text:
By now most of us are familiar with the concept of the Data Lake. EMC's recent launch of IsilonSD and their DataLake 2.0 strategy was a great opportunity to revisit our own needs.
The data lake is distinguished from a traditional data-store by being a single repository for unstructured data, as opposed to being a purpose built data-store with clearly structured meta-data, management and prioritization. Lacking this metadata structure and management, the Data Lake seems an unlikely candidate for useful data correlation and intelligence. Enter the magic of large numbers! While a small repository of unstructured files is an exercise is organized chaos, a large pool offers something special. Trends, intelligence and insight emerge from large pools of data especially dealing with real-time, organic processes that are constantly adapting. Even in environments where epiphany through analytics is not the expectation and it's still simply a landing place for unstructured data such as imagery and design files, the advances driven by Data Lake design are benefitting storage users.
In our own Briefing Center and Floor Exhibit environment we had a clear gap; our Data Lake needed to pull in as much unstructured data as possible from real-time participants and use cases in order to provide intelligence as well as run previously prepared demos from the same equipment, yet a significant number of physical sites in our design were outside our primary HQ focus , leaving many remote and temporary locations outside our solution.
Essentially, these activities and sources of unstructured data were outside the edge of the Data Lake we had defined. This was a natural outcome from our operational process, but limited the scope and value of our pool of data. It was not until we started re-analyzing how to better manage these sites that the limitation was faced head on.
Our project started with a need to look at how to best serve remote locations which could be distant, mobile, and often temporary. As we looked at options it was clear that we needed a Software-Defined storage (SDS) solution. This was driven by a single key need: an affordable solution that could handle the strain of frequent travel. Classic equipment is intended to be shipped once, maybe even a few times. Constant travel and repeated installation needed specially hardened equipment which featured an especially increased price. Even then, no show floor armor would have stopped the forklift arm that went straight through one rack, destroying an entire shelf which could not be physically re-created on-site. We needed the environment to be distributed, robust, and in our target price range. Our answer was to look at Software defined storage solutions, with an option to leverage available hardware that met our unique needs.
Unfortunately, the selection process for SDS Storage just presented more, but not better, options. However, once we applied a few criteria we quickly came down to a single answer. These remote sites are often not staffed by storage or file system experts. The addition of the SDS solution cannot turn into a tuning, management or operation burden to the users. We needed robust tools that were production grade with as much automation and workflow features as possible built in. Looking at these needs and leveraging our Connetrix VDX based Isilon cluster the final design selection came down IsilonSD to replicate back to our Isilon cluster running on VDX.
Really getting to our goal, however would rest entirely on managing the workflows. Breaking down the workflow into simple steps and getting reliable tools to manage the complexity of each phase became the mission. A great benefit of Isilon SD was the ability to use SyncIQ to automatically create a process to replicate and push data to the remote sites based on our unique needs. At the core we could leverage the EMC Connectrix VDX to build a VCS Fabric that can expand and adapt with auto provisioning and load balancing.
The key for the core of the Data Lake was that we needed native automation to ensure minimal overhead. The final layer came through adding in many of the tools associated with the New IP. This included leveraging our Brocade vRouter and its ability to act as a virtual VPN and firewall. It also included leveraging EMC Cloud Pools to allow lower priority data to be managed in the cloud.
The result was a first step toward an Edgeless Data Lake. By using a software defined solution to bring in activity at a wide number of lower priority sites, using Isilon Sync IQ to drive replication workflows, and using Connectrix VDX to leverage native automaton for simplified network workflows, we found the right tools to manage the process. Of course this is just a start. How do we further extend our workflows based on the business needs, how do we adapt our analytics as we collect insight, how do we achieve higher levels of business agility? Limitless possibilities as we evolve on the steps for the New IP.
For additional information on this design you can reference the video use case with EMC Isilon.
You can find additional information on the New IP architecture here:
New IP Architecture (with link)


text:
Nice out of the way villa with great style and grounds.
Loved the look and feel of the place. Probably in need of an update, but still good. Only stayed one night but enjoyed it.
Very quite and relaxing. Nice food, but eating areas good do with improved ambience. Good views of the valley but could do with some tree pruning to improve it.
Bruce440 - 31-05-2016
If you are a discriminating traveller and if you don't mind paying a little more this hotel is a gem. We had a reservation at another near by hotel and there was no comparison. For $100 more we got a gorgeous room and a lovely breakfast. The management was more than helpful. At the other hotel there was a 25 dollar charge per day for the internet. NO CHARGE FOR INTERNET. The room was beautiful, bright and spotless. The housekeepers were lovely. The lobby area felt like a warm livingroom. The exterior was elegant and it was quiet and safe. It is also one of the most sought after hotels for destination weddings. The female manager was totally charming and interested in accomodating our every need. We are seasoned travellers. We felt taken care of. This is a hotel that should get it's fifth star!
Radish4, New York - 18-09-2008
Three weeks have passed since we returned home from our week's holiday at the Hotel Perugino. So now seems like a good time to review our stay there as we still have such wonderful good memories to look back on.
The pink and white villa set in beautiful grounds planted out with roses, geraniums and lavenders.
The always clean and rarely used swimming pool - for four days we had it to ourselves.
The suberb dinners from a four course menu which though it didn't change through the week had enough choices to allow us to try, and enjoy, different courses every night. (And given that the cost of eating out in the local restaurants serving food to the standard provided by our hotel would have been almost twice what we paid, we would advise everyone to choose the dinner, bed and breakfast option.
The friendliness, courtesy and helpfulness of all the staff. We would particularly like to mention Francesca, the breakfast waitress, Stella, the dinner waitress, and Mirco and Fabio, the Reception staff, who conjured up the most delicious after- dinner cappucinos we could ask for.
The cleanliness of our large air- conditioned bedroom which overlooked the gardens.
The hotel was everything we could have asked for. It is a five minute walk from the town centre and yet its tranquil secluded setting exudes a wonderful sense of peace. It was the perfect place to stay in a small town that takes a pride in itself and its history.
As a base for exploring this area of Umbria it was ideal. Assisi, Orvieto and Lake Trasimeno were all within an hour's drive.
stealer - 04-08-2011
We have just returned from a week's stay in The Logge del Perugino Hotel, La Ciita della Pieve, Umbria, and we would highly recommend this hotel to anyone. We stayed there from 1 to 8 September 2008 and were there for the wedding of our daughter.The hotel is situated in the small but charming town of Pieve. The town is sited at the top of an Umbrian hillside with stunning views of the surrounding Umbrian / Tuscan countryside. It should be noted that this is not your typical tourist destination and there is very little sign of mass tourism, but of course this only adds to the charm of the place. There are plenty of restaurants and other small cafe/bars. The people are friendly and will go out of their way to help you.As for the hotel, we were highly impressed by all aspects of it. It is a traditional Italian hotel as opposed to a contemporary one but this is in keeping with the feel and ambience of the surrounding town. The rooms were clean and tidy and spacious enough with gleaming bathrooms. The only minor complaint is that the rooms are not supplied with an iron or ironing board although one can be sourced from reception.The hotel has a first class restaurant with many traditional Umbrian dishes which should delight most people. Breakfast is of the continental variety with many breads, cheeses, hams etc. etc. There are also boiled eggs, yoghurts, fruits, muffins as well as many hot and cold beverages.The gardens surrounding the hotel are well maintained and the pool area is delightful with plenty of shaded areas if needed.The staff of the hotel always went out of their way to help you in any way they could and were always polite and courteous. The manageress Valentina is always avaialble to assist you if you require any assistance. Special mention must go to the wonderful Mirko and le belle ragazze Vanda e Francesca who seemed to work from dawn to dusk without a break.All in all we loved our week at Le Logge and would recommend it to all travellers to Umbria or Tuscany.
kmeledy, Paisley, Scotland - 05-07-2016
We didn't stay at this hotel as we were renting a villa in nearby Chiusi, but our large party of 9 ate here during Citta della Pieve's 4 day Aphrodisiac Festival. Head Chef Marissa prepared an incredibly delicious meal, even catering to vegetarian and other specific food requests. Each course had a little touch of Aphrodite (hence, aphrodisiac) in it: saffron, truffles, balsamic vinegar, chocolate and aphrodisiac herbs. Courses included lobster bisque, pumpkin ravioli, fresh salmon, salad, and the dessert choices included 3 different panna cotta (chocolate, caramel and wild berries) and more (8 choices in all); we added dessert wine, cappuccino, very fine grappa and, of course, limoncello. Setting and service impeccable; a walk after dinner around the extensive park sized grounds was the perfect end to an incredible dining experience and the many activities of the festival (films, tango, tastings of all kinds, aphrodisiac workshops re food, wine, etc.).
Herb_Lover San Ramon, California - 06-02-2011

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Technical Paper
X-Ray Measurements of High Pressure Diesel Sprays
A quantitative and time-resolved technique has been developed to probe the fuel distribution very near the nozzle of a high-pressure diesel injector. This technique uses the absorption of synchrotron x-rays to measure the fuel mass with good time and position resolution. The penetrating power of x-rays allows measurements that are difficult with other techniques, such as quantitative measurements of the mass and penetration measurements of the trailing edge of the spray. Line-of-sight measurements were used to determine the fuel density as a function of time. The high time resolution and quantitative nature of the measurement also permit an accurate measure of the instantaneous mass flow rate through the nozzle.


