text:
By RYAN IMONDI
News-Review via Associated Press
ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) -- The Umpqua Valley wine grape harvest has been busy, noisy and productive -- far different than last year's low output.
"Last year was a practical disaster," said Greg Cramer, owner of MarshAnne Landing outside Oakland. "I'm very pleased with the fruit that came in this year. We're about three weeks ahead of last year."
A long dry spell, no rain has fallen in central Douglas County since July 20, and sunny days have allowed grapes to ripen.
Clear skies also have meant the risk of an early frost, prompting wineries to fire up commercial fans to keep the fruit from freezing at night. The predawn sound has drawn numerous noise complaints to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. When the sun rises, temperatures have held firm in the 70s throughout the month.
Sheriff's Lt. Chris Merrifield said neighbors will have to live with the noise until harvesting is over. Because most of the county's wineries are outside city limits, there is not a noise ordinance to enforce, he said.
Wineries started plucking grapes in early October, and the picking likely will continue through the end of the month.
"The best part about this harvest season is that we've had this nice, warm weather," said Chris Lake, director of the Southern Oregon Wine Institute at Umpqua Community College.
Lake said sun-soaked grapes grow rich in sugars, which ferments into alcohol.
Cooler temperatures can do the reverse, stunting growth and diminishing flavor. Rain can further dilute the taste, he said.
Growers endured back-to-back below average yields in 2010 and 2011, which had two of the cooler summers in the past half century. Temperatures were 5 to 6 degrees below average, Oregon State Extension Service horticulturist Steve Renquist said.
To compensate for a lack of sun, winery owners trimmed vines to concentrate the plants' limited energy on fewer grapes.
The Umpqua Valley typically yields 2.7 to 2.9 tons of grapes a year. Renquist said 2010 and 2011 yields were 1.2 tons and 1.5 tons, respectively.
Renquist predicted yields this year should be back to typical numbers and could possibly reach 3 tons.
"This year, we've had quite the inverse," he said. "We've had a lovely growing season."
Henry Estate Winery founder Scott Henry said Tuesday his winery was already halfway through its harvest. Grapes at the 40-year-old Umpqua winery are maturing quickly and look great, he said.
"I'd say this is going to be one of our better years," he said. "We have a super year every seven to 10 years, and this looks like it's going to be one of them."
Henry said the winery is experiencing a problem, a good one.
"We're having to pick them faster than normal," he said.
Terri Delfino of Delfino Vineyards said the color and size of the grapes look prime for producing quality wine.
"It's going to be a great year," she said last week. "The fruit is ripening all at once. We had a great pick yesterday."
The past two years, the harvest was delayed for several weeks to give grapes more time to grow, she said.
She said doing so cost the winery thousands of dollars to keep birds at bay until the fruit could be picked.
"Prayer is the only answer," she said. "There's not much we could have done. You're really at the mercy of the weather."
Southern Oregon University climatologist Greg Jones said grape growers should expect poor growing seasons at least once every 10 years. Jones attributed consecutive poor years to bad luck rather than a long-term cooling trend in the valley.
"You are going to have some years that are cooler and some years that are warmer," he said.
Lake said occasional bad years shouldn't put a winery out of business.
"You have to think like a farmer," he said. "There could be one in 10 years where you get nothing. If you can't sustain that, you shouldn't be growing grapes."
Information from: The News-Review, http://www.nrtoday.com
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.


text:
BETHLEHEM – Mary Griffeth Anthony, 88, passed away Saturday, August 31, 2013.
She was the daughter of the late Emory and Emma Peevy Griffeth. She was a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church for 45 years and enjoyed spending time with her family and cooking. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Lewis Anthony; daughter, Joyce Anthony Bruce; great-grandson, Tucker Autry; three brothers; and three sisters.
Survivors include daughters and sons-in-law, Pat and Darryl Phillips, Winder, and Sue and Ricky Doster, Bethlehem; six grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; brother, Ed Griffeth, Bethlehem; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, September 3, at 2 p.m. in the chapel of Smith Funeral Home with Pastor Mike Peavey officiating. Burial will be at the Bethlehem Methodist Cemetery.
Smith Funeral Home, Winder, is in charge of arrangements.
Mary Anthony (8-31-13)
No Trackbacks
Display comments as (Linear | Threaded)
The author does not allow comments to this entry

