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Appliance collects and analyzes logs from every device on a network
To top it off, being fluent in all the different log file formats is next to impossible for most human beings. A network appliance that specifically gathers and analyzes all of the log files in your system would really come in handy in this situation.
LogRhythm 5.1
Pros: User interface not difficult to learn, very effective in finding systems.Cons: Large initial cost.Performance: AEase of use: A-Features: AValue: B+Price: $25,000
LogRhythm 5.1 is a quite extensive log management, analysis and event management solution for pretty much any size of network. It gets the log data from every computer and other device on your network and analyzes them once they are all in one place. Once this is done, a network administrator can look at activity through a single user interface and can find out things that would take hours to discover by looking at the various raw log files themselves.
The reason LogRhythm can do this quickly is that the developers broke it down into a few key components, each of which can be run on separate computers if the need warrants it.
The Log Manager is the device that actually gathers the log data from the computers and determines whether a particular log message needs to be sent to the next level. If so, the Event Manager acts on the particular log message, depending on what rules have been set up. The Console is the user interface that shows the accumulated events and allows the network administrator to investigate and make rule changes.
LogRhythm comes in a variety of implementations. The one we looked at was a single, 2U rackmountable appliance that contained all three components. Larger implementations might have the Log Manager and Event Manager on separate machines, or even have multiple Log Managers responsible for different parts of the network.
Connecting the appliance to the network was not difficult, although learning what functions the console program was capable of took some time. The Log Manager's ability to automatically find devices on our network impressed us greatly.
Once the logs were all gathered, the user interface displayed a dashboard view of recent log messages and events. Pretty much anything we clicked on in this view brought up a more detailed list of log messages. We were able to sort or filter this list by any of the fields simply by clicking the column header and selecting what we wanted to do.
Of course, LogRhythm will automatically find and collect log data from pretty much every platform out there and had no problem finding all of the computers on our test network. However, LogRhythm also provides an Agent that can be installed on a network server. The Agent collects that computer's log data and sends it to the Log Manager.
This has a couple of benefits. First, it reduces the resource load on the Log Manager, since that is one fewer machine whose logs need collecting. Second, the single, periodic transmission of the log bundle requires only one open channel, as opposed to the three that would be typically used in the constant back-and-forth between the Log Manager and that computer. So, although the Agent isn't necessary for LogRhythm to function, it could be desired in more secure setups.
One of the things LogRhythm impressed us with was its efforts to meet the validation requirements in the Federal Information Processing Standards. LogRhythm has ensured that the communication between each of its component systems, as well as between the Agent software and the Log Manager, can be configured to operate using all FIPS-validated crypto algorithms. Since this can be a tricky process, LogRhythm offers instructions on how to set up its products in a FIPS-validated mode, which should make it a bit easier to comply with government mandates.
The one possible weak point of the LogRhythm 5.1 is its price. For the single-appliance solution we had in the lab, LogRhythm has set the price at $25,000. We felt this might be a bit higher than many organizations would want to pay, but considering the literally hundreds of hours of log mining it could save, it is not an unreasonable price.
LogRhythm also offers other implementations, such as software that you install on your own servers, so there should be a pricing level that most network administrators can live with.
LogRhythm, www.logrhythm.com
About the Author
Greg Crowe is a former GCN staff writer who covered mobile technology.
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The sobering June 2013 rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court on same-sex marriage send a clear message that religious freedom in this country will face unprecedented attacks. Parents might wonder how long they can protect their children's innocence in this culture—especially when it comes to the impact on the public education system.
But there are some bright lights of hope in the midst of the darkness—like the courage of parents in Erie, Ill., a small town of about 1,500, who managed to resist a national pressure campaign waged by liberal media and one of the nation's largest homosexual activist groups.
"When parents are confident, they can do incredible things," observed Aaron Sweeney, a local youth pastor, who got involved after receiving phone calls from concerned parents. The controversy began when parents discovered plans to introduce materials from GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) at their pre-kindergarten through fourth grade elementary school. Of particular concern was a toolkit that encouraged teachers to "invite students" as young as kindergarten to "draw pictures of favorite TV or storybook characters and dress them in clothes that are different …. from what they would typically wear," such as "Cinderella in a knight's armor" or "Spiderman wearing a magic tiara."
The kit also encouraged educators to use storybooks that familiarized young children with same-sex marriage and transgender or cross-dressing behaviors. Suggested books included Uncle Bobby's Wedding, which features two male guinea pigs who get married.
When parents objected, the school board voted to remove the materials. That's when the pressure campaign began. "We've never experienced anything like this," explained Sweeny at the time. "People in our town have been called insulting names by angry bloggers. They've gotten phone calls to their home and hate emails from people who don't even live here."
At first, those tactics were intimidating. But then likeminded parents drew strength from one another. One of the resources that encouraged them most was Focus' website for parents, TrueTolerance.org, explained Sweeney: "The biggest thing was the confidence boost. Before we had Focus on the Family and TrueTolerance.org there was often a defeated attitude." But then "a lot of parents looked at TrueTolerance.org, and when they did, that's when they realized we cannot only fight this, we can win this."
Not only did the parents successfully make their voices heard in a grace-filled and reasonable way, which resulted in the school board maintaining its original stance, but one of the parents who spoke up later won an election to the school board.
While stories like this might be inspiring, parents or concerned citizens can still feel overwhelmed when it comes to figuring out what's happening in their local schools. Anticipating that need, TrueTolerance.org has unveiled a new resource—a free, downloadable "Empowering Parents" how-to guide. The guide provides easy-to-use tools, including: 1) a checklist that walks parents through simple ways to begin researching their schools system, as well as red flags that could indicate a problem, and 2) tips on what to do and how to respond if parents see something of concern on the checklist.
For instance, parents can "meet resistance with facts," rather than using emotionally loaded words, advises the kit. "It's hard to dispute visual, factual examples as mere parental overreactions." Alongside tips like these are clickable and scanable links to fact sheets that can help parents express their concerns, a "Parents' Bill of Rights," as well as examples of concerning materials that can crop up in schools.
"Our main goal behind this resource—and the website itself—is to give parents, grandparents and legal guardians the message that they are not alone and they are not powerless when it comes to safeguarding their children's innocence," said Candi Cushman, director of TrueTolerance.org and Focus' education analyst. "Their voice is backed by national groups like Focus on the Family who want to help give them the confidence they need to be proactive about speaking up for their family's values."

subset: commoncrawl


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The big business of the fiscal cliff
The fiscal cliff is big business in Washington.
Message men, lobbyists, grassroots firms and lawyers are raking in cash as Congress and the White House argue about how to avoid a fiscal calamity at the end of the year — threatening spending cuts, tax hikes and changes to entitlement programs.
Story Continued Below
It's a classic Washington phenomenon: Ahead of a major deal, corporate clients and other groups pay a premium to the Washington influence machinery to make sure their interests are protected.
( Also on POLITICO: White House: 'Absolutely' willing to go off cliff)
Republican and Democratic consultants say the recent surge in newly inked contracts is particularly good news since the presidential election has meant a slow six months in town.
"It's springtime in Washington in January," said Rich Gold, head of Holland & Knight's public policy practice, giving the example that his firm went on eight client pitches this week, up from about one per week two months ago.
Republican operative Jade West of the National Association of Wholesale-Distributors said this lame-duck session is even hotter than most.
( Also on POLITICO: The 37 percent solution?)
"Everybody has got a nose under the tent," West said of activity surrounding the fiscal cliff. "We've got major tax policy, fiscal policy and everybody is engaged. You are seeing a coalition to defend a reduction in tax dividends and several others that have been in existence. More have popped up on the other side of the spectrum."
West runs the Tax Relief Coalition, which has ramped up its efforts asking members to activate their grass-roots networks.
The Campaign to Fix the Debt has had the most stratospheric rise. By far the most high-profile group to come out of the fiscal crisis, the group has grown to 80 employees, anticipates having 22 state offices online soon with new operations in Arizona, Indiana, Utah, Minnesota and Louisiana and is about to announce 2,500 small-business leaders have joined the campaign.
While the lobbying has been left largely to its president, Maya MacGuineas, and its CEO members so far to press their case on Capitol Hill, the coalition is also looking to bring on additional manpower in its legislative strategy team, according to sources familiar with the organization.
"Our intention is to build the largest grass-roots mobilization campaign on this issue," said Fix the Debt spokesman Jon Romano. "We firmly believe in a campaign built on an in-house campaign. The press shop is here, we have a rapid response team, folks that are focused on national TV and radio and a daily national team."
The coalition, which has raised $42 million by engaging CEOs to write checks for as much as $1 million is also outsourcing some of its workload.
A trio of senior Washington hands, including Mark Isakowitz of Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock; Jeff Peck of Peck, Madigan, Jones & Stewart; and Pat Griffin of management consulting firm Griffin/Williams, are also on board as paid advisors. Dewey Square Group and DCI Group are handling grass-roots outreach for the coalition and Burson-Marsteller's subsidiary Proof Integrated Communications has created the print ads running in major media outlets inside the Beltway that have used popular slogans like "Just Fix it" and "I'm Fixin' it" of companies like Nike and McDonald's.


