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Form 5498 (or IRS Form 5498 or 5498).
Last Updated March 22, 2009
Form 5498 (or IRS Form 5498 or 5498). Form 5498, IRA Contribution Information, is a form that must be issued by IRA custodians and trustee to report contributions, including rollover contributions, that occur to a Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SIMPLE IRA or SEP IRA during the calendar year ( or in the case of a regular IRA contribution 'for' the calendar year).
Contributions to a SIMPLE or a SEP IRA are reported on the Form 5498 issued for the year they are actually deposited to the account, regardless of the year 'for' which they apply.
Form 5498 can also be used to report the fair market value of the IRA balance as of December 31. However, if it is used to report the December 31 fair market value, it must be issued to the IRA owner by January 31. Most custodians/trustees choose to report the December 31 fair market value in another format, such as including a notification on the IRA owner's year-end account statement, to the effect that the fair market value is $X amount and that it will be reported to the IRS.
An IRA custodian/trustee is required to file Form 5498 even if required minimum distributions (RMDs) or other payments have started
For contributions made between January 1 and April 15, trustees and issuers should obtain the participant's designation of the year for which the contributions are made.
Transfers: A direct trustee-to-trustee transfer from (a) a traditional IRA to another traditional IRA or to a SEP IRA, (b) a SIMPLE IRA to another SIMPLE IRA, (c) a SEP IRA to another SEP IRA or to a traditional IRA, or (d) a Roth IRA to a Roth IRA must not be reported on Form 5498.
Roth IRA conversions: The receipt of a conversion to a Roth IRA must be reported on Form 5498, even if the conversion is with the same trustee.
Recharacterizations. Each recharacterization of an IRA contribution must be reported. If a participant makes a contribution to an IRA (first IRA) for a year, the participant may choose to recharacterize the contribution by transferring, in a trustee-to-trustee transfer, any part of the contribution (plus earnings) to another IRA (second IRA). The contribution is treated as made to the second IRA (recharacterization). A recharacterization may be made with the same trustee or with another trustee. The trustee of the first IRA must report the amount contributed before the recharacterization as a contribution on Form 5498 and the recharacterization as a distribution on Form 1099-R. The trustee of the second IRA must report the amount received (FMV) in box 4 on Form 5498 and check the type of IRA box in box 7.
All recharacterized contributions received by an IRA in the same year must be totaled and reported on one Form 5498 in box 4. The FMV of the account may be reported on the same Form 5498 that is used to report a recharacterization of an IRA contribution and any other contributions made to the IRA for the year.
Total distribution, no contributions: Generally, if a total distribution was made from an account during the year and no contributions, including rollovers, recharacterizations, or Roth IRA conversion amounts, were made for that year, Form 5498 need not be filed, neither is it necessary to furnish the annual statement to reflect that the FMV on December 31 was zero.
Required minimum distributions (RMDs). For each IRA that a custodian holds as of December 31 of the prior year, if an RMD is required for the year, the custodian must provide a statement to the IRA participant by January 31 regarding the RMD using one of two alternative methods described below. The custodian is not required to use the same method for all IRA participants; and can use Alternative one for some IRA participants and Alternative two for the rest. Under both methods, the statement must inform the participant that the custodian is reporting to the IRS that an RMD is required for the year. The statement can be provided in conjunction with the statement of the FMV
Alternative one. Under this method, include in the statement the amount of the RMD with respect to the IRA for the calendar year and the date by which the distribution must be made. The amount may be calculated assuming the sole beneficiary of the IRA is not a spouse more than 10 years younger than the participant. Use the value of the account as of December 31 of the prior year to compute the amount. See box 11 on page 15 for how to report.
Alternative two. Under this method, the statement informs the participant that a minimum distribution with respect to the IRA is required for the calendar year and the date by which such amount must be distributed. You must include an offer to furnish the participant with a calculation of the amount of the RMD if requested by the participant.
Electronic filing. These statements may be furnished electronically using the procedures described in part F of the 2008 General Instructions for Forms 1099, 1098, 5498, and W-2G.
If the IRA participant is deceased, and the surviving spouse is the sole beneficiary, special rules apply for RMD reporting. If the surviving spouse elects to treat the IRA as the spouse's own, then the custodian must report with the surviving spouse as the owner. However, if the surviving spouse does not elect to treat the IRA as the spouse's own, then the custodian must continue to treat the surviving spouse as the beneficiary. Until further guidance is issued, no reporting is required for IRAs of deceased participants (except where the surviving spouse elects to treat the IRA as the spouse's own).
Referring Cite
Instructions for Forms 1099, 1098, 5498, and W-2G, available at www.irs.gov
Additional Helpful Information
Inherited IRAs( defined here). In the year an IRA participant dies, the IRA custodian generally must file a Form 5498 and furnish an annual statement for the decedent and a Form 5498 and an annual statement for each nonspouse beneficiary. An IRA holder must be able to identify the source of each IRA he or she holds for purposes of figuring the taxation of a distribution from an IRA, including exclusion from current year gross income as an eligible rollover distribution under section 402(c). Thus, the decedent's name must be shown on the beneficiary's Form 5498 and annual statement. For example, the custodian may enter "Brian Willow as beneficiary of Joan Maple" or something similar that signifies that the IRA was once owned by Joan Maple. The custodian may abbreviate the word "beneficiary" as, for example, "bene."
For a spouse beneficiary, unless the spouse makes the IRA his or her own, the spouse is treated as a nonspouse beneficiary for reporting purposes.
Fair market value (FMV). the custodian must enter the FMV of the IRA on the date of death in box 5, on the decedent's Form 5498 and annual statement; or may choose the alternate reporting method and report the FMV as of the end of the year in which the decedent died. This alternate value will usually be zero because the custodian will be reporting the end-of-year valuation on the beneficiary's Form 5498 and annual statement. The same figure should not be shown on both the beneficiary's and decedent's forms. If the custodian choose to report using the alternate method, they must inform the executor or administrator of the decedent's estate of his or her right to request a date-of-death valuation.
On the beneficiary's Form 5498 and annual statement, the FMV of that beneficiary's share of the IRA as of the end of the year must be shown in box 5. Every year thereafter that the IRA exists, the cuistodian must file Form 5498 and furnish an annual statement for each beneficiary who has not received a total distribution of his or her share of the IRA showing the FMV at the end of the year and identifying the IRA as described above. However, if a beneficiary takes a total distribution of his or her share of the IRA in the year of death, the custodian need not file a Form 5498 nor furnish an annual statement for that beneficiary, but must still file Form 5498 for the decedent.
If the custodian has no knowledge of the death of an IRA participant until after they are required to file Form 5498 (May 31), they are not required to file a corrected Form 5498 nor furnish a corrected annual statement. However, they must still provide the date-of-death valuation in a timely manner to the executor or administrator upon request.
Form 5498 should generally be issued to the IRS by May 31 .
Payers may file IRS Form 8809 to request an extension for filing Form 5498 with the IRS. This request must be filed by the original due date for filing the Form 5498 with the IRS. If the deadline falls on a non-(regular) business day (including weekends), the filing must be done on the next business day. Cite IRC § 7503.
Contributions, including rollover contributions, that are timely revoked, are also reported on Form 5498.
An IRA includes all investments under one IRA plan. It is not necessary to file a Form 5498 for each investment under one plan. For example, if a participant has three certificates of deposit (CDs) under one IRA plan, only one Form 5498 is required for all contributions and the fair market values (FMVs) of the CDs under the plan. However, if a participant has established more than one IRA plan with the same trustee, a separate Form 5498 must be filed for each plan.
Advance Copies of Forms can be found here


