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Risk factors
How can we reduce the risk?
A healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. It has been estimated that up to half the cases of Alzheimer's disease worldwide may be the result of seven key modifiable risk factors: diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, depression, cognitive inactivity or low education, and physical inactivity.
What can I do to maintain or improve my brain health?
- Be physically active
- Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
- Track your numbers: keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight within recommended ranges
- Stay connected socially and interact regularly with others
- Make healthy food choices, eat a well-balanced and healthy diet rich in cereals, fish, legumes and vegetables
- Reduce stress
- Challenge your brain by trying something new, playing games or learning a new language
- Protect your head by wearing a helmet when you engage in sporting activities
For more information, visit our Brain health section.
Ongoing research on risk factors
Risk factors are characteristics of the person, lifestyle, environment, and genetic background that contribute to the likelihood of getting a disease. Risk factors on their own are not causes of a disease. Risk factors represent an increased chance, but not a certainty, that Alzheimer's disease will develop. Similarly, having little or no exposure to known risk factors does not necessarily protect a person from developing the disease.
Some risk factors are modifiable, which means they can be changed (e.g., smoking, high blood pressure); other risk factors are non-modifiable, which means they cannot be changed (e.g., age, genetic makeup).
Modifiable risk factors
Risk factors for both Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular diseases
High cholesterol levels in the blood, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and obesity are the major modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke. The risk factors for cardiovascular disease represent risk factors for both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. These cardiovascular risk factors are more common in older age groups.
Cigarette smoking is causally related to a wide range of diseases including many forms of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. . The evidence is strong and consistent that smokers (vs. non-smokers or ex-smokers) are at a 45% higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. They are also at a higher risk of developing vascular dementia (although the evidence is not quite as strong) and even other forms of dementia. Also, ex-smokers reduce their risk by not smoking. This is an encouraging finding for dementia prevention, suggesting, as with other adverse impacts of smoking, that the increased risk of dementia can be avoided by quitting smoking.
High blood pressure
People who have high blood pressure (hypertension) in midlife are on average more likely to develop dementia compared to those with normal blood pressure. High blood pressure affects the heart, the arteries and blood circulation so it increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, particularly vascular dementia. Research has shown that treating high blood pressure with physical activity and better diet can bring the risk down and if this is not successful, with appropriate medications.
Research has shown that type 2 diabetes in midlife is associated with increased risk of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and cognitive impairment. In fact, people who have type 2 diabetes are, on average, twice as likely to develop dementia compared to those without diabetes.
High cholesterol
People with high total cholesterol levels in midlife are on average more likely to develop dementia compared to those with normal total cholesterol. Research has shown that people who have their high cholesterol treated with drugs called "statins" have a lower risk of dementia. So treating high cholesterol is important for both heart and brain health. High cholesterol is an important risk factor for hypertension and diabetes and also contributes independently to cardiovascular risk.
Obesity and lack of physical activity
Both obesity and lack of physical activity are important risk factors for diabetes and high blood pressure, and should, therefore, also be taken into consideration. Obesity in midlife may increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease and, for that reason, should also be addressed.
Other risk factors
Alcohol is ranked fifth among the most important risk factors for death and disability worldwide and it has been implicated as a causal factor for more than 200 diseases and injuries, including major non-communicable diseases such as liver cirrhosis, some cancers and cardiovascular disease.
People who drink moderate amounts of alcohol have the lowest risk of developing dementia. Those who don't drink any alcohol at all have a slightly higher risk. Those who drink excessively have the highest risk.
Low levels of formal education
Research shows that education lowers the risk of dementia. The quality and quantity of education, that protects against dementia, remains to be clarified.
People who experience depression in later life or have a history of depression may also develop dementia. However, the relationship between depression and dementia is still unclear. Many researchers believe that depression is a risk factor for dementia, whereas others believe it may be an early symptom of the disease.
Head injuries
People who experience severe or repeated head injuries are at increased risk of developing dementia. It is possible that deposits that form in the brain as a result of the injury may be linked to the onset of dementia.
Non-modifiable risk factors
Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging but age is the strongest known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. But this does not mean that most people develop the disease as they age. Most do not. Some younger people, in their 40s or 50s, are diagnosed with the young (early) onset form of the disease. After the age of 65, the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease doubles approximately every five years. The older you become, the higher the risk – 1 in 20 Canadians over age 65 and 1 in 4 of those over age 85 have Alzheimer's disease.
It is well-established that aging can impair the body's self-repair mechanisms, including in the brain. And, many of the cardiovascular risk factors increase with age, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and high cholesterol.
Family history and genetics
Most Alzheimer's disease does not run in families and is described as "sporadic". Rare cases of Alzheimer's disease are inherited or "familial'.
Familial Alzheimer's disease
Familial Alzheimer's disease accounts for less than 5% of all cases of Alzheimer's disease. This form of the disease runs in families. If a person has familial Alzheimer's disease, each of his/her children has an increased chance of inheriting the disease-causing gene and developing Alzheimer's disease.
Familial Alzheimer's disease is due to changes or alterations in specific genes that can be directly passed on from parent to child. Three familial Alzheimer's disease risk genes have been discovered so far: the PS1, PS2, and APP genes. If you have an alteration in any one of these genes, you will have a greater chance of developing young (early) onset familial Alzheimer's disease. Researchers are searching for other genes that might be associated with familial Alzheimer's disease.
Sporadic Alzheimer's disease
The most common form of Alzheimer's disease is called sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Sporadic Alzheimer's disease is due to a complex combination of our genes, our environment, and our lifestyle. The single greatest risk factor for developing sporadic Alzheimer's disease is aging. Most cases begin after age 60-65 years.
For more detailed information about genetics and Alzheimer's disease, read our Understanding Genetics and Alzheimer's Disease information sheet.
GenderThere has been some debate that women may be more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than men. The international evidence has not consistently shown this to be true. More research is required to determine if other factors than age may heighten a women's chances of developing Alzheimer's disease.
OtherOther medical conditions that can increase a person's chances of developing dementia include Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic kidney disease and HIV. Down syndrome and some other learning disabilities also increase a person's risk of dementia.
What is research currently doing?
The relationship between these risk factors and Alzheimer's disease is complex, and ongoing research continues to shine more light on their roles. For more information, please visit our Research page.
- World Alzheimer Report 2014: Dementia and Risk Reduction, Alzheimer's disease international, 2014
- Am I at risk of developing dementia?, Alzheimer's Society UK, 2014
- Your brain matters, the power of prevention, Alzheimer's Australia, 2014
For more information, check out our brochure, Risk Factors.


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BAFTA Los Angeles is pleased to announce the recipients of our 25th Anniversary Scholarships as Oscar Sharp, Sabrina Doyle, Roseanne Flynn and Phil Gorman.
Oscar Sharp, a student at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, received the first-prize $15,000 scholarship; Sabrina Doyle, a student at the American Film Institute, received the runner-up $5,000 scholarship; Roseanne Flynn, a student at the University of Southern California, and Phil Gorman, a student at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, were each awarded the honorable mention scholarships of $1,500.
The four finalists were first chosen by a committee of BAFTA Los Angeles Members and previous scholarship recipients. Writer/Director/Producer Sir Alan Parker, Producer and Chair of The Peter Stark Production Program at USC, Lawrence Turman, and CAA agent Josh Lieberman then ranked the submissions.
"We had to judge the best of four and it was painfully hard as, frankly, all four candidates would have been worthy winners," said Parker. "Oscar Sharp stood out because there is an original comedic voice at work in his short films. His humor is surreal and anarchic, in the best British tradition. Sabrina Doyle was also outstanding; her work was refreshingly intelligent, serious and lyrical. Much needed in tomorrow's cinema."
"I consider all the finalists as 'winners,'" said Turman. "Their imagination, creativity and work was not only excellent, but only a hair's breadth apart. Choosing among them was, thus, painfully difficult."
"It's hard to imagine a bigger boost than a scholarship from BAFTA Los Angeles," said Oscar Sharp, BAFTA LA Scholarship winner. "It means so much more than the money. I'm a long way from home, in all sorts of ways, so to know that I've got the British Academy Los Angeles itself at my back is a phenomenal feeling."
British students studying film, television or video games at an accredited graduate school in the US are eligible to apply for the scholarships. Submissions must include scripts and/or short films as well as essays on their career paths.