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Elton John
Introducing the inimitable, outrageous, larger-than-life king of the charts.
Elton John has delivered everything we want from a rock star and more—wild rock anthems, searing ballads, undiluted exuberance, duck costumes—for almost fifty years. And he shows no sign of stopping.
Elton John is among the most successful musical artists of the modern era.
In terms of popularity, he ranks with Elvis Presley and the Beatles among rock and rollers. Moreover, his longevity as an active recording artist surpasses both of them. In 1992 he broke Presley's old record for the most consecutive years of Top 40 hits on Billboard's singles chart, having been a continual presence every year since "Your Song" debuted in December 1970. A multifaceted talent, John excels as both a ballad-oriented singer/songwriter and a flamboyant rock and roll star. He is also a first-rate musician who elevated the role of piano in a medium theretofore dominated by guitars.
John emerged from the obscurity of a British song publisher's office in a meteoric rise to superstar status during the Seventies. Toting a wardrobe of outrageous costumes and glasses, he was the consummate live entertainer, providing a splashy, larger-than-life visual spectacle to complement his music. He helped usher rock into the arenas during the decade when that conquest became a sign of dominance. John and longtime lyricist and partner Bernie Taupin identified and shaped the mood of the Seventies from its inception. Given to roughly equal numbers of ballads and rockers, John's output was as critical to this decade as the Beatles were to the Sixties and Presley to the Fifties. There was even a bit of overlap between the Beatles and Elton John, as John had the most successful Beatles cover ever with his 1974 version of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"—which featured John Lennon as guest guitarist.
Reginald Kenneth Dwight was born on March 25, 1947 in Pinner, a suburb of London. He displayed early promise on the piano and was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Royal Academy of Music, where he enrolled in a program for musically gifted children. Though tutored in the classics, his heart belonged to rock and roll, especially Ray Charles, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. Early on, he joined a band called Bluesology, a blue-eyed soul group whose members included singer Long John Baldry and sax player Elton Dean. (The combination of their first names provided Reg Dwight with the stage name "Elton John.") John met lyricist Bernie Taupin when both answered a June 1967 ad placed by Liberty Records in the British music paper New Musical Express. Thus began a prolific partnership that endures to this day.
If John's earliest albums—Empty Sky (1969), Elton John (1970) and Tumbleweed Connection (1970)—established him as a solid arrival on the rock scene, his concert performances sent his career into orbit. The Elton John Band—the Seventies core of which included guitarist Davey Johnstone, bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson—was an onstage powerhouse. John's flamboyant stage wardrobe included ostrich feathers, $5,000 spectacles that spelled his name in lights, a Statue of Liberty costume and more. He would take the stage attired as Donald Duck or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the game of sartorial one-upmanship during the over-the-top Seventies, Elton John was without peer.
All the while he steadily amassed a formidable catalog of recordings, their classic status being all the more amazing for the prolific pace at which he worked. During 1971 alone, four new Elton John albums made their appearance on Billboard's album chart: the western-themed Tumbleweed Connection; the soundtrack to an obscure film, Friends (1971); the live album 11-17-70 (1971), recorded on that date at a New York radio station's studio; and Madman Across the Water (1971), which contained the favorites "Tiny Dancer," "Levon" and the brooding title track. Honky Chateau, which appeared in 1972, was top-heavy with classic tracks, including "Honky Cat" and "Rocket Man." The latter was a profound match of words and music that used space travel as a metaphor for spiritual isolation.
In 1973 John launched his own custom label Rocket Records. That peak year saw the release of the poppy, hit-filled Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player ("Crocodile Rock" and "Daniel,") and the more thoughtful, album-oriented double-LP Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. John had already racked up five Top Forty hits prior to the release of Don't Shoot Me, but the floodgates opened in the wake of the chart-topping success of that album's "Crocodile Rock." In the three-year period from 1973 to 1976, John amassed fifteen hit singles, including six that went to Number One ("Crocodile Rock," "Bennie and the Jets," "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "Philadelphia Freedom," "Island Girl," "Don't Go Breaking My Heart") and three that reached Number Two ("Daniel," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"). Those fifteen singles logged a combined one hundred fifty-six weeks from 1973 to 1976, which is to say that, on average, an Elton John single could be found in the Top Forty every week for three years. In other words, Elton John completely dominated the rock world in the mid-Seventies.
Moreover, John wasn't just a highly successful singles artist. From 1972 to 1975, he released seven consecutive albums that topped the charts: Honky Chateau (1972, Number One for five weeks), Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player (1973, Number One for two weeks), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973, Number One for eight weeks), Caribou (1974, Number One for four weeks), Elton John—Greatest Hits (1974, Number One for ten weeks), Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975, Number One for seven weeks) and Rock of the Westies (1975, Number One for three weeks). These seven albums topped the album chart for a combined total of thirty-nine weeks, which is to say an Elton John album was ensconced at Number One every fourth week or so during the mid-Seventies. Sales figures and chart statistics such as these place Elton John in a rarefied class with the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Garth Brooks and Bob Dylan.
In 1974 John became director of a professional soccer team, the Watford Football Club. On Thanksgiving Day of that year, he coaxed a reclusive John Lennon onstage for three songs during a Madison Square Garden concert that turned out to be Lennon's final public performance. The charmed year of 1975 began with Elton John—Greatest Hits lodged at Number One. Later that year, two albums of new material—Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, a musical autobiography about Elton John and Bernie Taupin, his longtime lyricist, and the more straightforward, rock-oriented Rock of the Westies—entered the album chart at Number One, a previously unprecedented feat.
John's exhausting pace tapered off as the Seventies wound down. John and Taupin took a two-year hiatus from each other, during which time they worked with other writers. They resumed their partnership by co-writing several songs on 21 at 33 (1980), and 1983's Too Low for Zero was their first fully collaborative album of the Eighties. The rest of the decade found John working less furiously, though no less successfully, charting almost exactly as many Top 40 singles during that decade as he had in the previous one. Among them was "Sacrifice," taken from 1990's Sleeping With the Past, which reached Number One in his British homeland.
Elton John remained active and viable in the Nineties, adding a tireless devotion to AIDS-related issues to his resume. Among other things, he established the Elton John AIDS foundation to provide funds for services to people living with HIV/AIDS and for educational programs targeting AIDS prevention. Meanwhile, oblivious to trends or the passage of time, John continued his hit-making ways. He scored a Number One single in 1992 with a live remake of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (a duet with George Michael) and reached Number Four in 1994 with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," from the soundtrack to the Disney film The Lion King. Five songs from that animated feature were composed by John and lyricist Tim Rice.
The year 1997 was an eventful one for John, marked by both triumph and tragedy. He lost two close friends, Britain's Princess Diana and Italian designer Gianni Versace, under tragic circumstances. On the other hand, his tribute single to Diana, "Candle in the Wind 1997"—which was produced in a day by George Martin—became a phenomenal success that helped the whole world in its grieving. It sold more than 33 million copies, becoming the biggest single in history, and raised over 20 million pounds (roughly 30 million U.S. dollars) for the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Fund. In early 1998 Elton John was knighted in his British homeland. That same year, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that John was the second top-selling solo artist of all time (behind Garth Brooks), with a grand total of 60.6 million units sold.
John reprised his collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice for Disney's Broadway musical Aida (based on Verdi's opera), which opened in March 2000 and won four Tony Awards. As luck would have it, John co-wrote the music for the spring season's two most popular Broadway musicals: The Lion King and Aida. He returned to the world of rock and roll in with a concert at New York's Madison Square Garden that was released as Elton John—One Night Only (The Greatest Hits). In 2001, he released an album, Songs from the West Coast, that harked back in spirit and approach to earlier classics like Tumbleweed Connection.
Inductee: Elton John (piano, vocals; born March 25, 1947)


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It's new lipstick day!
Estee Lauder's Creative Make Up Director Tom Pecheux has created a range of 45 new lipstick shades in two formulas; Long Lasting Lipstick and Crystal Lipstick.
There are 27 Long Lasting Lipsticks in Satin Creme (high pigmentation and a soft shiny finish) and Lustrous Shimmer (a multi faceted finish).
Then there are 18 Crystal Lipsticks in Sheer Creme (sheer soft shine finish) and Brilliant Shimmer (multi faced effect).
Here are the pretties! You know what I like about Estee Lauder lipsticks? The smell. It's like champagne.
I chose a lipstick from the Long Lasting range and the Crystal range.
Since I am all for something soft and pretty for spring, I choose Pink Ambition from the Long Lasting range and Crystal Baby. Both rather sensible choices! It was hard to choose, because if you look at the colour charts below, there's some really nice sounding shades.
There doesn't look like there's a ton of difference with the pigmentation although the crystal lipstick has more shine.
Pink Ambition:
This is a very pretty lipstick indeed with a super soft texture and a nice amount of pigment – not too opaque and left my lips very soft. I also concur that it lasted a good 5 hours (which my constant cups of coffee) and left a slight stain!
Crystal Baby:
Crystal baby is a soft brown/pink and it is really very natural. I love it! It's like a nude but subtle and without the 'dead' look some nudes have. This is my staple colour at the moment.
Colour charts:
The colours are on sale in Harrods and will launch nationwide from the 28th February 2011. They cost £18 each.
Which colours take your fancy? Next on my wishlist would be Hint of Peach and Apricot Sun.