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There have been many times when I've heard that an organization chart needs to be changed. The organization chart consists of the set up of teams, business units and other groupings of people. It also shows the reporting relationship and functional domain or title of those involved. The reason for the organization change that comes from a new org chart is often not clear. Changing for the sake of change itself is not good cause because this could lead to results that are good or bad. Changing without clear reasoning means that a mixed bag of opportunities and challenges awaits the organization. Too often the org chart itself is used to justify large changes. Instead, strategy should always come first.
-Follow the strategic path for clearer alignment –
Strategy sets the path forward. The organizational structure, process, reinforcement and policy should all follow. Strategy shines light on the direction to go forward. That light helps illuminate what resources and capabilities of the organization should be utilized and cultivated.
Creating a new structure (that structure coming from organization charts) to move forward without knowing how it fits with strategy may, in fact, be counterproductive. Organizing without a purpose in mind is like searching in the dark without a guiding light. The end goal may be achieved through a haphazard search, but you may get a lot of bumps, trips, or even falls before you reach it.
Imposing a new structure induces a disruption to the norm. It frees the boundaries of the established work flow and manners of work that are done. This can be cause good or bad results. In these situations where there is no clear path forward, it comes down to perception of the change instead. It depends on how that disruption is understood and oriented as to what the effect is like. If the change is seen as a problem or signals fear, that has lasting negative effects. On the other hand, if the change is seen as an opportunity, it may help open and broaden the perspective of the organization. In order for this kind of change to be helpful for the organization's aims, the strategy needs to be clear and understood. That way, people understand better on how they can help make that strategy effective instead of simply relying on their perception of the change.
Thinking of a strategy in the view as a game of soccer comes to mind. Generally speaking, the aim of a soccer game is to score more goals in the allotted time than the other team. However, the approach teams take vary widely. The number of players at different parts of the field, how they play offense or defense, what formations to run (if any) and other elements tie into the structure of how to execute that strategy. The roles and responsibilities of the player alignment are akin to an organization chart. With young players, they all mass together to find and kick the ball around the field. This is what I've heard called bumble bee soccer. It's like the ball is the core of the hive with players all buzzing around. As the players mature in skill and experience, roles become established and the clarity and helpfulness of an organizational chart (offense, midfield, defense, and goalie) is put in place and made clear. That organization alignment helps ensure the strategy is effective. Otherwise, the chaos of a structure imposed without cause or clear reason may not fit the aim of the strategy.
Strategy should be set as the guiding light for other action. There is much to say on how to set a strategy, how to communicate it and how to follow it. The structure that is set in an organization is a very strong support to enable a strategy to be effective. An organization chart is a common format that you would see and understand a structure but it could be much more. Organizational communication, responsibilities, roles or functions and other forms of operation fit in. Often times a hierarchy or chain of command is used in business, but it could be many different types of decision making and process (oligarchy, democracy, meritocracy, etc.). A flatter organization (meaning less hierarchy levels) allows for more independence of decision making, but does not has as clear a means of review or elevation in the instance of a problem. Organizations that need to respond quickly to market changes or that have a large diversity of products/services may be well served to have a flatter org chart. An org chart that is steep (meaning more hierarchy levels) centralizes decision making and often creates more controlled and oriented activity. Organizations that need tight control and monitoring to assure quality of end result or process may need a steeper org chart.
Like any type of change, there should be a driving end state that an organization aspires to achieve through its strategy. The org chart should be a core component to enable progress to help achieve the end state. There are many ways of advancing toward an end state. The path one leader may choose could be different than another. Each of those paths may be effective in their own way. Regardless of the approach, the underlining strategy should always be well known and clear to those who are involved and impacted by the strategy throughout the implementation. If this knowledge and comprehension is not present, inquire about it to make it understood better. The org chart changes are too often seen as the strategy itself. Do not change for the simple sake of change. Change because you believe in it. Change because you see value in its progress. Change because it will help you win in your market.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tommy Lee Jones to star in Criminal
- Bang Showbiz
- 24 July 2014
Tommy Lee Jones has teamed up with Kevin Costner and Gary Oldman for the upcoming thriller 'Criminal'
Tommy Lee Jones has joined the cast of 'Criminal'.
According to Variety, the 'Men In Black' actor will star in the upcoming Millennium Films spy thriller alongside Kevin Costner and Gary Oldman.
The picture centres on a dead CIA operative's memories, secrets and skills that are implanted into a dangerous prison inmate in hopes that he will stop a diabolical plot.
While details of Jones' part in the film are yet to be released, it is known that Academy Award-winner Costner will take on the starring role while Oldman will appear as a CIA chief.
Ariel Vromen - who wrote and directed 'The Iceman' - will direct from a script written by Douglas Cook and David Weisberg.
Chris Bender, J.C. Spink and Kevin King will produce while Christa Campbell, Lati Grobman and Jason Bloom will take on the role of executive producers.
Jones recently directed and starred in the western drama 'The Homesman' - which he debuted at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.
The movie - which will be released in November - also stars Hilary Swank, Hailee Steinfeld, William Fichtner and Meryl Streep.


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Venezuela stepped up attacks on the US on Monday, threatening retaliatory measures affecting trade and energy if Washington resorts to sanctions in a row over the country's disputed presidential election.
Vowing not to go back on former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez's revolution, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said at a swearing-in ceremony for his new Cabinet that "there will be no pact here of any kind with the bourgeoisie. Make no mistake."
He accused the US of threatening Venezuela and spoke with approval of the warning to Washington leveled earlier in the day by Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Elias Jaua in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
"If the United States takes recourse to economic sanctions, or sanctions of any other kind, we will take measures of a commercial, energy, economic and political order that we consider necessary," Jaua said in a television interview.
It came after a senior US Department of State official was quoted as urging Venezuela to recount the votes in the April 14 election to give the public confidence in the result.
The US has so far withheld recognition of the official election results, which gave Maduro a narrow victory over opposition candidate Henrique Radonski Capriles, setting off violent protests that left eight people dead.
An audit of the vote is supposed to begin as early as this week, but Venezuelan National Electoral Council vice president Sandra Oblitas on Saturday said it would not overturn Maduro's victory.
US Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson was reported to have said over the weekend that the Venezuelan election council acted too quickly in proclaiming Maduro the winner, and that half of Venezuelans do not have confidence in the result.
Asked if the US would impose sanctions if Venezuela refused to recount the votes, Jacobson said she could not say one way or another, CNN en Espanol reported.
The US imports about 900,000 barrels of oil a day from Venezuela, which produces between 2.3 million and 3 million barrels a day. Venezuela, which depends on oil sales for 90 percent of its revenue, sits atop the world's largest proven crude oil reserves.
Meanwhile, Maduro met with his Cabinet, which includes new finance and interior ministers, but is mostly made up of holdovers, particularly in the key foreign, defense and energy portfolios. Chavez's son-in-law Jorge Arreazam was ratified as Venezuela's vice president.
The changes made it clear Maduro wanted new approaches to two major sources of public discontent: an inflation-ravaged economy and a soaring violent crime rate.
"We have to control inflation," Maduro said in announcing his so-called "government of the streets" late on Sunday.
He split the Venezuelan Ministry of Planning and Finance in two, naming Central Bank of Venezuela President Nelson Merentes the new minister of finance to replace Jorge Giordani, who was left in charge of the separate Ministry of Planning.
Giordani was the architect of a system of strict foreign currency controls that critics say have contributed to shortages, a sharp decline in investment and Latin America's highest inflation rate, at more than 20 percent.
Maduro praised Giordani as "one of the most loyal men Chavez had," but said Merentes would bring new ideas on how to control speculation and inflation.
He also named his chief of intelligence, Miguel Rodriguez Torres, as Venezuela's minister of the interior and justice "to protect and build the foundations of peace" in a country with one of the world's highest murder rates.


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On Thursday's episode of "The Tonight Show," Jennifer Lawrence and Jimmy Fallon told a story about being rejected by Jennifer Lopez and played a game that required the pair to lie to each other.
When Lawrence walked out from behind the curtain, the audience laughed because the actress decided to enter the stage with a strand of hair extensions hanging from her chin.
"Well everyone is talking about how Jennifer Lawrence has grown her hair out, so I decided to grow my chin out a little bit," Lawrence said.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Then, Fallon brought up a recent encounter the two had with Lopez.
"You are little upset with me, and I think I know why, but not really," Fallon said.
"That's because we have different versions of this story," Lawrence said.
"We were at an event and you had some scheme, you were being crazy and you wanted to dance with Jennifer Lopez," Fallon explained, "and you wanted me to dance with her too."
"Okay first of all, we came up with this idea together. We both saw J-Lo," the actress interjected. "This was ten jello shots in and we were like 'let's ask J-Lo to dance with us'."
The two were going to do a synchronized spin move together, then both put their hand out to Lopez and ask her to dance with them. When the "X-Men: Days of Future Past" star did the spin move and asked Lopez to dance, Fallon was nowhere to be seen. Lopez declined.
"You made me look like a freak in front of J-Lo, you know what that feels like?" Lawrence said.
Fallon explained that while spinning, he saw the singer's manager who said it wasn't going to happen so he got out of the way.
Then, Fallon mentioned that for the new "X-Men" movie the actress had to spend 8 hours in hair and makeup to get dressed as her character Mystique.
"I stood or sat on a bicycle seat which every woman knows is our dream come true," Lawrence said. "I'd always had a little bit of blue somewhere, but now it's just on my hands and ears so it looks like I have some kind of fungus."
Finally, the two played a game of "Box of Lies." The two took turns trying to stump each other about what item is hidden inside various mystery boxes.
Watch the two play above. You can also watch the two tell the J-Lo story below.


