC11 inhibitor would specifically target tumor cells, where this enzyme appears to play a critical role," says Dr. Hedwig Deubzer, first author of the article.
As there are no specific HDAC11 inhibitors available yet, the team took a different approach to verify their hypothesis. Using molecular techniques, they turned off production of HDAC11 in breast, colon, prostate and ovarian cancer cell lines and likewise in control cells of healthy tissues. The result: Cancer cells without HDAC11 were impaired in viability and more often underwent cell death (apoptosis). By contrast, loss of HDAC11 did not cause any noticeable changes in normal cells.
"The result suggests that selective blocking of HDAC11 would act exclusively on tumor cells," says Hedwig Deubzer. Numerous highly specific inhibitors against various cancer-relevant enzymes have been developed in recent years, with some of them already approved as drugs. This encourages the Heidelberg research team, jointly with Bayer Healthcare, to look for a suitable substance that specifically targets HDAC11.
HDAC inhibitors belong to a group of drugs classified by researchers as "epigenetically effective" drugs. These agents influence the chemical tags that a cell attaches directly to the genetic material or to the packaging proteins of genetic material such as histones. These tags play a substantial role in regulating gene activity. In the past few years, evidence has been accumulating that epigenetic tagging defects promote cancer development. Novel agents such as HDAC inhibitors are intended to correct such defects.
Explore further


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Special Brazil.
Hello and welcome to my Tropical Paradise,
my name is Thierry Dehove, and I have been living in Anguilla,
BWI since September, 2002, after 30 years in Paris and 5 years
in Bordeaux.
I decided to leave France in order to "see the world".
Since I was a small child, I have always wanted to meet different
people, and discover different cultures and languages.
I created this website (more 200 pages with 450 photos) and
this Tropical Paradise newsletter to share with you this wonderful
island. You will find in it much information about beaches, hotels, "Jazz
on the Beach", the Arawak
Indians, kite
surfing tips and wind reports.
What's New since my last Tropical Paradise
newsletter ?
Kite Trip to Brazil.
During 3 weeks, I went to Brazil with 3 friends
to Ceara (North East) to discover these hugh kite wild and
windy spots.
To check it, please click
One sunday to Hawaii....
One sunday to Wilderness where we expected
swell, a true paradise...
To check it, please
click here
What else do we offer?...
e have established wonderful relationships with Hotel and Villa owners in Anguilla and Saint Martin so that you can be assured that you will get the best Tropical Accommodations and at the best price.
World-class Anguilla accommodations and mouth-watering cuisine, Anguilla is the perfect tropical paradise escape and you can now book your accommodations right here online with us.
We also have relationships with Villa and hotel owners in Saint Martin. Saint Martin has extraordinary dining and accommodations by the beach and it is a wonderful tropical destination for people looking to relax but yet enjoy the fruits of culture, shopping and nightlife.
Imagine being able to learn how to glide across water on a slick board at twenty miles per hour and then lift off like a bird and glide fifty feet through the air. A rush that words really can't describe. You can now make this dream reality by booking Caribbean kite lessons through Tropical Paradise while visiting Anguilla or Saint Martin.
Check out the rates, ask questions and book Kitesurfing lesson online while your visiting Anguilla or Saint Martin.
Tropical Paradise Kite Equipment Shop
Get your orders in now during our 10% off special and shipped right to your door for FREE.
Unbeatable value, customer service and pricing. Order Cabrinha kite equipment now with our unbeatable offers! If you want kitesurfing equipment that allows you to learn faster, ride better and be safer, you can rely on Tropical Paradise for tried and tested kitesurfing equipment at the best price and quality.
After countless hours of research and testing we are pleased to offer you the final TWO weeks of our Cabrinha kite special for all 2007 model kites and accessories. Upgrade today and enjoy all the benefits
Click Here to Visit our Tropical Paradise Kitesurfing Equipment store
We will continue to expand the Cabrinha online outlet store over time to make sure that you always have the best and most up to date equipment to enjoy your kitesurfing adventures.
We are also offering FREE shipping anywhere in USA or Canada.
Come take advantage of our Cabrinha kite equipment special now, click here!
Visit our kitesurfing equipment shop now!
