text:
We do not collect personal information for any purpose other than to respond to you. If you choose to provide us with personal information like filling out a Contact Us form with an e-mail address or postal address, and submitting it to us through the website, we use that information to respond to your message, and to help you get the information you have requested.
Last Updated:30-Apr-2016


text:
Thyroid Cancer Survivors' 6th International Conference
Houston, Texas
WHAT: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' 6th International Conference
WHO: Thyroid cancer survivors, family members, caregivers, friends, and over 50 speakers, including leading physicians from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Washington University School of Medicine, and other institutions. Sessions on thyroid cancer care and research are for people at all phases of testing, treatment, and long-term follow-up for all types of thyroid cancer, as well as families and friends. Additional speakers include mental health professionals, attorneys specializing in health insurance and employment issues, specialists in complementary approaches to well-being, long-term thyroid cancer survivors, and caregivers.
WHEN: October 24-26, 2003
Conference Registration Opens at 8 a.m., Friday, October 24. Presentations, Workshops, and Roundtables take place all day Friday, October 24; Saturday, October 25; and Sunday, October 26. Sessions end at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.
WHERE: Wyndham Greenspoint Hotel, 12400 Greenspoint Drive, Houston, Texas
WHY: To provide a three-day educational, supportive, and networking opportunity for people with all types of thyroid cancer at all stages of testing, treatment, and follow-up, as well as their family members and friends, by providing them access to leading physicians involved in treatment and research, mental health professionals, attorneys, specialists in coping skills and well-being, and other thyroid cancer survivors and caregivers.
COST: $50. Family/guests $30. Register on site or in advance. Walk-in attendees welcome. Discounts for ThyCa members. FREE to anyone who requests a scholarship.
SPONSOR: ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. An all-volunteer national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. E-mail: email@example.com.
INFORMATION: Speaker list, program schedule, and registration materials are available on the web site <www.thyca.org>. For more information, e-mail to email@example.com , call toll free 1-877-588-7904, or visit the web site.
Media Contact: Cherry Wunderlich 301-493-8810 email@example.com
ThyCa Corresponding Secretary

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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B.C. VOTES 2020: NDP takes Vernon-Monashee for the first time since the 1980s
Vernon's Harwinder Sandhu of the NDP unseats three-term Liberal incumbent Eric Foster
B.C. Paralympian named to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Three-time world and Paralympic gold medalist Sonja Gaudet is part of 11-member class
Thor the dog a viral Okanagan sensation
Local photographer snaps shots of pooch, shares amid COVID-19 for smiles
Salmon Arm faces Cowichan in Fred Page Cup simulated finale
The BCHL simulated playoffs continue with Fred Page Cup final up next
Okanagan city added as second host for BCHL's annual Showcase event
League announcesthat they are re-launching the annual event to increase reach and inclusion
B.C.-wide RCMP Appreciation Day campaign going national
Committee has such great support in B.C. they've decided to take it across Canada
Okanagan man meets bear while visiting mom's tombstone on Mother's Day
Amateur photographer captures brown bear strolling among the graves on Mother's Day
Okanagan horseback rider upset over road rage incident
Man in vehicle allegedly pulled several U-turns to yell at pair on horseback along Bella Vista Road
B.C. fire department rescues kittens
Enderby homeowner not aware kittens in wood pile near garbage pile fire that got out of hand
UPDATE: Explosive Disposal Unit have cleared scene where 'live grenade' discovered
Smith Road in Armstrong has reopened.
B.C. farmers to benefit from late participation program
Federal agriculture minister announces help for B.C. farmers who dealt with financial losses in 2018
Family with ties to B.C. warns of dog danger after child bitten
*WARNING*: This story contains graphic images of a dog bite
North Okanagan site of first RCMP naloxone test project
Free kits, training to be provided to high-risk individuals who spend time in cell blocks
Transport Canada to investigate B.C. plane stunt death
Canadian hip-hop artist killed allegedly filming video on wing of plane when things went wrong
Andrew Wilkinson discusses proportional representation in Okanagan
B.C. Liberal leader addresses Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Predator Ridge
New political party holds an informational session in Vernon
Maxime Bernier's The People's Party of Canada draws about 2o interested patrons to Vernon pub.
B.C. curling cashspiel features world-class squads
Headlining the women's field is 2018 Olympic bronze medalist Satsuki Fujisawa of Japan.
VIDEO: Truck stalls on hill, rolls into Vernon house
A Lower Mainland delivery truck failed to negotiate Suicide Hill in Vernon Wednesday morning.
North Okanagan-Shuswap school bus involved in highway collision
Multi-vehicle collision injures several, though nobody on bus was hurt;
Family members resume North Okanagan search for missing Alberta plane
Couple were en route from Penticton to Edmonton in November when it disappeared


text:
Provided by: freebsd-manpages_12.2-1_all
ng_sscfu — netgraph SSCF at the UNI node type
#include <netnatm/saal/sscopdef.h> #include <netnatm/saal/sscfudef.h> #include <netgraph/atm/ng_sscfu.h>
The sscfu netgraph node type implements ITU-T recommendation Q.2130. This recommendation specifies the Service Specific Coordination Function at the UNI. This is a thin sub-layer between the SSCOP (see ng_sscop(4)) and the UNI signalling. This node does not really implement a protocol but provides a mapping between the signals at the upper layer of the SSCOP and the signals the UNI expects at its lower layer. It also provides default values for the parameters of the SSCOP. After creation of the node, the SSCF instance must be created by sending an "enable" message to the node. If the node is enabled, default SSCOP parameters can be retrieved and set in the corresponding SSCOP instance. The node is shut down either by a NGM_SHUTDOWN message, or when all hooks are disconnected.
Each sscfu node has two hooks with fixed names: lower This hook is the interface to the SSCOP. The interface expected here is exactly that which is exported by the ng_sscop(4) node type. upper This is the interface to the UNI. It uses the following message format: struct sscfu_arg { uint32_t sig; u_char data[]; }; The sig field is one of the following signals: enum saal_sig { SAAL_ESTABLISH_request, /* U -> SAAL: (UU) */ SAAL_ESTABLISH_indication, /* SAAL -> U: (UU) */ SAAL_ESTABLISH_confirm, /* SAAL -> U: (UU) */ SAAL_RELEASE_request, /* U -> SAAL: (UU) */ SAAL_RELEASE_confirm, /* SAAL -> U: */ SAAL_RELEASE_indication, /* SAAL -> U: (UU) */ SAAL_DATA_request, /* U -> SAAL: (DATA) */ SAAL_DATA_indication, /* SAAL -> U: (DATA) */ SAAL_UDATA_request, /* U -> SAAL: (UDATA) */ SAAL_UDATA_indication, /* SAAL -> U: (UDATA) */ }; The arrows in the comment show the direction of the signal, whether it is a signal that comes out of the node ('->'), or is sent by the node user to the node ('<-'). The type of the data expected for the signal is specified in parentheses. This data starts at the data field of the message structure. If the lower hook is disconnected and the node is enabled, the protocol state is reset.
The sscfu node understands the generic messages plus the following: NGM_SSCFU_GETDEFPARAM (getdefparam) This message returns a sscop_param structure, which contains the default parameters for the SSCOP at the UNI. This structure should be used for a NGM_SSCOP_SETPARAM message to the SSCOP node below the SSCF. NGM_SSCFU_ENABLE (enable) This message creates the actual SSCF instance and initializes it. Until this is done, parameters may neither be retrieved nor set, and all messages received on any hook are discarded. NGM_SSCFU_DISABLE (disable) Destroy the SSCF instance. After this, all messages on any hooks are discarded. NGM_SSCFU_GETDEBUG (getdebug) Retrieve the debugging flags in a uint32_t. NGM_SSCFU_SETDEBUG (setdebug) Set debugging flags. The argument must be a uint32_t. NGM_SSCFU_GETSTATE (getstate) Retrieve the current state of the SSCFU instance in a uint32_t. If the node has not been enabled, 0 is returned.
netgraph(4), ng_atm(4), ng_sscop(4), ngctl(8)
Harti Brandt <email@example.com>