text:
Paleo Magazine is the only print
publication serving the Paleo community.
We are dedicated to providing our subscribers with the information they need to live healthy, active lives.
Each bi-monthly issue is packed with the latest research, exercise and nutrition, interviews, inspirational stories, recipes, reviews, info to raise Paleo kids and much more!
With each annual subscription, you'll receive a hard copy of the magazine mailed straight to your preferred address weeks before it is available on newsstands! In addition, you'll receive immediate access to the current, as well as our entire digital library of back issues, through the free Paleo Magazine app.
Each issue contains 20+ mouth watering Paleo recipes with high quality images of each.
Each issue features multiple articles on functional movement, mobility and strength training in a natural environment.
Each issue is packed with articles covering such topics as: the importance of play, sleep, unplugging from electronic devices, and stress reduction.
Subscribers receive their issue weeks before it's available on newsstands!
Instant Access
Subscribers get instant access to all web content and our full digital library of 30+ issues!
Earn Free Issues
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A peek inside what you'll get…
Regular Contributors Include:
Mark Sisson is the author of a #1 best-selling health book on Amazon.com, The Primal Blueprint, as well as the top-rated health and fitness blog MarksDailyApple.com. He is also the founder of Primal Nutirtion, Inc., a company devoted to health education and designing state-of-the-art supplements that address the challenges of living in the modern world. Learn more at PrimalBluprint.com
Melissa Joulwan is the author of the cookbooks Well Fed: Paleo Recipes For People Who Love To Eat and Well Fed 2: More Paleo Recipes For People Who Love To Eat, and her blog MelJouwan.com, where she writes about her triumphs and failures in the gym, in the kitchen, and in life.
Stephanie Gaudreau is the author of the bestselling book, The Paleo Athlete and the award-winning The Performance Paleo Cookbook. She combines a format education in biology / human physiology, 12 years of science teaching experience, holistic nutrition training, and an unabashed love of tasty Paleo food on her blog.
Pete Evans began his career as chef and restauranteur at the age of 19. He's cooked a royal banquet for the Prince and Princess of Denmark, a private dinner for Martha Stewart, and has had many TV appearances. With over 10 bestselling cookbooks, Pete wants to change the lives of everyone around him. You can follow him via his Facebook page @paleochefpeteevans, or Instagram @peteevanspaleochef
Diana Rodgers is a farmer, nutritionist, multimedia producer and author of The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook and Paleo Lunches and Breakfasts on the Go. On her blog, SustainableDish.com, she explores which foods are optimal for both human health and the environment. She also co-hosts The Modern Farm Girls podcast
Madelyn Moon is a holistic health coach, specializing in disordered eating, wellness and body image. She is the host of the Mind Body Musing podcast, where she aims to shed light on how unique and exceptional every individual is, Her ultimate goal is to help others recognize their greatness already within. MaddyMoon.com
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text:
I've done so much unwritten thinking and over-thinking, around and around, that my thoughts put me underground or underwater or something. When you spiral around like that you can only go down. Tighter and smaller and lower.
I have a computer. I have my own computer now. After a few months without one.
I feel like the windows are open. I feel like the phone is ringing, but in a good way.
Hello, hi, how ARE you?
(My friend Emily told me to just write something already and I did, for her, and this is what came out. Thank you Emily. I probably would have gone another miserable week or so if not for you.)
17 comments:
Love the photo. Love the post. Love hearing your voice again.ReplyDelete
- NZ SarahApril 24, 2012 at 9:37 PM
So nice to have you back!ReplyDelete
Glad you are here! Ivy has Misha shorts like those. She'd go crazy over that outfit.ReplyDelete
I missed you online but was happy to have seen you in real life during your online absence. What a treat. Fabulous picture. Glad you got a computer.ReplyDelete
Love following you on instagram, but want to READ you. Please write more.ReplyDelete
Hello friend.ReplyDelete
Hi! I've been following your blog for a while after I stumbled upon it (I can't remember how). I love reading your blog and hearing about your life and cute kids. I think your writing is amazing! Welcome back.ReplyDelete
the funny thing is, I saw that photo of alice on flickr yesterday, and though "That would totally make the perfect photo to write a post around!"ReplyDelete
And then there it is. I'm so glad you wrote, I'm hoping you do so more. I really like your words.
I am so glad that you are back!ReplyDelete
ahhh. the corkscrew. that's perfect. i know EXACTLY what you mean.ReplyDelete
i feel like blogging is kind of like being on a treadmill. you're on and sometimes you're huffing and puffing and if you're lucky you get into a good groove, you find your stride. and it sticks for a while. and everything is good and gravy.
you hop off or you fall off? forget about it. the treadmill DOES NOT STOP.
i'm right here with you girl, watching the treadmill belt spin wildly, round and round, attempting to jump on but all i can do is picture myself falling down like a big sloppy bag of bones and coming to a messy stop. Ouch.
hula said something wonderful to me the other day, totally hit home:
"sometimes I am so profoundly inspired by everyone and everything around me and then sometimes it just makes me feel horrible, completely inadequate and 100 times worse. I've been working on a post for a while called 'the internet never stops and sometimes I don't know what I'm doing here'. it's a big mess of thoughts right now but it addresses this very issue– the unending, deafening noise of the internet. it can be the best thing in the world. or the absolute worst."
Ain't it the truth?
Alice is beautiful. She and Dotty would have SUCH a time together, this is totally Dotty's favorite thing right now: wands and poofy skirts and twirlyness.
And you were missed! You know that you were missed, right? Giant hug, friend.
so glad to hear from you! Oh my...can I please wear that same exact outfit to work someday? They'd know for sure I was loony then :)but- it's just a GREAT outfit! Sigh...how come at 42 it would be frowned upon?SIGH...childhood is great...wish I had known that then! :)ReplyDelete
Love the picture of Alice. And welcome back. :) Missed you!ReplyDelete
Glad you're back :)ReplyDelete
Such a cute photo! My little girl loves that "unkempt glamour" look too! :)ReplyDelete
Yup, sometimes you just gotta write something - anything! - and your inner writer breathes a big sigh of relief!
Great to find you!
- AnonymousMay 6, 2012 at 9:12 PM
HI! Hello! so happy to see a post from you in my feed.ReplyDelete
that photo - that outfit - is so awesome and totally made my day.
Glad you are blogging again I missed reading your posts! xxReplyDelete
That photo is completely priceless. And so are your thoughts. Write when you can. We love to read. :)ReplyDelete


text:
|Members List
|Today's Posts
|Mark Forums Read
|Topic Review (Newest First)
|Feb 13th, 2020 02:11 AM
|All Hail Duke
|the beast from 20,00 fathoms-decent enough, i liked the monster design at least
|Jan 27th, 2020 06:58 PM
|All Hail Duke
dr sleep- i haven't read the book, so i don't know what the differences are, but i thought it was pretty good
|Nov 26th, 2019 02:53 PM
|All Hail Duke
|the last dragon-silly, but entertaining (sho'nuff)
|Nov 9th, 2019 01:35 AM
|All Hail Duke
venom-even though i'm not a fan of the character or actor, it wasn't terrible
it wasn't very good either, it's just so-so
hardy was less awful than goddamn eric foreman at least
|Nov 2nd, 2019 11:44 PM
|I finally saw Rocky Horror Picture Show and it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. Damn it, Janet!
|Nov 2nd, 2019 04:35 PM
|All Hail Duke
the hunger-eh, it was ok enough, but that stupid fucking ending ruined it
the best thing about the movie was the opening w/ bauhaus
|Oct 27th, 2019 02:42 AM
|All Hail Duke
|joker-i love it
|Oct 26th, 2019 02:53 AM
|All Hail Duke
|matinee-joe dante flicks are usually pretty entertaining, and this was no exception
|Oct 10th, 2019 01:09 PM
|All Hail Duke
|it came from outer space-cheap effects aside, it was pretty solid
|Oct 8th, 2019 03:05 AM
|All Hail Duke
batman vs robin-again, dc kills it w/ their animated movies
i haven't read the court of owls arc, but now i want to
|Aug 30th, 2019 02:38 AM
|All Hail Duke
traffic-certainly took my time to see this
it certainly deserved its accolades
|Aug 26th, 2019 02:05 PM
|All Hail Duke
|batman:hush-not bad, but
|Aug 20th, 2019 03:56 PM
|All Hail Duke
aquaman-an average popcorn flick, nothing more
it could've been better if there were better actors for arthur and mera, removed the wuss rock and toned down the marvel humor
|Aug 6th, 2019 01:43 PM
|All Hail Duke
needful things-haven't read the book, but this was ridiculous
risky business-really, really dated
|Jul 30th, 2019 05:47 PM
|All Hail Duke
son of batman-damian's a little prick
death of superman & reign of the supermen-some iffy voice acting, but otherwise really solid
|Jul 30th, 2019 05:40 AM
|All Hail Duke
|justice league:war-pretty good, unlike the live action movies
|Jul 30th, 2019 02:49 AM
|All Hail Duke
suicide squad:hell to pay-that was graphic
why couldn't the live action version have been like this instead of the unwatchable mess that it was?
|Jul 30th, 2019 01:09 AM
|All Hail Duke
|flashpoint paradox-haven't read the comic yet, so i don't know the differences, but this was really good
|Jul 15th, 2019 12:47 PM
|I watched Princess Mononoke last night and it was LONG AS FUCK, JESUS
|Jul 12th, 2019 02:16 PM
|All Hail Duke
|the evil of frankenstein-not very good
|Jul 10th, 2019 12:23 PM
|All Hail Duke
|q the winged serpent-didn't know what to expect from this, but....this would've worked better in the 50's
|Jul 8th, 2019 02:02 PM
|All Hail Duke
the dark tower-knowing nothing about the story at all, it's an....average quasi sci-fi fluff flick
not good or bad, it's just there
|Jul 3rd, 2019 06:38 PM
Hahaha I just heard Cryotic explain the whole movie last night. I think it was the from the book and not from the movies though.
Dam a lot got music striken but here is some of it.
|Jul 3rd, 2019 04:49 PM
|All Hail Duke
pet sematary (2019)-what a fucking chore to sit through
not only a worse adaptation (they could've done so much, with what the 80's version left out or didn't do correctly), but an overall bad movie
hell, i think it's worse than pet sematary 2
recent king adaptations have just fallen flat (haven't seen dark tower, but i heard it's bad)
|Jun 6th, 2019 01:38 AM
|All Hail Duke
jurassic world 2- a movie about dinosaurs shouldn't be boring, but here we are
a re-boot/re-adaptation of the first novel (i haven't read the 2nd book) that's closer to the story and more horror centric as a hbo mini-series would be nice
|This thread has more than 25 replies. Click here to review the whole thread.