Interesting and Important Information
Wonderful updated photos that we are taking ourselves, or taken by pro phtographer will blow your mind...Enjoy the great articles about everything you want to know, enjoy the water sports videos that we have filmed just for you!!!
Enjoy. That is Tropical Paradise goal.
click here to visit "Photo gallery and articles" page
I would like to thank you all for your support
and especially my friend, Judd.
I met Judd several months ago here in Anguilla, and also taught
him how to kite surf while he was here.
Also, I would ask you to share any of your thoughts or suggestions
with me.
I always appreciate feedback as I am interested in making
each and every newsletter edition as helpful and meaningful
as possible :-)
October, 23rd, 2005
All the Best, Thierry
To see all Tropical Paradise newsletters press here
leave Tropical Paradise October 2005 Newsletter page
and return to Tropical Paradise, please click here
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2004-08 Design by T&T


text: Absher initiative sees success at Etihad Airways 10 Mar 2013 12:06 Etihad Airways has welcomed more than 260 Emirati nationals to its workforce through the Absher initiative, since its launch in June 2012. Etihad Airways has welcomed more than 260 Emirati nationals to its workforce through the Absher initiative, since its launch in June 2012. The Absher initiative was conceived by the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to support Emiratisation and create new jobs for skilled Emiratis in the UAE labour market. To ensure implementation of the Absher initiative is in line with HH the UAE President's vision, His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, monitors developments closely. Etihad Airways is renowned as one of the country's leading employers and has been widely praised for its Emiratisation recruitment strategy. The strategy offers Emiratis exciting and world-class training, in addition to highly attractive career prospects, across the global business. Roles are diverse, including graduate managers, cadet pilots, technical engineers, sales managers, guest service agents, contact centre agents and airport operations managers. As a result, Emiratis now comprise 22.4 per cent of Etihad Airways' core workforce, with more than 1,250 UAE nationals employed across the airline's seven divisions. In line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in June 2012 with the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Etihad Airways hopes to recruit an additional 1500 Emirati citizens to its global team over the next five years. James Hogan, Etihad Airways' President and Chief Executive, said: "As the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, we are committed to employing and empowering Emiratis to play an even greater role in our world-class business. "Our mandate includes introducing new opportunities in the UAE aviation sector for Emiratis, specifically in Abu Dhabi. We have made huge strides, been widely praised for our efforts, and are looking forward to supporting ever more UAE nationals across the business." In March 2011, Etihad Airways received a distinguished honoree award from the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs. The recognition was awarded for the establishment of the Etihad Airways Call Centre at Al Ain, as a unique innovation and achievement in supporting the economic empowerment and inclusion of UAE women in the community. Mona Walid, Vice President Talent Acquisition, Etihad Airways, said: "We are proud to take Emiratisation in the work place to new heights. Our innovative training courses and programmes are designed to ensure UAE nationals can take on roles in all aspects of the airline's operation. "The extensive training programs involve a mixture of classroom learning and hands-on experience. Emiratis spend time in a variety of Etihad departments finding out about all aspects of the airline's business, including operations, customer service, sales and marketing, reservations, contact centres, pricing and ticketing, network and schedule planning, finance and human resources, " she said. More than 35 UAE nationals, who started their careers in one of Etihad Airways' Emiratisation programs, took up positions at the airline's offices and airport destinations across the world. These positions include sales, finance and airport manager roles in Australia, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Morocco, Switzerland, the US, and the United Kingdom. Etihad Airways is also working closely with the Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council, HCT, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi University, and other organisations to improve its ability to recruit nationals within the airline's recruitment strategy and programs, which have achieved great success since being launched in 2007. The airline recently signed an MOU with with Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research with the aim of hiring our UAE national workforce studying abroad, helping them build their career paths in the aviation industry. In recognition of Etihad Airways' world class Emiratisation programmes that were launched in 2007, the airline was awarded "Best Nationalisation Friendly Initiative" in 2011 at the GCC HR Excellence Awards. In 2012, the airline received the Middle East HR Excellence Awards for 'Recruitment Programme of the Year' and 'HR Initiative of the Year'. "Within six years of initiating Emiratisation programmes, Etihad Airways' success was recognised by prestigious international organisations. These remarkable achievements reflect our commitment to attract, develop and, more importantly retain, our highly qualified UAE nationals." Ms Walid said. Ihre Meinung Wenn Sie uns einen Kommentar, ein Lob oder eine Beschwerde schicken möchten oder auch nur eine Frage an uns haben, klicken Sie bitte hier Klicken Sie auf "Gefällt mir" Besuchen Sie unsere Facebook-Seite! Folgen Sie uns auf YouTube Besuchen Sie unseren YouTube-Kanal! Folgen Sie uns Etihad Airways | Etihad Deals | Etihad Hilfe | Etihad Prämien


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Many years ago, I befriended a woman with whom I had nothing in common. In fact, we were far apart in many ways. She was one of the "cool people" that a self-professed nerd like me might never get to know. However, academic circumstances brought us together, and we became good friends. What struck me the most about her, when we first became more closely acquainted, was how "human" she turned out to be. From my original point of view, this woman seemed to have it all; she appeared completely self-confident and self-possessed, she was remarkably beautiful, and she maintained an aura of perfection that seemed unattainable to us mere mortals.