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Are you looking for a once-in-a-lifetime cycling holiday in Holland? To help you on your way, we made a selection of the most popular cycling holidays offered by Dutch tour operators.
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Prudent man with a plan; most 401 reforms before Congress don't address a critical source of risk: fiduciary duty – k – Special Report Insurance
Kris Frieswick
THANKS TO THE ENORMOUS LOSSES of retirement savings suffered by Enron employees, the 401(k) plan faces its most significant overhaul since its creation in 19980. Dozens of proposals have been made in Congress to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) as it relates to plan oversight. Some wold place caps on the amount of employer stock in plan accounts; others would lift restrictions on employees' ability to divest this stock.
Meanwhile, companies are reexamining the provision and administration of their 401(k) plans–in which 42 million Americans hold assets worth $1.8 trillion–to determine what, if any, risks lie therein. Some companies have concluded that by making a few tweaks, such as allowing employees to diversify out of previously restricted company stock they're avoiding potential trouble spots. But they may be looking for trouble in the wrong places. Even at Enron, about 89 percent of the company shares held in its 401(k) plans were fully diversifiable when the stock began its free fall, according to the American Benefits Council, a Washington, D.C., lobbying group for Fortune 500 corporations.
A greater risk, say analysts, lies in the interpretation and execution of the most commonly misunderstood words in ERISA: fiduciary duty. "Most of the existing ERISA land mines will remain after approval of [reform legislation]," says James M. Delaplane Jr., vice president, retirement policy, for the council. The demands of being a fiduciary "axe based on prudence in a given situation, and it's hard to eliminate risk from this kind of fact-specific determination." Indeed, some observers say that Enron's cardinal sin was not faulty 401(k) plan provisions, but rather its alleged breach of fiduciary duty when its executives encouraged employees to hold on to their Enron stock even as the company was heading into bankruptcy.
Yet, despite its potential for exposing a corporation to massive liability, execution of fiduciary duty remains the single most problematic risk area in company-sponsored plans, say experts.
"Most fiduciary breaches axe the result of a lack of prudence," says Jan Steinhour, a benefits attorney with Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLP in Denver. "The fiduciaries just don't understand what their responsibilities are." What's more, managers are frequently unaware that they are, in fact, fiduciaries. This misunderstanding leads to most of the violations that can lead to lawsuits, says Steinhour, who adds that most of the problems can easily be prevented.
The first thing companies must do to minimize fiduciary risk is identify everyone who has legally defined fiduciary responsibilities, or who is performing the functions of a fiduciary without knowing it. A fiduciary is a functional role that is not based on job title, so a determination of fiduciary status often comes down to a nuanced interpretation of a person's role with regard to the benefit plan and the specific duties he performs in that role.
ERISA states that a person is a plan fiduciary "to the extent that he exercises discretionary control or authority over plan management or authority or control over management or disposition of plan assets, renders investment advice regarding plan assets for a fee, or has discretionary authority or responsibility in plan administration." As such, a person can be a fiduciary whether or not he has been formally named one in the plan document, says Mary Turk-Meena, a principal and employee-benefits specialist with Deloitte & Touche in Charlotte, North Carolina. There are executives and human-resource managers in companies all over the country, she adds, who may have no idea that they are fiduciaries.
Unfortunately, many companies operate under the misconception that by outsourcing plan administration to third-party vendors and a plan trustee, they have off-loaded fiduciary responsibility. Others think that by giving employees a slate of investment options, and letting employees self-direct those investments, they are also off the hook. "Most companies think, 'We've given them these choices, that's all we have to worry about.' That also shows a lack of prudence," says Steinhour.
In fact, ERISA mandates that when no plan administrator is designated in a plan document, the plan sponsor is the plan administrator. In this case, the sponsor cannot insulate itself from ongoing responsibility to another party, such as a third-party administrator, Also, where the sponsor or a committee of plan-sponsor employees appoints the plan trustee or investment manager, responsibility for monitoring the performance of the trustee or investment manager ultimately rests with the sponsor or committee making the appointment, says Turk-Meena.
What's more, plan sponsors often are involved in selecting the funds in which employees may invest. With these selections comes a twofold fiduciary responsibility. First, the individual or group must act according to the "prudent man" standard, defined by ERISA roughly as the actions a prudent man in a similar capacity would take in similar circumstances. Execution of fiduciary duty in this instance is not just a matter of picking good investment options or a worthy manager (although the chances of anyone raising fiduciary issues are slim if investments are doing well). The law requires that fiduciaries have a sound process in place to make the decisions.
"Fiduciary responsibility is assessed based on process," says Turk-Meena. To meet the prudent-man standard, fiduciaries must make themselves reasonably knowledgeable about the options available, investigate a variety of options and compare choices with competing offerings, and keep detailed records showing how the final decision was made.
The duties don't end there. Fiduciaries are also responsible for monitoring the performance of the trustee, investment managers, or investments they have chosen to ensure that they meet certain performance thresholds or match the investment policies outlined in plan documents. It's the failure to execute on this requirement that causes problems for many companies. "A lot of companies say, 'If there's a problem, we deal with it,'" says Turk-Meena. "That's a blatant ignoring of fiduciary duty. There is a monitoring requirement as well."
At International Paper Co., fiduciaries closely monitor the performance of the team of investment managers the paper and forest-products company uses to manage the customized investments it provides for its employees through its 401(k) plan. Robert Hunkeler, the company's vice president of investments, receives monthly performance reports from plan custodian State Street Bank, and a quarterly detailed analysis from IP's investment consultant. He reports to the fiduciary review committee twice a year and meets with his investment managers at least once a year. "Our goal is to ensure that our investment managers are meeting targets," says Hunkeler. "That's our first line of defense to protect plan assets."
Typically, nonfiduciary duties associated with a plan include decisions related to the adoption, amendment, and termination of the plan, as well as ministerial administrative duties associated with the plan. (Ministerial duties are those that involve no exercise of discretion, such as compiling reports or financial data regarding the plan.)
At Procter & Gamble Co., the company's three-man benefit policy committee has fiduciary responsibility to set policy and procedures used in administration of the company's 401(k) plan. Tom Mess, P&G director of global business services and employee services, and the plan administrator, is not considered a fiduciary, be says, because his duties are purely ministerial and do not involve any independent decision-making authority. However, some courts have ruled that such a ministerial administrative role can cross the boundary into "discretionary" (and therefore be subject to fiduciary duty).
No wonder, then, that many companies routinely misinterpret the word fiduciary. And the implications of doing so are profound. For example, if the courts eventually determine that former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay was acting in a fiduciary capacity in August 2001–when he sent two E-mails to employees reassuring them that Enron's business was sound–then the company (or what's left of it) could be on the hook for the amount that the employees lost in their retirement accounts.
Once fiduciaries are identified, they must be educated about exactly what their role entails. The general rule is this: fiduciaries are expected to meet the prudent-man standard in the execution of their duties, which must always be conducted for exclusive benefit of participants and beneficiaries. Obeying this rule can be complicated, but companies can take some basic steps that will reduce the likelihood of stepping on ERISA land mines, say experts.
"Get some good education about what ERISA requires you to do" at various functional levels, advises Turk-Meena. "And make sure there are processes in place that are a check and a counterbalance to discretionary authority so it's hard for anyone to act as a renegade." Failure to do so could open up a company or plan fiduciary to allegations of lack of prudence, she adds.
It's not crucial that everyone who is a fiduciary "have a college degree in ERISA," observes Steinhour. "It's OK to appoint someone who doesn't have expertise and background in it, but you must make available to that person the resources and people who can help them. If you don't do that, it's an imprudent appointment."
The most pernicious source of fiduciary confusion is when the fiduciary is also an executive with insider information about the company. Experts say it's a bad idea to appoint a senior executive with inside information as a plan fiduciary. This is because ERISA requires that plan fiduciaries act for the sole benefit of plan participants–a requirement that sometimes runs counter to the best interests of the corporation. Even when such dual roles are avoided, senior executives who are not fiduciaries may slip into that role if they simply act as a fiduciary–as some believe was the case when Lay told employees that Enron's fundamentals were fine.
"If you give plan information at a gathering of plan participants, you become a de facto fiduciary at that point," says Steinhour, "whether you're named one or not."
As more companies face tough times, experts expect to see a flurry of cases alleging that executives who wear two hats, which is allowed by ERISA, are failing to act for the sole benefit of plan participants. Still, employers believe that such conflicts are rare. "The complete conflict of interest [by an executive wearing two hats] is a worst-case scenario," says Roxanne Horning, vice president of employee benefits at news giant Gannett Co., which now allows employees to diversify out of previously restricted company stock issued to match employee contributions.
Such conflicts of interest are particularly apt to occur at small and midsize companies, where a senior executive is also likely to be a plan sponsor or sit on the sponsor board, says Robert Rachal, a defense attorney specializing in ERISA benefits and fiduciary claims with the New Orleans office of Shook, Hardy and Bacon LLC. "Executives get to be successful businessmen because they believe in themselves and they believe they can pull a company out of trouble," he explains. "When companies get into trouble, [wearing two hats] becomes an untenable conflict situation."
When that point comes, one way to limit a potential breach of fiduciary duties is to appoint an independent fiduciary that takes over entire responsibility for the plan, and over which the senior executives with insider knowledge have no control or oversight at all. But the chances of an executive's doing that are often slim. "It's completely counterculture for a senior executive to give up control," says Rachal. So far, courts have based decisions in this area on which "hat" a fiduciary was wearing when he took specific acts.
Even executives at the highest levels of global organizations can accidentally slip up on fiduciary issues and open their companies up to liability. But a sound fiduciary identification and education effort can go a long way to help all potential fiduciaries steer clear of future problems.
RELATED ARTICLE: Leftover Paternalism
UNDER ERISA REGULATIONS, a fiduciary is relieved of responsibility and liability for any loss resulting from a participant's self-directed investment decision if the employee can choose from a broad range of investment alternatives (at least three meeting certain verification requirements); give investment instructions to buy or sell with a frequency that is appropriate in light of the market volatility of those investment alternatives; and obtain sufficient information to make informed investment decisions.
Nowhere, however, does ERISA require or even encourage employers to educate their employees about making good decisions. Quite to the contrary, ERISA restrictions on "prohibited transactions," or those transactions that ERISA prohibits between a party-in-interest and the plan, have created an environment in which employers are highly unlikely to provide real investment advice or meaningful education to employees. Instead, investment education often involves a lecture on how important it is to diversify your assets into a variety of asset classes, and to minimize risk as retirement approaches. Period.
This tends to result in employees who are, for better or worse, the ultimate buy-and-hold investors. A study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that even during 2000, when equities showed their biggest declines in years, employees did not shift their plan asset allocation out of underperforming stocks. One reason for this, say experts, is that some employees may still believe that their employer would never provide them with a retirement vehicle that would lose money or put their personal assets at risk. This is clearly a hangover from the days when the vast majority of companies offered defined benefit plans, in which employees were guaranteed a retirement benefit of a specific amount upon retirement, no matter what happened to the company or the market.
"The thinking is that if the company offers these investment options, then they must be OK," says Mary Turk-Meena, a principal and employee-benefits specialist with Deloitte & Touche. "You hear people say that there's no employee loyalty these days, but there's clearly an expectation of leftover paternalism."
That may soon change, however. Some of the proposed legislative changes to ERISA seek to alter the fiduciary liabilities of plan sponsors that arrange for investment advice for their employees. These changes face some of the stiffest opposition of any of the reforms. There is serious concern among some observers that companies would most likely seek this investment guidance from the same third-party investment managers they use for investing plan assets, a situation ripe for conflict of interest–not to mention unintended consequences. For example, "if you're a plan sponsor with significant employee stock in the plan," says Curt Morgan, senior vice president of Pittsburgh-based Mellon HR Solutions, "are you going to be willing to pay a third party to tell your employees to diversify out of your stock?"
As fiduciary-risk mitigation becomes an ever more important focus of corporations, it is likely that the answer to that question will increasingly be yes.
COPYRIGHT 2002 CFO Publishing Corp.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group