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Minecraft Xbox 360 Cheats
- Game: Minecraft
- Game Description: The highly anticipated and widely popular Minecraft has finally arrived on everyone's favorite console - the Xbox 360. In Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition you can create entire worlds from home and choose to either build alone or with your friends. You are limited on by your imagination in Minecraft!
Invisible and Invincible cheat for Minecraft on Xbox 360
You have to have a partner to do this.
So you wait until night, you get in a boat on the ground and get in a bed.
Then your partner breaks the boat and you should be both invisible and invincible.
If you drop an item while in this "mode" however you will lose it forever.
Game Name: Minecraft
Cheat Name: Invisible and Invincible
Submited by: budderskater122 on Sun, 09th February 2014 09:24 AM
- 2 Player Duplication Glitch
- Achievements
- Breeding
- Build a Secret House with Trick Entrance
- Bunk Bed Fun
- Cure Zombie Villager
- Duping Diamonds
- Duplicating Nether Portals
- Duplication
- Duplication with Blocks
- Duplication with Furnace
- Flying
- Free Flint
- Free Minecraft Dashboard Theme
- Gain Bed and Piston on Creative
- Get More Sand/Gravel/etc
- Glitched TNT Piston
- Herobrine and End Portal
- How to Find a Stronghold
- How to Make a Cobblestone/Obsidian Generator
- How to Make a Nether Portal
- Invincibility
- Invisibility (host)
- Invisible Chest
- Mini Portals
- Mooshrooms
- Mount Blade Seed
- Nether
- Nether Portal Without Diamonds!
- New Dupe Glitch
- Nowhere with Ender Pearls and a Nether Portal
- On Top of the Nether
- Ore Dupe Glitch
- Precooked Meat
- RedJelly
- Secret Chest
- See All Caves and Mines
- See All Tunnels
- Self Duplication with Furnace
- Thou Shall Not Pass
- Underwater House
- Underwater House
- Unenchantment Glitch
- Unenchantment Glitch II
- Unlimited Supplies in Survival Mode
- Unlimited Water
- Unlimited Water/Lava
- Water Elevator
- X-Ray
- X-Ray #2
- X-Ray Glitch


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Oval Knob 35mm Brushed Nickel Pk1
- Buy 20 for £3.36 £2.80 each and save 15%
Diameter: 35mm. Projection: 35mm.
Oval design knob brushed satin nickel finish ideal for cupboards and cabinets
Oval design knob brushed satin nickel finish ideal for cupboards and cabinets
|Pack Size
|Diameter (mm)
|Brushed Nickel
|Projection (mm)
|Suitable For
|Cabinet Doors, Cabinet Drawers, Wardrobe Doors, Wardrobe Drawers, Cupboard Doors, Cupboard Drawers, Kitchen Doors, Kitchen Drawers
|Whats Included in the Box
|1 Knob. Suitable screws to fit
We offer a simple delivery service. All orders are dispatched via a next-day delivery service.
We dispatch before 4pm (Monday to Friday) so make sure you place your order before 4pm, if you require your order the following working day.
Delivery Price (UK)
Orders under £50 - £4.98
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If you require an order urgently or on a specific date, please call our sales office on 0121 358 4970 (Monday to Friday) and we will assist you in the best way possible.
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On April 4, 1968, LIFE photographer Henry Groskinsky and writer Mike Silva, on assignment in Alabama, learned that Martin Luther King, Jr., had been shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. The two men jumped into their car, raced the 200 miles to the scene of the assassination, and there — to their astonishment — found that they had unfettered access to the motel's grounds; to nearby abandoned buildings from which the fatal rifle shot likely came; to Dr. King's motel room; and to the bleak, blood-stained balcony where the civil rights leader fell, mortally wounded, hours earlier.
"I was astonished by how desolate it all was," Groskinsky, now 79 years old, told LIFE.com when asked about the mood in the neighborhood around the motel. "Then again, everyone probably thought that the person who shot Dr. King might still be out there somewhere."
For reasons that have been lost in the intervening decades, Groskinsky's photographs from that eerily quiet night in Memphis — taken at the site, and on the very day, of one of the signal events of the 20th century — were not published in LIFE magazine, and the story behind them was not told. Until now.
-- Ben Cosgrove is the Editor of LIFE.com
[Buy the LIFE book, Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr., at Amazon.]
(Note: A slightly different version of this post appeared on an earlier version of LIFE.com.)


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NASCAR's Hunter Passes Away: Veteran Motorsports Exec Served Sport For More Than 40 Years
NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter died October 29 in Daytona Beach, Florida, following a 12-month battle with cancer. He was 71. His career in motorsports spanned portions of six decades as both a journalist and public relations professional and ultimately a NASCAR Executive.
"Jim Hunter was one of NASCAR's giants," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. "For more than 40 years Jim was part of NASCAR and its history. He loved the sport, but loved the people even more. It seems as if everyone in the sport called him a friend. Jim will forever be missed by the NASCAR community. Our sympathies go out to his entire family."
"Hunter," as everybody on the inside of the NASCAR garage area called him, grew up in South Carolina and as a student at the University of South Carolina played both football and baseball. Those years preceded a future of being immersed in the sports world, primarily motorsports. Hunter learned motorsports from "both sides" by working as a newspaper reporter/editor and a public relations representative.
As a member of the media, Hunter was sports editor of the Columbia Record newspaper; he had an award-winning stint at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; he was a columnist for Stock Car Racing magazine (Circle Track's sister publication); and he authored a number of books, including a widely-read biography on NASCAR great David Pearson, entitled 21 Forever.
On the public relations side, Hunter broke into the business in the 1960s, with Dodge's motorsports operation. He handled public relations for a number of top IndyCar drivers before going on to become the public relations director at his beloved Darlington Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway.
In 1983 Hunter was named to his first executive position in his first NASCAR stint, becoming NASCAR's vice president of administration. In 1993 he was named president of Darlington Raceway and corporate vice president of the International Speedway Corporation. He remained at Darlington until 2001 when he accepted an offer from then-NASCAR Chairman and CEO Bill France Jr. to return to Daytona Beach to lead an expanded public relations effort aimed at responding to the needs of burgeoning media coverage.
Hunter won numerous awards during his career, including: the Hugh Deery Memorial Award in 1988; South Carolina Ambassador for Economic Development in 1994; South Carolina Tourism Ambassador of the Year in 1997; the National Motorsports Press Association's Joe Littlejohn Award in 2005; and the Buddy Shuman Award in 2006.
Hunter is survived by his wife of 48 years, Ann Hunter; his children, Scott Hunter and Amy McKernan; and his grandchildren, Dakota Hunter, and Hunter and Luke McKernan.
Jim Hunter, seen here in 2006 behind his desk full of Jim Hunter bobbleheads (that's how popular he was), was one of those men who could make you feel immediately at ease regardless of the situation. He was very approachable and in this writer's experience always helpful to the highest level. His passing leaves a massive void in the NASCAR front office as he was the last executive of a bygone era when Bill France Jr. ruled the sanctioning body.


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All riding wear has been tested extensively to ensure that the products available in Triumph dealerships are of the highest standard. Those standards are echoed in the protection pads which use D3O® technology, the selection of cut and abrasion resistant riding Jeans, and all waterproof riding wear currently available.
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You can find more information on the types of riding wear available below, or if you would like to explore the full selection please visit our clothing pages. Alternatively, you can visit your nearest Triumph dealer for information or to order anything from the Triumph range.
Exclusively developed as the latest in visibility clothing for motorcyclists. Triumph's Light Jacket and Vest have Integrated LED light technology, which can be easily controlled by a rechargeable battery system to give you greater levels of visibility.
Whereas high visibility reflective materials require a light source to illuminate the LEDs are, of course, a light source of their own. One that's also very effective even in daylight and works well with day-glow materials.


text: Times may be hard economically, but you don't need to give your electronics-DIY enthusiast friend a naff present, thanks to MAKE's sub-$US20 Electronics Gift Guide. In fact, some of the items listed are so neat I'm tempted to.gift a couple to myself right now... There's a DIY battery-powered USB charger kit good for iPhones, a tiny persistence-of-vision LED display, solar-powered theremin and more. My personal fave is the Drawdio music-making pencil. There're a few LED decoration projects there too: I think my Christmas tree may end up glittering with some DIY LED goodness this year. [Makezine]