subset: commoncrawl


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Opinion: Cuba's Mandela
Eusebio Penalver was locked up by an all-white dictatorship for 28 years, one more than Nelson Mandela. Photo: AP
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... embarrassing moment involving President Obama the memorial service for Nelson Mandela but not bad embarrassing moment ... various ensure greater murders columnist present elevated attention on taking selfie and seemingly yup the top of the Mandela Service but ... there is another moment there when the show of hands with Cuban dictator aisle cholesterol protester ... and for many reasons of the bitterly ironic an ... unfortunate ... it was it was distressing and thickly for human rights advocates because aam while the president's entourage says that he was kind of an ... you know and that not expecting SNE caught off guard by it aam he didn't seem to you know ... maybe provide a little bit more reverence than ought to have been due to Raul Castro in that moment ... and ... there was something and you say that was really ... bitterly ironic about it because of the record ... that ... Raul Castro and his brother had in Cuba ... regarding on racial oppression and in the ... black Cubans have done weekly relief for elite ... under this Act a dictatorship ... and by the way I should mention a dictatorship that is completely dominated by old white man in ... full view on others and pointed out I'll ... underrepresented of like humans are in the government leading the ... profession's universities etc ... um but the ... but in terms of the mistreatment ... in particular there are ... there fewer really horrific cases that well you know one other things that was again very ironic about this is that you know as as you know Nelson Mandela was in an Zhao as the asthe as prisoner of the of the South African government ... for twenty seven years ... up but there was a black Cuban by the name of a Assail Pena a vet who was in prison in Cuba for twenty eight years ... ahh and I mean she caught but is almost an unknowing ... and I in in the world paddling because Cuban propaganda is that a much better job ... on many Cuban exiles have done ... but now I he he was captured by iam the Keating government in nineteen sixty when he was fighting against the military dictatorship ... he never planned attacks on civilians are launched any attacks on civilians ... I'm he was captured in October nineteen eighty eight and on ... he spent twenty years under absolutely her riffic treatment that was not he said he testified to and that others in prisoner and said he was eventually released in nineteen eighty seven s are you was released in eighty eight when he and its frontiers of aam ... indoor and the horrible torture and that was not the only one of the it ... you've you've looked in the right of the human rights record in Cuba them from this regime and and the Dells regime prior to the way its treatment of of racial ... well course I you know the the treatment of all political prisoners this very bad but not ... in one famous on ... prisoner who was ... in prison the same time as ... an undead ... has told me that aam that he saw what he witnessed I've that ... being a black this that and ... I didn't I build an opinion on that to ... add additional punishments ... and this is a lot to do with the fact that the revolution has tried to use ... to promote itself around the world ... as anti an institution that has aam ... liberated by Cubans aam and of course Castro had this relationship with Mandela ... on ... the primarily I think initially because Mandela was a Marxist ... and subsequently Mandela did not forget the support that Castro gave to him so he continued ... I'd you know ... on ... it did not say he did not break with Castro ... but on the fact the matter is you know that make humans have done very poorly under under Castro and ... they iam ended the dissonance and particulary yet ... it read text or harshly because it in this interfere so much with the narrative of the revolution ... know of another room this and they're the most the world has honorably mentioned meal there are also also need Air sue you for the written about them ... well fast already ... I you know fifty five years the revelation turns fifty five on January first ... I and you see that there could be that ... basically black descendants of the leaders of the political leaders in Cuba right now I know opposition to the government ... the government remains mostly old white men ... in and out in a black dissonant who lap you know is this up on me speaking out ... is in for a lot of trouble and as you say Sunday Gatto was the rest did I break before Pope Benedict arrived in Cuba Act and social be spending now her second ... Christmas ad spend her second Christmas in ... in a Cuban prison on she's in all horrible ... out ... of prison everyone knows the conditions that they're in a very bad ... she do anything violent ... and aam and the costs for her release have been ignored ... Rubin Our improved on overdid will discuss on how it is that the president keeps ending up in these moments where he's offering cheerful handshake to dictators ... maybe that's a Sharmin protocol ... oversight whatever but anyway thank you for today where ...


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From loose snow to icy freeze-thaw and everything in between, Wrathchild craves the best and worst winter conditions. Deep center lugs aggressively claw into unconsolidated snow for extreme acceleration and braking traction. Super-tall side lugs dig into loose snow to provide predictable and confident cornering. It doesn't matter whether there's ice on the road ahead, the Wrathchild is available in studded model. Let Wrathchild bring out your inner-child and go carve up some local trails.
Tubeless-ready tires are compatible with both tubeless-ready and standard rims. When the tire is mounted on a tubeless-ready rim with special tubeless rim tape, valve, and sealant, the tire and rim form an airtight chamber that no longer requires a tube. This lets you run lower tire pressure with less fear of pinch flats and without the added weight of a tube. Lower tire pressure has many benefits, including greater traction and lower rolling resistance over rough surfaces. The tire can also be used with a tube if you mount it on a standard, non-tubeless-ready rim.
Part Numbers
|Store SKU
|120tpi tubeless folding / Studded / 26 x 4.6
|120tpi tubeless folding / Studded / 27.5 x 3.0


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Hey friends! Sorry I have been MIA but I have a full time job that is taking up all my time. I am not complaining in the least though. I am happy to say that I am one of the few that loves their job! I get to play with stickers and pattern craft vinyl all day! My friend Chris started a online vinyl business out of his home last December. In August I began working for him for about 12 hours a week. Fortunately business allowed me to increase my time and by November I was working 4 to 5 days a week. Not to long ago we opened a store front and I am working as much as I can! The coolest part is that I give Chris ideas and he turns them into these amazing creations.
I am proud to say that Springfed Printing has the largest selection of Pattern Craft Vinyl anywhere around. With over 65 patterns and growing we are having a ball supplying all the crafters of the world with patterned vinyl. We literally have shipped all over the world! Australia, Grenada, Switzerland, The Netherlands, UK, and more!
Do you need some vinyl for your craft projects?
Well Jessica at Mom 4 Real is hosting a giveaway for 20 Sheets of Pattern Craft Vinyl this week!
Go by and visit her, see the projects she has done and find out how you can win some vinyl!
Hopefully I will be back blogging soon! I have done quite a bit with no time to post!
Jane, don't give up on me! I do enjoy your comments!


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Williams Sonoma Winter Berry Hand Soap, 16oz.
- Only at Williams Sonoma
- Exclusive
Easy, hassle-free returns online and in-store for eligible items.Learn More
Earn 5% Back in rewards4 plus free standard shipping3every day when you shop with your Williams Sonoma credit card at Williams Sonoma.Apply Now Learn More
- Summary
Pomegranate and orange mingle with the distinctive sweetness of blackcurrant and warm cinnamon and clove for an unmistakable Christmas blend. Made in the USA exclusively for Williams Sonoma, this gentle and effective soap reflects our culinary roots with clean, simple scents that blend into the kitchen naturally.
- Scented with pomegranate, orange, spice and other premium essential oils and essences.
- Biodegradable earth-friendly blends contain no parabens, ammonia, chlorine or lauramide DEA.
- Not tested on animals.
- Hand soap contains soothing olive oil, aloe vera and glycerin.
- Includes durable plastic pump top.
- 16 fl. oz.
- Made in USA.
- Use & Care
- Store in a cool, dry location.
- Ingredients
Water (aqua) (eau), cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, sodium methyl 2-sulfolaurate, disodium 2-sulfolaurate, glycerin, fragrance (parfum), cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass) oil, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel oil, eugenia caryophyllus (clove) flower extract, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, olea europea (olive) fruit oil, sodium chloride, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, tetrasodium glutamate diacetate, citric acid.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
UPS can deliver most in-stock items within 3–5 business days. UPS is unable to deliver to P.O. boxes.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Next Day Delivery
For an additional charge of $26 per address, we can expedite delivery to most destinations. This service is not available for some oversize items, items shipped directly from the supplier (including perishable and custom-manufactured items), out-of-stock items and items to be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states.
Orders received by 9:00 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday will arrive the next business day; orders placed Friday through Sunday will arrive on the following Tuesday.
Return Policy
At Williams Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
If within 30 days, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value. An original receipt or gift receipt is required for all returns and exchanges. Returns with a gift receipt will be refunded in the form of a Merchandise Credit for the amount indicated on the gift receipt. Returns with original receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment, cash and check refunds over $100 will be issued as a company check (may take 14 business days from time of request).
For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners and knife storage), please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, custom upholstery, food, items shipped direct from the vendor or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned.
Made to Order and Final Sale Furniture items are non-returnable and cannot be cancelled once the order is placed.
For returns of items purchased from your Williams Sonoma Gift Registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later. View Full Returns Policy.