Over time we got to know one another, and a real friendship began to develop. This woman began to reveal just how challenging things were for her. First of all, she was not perfect, although I found that hard to believe. At that age, I believed that we were all socially divided into some "have/have not scheme" when it came to perfection. To that end, I was solidly "have not" material, but she appeared to be at the top of the perfection pyramid! Having this image thrust upon her brought forth tremendous expectations from others, expectations that she could never feel good about meeting. Whether it was from her parents, from our teachers, or from our peers, she struggled to keep the surface shiny and to keep everything moving. Inside, she was the same insecure mess that I was. What a revelation!
Our friendship was an oddity, but it did carry on for some time. Although we eventually grew apart, her friendship remains in my heart as a reminder that things are not always what they seem.
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. Talk about images of perfection, no woman has more of them floating around than our Blessed Mother! Blond haired and blue-eyed, always clad in a startling shade of blue that does not seem to exist in nature, Mary is perfect. That part is true – she is. However, we put so many images on her, how do we really come to know and celebrate Mary in ways that clearly show her place in our lives? Somehow I believe that if we start – and stop – with perfect, we loose the deeper meaning. Remember, things are not always what they seem.
Mary has such a remarkable place in salvation history. First of all, she is the very first believer! From the moment of the Annunciation, and with her eternal "yes," she changes the course of history by this consent. This is a kind of perfection that we rarely consider when we think about perfection, the perfection of saying yes, with a complete commitment from a deep well of spirit.
Today we heard the Aaronic blessing in the Book of Numbers proclaiming God's loving care for God's people. The Lord is looking upon us all, looking upon us kindly and wanting to give us peace and bountiful blessings. The arc of that peace takes us from the beginning of time, to the time of Mary's agreement. It was she who agreed to deliver us that peace, in the life of the child that she was about to bear. Talk about things not always being what they seem!
In Mary's day, no one would have thought she was perfect. In fact, quite the opposite; she was in a compromised condition, both socially and religiously, as far from perfect as could be. Mary had to know the risks, yet she still said yes, and the Lord blessed us richly as a result. This reminder that things are not always what they seem, is also a message of great hope.
Continuing with that message of hope, St. Paul, in the letter to the Galatians, reminds us "God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts." Not only has God done this great thing for us, but God has chosen to do so in a very particular way, "God sent his son, born of a woman." Mary was no accidental surrogate mother, but a clear choice. That choice of Mary also was her chance to make a choice, and she chose yes. Now God has come to us in human form, in the most astounding expression of love that we will ever know. No longer are we slaves, we are told, but we are children, heirs of God, through Christ.
Today Mary may seem to us the very image of perfection. We should understand that kind of perfection in a way that pushes us past superficial imagery, and into the depth of understanding of what her role in our lives is meant to be. Unlike any cool image of perfection, Mary reflects the true perfection of God's love in the world. Perfection is not always what it seems, is it?
What we hear about in today's Gospel from Luke expresses something else about perfection, something much deeper. This is the dissonance of perfection against a backdrop of social stigma and shoddy surroundings. Mary and Joseph, with the child Jesus, are in the same spot as all the animals. This is as far from the "ritual perfection" expected at that time. Things may look one way, but they are another.