text:
Welcome to Wotsit.org
Welcome to Wotsit.org, the programmer's file and data format resource. This site contains information on hundreds of different file types, data types, hardware interface details and all sorts of other useful programming information; algorithms, source code, specifications, etc.
The search box (above right) is the simplest way to find information on a specific file type, all resources are also listed by category via the links on the left.
As you will have noticed Wotsit.org has undergone a long-overdue redesign. The new design should be quick to load and it should be easy to find what you're looking for.
The new version of the site is more efficient, and should be accessible on all modern browsers. Occasionally some users had problems with the file download protection on the previous site so this has been completely re-designed to eliminate problems.
Want to help?
If you have any information on file or data formats, protocols or hardware that would be useful to other programmers then please so that other programmers can make use of it. Suggestions for improving this site are also welcome.


text:
Move over, SPIAs, and make room for DIAs.
Annuity lingo has always entailed an alphabet soup of complicated product options, often intimidating to consumers trying to provide for their income needs.
But for the financial planning cognoscenti, SPIAs (single premium immediate annuities) have long occupied a favorite place on the product shelf because these pure income products generally provide a higher return on retiree cash than the lot of annuity products.
That may soon change, according to a new study by David Blanchett, Morningstar's head of retirement research.
The study, published in the Journal of Financial Planning, compares eight types of fixed income annuities across a range of potential retiree situations and preferences — different life expectancies, initial withdrawal rates, inflation, among them.
The number of different assumptions or retiree preferences as measured against the eight annuity types resulted in a universe of 6,561 scenarios, with Blanchett's goal to find which annuities performed best on aggregate across this wide spectrum.
And while SPIAs did take top honors, the study suggests that DIAs (deferred income annuities) could soon snatch the annuity crown as the market in that relatively new product matures.
SPIAs, which immediately (they're also referred to as immediate annuities) convert a lump-sum cash investment into a regular monthly paycheck based on current interest rates, have long been considered models of efficiency compared to other annuity types that add complexity and subtract returns.
Yet finance professor Moshe Milevsky a decade ago posited a type of annuity, which he called an advanced-life delayed annuity (ALDA), that should theoretically provide greater efficiency than SPIAs.
By delaying the income to later in life rather than paying benefits immediately, ALDAs, now marketed as DIAs, provide cheaper insurance.
That is because the benefit may kick in at, say, age 85 rather than age 65. Since many purchasers will not live to that age, the insurance company may pay no benefit whatsoever, and if the insured does live to that age, the insurance company may pay benefits for a relatively small number of years.
Thus, a DIA may greatly simplify a financial planner's job in providing retirement income.
Knowing that a lifetime income stream will turn on at age 85, for example — and at a higher payout and lower cost — the advisor now has the discrete task of providing an income stream to a client from, say, age 65 to 85, avoiding the uncertainty of the client's date of death.
In other words, the advisor now has an end date to work with — the date the DIA turns on (rather than the date of death, which is unknown).
Blanchett's study compared SPIAs and DIAs, both nominal and inflation-adjusted and those with lifetime payouts and period-certain or cash returns (for consumers with bequest preferences).
The study was careful to take into account today's low-rate environment in order to get realistic results. (For example, a 4% initial withdrawal rates is generally assumed to provide a 90% probability of success over 30 years, but Blanchett gives it a 67.4% probability based on today's bond yields).
Many other precautions were taken to make the comparison fair, such as assuming the SPIA purchase amount represented 50% of portfolio wealth vs. 10% for the DIA, to make the annuities approximately equal at age 85.
The number of assumptions and study design attributes fills pages, and Blanchett emphasizes the potential for different variables to shape outcomes on numerous occasions. But seeking aggregate outcomes, the study tracks the percentage of times each annuity type ranks across the 6,561 scenarios.
In so doing, one can see that some variables have a greater impact on annuity rankings than others. For example, different equity allocations had little impact on the annuities' relative rankings, but inflation assumptions and bequest preferences did.
A desire to leave a bequest strongly favors DIAs, and an absence of such a preference favors SPIAs.
If inflation is low, purchasing an inflation-adjusted SPIA would have been a mistake; yet that would have been the best product type in a scenario of high inflation.
These many variables imply a potentially important role for financial advisors since, Blanchett points out, many assumptions and preferences are known in real-life situations. The retiree knows the percentage of his income that Social Security will provide, how aggressive the portfolio will be, bequest ambitions, risk aversion and so on.
Since higher initial withdrawal rates, to cite one example, make SPIAs more attractive than DIAs, the study's various findings should make it easier for an advisor to choose the right annuity.
But in the aggregate, SPIAs with a 20-year, period-certain guarantee ranked best, followed very closely by a nominal (i.e., non-inflation-adjusted) SPIA. A nominal DIA came in a not-too-distant third.
But herein lies an important twist.
Recognizing that the DIA market is relatively new — some five years old — and thus being relatively less competitive than the SPIA market (Blanchett was able to obtain just six DIA quotes versus 17 SPIA quotes), the study re-crunched the numbers on the assumption that DIAs offered a modestly higher 5% payout.
In other words, assuming that at some point in the near future, the DIA market was as competitive as the SPIA market, Blanchett tested whether the rankings would then shift.
And, assuming SPIA rates were held constant, the rankings did indeed shift.
Nominal DIAs took the top spot, with nominal SPIAs now a close second.
Blanchett therefore concludes that the difference between DIAs and SPIAs is marginal and that DIAs hold great future promise. Their cheaper cost and greater liquidity could therefore make them a valuable tool for advisors developing income strategies for retirees seeking to hedge longevity risk.
Related on ThinkAdvisor:
- Annuity Anomaly: EIA + GLB > SPIA?
- Milevsky: Mispricing Annuities, Then and Now
- Milevsky Warns: Beware of Annuity Ignorance
- Milevsky's Tales From Annuity History: A Most Curious Will(iam)


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JAY - Essex County Emergency Services personnel are keeping an eye on three ice jams.
Emergency Services Director Don Jaquish said there are some concerns with flooding, but nothing that constitutes an emergency.
"Right now we don't have any issues, but we do have one ice jam on the Boquet River and two on the AuSable," Jaquish said. "They have not moved, and they don't appear to be any trouble."


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Chris' Camera Bag
A Photo Web log by Chris Young
Stay warm: keep moving
January 27, 2014 at 01:52 PM
When it's cold outside, it's best to keep moving.
Here are a few wildlife pictures from this afternoon (temperature in the single digits).
A female bufflehead swims among the Canada geese at Lake Springfield.
"It ain't over 'till it's over." White-tailed deer in action.
(0) Comments :: Permalink
Food can be harder to find during winter.


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- Keywords > alcohol use disorders
- Keywords > alcoholic liver diseases
- Keywords > chronic diseases
- Keywords > global burden of diseases
- Keywords > pharmaceutical gaps
- Keywords > pharmaceutical innovation
- Keywords > pharmaceutical research - priorities
- Keywords > policy - priority issues
- Keywords > priority diseases
- Keywords > priority medicines
(2013; 71 pages)
Around two billion people worldwide consume alcoholic beverages regularly and over 76 million people suffer from Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD). Many interacting issues are at work when dealing with alcohol abuse: the medical sequelae, alcohol intoxication, alcohol tolerance, alcohol dependence, and alcohol withdrawal. From a public health viewpoint, the diseases associated with alcohol abuse are preventable with abstention and such behavioral modifications should be considered as the primary intervention. The present review will offer an overview of the strategies to prevent Alcohol Consumption (ACo), pharmacological interventions for alcohol abuse and dependence (collectively termed AUD) and alcohol's hepatotoxic effects that result in Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD). This background paper update reviewed the latest evidence from 2002 through 2012, on the basis of an analysis of published systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which were identified through searches of The Cochrane Library, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), with specific search terms for alcohol use disorders, alcoholic liver diseases and alcohol consumption. If relevant references within the timeframe described above were not found, older ones were considered. Reference sections of identified papers were cross-checked to identify other relevant studies contributing to this review.