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Facebook Commerce Has Been A Big Flop
The first generation of stores inside Facebook have been total flops, Bloomberg reports.
This is a problem for Facebook because it's one less business it can "tax" to generate further revenue.
Gamestop, JC Penney, Nordstrom, and Gap have all opened and closed stores in Facebook in the last year.
The stores didn't lead to significant sales, and people quoted by Bloomberg seem to suggest that a company is better off having a good website for e-commerce than a store inside of Facebook.
Ashley Sheetz, the VP of marketing and strategy at Gamestop tells Bloomberg, "We just didn't get the return on investment we needed from the Facebook market, so we shut it down pretty quickly ... For us, it's been a way we communicate with customers on deals, not a place to sell."
Facebook is reportedly looking for a $100 billion valuation when it IPOs. But, its current business doesn't support that valuation. If you believe it's going to be worth $100 billion, and eventually much more, you have to believe it's going to make money from more than just ads.
The theory is that companies will come to depend on Facebook's huge user base, then Facebook will figure out how to "tax", or make money off those companies. Zynga, for instance, built a huge business, and then one day Facebook said, give us 30%. In theory, F-commerce, or Facebook Commerce was going to be another taxable business. It isn't.
Why is f-commerce a flop? Chris Dixon, CEO of Hunch, explains it pretty succinctly on Twitter: "Facebook is like Starbucks where everyone hangs out but no one ever buys anything."
Now, this is just the first attempt at commerce on Facebook. And it sounds like the big problem is that companies were just replicating what they had on their websites inside of Facebook. There's still a chance someone will figure out a way to make an e-commerce experience that works in Facebook by tailoring it to Facebook's strengths.
Don't Miss: Who Gets Rich When Facebook IPOs? These People
Please follow Business Insider on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
See Also:


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Le Creuset Signature Cast-Iron Braiser
Easy, hassle-free returns online and in-store for eligible items.Learn More
Earn 5% Back in rewards4 plus free standard shipping3every day when you shop with your Williams Sonoma credit card at Williams Sonoma.Apply Now Learn More
- Summary
Inspired by nearly a century of culinary craftsmanship, Le Creuset is proud to present the Signature collection as the next evolution of its enameled cast-iron cookware. Signature seamlessly blends its classic form and feel with the latest ergonomic and functional innovations.
- This braiser with its tight-fitting lid helps food retain moisture and emerge juicy and tender.
- Its dish-like shape and vibrant color make it perfect for serving directly at the table.
- Optimized for steady, even heat, Le Creuset's improved enamel interior resists staining, dulling, and wear and tear.
- Handles are 45% larger to provide a better grip, even while wearing oven mitts.
- Enameled cast-iron construction boasts superior heat-retention and requires no additional seasoning.
- Dishwasher safe for fast, convenient cleanup.
- Made in France.
- Dimensions & More Info
- 2 1/4-Qt.: 10 3/4" diam., 2 1/4" high; 9 lb. 11 oz.
- 3 1/2-Qt.: 11 1/2" diam., 2 1/2" high; 11 lb. 14 oz.
- 5-Qt.: 13" diam., 2 3/4" high; 14 lb. 12 oz.
Additional Information
- Enamel interior's light sand color makes it easy to monitor food while cooking, ensuring less sticking and burning.
- Stabilizers in the newly engineered lid prevent rocking, keeping the lid snugly in place.
- Improved ergonomic, composite knob resists temperatures up to 500°F and provides a sure grip.
- Made in France.
- Use & Care
- Ideal for use on any cooktop, including induction.
- For best results, use low to medium heat on cooktop.
- Oven and broiler safe; phenolic-resin knob is oven safe to 500°F.
- Use wood, plastic or heat-resistant nylon tools to avoid scratching the enamel surface.
- Do not slide pan on stovetop.
- Enamel can chip or crack if dropped or banged on hard surface.
- Allow to cool before washing.
- Dishwasher safe.
- Avoid using steel wool, steel scouring pads, harsh detergents or abrasive cleansers.
- Stubborn food residue and stains can be removed with a nylon scrubbing pad or sponge.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
UPS can deliver most in-stock items within 3–5 business days. UPS is unable to deliver to P.O. boxes.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Next Day Delivery
For an additional charge of $26 per address, we can expedite delivery to most destinations. This service is not available for some oversize items, items shipped directly from the supplier (including perishable and custom-manufactured items), out-of-stock items and items to be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states.
Orders received by 9:00 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday will arrive the next business day; orders placed Friday through Sunday will arrive on the following Tuesday.
Return Policy
At Williams Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
If within 30 days, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value. An original receipt or gift receipt is required for all returns and exchanges. Returns with a gift receipt will be refunded in the form of a Merchandise Credit for the amount indicated on the gift receipt. Returns with original receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment, cash and check refunds over $100 will be issued as a company check (may take 14 business days from time of request).
For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners and knife storage), please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, custom upholstery, food, items shipped direct from the vendor or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned.
Made to Order and Final Sale Furniture items are non-returnable and cannot be cancelled once the order is placed.
For returns of items purchased from your Williams Sonoma Gift Registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later. View Full Returns Policy.
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Rated 5 out of 5 by cowgirl007 from My Favorite Pan...For Me or For Company! I have had this pan almost a year and I love it more every day I have it...really! It is so versatile for frying, browning, roasting, stewing...you name it. Best of all, it is absolutely gorgeous and goes so beautifully from the stove to the center of the table. The meal is so appetizing and the food stays hot throughout the meal which is a plus I had not anticipated. I have made roast beef/potatoes/carrots, spaghetti sauce with meat balls for a large crowd, a large meatloaf, boiled shrimp/corn/potatoes (cooked in a stock pot but served in my gorgeous braiser), roasted chicken and veggies, and the list goes on. Everything looks extra yummy in the center of the table in the brasier and clean-up is a breeze....just add water and let it soak a bit. The only con is that the larger braiser is pretty heavy. I am older and use it to keep in shape but I can see that if someone had weaker arms it could be a problem...especially if filled with roast and veggies, etc.Date published: 2017-08-23Rated 5 out of 5 by KRoss from My Favorite Pan I bought the 3.75 quart braiser in Lapis blue. This pan is beautiful and large enough to cook for a family of 4. Don't hesitate on this pan....you will use it daily! I currently collect red Le Creuset but wanted something different - the blue looks great next to the red.Date published: 2017-03-31Rated 5 out of 5 by GPATLguy from LOVE this Braiser I bought this braiser in Anchor Grey a few months ago. I had debated on whether this purchase was a need or a want. It may have started as a bit of both. I must say that it has become a favorite. I use it for Cooking paella, large skillet items, to actual braising. The Le Creuset quality and overall design is superb. The heavy domed lid is perfection. If you're on the edge, take the leap and purchase this. You will have zero regrets.Date published: 2017-02-14Rated 5 out of 5 by lilitalia84 from Love this! I absolutely love this braiser! I use it for anything I can from making tacos and chicken fajitas to roasting lamb and pork. I also have the 7.25-quart and 3.5-quart wide Le Creuset Dutch Ovens, and I find this piece to be more versatile. The Caribbean color is gorgeous and goes well with my dutch ovens, which are both Matte Navy. It's also very easy to clean - just soak it in hot water for a bit. I highly recommend this braiser!Date published: 2017-01-10Rated 5 out of 5 by DocSandy from WOW! Wonderful I'm very dubious about higher priced pans and products but this one is a must have. I made lime cilantro chicken in my first effort and haven't stopped using it since. It gets hot very fast and stays a steady heat. Its not as heavy as I thought it might be.Date published: 2016-04-27Rated 5 out of 5 by missthang from wonderful! wonderful! Pan I got my Pan not too long ago. when I got it, I was so happy.couldn't wait to use it and when I did, my dinner turned out beautifully. I fell in love after that. the only thing I don't like about the product is that it's so heavy. anybody that's elderly shouldn't use it. too heavy for them to handle. other than that, it's a wonderful Pan. thank you.Date published: 2016-02-09Rated 5 out of 5 by Bigwatusi from I had to spring for the one in Ocean color! I am crazy about my bigger Le Creuset braiser but I have always lusted for one in the Ocean blue color. I would have loved to get a bargain somewhere else but WS is the exclusive carrier of that color. It has all of the wonderful features of Le Creuset and I enjoy using it immensely. The color is gorgeous.Date published: 2015-09-16Rated 1 out of 5 by cetolle from Always Burns, Hard to Clean We are not impressed with this braiser. After reading reviews about how easy it is to clean, we thought this would be amazing. It's not. Everything seems to burn, even on the low heat, making it a pain to clean. We have to let it soak overnight and then leave a cleaner on the remaining residue over another night to get everything off. We've only used a handful of times because of the inconvenience factor. When we do use it, it's only to get our "use" out of the item because it was so expensive.Date published: 2014-12-18
What ste uses for this? Can this be used to fry starchy foods like potatoes? Or cook eggs?Hi adrianaking12, This braiser is perfect for searing, simmering, sautéing, and braising meats. Also great for slow cooking, baking, preparing short ribs, stews, marinating, poaching, and even browning. A braiser is not very deep so you wouldn't be able to fry a lot of potatoes in a single batch.Date published: 2019-11-03
Hi. Are handles included in measurements? Hi Jake N, Measurements including handles would be stated as such. The listed measurements for the braiser would just be for the diameter from one edge of the pan to the other.Date published: 2019-06-10
Does the diameter reference the top or bottom of the pan?Hi Dany, The 11 1/2" diameter is for the top.Date published: 2019-05-26
what is the size shown in the video?Hi mgc1, The 3.5 quart braiser is used in the video.Date published: 2019-03-26