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January 27, 2018, 2:46 am
Zach LaVine scored 10 points on 3-of-17 shooting (2-of-8 3PTs) with three rebounds and one assist over 26 minutes in Friday's loss to the Lakers.
LaVine's just under 30 minutes now on his minutes limit and it might be a week or two until he has his legs underneath him. He's not a must-start player but that moment is coming soon.
Fantasy News
November 14, 2019, 2:07 amLeBron JamesSF, Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James put together a double-double in Wednesday's 120-94 win against the Warriors, ending with 23 points, six rebounds, 12 assists, a steal and a block.
James is now averaging 11.1 assists per game and is still getting his when it comes to scoring. He is just inside the top-25 right now and will keep filling the stat sheet all season.
November 14, 2019, 1:58 amKyle KuzmaPF, Los Angeles Lakers
Kyle Kuzma started and finished Wednesday night's contest with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting, five rebounds, two assists, and three 3-pointers.
Kuzma has put together a nice streak of games. He adds scoring and 3-pointers, but can't find a way to help teams in other categories. Kuzma will likely end up having late-round value at this pace.
November 14, 2019, 1:53 amJaVale McGeeC, Los Angeles Lakers
JaVale McGee put up a double-double on Wednesday, finishing with 18 points, 17 boards, two assists, three steals and three blocks.
McGee was the better center in this contest and played 28 minutes to Dwight Howard's (15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one block) 20 minutes. McGee put up one of his best performances of the season, but it's hard to get too excited by one night of work. Howard seems to be the center to own for the Lakers.
November 14, 2019, 1:46 amD'Angelo RussellPG, Golden State Warriors
D'Angelo Russell ended the night with 21 points, two rebounds, eight assists, a steal and a block.
Russell is clearly the go-to option on this Golden State team. He is a top-40 guy right now and has the potential to keep that up for the rest of the year.
November 14, 2019, 1:40 amDraymond GreenPF, Golden State Warriors
Draymond Green didn't contribute much on Wednesday, ending with 10 points, only one rebound, five assists, a steal, a block and two 3-pointers.
Green contributed in each category, barely. It was nice to see him knock down a couple shots from beyond the arc, but these are hardly the numbers owners were expecting when taking Green in the early rounds. He is currently returning top-125 value and could be a great buy-low opportunity, but it's hard to trust much on the Warriors right now.
November 14, 2019, 1:35 amWillie Cauley-SteinC, Golden State Warriors
Willie Cauley-Stein scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting and added five rebounds, three assists and two blocks on Wednesday.
Cauley-Stein had the best game of the Golden State big men (Marquese Chriss ended scoreless with six boards, two assists and two blocks) and is having a top-100 year so far. He might be doing it quietly, but it's hard to fault you if want to pick up Cauley-Stein now.
November 14, 2019, 1:28 amEric PaschallPF, Golden State Warriors
Eric Paschall came off the bench on Wednesday and dropped 15 points with three rebounds.
Paschall still logged 32 minutes but didn't stuff the stat sheet like we have seen in the past. He put a nice move on LeBron, but he is starting to regress despite taking 15 shots in this one. If you picked him up, he is worth holding onto for a bit longer.
November 14, 2019, 1:19 amDamian LillardPG, Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard had trouble finding his rhythm in Wedensday night's 114-106 loss to the Raptors, ending with nine points (2-for-12 shooting), 10 assists, two blocks and two from deep.
Lillard had a rough time finding the bottom of the net in this one, but still managed to get 10 dimes and two blocks. Lillard is a top-5 player right now and there is no reason to worry after tonight's performance.
November 14, 2019, 1:14 amCJ McCollumSG, Portland Trail Blazers
C.J. McCollum finished the night with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, a steal, a block and hitting three shots from deep on Wednesday.
McCollum has been shaky this season and it was nice to see an uptick in 3-pointers and rebounds in this one. He will likely pick it up as the season continues, and if you're looking for a buy-low candidate, this might be a good target for you.
November 14, 2019, 1:10 amRodney HoodSG, Portland Trail Blazers
Rodney Hood (back spams) returned to action on Wednesday night and dropped 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, two boards, an assist and five 3-pointers.
Hood looks like someone that should be owned in standard leagues as he is providing nice numbers from deep and shooting 50 percent from the field this season. He's currently inside the top-120.


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Wondering where your favorite show went? Don't fret! An all-new season premieres this September. In the meantime, catch your old favorites here.
Road to London 2012
Follow the U.S. Women's Water Polo Team, rhythmic gymnast Julie Zetlin and boxer Joseph Diaz Jr. as they get ready for the London Olympics.
Watch the episode >>
British Invasion
Host Ali Fedotowsky brings you everything British right here in the U.S.A.
Watch the episode >>
Be a Kid Again
You don't have to be a kid to have a little fun. Learn how to be a kid again.
Watch the episode >>
The Dating Show
We're bringing you the best date spots across the country.
Watch the episode >>
The Festival Show
From The Great Googa Mooga in New York to Baconfest in Chicago, 1st Look presents the best festivals around.
Watch the episode >>
Pure Indulgences
Deep dish pizza, doughnuts, beer… and, more beer. Indulge a little, why don't you?
Watch the episode >>
Destination Miami
Join host Ali Fedotowsky at the hottest destinations in Miami.
Watch the episode >>
Late-Night Bites
Some of the best eats are only available after hours. Take a late-night trip with us to the tastiest spots.
Watch the episode >>
Ultimate Brunch
From Filipino fare to a brunch party that doesn't stop, we're taking you to the best brunch places around.
Watch the episode >>


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This is the latest news from Dunlop …
Dunlop Offers Special Racer Support At 2009 Winter National Olympics
As the time draws near for the 38th annual Winter National Olympics – also known as the Mini O's – held November 23-28, the team from Dunlop Tires would like to remind racers and families that they'll be on hand once again to support the riders and also offer special pricing on tires.
During the Winter National Olympics, racers can access the Dunlop service truck for tire advice and tap into the full range of Dunlop racing tires. For this event, some tires will be available at special pricing, including the D756, D739, D773 and D742; quantities of these specials will be limited, and they will be available in select sizes. All competitors are invited to come visit the Dunlop service area at the Winter National Olympics to see all that we have on hand.
Dunlop Steps Up Amateur Racing Support
Dunlop Motorcycle Tires proudly supports amateur motocross racing in the United States, and we are pleased to announce that we are stepping up our level of assistance in a number of ways.
As usual, Dunlop personnel will be on hand at major national amateur-racing events to assist Dunlop competitors with their tire needs, and we will also sponsor the Live Timing system at this year's Winter National Olympics, also known as the Mini O's. This Live Timing access will give amateur racing enthusiasts across the U.S. and around the world the opportunity to view timing, scoring and race results as they are recorded and will be featured online throughout the week of Winter National Olympics competition. In addition to online support, Dunlop is also making race results and times available trackside at the Winter National Olympics, sponsoring the distribution of results to riders, families and fans.
"Dunlop has sponsored this great Live Timing program at national events previously and we were very pleased with the results" said Dunlop Motorcycle Tires Vice President Mike Buckley. "We are pleased to extend our support to the Winter National Olympics, a fantastic venue for amateur motocross competition. Dunlop is on the ground at amateur racing competitions around the country all year supporting young riders and their families via the Dunlop Tire Support Program, but there are many family members, friends and enthusiasts who can't make it to the event for the whole five days, so this program can keep people plugged in."
Transponders will be fitted to every race bike and the data recorded will instantly be viewable on the Web site. The online timing system is easily accessible and means nobody has to miss any of the action packed racing that we have seen all year. It doesn't matter where people are in the world, anyone will be able to get online and watch the racing results as they happen. Live timing for the Mini Winter National Olympics will be displayed at http://www.tracksideresults.com/dunlopminio/ during the entire event.
In addition, Dunlop is adding a new level of support at the Winter National Olympics as the presenting sponsor of Motoplayground's EVERYONE race coverage at the Winter National Olympics. This includes sponsorship of the Motoplayground Today show featuring interviews, race action and more that is broadcast daily during the Winter National Olympics at www.motoplayground.com as well as daily email blasts to Motoplayground subscribers. This exciting coverage extends through the full week of racing at the Winter National Olympics as well as re-cap coverage during the week following the event.
"Motoplayground's EVERYONE race coverage offers yet another way to enhance the exposure given to amateur racing during the Winter National Olympics, and we are pleased to lend this additional level of support to our sport" said Buckley.
Team Dunlop 2010 – The search begins at the 2009 Winter National Olympics
Dunlop Tire Company is seeking the best up-and-coming minibike stars in the country to join the popular Team Dunlop amateur motocross program at http://www.teamdunlop.com
For the past three seasons, young amateur motocross racers throughout the country have been flying the colors of the elite Team Dunlop squad en route to collecting championships upon championships.
"We will begin our search for 2010 Team Dunlop riders at the Winter National Olympics November 23-28," said Dunlop Off Road Technical Manager Brian Fleck. "We will base our 2010 selections on the 2009 amateur national results and the 2009 final amateur power rankings. Factored into that will be rider attitude, professionalism and regional impact." Fleck added that participation in the 2009 Team Dunlop program is no guarantee of 2010 selection.
Seventeen riders made the Team Dunlop squad in 2009 (see below) and each one competed in a number of amateur national events. Some of the more accomplished riders who took home numerous titles in 2009 include Adam Cianciarulo, Jordan Bailey, Matt Bisceglia, Zach Bell and Sean Cantrell, just to name a few.
In just three years' of existence, the Team D support for young riders has proven to be extremely successful, with many young riders making smooth and rewarding transitions to the ranks of motocross professionals. Two of the most prominent success stories among Team D alumni include Ashley Fiolek, two-time Women's National Motocross Champion, 2009 X Games Women's Moto-X Gold Medalist and member of the Honda Red Bull Racing Team, and Justin Barcia, AMA Rookie of the Year in the 250 class, who rides for the GEICO Powersports Honda Team.
"Every year, working with the Team D kids has grown to be more and more fun" said Fleck. "We've been stepping up the program every year and teaming up with these young racers for some really excellent results. It will be exciting to see how far our 2010 riders end up going in their racing careers. Hopefully we will still be working with them when they transition to the pro ranks of AMA Supercross and Motocross."
About Team Dunlop: Team Dunlop identifies outstanding young people who compete on motocross bikes displacing up to 105cc and helps them move up to the next level. Dunlop has a long and proud history of amateur support for thousands of young racers every year. Additionally, Dunlop serves as the official tire sponsor of all the major amateur OEM groups, including Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Cobra and Polini. To submit your application for consideration to join Team D, visit http://www.teamdunlop.com
Team Dunlop provides tire support and preferred service at select amateur races. Dunlop promotes and advertises Team Dunlop in national media as well as on the Dunlop Website. As a bonus, Team Dunlop riders become involved as development riders for the next generation of Dunlop racing tires in the youth segment. In 2009, Dunlop also contributed to an educational savings fund for the Team Dunlop riders to underscore the importance of staying focused on schoolwork. Team Dunlop riders can be easily identified because they sport a unique logo on their exclusively-branded Team Dunlop racetrack apparel.
Dunlop is especially proud of the Team Dunlop riders on the 2009 squad and congratulates each of them for their outstanding effort. Listed alphabetically, they are:
- Jordan Bailey – KTM – Orlando, Florida
- Zach Bell – Kawasaki – San Diego, California
- Matt Bisceglia – Yamaha – Weatherford, Texas
- Sean Cantrell – KTM – Newbury Park, California
- Adam Cianciarulo – Kawasaki – Osteen, Florida
- Thomas Covington – Kawasaki – Vernon, Alabama
- Brad Esper – Kawasaki – San Diego, California
- Steven Gretchen – Suzuki – McMechen, West Virginia
- Lance Kobusch – Cobra – New Florence, Missouri
- Connor Pearson – Yamaha – Powell Butte, Oregon
- Jake Riggle – Suzuki – Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Chase Sexton – Polini – La Moille, Illinois
- Jordan Smith – Suzuki – Belmont, North Carolina
- Tanner Stack – Kawasaki – Jackson, Michigan
- Rookie White – Suzuki – Winchester, California
- Clay Woeste – Cobra – Florence, Kentucky
- Mark Worth – Kawasaki – Queen Creek, Arizona
About Dunlop Tires: Dunlop Tires is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S. and the only manufacturer of motorcycle tires in North America. With North American operations headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Dunlop has been making and selling high-quality tires in the U.S. since 1923. For more information, visit http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com