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Photo By: Courtesy of Bullis Charter School
Bullis Charter School officials released this schematic, with the charter school campus outlined in red, of a workable arrangement for the split-campus option at Blach.
With the Los Altos School District's preliminary charter school facilities offer due Friday, Bullis Charter School officials last week agreed to the split-campus solution for the upcoming school year.
Doug Smith, president of the district's board of trustees, said it is unlikely at this point that the district could work the charter school's request into its initial offer.
"It's late to add their request to the preliminary process," he said. "It's something we can use as their baseline response."
A split charter school
Ken Moore, chairman of the Bullis Charter School Board of Directors, presented the charter school's perception of a split campus at a charter school-hosted luncheon last week.
"This is a major compromise from our standpoint," he said. "Bullis Charter School would be the only school program (in the district) split between two sites."
The charter school requested that facilities at both Egan Junior High and Blach Intermediate schools be self-contained, with accommodations equal to all other sites, including a playground, library, school office and teacher work areas.
He added that the charter school requests that its students located at Blach are provided the same number of hours per week in shared facilities as Blach students.
"Ultimately a Bullis Charter School student and a Blach student should not have dissimilar experiences," he said. "They should both have science labs, gym and track time, and all the rest of the amenities that students enjoy at a district school."
The current Blach configuration, which includes four portables, does not provide a workable solution for the middle school program, according to Moore. It includes gerrymandered portions of land, with one portable designated as a nurse's station, locker room, school office and other uses.
Charter school officials drafted the proposal after examining the Blach Camp School site, used during previous district construction.
Advantages and disadvantages
Moore outlined the advantages and disadvantages of the split-campus option.
On the negative side, he said, splitting the campus could prove a more costly solution than providing the charter school with a single site, such as Covington School, which charter school officials originally requested.
Moore added that with the Egan and Blach campuses miles apart, the district would need to provide additional facilities to make the split workable. The charter school would face increased hiring expenses to staff a split program, and the multisite option could be a burden for charter school families with students assigned to different campuses.
On the positive side, the proposal does not require a single district student to change schools, nor would the district have to close any site. It would not require immediate public funds to purchase more land and allows the district time to evaluate enrollment projections. The split-site solution would not interfere with the city's Hillview Community Center project, nor would it require a land swap with the city.
"Bullis Charter School ultimately needs a permanent site, but we need a workable short-term solution that accommodates the students choosing to attend our school," Moore said.
Moving ahead
Moore proposed a meeting between the school district's and the charter school's leadership to establish a manageable two-site solution.
"As a first step, we propose a working team to meet intensively and transparently," he said. "Meetings will be open to the public and hopefully rise above the Proposition 39 process to come up with a workable solution."
Smith plans to raise the idea of the potential working group at the district's Monday board meeting, past the Town Crier's press deadline.
"I want to have a dialogue," Smith said. "I also underscore the fact that the district is responsible for 5,000 students, where the charter school has only 500 or so."
He said continued litigation would impact the facilities offer.
"Sooner or later you have to decide: Are you at war with me or not?" Smith said. "The district's flexibility is going to be influenced by the litigation."


text:
Rollei Actioncam Mount Proflex for Rollei Actioncams and GoPro* Orange
- Easy adjustable fast closing clamp, made of aluminum
- Chucking diameter from 50 up to 140 mm
- Designed for use in extreme conditions
- For fast mounting on round, oval and angular profiles
- Perfect fit and extremly high stability
- Maximum load: up to 600 g
- Incl. 2 additional extensions
The Rollei Actioncan Mount Proflex is a device that will suit numerous different recording needs. This arises from a unique fast-closing clamp that can fit around angular, oval or round shapes. Many will use this system when roller blading, skiing, running or snowboarding. This device is also able to safely hold up to 600 grams. So, users can rest assured that their Rollei Actioncam will remain firmly in place during even the most challenging of sports. As it can be mounted very quickly, preparing for a race or an adventure with a group of friends is accomplished in no time at all.
The Flexible Halterung GoPro*: Lightweight and Extreme
With the use of an included tool, the diameter of the mount can be adjusted between 50 and 140 millimetres. So, fitting one around an arm, a leg or a piece of nearby equipment is quick and simple. This product has been specifically engineered to be used in extreme conditions. It is weatherproof while resistant to the effects of salt water and corrosion. This robust nature also makes it able to accommodate high and low temperatures such as those which may be encountered in the tropics or in a winter environment.
One Size Indeed Fits All
The hallmark of the Proflex camera mounting system is its ability to accommodate unique objects with ease. So, the entire kit includes the mount, a tool to adjust the system and three additional tension belts (200 millimetres, 350 millimetres and 500 millimetres). There should never be any reason to sacrifice flexibility for a robust nature. This mounting platform has both.
If you have been searching for such a hands-free edge, you have indeed come to the right place. Be sure to examine this and the countless other products supplied through Rollei.
|4.3 cm
|165 g
Data Sheet
Ask new Question