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The tale of a weird crash, and a 2.5 year-old bug
10 days ago, I landed bug 616262, and Windows Mochitest-Other immediately turned perma-orange on an a11y test, in the form of a crash. It hadn't happened when I was testing the patch queue on Try, nor did it happen on PGO and debug builds on mozilla-central.
That looked like a good candidate for a compiler bug.
The first thing I tried to do is to find what particular change had made it orange, since it was green on my earlier attempts on Try. After some bisecting through Try pushes over the week-end, it turned out the changeset immediately after the one I had based my attempts on Try on was turning the test crashy. Unfortunately, it was a merge changeset, so I had to check the merged branch. After some more bisecting, it turned out that only four consecutive changesets were making the test non-crashy, and the one I had been using was the last one of them. Moreover, none of them was a11y–related.
That looked like a good candidate for a compiler bug.
Since I was at a dead-end trying to find some changeset that triggered the crash, and since using Try was already a slow process, I went ahead trying to reproduce locally… which didn't happen. I never upgraded MSVC on my Windows install, so I was still using 2005, while our build slaves now use 2010. So I upgraded MSVC to 2010, and finally was able to reproduce locally.
That looked like a good candidate for a MSVC 2010 bug.
The stack trace that MSVC was giving me when the crash was occurring was not very useful. The crash was supposedly happening in
nsTSubstring_CharT::SetCapacity, called from
Accessible::GetARIAName. Sometimes it would happen in
arena_malloc, called from the same
Accessible::GetARIAName. Unfortunately, the stack trace wasn't going higher, which suggested stack corruption.
Because an unoptimized build would not crash and because optimizations were making things hard to poke from within the debugger, I added some
printfs in
Accessible::GetARIAName. It didn't crash anymore.
That really looked like a good candidate for a MSVC 2010 bug.
Since the function was called a whole lot before actually crashing, I needed to determine what code in
Accessible::GetARIAName was being reached before the crash. One of the things I tested was this patch:
--- a/accessible/src/generic/Accessible.cpp +++ b/accessible/src/generic/Accessible.cpp @@ -2429,6 +2429,8 @@ Accessible::GetARIAName(nsAString& aName if (NS_SUCCEEDED(rv)) { label.CompressWhitespace(); aName = label; + } else { + MOZ_CRASH(); } if (label.IsEmpty() &&
For those not familiar with Mozilla codebase,
MOZ_CRASH, as its name suggests, triggers a crash. So if the
else part is ever reached, the build would crash. It turns out it did… not. At all.
Comparing at assembly level, the functions with and without the patch above were strictly identical, except that one specific jump would go to the crashing code instead of going to the rest of the function. The crashing code wasn't even added within the function, but at the end.
At this point, I was pretty certain that the problem was, in fact, not in the function where the crash was occurring. The base observation was that adding code may un-trigger the crash, suggesting something weird happening depending on where some function appearing after
Accessible::GetARIAName is located in the binary. Sure enough, reordering the source files in
accessible/src/generic made the crash disappear with an unmodified
So, after validating that adding a small function after an unmodified
Accessible::GetARIAName was not triggering the crash, I went on to find the last place where adding the function would not stop triggering the crash. Which I found to be that spot. With a dummy function before
DocAccessible::ContentRemoved, the crash wouldn't occur, and with the same dummy function after, it would. But
DocAccessible::ContentRemoved is empty, how can adding a function before or after make a difference?!?
Since these
DocAccessible functions are good candidates for Identical Code Folding, I tried disabling it, and it surely did make things worse: the addition of the dummy function stopped "fixing" the crash.
That really looked like a good candidate for something that was going to be near impossible to debug.
At this point, I really wished I had a more reliable stack trace, and with fingers crossed (since so many factors were, in fact, "fixing" the crash), I tried again with frame pointers enabled. And fortunately, the crash was still happening. After some self-punishment for not having tried that earlier, I finally got a more meaningful stack trace showing the
Accessible::GetARIAName (indirectly) coming from
nsTextEquivUtils::AppendFromAccessible, itself being called from
nsTextEquivUtils::AppendFromAccessibleChildren, itself called from
Fortunately, the place indirectly calling
Accessible::GetARIAName was reached much less often than
Accessible::GetARIAName, so it was possible to use a breakpoint there, continue until the nth time, and then step until
Accessible::GetARIAName. Finally I knew where and why the crash was happening: really in
Accessible::GetARIAName, because
mContent was NULL.
Obviously, when the crash doesn't happen,
mContent is never NULL. After some fiddling with both builds with the crash and builds without, I found that
nsTextEquivUtils::AppendFromAccessible was never called for an Accessible with a NULL
mContent when the crash doesn't occur. Which makes sense, but makes the problem upper in the stack.
After more fiddling, and finding out that both crashing and non-crashing builds were initializing a nsHTMLWin32ObjectAccessible with a NULL
mContent, I had to find why either the Accessible's
mContent value changed in one case and not the other, or why
nsTextEquivUtils::AppendFromAccessible was called for that
nsHTMLWin32ObjectAccessible in one case and not the other.
And in the end, it turned out the difference was that the
gRoleToNameRulesMap value for
nsHTMLWin32ObjectAccessible's Role was wrong in one case and not the other, making
nsTextEquivUtils::AppendFromAccessible being called or not.
So the root cause of all this nightmarish chase was that
nsHTMLWin32ObjectAccessible's Role is ROLE_EMBEDDED_OBJECT, and that the
gRoleToNameRulesMap array stopped at ROLE_GRID_CELL (which happens to be ROLE_EMBEDDED_OBJECT – 1).
The changeset that added ROLE_EMBEDDED_OBJECT but forgot to add the corresponding
gRoleToNameRulesMap entry is 2.5 years old, and other additional roles have been added since then.
Conclusion, the problem was not the compiler doing something broken, but it was the linker laying things out differently in some cases, leading to different values returned when reading past
gRoleToNameRulesMap, depending on what the linker put there.
It looks like we've been pretty (un?)lucky not to have been hit by this earlier. It's now fixed on all branches, and bug 616262 landed again, with a pretty green Windows Mochitest-Other.
As of writing, I still don't know why the stack trace was truncated in the first place, since the stack was, in fact, not corrupted. I think I don't care anymore.
2012-06-25 16:48:24+0900
Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.