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currency detection wc vendors
Showing all 2 results
ALL-IN-ONE Currency Switcher. Handles foreign currencies detection, conversion, gateways integration, billing, widget(check right) and more.
We are self consumers of our own product.
Currency Switcher and more for Dokan, WC Vendors, WooCommerce Frontend Manager, WC MarketPlace and more.
Additionally contains ALL the functionalities of the Standard Variant.


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- Options
- Detail Images
Item # PDW0034Item # PDW0034
Fenders fit for your bike.
In the past ten years, Portland has turned from a city shadowed by Seattle's vibrant seaside culture to becoming America's cycling sweetheart. It's paved the way for advocacy, it houses countless frame builders, and it's a hub for the two-wheeled culture. And out of this cycling hot spot, innovators like Portland Design Works are thriving with thoughtful, quality products like the Full Metal Fender.
Made from anodized aluminum with laser graphics and an embossed badge, the Full Metal fenders distance themselves from flimsy plastic fenders. They offer a full-wrap coverage, including rubber mudflaps to prevent rooster tails from spraying other riders.
The anodized silver finish is a beautiful complement to any high-end road bike. Special hardware helps fit the fenders around caliper brakes and under forks, and add-on mounts allow fitting to bikes that lack eyelets. These measures ensure that the Full Metal fenders will fit just about any road bike.
For safety, release tabs let your wheels keep turning if debris gets lodged between the fender and tire.
The Portland Design Works Full Metal Fender fits frames with tires up to 700 x 23c.
View more Fenders
Reviews & Community
Classy and super solid!
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
These fenders are awesome! The installation takes a little bit of patience, however once they're on, you can just forget about them. I installed mine months ago, and haven't had to do so much as tweak them since - and I put in upwards of 100 miles commuting per week. And to top it off, they look great!
Installation Guide!
The folks over at PDW put together this handy installation guide.
Full Metals in the wild!
Full Metal Fender close up
Maybe the best?
Application: Wet weather fender set for racing/training bikes with 23 mm tires.
PROS: 1. Great quality. Great Design. American company. Made from anodized aluminum (not thermoplastic). 2. Stable fit!!! These mount directly to frame eyelets or to included QR skewer washers. This provides much better mount stability relative to fender sets that affix to the rear stays and the front fork with rubber straps. 3. Good looking! Including the laser etched graphics. 4. These are of course "full" fenders. These will provide the best protection and least spray on riders behind you (and into your shoes/booties from the front tire).
CONS: 1. Requires some time & patience to install properly and the removal of your front & rear brakes (as all full fenders do). Depending, you may want your LBS to perform the install. 2. A lot of riders are using 25 mm tires for riding and training these days. And even 28 mm tires for training on wet and rough roads. PDW says these -may- fit 25 mm tires. Wish they made a size between the Road (23mm) and City (28-38mm) models.
My favorite fender sets made for racing/training bikes are made by Portland Design Works, SKS, and Planet Bike. I won't tell you which to buy -too many variables are involved- it depends on your needs. But PDW's "full metal fenders" are really nice and they work great.
Nice review John!


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When you lease your car, you pay for only a portion of
the vehicle's cost, which is the part that you "use
up" during the time you're driving it. You have the
option of not making a down payment, you pay sales tax only
on your monthly payments (in most states), and pay a money
factor that is similar to the interest rate on a loan. With
leases, you may also pay extra fees and possibly a security
deposit that you don't pay when you buy. You make your first
payment at the time you sign your contract.
Everyone wins with lease transfers. The person dumping the
lease may get out for far less than he would have with his
original company; the person assuming the lease stands to
find a great deal. The leasing companies are happy, of course,
because they'll continue to collect monthly payments.
Lease Car Sales
are easy to find at LeaseTrader.com
Copyright © 2019 LeaseTrader.com. All rights reserved.


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HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker men's soccer team will host the Carson-Newman Eagles in a South Atlantic Conference match on Saturday (Oct. 19). The match will be broadcast live online at www.cokercobras.com.
Coker (5-3-2, 3-3-1 SAC) is coming off a 1-0 conference win against Mars Hill. Noah Gulley led the Cobras to victory, as he scored the first goal of his colligate career against the Lions. The men will look to Daniel Jackson to help guide them against the Eagles. The senior forward has scored eight goals this season and is ranked No. 4 in the conference in goals.
The Eagles are 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the SAC. They are coming off a 2-1 conference win against Newberry. Sindre Welo scored both goals for Carson-Newman against the Wolves. Junior forward Ross Frame has been the offensive leader for the Eagles so far this season. He has scored nine goals with seven assists, and is currently ranked No. 3 in the conference in goals and No. 1 in assists.
The match is set to start at 7 p.m., following the women's match at 4:30 p.m. Tickets for the game are $5 for adults, $3 for students, and free for all Coker students, faculty, and staff.
Coker will also be hosting Emmanuel Christian School Night. All Emmanuel students, faculty, and staff will be admitted free to both the men's and women's matches.
Story by: Sara Allen, Coker Sports Information Intern


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Provider Study Criteria
Thank you for your interest in Breakthrough's six month study on the effectiveness of telemental health! In order to participate:
The goal of this study is to evaluate the potential benefits of online sessions in conjunction with face-to-face sessions for clients who have traditionally received only face-to-face. We want to better understand how video counseling can be applied to ease physical or time constraints for both the client and provider, in addition to other benefits.
In order for sessions with your clients to qualify for our study, they must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Must be a current face-to-face client who has never had a session via Breakthrough
- Session must be successfully completed via the Breakthrough platform
- A survey must be filled out for each applicable client
- To be considered, all sessions and surveys must be completed by: 4/24/14
(The study began on 10/24/14)
Each time you complete a session and fill out the survey for an eligible client, Breakthrough will compensate you with $50 for your time and feedback. To expedite payment, please enter your bank account information on your Breakthrough profile under Account Details.
Having registered and completed a session with an eligible client, please use the following link to complete the survey and receive your compensation. Complete one survey per client.
Don't forget, as a provider using the Breakthrough platform, you have the ability to provide video counseling with three different types of patients:
- Self pay patients
- Patients insured by an insurance company not contracted with Breakthrough
- Patients insured by a Breakthrough contracted insurance company
Pending approval for providers contracted with Magellan Behavioral Health of Nebraska, Inc.


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About Us
The San Diego Anglers is a non-profit, family oriented, saltwater fishing club with over 300 members. The purpose of our club is to promote sportsmanship and the sport angling competition among club members. We are dedicated to the preservation and conservation of marine sportfishing. This club, which was established in January 1990, is made up of saltwater anglers of all ages. Some of the benefits of being a member of the San Diego Anglers include:
Monthly Meetings
Our meetings are held on the 1st Wednesday of each month at the Bahia Hotel on Mission Bay. Doors open at 6:00pm, meeting starts at 7:00pm These meetings, feature knowledgeable speakers, swap meets, how to seminars, fish reports, a chance to tell "fish stories", and always a great raffle. A no host bar with snacks is available at every meeting.


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At Bon Secours Diabetes Treatment Center, we not only provide education, we provide support. We understand that diabetes is just one part of your life and that everyone's diabetes is different. That's why one of our goals is to help you fit diabetes into your lifestyle – work schedule, family life and social activities. Please see Our Services for more information. Contact any of our centers to schedule an appointment.
Top Reasons To Visit Us
- Diabetes is controllable. It is a chronic condition and you play a major role in managing it. In partnership with your physician, we teach you self-management skills.
- Live a long and healthy life. With good management and control, you can prevent long term or life-threatening complications.
- We are credible. Our centers are recognized by the American Diabetes Association and staffed by registered dietitians and nurses who are certified diabetes educators. We work with about 14,000 patients and 400 physicians each year. We are committed to evidenced-based practice and achieving the best health outcomes.
- Save money. Research shows that educated patients have fewer emergency room visits and hospital admissions.
- You are not alone. 29.1 million Americans have diabetes, and 86 million have prediabetes. More than 3 million Virginians battle diabetes and prediabetes every day. (American Diabetes Association)
- Being educated helps you understand treatments your doctor prescribes, how and why they work, and why lifestyle changes are recommended.
- It is normal to go through or have feelings of denial, anger, fear, frustration and depression. We can help you with coping skills.
- Get support. You can benefit from talking with other people who also have diabetes. We encourage you to bring a loved one or guest with you to the center.
- Your dietitian and nurse will be an ongoing resource for you when you need them. We are here to help you help yourself.
- "If you listen to your body when it whispers, you will never have to listen to it scream…" or your doctor either! (source unknown)