text: Sunday Funnies – What the Heck? This truck driver gets points for originality and creativity. From Pinterest Be Sociable, Share! Tweet Share 15 JUL 0 About the Author: Cybersecurity guru to business owners in the St Paul, Minneapolis, and western Wisconsin area. Computer security and hacking have been a passion of mine since I entered the computer and networking business in 2000. In 2013 I completed a course of study and certification exam to become a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). In 2016 I was certified as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). As Cybersecurity Analyst at The WyzCo Group, I help our clients experience high levels of computer security, network security, and web site security. In addition to consulting on security products and services, we also conduct security audits, vulnerability assessments and full penetration tests. We also provide Cybersecurity Awareness Training for clients and their employees. We also work with companies and organizations that need to certify compliance with regulations such as PCI-DSS (credit card processing), HIPAA/HITECH (medical records), and GLBA. The views expressed on this Web site are mine alone and do not necessarily represent the views of my employer.


text:
Chinese man with muscular dystrophy hangs himself
BEIJING (AP) — A disabled man in eastern China hanged himself after sending police a text message saying he wished to donate his organs, but the local Red Cross said it could not accept the offer, state media reported Wednesday.
The Xinhua News Agency said the 30-year-old man, identified only by his surname, Wang, had muscular dystrophy and had lately grown despondent at not being able to walk or take care of himself.
Care for the disabled in China has improved only slowly despite roaring economic growth, and many poor or working class families struggle to provide basic aids such as wheelchairs. Muscular dystrophy causes progressive skeletal muscular weakness, and reports said Wang had needed a wheelchair since he was 15.
Wang texted his local police station in the city of Hangzhou early Monday morning, saying he was committing suicide and expressing his desire to donate his body and organs, according to Xinhua and the official news service of Zhejiang province.
They said he was found shortly afterward hanging from an air conditioning unit with his wheelchair beside him.
The reports said Wang's family had sought to comply with his wishes to donate his body and organs. However, the local Red Cross said it was unable to accept the donation because Wang had not signed a release or taken a physical exam.
Facing a large shortfall in organs for transplant, and criticism for relying on executed prisoners for donations, China has tried to make it easier for individuals to become donors.
However, changes to the system are still being instituted, and donations have been hampered by the need for universal agreement among the donor's family members.


text:
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The company responsible for a chemical spill that contaminated water in West Virginia will bring in sturdier containment structures after incurring safety violations at a second chemical storage facility.
Inspectors ordered Freedom Industries to move all its chemicals to a second facility in Nitro after Thursday's spill in Charleston, which contaminated the drinking water for 300,000 people. But this week, they found five safety violations at the second spot. A report said that like the Charleston facility, the Nitro site's last-resort containment wall had holes in it.
To comply with a state order, Freedom will store the Nitro facility's chemicals in double-walled tanks. Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Tom Aluise expects all material to be transferred by Jan. 23. The Nitro facility isn't on a riverbank. The Charleston one is.