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I started to use Radar Networks' Twine at the invitation of CEO Nova Spivak after writing this earlier this year (also see this). I enjoyed it for a while, especially because a lot of technology folks were hooking up with each other, especially the semantic web community, on Twine. But I found it tedious to work through beta issues and to be bothered with recommendations or news about who was saying or bookmarking things about what. (I should have turned off the emails sooner!)
I was disappointed that Twine was taking an apparently folksonomic approach to tagging. It was as if Radar Networks was riding semantic web buzz without really embracing it openly or sharing the momentum that the invite-only community was investing in. That may not sound fair – I believe that there are semantics in the back room, but that's how it felt and it's still the way it looks. But probably the worst part is the process that you have to go through to add a bookmark – which is the whole point, of course! (I ultimately sacrificed popup blockers, but the process still seems laborious compared to other alternatives.)
I stumbled across Zigtag almost accidentally while working for a VC firm with a portfolio of semantic startups. What I like most about Zigtag is that they make it obvious that they are building an ontology of tags and encourage users to select semantic tags (i.e., concepts) rather than folksonomic "words". They also provide tools for managing tags that allow you to move smoothly and incrementally from a folksonomic to a more semantic approach.
The key to the semantic approach for Zigtag is that shared tags are just that – they are more precise than strings. They are not only words – they have definitions.
Unfortunately, like Twine, Zigtag's ontological model remains hidden.
My initial experience with Zigtag resulted in immediate jubilation. The Firefox plug-in works for me. It lets me type in tags with nice completion and recommendations from the tags that others have defined. Within 15 minutes I was writing to compliment Zigtag on a practical, elegant approach to the semantic bookmarking problem. I liked it much better than Twine right off the bat – and despite its book-market, I like Twine a lot! Within a few minutes I had an email from their founder, Reg Cheramy. An hour later we were talking. We talked about his early meeting with Michael Arrington, how his work compares to bulletin board or discussion forum emphasis in Twine , how he facilitates semantic tagging given a very large ontology and vocabulary, and so on.
Whether Reg took my advice to emphasize groups more or was already headed in that direction is unclear, but Zigtag now has group functionality that seems as good as (and in some ways better) than Twine's. If you go to Zigtag the web site, you can find groups to join, but unlike Twine's web site, Zigtag does not recommend groups for you based on your interests. I'm not sure this is a problem, though. Recommendations can be distracting. Nonetheless, if people want recommendations for more than content, it would be a simple step for Zigtag given the fact that they already recommend content that others have bookmarked.
I'm not too concerned with recommendations, even of content, so I cannot comment on Zigtag versus Twine on that front. Generally, there is plenty of RSS and recommendation noise to go around. I prefer the linked approach to finding information rather than searching and I don't expect recommendations to become excellent in the near term. For more on this, you might want to check out the recent news about Vulcan's EVRI investment at Webware or ReadWriteWeb.
I like to use Zigtag from the sidebar in Firefox. Actually, I owe Reg additional thanks for, in effect, causing me to abandon Internet Explorer for Firefox. I use it primarily to organize my bookmarks semantically and across machines. For those that want to do the same, you might also be interested in Mitch Kapor's Foxmarks.
I'm fine with finding groups on my own and I like seeing people and what they tend to tag, too. Now that I know they are available on the web site, though, I want them in the sidebar. The fact that they are indirect on the web site, not presented in the sidebar, and not proactively recommended probably explains why there are relatively few (especially compared to Twine). It would be nice, for example, to see groups and people organized along with bookmarks according to how heavily they use tags as I pivot through various facets.
So, on a feature basis, I like Zigtag more than Twine for two primary reasons:
- Zigtag's Firefox plug-in is a great user interface while Twine's book-market is awkward in every sense that matters to me.
- Zigtag emphasizes and leverages shared tagging of tags that have clearly documented interpretations Twine is too folksonomic.
The picture shown in this post shows that Zigtag already "knows" a lot about semantics. Part of the reason is that they must have a roomful of people watching for tags that people enter that are not defined. Quite a few of the tags I've added have become defined within hours (sometimes minutes) of when I enter them. We'll see how this scales up, but I like it – a lot.
The key question for both these sites is:
Are you going to share your ontology? If not, why not? If so, when or why not now?
Note that I am not suggesting they should. But if they have a reason not to, it would be nice to understand that.
It also would be nice to know whether the effort I expend on either site will be lost if they are acquired or I want to switch. That's how it looks at Twine today.
Zigtag exports my bookmarks. I can get them from or over to Delicious, no problem. But I want their semantics, too. I would really appreciate preservation of the text, preferably the semantics of my tags. Perhaps if my bookmarks were simply output as an OWL referencing their ontology? At least then I could move without losing the effort that I have put into them, whether folksonomic or semantic. I also want to know if their ontology is are any good and, if so, I'd appreciate export to OWL so that I could use bookmarks for other purposes that interest me.
The background issue of data portability, for bookmarks, social networks, and other personal profile data is huge.
If I had OWL export and an open ontology, I would be less worried about my investment in Zigtag or Twine. Consider Techcrunch's recent comments:
Zigtag's biggest obstacle is the slew of other social bookmarking sites already available (…). The semantic tagging feature is fairly unique, but its appeal is still untested, especially against automated semantic taggers like Twine. Frankly, a lot of people are just going to stick with the simple but effective Delicious interface.
It's hard to argue with the first sentence, but the second seems harsh. Twine is getting credit that it may not deserve. Also, Zigtag recommends tags, too. But the third sentence is a problem for Zigtag as well as Twine, although the latter benefits from superior PR.
Another question, of course, is how Zigtag and Twine will fare once they try to make money. Radar Networks has stated that Twine will start running ads by the end of the year. Zigtag has made no public announcements. Delicious selectively advertises (e.g., on search pages), perhaps to feed intelligence to Yahoo's advertising network. The advertisements are so selective that the value of other book-marking sites may be limited to the intelligence that they provide to established advertising networks. If so, this will hold down valuations and slow innovation. We'll see, but obviously, I hope not..


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Ever wanted to carry a laser gun back in time to the Dark Ages and have everyone worship you as some sort of demigod before they eventually overthrow your ass and toss you down a well? Well, now you can. Ascaron Entertainment is releasing the role-playing game Hard To Be A God in April, and it's probably exactly what you'd get if you crossed Star Wars with World of Warcraft.
It's a tale of two planets, Earth and Arkanar, who live together in brotherly love and all that boring jazz until a bitter war broke out between the two worlds. Afterwards, the Earth ages, matures and develops things like technology, computers, and digital watches. However, Arkanar stays rooted in medieval-era weaponry and warfare and starts stagnating. No one know why until the forces on Earth decide to send a spy to Arkanar, and guess who you get to play? It sounds a bit like Assassin's Creed where you get "regressed" back into the a similar era inside your head, except this time you get to take a blaster, a missile pod, or a hand grenade with you.
This might be the closest that a game has come to sticking you into a Harry Turtledove novel, except you have to also unravel the mystery of Arkanar's situation to boot. Bonus points if your character gets to brandish a laser rifle and tell everyone "This is my BOOMSTICK!"


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SMT & Inspection | April 21, 2008
Electrolube appoints new US representative
Electrolube has appointed REStronics as its sole representative agency in the USA covering 36 States.
REStronics is the national representative agency in America, carrying a balanced blend of capital equipment from Heller, Fuji and PVA and production supplies from 3M Static Control, ACL-Staticide, Easy Braid and AIM Solder. Electrolube products are a good fit into both REStronics capital equipment and production supply lines as their products are appropriate to both customer bases, said the company. Major customers of the agency include Rockwell, Motorola, Honeywell, BAE Systems and Delphi.
Eguana inks deal for residential energy storage systems Eguana Technologies Inc. has entered into a development contract with an unnamed renewable energy company to develop and certify proprietary residential storage systems for distribution through its sales channels across global markets.
BlueRing Stencils picks up Stone Mountain Tool BlueRing Stencils has acquired Georgia-based tooling supplier Stone Mountain Tool.
Bosch increases its stake in fuel-cell expert Ceres Power Bosch has increased its stake in Ceres Power from 3.9% to circa 18%. Bosch's total investment in the company will be approximately 90 million euros.
Haldex Heidelberg staff urges management to reconsider the closure It was back in October of 2019 that Haldex announced that it was streamlining its production in Europe, a decision that would see the move of production from Heidelberg in Germany to Szentlörincskáta in Hungary.
Foxconn's Gou: WI plant operational this year Foxconn Technology Group founder Terry Gou is indicating that the company's new manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, still currently under construction after multiple slowdowns, will generate products beginning this year.
Zentech acquires Trilogy Circuits LLC Zentech Manufacturing has acquired Texas-based Trilogy Circuits LLC, a provider of EMS services to military primes and other high-reliability industries in Texas and across the United States.
Markus Jeck to take lead of Enics Switzerland EMS provider Enics has appointed Markus Jeck as the new General Manager of Enics Switzerland.
Hanwha Precision Machinery launches tech centre in Germany Hanwha Techwin Automation Americas' – formerly Samsung C&T Automation – unit, Hanwha Precision Machinery, has launched an integrated tech centre for Europe in Germany to accelerate its global expansion.
TTM Technologies to sell four China manufacturing plants TTM Technologies is executing a definitive agreement under which the company has agreed to divest its four China manufacturing plants – which make up substantially all of the assets of its Mobility business unit.
Incap acquires AWS Electronics EMS provider Incap has signed an agreement to acquire 100% ownership of AWS Electronics Group.
Ampleon, Rochester Electronics ink deal RF power products supplier Ampleon and semiconductor manufacturer Rochester Electronics have forged a strategic partnership to extend the global supply of Ampleon's VDMOS portfolio of high-performance RF transistors.
Trust Automation appoints new COO California-based Trust Automation Inc., a supplier of automation technology for industrial and defense applications, has welcomed Teddy Ross to the company as chief operations officer, effective immediately.
TDK Ventures invests in SLD Laser TDK Ventures Inc., a subsidiary of TDK Corporation, has invested in SLD Laser, a specialist in the use of gallium nitride (GaN) in the commercialization of visible laser light sources for multiple applications including automotive, mobility, medical, and specialty lighting.
Sono Motors hits its target - community funding works The Munich-based mobility provider Sono Motors has successfully completed the extension of its campaign to finance the company and has exceeded its target of EUR 50 million.
New group structure at Mycronic aimed securing future growth Swedish creator of production equipment, Mycronic, has grown quite a bit during the last years; both organically but also through acquisitions. And with that growth some structure is in order.
Zenuity and HP Enterprise team up to develop next-gen autonomous driving cars Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has been selected by Zenuity, a Swedish developer of software for self-driving and assisted driving cars, to provide the crucial artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure it needs in order to develop next generation autonomous driving (AD) systems.
Honeywell, Lockheed Martin win NASA contracts Honeywell and Lockheed Martin have both announced recent contracts for the supply of key components to NASA's Orion spacecraft fleet for the upcoming Artemis lunar missions.
Libra Industries welcomes new VP EMS provider Libra Industries has welcomed David Chavez to its leadership team as the new VP of Integrated Business Development.
Danfoss shuts down site – hundreds of jobs lost Danish industrial group, Danfoss, is taking steps to optimise and strengthen its competitiveness. This will result in a closure of the groups manufacturing site in Kolding, Denmark. Production from the site will be moved to the groups manufacturing location in Poland.
USI builds its third antenna chamber measurement system USI is currently building its third antenna chamber measurement system with a targeted completion date in the first quarter of 2020.
AT&S receives NADCAP accreditation With the NADCAP accreditation, new doors in the aerospace sector has been opened for the Austrian company.
Toshiba Carrier to establish new manufacturing subsidiary in Europe Toshiba Carrier Corporation announced the establishment of a new manufacturing subsidiary in Gniezno, a mid-western city of Poland.
Ericsson opens new R&D site in France Ericsson says it will establish a new R&D site in France with up to 300 employees, accelerating 5G momentum in Europe.Load more news
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A panel on how to survive and thrive as a feminist in a troubled political climate, featuring (from left to right) Nona Willis Aronowitz, Samhita Mukhopadhyay, and Jill Filipovic. Jill Filipovic's new book is "The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness."
Women have come out in force to protest the Trump administration's encroachments on women's rights and human rights at home and abroad. But to successfully oppose Trump, feminists also need to counter his "America First" narrative with one of their own—one that says all human beings are entitled to happiness. What does the feminist pursuit of happiness look like in dark, reactionary times? Three panelists attempt to answer that question.
Jill Filipovic is a journalist and attorney based in Nairobi and New York City. Her new book "The H-Spot" explores how American women exercise their right to "the pursuit of happiness" in light of social expectations and systemic inequalities.
Nona Willis Aronowitz is a writer, editor, author, and features editor at Fusion. She has been a contributing writer for the Washington Post, New York Magazine, Matter, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Playboy, The Nation, and Rookie, among many others.
Samhita Mukhopadhyay is the Senior Editorial Director of Culture and Identities at Mic and author of "Outdated: Why Dating is Ruining Your Love Life."