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Stalks-The-Wind's-Shadows wrote:It says in the panel "Markus Hogg" --- Markus Dozer? Is that it?
Cool so far, Matt! I like what you've done so far and probably won't notice the differences. At least until they get as different as todays strips and "Enter Yerzle" --- which, by the way, I liked the titles of each strip like that. Maybe you should bring that back?
Lizard Rat out.
Matt Trepal wrote:Erf. I stopped the strip titles because I ran out of catchy things to put down there. It was an idea I got from Sabrina Online and The Class Menagerie, but it turned out not to be something I could sustain. And if I redo to strips to make them print-quality, I will probably remove those titles.
scrubbo wrote:Matt :
Your artwork is mucho cooolo. Seriously. I'd been so busy the last couple of months that I wasn't updating my comic, let alone reading any comics. So I just came back and caught up a bit with your comic.... and you're much better than I remember! Especially with perspective and suchlike.
Just wanted to say "attaboy!"
Matt Trepal wrote:No offense taken, Scott, but I hope I don't disappoint you too much. I use a variety of line widths, so I hope that will work to differentiate between foreground and background. I'm aiming for a look similar to "Nukees" or "Ozy and Millie;" do these strips have the problems you're talking about?
Stalks-The-Wind's-Shadows wrote:Don't bring yourself down, man! You're GOOD and getting better! Personally, I don't think "getting fast" matters... you need to have a pace you're most comfortable at, so to speak, and damn those who dissent I wish I had 1/8 the talent you have for drawing strips. Or 1/8 the paitence to learn to draw them for that matter --- maybe you should have a few "how to draw FCE characters" pages. [/obnoxious fanboy rant]
Stalks-The-Wind's-Shadows wrote:BTW I *love* the look on Yerz's face in the 3rd panel of Jan. 20th's strip. It speaks volumes. Looks like he never got over Portia and Fawn meeting up the last time
Kellogg wrote:Matt Trepal wrote:I'm aiming for a look similar to "Nukees" or "Ozy and Millie;" do these strips have the problems you're talking about?
Those two are both very well inked.
Kellogg wrote:One thing I'm experimenting with myself is the use of heavy ink lines, and I'm pretty happy with how it looks so far.
Basically, I ink the whole thing with a fine marker (Micron 0.005). When I'm done, I go over the outlines of the characters and their contours with a 0.05 pen. So, like the outline of the head has a really nice dark line to set it off from the backgrounds. I also do some details of the face, like the hair around the forehead.
Kellogg wrote:Personally, I always try to use detailed backgrounds to distract the eye to keep people from looking at my drawings of characters. If they actually looked at the way I draw them, they'd go YUCK! But, detailed backgrounds mean that the characters can get lost in the murk.
Kellogg wrote:Until fairly recently, I'd been using 8.5*11 paper divided on the
long axis into four rows. Then I got ahold of a 11*14 pad, and
started using it, divided on the long axis into four rows. Couldn't
scan the whole thing in one go, but I could cut & paste.
However, my actual scanner is is about 8.5*11.7. So, what I'm
doing this time is to use a 9*12 pad, divided along the Short
axis into two rows. This basically doubles the size of the panels
since I did Tiffarella last summer.
Kellogg wrote:I'd give you a shot of the new stuff, but.. Keen is down! ARGH! :p
Matt Trepal wrote:But you still have to cut'n'paste, right?
Kellogg wrote:More paper is better. Honest. If you can go to 11 inches long, do it.
I mean, look at all the really cool artwork you see on the web. How do they get so darn good?!? One thing is that while we're cramming 3-4 panels into a 4 inch box, they've got the whole darn piece of paper to get the lines to flow!
Now, if you went to a strip size of 4.4X11, you'd retain the same overall dimensions. Heck! Splurge a little and go to 4.5X11.
Proof? Okay, look at the pinups you've done of Portia with a full page instead of a 4 inch panel. More paper is better.
Matt Trepal wrote:Oooh! See how you are, putting all these thoughts into my brain?
This is something I'll probably try, since when I increased the size of the strip from 3 to 4 inches high I became a lot freeer in what I could put in the panels....
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laserone says:
I'm just curious, how (and when) did you all first discover the moleskine?
I discovered it because of Flickr, because of the "What's In Your Bag?" photo pool. I love surfing that photo pool and I kept seeing Moleskines repeated over and over in so many people's bags. I'm like "what's the big deal?" and read up on them. Next thing I know I'm "jumping on the bandwagon" and I may be a latecomer to the trend but I am SO glad I found Moleskines. Because of this handy little book I'm drawing and writing more than I ever have. 🙂
What about you guys? How/when did you discover it?
minkoff says:
I discovered them five years ago in a bookstore by chance. I had no idea of the Moleskine "legend" i just liked it, the size, the leather cover, the paper, the pocket and the elastic band, everything!
I had been looking for the perfect notebook for many years and i had finally found it…so i bought one! and i have been using them since then. It's a long-term relationship 🙂
I also remember that they were really hard to find then. I guess now it's easier to buy them and i don't have to spend a lot of time searching in stores, but the difficulties made my Moleskines more "precious" in some way :))
cherryblossom in japan says:
I saw moleskines set out in Waterstones the bookstore.
I was drawn to the display initially by the coloured bands around them.
Bought the ruled notebook, and then the squared.
Use the ruled as a daily diary of thoughts, and the squared as a daily planner and for writing down
other thoughts that choose to jump into my head.
I am now a moleskine junkie.
It's official.
jfcorzo says:
I discover my first Moleskine in France in March 19 2006, I was walking on the Champs Elysees and a store called my attention, I got in saw the first ruled pocket notebook and I tought it was too expensive 15 euros, but I really wanted it, the next day I went to Galeries Lafayette and bought 2, 12.50 each one and since that day I can't live without it.
lady_day says:
a handsome southern boy with a dimple in his chin told me about them, and showed me the pocket in the back.
Photo by lilla.1 @ Moleskinerie/FLICKR


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Abigails Hostel
A whopping 98% rating for our location means you can be sure you have the very best base for exploring and enjoying Dublin City!
Please note we have a 48hr cancellation policy. All cancellations must be received before 2pm two days before arrival otherwise they will be charged a cancellation charge equal to the first night's accommodation. Please note we have a 14 night maximum stay policy. During busy period you could be asked to change room however your room type will be honoured or upgraded. Children under 16 are not permitted to sleep in shared dorms. Balance on all groups of 10 persons or more are due four weeks prior to arrival. Groups of 10 persons or more are required to fill in a code of conduct form on arrival and leave a refundable damages deposit of 300 Euro. This deposit has to be paid with credit card upon check-in and will be refunded on the morning of departure when the rooms have been checked. Abigails Hostel is a tourist hostel, for short- term stays only (maximum 14 nights). Hostel management reserves the right to cancel or amend a booking for anti-social behaviour towards hostel staff and/or guests, or non-adherence to our terms and conditions. You must have a passport or national drivers licence to check in.
Verfügbarkeit & PreiseWähle bitte die Termine aus und klicke auf "Daten aktualisieren", um die Verfügbarkeit zu sehen
Hostels Ausstattungen & Richtlinien
- 24 Stunden Rezeption
- 24 Stunden Sicherheitsdienst
- Adapter
- Brettspiele
- Büchertausch
- Frühstück inbegriffen
- Kabelfernsehen
- Kinderfreundlich
- Gemeinschaftsraum
- Zahlung per Kreditkarte möglich
- DVDs
- Aufzug
- Kostenlose Stadtpläne
- Kostenloser Internet-Zugang
- Kostenloses WLAN
- Haartrockner
- Haartrockner zum Mieten
- Warmwasser-Duschen
- Reinigung
- Internet-Zugang
- Zugang per Schlüsselkarte
- Küche
- Bettwäsche im Preis inbegriffen
- Schließfächer
- Gepäckraum
- Kein Rezeptionsschluss
- Nichtraucher
- Steuern enthalten
- Möglichkeit der Tee- und Kaffeezubereitung
- Handtücher zum Ausleihen
- Verkaufsautomaten
ReiserücktrittsversicherungDiese Unterkunft hat eine 2 Tage Stornierungsfrist. Ergeht innerhalb dieser Zeit keine Stornierung, wird eine Stornogebühr in Höhe der ersten Nacht des Aufenthalts in Rechnung gestellt.
AnfahrtKarte anzeigenKarte verbergen
***From Dublin Airport:
Coming from the airport you can catch the express bus, the local public bus or take a taxi to the city center.
Airlink Express Bus (Dublin Bus Routes 747 & 748)
When you arrive at Dublin airport arrivals hall various buses are located outside the main arrival hall doors. For most routes, the stop you're looking for is O'Connell Street - ask the driver to let you know when the bus has arrived here. When you reach O'Connell Street cross to the south side of O'Connell Bridge and turn right and you'll find Aston Quay. Abigail's Hostel is located 50 yards up on the left-hand side.
Services depart the airport from 05h45 - 23h30 at 10/20 minute intervals; €6 single, €3 for under-16s. Journey takes approximately 25 minutes.
When you arrive at Dublin airport you can take the Aircoach bus from outside of the terminal building. The stop you're looking for is O'Connell Street; ask the driver to indicate when you've arrived. Journey takes approximately 25 minutes.
Route 16A
When you arrive at Dublin airport, take the bus located outside of the main arriving hall on your left side (the last stop). Get off at Upper O'Connell Street. Mon - Sat: 06h50 - 23h10, Sunday: 07h40 - 22h20
Approximately every 20 minutes. Exact fare is needed for the bus, as change is not given back. Journey takes approximately 40-60 minutes.
Route 41, 41A, 41B, 41C
Take the bus directly from outside terminal building. Get off at Eden Quay - walk towards O'Connell Bridge and follow the directions as above.
Mon-Sat: 06h25 - 23h30, Sunday: 07h30- 23h15
Dublin bus fares approx. (€3.30 adult). Exact fare is needed for the bus, as change is not given back.
By Taxi:
Taxis are available from the forecourt on the Arrivals level. The approximate cost of a taxi to Abigail's Hostel is €30 (however this depends on traffic and the time of the day).
***From Connolly Train Station or Busaras (Central Bus Station):
If you're travelling from Busaras or Connolly Station, you can walk to our hostel (about 10 minutes walk).
On foot:
Exiting Connolly Station on to Amiens Street you will see Busaras, the central bus station. From Busaras, head southwest on Frenchman's Lane toward Moland Place. Turn left at Lower Gardiner Street. Slight right at Beresford Place (you will see the beautiful Custom House building on your left-hand side). Crossing the River Liffey, turn right at George's Quay and continue to follow the quays along the river, passing O'Connell Bridge on your right hand side. Continue on Aston Quay, and Abigail's Hostel is on your left at No 7.
By Bus:
Take the 151 or 128
By Taxi:
Travelling by taxi could cost you approximately €7 depending on traffic.
***From Heuston Station:
By Tram (LUAS):
This is the easiest way. Take the tram at Heuston Station and get off at Abbey St Luas Stop. Then walk back a minute to find O'Connell Street and turn left and walk towards O'Connell Bridge. We are located on the south-side of the bridge, on the right.
By Bus:
Take the no. 90 (€1.65)
By Taxi:
There is a taxi rank located outside the train station. A taxi from Heuston Station will cost approximately €15 depending on traffic and number of passengers.
***From Dun Laoghaire Ferryport:
Take the DART to Tara St station. Turn left when you exit the station, keeping the River Liffey on your right-hand side. Walk past O'Connell Bridge and continue along Eden Quay about 50 meters/yards; Abigail's Hostel is on your left.
***From Dublin Port (North Wall):
By Bus:
Take the public bus outside of the main building; Route 53 runs to the city centre (Busaras). Buses are scheduled to coincide with the ferry timetable.
By Taxi:
A taxi from here will cost approximately €20 depending on traffic. It can be quite difficult to get a taxi from the ferry port when a large number of passengers travel.