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The Knicks haven't been particularly coy about leaking the designs for their new jerseys. Two weeks, ago, there were the screenshots from an NBA 2K12 preview, and a league source quickly confirmed their authenticity. Yesterday, Amar'e Stoudemire showed up wearing the new uni on Live! With Kelly And
Pat Kiernan Michael. All in all, they may not have been totally committed to secrecy.
This morning was the official unveiling, at the Hugo Boss store in Chelsea, and there wasn't much left to unveil. (A better descriptor for today would be "the on-sale date.") There are no major changes, but there are a few minor ones:
• The "New York" is significantly less arched.
• No more black lining. (The color black now belongs solely to that other New York team.)
• The piping is gone from the sides of the jersey, now limited to just around the armpits.
• The "token" logo on the back is gone, replaced by the word "Knicks" inside a basketball.
Here are a couple of photos:
Now. Let's talk the Easter egg in these uniforms, the slogan printed on the inside back collar. "Once a Knick, always a Knick." Is that a threat? It sounds like a threat. You can check out anytime you like, Jeremy Lin, but you can never leave. Don't forget, Nate Robinson, you're here forever. Maybe the slogan works for guys who actually are stuck with this mess for all eternity, like Allan Houston and Herb Williams, but could we just let David Wingate live out his retirement in peace?


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Gardner-Webb University uses AVAYA COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER MESSAGING (CMM formerly AUDIX). You can set up your account now by dialing 2011 and using your 7 digit long distance PIN to access your account.
New SoftPhone Service Available Campuswide
We are pleased to make the Avaya One-X Communication available campus wide. This is a softphone that can be loaded on any PC or Laptop.
New System Features
- Delivery of Fax and Voice messages to outlook mail
- Improved directory
- More Called ID info in messages
- Avaya Message Manager Desktop Software (download 27 Mb)
- Fax to Voicemail (Coming Soon)
- Mobile Options (Coming Soon)
- Caller ID
- Multiple Lines
- Quick Feature Access
- Directory Features
- Integration with Outlook to dial from desktop
- Caller Logs
- Works with
- PC Mic / Speakers
- Headset
- Bluetooth headsets
- Any digital phone (Can control your desk phone from your PC or use either in standalone mode)
Who can use One-X Ccommunicator?
- Any user who currently has a "digital phone" - Digital generally means a phone with caller ID and/or multiple lines. You can keep your desk phone and use it in conjunction with softphone
- Any laptop user with a VPN connection back to main campus. This will give you a full featured phone while traveling
- Analog users (POTS =Plain Old Telephone Service) can switch from analog to OneX Communicator but all communications by voice will then be conducted over the PC
How do I get OneX?
- Contact Drew Powell to program your line
- Download and run the run-first application (download 2.6 Mb)
- Download and run the one-x-communicator application (download 66 Mb)
- Read the instructions before installing.
Contact Us
Drew Powell
Business Services Manager


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A Radio Shack just exploded with a big ball of fire in Manhattan. It happened on 6th avenue, in between 19th and 20th streets. According to Fox NY, it was a "manhole explosion" that "sparked a transformer fire".
A) I hope nobody is injured. B) I'm glad is not the only worthy Shack (Shake Shack).
[New York Magazine via MyFox]


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Posted by Editoress on 05/25/04
Padden MTN Pedal and WHIMP Fest Bellingham WA, June 26th & 27th
Mark Peterson, Race Director
The Padden MTN Pedal a cornerstone of mountain bike racing in the Pacific NW will anchor the newly created Bellingham based mountain bike festival, WHIMP Fest held on June 26th & 27th, 2004. The Festival is aptly named for the Whatcom Independent Mountain Pedalers a.k.a the WHIMPs who have been the driving force in making the mountain biking in Bellingham and Whatcom County what it is today. The full story of the WHIMPs can be viewed at www.whimpsmtb.com but suffice to say that the 1500 hours of volunteer trail work hours per year for over a decade is just part of what they do.
The Padden race has been known far and wide as one of the finest events in the Pacific Northwest. This is partly why Padden is THE granddaddy of all Pacific NW mtb events, celebrating its 12th consecutive year. A great course that has seen numerous upgrades over the years just continues to get better. It features the unique moto style shoulder to shoulder start, fast rails to trails climb to kick off the heart rate and technical single track descents and sharp climbs on the backside of the loop. The Expert loop is 3.4 miles long but packs 800 feet of climbing per lap meaning the pros climb over 3,000 feet. Technical high speed descents follow the hard climb leaving very little time for rest.
Key to a good result at Padden is a fast start. Participants line up shoulder to shoulder and shoot for a 10 yard wide whole shot before they hit a rails to trails gravel climb. The climb separates the field quickly but if you are a technical descender you can make up time on the pure climbers. The Experts complete 6 laps while the Sport class does 4 and winning times for both classes are approximately 2 hours. The loop is technical and interesting. By the time you have the lines dialed the race is close to over and your lungs and legs are begging it to be. The shorter loop course makes for a very large spectator turnout and just when you want to kick it back a notch the yelling and encouragement from the crowd won't let you.
The Belly Big Air Contest will celebrate it's fourth year and is a crowd & rider judged 5 run format. With a huge kicker gap jump and thumpin' beats it always gets the 150 + person crowd rolling. The WHIMPs and the Bellingham Parks Department are hard at work on a Dirt Jump Track and hope to have it completed in time to host the competition there. In the event it is not ready we will truck dirt in and build what is needed for what has become a staple of the event.
New this year to the Padden Event will the Freeride Challenge. The course will consist of Freeride style stunts and obstacles. Participants will proceed through the sections on a timed basis with dabs resulting in an assessed time penalty. The lowest time is the winner. The course will have different difficulty levels for each ability class.
FREE group rides will be lead by WHIMPs members on Saturday June 26th. Rides will accommodate all ability levels. From Greenway tour to the 6 hour epic.
For more information visit www.whimpsmtb.com
NO License required. NO Pre-Entries.
Senior Pro/Expert $30.00
Vet/Jr Expert $25.00
Ages 16 and Under $15.00
Speed Trials $15.00
Big Air $15.00
Granny Gear Career Opportunity
Granny Gear has an exciting opportunity for the right person and we are looking to talk with you right away. If you or a friend is looking for a chance to work with a tight knit, fast paced team, in the heart of great biking country - email us your resume right away.
Office Manager Position at Granny Gear Productions
Position: This person is the front line employee that interfaces with all of Granny's racers. Position is full time and includes travel to great locations 5 times a year minimum [places like Snowshoe, Moab, Northern California, Temecula California and beautiful Canaan Valley.] This person must have a sense of humor, wear many hats and be a "completion driven" individual who is always organized. Position includes health care, and paid vacation benefits - salary will be commensurate to candidate's experience. Position open immediately.
Location: Granny Gear is based in Davis, WV adjacent to nationally known Canaan Valley. Tucker County has two state parks, America's 500th National Wildlife Refuge, and thousands of miles of trails and wild rivers. The area sees 180+ inches of natural snowfall annually and is minutes from ski areas. Canaan Valley is the Mountain Biking haven of the Eastern USA and is quiet and affordable rural living in a small mountain town. Our office is a quick walk to the best restaurant in town and right next to the trail.
Duties include:
Working with racers through online registration and on all communication channels - the voice of Granny Gear daily.
Working with Corporate Sponsors on all communication channels
Scheduling, design, and implementation of race & event related services
Scheduling meetings, travel, and maintenance schedules
Purchasing of equipment, supplies and prizes from suppliers
Supervision of office staff on a project basis
Coordinator of volunteers & staff at race events
And as always - other duties as assigned - this small team moves very fast to host world-class events across the country!
Recommended Experience: The ideal candidate is a person who is educated, articulates ideas well, is a fast learner and truly enjoys people. Strong computer literacy with both Microsoft office applications and Adobe software products is a plus. An individual who loves to travel - to great locations in North America, 5+ times each year - is essential. Any experience with trail work, volunteers, and biking is a plus but not required. Granny Gear is an equal opportunity employer and seeks applicants from a wide range of experience. Please send a resume and cover letter (no calls please) to Carl Bolyard firstname.lastname@example.com or fax them to 304.259.5596
|Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top


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Agora Gallery offers artists the opportunity to present their work to a broad range of national and international art lovers and collectors.
We welcome portfolio submissions from talented contemporary artists, or their representatives, at all stages of their art careers.
Portfolios are reviewed by the gallery director whose extensive knowledge of the New York art market will
benefit artists that would like to promote their work and advance their careers.
Please note that there is a $50 fee to submit your portfolio for review and Agora Gallery charges a fee for its representation and promotion services.
Visit our FAQ page and Representation Plans Comparison Chart for more information.
Copyright & Disclaimer -
Privacy Policy -
Accessibility Policy
© 1984-2020 Agora Gallery, All Rights Reserved


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We are pleased to announce that Law Business Research, Who's Who Legal's parent company, has been recognised by the 2012 Queen's Awards for Enterprise in the category of International Trade.
The awards are the UK's most prestigious awards for business success, and celebrate the achievements of UK businesses in innovation, international trade and sustainable development. This is the second time Law Business Research has been recognised in this fashion, after previously winning the award in 2006.
Established in 1996, Law Business Research Limited publishes research, analysis and reporting on international business law and the business of international law. Our brands include Getting the Deal Through, Global Arbitration Review, Global Competition Review, Global Energy Review, Indian Lawyer 250, Latin Lawyer, Latin American Corporate Counsel Association, The Law Reviews and Who's Who Legal.
Law Business Research is also the official research partner of the International Bar Association as well as the strategic research partner of the American Bar Association's Section of International Law. In January 2010, our international commercial and treaty arbitration journal, Global Arbitration Review, was voted 'International Dispute Resolution Media of the Year' by OGEMID members for its print and electronic coverage throughout 2009.
We all at Law Business Research are grateful and delighted to have received the Queen's Award for the second time in recognition for our successful contribution to international trade.