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I realize you're going to spend Independence Day happily drinking whatever cold beer you're served, because you're polite and you're an alcoholic. And I trust you'll have a fine old time no matter what you drink. But that doesn't mean America's shitbrews are all the same. The list below breaks down 36 of them, from worst to least-worst.
36. Keystone. This is the worst beer currently sold on American soil. It sits behind chilled glass in a convenience-store fridge like a dumb rebuke to the explosion of American beer variety all around it. In 1978 there were 89 breweries in the U.S.; today there are more than 2,400, and most of the new ones are better than most of the old ones. In 2013 craft beer is no longer the exclusive domain of West Coast weirdos and psychotic woodsmen. These fine days you can score Samuel Adams or Sierra Nevada at the least ambitious of convenience stores and Dogfish Head 90 Minute on the least reliable of trains. And then there is Keystone, which first appeared to the world in 1989, in Chico, Calif., home of the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Keystone separates itself from the rest of the crap pack by augmenting the typical stale/sour flavor profile with notes of brown bananas and green armpits. Keystone is worse than Heineken and murder.
35. Bud Light Lime. When Anheuser-Busch spit this one out a few years ago it seemed like a pretty good idea, as terrible ideas go. The world never needs more flavors of Bud Light, but the popularity of the otherwise worthless Corona proves that folks love to limen up their beers. Barroom fruit is repulsive—ever think about where your lime's been before it lands in your drink? Nowhere nice—so if Bud Light Lime were any good at all, it would be a little leap forward. But alas, the alleged lime flavoring in no way resembles people food. Bud Light Lime tastes like green Froot Loops soaked in thigh sweat.
34. Genesee Cream Ale. Man, do I want to like Genny Cream. Man, do I not like Genny Cream. I'm a sucker for old-timey regional budget brew, but this is awfully rough stuff. It doesn't even have the dignity to go down swinging with a signature blend of gross flavors, a la Keystone. Genny Cream is just the archetypal stale cardboard crud-juice.
33. Rolling Rock. Smells like three fat guys in a two-man tent.
32. Beer 30. Bonus points for the purple can. No points for anything else.
31. Miller High Life. This is what the bartenders and cool people in my neighborhood drink, and god bless them, I wish I could too. The bottle! The name! The "Champagne of Beers" tagline! But it's just too accidentally sour.
30. Schlitz. I loved Schlitz until a few years ago, when they made a big fuss about reintroducing the "Classic 60s Formula," which tastes yeasty and sweet, like an infected donut.
29. National Bohemian. As one of the few Americans who's never seen The Wire or flashed my tits at the Preakness, I'm largely shut out of the Baltimore conversation, but I HAVE had a Natty Bo, which qualifies me to say, Sure, I get it, hometown pride is nice sometimes. But you do know there are other beers, right?
28. Game Day Ice Ale. Not as bad as 7-Eleven's private label ice beer could be, but still: Do Juggalos have their own special beer? Because if not, I nominate this to be the special Juggalo beer.
27. Miller Genuine Draft. Tastes like the brown ends of corn silk, plus lemon.
26. Bud Light. Tastes like printer paper and often gives the impression of unfreshness, which is alarming given the high turnover. There's a very good chance you and Bud Light will join forces at some point over the holiday weekend, and that's all well and good, but please don't take it into the bathroom with you. I used to clean bar bathrooms, and an overwhelming majority of the bottles left in the john at the end of the night were Bud Light. Bud Light dudes are afraid of leaving their beer unattended, as if they have reason to worry about the fate of unattended beers. I suppose there's something apt about these beers ending the night on top of a urinal. It's like a little story about the nitrogen cycle.
25. Yuengling. Why are people so into Yuengling? It's quite popular among the Pennsylvania ex-pat community, which is odd given that the beer sucks and Pennsylvanians don't strike me as an excessively prideful or self-important lot.
24. Busch Light. This is for the sort of person who buys tube socks at the bus stop. Like on the one hand, all right, good job holding it together enough to get some brand-new socks on your feet. But then on the other hand, I can't help but point out that if you'd been a little more rigorous in planning your day, you wouldn't be buying socks at the bus stop.
23. Natural Ice. The soggy cardboard sensation fades after the first several cans, turning Natty Ice into a serviceable alternative to sobriety.
22. Stroh's. The royal blue Stroh's can is truly majestic, but the beer itself is disconcertingly greasy. It doesn't taste like much one way or the other, but it's marred by a rubbery slickness that leaves your tongue feeling like third-day deli ham.
21. Natural Light. I drank a lot of this in high school. Do high school kids still drink cheap beer, or is it all the lemonade alcopop bullshit for the lightweights and Four Loko (and the myriad Loko-alikes) for the bad kids? Or worse yet, is it all reefer and pills? I sucked at being a teenager, but I feel like I had the "drinking cheap beer by a fire in the woods" part down cold. If they've changed that step of the program I'll have nothing useful to offer my hypothetical future teens.
20. Milwaukee's Best. It's easy to mock the Beast, but it's all I drank in college and I turned out.
19. Busch. Aw, come on, Busch isn't so bad. Let's say you're a stepdad, probably named Ron, and you're a Bud man. Good living—until your Jet Ski needs a new fuel pump and you're fresh out of Jet Ski fuel-pump cash. You think you're fucked, but then you realize you can just step it down to Busch for a few weeks and bang, back in the lake. Now who's too cool for Busch?
18. Keystone Light. Well I'll be damned if this isn't a marked improvement over regular Keystone. The rotting fruit and flesh are stripped away to leave a regular, boring light beer that's a viable option if you're looking to drink your way into Speedo shape one beer at a time.
17. Old Milwaukee. This was the first beer I ever hated, but that was back in my stupid youth, when I expected more out of life. Turns out Old Milwaukee is plenty good enough for the likes of me.
16. Iron City. Weird that Mr. Rogers and Mr. Roethlisberger represent the same city.
15. Simpler Times. This is Trader Joe's house lager. It's all right.
14. Name Tag. This is also Trader Joe's house lager.
13. Budweiser.
12. Coors Light. Is Ice Cube broke? Seems unlikely, but it's the only acceptable excuse for those shameful ads wherein the baddest rapper of my childhood loses an argument to a fucking beer bottle. I had a Coors Light last week, though, and it's better than I remembered. If you base your beer choices on the CEO's politics—and I suppose you might as well—then you probably have an opinion on Head Pete in Charge's staunch conservatism, as well as the company's scummy labor history. Okie doke.
11. Medalla Light. Puerto Rican beer is American beer, buster. I drank a hundred million of these on my honeymoon and I suggest you do the same.
10. Schaefer. When I was a very young buck, the Patriots played in Schaefer Stadium. Now the stadium's better and so is the team, but I experience a rare wave of nostalgia when I think of the bygone era when the stadium was named for America's oldest lager and the tight ends didn't kill people.
9. Olympia. This one smells a little bit like the produce section of a carpeted grocery store, but it goes down pretty smooth otherwise.
8. Lone Star. Shit, I wish I had a big, brash opinion about this one, but it's the most middle-of-the-road thing ever to come out of Oklahoma's southern sister. It's good in certain applications, such as when it's a thousand degrees out or you're trying to avoid Corona and margarita slushies at a license-plates-on-the-wall restaurant.
7. Rainier. This is on the sweet side of mediocre, but it's a bright, clean kind of sugar that tells soothing lies about freshness and purity.
6. Miller Lite. My dad drank most of the world's stock of Miller Lite before his untimely passing, but you can still get your grubby mitts on a can or two if you know the right people and wait in the right lines. A lot of suckers say it tastes like nothing, but I say it tastes like Barney Miller and Little League.
5. Pabst Blue Ribbon. It took me a few years to come around on PBR, probably because I was the sort of dipshit who worried about what message my beer was sending. Now that I'm liberated from such petty concerns, I can tell the world, "Hey, look at me spend $14 to get all-day drunk on clean, nondescript beer that tastes like Budweiser is supposed to."
4. Utica Club. This has a fair bit going on, flavor-wise, which is risky business. Less is usually much more in this price category, but UC is the rare cheapie that pulls off its dangerous ambition. This Central New Yorker's unique vegetal maltiness is much better than the phrase "unique vegetal maltiness" suggests. I'll never write their marketing copy, but I'll always drink their beer.
3. Coors. You don't see much yellow-canned original Coors Banquet Beer in Boston, which is a small shame, since it's a half-step better than its direct competitors. See above regarding Nazis and unions and what not.
2. Narragansett. This resurrected New England legend was prominently featured in Jaws, then went away for a couple decades, and is now prominently featured in my refrigerator.
1. Grain Belt Premium. I always think of Minnesota as a secretly sexy place, and not just because of Kent Hrbek and Al Franken. Maybe it's all the trout and music and Lutherans. Toss in a smooth, creamy, and dreamy local budget brew like Grain Belt and it's a wonder Minnesota hasn't seceded to form its own naked blond utopia. Grain Belt Premium is America's finest cheap beer.
Will Gordon loves life and tolerates dissent. He lives in Cambridge, Mass., and has visited all of the other New England states if you don't count Vermont. Find him on Twitter @WillGordonAgain.
For more Foodspin, go here.