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In tough times, we continue the search for good, inexpensive wines.
In this month's Five Wines Under $15 we focus on Riesling. Riesling not only represents Washington's second most planted white grape at 6,320 acres (Chardonnay is first at 7,654), it also consistently provides wines with tremendously high quality-to-price ratios. As a result, there is an abundance of good to excellent Riesling being produced in Washington at $15 and under - more if you go up a dollar or two. Here we focus on three wineries that are leading the Riesling charge in Washington.
Riesling Rules! Five Rieslings Under $15
Gorman Winery – Wines that Go to Eleven
Tasting through the current set of releases from winemaker Chris Gorman of Gorman Winery, it is hard to think of a Washington winery that has a more impressive lineup.
Chris Gorman began his career in the wine business right out of college in 1991. He started out on the import and distribution side where he would remain until he decided to focus on his winery full time. "I spent sixteen years selling world-class wines," Gorman explains. Of course, Gorman could add the subsequent years as well – his wines are easily that caliber.
Washington Wine Roundup August 15th to 21st 2011
REMINDER: Tonight! The August Virtual Tasting from 7pm-8pm Pacific. Read about how to participate here.
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from August 15th to 21st. Read previous round-ups here.
From around the country…
Wine Spectator writes about Hestia Cellars and Zero One.
MSNBC writes about Washington wine's campaign in India.
Seattle Metropolitan Magazine's 2011 Top 100 Washington Wines
Reminder that this month's Virtual Tasting takes place Thursday at 7pm Pacific. Read about how to participate here.
The September issue of Seattle Metropolitan magazine will be in stores this week and features this year's list of the Top 100 Washington wines.
A few words about how the list was compiled. As stated in the article, wineries were allowed to send in a maximum of four wines, one in each of the following categories: one $25 or less; one $25–$50; one $50 or higher; and one white wine of any price. Note that this means that if a winery only offers three red wines at $35, they could only enter one wine. Wines were then rated using a 100-point scale. See the issue for additional information about how this was done. A cutoff of 91 points was used to create the list. Note that due to the extraordinarily high number of submissions - more than 400 - there were a number of excellent wines that did not make this year's list.
Washington Wine Round-up August 8th to 14th 2011
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from August 8th to 14th. See previous round-ups here.
From around the country…
The Iowa Press-Citizen says don't discount Washington wines.
D Magazine writes about Northstar Merlot.
SC Now asks 'Who makes the wine you drink?'
The Portland Press Herald writes about Riesling.
Vanguard - Mark Ryan Winery
If you want to see which way the Woodinville wine industry is going, watching what Mark Ryan Winery is up to would be a good place to start.
Winemaker Mark Ryan McNeilly has been in the vanguard. McNeilly got his start in the wine industry working at Unique Wine Company, a local distributor. It was in the midst of a tasting group that he had his first Washington wine epiphany. The wine was a Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon. "This is made in our state?" McNeilly recalls thinking with astonishment.
August Virtual Tasting - Chateau Ste. Michelle 2010 Columbia Valley Riesling
Well folks, August 2011 marks the 3rd anniversary of the blog's Virtual Tastings. To recap, each month I pick a single wine and we taste and talk about it on a specific date using a designated hashtag on Twitter. Join us!
To celebrate the third anniversary of the Virtual Tastings as well as the Summer of Riesling, August's wine will be the 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling. This wine retails for $9 and is widely available. The tasting will take place Thursday August 25th from 7-8pm Pacific.
What you need to do to participate is:
1. Buy this month's wine from a local retailer or from the winery.
2. Post your comments/tweets on the wine between 7 and 8pm using the hashtag #stemichelle. For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport.
Hope you will join us!
Washington Wine Round-up August 1st to 7th 2011
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from August 1st to 7th. Read previous round-ups here.
From around the country…
Wines & Vines writes about the effects of the closure of the state's tourism bureau.
From the blogosphere…
The Wine Economist writes about how a Nuclear accident in the Ukraine launched Washington wine in Europe.
Ott & Murphy and the Climber-Winemaker Connection!
I'm going to go out on a limb here. Mountain climbers seem to make good winemakers. Now keep in mind that mountain climbing is one of my primary passions so I may be a bit biased here, but there are a few compelling data points. Chuck Reininger of Reininger Winery and Rob Newsom of Boudreaux Cellars were both formerly professional guides and have shown winemaking talent. Add Eric Murphy's name to that list.
Fresh Sheet August 10th 2011
Today's Fresh Sheet – new and recent Washington wine releases – includes wines from Heaven's Cave, Sweet Valley Wines, Lodmell Cellars, and Goose Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery.
Washington wine round-up July 22nd to 31st 2011
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from July 22nd to 31st. Read previous round-ups here.
From around the country…
South Carolina Now.com writes about Washington wine with callouts to Charles Smith, Cougar Crest, and anything from Seven Hills Vineyard.
Writing for Wine Enthusiast, Paul Gregutt writes about Washington redefining cult wines.
The Chicago Tribune gives a shoutout to Barnard Griffin's Cabernet.
Reuters writes about Walla Walla being named the friendlist town.
D Magazine writes about Northstar Winery.
2011 Auction of Washington Wines
As long time readers know, I will (very) occasionally recommend an upcoming Washington wine event of particular significance. One such event this month is the Auction of Washington Wines, which takes place August 18th through 20th.
The Auction was first created in 1988 as a partnership between the Washington Wine Commission and the Enological Society of the Pacific Northwest (now called the Seattle Wine Society). It has evolved over the years into its own 501(c)(3) organization. The goal remains both to promote the local wine industry and to give back to the community.
Tasting Note Database updated
Maison Bleue – The Stuff of Dreams
As exciting as any winemaker to enter onto the stage in Washington in the last few years is Jon Martinez at Maison Bleue. Martinez left behind a promising career in dental surgery to pursue his passion for winemaking (read a previous post on the winery here). We should all be thankful.
Across the Maison Bleue lineup, the focus is on vineyard-designated wines. Martinez explains by saying, "I'm all about terroir, and I express it through vineyard designates."
Earlier this year I reviewed Maison Bleue's outstanding 2009 red wine releases from Upland Vineyard. Here we take a look at the winery's 2009 reds from acclaimed Boushey Vineyard, as well as two new white wine releases from the 2010 vintage (read a review on Maison Bleue's excellent 2010 French Creek Vineyard Chardonnay here).


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Gray Scale Pad
by Strathmore
Pads contains 15 sheets of textured heavyweight paper in gray scale colors ranging from white to black. There are three sheets each of white, black, and three grays. 80 lb. It is great for value studies using charcoal, pastel, chalk, and Conte crayon. Acid free.
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I bought this pad to try because it had black and multiple diff. greys in one pad (which is a hard combo to find in a pad) and I am very happy. The greys offered all are nice ones and the pad has great...[more]
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We love the whole "Hollywood Regency" look. You can really incorporate some of the design elements into a wide variety of decor. The Greek Key is a timeless design that will lend itself to almost any interior. We make these gorgeous custom drapes in your choice of solid silk fabric and apply the Greek Key Trim to the leading edge.
Consider stepping out of your comfort zone and choosing a dramatic and bold color. We love the choice of yellow silk on this drape with the bold black Greek Key Trim. Experiment a little and create a truly unique design for your home. If you need some design advice, please call one of our Designers who will be happy to make suggestions and help you create an amazing focal point for your room.