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An Introduction to Cryptography, and Common Electronic Cryptosystems Part I
OK boys and girls, here it is my first tutorial in about two years. I tried to approach it from a high-level, not delving too much into the specifics. However, some of you know that I tend to go off on a tangent, so
If you slept through calculus, or ever sat there thinking to yourself that Ill never use this crap., you might want to skip my explanation of the RSA Cryptosystem lol.
Im by no means an expert in this stuff, so if any of my explinations seem fuzzy, I apologize in advance. If anyone finds a mistake or computational error, PLEASE post a correction. Yes nihil, this means you
Topics Covered in this Tutorial include:
A brief history of Cryptography
Cryptography Basics
Symmetrical Key Encryption and Cryptosystems
Asymmetrical Key Encryption and Cryptosystems
Block-Ciphering Methods
Stream-Ciphering Methods
Digital Signatures
I plan to follow this tutorial up with another one that goes more in depth, and possible another relating to PKI, Digital Certificates, Stenography, Escrowed Encryption, Key Management, and Encryption Technologies.
A Brief History of Cryptography
The Ancient Egyptians are the first known civilization to utilize a form of secret writing. This form of writing should be familiar to most of us: Hieroglyphics. The Egyptians began using these hieroglyphs around 3000 B.C. to conceal sacred texts in order to prevent them from being universally accessible.
The Ancient Spartans developed a method to encrypt military messages around 300 B.C. This method is known as Scytale. To use it, one simply wound a thin strip of material around a cylindrical rod of a specific length and diameter, with the material spiraling across the length of the rod. The message that was to be encrypted was then written lengthwise across the material. Additional characters could be written across the rod in other locations, to add complexity. Once unwound from the rod, the material appeared to contain nothing more than a hodgepodge of random characters. Only by winding the material around a rod identical in length and diameter could the message be decrypted.
The Romans developed one of the first known substitution ciphers around 50 B.C. Julius Caesar used this cipher to send messages Cicero during his military campaigns. This code, known as C3, worked by substituting every letter of the message with the third letter after it in the alphabet. So, A would become D, B would be E, and so on.
Around 815 A.D., The House of Wisdom was established in what is known today as Baghdad, Iraq. The studies of Mathematics and Linguistics that took place there pioneered the science of modern cryptography.
The first known encryption device was developed in 1460 by Leon Battista Alberti. This machine used two cipher disks with the alphabet scribed around the edges. One disk was placed inside the other, and by aligning a letter on the outer disk with a different one on the inner disk, a substitution cipher was created. The Confederate army used a device based upon this design to encrypt and decrypt battlefield messages during the American Civil War in the mid-1800s.
One of the first true mechanical encryption devices was the Hagelin machine, which was developed in Sweeden in the early 1920s. By improving and refining the design of the Hagelin machine, much more advanced encryption machines were developed that used rotors, making them capable of polyalphabetic substitution. Polyalphabetic substitution involves taking a base alphabet such as the modern Latin alphabet, and using substitution to encrypt it into another alphabet, such as Cyrillic. This can occur several times using multiple alphabets, and these alphabets can even consist of numeric characters or symbols. The German Enigma machine is used this method of polyalphabetic substitution to encrypt messages.
Basic Cryptography
Cryptography generally involves two basic steps, Encryption and Decryption. Encryption is the process that converts a readable message, or plaintext, into an unreadable form, called ciphertext. Decryption is the process of converting ciphertext back into plain text so that the message can be disseminated.
Most electronic encryption methods use an encryption key to convert plaintext into ciphertext. This key is made up of a string of bits random binary numbers. This string of bits makes up the code that is used to encrypt the message.
Cryptography provides four key security functions for data:
1. Confidentiality: In order to easily access the encrypted data, you must have the key. This helps to maintain the confidentiality of data.
2. Authenticity: Data can be easily authenticated by using the decryption key. If the use of the decryption key does not yield a plaintext message, the message is likely to not have come from the specified sender.
3. Integrity: It is difficult to alter an encrypted message, so integrity is maintained.
4. Nonrepudation: When you receive an encrypted message, receipts are provided so that the sender cannot deny sending the message, and the receiver cannot deny receipt.
The Importance of Encryption.
Strong encryption can be used for a myriad of purposes, from masking criminal activity to protecting military information. It can even be used as a weapon of war. In fact, the U.S. Government classifies encryption technologies as munitions and places strict export controls over them. The National Security Agency considers encryption technology crucial to national security, and the defense of the nation.
In the U.S., there are two main governmental departments that regulate the export of encryption technologies:
The Bureau of Export Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The Office of Defense Trade Controls, part of the U.S. Department of State.
In years past, the export of cryptographic technologies was strongly controlled by these organizations, which imposed difficult restrictions upon their export. Among other controls, the export of cryptographic technologies required a security background check, as well as a lengthy end-user agreement. Exports that were approved were all subject to a 30-day delay, and the most powerful encryption technologies were banned completely from export.
With the explosive growth of the Internet and e-mail communications, the demand for encryption technologies became great. Due to the tight export controls the U.S. placed on these technologies, many non-U.S. companies developed encryption technologies and began to dominate this market. Some of these encryption technologies were much more powerful than those allowed by U.S. export controls. This caused U.S. companies to lose millions of dollars each year in potential customers. This caused the Federal Government to ease export controls on cryptographic technologies in July of 2000.
Under new export regulations, U.S. companies are now allowed to export branded encryption technologies to any country within the EU, as well as eight other countries. They are also allowed to customize these technologies to meet the needs of financial and medical institutions.
Symmetric Key Encryption and Cryptosystems
Symmetric Key Encryption is a form of encryption that uses the same key to both encrypt and decrypt data. This is also known as private key or secret key encryption the secrecy of the data depends upon the confidentiality of the key. Symmetric key encryption can be used on large amounts of data rather quickly and efficiently. But in order to decrypt the data, the key must be shared with the data recipient, leaving the key open to possible compromise. The most secure method of sharing the key is with a face-to-face exchange of the key. This makes it pretty impractical for most uses.
Symmetric encryption employs two main methods to encrypt data. One is called a block cipher, and the other is known as a stream cipher. In order to use a block cipher, a certain amount of data is required. This is usually a minimum of 64 bits. For data larger than this, the data is broken up into 64-bit blocks. For smaller amounts of data, padding is added to make the data a 64-bit block. The key is applied to create ciphertext that can then be decrypted using the same key used to encrypt the data.
There are several modes of operation that a block cipher can use. A few of these are:
Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) CBC encrypts plaintext in 64-bit blocks. If a pattern can be deduced from the plaintext, the resulting ciphertext will likely present a similar pattern. This can lead to compromise. To avoid this, CBC first alters each plaintext block to prevent recognition of patterns. The resulting jargon is then transformed by using an XOR function on the plaintext with a string of random initialization vectors called a seed. Once the plaintext has been seeded, the encryption key is applied using an XOR function to encrypt the data.
Once the first block of ciphertext has been completed, it is XORed with the next block of plaintext. Then the resulting data is XORed with the encryption key. This process repeats until the entire message is encrypted.
Electronic Code Book (ECB) ECB encrypts data in 64-bit blocks. This method is usually used to encrypt small amounts of data, such as encryption keys or seeds. It is fast, because it simply encrypts each plaintext block separately. Sucessive blocks of plaintext are not XORed with previous ciphertext blocks, resulting in each plaintext block having an identical ciphertext block. This process allows parallelization, and thus, speed is improved. This also causes a weakness, because any discernable patterns that exist in the plaintext block will also exist in the ciphertext block.
Cipher Feedback (CFB) CFB can be used in either block or stream ciphers. It encrypts plaintext and then XORs the resulting ciphertext back into the plaintext block, which results in the current ciphertext block. Any discernable patterns in the plaintext are masked by the output of the XOR, but identical plaintext and ciphertext blocks will still result in identical XOR output.
Output Feedback (OFB) Like CBC, OFB makes use of a seed during the encryption process. The encryption of each block is derived from the encryption of the previous block of plaintext as well. However, each IV or seed is generated independently, which prevents most errors that occur in CBC encryption.
Data Encryption Standard (DES), Blowfish, Twofish, MARS, Skipjack, RC5, and Rijndael are examples of symmetric encryption implementations that use block ciphers. Each has its own characteristics, and they are all used in a variety of applications. For example, Blowfish is the encryption method used in Secure Shell (SSH) technologies. It uses a variable key strength of up to 448-bit, and block lengths can vary also. Twofish, which is basically a lighter and faster blowfish, is commonly used in smartcards. Twofish uses 128-bit blocks with 28, 192, or 256-bit keys. MARS, like Twofish, is also used in smartcards, and uses 128-bit blocks but uses key lengths in excess of 400-bit. Skipjack is a classified algorithm used by the NSA. It is used in clipper chips and the Fortezza token. Skipjack uses a 64-bit block, an 80-bit encryption key, and performs 32 processing rounds. RC5 uses variable block and key lengths, as well as variable processing rounds. The minimum to provide decent security using RC5 is 12 processing rounds using a 128-bit key length.
DES was created in 1972 by IBM, using the Data Encryption Algorithm. It was adopted by the U.S. Government as its standard encryption method for commercial and unclassified communications in 1977. DES begins the encryption process by using a 64-bit key. The NSA restricted the use of DES to a 56-bit key length, so DES discards 8-bits of the key and then uses the remaining key to encrypt data in 64-bit blocks. DES can operate in CBC, ECB, CFB, and OFB modes, giving it flexibility. It initially will use any one of these modes to encrypt each block, and then DES will repeat this process 16 times to produce a final ciphertext of each block. This process is fast when compared to other symmetric encryption methods. In order to mount a successful brute-force attack on 56-bit DES, you would have to try up to 256 quadrillion keys. It is estimated that an attacker with the proper resources and determination, could crack DES within 24 hours. In 1998, the supercomputer DES Cracker, assisted by 100,000 distributed PCs on the Internet, cracked DES in 22 hours. The U.S. Government has not used DES since 1998.
DES was superseded by Triple DES (3DES) in November of 1998. 3DES is exactly what it is named it performs three iterations of DES encryption on each block. It can do this in a number of ways, but the most common method is the Minus Encrypt-Decrypt-Encrypt (-EDE) method. Each iteration of 3DES using EDE will encrypt a block using a 56-bit key. After encryption, use a different 56-bit key to decrypt the block. On the last pass, a 56-bit key is used to encrypt the data again. This is equivalent to using a 168-bit encryption key. Another method that can be used is Minus Encrypt-Encrypt-Encrypt (-EEE). This is three successive encryptions using a different 56-bit key. There are several keying methods that 3DES uses. All three keys can be independent of each other, or the first and third keys can be identical, with the second key being unique. All three keys can also be identical, which provides the least security, but is also the fastest to encrypt with. 3DES is still approved for use by U.S. Governmental systems, but has been replaced by the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
AES was approved for use by the U.S, Government for the encryption of sensitive, but unclassified data in 2000. AES uses the Rijndael block cipher. Rijndael is a very resilient algorithm that has shown resistance to all known cryptographic attacks thus far. It is used in a number of implementations, including the encryption of communications and HDTV transmissions. Rijndael key and block length can be 128, 192 or 256-bits. If both the key-length and block length are 128-bit, Rijndael will perform 9 processing rounds. If the block or key is 192-bit, it performs 11 processing rounds. If either is 256-bit, Rijndael performs 13 processing rounds. These round counts do not include an extra round of encipherment performed at the end.
Each processing round involves four steps:
1. Bite Sub Each byte of the plaintext block is replaced by its reciprocal from a substitution table that is generated before the round begins.
2. Shift Row Each byte from the Byte Sub step is arranged in a table of rows and columns. Data in each row is incrementally shifted a certain number of columns.
3. Mix Column Data in each column from the shift row step is multiplied by the algorithms matrix.
4. Add Round Key The key for the processing round is XORed with the data.
The algorithm itself is designed to exponentially increase the time it would take to mount a brute force attack on the cipher to several billion years.
In contrast to block ciphers, stream ciphers work by applying the key to each individual bit or byte of data. RC4 is probably the best known symmetric encryption algorithm that uses a stream cipher. RC4 keys can be anywhere from 1 to 2048 bits in length. These are used to initiate a 256-byte state table. This table is used by RC4 to generate a psudo-random byte stream used to encrypt the plaintext. This stream is transformed with the plaintext data using an XOR (Exclusive OR Boolean Operator). The function will result in True only when a plaintext bit and its corresponding psudo-random stream bit are opposite in value. In addition, every element in the state table is swapped at least once. This is what produces the ciphertext.
Another stream cipher method is known as Password Based Encryption (PBE). PBE works by using data derived from a password to create an encryption key. A typical password does not contain enough data to be used as a key in its own right, so PBE uses two methods to generate the extra data needed adding a salt, and using iteration counts.
A salt is simply a random value added to the password before transforming it into a key. The iteration count is the number of times the salt and password are transformed to make the key. In addition, each iteration count uses a completely different salt, adding additional complexity to the key. The A5 encryption algorithm used to encrypt GSM cellular communications is an example of a stream cipher that uses PBE. However, A5 uses a weak key of only 5 bytes, making the algorithm relatively easy to crack.
Asymmetric Key Encryption and Cryptosystems
Asymmetric Key Encryption uses two independent keys. One key is used to encrypt, the other to decrypt. This method is more popularly known as Public Key Encryption, as the encryption key can be made public without compromising the data only the decryption key must remain secret. The encryption key is known as a public key, and the decryption key is a private key. Asymmetric encryption relies on a one-way function for its security. This is an operation that is straightforward in one direction, but extremely complex to reverse. To explain it another way, for a function f, if y = f(x), it should be easy to solve y if given x, but extremely difficult to derive x if given y.
The security of asymmetric encryption relies on the difficulty of deriving the private key from the public key. For example, lets say you have a persons name and address, but not their telephone number. You need their telephone number, so you get out the phone book and find it using their name and address. Now lets flip the scenario. Now you only have their phone number, but you need their name and address. How difficult is it going to be to get their name and address from the phone book, using their telephone number? Not impossible, but very difficult.
Most of these one-way functions contain a process that will reverse the function easily. This is known as a trapdoor. It is extremely difficult to deduce the private key from the public key unless you know the trapdoor.
Asymmetric encryption is stronger than most symmetric encryption methods. This also makes it extremely slow up to 1000 times slower. It is widely used for electronic communications, however, because anyone with a users public key can encrypt a message, but only the recipient can decrypt it. Another popular way to encrypt communication, such as e-mail, is to use a symmetric encryption method to encrypt the message, and use an asymmetric method to encrypt the symmetric key by using the recipients public key. The message and key are then packaged in a digital envelope and sent.
One popular asymmetrical cryptosystem is the Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange. This is the first asymmetric cryptosystem, and was developed in 1976. The Diffie-Hellman algorithm is based on the difficulty of finding separate logarithms in a finite field generated by a very large prime number. Lets say that you and I want to exchange encryption keys so that we can communicate with encrypted messages. We agree to send each other a key using Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange. Both of our computers will generate a large random number. My computer doesnt know your number, and youre not going to give it up either. These numbers remain secret, and well call these numbers X. The computers will then generate two additional numbers. The first one we will call p, and it is a random prime number. The next one we will call g, and it is a random number that has a value of less than p.
My computer will send you my p and g numbers, and vice versa. When I get your p and g numbers, my computer will use your p and g to compute Y = gX mod p. My computer then sends you the result, Y. The same thing happens on your end. Once we exchange Y with each other, our computers will use the others Y value to calculate a common value that well call K by using the formula Y X mod p = K. This common value is the key that we will use to encrypt and decrypt messages.
El Gamal is a popular asymmetrical cryptosystem that is based on Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange.
Another popular asymmetrical cryptosystem is RSA. RSA is commonly used for encryption, authentication, and key exchange. RSA derives its name from the initials of the last name of each of its creators: Rivest, Shamir, and Addleman. It is commonly used with key strengths of 1024-bits, but its real strength relies on the prime factorization of very large numbers RSA uses numbers well in excess of a googol long! (a googol is 1 x 10100, just in case you were wondering, and yes, thats how you spell it google is a search engine, not a number).
The RSA algorithm works by using two prime numbers, p and q. The following calculations are performed:
Find p, where p is a positive prime number < ; 156 digits in length.
Find q, where q ≠ p and q is a positive prime number < ; 156 digits in length.
Find the modulus n = pq
Find a number, e, where e < n, and relatively prime to (p 1)(q 1). This means that the e, and (p 1)(q 1) have no common factors except 1.
Find a number, d, where d ≠ e, such that (ed 1) is divisible by (p 1)(q 1).
The values e and d are the public and private exponents, respectively. The public key is the pair (n, e) and the private key is the pair (n, d).
Where P is the plaintext and C is the ciphertext, the encryption process is:
C = P^e mod n
And the decryption process is:
P = C^d mod n
Another popular asymmetrical cryptosystem is the Merkle-Hellman Knapsack. This cryptosystem is based on the difficulty of finding a set of superincreasing numbers that add up to a given value. (A set of numbers is considered to be superincreasing when every member of the set is greater than the sum of all the previous members in the set.)
Other asymmetrical cryptosystems employ algorithms that are based on the mathematical fact that a logarithm for a particular point on a curve is harder to find than a conventional logarithm. This is known as Elliptic-curve cryptography. Elliptic-curve cryptography allows for smaller bit-length keys that are as secure as larger keys used by other asymmetrical methods, due to the extreme difficulty it takes to produce the key. Because smaller keys result in shorter processing times, these types of algorithms are commonly implemented in wireless technologies, and also in smartcards.
Hashes and Digital Signatures
Hash functions, also known as message digests, are one-way algorithms that are used to provide authentication, integrity, and nonrepudiation to data. Hashes are commonly used in e-mail communications, and also by some file systems and IDS/IPS systems. Hash functions produce a fixed length output, usually 128-bits, from an input of any length. This output is called a hash. A hash is unique to the input that produced it. Altering just one bit of the input data will produce a completely and noticeably different hash. There is no practical way to re-create the input from the hash, which is why it is considered a one-way algorithm.
Data integrity can be verified by comparing the hash produced from the received plaintext data with the hash produced by decrypting the senders digital signature with their public key. If the hashes match, the data has not been altered since the sender signed it. If the hashes are different, the data has been tampered with, or it may indicate that someone masquerading as the sender sent the data.
You can also use hashing on data that you do not intend to decrypt. This is common as an authentication method. For example, UNIX will create a hash from the data that a user inputs when prompted, and compare that hash with the hash stored in /etc/passwd to authenticate the user.
The most commonly used hashing algorithms in use are Message Digest 2 (MD2), Message Digest 4 (MD4), Message Digest 5 (MD5), and Secure Hashing Algorithm (SHA). Of these, SHA is the most secure. SHA is based on MD5 and was developed by the NSA for use as a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standard. It produces a hash of 160-bits using four processing rounds. The Message Digest series of algorithms were created by Ron Rivest (one of the creators of the RSA algorithm) and all produce a 128-bit hash. MD2 produces secure hashes, but is very slow. MD4 is simple and fast, but has been successfully attacked and defeated in the past. MD5 is basically an improved version of MD4 that uses additional processing rounds to increase security.
Digital Signatures make use of hashing algorithms to perform the same functions as a hash - authentication, integrity, and nonrepudiation. To produce a digital signature, the message is used to produce a hash. The message is then linked to the hash. The hash is then encrypted using the senders private key. Then information is added that includes the hashing algorithm among other things, such as a time stamp. This combination is the digital signature.
The digital signature is then encrypted using a randomly generated key. This random key is then encrypted using the recipients public key, producing a digital envelope. When the recipient gets the message, they decrypt the envelope using their private key, which reveals the random key and digital signature. The digital signature is then decrypted, and the senders public key is used to reveal the message, its hash, and the hashing algorithm. Using the hashing algorithm and the plaintext message, an integrity check is performed by generating a hash form the plaintext and comparing it to the hash received with the message. If they match, everything is good to go. The recipient also knows for certain that the senders identity is true. Remember that the sender used their private key to encrypt the hash, so only the senders public key can decrypt it.
Thats it for now. Thanks for letting me waste your time lol. Again, if anyone has any comment or corrections, or wants to go into more detail about any of these topics, PLEASE, PLEASE, post.