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The display and use of drug information on this site is subject to express terms of use. By continuing to view the drug information, you agree to abide by such terms of use.
GENERIC NAME: LEVETIRACETAM - ORAL (lev-eh-turr-RASS-ih-tam)
BRAND NAME(S): Keppra
Medication Uses | How To Use | Side Effects | Precautions | Drug Interactions | Overdose | Notes | Missed Dose | Storage
USES: Levetiracetam is an anticonvulsant used in combination with other medications to treat seizure disorders (epilepsy). Levetiracetam has been shown to decrease the number of seizures in adults and children. It is not known how it works to prevent seizures.
HOW TO USE: Read the Medication Guide and, if available, the Patient Information Leaflet provided by your pharmacist before you start using levetiracetam and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions regarding the information, consult your doctor or pharmacist.Take the liquid and regular-release tablets by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually twice daily with or without food. Crushing or chewing the tablet may cause a bitter taste.If you are using the liquid form of this medication, carefully measure the dose using a special measuring device/spoon. Do not use a household spoon because you may not get the correct dose.If you are using the extended-release tablets, take this medication as directed by your doctor, usually once daily. Do not crush or chew extended-release tablets. Doing so can release all of the drug at once, increasing the risk of side effects. Do not split tablets unless they have a score line and your doctor or pharmacist tells you to do so. Swallow the whole or split tablet without crushing or chewing.Dosage is based on your medical condition, kidney function, and response to treatment. The dosage in children is also based on weight. To reduce your risk of side effects (such as dizziness and drowsiness), your doctor may direct you to start this medication at a low dose and gradually increase your dose. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully. Do not increase your dose or use this drug more often than prescribed.Use this medication regularly to get the most benefit from it. This drug works best when the amount of medicine in your body is kept at a constant level. To help you remember and to keep a constant level, take it at the same time(s) each day.Do not stop taking this medication without consulting your doctor. Your seizures may become worse when the drug is suddenly stopped. Your dose should be gradually decreased.Tell your doctor if your seizures persist, change, or worsen.
SIDE EFFECTS: Drowsiness, dizziness, and weakness may occur. These side effects are more common during the first 4 weeks and usually lessen as your body adjusts to the medication. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor.Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.Tell your doctor right away if any of these serious side effects occur: loss of coordination (such as difficulty walking and controlling muscles), mental/mood changes (such as irritability, aggression, agitation, anger, anxiety).A small number of people who take anticonvulsants for any condition (such as seizures, bipolar disorder, pain) may experience depression, suicidal thoughts/attempts, or other mental/mood problems. Tell your doctor right away if you or your family/caregiver notice any unusual/sudden changes in your mood, thoughts, or behavior including signs of depression, suicidal thoughts/attempts, thoughts about harming yourself.Levetiracetam can cause a rash that is usually not serious. However, you may not be able to tell it apart from a rare rash that could be a sign of a severe reaction. Therefore, tell your doctor immediately if you develop any rash.A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.In the US -Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
PRECAUTIONS: Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: kidney disease (including dialysis treatment), mental/mood disorders (such as depression).This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy, especially during the first month of treatment. Do not drive, use machinery, ride a bicycle, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Limit alcoholic beverages.Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).Children may be more sensitive to the side effects of the drug, especially mental/mood changes (such as irritability, aggression, agitation, anger, anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide).Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially drowsiness, dizziness or loss of coordination. These side effects can increase the risk of falling.During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. It may harm an unborn baby. However, since untreated seizures are a serious condition that can harm both a pregnant woman and her unborn baby, do not stop taking this medication unless directed by your doctor. If you are planning pregnancy, become pregnant, or think you may be pregnant, immediately talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of using this medication during pregnancy.This medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor's approval.Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking other products that cause drowsiness including alcohol, antihistamines (such as cetirizine, diphenhydramine), drugs for sleep or anxiety (such as alprazolam, diazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants, and narcotic pain relievers (such as codeine).Check the labels on all your medicines (such as allergy or cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about using those products safely.
OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact a poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include slow/shallow breathing, loss of consciousness.
IMAGESBrowse our medical image collection to see examples of MRI brain scans, PET scans, and other imaging techniques used to diagnose and treat brain disorders See Images
NOTES: Do not share this medication with others.Laboratory tests may be done to measure kidney function.
MISSED DOSE: It is important to take each dose at the scheduled time. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.
STORAGE: Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from children and pets.Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.MEDICAL ALERT: Your condition can cause complications in a medical emergency. For information about enrolling in MedicAlert, call 1-888-633-4298 (US) or 1-800-668-1507 (Canada).
Information last revised December 2013. Copyright(c) 2013 First Databank, Inc.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First Databank, Inc. This copyrighted material has been downloaded from a licensed data provider and is not for distribution, except as may be authorized by the applicable terms of use.
CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.


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Despite recent signs of recovery in the labor market, there are still more than 12 million unemployed job seekers. So how do we explain the fact that some positions stay open for months? And why are some companies struggling to find the right people for open positions in their area?
The growing skills gap provides one explanation, but another clue is the significant downward trend in workforce mobility. Fewer people are looking (or are able to look) beyond their own backyards for a new job. Last fall, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that the percentage of Americans who changed residences between 2010 and 2011 — 11.6 percent — reached its lowest recorded rate since they started keeping track in 1948, down from 20.2 percent in 1985.
Even before the recession, moving for a job was a difficult decision. Uprooting a family or spouse can alter one's quality of life for better or worse. And in the current economy, job-based relocation simply isn't an option for many workers. More than 11 million properties, or 23 percent of all homes, are underwater.
But recent research from CareerRelocate.com and CareerBuilder shows that Americans may be more willing to move than we think: 44 percent of workers surveyed said they would be willing to relocate for a career opportunity. Of workers who were laid off in 2011 and found new jobs, 20 percent relocated to a new city or state. And 32 percent of employers reported they would be willing to pay to relocate new employees in 2012.
But if employers are willing to make (even pay for) distant hires, who are they hiring? Who are the people who should consider the option to relocate?
Young professionals and recent college graduates are natural candidates. In addition to not having restricting home or family obligations, it's imperative that graduates find positions that immediately utilize their skills and degrees. A first job out of college significantly affects future earnings potential. Searching for jobs by skill sets and experience, rather than by market, will help young job seekers explore what jobs are right for them, regardless of geography.
Highly skilled workers — especially in health care, engineering, and IT — have fared the best during the recovery. But with nearly one quarter of employers still struggling to find qualified candidates for open positions, candidates with these skills are still needed in pockets of the country. Employers are also most willing to pay relocation costs for employees with these skills. Workers in engineering, IT, business development, sales, finance, marketing, and legal services are most likely to receive compensation for moving.
But what about the millions of Americans who can't consider relocation? First, job seekers in this situation should cast the widest net possible within their own community. Isolate which employers are most likely to need your skills and consider new fields in which your skills may transfer. A recent CareerBuilder study found that 43 percent of workers who were laid off in the past twelve months and found new jobs are now working in a different field.
Better yet, there are several professions that are more conducive to remote work, like sales, freelance journalism or customer service. An out-of-state employer may not even need its new hire to relocate. With improving network technology, telecommuting will continue to be a more popular staffing solution, reducing the workforce's need to be geographically mobile.
Considering relocation is not feasible for everyone. But if the conditions are right for individual households, it should be an option on the table. Even minor shifts in labor force behavior can have a profound impact on monthly job creation. A job seeker with expanded geographic bounds is likely to find employment faster, which has ripple effects on consumer demand, hiring in those regions, and the overall economy.
This post is part of the special series The New Rules for Getting a Job.