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Winter festivals
in Mongolia
Winter festivals
in Mongolia
Winter in Mongolia is cold, but incredibly beautiful. Temperatures here typically ranging from -20°C to – 45°C degrees. Traditionally, it is a quiet season for tourists. In a country still largely undeveloped, and with a rudimentary infrastructure, many parts of Mongolia are difficult to negotiate in the winter. The extreme cold dissuades visitors further. But this is exactly how we like it. Mongolia's winters are home to incredible landscapes for those who are prepared.
We offer a unique opportunity with Mongolia's dramatic winter landscapes to attend a festival held on the frozen surface of Lake Hovsgol, and join a celebration in honor of the Gobi's Bactrian camel.
Summer festivals
in Mongolia
Summer in Mongolia is the warmest season, as sometimes temperatures can reach +40 centigrade (average the temperature is from +10'C-27'C), air is dry and pleasant to travel around. Also the summer is when Mongolia gets the majority of its rainfall. Mongolian herders eagerly await these rains for the grass they bring their livestock, and the steppe turns from a dry, dead tan to its beautiful green. Summer is when many semi-nomadic families will head out from the aimag cities to the countryside in order to tend their herds, shear their wool, and create a bewildering array of dairy products.
Most tourists' flock here in summer to enjoy the comfortable temperatures and see the vast landscapes of wide open country and nomadic culture.
Golden eagles festival
in 2020
The Eagle festival, or Golden Eagle festival (Бүргэдийн наадам/ бүркіт той), is an annual traditional festival held in Bayan-Ölgii aimag, Mongolia. In the eagle festival, Kazakh eagle hunters (Burkitshi) celebrate their heritage and compete to catch small animals such as foxes and hares with specially trained golden eagles, showing off the skills both of the birds and their trainers. Prizes are awarded for speed, agility and accuracy, as well as for the best traditional Kazakh dress, and more.
The Eagle Festival is held during the first weekend in October, run by the Mongolian Eagle Hunter's Association.
Classic tours
Mongolia is a country that exudes richness of culture, uniqueness of traditions, true nomadic life, breathtaking landscapes and a proud historical past.
At Dream Mongolia Tours, we bring you the very best that Mongolia can offer. We design and personalize authentic holiday experiences for you. Most of our tours include a mix of adventure, culture, nature and sightseeing
Explore Mongolia with us!
Summer in Mongolia brings the opportunity to have a unique wilderness – no crowds- just mountains, steppe forest, rivers and spectacular flora and fauna. Our Mongolia adventure travels take you on a thrilling journey of discovery through the nomadic country's spectacular scenery – explore remotest Western Mongolia. The adventures are endless.
Group tours
We offer small group tours, made up of singles, couples and friends from all around the world. With a maximum group size of just 8 on most tours it feels more like travelling with friends than being on an organized tour. You'll meet like-minded people where everyone is guaranteed to share a passion for travel and discovery, and a small group will allow you to get further off the tourist trails for a more intimate experience.
Short tours
Our short tours in Mongolia are designed to help you make the most of your travels. Those tours packages will allow you to enjoy Mongolian culture and landscape with a private tour guide and vehicle. The short trips are available from January to December and are ideally suited to groups of 1 to 15 people who don't have that long to spend in this wonderful country.
Horse riding tours
Mongolia is an extraordinary land of unsurpassed geographical and human diversity, with forest, desert, steppe and lake lands populated by over 20 distinct ethnic groups. Join us on a horseback riding adventure in Mongolia to experience this culture first hand and from the saddle. Mongolian strong horses are very faithful companions ofnomads. Riding in Mongolia is interesting and exciting.
Day tours
If you are staying in Mongolia for short time and have interests in exploring the countryside and Ulaanbaatar, visiting the nomadic families and making the horseback riding, definitely our day trips are your right choice. The day trips are available from January to December and are ideally suited to groups of 1 to 15 people who don't have that long to spend in this wonderful country.
Mongolian Destinations
Gobi Desert
Western Mongolia
Central Mongolia
Northern Mongolia
Eestern Mongolia
Terelj NP
Khuvsgul Lake
Khustai NP


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The Science Fiction Market Boards allows Supporting Members to enact commerce in the Science Fiction period.
There are currently 3 Science Fiction market boards.
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109,789 hits since 12 May 2004©1994-2020 Bill Armintrout
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text:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given...
Dear friends of Prairie Bluestem,
I wish you each a Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year.
I hope that you have a chance to offer hope and love to someone this Christmas. That's the essence of the holiday, and the very reason that Jesus was born.
I am happy that my family will be together again this Christmas. Keely and Taurus will be arriving late this evening, and Isaac will be here, so we'll have the day together tomorrow. Having both my kids come home for Christmas is a blessing and a gift.
May God bless you this Christmas. Thanks for reading the blog!


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Lubrication condition – the viscosity ratio, κ
When a bearing has reached its normal speed and operating temperature, the lubrication condition of the bearing is:
|lubrication condition of the bearing, i.e. viscosity ratio
|actual operating viscosity of the oil or the grease base oil [mm2/s]
|rated viscosity, function of the mean bearing diameter and rotational speed [mm2/s]
The actual operating viscosity, ν, of the lubricant can be determined from the ISO viscosity grade of the oil, or the grease base oil, and the operating temperature of the bearing (diagram 1).
You can determine the rated viscosity, ν1, from diagram 2, using the bearing mean diameter, dm = 0,5 (d + D) [mm], and the rotational speed of the bearing, n [r/min]. Alternatively, you can use the SKF Bearing Calculator.
Table 1 lists the viscosity grades in accordance with ISO 3448, and shows the viscosity range for each grade at 40 °C (105 °F).
The higher the κ value, the better the lubrication condition of the bearing and its expected rated life. This must be judged against the possible friction increase because of the higher oil viscosity. Therefore, most bearing applications are designed for a lubrication condition ranging from κ 1 to 4 (diagram 3). Alternatively, you can use the SKF Bearing Calculator to calculate the lubrication condition.
- κ = 4 indicates a regimen for which the rolling contact load is carried by the lubricant film – i.e. full film lubrication.
- κ > 4 (i.e. better than full film lubrication) will not further increase the rating of the bearing. However, κ > 4 may be useful in applications where the bearing temperature rise is small and additional lubrication condition reliability is desirable. This would apply, for example, to bearing applications with frequent start-stop running conditions or occasional temperature variations.
- κ < 0,1 indicates a regimen for which the rolling element load is carried by the contact of the asperities between rolling element and raceway – i.e. boundary lubrication. The use of fatigue life rating for lubrication conditions below 0,1 is not appropriate as it is beyond the applicability limits of the life rating model. Where κ < 0,1 , select the bearing size on the basis of static loading criteria by means of the static safety factor, s0 (→ Size selection based on static load).
κ value below 1
For lubrication conditions with 0,1 < κ < 1, take into account the following:
- If the κ value is low because of very low speed, base the bearing size selection on the static safety factor s0 (→ Size selection based on static load).
- If the κ value is low because of low viscosity, counteract this by selecting a higher viscosity oil or by improving the cooling. Under these lubrication conditions, it is not appropriate to calculate the basic rating life L10 only, because it does not take into account the detrimental effects of inadequate lubrication of the bearing. Instead, to estimate the rolling contact fatigue life of the bearing, use the SKF rating life method.
Where κ < 1, EP/AW additives are recommended → Extreme pressure (EP) and anti-wear (AW) additives (below).
The speed factor ndm is used to characterize the speed condition of the bearing.
- If the ndm of the bearing is lower than 10 000, the application is operating under low-speed conditions (diagram 2). This regimen requires high oil viscosity to ensure that the rolling element load is carried by the lubricant film.
- High-speed conditions are characterized by ndm > 500 000 for dm values up to 200 mm, and > 400 000 for larger dm values (diagram 2). At very high speeds, the rated viscosity drops to very low values. Lubrication conditions and κ values are generally high.
EP (extreme pressure) and AW (anti-wear) additives
EP/AW additives in the lubricant are used to improve the lubrication condition of the bearing in situations where small κ values are in use, e.g. when κ = 0,5. Furthermore, EP/AW additives are also used to prevent smearing between lightly loaded rollers and raceway, for example, when especially heavy rollers enter a loaded zone at a reduced speed.
For operating temperatures lower than 80 °C (175 °F), EP/AW additives in the lubricant may extend bearing service life when κ is lower than 1 and the factor for the contamination level, ηc, is higher than 0,2 and the resulting aSKF factor is lower than 3. Under those conditions, a value of κEP=1 can be applied, in place of the actual κ value, in the calculation of aSKF for a maximum advantage of up to aSKF = 3.
EP/AW additives containing sulphur-phosphorus can reduce bearing life. Generally, SKF recommends testing chemical reactivity of EP/AW for operating temperatures above 80 °C (175 °F).