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Digital Culture in the 21st Century
Wed. 21 April, 1999- The Oxford Union Debating Chamber
|| Colloquium Papers | Colloquium Timetable |
Are the arts being threatened or inspired by the use of computers? How has the popularization and pervasive nature of digital technology changed the creative process of the artist, the actor, the film-maker, the architect and the writer? What has been the effect of technology on the viewer, the reader, or the critic? And what of those who seek to fund and preserve our cultural heritage?
For the last four years the Humanities Computing Unit has organised a series of successful events which have discussed the place of technology in the spheres of literature, learning, and our cultural resources. In 1998 we brought together a number of illustrious speakers in the Oxford Union to look 'Beyond the Hype' of the current high profile of the Internet, the Digital Library, and the Electronic Book.
There is every sign that technology will continue to assert its place in the arts in the next ten years. How will this affect the way that we create and absorb literature, music, art, film, television, and other culture? The 'Beyond Art?' Colloquium will look afresh at digital culture, and discuss its place in the future of the arts.
Set in the historical Oxford Union Debating Chamber, distinguished speakers presented their views and debate the future shape of our culture's landscape.
*Roy Ascott, Artist and Director of the Centre for Advanced Inquiry in the Interactive Arts
*Robin Baker, Director, Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication
*Jane Carmichael, Assistant Director, Collections, Imperial War Museum
*Sean Cubitt, Lecturer in Screen Studies, author of Digital Aesthetics
*Peter Gibbins, Executive Director, Digital Virtual Centre of Excellence for Digital Broadcasting and Multimedia Technology
*Dan Greenstein, Director, Arts and Humanities Data Service
*Peter Howard, Poet, http://www.hphoward.demon.co.uk/poetry/
*Chris Meade, Director, Poetry Society
*Nigel Morgan, Lecturer in Creative Music Technology, Co-Developer of Symbolic Composer
*Barry Smith, Lecturer in Theatre and founder of the Live Art Archive
*Peter York, Author, Journalist, and Broadcaster
*Simon Waters, Director of Electroacoustic Music Studios, University of East Anglia
Some of the papers given at the Colloquium are available.
The full timetable for the Colloquium is available.
If you have any questions please contact Sarah Porter or Stuart Sutherland, at the Humanities Computing Unit, or email email@example.com