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aka Wikipedia:Web_2.0
all this tools will be purchased by Yahooglesoft soon
Obligatory Foreword[edit]
Blurb: It seems that there is a pattern that occurs with information and society.Society is like a closed chaotic system whereby it allows change to exercise itself to a limit and then it begins to discourage change by enforcing certain restrictions. It is smiliar to the idea of a thermostat on your fridge: temperature rises and the internal thermometer will trigger the cooling mechanism to start cooling, then the motor disengages when it reaches too low a temperature. The point is to stay within a designated temperature range. Society seems to be a closed chaotic system because thats how it perpetuates itself. So its a constant 'arms race' between 2 forces in society: Information and maintaining the social structure. Like water, it is just a matter of time until information erodes away or circumvents that which blocks it and creates a torrent that exists until eventually it will become restricted by whatever has an interest in keeping certain order. Not to imply that the social structure should deteriorate, even though it has serious flaws, it is the lesser of the evils at the moment. We here at s23 think very highly of information and usage of information for evolutionary imperitives and part of the healthy idea of change, we try, below, to represent a snapshot of current (and past) projects that just might lead to changing to better models and paradigms. Cheers and Hail Eris.
Voluntary Foreword about Web 2.0[edit]
almost Social_software/Complete_list
Web2.0 applications and services map (.jpg)
- The Participatory Culture Foundation is building software and web tools to create an independent, creative, engaging, and meritocratic TV system for millions of people around the world.
- Shoutcast or Icecast(open source alternative): Your own radio station
a very useful comparison between some social bookmark-tools here
- del.icio.us - purchased by yahoo (see Yahooglesoft)
- very useful because of accessing your bookmarks from everywhere
- tags for every bookmark are helpful to find and organize them
- see someone's bookmarks (if you know his nick) by entering http://del.icio.us/nickname
- Wikipedia about del.icious
- del.ico.us-extension for Firefox
- extispicious gives you a textual scattering of a user's tags, sized according to the number of times that they've used each of them
- del.irio.us - Welcome! De.licio.us! Refugees!
- similar to del.icio.us, but open source
- content is licensed under a Creative Commons license
- furl
- spurl
- openBM
- simpy
- CiteUlike for academic papers
- connotea
- connectedy
- Stumble Upon (Stumble Upon Firefox Extension)
- flickr
- you can upload photos and pics and tag it
- recently purchased by yahoo
- commons.wikimedia
- upload pictures and choose your own license (go public domain or "dual-license")
put your clips and/or big files online
Kibitz/Xkibitz allow two people to interact with one shell/xterm
Digg is a technology news website that employs non-hierarchical editorial control.
simply replace ?email=<nick> with your desired nick.
Web Applications[edit]
- Rapidshare.de
- Quickfile.de
- Both links have 50mb file limits but you are allowed to break them up using RAR software. A drawback is that you can only download 50mb in one hour. With a premium account though ($$$) it's unlimited.
- YouSendIt up to 1GB + A link is valid for 7 days or 25 downloads, whichever occurs first.
Standalone Applications[edit]
- BitTorrent
- gliffy.com create and share network diagrams without additional software. Explicitely mentions to "Link to published Gliffy drawings from your blog or wiki"
related: ratemynetworkdiagram.com
Create Art[edit]
- last.fm
- Shoutcast will turn your machine into a Internet Radio Station
- Nullsoft's Free Winamp-based distributed streaming audio system. Thousands of broadcasters around the world are waiting for you to tune in and listen. Take a peek through the SHOUTcast directory (immediately listed below) to start browsing the most popular stations.
- Push Music share files via wireless devices
- Roadcasting
meme trading[edit]
not really software but still very social
- BookCrossing
- Postcrossing
- Phototag is a community photography project where we retrofit cheap disposable cameras with shiny new packaging, artwork, instructions and return postage. Each camera is then passed along to friends and strangers with the request that they take one picture and pass it along to someone else. Once all the film is used up, the last Phototagger can simply drop the camera in the mailbox--the return address, postage and all the fine folks at the United State Postal Service will handle things from there. When we get the cameras back we post the pictures here on the Phototag website so everyone can see.
- WheresGeorge the same for the Euro: eurobill-tracker
- FlashMob
Software around the world
- Foundcity
- Foundcity is a social mapping tool for creating a personalized map of your life on-the-fly. From your computer or cell phone, you tag locations, add photos, label them with any words you want, and plot them to your map, which you can share with friends, keep private, or publish openly.
- plazes
- Plazes is a grassroot approach to location-aware interaction, using the local network you are connected to as location reference. It allows you to share your location with the people you know and to discover people and plazes around you.
- Roadcasting
not really web services, more remains of the community hype
- orkut
- powerd by google
- openbc
- business network
- Flock (Alpha release) - but read also this: flock sucks
- A browser that integrates:
- The Blog Manager
- The Flickr Topbar
- RSS integration
- Favorites with del.icio.us integration
- The Shelf
- History Search
- A browser that integrates:
- outfoxed
- firefox extension
- from the website: There are over 8 billion web pages. Most of them suck. Outfoxed uses your network of trusted friends and experts to help you find the good stuff and avoid the bad.
- Jabber
- An RSS feed browser
- BitlBee
- Craigslist
- buy/sell/trade/give away stuff for free
- Quickchat
- This is a great new Firefox extension that will let you chat directly within Firefox with other people who are visiting the same website you are. Chat with other digg.com users while you are busy digging stories! Great use of an AJaX extension to let you chat with people who like the same sites you do.


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Tragically, Sean's death came at a time when his artwork was finally starting to get the recognition it deserved. Any of Sean's nearest and dearest will tell you that he never fully accepted just how gifted he was. His brain bursted with creativity- his artwork included various mediums, from the simple black sharpie and pen to recent adventures creating action figures. He made music, wrote stories, but finally got a taste of recognition from his "Alternate Universe" creations.
The unfairness of losing this talented man at such a young age can not be expressed enough. His death was so unexpected that it was not at all planned for. Sean's friends would like to help his family through this devastating loss in the only way we can- by assisting with the tremendous expense of funeral costs and final arrangements. Because time is so important, please share this link as much as possible. Thank you so much for your help and for the outpouring of love and condolences that have been showered on his family with this enormous loss.
Donate here


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There's something very comforting about Erica Bauermeister's books — they're sort of "stop and smell the roses" reminder. For me, when she describes the smell of freshly baked bread, I swear I'm going to master making it from scratch, even though my past attempts at bread -baking have often yielded less-than satisfying results. Indeed, at times I've been too embarrassed to throw it out for the birds! (I mean, really, what if even they didn't eat it?) But enough about me.
As in her first book, The School of Essential Ingredients, each chapter focuses on a different character. In her new one, Joy for Beginners, the characters are all women and all friends, even though they are different ages and at various stages in their lives. These women don't live Pollyanna lives — loved ones still die, couples still divorce, some parent-child relationships stay strained — but through it all, their friendships remain strong and continue to provide the support and encouragement each of them needs.
The book opens with a potluck dinner party, celebrating Kate's recent victory over breast cancer. Kate agrees to try something she's always feared– white-water rafting– but in return, each of them must also promise to do something they find difficult, though Kate gets to pick their challenges. In some cases, the task seems surprisingly simple, such as baking bread or discarding books left by an ex-husband. Still, Kate seems to have an innate sense as to what her friends need most.
I really enjoyed this book. It's a perfect gift for a good friend — or for someone who wants to make bread from scratch!


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|Happier days
The Michele Scarponi and Team Lampre-Merida relationship will end on December 31, 2013. The agreement was reached after negotiations with attorneys representing both parties. As we have noted, Michele Scarponi has been missing from any of the Team Lampre-Merida races this season or the team publicity events.
After a series of meetings it was agreed that Scarponi will return to competition tomorrow at the Grand Prix of Lugano. His participation in future races this season will be decided by the "ethical and competitive interests" of Team Lampre-Merida and of the suitability of the races to Scarponi.
addendum: GP Lugano cancelled due to snow on course
Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN or receive an email when new content is added using the "Follow by Email" button on the right side column.
Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com. There are now more than 2,700 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.