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Here is a fun animal character from an online game called 'Minecraft'. Here is "how to draw a Minecraft pig", step by step. These pigs are one of the more popular animals from the game. Drawing the Minecraft pig will be almost as fun as playing the game. There is really nothing to say about this character because it's just a pig. Have fun folks, and be sure to let folks know what you think. Peace out and enjoy.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


text: Yes, some rental companies accept debit cards for reservations, though they may ask for additional identification and proof of insurance when you book. Even if you can pay with a debit card, some car rental locations require a credit card for the deposit. Be sure to check the terms and conditions. If you don't own a credit card, you may not be permitted to rent a car. Cash, prepaid cards, and gift cards are never accepted for reservations.


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Monday, August 17, 2009
Madness Monday - James L. Clawson Jr.
8 comments:
- Brian said...
I did mostly the same thing. I'm still trying to delete an old tree from Rootsweb (now Ancestry) that I uploaded with no luck.
Even though sourcing takes much more time, I do feel more satisfied when I'm done.
- August 17, 2009 at 9:31 AM
- Elizabeth O'Neal said...
I've spent the past week and a half sourcing my great-grandfather's family, which I've been "researching" for over 20 years. I found documents with no labels, obits with no newspaper information or dates... it's just a mess.
I sure wish I'd started doing it "right" at the beginning, but times were different then. We did things the PAF way, which is no longer considered proper.
You'll get there. It just takes (so very much) time. Good luck, and be proud that you're correcting past mistakes.
- August 17, 2009 at 12:01 PM
- Unknown said...
I understand your frustration. I sent out a mailing 30 years ago that included information from another source saying that one researcher had specualted a female ancestor might be of a certain family line but that it was just speculation. It has been picked up over the years and, now it appears in many postings as she was for sure of that surname. My efforts to correct this seems to fall on deaf ears. It was also a mistake of the period when I had just srated researching.
- August 17, 2009 at 7:14 PM
- genegirl99 said...
*pats Elyse on the back*
It's okay, we're all entitled to make mistakes, if we don't we won't grow. Just take it one bite at at time, and I'm sure you'll get it done.
I've been slowly working on getting my stuff sourced. When I import gedcoms from now on I'm cleaning up their sources and citing the gedcoms using the common ancestor I downloaded from.
- August 18, 2009 at 1:17 PM
- Unknown said...
Aren't you relieved to know you're not the only one? I am - after spending the last YEAR re-entering my database only if it had a complete source! At least we have learned from our mistake, can warn others not to do the same thing, and have become better genealogists for it.
- August 18, 2009 at 1:24 PM
- Tracey said...
Firstly, thank you for last nights chat regarding blogs it was very informative.
I've been searching my tree for 21 years now and only now that i've started to blog it am i checking details i recently had on my programme from all those years ago. I think i needed a wee kick up the backside to do this.
Now i'm learning even more about my ancestors
- August 20, 2009 at 6:26 AM
- Sue Tolbert said...
Unfortunately Elyse you are one of the rare ones that tries to correct their mistakes. There are so, so many out there still just happily copy/pasting away and continuing to spread the errors of others along with their own.
You are certainly to be commended for your efforts!
- August 20, 2009 at 5:31 PM
- John Patten said...
Definitely a common mistake, and one that I'm also coming to terms with! Accepting other people's research as gospel was a big mistake. However, a mistake others may sometimes be making is doing the same with my shared tree, despite the fact that in one version I've included 'possibles' and a disclaimer pointing to their only being maybes. Yet people don't care - they just want to build a bigger database, quicker.
- August 22, 2009 at 12:03 AM


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Vacationing in Barbados is no longer exclusive to the elite and wealthy. There are now a lot of affordable accommodations scattered throughout the island where eager budget-restricted vacationers can simply choose that one place which is suitable to their traveling party or individual preferences. There are so many kinds of lodgings to choose from. Choices vary from a quaint Barbados apartment hotel, to a luxury hotel or villa.
Choosing where to stay is sometimes the most troublesome part of the whole vacation planning experience. There is a need to employ the use of an effective elimination strategy to narrow down the most suitable choices. To help things along, here is a list of the cheapest accommodations in the beautiful island Barbados:
The Abbeville Hotel. This is probably one of the most popular budget hotels in the area, and is usually listed as a hostel in majority of booking lists or web sites. It is a small and old place, but it makes up for it with charm and cheap prices. It is convenient because it is walking distance from pretty much all the essential places and establishments. The rooms are comfortably air-conditioned and designed in a typical colonial Caribbean style.
Rostrevor. This family-owned establishment is situated in the heart of St. Lawrence Gap. The guest rooms are especially designed to provide tourists with all the necessary amenities to experience a special, self-catering vacation. Each room is fully equipped with a variety of features that are specific to the provision of comfort such as air-conditioning, cable services, kitchenettes, bathroom, wifi connection and so on.
The New Edgewater Hotel. This place is located between a river and rainforest in the east coast of Barbados. There are a total of 24 rooms and suites that offer luxury facilities at affordable rates. The establishment has its own restaurant and offers free internet access in all of the rooms which is ideal for any traveler. The quiet serenity of the east coast is one of the most appealing features of the hotel.
Golden Sands Hotel. The beautiful exterior and interior of this hotel makes visitors forget that it is a budget accommodation. Set in a tropical garden, the hotel offers a pool and a bar that serve quality Caribbean and international cuisine. It is located just across the famous Golden Sands Beach, which is considered to be one of the top beaches on the island.
Sugar Cane Club. This boutique hotel offers tranquility, luxury and seclusion at the best prices possible. Overlooking the west coast, this hotel and spa offers guests access to 2 pools and bars, a restaurant, gym, spa and a squash court. There are a total of 40 rooms and suites, and a private villa that is equipped with its own kitchenette.
Tropical Winds Barbados Apartment Hotel. This includes 23 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments that are fully equipped with kitchenettes, air conditioning and internet connection. The apartment hotel has its own restaurant and bar and laundry services. Located on the southeast side of the island, it boasts of some of the most scenic beaches. The staff is always friendly and accommodating.