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Jon and Kate Gosselin, who carved a reality TV career out of having a big family, want to keep the show going, even as they head for divorce court.
Bad idea.
Look no further than the case of another TV couple who tried to make a go of it on the same screen after breaking up before fans' eyes: Sonny and Cher.
There are major differences, of course: Sonny and Cher were actual entertainers, with some talent and considerable appeal. Jon and Kate have no known talent, and their appeal rests in watching them bicker as they raise cute kids. But the shtick, along with weeks of gossip-fueled hype, is apparently enough to make them stars – instantly identifiable by a pairing of first names – in the unreal world of reality TV.
For those too young to remember, "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" was a weekly collection of skits, music and guest star appearances that ran on CBS from 1971 to 1974, providing goofy but fun family entertainment. The show ended after they split, knocking fans for a loop even if the times weren't all that innocent.
Sonny and Cher launched separate short-lived variety shows with middling success. In 1976, they reunited for the newly, if unimaginatively titled, "The Sonny and Cher Show," using the old formula. It didn't work the second time around.
They went their separate ways and onto unlikely greater successes – Sonny eventually wound up in Congress and Cher won an Academy Award.
They were smart enough, though, to keep their image as a once-happy couple intact, most memorably appearing on "Late Night With David Letterman" in 1987 and singing their signature song, "I Got You Babe."
Cher wept while giving the eulogy at Sonny's funeral in 1998, recalling how he turned "an introverted 16-year-old girl and a scrawny Italian guy with a bad voice into the most beloved television couple of this generation.''
The "most beloved television couple" title will never be passed along to Jon and Kate, who are foolishly pressing on with their show, which is set to resume production in August.
As with any divorce, the No. 1 priority should be protecting the children – an especially difficult task when the family is on TV.
Sonny and Cher often would bring on their daughter Chastity at the end of their show. Nearly 40 years after the couple's TV series debut, the very personal decision by Chastity Bono – who now goes by Chaz – to undergo a sex-change operation is gossip-page news.
The best thing Jon and Kate can do for their children is stay away from the TV cameras, work through their breakup behind closed doors and find new livelihoods. But that wouldn't be in the interests of their bank accounts: the show reportedly nets the family up to $75,000 per episode.
So, unfortunately for Jon and Kate's little ones, the beat goes on.
Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992.


text: SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Marketing technology company Informz is planning new corporate headquarters downtown. Starting next spring, the firm will occupy the entire third floor of the Market Center at 19 Railroad Place. The office will allow the expanding company to accommodate its current staff of 69 employees and hire 32 additional employees over the next five years. "We will all be together on one floor, which will make for better communication and collaboration," said Lori Ely, Informz's director of marketing. "It will be such a nice environment with different types of meeting space." The new office will be part of a six-story, mixed-use urban complex that boasts a 3,500-square-foot green roof, which can be use for employee events and recreational activities. Local architecture firm Phinney Design Group is designing the indoor space, and construction has already begun. The project is part of the final phase of work on the Market Center. Informz's staff also appreciates the downtown location, which offers easy access to a new Price Chopper grocery store, local restaurants, coffee shops and Bow Tie Cinemas, which is expected to open soon. "We are so excited to be making this move right into the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs," Informz CEO Joe Tyler said. "This new space will be absolutely beautiful and will let our team enjoy everything downtown Saratoga has to offer." Larry Novik, director of operations for Bonacio Construction, said, "We're thrilled to have Informz as our tenant in this project. It's the employees of companies like theirs that drive downtown vitality and fuel the success of the type of mixed-use development we love to build." Tyler's team has been growing steadily since 1997, when he founded the firm. Informz began as a small technology startup in Clifton Park that developed custom software solutions. Over time, the company moved to 92 Congress St. in Saratoga Springs and evolved its focus to marketing communications technology and services. Informz now supports more than 1,100 clients worldwide, focusing on associations and nonprofits. More than 11,000 individuals use its products and services, and the firm has grown its staff size from four employees to 69. The Albany Business Review last week ranked Informz as the Capital Region's seventh fastest-growing company. The growth stems from Informz's focus on products that meet clients' needs and its commitment to a high level of service at an affordable price, Ely said. Two recent areas of expansion are a mobile event application and the growth of professional services such as consulting, outsourcing design and outsourcing email management. "We think of ourselves as an extension of the client's marketing team," she said. Currently, Informz is hiring technology developers. The anticipated move-in date is March 2014. Watch the company's Facebook page for updates throughout the construction process.


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Why Averages Are Inadequate, and Percentiles Are Great
Averages are ineffective because they are too simplistic and one-dimensional
By: Michael Kopp
Dec. 12, 2012 07:30 AM
Anyone who ever monitored or analyzed an application uses or has used averages. They are simple to understand and calculate. We tend to ignore just how wrong the picture is that averages paint of the world. To emphasis the point let me give you a real-world example outside of the performance space that I read recently in a newspaper.
The article was explaining that the average salary in a certain region in Europe was 1900 Euro's (to be clear this would be quite good in that region!). However when looking closer they found out that the majority, namely 9 out of 10 people, only earned around 1000 Euros and one would earn 10.000 (I over simplified this of course, but you get the idea). If you do the math you will see that the average of this is indeed 1900, but we can all agree that this does not represent the "average" salary as we would use the word in day to day live. So now let's apply this thinking to application performance.
The Average Response Time
A Bell curve represents the "normal" distribution of response times in which the average and the median are the same. It rarely ever occurs in real applications
In a Bell Curve the average (mean) and median are the same. In other words observed performance would represent the majority (half or more than half) of the transactions.
In reality most applications have few very heavy outliers; a statistician would say that the curve has a long tail. A long tail does not imply many slow transactions, but few that are magnitudes slower than the norm.
This is a typical Response Time Distribution with few but heavy outliers - it has a long tail. The average here is dragged to the right by the long tail.
We recognize that the average no longer represents the bulk of the transactions but can be a lot higher than the median.
You can now argue that this is not a problem as long as the average doesn't look better than the median. I would disagree, but let's look at another real-world scenario experienced by many of our customers:
This is another typical Response Time Distribution. Here we have quite a few very fast transactions that drag the average to the left of the actual median
In this case a considerable percentage of transactions are very, very fast (10-20 percent), while the bulk of transactions are several times slower. The median would still tell us the true story, but the average all of a sudden looks a lot faster than most of our transactions actually are. This is very typical in search engines or when caches are involved - some transactions are very fast, but the bulk are normal. Another reason for this scenario are failed transactions, more specifically transactions that failed fast. Many real-world applications have a failure rate of 1-10 percent (due to user errors or validation errors). These failed transactions are often magnitudes faster than the real ones and consequently distorted an average.
Of course performance analysts are not stupid and regularly try to compensate with higher frequency charts (compensating by looking at smaller aggregates visually) and by taking in minimum and maximum observed response times. However we can often only do this if we know the application very well, those unfamiliar with the application might easily misinterpret the charts. Because of the depth and type of knowledge required for this, it's difficult to communicate your analysis to other people - think how many arguments between IT teams have been caused by this. And that's before we even begin to think about communicating with business stakeholders!
A better metric by far are percentiles, because they allow us to understand the distribution. But before we look at percentiles, let's take a look a key feature in every production monitoring solution: Automatic Baselining and Alerting.
Automatic Baselining and Alerting
The industry has come up with a solution called Automatic Baselining. Baselining calculates out the "normal" performance and only alerts us when an application slows down or produces more errors than usual. Most approaches rely on averages and standard deviations.
Without going into statistical details, this approach again assumes that the response times are distributed over a bell curve:
The Standard Deviation represents 33% of all transactions with the mean as the middle. 2xStandard Deviation represents 66% and thus the majority, everything outside could be considered an outlier. However most real world scenarios are not bell curved...
Typically, transactions that are outside two times standard deviation are treated as slow and captured for analysis. An alert is raised if the average moves significantly. In a bell curve this would account for the slowest 16.5 percent (and you can of course adjust that); however; if the response time distribution does not represent a bell curve, it becomes inaccurate. We either end up with a lot of false positives (transactions that are a lot slower than the average but when looking at the curve lie within the norm) or we miss a lot of problems (false negatives). In addition if the curve is not a bell curve, then the average can differ a lot from the median; applying a standard deviation to such an average can lead to quite a different result than you would expect. To work around this problem these algorithms have many tunable variables and a lot of "hacks" for specific use cases.
Why I Love Percentiles
This chart shows the 50th and 90th percentile along with the average of the same transaction. It shows that the average is influenced far mor heavily by the 90th, thus by outliers and not by the bulk of the transactions
The green line represents the average. As you can see it is very volatile. The other two lines represent the 50th and 90th percentile. As we can see the 50th percentile (or median) is rather stable but has a couple of jumps. These jumps represent real performance degradation for the majority (50%) of the transactions. The 90th percentile (this is the start of the "tail") is a lot more volatile, which means that the outliers slowness depends on data or user behavior. What's important here is that the average is heavily influenced (dragged) by the 90th percentile, the tail, rather than the bulk of the transactions.
If the 50th percentile (median) of a response time is 500ms that means that 50% of my transactions are either as fast or faster than 500ms. If the 90th percentile of the same transaction is at 1000ms it means that 90% are as fast or faster and only 10% are slower. The average in this case could either be lower than 500ms (on a heavy front curve), a lot higher (long tail) or somewhere in between. A percentile gives me a much better sense of my real world performance, because it shows me a slice of my response time curve.
For exactly that reason percentiles are perfect for automatic baselining. If the 50th percentile moves from 500ms to 600ms I know that 50% of my transactions suffered a 20% performance degradation. You need to react to that.
In many cases we see that the 75th or 90th percentile does not change at all in such a scenario. This means the slow transactions didn't get any slower, only the normal ones did. Depending on how long your tail is the average might not have moved at all in such a scenario.!
In other cases we see the 98th percentile degrading from 1s to 1.5 seconds while the 95th is stable at 900ms. This means that your application as a whole is stable, but a few outliers got worse, nothing to worry about immediately. Percentile-based alerts do not suffer from false positives, are a lot less volatile and don't miss any important performance degradations! Consequently a baselining approach that uses percentiles does not require a lot of tuning variables to work effectively.
The screenshot below shows the Median (50th Percentile) for a particular transaction jumping from about 50ms to about 500ms and triggering an alert as it is significantly above the calculated baseline (green line). The chart labeled "Slow Response Time" on the other hand shows the 90th percentile for the same transaction. These "outliers" also show an increase in response time but not significant enough to trigger an alert.
Here we see an automatic baselining dashboard with a violation at the 50th percentile. The violation is quite clear, at the same time the 90th percentile (right upper chart) does not violate. Because the outliers are so much slower than the bulk of the transaction an average would have been influenced by them and would not have have reacted quite as dramatically as the 50th percentile. We might have missed this clear violation!
How Can We Use Percentiles for Tuning?
In throughput oriented applications on the other hand I would want to make the majority of my transactions very fast, while accepting that an optimization makes a few outliers slower. I might therefore make sure that the 75th percentile goes down while trying to keep the 90th percentile stable or not getting a lot worse.
I could not make the same kind of observations with averages, minimum and maximum, but with percentiles they are very easy indeed.
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Athlete of the Week - No. 2
By Chad Waller, NAIA Director of Communications & Sports Information
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Sharayah Kenady of Concordia (Ore.) has been named the NAIA National Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of The Week and Leandria Lee of Wayland Baptist (Texas) has been honored as the NAIA National Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of The Week, the national office announced Wednesday. Kenady and Lee were selected based on their performances from March 19 - 25.
Kenady, a junior from Salem, Ore., broke the Concordia school record with a distance of 184' 5" in the hammer throw at the Lewis & Clark (Ore.) Spring Break Open on March 24. That mark also ranks No. 1 on the NAIA performance list this year and bettered her previous career best by nearly 10 feet. She smashed the Cavalier best, which was held by Gabriella Dixson, by more than eight feet.
Lee, a senior from Tyler, Texas, had three strong efforts at the University of Texas at Arlington Bobby Lane Invitational on March 24. Her 24.41 clocking in the 200 meters is second-best in the NAIA this season and was eighth among a field of 59 athletes, which was comprised of numerous NCAA Division I and II competitors. She also took 16th in the 100 meters (11.96) and ran the first leg of the 4x400 meter relay (3:47.27), which turned in the NAIA's top time so far this outdoor season.
For a complete listing of all the national event leaders, click here.
Track Nominees: Breanna Newton, Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.); Jillian Linnebur, Sterling (Kan.); Adriana Henderson, Langston (Okla.); Tyler Sloan, Baker (Kan.); Rachael Estabrook, Corban (Ore.); Alexandra Rudd, Southern Oregon; Myelle Vann, Ashford (Iowa); Hannah Day, Clarke (Iowa); Katie Waugh, Oregon Tech; Rachel Luehrs, St. Ambrose (Iowa); Erin Price, Taylor (Ind.); Bea Foley, Viterbo (Wis.); Crystal Bardge, Embry-Riddle (Fla.); Shelby Garrigus, Central Methodist (Mo.); Yolanda Migoyo, Milligan (Tenn.); Maria Sanchez, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.); NyEma Sims, Concordia (Ore.); Karissa Carlson, Evergreen (Wash.); Lindsey Wagner, Northwest (Wash.); Amanda Lopez, Lubbock Christian (Texas); Marilyn McDougall, Judson (Ill.); Ashley Ballard, Shorter (Ga.).
Field Nominees: Abbie Herrold, Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.); Megan McDermed, Sterling (Kan.); Esme Walls, Langston (Okla.); Stephanie Nelson, Baker (Kan.); Samantha VanRanken, Tabor (Kan.); Eliya Kohl, Corban (Ore.); Nicole Leaf, Southern Oregon; Kendra King, Ashford (Iowa); Vanessa Legg, Indiana East; Val Veiock, Grand View (Iowa); Mandy Streu, St. Ambrose (Iowa); Reta Woodard, Embry-Riddle (Fla.); Melissa Morrow, Central Methodist (Mo.); Ashley Watley, Indiana Tech; Katie Hartney, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.); Victoria Lee, Indiana Wesleyan; Lindsey Wessa, Northwest (Wash.); Jessica Del Re, Judson (Ill.); Dominique Woods, Shorter (Ga.).
2012 Composite Award Winners (Outdoor Track / Outdoor Field)
Week 1: Adella King, Indiana Tech / Stacia Murray; Indiana Tech
Week 2: Leandria Lee, Wayland Baptist (Texas) / Sharayah Kenady, Concordia (Ore.)