text:
RBI Governor Rajan: India isn't in danger of crisis
The new governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Raghuram Rajan, told the BBC in his first international interview that India has enough foreign-exchange reserves to safeguard against a repeat of the 1991 balance of payments crisis.
Mr Rajan said that India has enough money to pay for all of its short-term debts tomorrow if it needed to, as it has reserves that are equal to 15% of GDP. This is a key difference from two decades ago when the country was rescued by the IMF.
He said that a country with $280bn (£175bn) in reserves can finance itself, and points out that India's external debt is about 22% of GDP. He said that very few countries with such low level of debt has had an external crisis. Mr Rajan was also adamant about anyone who suggests that India should seek IMF assistance should know that there will be "no IMF, it's not going to happen". And that India is a creditor to the IMF.
He also points out that the current account and fiscal deficits are falling, which are the sources of concern and why some investors had left the country. It had resulted in the rupee hitting an all-time low shortly before Mr Rajan took office in early September. Since then, markets have risen strongly and the rupee has strengthened and is now approaching 60 rupees to the US dollar, leading what's been dubbed the Rajan rally.
Quite unusually for a central banker, Mr Rajan also revealed that although he tries not to comment on the appropriate level of the rupee as he "knows when it has gone too far". In his opinion, 68 rupees per US dollar that was hit at the end of August was "too weak", while 50 is probably "too strong" relative to the fundamentals of the economy.
In terms of getting the balance right between fighting inflation and supporting economic growth, Mr Rajan describes the process as "muddling through".
He sees the challenge of inflation, especially for food, as stemming from the growing demand of a population that is getting richer and demanding more foodstuffs while supply lags behind. He explained that this is why he has raised rates twice in his first two months in office, which is to reduce demand a little bit to control inflation while production catches up.
Of course, to encourage more production in India will require investment. Mr Rajan recognises this as a structural challenge for India. For a country at this level of development, manufacturing is a much smaller part of the economy as compared with services, which are about 60%.
He sees four impediments to India growing its manufacturing sector, which are infrastructure, education, regulation, and access to finance. He said that the central bank governor can only affect access to finance. Thus, Mr Rajan acknowledges that there is a limit to what central bankers can do, but stresses that there are other "rock stars" in the Indian government that are taking their agreed reform plans forward.
Mr Rajan also gave a timeframe for achieving his "five pillars" that is to improve the monetary policy framework, reform the banking system, liberalise financial markets, increase financial inclusion, and sort out financially distressed institutions. Mr Rajan says that he has a five-year timetable to achieve these aims and changing the financial sector will help India to grow.
The full interview with India's "rock star" central banker and what he thinks of that moniker will be broadcast on Talking Business with Linda Yueh on 1 November.


text:
GREENVILLE, Ill.-- The Panthers lost a tough battle to Missouri Baptist, falling 5-2.
The GC goals came from Dusty Knoll and Jacob Krisher at the 13th and 67th minutes respectively. Both were unassisted.
Mo Bap scored four goals in the first half, by Joseph Wonsewith (2), Oscar Rojas, and Greg Kranz. Kranz also scored Missouri Baptist's lone goal in the second half.
"MO Bap was a very talented team," Coach Chris Swift said. "You can't give a team with that much talent anything. All in all though, we competed with them all night."
GC 'keeper, Thomas Crown, made 6 saves in the match.
The team will take on Judson (IL) tomorrow, September 14, at 4:00pm.


text:
The goal of RTS Washington DC, is to offer a flexible education for Christian leaders who desire to know God's Word in a deeper way and apply it to their vocations. We emphasize high academic standards and also the need to grow in our personal relationships with Christ and His Church. In short, our vision is expressed in the motto, A Mind for Truth, A Heart for God. If this is also your vision, please do not hesitate to contact our Admissions Office. We'll be looking forward to partnering with you for the furthering of His Kingdom!Geoff SackettDirector of Student ServicesInclement Weather Policy: For class cancellations, call the office (703-448-3393)and wait for the outgoing message. Special Events
Whether you're a prospective student, current student, alumnus, donor, or friend of RTS, we would love to hear from you.


text: The Indian people felt a moral obligation to queue up and co-operate with the 'notes ban' policy. Monito/flickr March 26, 2017 Indians' 'notes ban' compliance masks a silent crisis of legitimacy Esha Sen Madhavan, University of Sydney Public co-operation is not proof of trust in government. The Indian people did not trust elected politicians to represent them against top-down policymaking that caused enormous difficulties.