text:
- Parent Category: News
Central's Rayanne Wright a State Champion,
Kankakee's relay team also top in State
CHARLESTON — Central High School's Rayanne Wright will remember her 2013 trip to O'Brien Field in Charleston, IL.
The Standout Central Comet senior brings home a 1st Place state trophy from Eastern Illinois University. Rayanne Wright captured the ultimate prize Saturday to cap her high school career.
Wright's winning time of 56.60 seconds was her best of the season and the fastest local 400 time this year. It also bested her championship time of 56.94 from last year.
"I'm just ecstatic right now. It's a great way to end my high school career," Wright said. "I was a little nervous going into the race. I was seeded second, and Sullivan High School's Amanda McClain is a great runner. I prepared as much as I could and put my faith in my strength, my training throughout the year and my experience."


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I'm still very new to the system and am trying to figure out how to combine things.
Can Strike be added to Energy Field? So that if you hit someone with your PL 10 Energy Field along with PL10 Strike would that make it a +20? I'm picturing the not so subtle method of just flying at someone and hitting them with your shield.
Does anyone have a chart about which powers/feats can be combined?
And possibly most helpful from a noob point of view: IS there a way to search this forum so I'm not repeating questions that have long ago been hashed out?
What powers work with What? Forcefield & Strike?
These questions about M&M's first edition were posed to Steve Kenson--and then he answered them! Steve's now providing official answers to second edition questions, but we've archived this forum for you to search.
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
- Mastermind
- Posts: 4118
- Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2003 5:20 am
- Location: Freedom City, USA
- Contact:
Strike and Energy Field do stack, but the damage is limited by the power level limit.
The Search function should allow you to hunt through the forums for related topics and threads.
The Search function should allow you to hunt through the forums for related topics and threads.
Steve Kenson - email@example.com
Green Ronin Publishing
Green Ronin Publishing
2 posts • Page 1 of 1


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Pentek FloPlus10BB water filter cartridges utilize a revolutionary new technology that significantly enhances the traditional Fibredyne product. The Pentek FLOPLUS-10BB is ideal for users looking for a product that offers high flow, low pressure drop, infrequent cartridge changes and cyst-free water. Maximum dirt-holding ability of a 10 micron carbon block with the particulate efficiency of a 0.5 micron cartridge. The Pentek FLOPLUS-10BB water filter cartridge reduces 99.95% reduction of cryptosporidium and giardia cysts. Outstanding chlorine taste & odor reduction. The Pentek FLOPLUS-10BB water filter has high flow rates and low pressure drop similar to a nominal 10 micron cartridge. Tested and Certified by NSF International to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for the reduction of Cysts. NOTE: The Pentek FLOPLUS-10BB filter cartridges will contain a very small amount of fines (very fine powder) and new cartridges, after installation, should be flushed with sufficient water to remove all traces of fines from your water system before use.
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|NSF/ANSI Standard 53
The FLOPLUS-10BB is also known by the following part numbers:


text:
Tijuana Chinese restaurants under the gun
Fines and court summons
Mike Madriaga 10 a.m., Feb. 25
Video posted December 16, 2013
One of California's hardest hikes... the hard way.
"You in town?" Little did I know my text would lead to hiking 22 miles within the next 24 hours. Seriously. A marathon minus four miles – but with 10,500 feet of climbing, hurting, bonding, ...
Traditional batik printmaking in a Dar es Salaam shop.
Tour of Manzanar, former Japanese internment camp located in Lone Pine, California.
Tour of the Skateboard Museum in Simi Valley, California.
San Francisco's Outside Lands Festival 2011: strange costumes, impromptu acts.
The wrestling spectacle that is Tijuana's lucha libre.
The 50-mile Rosarito to Ensenada bike ride.
The Strip in Vegas: street performers and more.
Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain in Niland, California.
The Strip in Vegas: street performers and more.
Discovering Delft's Old World charm on a day trip from Amsterdam.
Road trip on I-5? Skip the drive-thrus — stop in Avenal, near Bakersfield.
Exploring Berlin's street art, Museum Island and more.
Just a typical night on Nola's Frenchmen Street.
Slideshow: Wyoming's Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.
Balcony view of a festival in Madrid's Plaza de Santa Ana.
Shopping on the island of Xiamen - China's "up-and-coming Hong Kong."
River surfer on the Eisbach.
Israeli Opera Fest had to break for the regional Muslim call to prayer on the PA system.
Video of Anza-Borrego Badlands by Lisa Bruhn.