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How well do you know the Code? Think you can spot violations the original installer either ignored or couldn't identify? Here's your chance to moonlight as an electrical inspector and second-guess someone else's work from the safety of your living room or office. Brian, who has a knack for finding shoddy electrical work, did the dirty work and found this mess. Now it's your turn to identify the violation.
Find the Answer
This photo shows a violation of the requirements outlined in 210.52(C)(5), Exception to (5). The basic rule generally requires the receptacle outlets in dwelling unit kitchens to be mounted no more than 20 in. above the countertop. However, for island and peninsulas, where there is no wall space or cabinet in which to mount the receptacle outlet in accordance with the basic rule, the exception permits locating the outlet below the countertop — with certain limitations.
The Exception reads as follows: "To comply with the conditions specified in (1) or (2), receptacle outlets shall be permitted to be mounted not more than 300 mm (12 in.) below the countertop. Receptacles mounted below a countertop in accordance with this exception shall not be located where the countertop extends more than 150 mm (6 in.) beyond its support base." The two conditions specified in (1) and (2) of this exception are: "Construction for the physically impaired" and "on island and peninsula countertops where the countertop is flat across its entire surface (no back splashes, dividers, etc.) — and there are no means to mount a receptacle within 500 mm (20 in.) above the countertop, such as an overhead cabinet."
In this case, there is no place to mount the receptacle above the countertop, so mounting a receptacle outlet below the countertop would be permitted, provided the countertop does not extend more than 6 in. beyond its support base. Because the countertop does, in fact, extend more than 6 in. from the edge of the supporting structure, such an installation would be considered a violation. The only acceptable location for the required receptacle outlet would be on top of the counter. As given in 406.4(E), any such receptacle is prohibited from being mounted in the "face up" position. So, the only means available to satisfy this rule is to install a floor-type receptacle outlet box typically used in commercial occupancies.
While such an approach would serve to satisfy the requirement here, the reality is homeowners are not very receptive to installing a floor box on their countertops — especially when they just spent several thousand dollars on the granite countertop!


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JLL Nigeria hosted its first Masterclass in March 2016, a series of open discussions where subject matter experts and industry professionals come together to discuss real estate trends and topical issues. The topic of this Masterclass was 'Delivering Value through Collaborative Working & Sustainability'.
I was pleased to be one of the speakers at the Masterclass given that sustainability is one of my passions. While on my trip to Lagos, I felt very inspired by the conversations happening around sustainability, which gave me the feeling that the time has come for sustainability in Africa.
While reflecting on my previous experience in sustainability in Africa and Australia, I found that sustainability held different meanings and therefore implications for various groups and countries.
In Australia, I found that sustainability focused mainly on buildings and energy. Australia has numerous, well established green building rating systems (i.e. NABERS and Green Star) and initiatives which are widely employed across various cities. Australia has the some of the largest coal reserves in the world and so there is a key focus on making the fuel mix more sustainable through employing various renewable energy technologies.
In Kenya, sustainability is focused predominantly on the environment, as tourism is one of the biggest revenue earners for the country. In order to ensure the natural habitat of the wildlife was not destroyed, we implemented sustainable measures in managing our national parks and wildlife reserves.
In Nigeria, I spoke to a few of my colleagues and deduced that sustainability is mainly driven by the lack of a consistent power supply. Many Nigerians have begun installing inverters and solar power systems in their homes and businesses to supplement power outages which have saved on the need for diesel for back-up generators. In this case, sustainability has been a result rather than a driver of these measures, but nonetheless a positive impact on the environment.
Regardless of the focus, sustainability is definitely delivering value in the African real estate market in the following ways:
- Cost savings
Savings are being made through lower energy consumption and less wastage of building materials. These savings are reflected directly on the P&L line of the company which is a key driver of these sustainable measures. Some of the measures driving this savings include less paper used in printing rooms due to follow me printing software, less coffee cups going to landfill by having a coffee machine and pre-cutting construction materials to size prior to delivering them on site.
- Assist with legal compliance
In Kenya, a recent change in law states that any new building that heats over 100 litres of water daily must install a solar hot water heater and not heat it via the conventional electric heater. This will soon be the norm rather than the exception in many African countries, given the abundant sunlight and the fact that it will reduce demand on electrical grid infrastructure.
- Improve risk management
In Nigeria, those combining solar power or an inverter with an existing diesel generator have found that it reduces the down time of the system as well as decreases the cost of running the diesel generator. Further, it has made many homes and offices less susceptible to fuel shortages which results in reduced operational risk.
- Demonstrate Corporate responsibility
Image and public perception can make or break a firm. If people see you doing the right thing, they respect you more and are more loyal to your brand.
- Motivate employees
When you walk into a sustainable building there is usually more day lighting, better ventilation, more efficient heating and cooling, open spaces with lots of daylighting and sometimes green spaces. These elements of a building make the work environment more pleasant, which impacts the productivity of employees. A recent study showed that employees working in the LEED-certified branches of the same financial institution were found to be "more productive and engaged in their work."
With all the benefits outlined and with a greater pressure from stakeholders, businesses in Africa will employ some very interesting approaches to ensure they operate sustainably. Finally, we see that sustainability is interpreted in various ways globally, however one thing that is clear all around the world, is that sustainability is quickly becoming the way to do business, rather than the exception.


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Location: Yoga of Energy Flow Teacher Training at The Arlington Center
Cost: $99
Instructor: Carrie Tyler
This super engaging curriculum uses all levels of learning (i.e kinesthetic, auditory, reading/writing, visual) to etch anatomy information permanently into your cranium. Lectures are balanced with postural therapy techniques, dynamic movement exercises, hands-on work, and palpation. You will stand up and sit down so much that one student referred to this course as"anatomy church." As you travel up and down rabbit holes of inquiry, your burning questions about your own aches and pains will be answered. Discussions include the power and psychology of body language, and you will practice walking confidently until it feels like your head is so high up that you're levitating. You will talk about things that make you blush (a-yo pelvic floor!) and laugh so hard you cry.
By studying anatomy you will start a journey that will inspire your own practice and expand your teaching language exponentially. Your students will marvel at your new knowledge. You never knew anatomy training could be this fun. See the full description here: http://rasamaya.com/dynamic-anatomy/