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AWI seeks to reduce the detrimental impacts of human activities on wild animals. We work to strengthen national and international wildlife protection and foster humane, nonlethal solutions to conflicts with wildlife.
Humans threaten wildlife through harassment, habitat degradation, encroachment and destruction, cruel and irresponsible hunting and trapping, capture and killing for profit, incidental poisoning and vehicle strikes, and culling. AWI works to safeguard wild animals and their habitats, and minimize or eliminate the impacts of detrimental human actions. We urge governments and other policymakers to halt or prevent damaging actions by calling for better enforcement of wildlife protection laws, promoting severe penalties for wildlife criminals, and supporting increased funding for federal land and wildlife management agencies. We advocate for humane solutions to human-wildlife conflicts, and engage and educate the public on ways to help wildlife.
AWI works to prevent commercial exploitation of threatened and endangered species by fighting for enforcement against poachers, smugglers, and dishonest animal dealers. We are actively involved in monitoring and contesting unsustainable or inhumane trade in wildlife, including through our participation in meetings of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to help ensure that international trade in wildlife does not threaten species with extinction.
AWI encourages research into humane, non-lethal wildlife management, including through its Christine Stevens Wildlife Award, and discourages and opposes methods of managing wildlife that are cruel, unnecessary, and/or are not based on sound science. AWI campaigns to protect the rights of wild horses and burros and seeks to end the use of the non-selective and highly destructive steel-jaw leghold traps, which despite being banned in over 70 countries around the globe, including the entire European Union—is still the most common type of trap used to catch millions of furbearing animals each year in the US.


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1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. 4 He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, " Remove the filthy garments from him." Again he said to him, "See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes." 5 Then I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.
6 And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, 7 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.
"The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!..." (v. 2)And when the Angel prefaces His statement with the prophetic refrain:
"Thus says the Lord of hosts…" (v. 6)
The Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. (v. 1)
He spoke and said to those who were standing before him… (v. 4)
The setting of the vision is quite clear. Joshua is standing in a tribunal, where he is being accused of unfitness for the priestly ministry. The judge is the messenger (or angel) of YHWH. The implied definite article [based on the construction in Hebrew – AR] makes it virtually certain that this being is the same as the messenger of YHWH in 1:11, 12. There he was distinguished from YHWH Himself (v. 12), but here he is identified with Him (v. 2).6 This [i.e. that the Messenger is being identified with YHWH – AR] appears even more likely inasmuch as Satan is accusing Joshua before the messenger, a notion that finds NO SUPPORT ELSEWHERE in the Bible. The adversary ALWAYS argues his case BEFORE GOD, not a representative of God, as the very similar scene in the prologue of Job establishes beyond doubt. (Merrill, An Exegetical Commentary: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi [Chicago: Moody Press, 1994]), pp. 131-132.
6. This is so obviously true, and problematic, that most modern scholars following the Syriac…, emend "YHWH" to "Angel of YHWH." See, e.g. H. G. Mitchell, A Commentary on Haggai and Zechariah, ICC (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1912), 143. Such special pleading is oblivious to the witness of the OT to the interchangeability of YHWH and the Angel of YHWH.
A possible objection to the identification of the messenger with YHWH in our passage is that the messenger appears to quote YHWH in vv. 6-7, thus differentiating himself from YHWH. However, this is not a serious problem at all, for a careful reading of Angel of YHWH passages makes it clear that the messenger, though distinguished from YHWH, often speaks as YHWH (cf. Gen. 16:7-13; 21:17; 22:11-12; 15-16; 31:11-13; Judg. 6:11-24; 13:15-20). That is, the messenger of YHWH is YHWH as He discloses Himself to human beings. (Merrill, ibid.), p. 132
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the Lord and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." 8 The Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil." 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face." 12 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1:6-12)
Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord SITTING ON HIS THRONE, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. (1 Kings 22:19; cf. 2 Chronicles 18:18)
He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him." Again He said to him, "See, I HAVE TAKEN YOUR INQUITY AWAY from you and will clothe you with festal robes." (v. 4)
20 "Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him. (Exodus 23:20-21)
1 Then He said to Moses, "Come UP TO the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and WORSHIP from afar. 2 Moses alone shall come NEAR TO the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him." (Exodus 24:1-2)
Rav Nahman said: A person who knows how to answer the minim as Rav Idi, let him answer, and if not, let him not answer.
A certain min said to Ravi Idi: "It is written, 'And to Moses he said, come up unto the LORD [Exod. 24:1].' It should have said, 'Come up to me'!"
He [Rav Idi] said to him: "This was Metatron, whose name is like the name of his master, as it is written, 'for My name is in him' [Exod. 23:21]."
"But if so, we should worship him!"
"It is written, 'Do not rebel against him' [Exod. 23:21] — Do not confuse him with me!"
"If so, then why does it say 'He will not forgive your sins'"?
"We have sworn that we would not even receive him as a guide, for it is written 'If Your face goes not [do not bring us up from here]' [Exod. 33:15]." (Babylonian Talmud, 38b)
God has been addressing the Jewish people as a whole (in Exodus chapter 23), informing them that he will send his angel before them and instructing them how to behave with respect to this angel. He then turns to Moses and tells him to come up to YKWK (the Tetragrammaton), implying quite strongly that "YKWK" of whom he speaks is not the same "YKWK" who is the speaker of the verse: Two YKWKs. This is, in fact, precisely the sort of argument that a Justin Martyr would have produced from Scripture to argue for a "second person" (the Logos). And so the minim conclude that there is a second power in heaven. Rav Idi, in refuting them, turns back to the previous chapter and remarks that verse 21 there explicitly says that "My name is in him [that is in the angel]." Metatron, that angel, therefore, could be called by the name "YKWK," and it is to him that Moses is being instructed to ascend. What this amounts to is claiming that there are not two divine powers in heaven but only God and an angel whom he has named as God as well.
At this point, the min responds by saying that if Metatron is indeed called by the ineffable name, then we ought to worship him as well; in other words, that Rav Idi's own answer can be turned against him. To this, Rav Idi retorts that the verse also says "Do not rebel against him," which by a typical midrashic sleight of hand can be read as "Do not substitute him," that is, even though Metatron is called by God's name, do not pray to him. Al tamer bo [Do not rebel against him] has been read as Al tamireni bo: Don't substitute him for me. The very verse in which Israel is enjoined to obey the second YKWK has been turned by a pun into its exact opposite. The min says if that is what is meant, then why does it continue in the verse and say that he, Metatron, will not forgive sins? The min is arguing that if the people are being warned not to rebel against Metatron, because he is as powerful as God, then it makes sense to tell them that he will not forgive their sins if they do rebel, but if he is not God at all, then it is otiose to tell them that he will not forgive sins. Only if he has the power to redeem sins does it make sense to declare that he will not rebel [sic; forgive?] their sins if they rebel against him. (Of course, the rabbinic reading is: Don't confuse him with me for he cannot redeem sins but only I can. The "heretical" reading, I'm afraid, is much stronger and more adequate to the language) …
I would suggest, moreover, that, in typical midrashic fashion, another verse lies underneath this comment of the min. Joshua 24:19 reads: "It will be very difficult for you [lit. you will not be able to] worship YKWK, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your sins and your iniquities." In other words, the logic would run: if there it remarks of YKWK that he will not forgive sins and iniquities, then if the same language is being used here, ought it not indicate that the divine figure being spoken of has the same attributes as YKWK? Moreover, if there the context is one of worshipping YKWK, then here too worship of Metatron, the second Lord or lesser Yahu [as the Talmud calls him – AR], would seem to be implicated as well. The comparison is rendered even stronger when we notice that exactly the same context is involved in both the Exodus and the Joshua verse, namely the expulsion of the Canaanites from the land of Israel and the warnings to the people of Israel to be worthy of this benefit and to worship YKWK, or their sin will not be forgiven at all. It certainly seems as if this verse in Exodus can be read as equating Metatron to YKWK and therefore demanding worship for both figures.To this answer comes that "we" the Jews, through our leader Moses, already have declared that we do not even want him, Metatron, to be our guide in the desert, as the cited verse says: "If your face goes before us not." In other words, the angelic regent was of such non importance that, far from considering him worthy of being worshipped, Moses would not even accept him as a guide.
In this, as in many other cases of such hermeneutical encounters, the min certainly seems to have the upper hand to begin with, for there are many scriptural texts that plausibly can be read as supporting the notion of an angelic vice-regent with many of the powers of God, or even the notion of a virtual second God. Indeed, more than anything else, this very scriptural background may have given the greatest impetus to the various second-God theologies of Jews, including Logos, Memra, Sophia, Metatron, Son of Man, Son of God, and Christ. Rav Idi, the clever Midrashist, exploits all the tricks in his bag in order to discredit the min's quite straightforward interpretation of the verses in question: "Behold I send before you an angel, to watch over you on the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Be careful before him and obedient to him. Do not disobey him, for he will not forgive your sins, for My name is in him." Although, to be sure, the second of these two verses presents difficulties, at the very least it would seem that this — fairly straightforward — translation does imply that this angel has the power to command and to remit sins (which he will not employ), as God has delegated to him something of divine power. Just as in the Joshua verse, we are told that God … "is a jealous God; He will not forgive your sins and your iniquities," so here, Metatron is such a divine being too. The min quite reasonably suggests that one ought to pray to such a divine being, Metatron, on Rav Idi's showing.
In order to escape this seeming ineluctable conclusion, Rav Idi proposes to read the verse as if saying, "Be careful before him and obedient to him. Do not confuse him with me, for he will not forgive your sins, for my name is in him." Aside from the fact that this translation renders the verse considerably less coherent in its logic, it also makes this angel seem absolutely insignificant, hardly worthy of mention, to which Rav Idi answers (and this is his brilliant move) that indeed that is so. The Israelites have already registered their rejection of any interest in this insignificant angel when they insisted that God Himself must go before them and no other, thus dramatizing the rejection of the Son of Man theology, a rejection that the Rabbis themselves perform. (Boyarin, The Genealogy of Rabbinic Judaism; or, the Death and Resurrection of the Son of Man, p. 2-5)
7 I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, the praises of the Lord,According to all that the Lord has granted us,And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,Which He has granted them according to His compassionAnd according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses.8 For He said, "Surely, they are My people,Sons who will not deal falsely."So He became their Savior.9 In all their affliction He was afflicted,And the angel of His presence saved them;In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them,And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.10 But they rebelledAnd grieved His Holy Spirit;Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy,He fought against them.11 Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses.Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock?Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them,12 Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses,Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name,13 Who led them through the depths?Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble;14 As the cattle which go down into the valley,The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.So You led Your people,To make for Yourself a glorious name. (Isaiah 63:7-14)
6 "In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem. 7 The Lord also will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah. 8 In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them. 9 And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:6-9)