This is a kind of perfection amidst the gritty reality of life, as Mary, Joseph and Jesus find themselves in the only spot that they can settle into, a spot that no one else will take. "Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart," says Luke. That is a very different kind of perfection than perfect skin, blond hair, as well as a certain shade of blue for Mary's clothing or her eyes. Mary was not at all like my seemingly perfect friend from 20 years ago. My friend "seemed" perfect… Our mother Mary, Mary the Mother of God is perfect.
What we find in Mary, and the message that she brings us is this; God longs for us. Over time, God was interacting with God's people, on a journey towards peace, reconciliation and salvation. From the Aaronic blessing, to countless other stories in Scripture, we find God drawing closer and closer. Then God surprises us by going a whole other direction, the direction of his Son and our savior, Jesus who is Christ! With this direction, which is brought to us through Mary, the Mother of God, we are offered the greatest gift of all.
This perfect life is the perfection of God born to a woman, bringing us God's kindness and God's peace, bringing us salvation and new life, bringing us into God's family as never before. We were always God's children, but it was through Mary, who bore Jesus, who makes this perfection come to us in such a profound way. And in this way we remember that things are not always what they seem.


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This help page will show you how to manage daily and weekly routines/rituals using checklists in the LightArrow app.1. First, create a checklist and add all the items that need to be accomplished for the morning routine. From the modern dashboard view tap the '+' button on the bottom toolbar and then tap the "Checklist" button.
From the "New Checklist" view enter a name for the checklist. In this example calling the checklist "Morning Routine".
Part of the morning routine is running for 30 minutes. To do add that to the morning routing tap the '+' button in the middle toolbar, and then tap the "Activity" button.
Then scroll down to until I see running in the list, and then tap that row. From the "Running" view enter 30 and then tap the "Save" button.
After saving tap the back button, and that takes you back to the checklist view.
Next add a task to pack lunch for work.
Then repeat until you've added all the items that are needed in the morning routine.
Next, create a checklist for your Evening Routine.
Then create a checklist for your Weekly Routine.
2. Check off items on the list as you complete them by tapping checking them off. Then tap the "Save" button for the checklist.
3. To pin the checklist to the "Agenda" view tap the "Pin to Agenda" button on the checklist toolbar.
Then from the "Agenda" view you'll see the checklist is pinned. Repeat and pin the rest of the checklists to the "Agenda" view.
4. From the checklist view you can also pin the checklist to cards on the modern dashboard.
From the modern dashboard view you can also pin the checklists to specific cards by tapping the pin button in the upper right hand of the card. This makes the pin easily accessible from the modern dashboard. After tapping the pin button then tap the "Items" option.
Next, scroll down until you see "Checklists" and then tap that row. Then tap the checklist you want to pin to the "Productivity" card. If there is a star on that row it means that item has already been pinned.
Now you see the "Morning Routine" is pinned to the "Productivity" card.
5. Finally, when you start the next day you can clear out the checklists first thing and then reuse them. Open the checklist view and uncheck all the items in the list, then tap the "Save" button.


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Home > Public Services > Stop DWI Student Assembly Program
Each year, the Bar Association's Criminal Law Committee, the Erie County District Attorney's Office and local law enforcement agencies combine efforts to present the Stop DWI Student Assembly Program. The program targets high school juniors and seniors during prom season and a panel - comprised of an attorney, a police officer or state trooper and a victim of drunk driving - depict realistic perspectives of the legal ramifications and devasting effects of driving while intoxicated. The program has had a considerable impact on attendees and is presented at approximately a dozen high schools each year.
For more information, contact Susan L. Kohlbacher at 716-852-8687 (ext. 120) or e-mail at email@example.com


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WALTHAM, Mass.- Sparked by a career night from junior guard Janelle Rodriguez (Peabody, Mass./ Peabody Veterans), the Brandeis women's basketball team cruised to a 68-50 victory in University Athletic Association (UAA) play against the University of Chicago at Red Auerbach Arena. The Judges never trailed tonight as they improved to 9-14 (3-9 UAA) while the Maroons dropped to 7-16 (3-9 UAA).