text:
Vampires are everywhere in film, television, novels, comics and beyond and there's no end in sight. But when did they shift from malevolent predators to conflicted antiheroes? Those are the questions asked by Christopher Farnsworth, a writer living in Los Angeles whose latest novel, "The President's Vampire," is on sale now.
It used to be you'd never see a vampire as the good guy. After all, a vampire, by its nature, hunts and kills human beings. There are centuries of folklore detailing how mankind has been forced to defend itself against these lethal parasites. That's not a reputation you lose overnight.
But today, vampires have moved into the light – metaphorically speaking, anyway. Edward Cullen and his family of vampire vegetarians – who only drink animal blood – are only the most famous examples. The ranks of on-screen vampire good guys includes Bill Compton from "True Blood," Angel and Spike from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Nick Knight from "Forever Knight," the title hero from the "Blade" films and comics, Mick Angel from the "Moonlight" series, Selene from "Underworld" and maybe a dozen more that even I've never heard of.
Like everything else, however, comics got there first. Comic books have been turning vampires into superheroes since at least 1966, when Dell Comics tried to turn three of the iconic Universal horror monsters into heroes. A direct descendant of Dracula put on a purple bodysuit and a bat-shaped belt-buckle and swore an oath to fight injustice. Was it a concept ahead of its time — or just a concept with bad timing? Either way, the series lasted all of three issues.
But the idea endured and evolved. The Marvel character Blade crossed from comics to film and back again. The Japanese anime "Hellsing" and "Vampire Hunter D" both feature bloodsuckers who've turned against their own kind. And the Confessor from Kurt Busiek's "Astro City" is basically Batman with fangs.
Then there's the bookshelf and all the novels about vampiric heroes: Fred Saberhagen's Thorn series, Anne Rice's Lestat, P.N. Elrod's Vampire Files, Jon F. Merz's Lawson Vampire books, and (ahem) my own creation, Nathaniel Cade, a vampire who works as a secret agent for the president of the United States.
Vampire heroes are so common now that I felt it necessary to reestablish Cade's credentials as a killer. He might drink cow's blood by choice but he's a predator by nature.
For me, that goes back to a single page from Marvel's classic '70s horror comic, "The Tomb of Dracula." The series was about a team of vampire hunters tracking the Lord of the Undead. But when we passed around the issues in grade school, my friends and I often found ourselves rooting for the bad guy.
Part of this was because the creators put Dracula up against even worse villains, like, say, Satan. And Dracula had his own code of honor. Which led him to pick up a cross against a horde of zombie-like undead who threatened the children who'd given him shelter for a night. That scene is burned into my memory just like the cross burned his hands. I'm not the only one. Blogger Final Girl (a.k.a. Stacie Ponder) has a great piece on the issue. The final line of the book: "The dark ones attacked us … but there was a good man here. He told us to believe in the power of God … and that he was going to chase the dark ones … all the way to Hell itself!"
As much as I disliked vampires – I read the comics and watched the movies for survival tips rather than entertainment – I was impressed. For a moment, the face of ultimate evil finds redemption defending the innocents.
But that's the dichotomy that drives all these stories in one way or another: the gulf between killer and hero. In my first book, Cade puts it like this: "Someone has to protect the meek until they can inherit the earth."
Of course, Dracula went back to eating people soon enough. It's possible too many sparkly vampires have inspired a similar backlash. Colin Farrell seems more like a serial killer in this summer's remake of "Fright Night." Vampires are ugly, big and scary in"Priest" and Justin Cronin's "The Passage." And no less than Abe Lincoln will be chopping off vamp heads soon in a theater near you.
Then again, Edward and the "Twilight" film franchise will be back in "Breaking Dawn," and Johnny Depp will play Barnabas Collins in "Dark Shadows," and the BBC's "Being Human" is a U.S. spinoff now. And, well, I'm going to write about Cade for as long as people will read about him. I'm not ready to seal the coffin on vampire heroes just yet. Vampires have haunted us in every culture because they're so perfectly adaptable as metaphors. There are still plenty of scary things out there in the dark. Maybe it's comforting to think one or two might be on our side for a change.
— Christopher Farnsworth
Joss who? Meet the writer of the new 'Buffy' film
Ron Howard's quest for 'The Dark Tower'
'Stake Land' director talks vampires and Americana
'Priest': Not your mother's vampire movie
ON THE SET: Photos from 'Priest' production
Too draining? Harris saying goodbye to Sookie
'Phantasm,' the 30-year reunion interview
Stephen King digs into "American Vampires"
Del Toro talks "The Strain" and "Frankenstein"


text:
Santa Claus adds a special color to the holiday season
Support federal Violence Against Women Act
Talk show host Bill O'Reilly out of touch with reality
Santa Claus adds a special color to the holiday season
Lately there has been a hue and cry over Santa being white. Apparently this whole issue was started by Fox News.
I think we all know that Santa Claus is a mythical and folklore figure. So folklore would dictate that Santa be whatever color of the household he's visiting because contrary to popular or not-so-popular belief, toys don't come down the chimney. They are usually placed under the tree by the head of the household.
In my household, Santa Claus has always been black.
Support federal Violence Against Women Act
Violence against women is not just a domestic problem, but also a global epidemic. Every community and every country is deeply affected by violence against women and an astounding 1 out of 3 women worldwide will experience violence during her lifetime. This global violence impedes women's economic progress and hinders equality reform.
The International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) would permanently incorporate gender-based violence prevention and response into all U.S. government programs abroad. It would make existing initiatives to combat gender violence more efficient and effective and prioritize ending violence against women.
I would like to thank Rep. Richard Hanna, R-Barneveld, for his impressive leadership in being an original sponsor of I-VAWA in the House of Representatives. Violence against women and girls is a global scourge that demands a strong response and I am grateful to Rep. Hanna for supporting women's rights. I urge all of Rep. Hanna's constituents to thank him for his leadership. The congressman should encourage his colleagues to follow his example and join in supporting I-VAWA.
Landy is with the NY Amnesty International USA Women's Human Rights Coordination Group.
Talk show host Bill O'Reilly out of touch with reality
I'm sure there several great things to say about the now late Nelson Mandela. President Mandela is the reason that all of the people in South Africa now have the right to vote. They also have a sense of dignity and equality that they didn't have before. This is synonymous to a democratic process.
Having said this, it seems very strange that the Fox network talk show host Bill O'Reilly would refer to President Mandela as a communist. What President Mandela has done is just like what's done in this country. Is O'Reilly saying that America is practicing communism as well? Could it be that O'Reilly is somewhat out of touch with reality? I wonder.