text:
Ablynx's Anti-IL-6R Nanobody, ALX-0061, Shows Excellent 24 Week Safety and Efficacy Results in a Phase II Clinical Trial in Rheumatoid Arthritis
GHENT, BELGIUM--(Marketwire - Feb 13, 2013) - Ablynx (EURONEXT BRUSSELS: ABLX)
ACR20, ACR50 and ACR70 scores of up to 100%, 75% and 63% respectively
Up to 75% of patients in DAS28 remission
Attractive safety profile at all administered doses
No anti-drug antibodies detected
No disease progression as determined by MRI radiography
Results will be discussed during a webcast presentation today at 16h CET, 10 am EST
Click here to register, call number +32 (0)2 620 01 38
Ablynx (EURONEXT BRUSSELS: ABLX) today announced efficacy and safety data for its anti-IL-6R Nanobody, ALX-0061, at the 24 week final analysis of the Phase II part of a combined Phase I/II study in patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on a stable background of methotrexate.
In this Phase II part, 37 RA patients were recruited and were randomised to three dose groups of intravenously administered ALX-0061 (1mg/kg Q4W[1], 3mg/kg Q4W and 6mg/kg Q8W1) or to placebo. A total of 34 patients were eligible for determination of efficacy parameters at the 12 week interim period, and all these patients continued the study until week 24.
Depending on the patient's disease status at week 10, the monthly dose was increased (from 1mg/kg to 3mg/kg; or from 3mg/kg to 6mg/kg) or the dosing regimen intensified (from 6mg/kg Q8W to 6 mg/kg Q4W), and patients on placebo could start monthly ALX-0061 treatment at 3mg/kg. The vast majority of patients (86%, N=24) completed the study at their ALX-0061 starting regimen (the 'unmodified' group), for 4 patients the dosing regimen was modified (the 'modified' group) and 3 patients were switched from placebo to ALX-0061 treatment (the 'switchers').
At all doses tested, ALX-0061 was well-tolerated and the safety profile compared favourably to data reported for other biological DMARDs[2]. No clinically relevant neutropenia (moderate or severe decrease in neutrophils, a type of white blood cell), no clinically significant increases in lipid levels (cholesterol and triglycerides) were observed, and there were no serious infections. Infrequent elevation of liver enzymes were reported; the events were transient, generally mild to moderate, and did not result in a discontinuation of the treatment. Additionally, the side effect profile of ALX-0061 did not change with increased dose or treatment duration and no anti-drug antibodies were detected.
The efficacy results for the 'unmodified' patient population at week 24 are presented below:
|Efficacy parameter
1mg/kg Q4W
3mg/kg Q4W
6mg/kg Q8W
Pooled 'unmodified'
|DAS28 remission[4]
|Boolean remission[5]
The efficacy results at week 24 for the 'modified' patient population and patients switching from placebo to ALX-0061 treatment are presented below:
|Efficacy parameter
Pooled 'modified'
Pooled 'switchers'
|DAS28 remission
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessment was also included in this study. At week 24, there was a reduction of bone oedema, which is an early indicator of joint destruction. Additionally, the global radiographic score confirmed the absence of disease progression at this final time point.
Dr Josefin-Beate Holz, Chief Medical Officer of Ablynx, commented:
"We are very pleased with the 24 week results of this Phase II part of the study. We believe we have shown impressive clinical activity for ALX-0061 at the predicted dose levels as well as the potential for dosing every four or every eight weeks. The side effect profile of the Nanobody did not change over time or with dose escalation and the therapeutic effect improved even further with treatment duration. The majority of patients achieved a durable status of disease remission, some of them already after the first month of treatment. In addition, patients who had an inadequate response could be identified early on in the treatment schedule and could even be 'rescued'. These findings confirm the potential for ALX-0061 and the drug could become an important addition to clinicians' range of tools to treat this severely debilitating disease."
Dr Edwin Moses, Chairman and CEO of Ablynx added:
"We believe that these new data provide additional confidence that ALX-0061 could become a very valuable treatment option for patients with RA. We are now investigating the various possibilities through which we can progress the development of ALX-0061, including discussions with potential partners and other paths which will allow us to maximise the value of this asset."
Conference call and webcast presentation
The Ablynx management team will host a conference call and webcast during which the Phase II results at week 24 will be presented, followed by a Q&A session. This event will be held today, 13 February 2013 at 4.00 pm CET/ 10 am EST. The conference call will be webcast live and may be accessed on the home page of the Ablynx website at www.ablynx.com or by clicking here. If you would like to participate in the Q&A, please dial +32 (0)2 620 0138. Shortly after the call, a replay of the webcast and the presentation used in connection with the conference call webcast will be available on the Company's website.
About ALX-0061 (anti-IL-6R)
ALX-0061 targets the interleukin 6 pathway via its IL-6receptor (IL-6R), which plays a fundamental role in the inflammation process in RA.
ALX-0061 has been designed to become a best-in-class therapeutic. Its small size (26kD) should allow ALX-0061 to penetrate more effectively into tissues. The potent, monovalent interaction of the molecule with its target reduces the possibility of off-target effects. Its binding to human serum albumin prolongs the in vivo half-life of the product and can lead to improved trafficking to areas of inflammation. The Nanobody has a very strong affinity for soluble IL-6R which should ensure fast target engagement and could result in a fast onset of effect. ALX-0061 appears to benefit from the general Nanobody characteristic of having a very low immunogenic potential. ALX-0061 is a very robust and stable drug product that is already manufactured at a multi-thousand litre scale. It can be administered both intravenously and subcutaneously.
About Ablynx
Ablynx is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of Nanobodies®, a novel class of therapeutic proteins based on single-domain antibody fragments, for a range of serious human diseases, including inflammation, haematology, oncology and pulmonary disease. Today, the Company has approximately 25 programmes in the pipeline and five Nanobodies at clinical development stage. Ablynx has ongoing research collaborations and significant partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies including Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck Serono, Novartis and Merck & Co. The Company is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium. More information can be found on www.ablynx.com.
[1] Q4W: every 4 weeks - Q8W: every 8 weeks
[2] DMARDs: disease modifying anti-rheumatoid arthritis drugs
[3] ACR (American College of Rheumatology) criteria measure improvement in tender or swollen joint counts and improvement in three of five other disease-activity measures; ACR20 measures % of patients with 20% improvement; ACR50 measures % of patients with 50% improvement and ACR70 measures % of patients with 70% improvement
[4] DAS28 is an RA disease activity score based on C-reactive protein (CRP), tender and swollen joint counts of 28 defined joints and physician's global health assessment; a total score of > 5.1 is associated with high disease activity, moderate from 3.2 to 5.1, low disease activity from 3.2 to 2.6, and remission of disease if < 2.6
[5] Boolean remission in RA is a more recent measure of disease activity and is achieved when at any time point, a patient satisfies all of the following: swollen and tender joint count, patient global assessment and CRP all less than or equal to 1.
press release in pdf format: http://hugin.info/137912/R/1677523/547097.pdf
Contact Information
For more information, please contact
Dr Edwin Moses
Chairman and CEO
t: +32 (0)9 262 00 07
m: +44 (0)7771 954 193 /
+32 (0)473 39 50 68
e: [email protected]
Marieke Vermeersch
Associate Director Investor Relations
t: +32 (0)9 262 00 82
m: +32 (0)479 49 06 03
e: [email protected]
Follow us on Twitter @AblynxABLX
Mary-Jane Elliott, Amber Bielecka, Claire Dickinson
t: +44 207 920 2330
e: [email protected]


text:
Kivalina, AK
About EUFEMIA :
"Any questions for me? Then you can always ask me by sending me a really sweet message "
Anchorage, AK
About NILSA :
"Awesome girl seeks Awesome Guy for an Awesome time! And thats a promise!"
Kiana, AK
About KELSI :
"I like to try new things (like acting naughty on the webcam :)))
im v spontaneous and can be fun, but lately everything seems to be to much drama so i want someone who can keep things fresh.
i love travelling,but lately i feel stifled and i need someone who can bring something to the table because sex is great and I really cant life a day without it!"
Eagle River, AK
About JOHNETTE :
"i am a v. Sensual girl……love everything that has to do with sex…and im really into tantric sex
you know the kind that goes on for v long time and combines sex with yoga…. sorta"
Bethel, AK
About DARCIE :
"I am looking for a handyman that I can pay in kind.. I am a young mother and I have a lot of household chores to be done but unfortunately I don't have the means currently. So I am looking for a handyman who does not mind to be paid in kind by me? Please be quick about it cuz I really need someone ASAP x"
Anchorage, AK
About SHARONDA :
"( in case you are feeling the requirement remark on my pic or send me cute/hot/humorous messages, I wouldn't thoughts :)LOL"
Huslia, AK
About DIAN :
"I'm a bigger woman and love to meet new interesting and sexual people"
Pelican, AK
About RENAE :
"My boyfriend and I are interested in having a hot sexual experience…he wants to watch me with someone else…not a woman but a man. he does not want to participate…well he wouldn't mind getting sucked off while I was getting fucked..but anyway "
Koyukuk, AK
About ETTA :
"Hello I am Nanda. How are you doing today?
Don't quite know what to say or do as I am totally new to the whole online dating hype.
As I have a busy job, no time to hit a club or bar or anyhing plus I'm single.
So yeah basically that's the reason why you can find me on this site.."
Shungnak, AK
About CANDRA :
"Young active fun loving girl who enjoys life, enjoys men and enjoys physical stuff. would like to keep my sex life active for years to come. but not interested in comitting myself to some guy. so looking for a friend with benefits situation cause i don't like one night stands an shit xxx"
Nunam Iqua, AK
About JENNIFFER :
"Im a pretty single blonde athletic girl whos a dancer. Im just looking for a single guy to go out with and maybe more.. I prefer a guy who dances himself or is very sportive. I dont want married man or guys who are in a relationship.. if so.. I m not your girl.
Tatitlek, AK
About CHANDA :
"I just wanna have fun "
Saint Michael, AK
About MARGARETE :
"Any want to sneek a peek in my panties?
… ????
Well there you go ;0"
Nome, AK
About MELANI :
"I'm a girl with big tits a need for stiff cock. I think it's a fair trade."
Ketchikan, AK
About MY :
"I occur shy at first and a little quiet maybe..
Untill the ice is broken and we have got to know each other some more. Trust is the key here.
Besides all that I'm a pretty decent girl.. with a great appetite for sex.. Ones the ice is broken
I'm looking for you if you're a little dominant and demanding in the bed room.
Oooh and I'm pretty adventurous and fun loving so no boring guy please ;-D"
Shageluk, AK
About CORRINNE :
"I'm a gamer in the streets and a l33t in the sheets. Come and let me beat your high score in handjobs."
Kaktovik, AK
About MARIANA :
"I'm Perri, a nice girl, I love men who beside sex also know how to treat a woman. Because even though I love good sex I do love romance!"
Levelock, AK
About TAMELA :
"I am looking for some new experiences with men/women of my age(have done the older thing before–just not what I am looking for right now."
There is probably nothing better than hooking up with a hot local girl or meeting up for a one night stand while your travelling or while the wife is away (nobody is judging...) but there are a few things you should always keep in mind:
1. If you live in a large city and you are looking for local girls for sex, you might accidentally see someone you know. If you do, hit her up and see if she wanted to have sex with you, but remember that she is local and you might have the same friends or know the same people.
2. Never spread rumors or share information about the local women you are talking to. They are simply looking for a good time and should be comfortable doing so. By spreading rumors or sharing private information about the girl, you might scare her into deleting her profile. Always respect the girls that are online looking for local hookups, just as you would want them to respect you.
3. Chances are, that if you are trying to meet local women for hookups, dates, casual sex, or even serious relationships, you might end up bumping into them again. Some of these girls might be the girl next door, or a co-worker, nurse, doctor, or anything in your area. You could easily run into past and present casual sex partners, hookups, fuck buddies and friends with benefits in public. Remember to be discrete and respectful.
4. Be discrete! This is very important! When you are online using a casual or adult dating service, discretion is very important. Chances are, you don't want everyone to know you are cheating on your wife, and most girls don't want half the town knowing she has a profile on an adult or casual dating site.
You've just gotten out of a serious relationship and now you've decided to try a casual adult dating. Where do you start? Are you rusty? There are a few things that you can keep in mind that will help to ensure that your casual relationship remains safe, fun, and most of all, casual.
1. Always make sure to be honest about wanting to keep the relationship casual. After all, you do not want to mislead your partner into thinking you want more when you're really just looking for casual sex.
2. Remember to never spend the night, because this gives your partner the impression that you want to move beyond a casual relationship into a more serious one.
3. Remember that you are not the only one in a casual relationship. You're looking for a local girl that will have sex with you, and chances are that she is just looking for sex too. You're going to talk to hot, sexy women and she will probably end up talking to sexy men or woman as well. This is a casual sex date.
4. Always take care of yourself. Make sure that, when you meet up, you are clean and ready for sex. With casual adult dating, she will be more likely to refuse sex if you do not look clean and ready to go.
5. Remember that she is a fuck buddy, and that you are looking for hot sex and nothing more. Always, ALWAYS, wear protection.
6. Casual dating lets you try new things. Maybe you've always wanted a threesome, or maybe you have never had sex with a blonde. Maybe, you want to be tied up by a hot MILF. Remember to have fun and be adventurous.