Rodriguez's career night came with an excellent shooting game. She tied career-highs by shooting 66.7% from the field (8-12) and hitting four 3-pointers, while setting career-highs with 22 points, eight made field goals (double her previous career-high), and six assists. Rodriguez led Brandeis to a 33-21 halftime lead with 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting including two from long range. She made sure the Judges would not relinquish their lead by adding another 12 points after the break, again on 4-for-6 shooting, including another two trifectas.
In the first half, Brandeis got off to an excellent start, scoring the first seven points of the contest. The Judges did not relent, building their lead to 15 points on three separate occasions. A Rodriguez trey gave the Judges a 25-10 lead, a layup by junior forward Nicolina Vitale (Clinton Township, Mich./ Chippewa Valley) gave them a 31-16 edge, and a layup by senior center Angela Miller (Sicklerville, N.J./ Timber Creek) provided Brandeis with a 33-18 advantage with 1:18 remaining on the clock. Maroons' rookie guard Paige Womack (Plano, Texas/ Plano West) cut into the Judges lead with a 3-pointer just before the half to make it a 33-21 game at the break.
In the second period, Brandeis refused to allow the visitors back into the contest. Vitale's jumper with 13:35 remaining in the contest gave the Judges their largest lead of the game at 48-27 to cap a 15-6 run to open the half. Despite a spirited 11-0 run by Chicago following Vitale's bucket, the Maroons would never get within single digits. Rodriguez stopped the bleeding with her third basket from downtown and Brandeis went on to win, 68-50.
The Judges were led by Rodriguez's night of 22 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Senior forward Erika Higginbottom (Millbury, Mass./ Worcester Academy) joined her in double-digits with 10 points while classmate Courtney Ness (Norwich, Vt./ Hanover, N.H.) and Vitale led the reserves with eight points apiece. Starters senior center Samantha Anderson(Johnsonville, N.Y./ Hoosic Valley) and junior guard Kasey Dean (Southbury, Conn./ Pomperaug) each chipped in another seven points while Dean pulled down seven boards and Anderson had another five. Ness led the squad with 10 rebounds, nearly securing a double-double, and helped Brandeis to a 44-25 advantage on the glass. Rodriguez led the team with six assists while sophomore guard Hannah Cain (Gloucester, Mass./ Gloucester)added four helpers to go with a team-leading two blocks and three steals.
Chicago was led by junior guard Julie Muguira (Boise, Idaho/ Bishop Kelly) who scored 10 points including three trifectas, while sophomore guard Morgan Donovan (Cincinnati, Ohio/ Ursuline Academy) and Womack each added eight. Sophomore guard Claire Devaney (Washington, D.C./ St. Andrew's) had a team-high six rebounds and three assists. Sophomore forward Ellie Greiner (Cincinnati, Ohio/ Ursuline Academy) led the Maroons with two steals.
The Judges continue their UAA slate on Sunday February 17th on Senior Day against #14 Washington University (Mo.) with a 1:00 p.m. tip-off at Red Auerbach Arena. Chicago stays on the road for a UAA contest with NYU on the same day at 2:00 p.m.


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The expansion is so close I can taste it. Once everyone gets themselves to 80, Naxxramas is going to be on the menu so I think it is worthwhile to talk about some of the encounters so people will know what to expect before they get there. There have certainly been some tweaks to the encounters to balance them for 10/25 people, but the broad strokes and major mechanics are the same as they were in the 40 man version. I haven't played in the beta and I haven't read anything about how encounters have been altered so don't rely on this as gospel.
The first boss in the spider wing is Anub'rekhan and it is a pretty simple fight once you get the movement right. The room is a big circle with the boss at 12 o'clock and he is flanked by two crypt fiends. On the pull the MT runs straight through the boss and pull him back towards the alcove at 12 o'clock. The other tank/tanks need to bring the crypt fiends to 9 o'clock. The crypt fiends have a stacking buff that increases their damage and attack speed so if they are left alive for too long, they will kill the tanks. So the dps needs to kill the crypt fiends before they start working on the boss. But the crypt fiends can cast an immobilizing web wrap on the tank. A pally tank should be able to BoF out of the web wrap, druids should be able to shift out and a warrior with warbringer should be able to intervene to someone to break the snare so it shouldn't be a big problem, but the dps needs to be aware of it because killing the crypt fiends before they get to the 9 o'clock position can cause big problems.