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Heavy Transport: Railroads & Trucking
Keddie Wye
All photographs offered for sale are scanned at high resolution and digitally printed to archival specifications. Dimensions below are for paper size. Image size will be less than paper size (not borderless).
Prints are offered as archival pigment inkjet limited editions. They are titled, numbered and signed, usually on verso of print and on top mat. The price of the print increases as the edition sells out.
All prints are completed from within the studio, ensuring the artist's full, personal attention.
For more in-depth information, click About Prints.
11x14" in 16x20" mat: $450.00
17x22" in 22x28" mat: $675.00
24x30" in 30x40" mat: $950.00
Int'l customers, before ordering click here
Call or email for availability on custom sizes.


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Start your BancFirst Pre-Qualification
Whether you are buying your first property or your fourth, we understand it can be a big and often daunting decision. That's why we want to make applying for your home loan quick and easy.
This Pre-Qualification should take you approximately 20 minutes to complete, and your progress will be saved as you complete each step.
Please Have These Items Ready
- Current and Previous Addresses (2 years)
- Property Information (if applicable)
- Current and Previous Employment Information and dates including monthly salary
- Bank Account Statements
- Current monthly housing expenses such as rent and mortgage payments
- Address and Market Value information for properties you own, including taxes & insurance
- Sources and Income Amounts for all Borrowers. If a W-2 employee, pay stubs for the last 30 days
- If working with a real estate agent, their name, company and phone number


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I received a number of emails today about this exciting post on
Neowin MozillaZine:
Vista Glass for Firefox
For all you people who have been looking for a way to get Vista's glass effect in Firefox, look no further. Here is an extension for Firefox 3 that will do it. Please read this entire article before install this extension.
This extension is alpha quality, I whipped it together quickly.
In the javascript file I used a portion of the code from the MinimizeToTray extension. It's license stands for that portion that I am aware of.
Known Issues
It will work on the Vista Basic theme, but will not produce the blue toolbars as Windows Explorer does, this will still a work in progress.
Download: Glasser Installer (XPI)
To install Glasser, first download the file, then drag and drop it to your Firefox window.
If you want the Windows Explorer style background on the personal toolbar, use this css file. You can install it with either the Stylish Add-on, or by edit your userChrome.css file.
If you want to remove the menu-bar, try either Personal Menu or Hide Menubar. Both support using the Alt key to temperately show the menu-bar and Personal Menu lets you keep a button on the toolbar to gain access to the menus.
So does it work? You bet it does, baby...
Note that I usually turn off the Bookmarks toolbar, but wanted to see what it looked like. The teal green color used there is, of course, all wrong: This is the color Vista uses for shell windows. Arguably, it should be a medium blue like the toolbars in Windows Calendar or Windows Mail productivity applications. That said, black, used in digital media apps like Windows Media Player and Windows Movie Maker, would probably be even nicer looking.
Thanks to everyone that wrote in about this.


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Biography: Barse Miller, N.A. (1904-1973) Born: New York City, NY; Studied: National Academy of Fine Arts; Member: National Academy of Design, American Watercolor Society, California Water Color Society, Philadelphia Water Color Club. Barse Miller began formal art instruction at the National Academy of Design while still in elementary school. There he...... read more
A California art print on Arches watercolor paper. 100% archival, and printed in HD.
Headquarters-5th Command Battalion


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What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?
$1 million in a diversified portfolio could help finance part of your retirement.
Related Content
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There's an alarming difference between perception and reality for current and future retirees.
Four Great, Unexpected Places to Raise a Family
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5 Smart Investing Strategies
Getting what you want out of your money may require the right game plan.


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VPN.ac vs RUSVPN: Which One is Better? [2023 Top Picks]
We compare security, extra features, ease of use, and more to help you decide.
VPN.ac is a decent VPN for browsing and streaming, but it has a bunch of major drawbacks and security concerns. While it provides fast speeds, is able to access many streaming sites, works in China, and allows up to 12 connections, it logs your IP address, it's no-logs policy hasn't been independently audited, its server network is small, it's missing advanced security features like RAM-only servers, and it only backs its plans with a short 7-day money-back guarantee. Clearly, it fails to provide as good a value as top VPNs like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find the best antivirus for me?
The first thing to do is to understand what you need — all antiviruses come with different internet security tools to help you stay protected, so identifying what level of protection you want will help you figure out which product is right for you.
Some antiviruses have a virtual private network (VPN), some have safe browsing extensions, and some have a password manager. Some only work on certain operating systems, while others cover all operating systems across multiple devices.
It's important to compare the best antiviruses on the market to find the perfect one with the functionality you need.
What makes an antivirus secure?
A high-quality antivirus suite will detect, flag, and remove viruses and various types of malware. It will also offer real-time protection against all threats, regardless of whether you are browsing the internet, downloading software, shopping online, or opening email. For additional security, many antivirus suites offer a VPN, secure storage, and a password manager — these things all add several layers of protection against various cyber threats.
For more information on how antiviruses work, read this.
What do I need to look for when searching for an antivirus?
An antivirus needs to protect against all types of malware — trojans, rootkits, worms, spyware, viruses, ransomware, and anything else that might cause damage to your devices. This is done in a variety of ways, but the most essential feature of an antivirus is real-time protection — this makes sure that an active threat is effectively stopped before anything serious can happen.
Other things to look for include — excellent detection rates, fast system performance, included extra features (like a VPN, password manager, etc.), easy-to-use interface, good customer support, and overall value.
How do I know if one antivirus is better than another?
When researching antiviruses, it's a good idea to visit a few well-known antivirus software websites such as Norton, McAfee, and Bitdefender to directly compare each antivirus's features.
You can also look at the expert opinions of our reviewers at SafetyDetectives.com to find the most up-to-date and unbiased information about the best cybersecurity products on the market today.