text:
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Book, Reach or Call
View woodworking projects, furniture plans, and more from the magazine's history and experts.


text:
ROYAL VISIT: Joscelyn Sweeney from Vincentia recounts her brush with Will and Kate
Self-confessed royal fan, Joscelyn Sweeney from Vincentia had a dream come true when she met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and baby George in Sydney on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old's mother, Meg wrote a letter to the couple detailing Joscelyn's interest in the royal family.
According to Joscelyn it all started with Will and Kate's engagement.
"I like William and Kate and I like George as well," she said.
"Going back to their wedding and engagement.
"In Hello! magazine, I read about the Royals."
Joscelyn travelled to Sydney on Wednesday with her father, Todd and sister Monica, 19.
She was one of few, including the Prime Minister, Governor-General and NSW Governor, who had the chance to greet the couple as they disembarked in Sydney.
Joscelyn was fortunate to hold their attention for longer than anyone else.
She gave the couple a bouquet of native Australian flowers and a book, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie My First Book, to eight-month-old George.
"[Kate] said, 'Thank you'," Josceyln said.
"It was a short time, we had a little chat. She said, 'You live in Sydney?' and I said, 'No I live on the South Coast!'"
She shook Prince William's hand.
"He's fine," she said.
"George – he's cute. I said, 'Hello'."
Like many, Joscelyn also has an appreciation for Kate's stylish wardrobe and commented on the sunny, yellow dress by Serbian designer Roksanda Ilinic.
"I liked her dress. I like her fashion," she said.
The former Vincentia High School student was back to work at the Husky Bakery on Thursday, but she said the memory would stay with her.
"I'm happy and excited," she said.
"I told all my friends to watch the news.
"I think I will remember this for a long time."
Discuss "ROYAL VISIT: Joscelyn Sweeney from Vincentia recounts her brush with Will and Kate"
Please note: All comments made or shown here are bound by the Online Discussion Terms & Conditions.


text:
"Two people who really understand my journey gave me presents. Sophie, a
fantastic artist who is also writing a book titled "My Husband and Fifty Camels"
gave me a Moleskine diary to elevate me into the hallowed company of travel
writers such as Bruce Chatwin and Ernest Hemingway. Rob, a soldier for many
years, presented me with a spoon. Not just any spoon, mind you: this is a
'racing spoon', favoured by certain Regiments of the British Army because its
shape allows you to shovel very large mouthfuls of food into your mouth at very
high speeds! Perfect for me. To the unenlightened, a 'racing spoon' could easily
be confused with the kind of ordinary plastic soup spoon easily purloined from
any Chinese restaurant in Hereford.
in one hand, bell ringing in greeting with the other hand. One man invites me to
his village to spend the night. The village, far from the road and protected by
a dense, impenetrable wall of thorns, fascinated me. A 6 foot 2 Masai girl looks
after me and shows me round the village (Harry Flashman eat your heart out!).
Awesome men saunter around, tall and dignified in their robes, elaborate hair
plaited and dyed red, huge holes in their earlobes, splendid jewellery and
glistening spears. They wonder how I get my hair to be straight and yellow. I
ask how on earth they get such massive holes in their ears. Amusement and
intrigue on both sides. If the Masai people had a 'Discovery Channel', I would
be on it."
Alastair Humphreys
"Round the World by Bike"
@ BootsnAll
"I looked in my Moleskine later to see the insurance details I had written down. I had
to smirk a little when I realized that the man who had hit me, was named Jesus
D. Alva. Jesus hit me with his car."
Absenter, Writer of Text
"Yeah, I'm a Moleskine guy and cyclist, too. I guess we're trendy. My
co-workers have been asking me about my Moleskine datebook, including
the woman who left her government-issued PDA in a rental car."
Recent comment at Backporch Beer
In a conversation last night, my pedaling friend Mykell, who hasn't even heard of Moleskine before seem inexplicably drawn to it. Of course, Moleskine Guru Mike Rohde is a cyclist, too. What's up with that?
Cyclists and Moleskine. Explain the connection.
Originally posted 1.17.05


text:
Gameday: Avalanche (30-26-4, 64 pts.) at Oilers (22-31-6, 50 pts.)
EDMONTON, Alberta — The Avalanche declined to skate at Rexall Place this morning, despite the relatively late game start against the Oilers tonight (8 p.m.). Colorado begins a consecutive-night set, playing at Vancouver on Sunday, so the team doesn't want to skate too much during the stretch. I will speak to coach Patrick Roy and a player or two pregame and put some notes together.
Terry Frei had practice Friday at home and his advance package is here.
Our bi-monthly Avalanche mailbag posted Thursday. Check it out here.
Free hockey ages 4-12 Sat offered by @CORampageHockey's Al Pedersen, former @NHLBruins D partner of @RayBourque77. https://t.co/imPD26w5SW
— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers) February 18, 2016
Coors Field will host the first of three hockey games with Saturday's Battle on Blake — Colorado College at No. 10-ranked Denver — at 6:10 p.m. Nick Groke covered practice Friday.
And I wrote this DU-CC piece on the flight to Edmonton on Friday, based on what unfolded Thursday in the Pioneers' 4-1 win at CC.