Once the crypt fiends are dealt with, dps can switch to the boss. Most ranged dps and healers should be standing in the middle of the room on the big green circle. But you want to have a mage or two standing at 9 o'clock where the crypt fiends were killed. The boss has an ability called Corpse Explosion that he can cast on any corpse in the room – players and NPCs. When the boss explodes a corpse, a bunch of scarabs spawn and they don't have a lot of HP and they don't do much damage, but if any of them aggro the MT, you are in serious trouble. So you have your mages on top of the crypt fiend corpses so that when the scarabs spawn, the mages can frost nova them and AoE them down.
The boss also has an ability called Impale that targets random people in the raid. That person, and anyone near them get launched up in the air. The impale does some initial damage and then the people take fall damage as well. Between the initial hit and the fall damage, Impale will take roughly 50% of your HP. There isn't any raid damage other than Impale so it should be easy to keep everyone topped off and then Impale won't kill anyone. It important that no one gets killed by impale because it would mean a corpse in the raid and therefore scarabs spawning out of position so they don't get taken out by the mages.
Now for the fun part. Roughly every 100 seconds the boss uses an ability called Locust Swarm. Locust Swarm hits everyone within a 30 yard radius of the boss and afflicts them with a stacking dot that does a whole bunch of damage and it applies a total silence/pacify effect – you can move around but you can't do anything else, not even auto attack. The dot does enough damage that it will pretty easily kill the tank if he gets more than a few stacks. But Locust Swarm also reduces Anub'rekhan's movement speed by 40%.
Around the outside edge of the room there is a mote of green slime that doesn't go quite all the way to the wall. The MT is going to position himself so that the small ledge on the outside of the slime is directly behind him so that when the boss starts the 2 second Locust Swarm cast, the tank can immediately turn around and start kiting the boss. The tank has to take extreme care not to touch the green slime because it reduces your stats by 50% for a few seconds. The tank also has to take extreme care not to run into the wall and get caught up for a second because if the boss catches the tank, the tank is probably going to die. You are going to have a hunter in the tanks group who is also on that ledge and when the boss starts the locust swarm cast, the hunter will turn on aspect of the pack. The run speed increase from AotP is enough so that the tank can safely out-range the boss while Locust Swarm is active.
If the scarabs that spawn from corpse explosions aren't managed properly and one of the aggros the tank, then the tank will get dazed while AotP is up and he will take too many stacks of the dot and he will die. If the tank clips against the wall and gets meleed by the boss, he will get dazed and take too many stacks of the dot and he will die. If the hunter is slow turning on AotP then the tank won't be able to get away from the boss and he will take too many stacks of the dot and he will die. It is important for the healers to put HoTs on the tank before he starts the kite because even if everything goes well, its still possible for the tank to get 1-2 stacks of the dot so having HoTs on the tank is important.
The tank will kite the boss from 12 o'clock, around the outer edge of the room, through 3 o'clock and down to 6 o'clock – where you entered the room. In the time it takes for the tank to do the kite, Locust Swarm will have run its duration. The tank will resume tanking the boss and will get him positioned so that he can kite back up to 12 o'clock along the same side of the room when the boss casts Locust Swarm again. Also, when the boss casts Locust Swarm, a new crypt fiend spawns at 12 o'clock and the OT will have to pick it up and drag it over to 9 o'clock. If the OT tries to run over to the new crypt fiend it is likely that he will get hit by Locust Swarm so the tank ought to wait in the raid for the crypt fiend to come to him or have a hunter MD it to him. During the kite phase, there is no reason for anyone to be DPSing the boss, doing so only puts them in a position where they are likely to be hit by Locust Swarm. Instead, all the DPS should be waiting for the crypt fiend to get into position and then burning it down.
The fight really comes down to how well the tank can do the kite. It may take a few pulls for the ranged/healers to figure out that taking risks in the fight is a bad idea and that they just needs to GTFO when Locust Swarm is coming and it may take a few pulls for the tank/hunter kiting team to figure out how to run the narrow path between the slime and the wall, but once you get that squared away, its just rinse and repeat.