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Installing Nginx With PHP5 And MySQL Support On CentOS 5.6 - Page 2
This tutorial exists for these OS versions
On this page
4 Installing PHP5
We can make PHP5 work in nginx through FastCGI. There's no standalone FastCGI daemon package for CentOS, therefore we use the FastCGI package of lighttpd (lighttpd-fastcgi) and install it together with php-cli and some PHP5 modules like php-mysql which you need if you want to use MySQL from your PHP scripts:
yum install lighttpd-fastcgi php-cli php-mysql php-gd php-imap php-ldap php-odbc php-pear php-xml php-xmlrpc php-mbstring php-mcrypt php-mssql php-snmp php-soap php-tidy
Then open /etc/php.ini and add the line cgi.fix_pathinfo = 1 right at the end of the file:
vi /etc/php.ini
[...] cgi.fix_pathinfo = 1
The lighttpd-fastcgi package comes with the executable /usr/bin/spawn-fcgi which we can use to start FastCGI processes. Take a look at
spawn-fcgi --help
to learn more about it.
To start a PHP FastCGI daemon listening on port 9000 on localhost and running as the user and group nginx, we run the following command:
/usr/bin/spawn-fcgi -a 127.0.0.1 -p 9000 -u nginx -g nginx -f /usr/bin/php-cgi -P /var/run/fastcgi-php.pid
Of course, you don't want to type in that command manually whenever you boot the system, so to have the system execute the command automatically at boot time, open /etc/rc.local...
vi /etc/rc.local
... and add the command at the end of the file:
[...] /usr/bin/spawn-fcgi -a 127.0.0.1 -p 9000 -u nginx -g nginx -f /usr/bin/php-cgi -P /var/run/fastcgi-php.pid
5 Configuring nginx
The nginx configuration is in /etc/nginx/nginx.conf which we open now:
vi /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
The configuration is easy to understand (you can learn more about it here: http://wiki.codemongers.com/NginxFullExample and here: http://wiki.codemongers.com/NginxFullExample2)
First (this is optional) you can increase the number of worker processes and set the keepalive_timeout to a reasonable value:
[...] worker_processes 5; [...] keepalive_timeout 2; [...]
The virtual hosts are defined in server {} containers. Let's modify the default vhost as follows:
[...] server { listen 80; server_name _; #charset koi8-r; #access_log logs/host.access.log main; location / { root /usr/share/nginx/html; index index.php index.html index.htm; } error_page 404 /404.html; location = /404.html { root /usr/share/nginx/html; } # redirect server error pages to the static page /50x.html # error_page 500 502 503 504 /50x.html; location = /50x.html { root /usr/share/nginx/html; } # proxy the PHP scripts to Apache listening on 127.0.0.1:80 # #location ~ \.php$ { # proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1; #} # pass the PHP scripts to FastCGI server listening on 127.0.0.1:9000 # location ~ \.php$ { root /usr/share/nginx/html; fastcgi_pass 127.0.0.1:9000; fastcgi_index index.php; fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME /usr/share/nginx/html$fastcgi_script_name; include fastcgi_params; } # deny access to .htaccess files, if Apache's document root # concurs with nginx's one # location ~ /\.ht { deny all; } } [...]
server_name _; makes this a default catchall vhost (of course, you can as well specify a hostname here like www.example.com).
In the location / part, I've added index.php to the index line. root /usr/share/nginx/html; means that the document root is the directory /usr/share/nginx/html.
The important part for PHP is the location ~ \.php$ {} stanza. Uncomment it to enable it. Change the root line to the web site's dosument root (e.g. root /usr/share/nginx/html;). Please make sure that you change the fastcgi_param line to fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME /usr/share/nginx/html$fastcgi_script_name; because otherwise the PHP interpreter won't find the PHP script that you call in your browser.
Now save the file and restart nginx:
/etc/init.d/nginx restart
Now create the following PHP file in the document root /usr/share/nginx/html...
vi /usr/share/nginx/html/info.php
<?php phpinfo(); ?>
Now we call that file in a browser (e.g. http://192.168.0.100/info.php):
As you see, PHP5 is working, and it's working through FastCGI, as shown in the Server API line. If you scroll further down, you will see all modules that are already enabled in PHP5, including the MySQL module:
6 Links
- nginx: http://nginx.net/
- nginx Wiki: http://wiki.codemongers.com/Main
- PHP: http://www.php.net/
- MySQL: http://www.mysql.com/
- CentOS: http://www.centos.org/
About The Author
Falko Timme is the owner of Timme Hosting (ultra-fast nginx web hosting). He is the lead maintainer of HowtoForge (since 2005) and one of the core developers of ISPConfig (since 2000). He has also contributed to the O'Reilly book "Linux System Administration".


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The order subtotal is less than the minimum allowed value ($14.95)
Tropic Paradise Peel & Stick Canvas Wall Mural Door size murals are the perfect solution for decorating smaller wall spaces or brightening up those otherwise drab doors. All door murals come in separate, easy to install panels. Install by simply pasting and smoothing like wallpaper. QuickMurals are applied by Simply peeling off the protective backing and smoothing onto any smooth, flat non-porous surface - indoors or outdoors. No tools or paste are needed to install the "QuickMurals". They are printed on Self-adhesive canvas that is impossible to tear, wrinkle or crease. Go ahead! Just try! They are repositionable and can be moved from wall to wall hundreds of times. QuickMurals will not damage your walls and will not leave any sticky residue when removed. "QuickMurals" can also be applied directly onto glass.
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text: In China, a meal is a social event meant to be experienced with others. Food is shared in a communal setting. Dishes are served "family style" to ensure all guests get a taste of everything. The principles of Chinese cuisine are entrenched in a theory of harmony, dictating that all facets of the senses are stimulated equally. A balance of tastes, textures, fragrances and colors are presented in a way that enhance and accent the other. To ensure the most enjoyable experience, ordering is traditionally done by a single person, typically the host.


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Famous the world over for its delicious Oysters, thought to be the finest in the world, Malpeque Bay`s name is derived from the Mik`maq word meaning "big bay". Cutting deeply into Prince County, Malpeque Bay helps to form with Bedeque Bay the narrowest isthmus of land on P.E.I.
A land of captivating beauty, the Malpeque region is a splendid area of secluded beaches back dropped by the gentle waters of the bay.
Cabot Beach Provincial Park provides a lovely picnic area for visitors while the beautifully restored St. Mary`s Church in Indian River offers various classical music concerts as well as the Indian River Festival, held annually during mid-summer.


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[This was originally published at autonomo.us– comments over there.]
[Disclaimer: since my last post at autonomo.us, I have become an employee of the Mozilla Corporation. I don't feel this has tainted my views, but feel free to weigh that information as part of your analysis of this article. Relatedly, I do not speak for that employer when writing here; my words and ideas here are my own.]
tl;dr version: We shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The bathwater is the ethical problems with software hosted on someone else's server; the baby is the strength of the libre web application development stack- which may actually be the best platform for building autonomy-preserving user-oriented software.
Put yourself in 1995. I'm going to tell the you of 1995 that in 2010, there will be a software platform with the following properties:
- The widget toolkit for this platform will have two independent, competitive, Libre implementations; one of those implementations will be the most widely used consumer-facing piece of free software ever, and the other one will have the support of the second and third largest software companies on earth.
- Tens of millions of dollars a year in engineering time will go into improving those free implementations of the standard; in fact, Microsoft will spend lots of money and PR time saying 'we've caught up to the libre implementations.'
- This widget toolkit will have no vendor gatekeepers or tolls; in fact, all the biggest software vendors on earth will have attempted to disclaim patent claims against it, making it not only no-cost but also perhaps the safest free software toolkit available from an IP perspective. New additions to the toolkit will be free by default; there will be some exceptions to this but those exceptions will be bitterly contested, sometimes with huge proprietary software companies weighing in on the side of free implementations.
- The major implementations of the widget toolkits will be extensible using a simple scripting language, making them much easier for users to customize than most (non-emacs) toolkits.
- Free software written for this platform can be made trivially available not just to users of free operating systems but also to people on other platforms, potentially helping grow the community of free software developers and users.
- This widget toolkit will be available on every computing platform on earth; not just PCs but also many phones and soon on TVs. If your hardware supports this widget toolkit, it immediately has enough applications that it is considered commercially viable, leading to an unprecedented blossoming of operating systems platforms (unlike the situation in 1995, where new platforms have no apps and so find it impossible to compete with Win3.1/95.)
- The logic and data storage systems backing this widget framework will also be varied- there will be proprietary implementations, but there will be dozens if not hundreds of free frameworks as well, in essentially every programming language you can imagine. It is taken for granted that these frameworks run on Linux first. Among many others, the White House will use such a free framework to deliver software.
- At the same time, because of elegant design, it is easy to swap out backends, so if you want to write backends in different ways, you can do that; in fact, people are taking advantage of this every day to write completely new frameworks with a variety of different properties.
- A function called 'view source' is viewed as a key competitive differentiator in this platform; it is actually hard to close the source describing widget layout and behavior (though easy to close the backend.)
- Millions of high school kids are taught (at least part of) this framework; millions more will have taught it to themselves using view source!
- This platform will have been so successful that virtually every single first-world computer user will use it (in some way) every day.
At this point, 1995-you says 'This sounds too good to be true. There must be a catch.'1
There are two major catches, the second a consequence of the first.2
The first catch is that the default data storage architecture is distributed, and the default licensing is effectively permissive, making it expected (though not mandatory) that users are separated from both the code they run and their data. In other words, developers who use this stack are perhaps more free than they've ever been in the history of computing (and not surprisingly they've adopted it in droves)- but users often have even less control than they had when they were using traditional proprietary desktop applications.
The you from 1995 would probably think that freedom-lovers would have reacted to this unfreedom by rewriting the thin layer of proprietary code sandwiched between gigantic gobs of free code, and/or by working to make the platform more amenable to local or distributed use. You might expect that they would even have embraced and extended the platform to make it even better for freedom.
Instead, the second catch is that fans of freedom have largely thrown the baby out with the bathwater, ignoring (or at best failing to embrace) this rich, free platform. Instead, in a story straight out of the Innovator's Dilemma, they've continued to focus on traditional widget toolkits and interfaces which lack all the benefits I've just listed out.
It should be obvious by this point that the platform I'm talking about is HTML and the many, many application frameworks that can be used to generate it. This platform- what I'll call the libre web application stack- is not perfect, but it has the potential to be hugely freedom-enhancing, and free software advocates should carefully consider it when thinking about developing their next app, or when planning to extend traditional software platforms to make them more free. Just because most web apps are not free does not mean the stack itself should be disregarded.
- This is true whether 1995-you is a free software fan or not; if you're a free software fan, you're particularly excited, but if you're a die-hard silicon valley capitalist you should also be pretty excited by the potential of this platform. [↩]
- There are plenty of minor catches too; performance isn't great; the widget toolkit does not have the vast variety of widgets that more mature toolkits have. But these have been improving consistently for years, and (more importantly) they've been improving much faster than traditional toolkits have improved. [↩]