text:
It's All About CPU But There Is NO CPU Bottleneck! What?
It's All About CPU But There Is NO CPU Bottleneck...
Diagnosing Oracle Database performance is like solving a puzzle. But what I really enjoy is coming up with performance solutions that are anti-intuitive for most people. You know, the ones when you can see people stop talking and actually think, "Why would Craig say that!?" In this posting, I delve into one of these situations.
The Situation
Just over a month ago I received an email from a former Australian Oracle Performance Firefighting student about their "CPU bottleneck." Based on an one-hour AWR report's Time Model Statistics section (which is based on v$sys_time_model view), the DB CPU was 95% of DB Time, leaving 5% for Oracle wait time. The top CPU consuming SQL statements were easily identified and work had begun with tuning them. By "tuning" I mean a small group of DBAs were working to reduce their CPU consumption. But something didn't feel right to him, so he emailed me about it.
My first question was, "Is there an OS CPU bottleneck?" That is, is the host (or virtual machine if you like) out of CPU resources? I was wondering if the average CPU utilization was 80% or higher. Why was I asking this? Read on...
DB Time Math
Over an interval of time, DB Time is all the Oracle server process CPU time (i.e., DB CPU) plus all the non-idle wait time.
Note: Oracle does not include background process CPU in DB Time. Why they don't include background process CPU time is an entirely different subject. And of course, we are trusting Oracle that what they consider "non-idle" wait time should actually be "non-idle" wait time. Again, that's an entirely different subject.
My former student knew the DB Time math and therefore understood that since DB CPU was pretty close to DB Time, there was little non-idle wait time. It was "all about CPU." While I still wanted to know the wait event situation because it provides performance hindering clues and forces the DBA to review their work and think a little more.
OS CPU Utilization Math
In my Utilization On Steroids online video seminar, I demonstrate utilization math by shrinking myself down to the size of a water glass and also the size of a printer cartridge. (Like the motto says, "What Online Training Should Be!") In a nutshell, utilization can be viewed/understood as requirements divided by capacity. If a 500ml glass contains 250ml of water, the glass is 50% utilized that is, 50% full.
As I present in my online seminar, there are two simple methods to figure OS CPU utilization using only the v$osstat view. One of these methods as based on the BUSY_TIME and the IDLE_TIME statistics from the Operating System Statistics section of any AWR and Statspack report. The BUSY_TIME is the instance CPU consumption, that is, the CPU requirements. As I carefully explain in my seminar and in my classes, the capacity is actually equal to the BUSY_TIME plus the IDLE_TIME. That is:
Utilization = Requirements / Capacity
Utilization = BUSY_TIME / ( BUSY_TIME + IDLE_TIME )
This is true unless the OS is updating OS structures incorrectly (e.g., /proc) or Oracle is not gathering the data from the OS correctly or frequently enough. And yes, I talk about how to check this in my seminar.
My former student did the utilization math. The average utilization was around 65%. Since this is the only Oracle instance doing any real work on the box, is was not a surprise to him that vmstat also indicated the OS CPU utilization was 65%.
Why I Asked About A CPU Bottleneck?
Suppose there is plenty of available CPU resources AND the SQL users are complaining about are doing nothing but buffer gets (i.e., logical reads). In other words, from a resource consumption perspective, it's all about CPU consumption. Is this possible? The answer is, YES!
If there was a single server process running this SQL statement, parallel query operations were not occurring and there are four CPU cores, what would the CPU utilization be? Probably around 25% (plus overhead between 5% to 15%). That is because on average only one CPU core was processing the SQL statement!
If this SQL statement took "too long to run" adding more CPU power (specifically more cores) would not help.
As strange at it may seem, one performance improving solution is to use the available CPU! Read on.
Use More CPU! Now!
Suppose the average CPU utilization of a 10 CORE box (or VM if you prefer) was running at an average of 50% utilization. This means that on average 5 of the 10 cores are busy. Now suppose a SQL statement takes 4 minutes to process without parallel query or very-cool (but perhaps costly) application design. How long would the SQL statement take to run if it ran in four parallel streams?
It depends. We need to ensure there is available CPU power. Assuming each parallel stream consumes one CPU core, the box has 10 cores with 5 being available (remember the average utilization is 50%), that leaves with us 5 "extra" cores. For our SQL statement to run in 4 parallel streams, we need three more CPU cores... and we have them!
If there is no parallelism overhead (ha! don't count on that!), the SQL statement would run in around 1 minutes, 8 CPU cores would be active (5+3), and the average CPU utilization would be around 80% (8 cores required / 10 cores of capacity).
So by creatively using available CPU resources, we were able to consume 4 minutes of CPU in a single minute! ...a beautiful example of parallelism. And of course, the users will be delighted and I may get a free pizza.
Be Anti-Intuitive
When a SQL statement, batch process or an Oracle process is constrained by CPU, yet there is plenty of CPU power available, the problem is probably a serialization issue. (Another possibility is some type of locking or blocking problem.) The solution can be found by parallelizing, thereby using the available CPU resources which will reduce the wall/clock/run time of the process.
If the above paragraph makes sense, then you understand what I'm talking about. If it does not make sense, stop, breath, and re-read the previous paragraph or paragraphs. It will be worth your time.
This next paragraph is really important to understand:
It is important to understand we have NOT reduced the total SQL statement's CPU requirements. We have NOT increased the total SQL statement's CPU requirements. We have NOT tuned the SQL statement in the traditional sense by reducing the buffer gets (logical reads, logical IOs). What we have done is simply altered the situation by consuming the necessary CPU requirements within a shorter duration. (In our example, the four minutes of CPU time was consumed within a single minute.) We did this taking a serial process and parallelizing it to use more of the available CPU resources.
Expand Our View Into The OS
Without understanding the OS situation we can easily misdiagnose the problem. And we can miss creative and powerful solutions.
Most DBAs immediately jump to tuning the SQL and tuning Oracle. While those are both valid technical solutions, there are others... like parallelizing to reduce run time while consuming more resources (in a shorter period of time).
Some DBAs but more likely OS Administrator but for sure hardware vendors may insist on getting more CPU power. While faster CPU will help somewhat, adding more of the same CPUs cores will likely do absolutely nothing...unless we can increase parallelism to use them.
Being able to determine the OS bottleneck is so important, I devote an entire chapter in my Oracle Performance Firefighting book on the subject. When I was learning to optimize Oracle systems, learning how to find the OS bottleneck significantly increased my value in the Oracle DBA market. Later when I ruminated on serialization and parallelization, I turned situations upside down by placing a larger (yet shorter-term) load on the system as a valid performance improving solution.
If performance is not what it needs to be AND there are available OS resources, consider using them to improve performance. It's a creative and rarely used solution.
Thanks for reading!
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me directly at craig at orapub.com.
|Does Table Column Order Affect SELECT Performance?
|How To Use AWR Data To Create Awesome Wait Event Based Histograms
|Oracle Database SQL Statement Elapsed Times


text:
Military Motivational Video0
Irvington NY School District 2015 2017 Calendar0
Do You. Be You. Smart IS cool!0
Honesty – Be honest with yourself and others0
Attitude – Start Slow Finish Fast0
Do An Act of Kindness Today0
Self-confidence – Change happens from within0
Movies To Watch Again0
Links To Public Information
Articles & How To
- Dynamic Headlines in Google Adwords - an undocumented feature
- Pick a secure password
- Make ASCII Status Bars
- Score higher in Google searches
- Stop SPAM email
- Set up Gpg Encryption for Windows
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|bury a friend
|all the good girls go to hell
|bad guy
|when the party's over
|everything i wanted
Jul 2019 • 1 song
Mar 2019 • 14 songs
Jan 2019 • 1 song
California singer and dancer Billie Eilish debuted her ethereal indie electro-pop sound when she was barely a teenager. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Eilish grew up in a household of actors and musicians and was home schooled along with her brother Finneas O'Connell (the Slightlys). At the age of eight, she joined the Los Angeles Children's Choir, developing the soulful vocals that would later appear on her early singles. After the release of "Six Feet Under" and "Fingers Crossed," Eilish made her breakthrough with "Ocean Eyes," produced and co-written with her brother Finne... Read more


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With philanthropic leadership by Barbra Streisand, center battles a leading killer of women: heart disease
When C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, became a cardiologist, she quickly found out that most heart disease studies focused on male patients, while women cardiology patients were widely viewed – and medically treated – as though they were smaller versions of men.
Twenty-five years later, when actress/singer/director/activist Barbra Streisand met Bairey Merz, she was shocked to learn that too little had changed. Although heart disease kills more women than men every year, Streisand discovered that women were still playing catch-up when it came to cardiac research and treatment.
"Women around the world are dying in alarming numbers from an epidemic of heart disease," Streisand said. "We can no longer afford the misconception that heart disease is mostly a man's problem. Nothing could be further from the truth. The need for more research into women's heart disease is urgent.
Streisand's support, advocacy and philanthropic commitment have resulted in the newly announced Cedars-Sinai Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center, to be directed by Bairey Merz.
"Women need – and deserve – heart care specific to female hearts," Streisand said.
Streisand has a long association with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, supporting a regenerative medicine research fund in 2007, then underwriting The Barbra Streisand Women's Cardiovascular Research and Education Program in 2008. In 2011, she received the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Humanitarian Award for her efforts on behalf of women's heart health and her many other philanthropic activities.
"Barbra Streisand's leadership allows us to dedicate significant resources to women's heart healthcare education and research," said Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and the Mark S. Siegel Family Professor. "With heart disease the No. 1 killer of women, we need this level of significant investment to find innovative solutions."
As a critical component of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, the Cedars-Sinai Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center will be focused on providing leading edge healthcare to women with heart disease and developing research that could lead to new treatments.
Research directed by Bairey Merz, who leads a multi-center National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute study on women's heart disease, already has earned Cedars-Sinai a reputation as a world leader in identifying and treating gender differences in heart disease symptoms, causes and outcomes. Some of the key findings that point out the differences between men and women include:
- Women who have a history of irregular menstrual cycles, estrogen deficiencies and polycystic ovary syndrome may have a higher risk of developing heart disease as they age.
- Women can have normal angiograms even when they have ischemic heart disease, which affects the small arteries around the heart, and may not be revealed by an angiogram, which is better at detecting developing clots in larger arteries, a condition that predominately affects men.
- Women are often told their stress tests are normal or that they have "false positives." Bairey Merz says doctors should pay attention to symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath rather than relying on a stress test score.
- Women who exhibit symptoms of ischemic heart disease can benefit from treatments ranging from proper medication to reduce heart attacks and control symptoms, as well as lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, eating a low-fat diet and exercising regularly.
"We are just at the beginning of understanding the differences between the sexes when it comes to heart disease," Bairey Merz said. "What we need now are large-scale medical studies that identify tailored diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to optimize outcomes for women and men."
Women and heart disease statistics
- Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death for U.S. women.
- Two out of three American women have at least one risk factor for heart disease.
- One out of two American women will develop heart and vascular disease.
- Twelve times as many women die of heart disease every year as die from breast cancer.
- 455,000 American women die of heart disease every year, compared to 410,000 men.
- One-quarter to one-half of women with heart disease experience different symptoms than men typically do. For example, many women experience extreme fatigue and nausea, while men report a tingling feeling in their left arm.
Source: American Heart Association