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Philippa breastfed her own four children and became a La Leche League Leader (breastfeeding counsellor) in 2002. After sitting the IBCLC exams in 2011 she now works in private practice as Philippa.lc offering home visits around the West Midlands, UK.
Breastfeeding Support an evidence-based website sharing helpful breastfeeding tips and resources. Philippa is also the Managing Editor for Leader Today, A La Leche League International Journal for Leaders.
West Midlands, UK


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Smörgåstårta – Sandwich Cake
Smörgåstårta, which means Sandwich Cake, is typical party food in Sweden. It's like a large sandwich with a lot of creamy filling, just like a cake, and it is served cold. The smörgåstårta consists of several layers of bread slices (most common is toast bread) with different delicious creamy fillings. It is then decorated with mayonnaise, sea food and vegetables. The sea food smörgåstårta on the photo was made by my mother for my brother's 40th birthday and it has two layers of creamy yummy filling. I don't know exactly what she used, but among other ingredients there were mayonnaise, boiled eggs, crayfish tails, shrimps, asparagus, caviar and dill leafs. Delicious but far from fat free….
Smörgåstårta can be made with all sorts of fillings, but I have always prefered the sea food one that my mother makes. It's great party food as it can be prepared in advance, it looks beautiful and it's rather easy to make. Just use your imagination when combining fillings, but don't forget that a dry sandwich cake that don't have enough filling is a bad sandwich cake! :-)
Pille at Nami-Nami made a lovely Ham Sandwich Cake for New Years Eve, read her post here.


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|Biosequences .. Software .. Molbio soft .. Network News .. FTP
Thomas A. Collet (tacollet at tezcat.com) wrote: : I just started on a project for one of my clients for which I would like to identify unmet or poorly-met medical needs that could be addressed by drug delivery technology. [snip] : Does anyone know of an effort to look at these delivery opportunities in a systematic way, [snip] : Any pointers or a discussion of this topic would be appreciated. Dear Thomas, You might check out the work of Dr. John Baldeshwieler (sp?) at Caltech. Good luck. Yours, Bill Tivol


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A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to a media tasting of Bond's new food and cocktail menus. I was in awe of how beautiful the space is from the moment I ascended the staircase and entered the lounge. The decor and name pay tribute to the restaurant and lounge's heritage. Sparkling chandeliers dangle from 20-foot-high ornate ceilings, plush chairs abound, and oversized bonds adorn the walls.
I arrived with Meghan and Daisy, and we found Lin already enjoying a cocktail. We all settled in at one of the reserved tables and caught up while poring over the menus and snacking on housemade potato chips and dip.
For my first drink, I decided to try The Fed, which features Bacardi Oakheart Rum, St-Germain, fresh lime juice, and ginger soda. I found it similar to a dark and stormy but sweeter and less spicy.
Soon waiters started bringing out plates of food, round after round. First to arrive were the Vietnamese fresh spring rolls. They were filled with shrimp, chicken, and a spicy peanut sauce. I loved the mixture of flavors the compact bite offered: peanutty and minty, sweet and spicy, bursting with cilantro.
Next up was a simple appetizer of heirloom tomatoes stuffed with Stracchino cheese in a dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I thought it was such a cute idea to stuff the tomatoes. And the creamy, smooth, mild-flavored cheese was just the right stuffing.
The next dish ended up being my favorite of all the offerings: crispy Point Judith calamari with sweet chili sauce, black sesame seeds, and cilantro. I'd never had calamari dressed this way, and I couldn't stop eating the spicy-sweet rings. We kept this dish on the table for most of the evening and the rings remained crispy for quite a while.
The next dish, the grilled baby corn with Espelette, cotija cheese, aioli, and lime, was the only one I wasn't fond of. Something about the flavor and texture of baby corn just doesn't do it for me. I loved the accompaniments though and think this dish would be wonderful with regular corn on the cob sliced into medallions.
The sweet soy and ginger chicken wings won me over on presentation alone. I've never seen such fancy, lounge-worthy chicken wings. And not only did they impress with their looks, but they were quite tasty too and easy to eat. I learned that the chef poaches the wings first, which makes them very tender and moist. Then they get great flavor from a little charring and some candied ginger.
At that point I was ready for another drink and chose The Appraisal, which the menu said was made with Beefeater Gin, St-Germain, brown sugar, and grapes and peas. I didn't find any grapes in my drink, which was full of gin flavor and on the sweet side.
When I saw lobster and chorizo quesadillas on the menu, I was thinking of the typical pub fare quesadilla, but what arrived at our table was a long plate of beautifully presented bite-size quesadilla rolls. These were chock-full of lobster, queso blanco, sweet corn, and smoky chorizo. This was another appetizer I could see myself coming back for.
The final savory dish was the flat bread pizza with Great Hill Blue, grilled stone fruit, pancetta, and arugula. Had I not had so many other appetizers, I would have polished off the whole thing. I loved the combination of flavors and the chewy-crispy crust.
We had a little break between "dinner" and dessert during which we enjoyed the sounds of jazz singer Gian Farone. You can hear emerging jazz artists at Bond every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Dessert is pretty much always the most anticipated course for me, and I couldn't wait to see what Bond had to offer. We received the chocolate tasting, which featured milk chocolate powder, Guanaja ice cream, white chocolate brûlée, and smoked chocolate cake. Of these, I really only liked the first two. The chocolate powder was fun and interesting. I expected it to be powdery like hot cocoa mix, but it actually melted away to smooth chocolate on your tongue. The ice cream was rich and intense and served atop chocolate pearls. The brûlée was just okay and the smoked chocolate cake reminded me of Laphroaig, and that's not a good thing.
We also tried the strawberry rhubarb gratin with mascarpone mousse, mint, and black pepper sable. This was awesome. The mascarpone mousse reminded me of panna cotta, and the soft rhubarb and fresh strawberries added a light component to the dessert.
The last dessert was the sticky toffee pudding with brown butter ice cream and Booker's Whiskey caramel. I set myself up to not like this dessert, as sticky toffee pudding is usually too mushy for me, but this one was both moist and firm, and the caramel and ice cream were flavorful accompaniments. I kept going back for more.
I can't believe I've gone this long without venturing into Bond. I truly enjoyed nearly everything we had and loved the swanky, elegant atmosphere. I can't wait to go back, especially for calamari and lobster quesadillas.
Thank you to Mallory for inviting me, to everyone at Bond for making us feel welcome and providing us with such great service, and especially to executive chef Mark Sapienza for sending out such an incredible spread.
This tasting was complimentary, but as always these are my honest opinions.
Have you had any noteworthy dishes lately?


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Choose your room
With a stay at Americas Best Value Inn- Lake Mills in Lake Mills, you'll be close to Tyranena Brewing Company and Lake Mills Golf Course. This hotel is within the region of Aztalan State Park and Hi-Way Outdoor Theatre. Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as an indoor pool, or other amenities including complimentary wireless Internet access and a fireplace in the lobby. Additional features include a television in the lobby, tour/ticket assistance, and a picnic area. Featured amenities include a business center, a computer station, and express check-out. Free self parking is available onsite. Make yourself at home in one of the 40 guestrooms. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Conveniences include desks and coffee/tea makers, and you can also request microwaves.
Reviews: Hotel Americas Best Value Inn- Lake Mills
Useful information:Other names for Hotel Americas Best Value Inn- Lake Mills:
Rodeway Inn Lake Mills


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By Lord Jack Marvell
Features Reporter
Come call it a Golden Chain. Some call it Duke U. Whatever the name, though, the Middle Kingdom-sponsored Tournament of Chivalry held on Tuesday gave unbelted heavy fighters from across the Known World a chance to learn from more than 75 members of the Chivalry.
"This is something that we in the Middle Kingdom have done for about a decade and a half," said Duke Ullr, the organizer of the event. "We invited every member of the Chivalry and every sitting king to hold the field... We call it a tournament in more of a sense of a showcase instead of a competition."
About 200 unbelted fighters came to learn from the assembled knights. There were five current kings on the field, Duke Ullr said. "It is exciting stuff."
King Savaric of the Midrealm said his kingdom relies on the tournament as a teaching tool. "It's a beautiful thing," he said. "All these guys are thirsty for knowledge. It is here. All they have to do is go to the well. I hope they drink deeply."
This is the first time that the Middle Kingdom has held a Tournament of Chivalry at Pennsic. "This is our kingdom's greatest teaching tool," King Savaric said. "It is the best way for our knights to interact with the unbelted. Their knowledge is going to be disseminated and spread through the Known World from this one event. You'll see it on the field next year."
The tournament met with the approval of its participants. "It is a blast," said Duchess Elina of Beckinham, who hails from the Midrealm. "This is the best learning environment possible. I'm on the unbelted side. I've got something to learn from everybody, and I always will."
The format alternated between rounds of fighting and classes. Holding the field is a grueling experience for the participating Chivalry, who are faced with wave after wave of unbelted fighters. "They are completely wiped out, but they do it as a duty to the Crown," Duchess Elina said.
The format gives unbelted fighters the opportunity to fight with members of the Chivalry as often as they want. "If you didn't get enough fighting today, it's your own fault," Duchess Elina said.


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16" Mini Foil Letter A Gold Balloon S30
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A 16"Mini Foil Letter A Gold Balloon is perfect for a glamorous party or event display! Combine this silver letter balloon with other letters for a custom message at graduations, birthdays, baby showers, and weddings. The metallic finish of this foil balloon makes for an eye-catching decoration.
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