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BACKGROUND IMAGE: iSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
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- FeatureRestore and backup Microsoft Exchange mailboxes and messages with ease
- FeatureQuality Awards: Backup software
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- FeatureStandards watch: Copy services standard in the works
- TipBlades shed disks, boot from SAN
- FeatureEncrypted Drives Stymie Data Thieves
- FeatureHow disk has changed backup
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- FeatureNothing but backup
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- FeatureSnapshot: Full data backups
iSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
First SAS products arrive
With a wave of new SAS products about to be released, some storage vendors are ratcheting up campaigns that promote SAS as the inevitable next step in the evolution of SCSI.
With a wave of new serial attached SCSI (SAS) products about to be released, some storage vendors are ratcheting up campaigns that promote SAS as the inevitable next step in the evolution of SCSI. Vendor interest is clear: to drive new sales and provide an alternative to Fibre Channel (FC) for organizations refreshing their disk storage. Some users are also jumping on the SAS bandwagon, although few have actually gotten their hands on SAS products.
SAS brings some FC-class capabilities and other advances to SCSI, including:
- Faster disk rotation speeds -- 10K RPM and 15K RPM
- Dual ports -- the ability to connect the drive to two communications links
- Serial cabling -- more flexible; easier to work with cabling to the disk
- Duplex operational mode -- bidirectional access to the disk
- Greater throughput -- 3 Gbps (6 Gbps duplex) and slated to double quickly
- 2.5-inch form-factor option -- allows more drives to be packed into a storage cabinet
- Low price, transparent transition -- prices expected to be comparable with enterprise SCSI drives
"We want the 10K RPM and 15K RPM disks that SAS will provide. As our databases grow, we want that extra performance," says Josh Wopperer, network engineer at UVEST Financial Services, Charlotte, NC, a provider of third-party brokerage and investment services to financial institutions in 42 states. Currently, the company stores its databases on an EqualLogic Inc. SAN populated with slower (7,200 RPM) serial ATA (SATA) disks.
With 500 people hitting UVEST's databases simultaneously, the SATA drives are capable of handling the traffic. Looking ahead, however, Wopperer can imagine a time when 2,000 users are accessing the databases and running complex queries. At that point, he anticipates performance problems and faster drives could make a noticeable difference. For storage managers, the switch to SAS from SCSI can be a transparent transition, which is the approach most are expected to take, or they can also devise strategies on how best to deploy some of the new features such as dual porting, increased drive density and high disk speeds.
"In the first phase, IT can treat SAS simply as a parallel SCSI replacement," says Harry Mason, president of the SCSI Trade Association (STA) Board of Directors and director of industry marketing at LSI Logic Corp., a Milpitas, CA-based maker of SAS components. In this case, SAS is a no-brainer because vendors are committed to maintaining SAS pricing that's comparable with existing SCSI and ensuring plug-and-play compatibility.
SAS debut
An interchangeable serial interface with SATA opens up even more possibilities. Because SAS controllers are compatible with SATA drives, "we will be able to mix SAS and SATA drives within the array," says Paula Long, co-founder and vice president of products and strategy at Nashua, NH-based EqualLogic. EqualLogic plans to incorporate SAS drives in its products by early 2006. Storage administrators like Wopperer could then implement a tiered storage strategy within the array or SAN, sending high-demand data and large databases requiring top performance to the faster, more costly SAS disks while steering the rest of the data to less-expensive, lower performing SATA disks. It's been a four-year journey for SAS as the storage industry has scrambled to find a replacement for parallel SCSI, which was hitting the wall in terms of throughput and device connectivity. By switching from a parallel interface to a serial interface, and then making it backward-compatible with the serial interface for ATA drives, storage vendors are able to shoot past the 15-device limit for the parallel SCSI bus and double the 320MB/sec top-end performance of parallel SCSI. They can also make a number of other good things happen.
The smaller, more flexible serial cabling lets manufacturers pack more drives into a cabinet and, at the same time, improve air flow and cooling capabilities. For even greater density, SAS drives will be available in two form factors: 2.5 inches as well as the typical enterprise 3.5-inch disk drive. "The 2.5-inch drive is one-third the overall size of a 3.5-inch disk, which means you can put more disks in the same physical space," says Mike Chenery, vice president of advanced product engineering at Fujitsu Computer Products of America Inc. The availability of 2.5-inch form-factor disk drives creates some interesting opportunities, although most corporate storage managers who opt for SAS as their SCSI replacement will go with the familiar 3.5-inch disks.
"Some of this is a defensive measure by vendors. They need things like dual porting to compete with Fibre Channel disk drives," says Arun Taneja, founder of the Taneja Group, Hopkinton, MA. Dual ports, for example, ensure high availability by providing an alternate connection to the drive.
First products roll out
The storage industry promised delivery of the first SAS storage products by the second quarter of 2005. And on June 22--with eight days left in the quarter--Fujitsu unveiled what it claimed as the first enterprise-level SAS array. Dubbed the Supermicro M28E, the product consists of eight 2.5-inch 36GB or 73GB Fujitsu drives and a host bus adapter (HBA) by LSI Logic inside a container provided by Supermicro Computer Inc. The product is priced at $4,620 with 500GB of capacity; the 1TB system is $8,400.
The Fujitsu product is just the start of what STA's Mason expects will become a flood of SAS storage product announcements in the coming months. "Previously, we've been hearing announcements of different pieces and parts," he says, referring to a steady stream of announcements of introductions of SAS controllers, HBAs and an entire gamut of storage components from companies like Adaptec Inc., Ario Data Networks Inc., LSI Logic and others. "Now we'll start to see the full system announcements from the storage vendors," he adds.
"I don't know of any server vendor who isn't looking to replace SCSI disks with SAS," says Taneja. Among the storage vendors, all those with SCSI systems will invariably turn to SAS. "Only vendors like EMC, which have been into Fibre Channel for a long time, may not do much with SAS, at least not initially," adds Taneja.
According to the performance specs accompanying the Fujitsu announcement, the new arrays can handle 3Gb/sec. Parallel SCSI drives currently top out at approximately 320MB/sec due to the parallel nature of the architecture. From a technical standpoint, SAS' link rate of 3Gb/sec delivers 300MB/sec--this is according to "What's faster, Serial Attached SCSI or Ultra320 SCSI?," a paper for the SCSI Trade Association written by Bob Sheffield, a senior staff storage architect at Intel Corp.
However, the differences between parallel and serial architectures, as well as the full-duplex nature and dual porting of SAS drives, make straight speed and throughput comparisons between SCSI and SAS difficult and not useful. For example, because of duplexing, a 3Gb/sec SAS drive can actually handle 6Gb/sec, Mason explains. With four ports running in full duplex mode, the throughput could be pushed to 24Gb/sec, far exceeding what could be achieved with a comparable number of parallel SCSI drives.
Furthermore, the performance of SAS is just beginning at 3Gb/sec. The SAS roadmap will take the technology to 6Gb/sec by 2007 and to 12Gb/sec a few years after that. "The best way to think about performance is that the SAS serial architecture, coupled with silicon and drive advances, produces significant benchmark gains over the best parallel SCSI," says Mason. By comparison, 4Gb/sec FC drives are just being introduced this year, but exactly where the industry goes from there and when it will happen isn't clear.
A closer look at SAS
SAS takes full advantage of the serial architecture. It can address up to 4,032 devices per port through a point-to-point approach that operates initially at 3Gb/sec, but will quickly increase from there. The point-to-point architecture is the preferred approach to implementing high-availability systems, STA's Mason explains. SAS also capitalizes on advances in chip technology, which have produced integrated circuits that handle multiple, point-to-point drive connections within a single device.
To take advantage of these drive connections, SAS uses expanders, which are built-in switches. The expanders enable the necessary fan-out to create large, enterprise-class configurations while maintaining backward-compatibility with today's existing, proven SCSI software, Mason adds.
Low-cost SATA drives currently spin at 7,200 RPM. The new SAS drives offer 10,000 RPM and 15,000 RPM options. This puts them squarely into the enterprise FC class, able to handle high-volume, complex database transactions, as UVEST's Wopperer notes.
Dual porting, another enterprise feature, brings increased high availability to the storage system. Each drive can have an alternate link, maintaining connectivity should one link fail.
Full duplex refers to the ability for simultaneous transfers outbound and inbound, unlike parallel SCSI, which allows only unidirectional transfer, according to Intel's Sheffield. This ability, he writes, "is particularly useful in targets with large data caches running workloads that yield high cache hit rates, yielding aggregate bandwidths approaching the theoretical 600MB/sec."
Physical serial cabling, as mundane as it seems, provides a big advantage over parallel SCSI. "There were a lot of problems with parallel cabling," says Taneja at the Taneja Group. Beyond a theoretical limit of 15 devices, the wide, unwieldy parallel ribbon cable made it difficult to pack multiple drives in a cabinet. With the flexible, round serial cable, vendors can squeeze in more drives while still ensuring sufficient air flow for cooling. In some cases, they'll even be able to use smaller fans, further lowering the cost of the storage system.
By combining smaller SAS drives with lower capacity (36GB and 73GB), vendors will be able to pack cabinets with more drive spindles. "There will be more arms, more spindles, which will give more performance," adds Fujitsu's Chenery. Over time, vendors expect SAS disk capacity to increase; however, today's large SATA drives present their own problems, such as slow RAID rebuilds in the event of a failure. Finally, the ability to connect SATA to SAS drives using the same connectors will enable companies to deploy what amounts to tiered storage in a box. SATA drives are able to plug directly into the SAS connector. However, a small piece on the connector prevents a SAS drive from plugging into a SATA connector. This isn't too important to large enterprises because they are already mixing SCSI and SATA with separate boxes, says Taneja. Small- and midsized companies aren't likely to buy multiple boxes with different classes of disks, he adds, so mixing drives with different performance and price characteristics in the same box would be more appealing.
The future of SAS
As SAS spreads throughout the industry over the next year, it will be used mostly as a replacement for parallel SCSI. Over time, Mason expects SAS to enable some interesting things in the areas of clusters, blade servers and high-performance computing. For example, SAS might be used to build clusters, blade servers and blade storage servers. In such a case, SAS could be used to share boot drives across multiple blades. SAS, in effect, would act as a storage midplane. "It would be a way to preserve the SCSI boot model, rather than having to boot from the SAN," Mason explains. A variation of this could be used for high-performance computing, he adds. SAS products have finally arrived, and transitioning from SCSI to SAS should be seamless. Organizations will bring in SAS drives as they replace existing SCSI drives, which the industry will slowly phase out over the next decade. The real changes lie ahead, when the industry starts to take advantage of the specific capabilities of SAS -- in particular, what appears destined to become a near universal serial storage interface to provide more ways to network storage.
About the author: Alan Radding is a frequent contributor to Storage magazine.