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The two wind-speed ranges are for a nominal height of 80 metres above ground and correspond loosely to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Class III.
The speeds ignore air density, the speed frequency distribution and other factors that influence production, but serve as a reasonable guide to world potential. The map makes no concession for any other development suitability criteria, nor does it show small areas.
So far, most of the areas developed for wind power on a large scale - including in the central US and Europe - have good or moderate resource, says Michael Brower, chief technical officer at AWS Truepower, and there is more potential there. But the map shows that there are suitable low-wind resources in China, south-east Asia, Brazil and other populous regions with rapidly growing economies, where much of wind power's future lies, he says.


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Data Structures and Algorithms in Java
Wiley, Jan 23, 1998 - Computers - 760 pages
Using a unique multimedia format for learning the fundamentals of data structures and algorithms, this conceptually elegant and innovative text incorporates the object-oriented design paradigm with Java as the implementation language. The result is a learning experience that provides the fundamental intuition and analysis of each structure studied. A Web site complete with Java applications and applets accompanies the text.
Includes CD-ROM with... The Microsoft Visual J++ programming environment.
From inside the book
69 pages matching string in this book
Where's the rest of this book?
Results 1-3 of 69
What people are saying - Write a review
LibraryThing ReviewUser Review - daschaich - LibraryThing
Third edition is much improved: When I learned that this was the required book for my introductory data structures class this semester, I was somewhat worried by the large number of very negative ... Read full review
Analysis Tools
Stacks Queues and Linked Lists
19 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
abstract data type analysis applet array asymptotic AVL tree binary search tree binary tree block boolean called chapter Code Fragment constant constructor container data structure defined deletion denote deque describe dictionary doubly linked list edges efficient empty enumeration Euler tour example executed external Figure function given hash heap height Input insertion instance variables integer interface internal node isEmpty iteration Java implementation Java Virtual Machine justification list structure loop memory merge-sort method methpo number of elements object-oriented design Output path perform position postorder traversal preorder traversal primitive operations priority queue problem Proposition protected void pseudo-code public class public void query queue ADT quick-sort random recursive red-black tree reference remove running Section sequence ADT shown in Code singly linked list skip list specific splay splay tree stack string structures and algorithms subtree rooted update vertex vertices worst-case


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Free shipping in the USA (lower 48) when your order is over $89 (excluding gift certificates and sales tax, if applicable).
Designed for musicians who have completed a second year of study in any method, this important new book features scales, thirds, and arpeggios; technique, articulation, and melodious etudes; plus excerpts from the classical repertoire and full-band chora. Here is a listing of related products.
� 2019 Music44. All rights reserved.


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A former Santa Ana mayor turned headstone hunter, Gordon Bricken explored Orange County cemeteries to document how many Civil War veterans were buried there — and then set out to tell their tales.
One astonishing story: The influx of hundreds of soldiers to the region following war's end in 1865 included virtually all of the leaders of a movement that forever changed the local landscape.
"All these Confederate veterans, the story goes, succeeded in getting their secession," Bricken later said, "by getting Orange County to secede from L.A.," in 1889.
Gordon Bricken: A news obituary of former Santa Ana mayor and Civil War buff Gordon Bricken in the June 28 LATExtra section reported that he worked on noise attention projects for his acoustical engineering firm. They were noise attenuation projects.
He wrote two books on the war's legacy in the region and helped establish the field of Southern California-based Civil War research, according to Susan Ogle, director of the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum in Wilmington.
Bricken, an engineer and former Santa Ana city councilman who served as mayor from 1981 to 1983, died June 17 at a care facility in Orange of complications from cancer, said his wife, Maureen. He was 76.
"Out here, it didn't matter if you came from the North or South. They were all pioneers who had to work together," Orange County historian Guy Ball told The Times on Tuesday. "Gordon's research was instrumental in documenting this history and the facts behind it."
While driving past Santa Ana Cemetery on Memorial Day in the late 1990s, Bricken stopped to ask why Confederate flags were flapping in the breeze. When he learned that 600 Civil War soldiers were buried in Santa Ana, he became fascinated by the war and its lasting link to the West.
Using lists compiled long ago by veterans groups, Bricken methodically searched Santa Ana Cemetery, trying to match grave markers to names. Eventually he found 348 Union and Confederate veterans buried there and another 278 at Fairhaven Memorial Park, the Orange County Register reported in 2010.
He extended his reach to like-minded brethren, a small group of Civil War buffs who decided to combine their efforts. Calling themselves the Orange County Blue and Gray Project, they used Bricken's research as a starting point and eventually located the graves of more than 800 Civil War veterans in Orange County.
Bricken continued researching the subject until 2009, as he tried to turn names on a ledger into biographies of men and, in one case, a woman — Mary Lingelbach, buried in 1902 beneath a Confederate headstone with no explanation or record of her service.
Among his observations: The first mayor of Seal Beach was a Union sharpshooter, the county's first Superior Court judge lost an eye in battle defending the North, and the area's last known surviving Civil War veteran was a Confederate who died at 104 in 1941.
Most veterans who migrated to the county at first had fought for the South, Bricken's research showed. They included a prominent attorney who penned the bill of secession and the courier who carried it to Sacramento by train.
Such stories made their way into Bricken's two books, "The Civil War Legacy in Santa Ana" (2002) and "Pioneers in Blue and Gray: Civil War Veterans in Orange County" (2009).
"Both books are valuable, covering an area that isn't covered anywhere else," Ogle said. The Wilmington museum, housed in a Civil War-era military outpost, carries the books in its retail shop.
As an amateur historian, Bricken was known as a thoughtful questioner and excellent listener. His intent, he told The Times in 2009, was to make people aware that "Civil War veterans who came here formed the core of the social, political and business life of Santa Ana."
He was buried near the Civil War monument that he helped establish at Santa Ana Cemetery.
The eldest of three siblings, Bricken was born Nov. 1, 1936, in Louisville, Ky. — a state that had been divided during the Civil War.
He attended high school in Santa Monica after his father's job as a Rexall Drug Co. executive brought his family west. At Loyola University, Bricken earned a bachelor's in engineering in 1959 and a master's from UCLA in 1961.
Through the Young Republicans, Bricken met his future wife, who helped run his acoustical engineering firm for more than 35 years. He was known for projects that dealt with noise attention, especially at airports and in motor sports.
From 1964 to 1974 he served on Santa Ana's Planning Commission, which nurtured his interest in local history, his family said. He spent the next decade on the City Council.
As mayor, he oversaw the development of the Orange County World Trade Center, the construction of the Santa Ana train station and the revitalization of the city's civic center area.
At Civil War reenactments Bricken attended in recent years, he wore a Confederate uniform. He had been delighted to discover that two ancestors had fought for the South.
In addition to Maureen, his wife of 50 years, Bricken is survived by four daughters, Barbara Amy, Mary Poprac, Patricia Bricken and Victoria Gephart; seven grandchildren; his sister, Beryl Alfino; and his brother, Gary Bricken.


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CEO of Citi - Middle East division spoke to LSE graduates about Dubai's increasing "global attractiveness to investors, corporations and talent."
Globalisation, urbanisation and digitisation are the key trends shaping the future of Dubai as it develops into a global city, according to Atiq ur Rehman, CEO Citi - Middle East division.
Speaking to an audience of over 100 graduating Executive MBA students and alumni at London Business School's 'Spring Celebration Event', Mr. Rehman discussed the international appeal of Dubai that is fuelling its competitiveness as a global city.
His keynote address on 'Dubai - a global city' was delivered on the eve of Morgan Stanley Capital International Inc's. (MSCI) announcement that the United Arab Emirates has been promoted to emerging market status, a move Mr. Rehman believes will bring significant benefits to Dubai.
"Emerging markets (EM) will continue to dominate in growth, with EM contribution to world GDP set to grow to 70 per cent by 2030, up from 50 per cent currently," said Mr. Rehman. "The rise of EM-based multinationals is also part of the globalisation that is driving competitiveness in growth cities. Dubai will become a microcosm of key trends that the world's most competitive cities already have in common."
The UAE's elevation from frontier to emerging market status recognises the country's strategy to diversify its economy and become a regional hub for global business and tourism.
"Dubai's stable, efficient and pro-business environment, aviation connectivity across more than 200 cities and proximity to the world's largest sovereign wealth funds are just some of the considerations that are increasing the city's global attractiveness to investors, corporations and talent," said Mr. Rehman.
"Significant investment into infrastructure is making Dubai an enjoyable place to live - it has provided the social eco-system for expat families. This is especially important for attracting talent. We find that it's easy to get talent in, and much harder to get talent out."
The audience, which included senior representatives from Dubai-based Consulates, heard about the benefits of Dubai's strategic location which gives it access to 50 per cent of the world's population within five hours.
With its global aviation connectivity, friendly time zone, world-class infrastructure and services, combined with a diverse population and talent pool, Mr Rehman believes "there is no rival in the Middle East to Dubai's position as a global city."
Adding further analysis into Dubai's growth and development was Andrew Scott, Professor of Economics and Deputy Dean at London Business School, who provided commentary and insights throughout the hour-long discussion.
"Today we are seeing something very significant - the re-wiring of the global economy through the growth of big cities," said Professor Scott. "But cities are fragile, they grow by sucking in resources and they can quickly spin out of control.
"Dubai presents a very unique opportunity that needs to be harnessed, developed and invested in."
Via SyndiGate.info
© 2019 CPI Financial. All rights reserved.


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Yesterday a Chinese businessman pleaded guilty to selling pirated software—used by defense, space technology and engineering businesses—worth a retail value of over £60 million.
A plethora of sophisticated software was stolen from an estimated 200 American manufacturers and sold onto 325 black market buyers in 61 countries between 2008 and 2011, according to Reuters. Software made by the likes of Microsoft, Oracle, Rockwell Automation, Agilent Technologies and Siemens was sold on for between £14 and £800. Some of the software, however, officially retailed for more than £600,000 apiece.
According to Reuters the businessman, Xiang Li, of Chengdu, China, trolled black market internet forums to find the software, then advertised it on his website. US agents spent 18 months working undercover in order to finally catch Li, eventually buying software worth £100,000 off him for just a couple of thousand dollars. He was finally lured to the US territory of Saipan from China, under the premise of discussing a dodgy joint business venture. Whoops. [Reuters]
Image via Shutterstock/John David Bigi III


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Portillo eager to learn in first big league camp
SAN DIEGO -- Adys Portillo felt like his head was spinning on Saturday as he attended his first FanFest at Petco Park.
If Portillo's name doesn't sound familiar, it might soon. The 21-year-old right-hander will be the second-youngest player in big league camp next week -- catcher Austin Hedges won't turn 21 until Aug. 18.
Portillo, who is on the 40-man roster, will be at his first big league camp, alongside pitchers with considerably more experience.
"I'm so excited," Portillo said. "I just want to get experience from the pitching coaches, the older guys … like Clayton Richard. I want to learn more about how to pitch, what count to throw certain pitches. For me, I can't wait for the first day of Spring Training."
Portillo is rated as the sixth-best prospect in the Padres' Minor League system.
Last season, Portillo started at Class A Fort Wayne and was 6-6 with a 1.87 ERA in 18 starts. The Padres then decided to challenge him, having him skip over Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore for Double-A San Antonio, and he was among the youngest players in the league.
Portillo was 2-5 with a 7.20 ERA in eight starts for San Antonio. But he said that time proved valuable for him, as he knows a little better what to expect there this season.
"That helped me a lot," he said. "I'll start in Double-A again this year and I feel I know the league, all the different stadiums. Hopefully I'll have a good year in Double-A and eventually get here [San Diego]."


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From weird cravings to swollen feet, pregnant women deal with a lot during those nine months Some women even suffer from hand pain when there are simple, baby-safe options to treat the symptoms.
Carpal tunnel syndrome and de Quervain's tenosynovitis are the two most common causes of hand pain for women who are expecting or have just delivered.
"Most women think pain caused by swelling in the hands is just another joy of pregnancy that they have to deal with," said Shari Liberman, M.D., a Houston Methodist orthopedic surgeon and hand and upper extremity specialist. "In fact, there are several baby-safe options that can provide pain relief for mom."
Carpal tunnel syndrome is common in pregnant women due to the increased fluid retention in their hands. The carpal tunnel houses several tendons and the median nerve, which provides senses for the thumb, the first and middle fingers, and half of the ring finger and motor movement for the thumb.
"The carpal tunnel does not function as a balloon, so it cannot expand when a tendon becomes inflamed or if increased level of fluid is in the tunnel," explained Liberman. "In expectant moms, the increased fluid in their hands puts pressure on the median nerve, which can cause numbness or tingling in the fingers controlled by that nerve."
While most causes of carpal tunnel syndrome are not reversible, a pregnant woman will see decreased fluid retention and resolution of symptoms once she gives birth. While waiting for their due date, Liberman advises her pregnant patients to splint the wrist and to get a steroid injection.
"When I recommend a steroid injection, many think that will hurt the baby, but it won't," Liberman said. "Whether the baby is in utero or breastfeeding, there are steroid injections that can provide pain relief for mom without affecting the baby."
De Quervain's tenosynovitis is common in new mothers because of the awkward hand positions used to care for or breastfeed a baby. It occurs when one or both of the tendons that move the thumb become inflamed. The compartment which houses the tendons is just the right size for the tendons, much like driving a car through a tunnel. When a tendon becomes inflamed, Liberman likens it driving a truck through the tunnel.
"De Quervain's can be a vicious cycle," said Liberman. "Because the inflamed tendon keeps hitting the walls of its compartment, it stays irritated and inflamed."
Liberman recommends a steroid injection to provide immediate relief and splinting to give them the inflamed tendon time to heal. This will resolve the symptoms for 90 percent of patients. Symptoms of de Quervain's include pain in the thumb-side of the wrist which can radiate down the thumb or up the forearm and an increase in pain when moving the hand or thumb.
"During my pregnancy, I dealt with de Quervain's, so I know how painful it can be," said Liberman. "For me, splinting was enough to resolve the symptoms. If you are a new mom dealing with thumb pain, I encourage you to ask your ob-gyn or orthopedist about baby-safe options that can help relieve your pain."
For more information about Houston Methodist, visit www.houstonmethodist.org.
Media Contacts
Hannah F. Pietsch
Phone: 832-667-5749


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Sunday December 15, 2019; 12:55 am EST
Your gift makes room in the inn, warmth in the stable
The Christmas story tells us that animals made the only warmth in the stable where baby Jesus was born. If animals have also warmed your home and your heart, making a gift to the animals may be the right way for you to give back this season.
Especially because so many animals nowadays lose their warm homes because their owners no longer have the means to afford their pets.
The SPCA of Anne Arundel County shelters, feeds and cares for up to 4,000 animals a year while seeking to find them homes. All sorts of animals. Birds, cats, dogs, ferrets and rabbits were among 500 animals in shelter at Thanksgiving.
That care takes a lot of money — about $1.6 million a year — plus tons of kibble, kilos of birdseed, mountains of blankets and a king's ransom in health care.
Especially important is money to support needed vaccinations, drugs and surgeries because animals without those interventions are likely to be put down, according to SPCA animal aid worker Tiffany Olsson.
All those goods and more — especially good homes — are on the wish list of The SPCA of Anne Arundel County. Give directly, or make a gift in honor of a person on your list through Gifts That Give Hope, one of the organizations you'll read about in this week's feature, Share the Blessings.
Give a Gift that Gives Hope 6-11pm Dec. 8, Midnight Madness, at 44 Maryland Ave., Annapolis and thru Dec. 20 at www.giftsthatgivehope.org/Annapolis.
The SPCA of Anne Arundel County: 410-268-4388; www.aacspca.org.


text: The two most talented players in the world right now are Federer and Safin. I am hoping for an epic final clash between them with both playing their best. Should be a sight for sore eyes. Of course, Agassi can put a spoke in the wheels, so can Nalbandian, but I am hoping they won't.


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This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Oklahoma
Other countries · Atlas Politics portal view · talk · edit
Thomas Allen "Tom" Coburn, M.D. (born March 14, 1948), is an American politician, medical doctor, and Southern Baptist deacon. A member of the Republican Party, he currently serves as the junior U.S. Senator from Oklahoma. In the Senate, he is known as "Dr. No" for his tendency to place holds on and vote against bills he views as unconstitutional.


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Posts Taggedcontentbarrier
Kids and computers go together like peanut butter and jelly. Or like crayons and white-painted walls… My point is that kids start using computers earlier and earlier, and many of them become very adept and quite precocious at an extremely young age.
There are significant dangers out there: the online world is a new place to be concerned about what your kids are up to, and we've all heard too many stories already of youngsters getting into trouble online. Happily, your Mac comes with a few bits of protection built in, and there are some good applications available to help you extend those controls.
I'm going to talk you through three different ways that you can go about putting in place better online safety precautions: via OS X's built-in Parental Controls, with an external application, and by getting to the heart of how your computer interfaces with the internet, by taking control of your DNS settings.