text:
Loading Video...
Bank crisis resolution paves the way to protection of taxpayers
The European parliament's Economic and Monetary affairs committee is about to fully endorse Gunnar Hökmark's proposals for the so-called banking crisis resolution, which aims to provide some harmonisation of national laws and tools for preventing, quickly addressing, and resolving bank crises.
On the spot
Quick and on-the-spot reactions from MEPs and other experts to news and events from both inside and outside the European Parliament.
Time for tougher sanctions against Venezuela: Salafranca
The European Parliament has voted for tougher sanctions against the Venezuelan regime as it prepares for early presidential elections seen as a sham. President Nicolás Maduro is running for re-election, after his bloody crackdown on the pro-democracy opposition. The suffering of the people...
Democratic Opposition of Venezuela awarded Sakharov Prize for human rights
The Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament has decided to award this year's Sakharov Prize to the Democratic Opposition of Venezuela and the political prisoners held in detention in the country. José Ignacio Salafranca, the EPP Group's Spokesman on human rights who...
EPP Group's Manfred Weber optimistic on new pro-European German government
After the latest German elections, EPP Group Chairman Manfred Weber says he believes Chancellor Angela Merkel will be able to form a multi-party coalition that will support a strong European Union.
In new Brexit talks, UK must clarify its goals
In the latest round of Brexit talks in Brussels this week, the EPP Group says the UK must make concrete proposals. Group Chairman Manfred Weber says while UK Prime Minister Theresa May's recent speech in Florence was well received, it still lacked substance and details on what her government...
No more roaming charges as of June 2017
As of 15 June, people will no longer pay roaming charges to use their mobile phones abroad in the EU. It follows lengthy debates kick-started by the EPP Group some ten years ago. The European Parliament's Rapporteur on this issue, Pilar del Castillo from the EPP Group, hailed the European...
Weber: Brexit day is a sad day, but London has to respect citizens, businesses and Northern Irish rights
"Today, it's a sad day for Europe, an historic mistake", says EPP Group Chairman Manfred Weber. He hopes that the British Government and the EU Institutions will carefully take into consideration the position of the European Parliament, whose vote is critical for a successful...
Netherlands vote: a "perfect start" to elections in Europe
One of the founding members of the European Union, the Netherlands, has rejected a bid for power by far-right populists. EPP Group Chairman Manfred Weber says it's a "perfect start" to an election year in Europe, showing that voters want a constructive approach in Europe and to...
EU needs a fresh start for a better future, says Weber
As EU leaders meet for the first time in the European Council's new Europa building, they will draft a declaration on the future of Europe. Marking the 60th anniversary of the founding Treaty of Rome, they should give a strong direction for Europe to improve the daily lives of Europeans,...
Manfred Weber asks for an EP counter-terrorism committee of inquiry
The Chairman of the EPP Group explains why the European Union needs a European Parliament committee of inquiry and what it can do for EU citizens.
"Europe is united and strong" – Manfred Weber on Donald Trump criticism
The Chairman of the EPP Group comments on the start of Donald Trump's occupancy of the White House as President of the United States.
Ioannis Zografos
Responsible for Web TV, Adviser on Communications Strategy


text:
U.S. air travelers terrified of disasters like the crash of Asiana Flight 214 face a frustrating dilemma when trying to avoid airlines with scary safety records, because the Federal Aviation Administration refuses to publicly rank air carriers on safety.
Some websites do their own ratings.
Here's a list of the world's 10 safest airlines as rated by the Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre, a private German website, www.jacdec.de. These rankings don't always agree with those from other websites, such as www.Airlineratings.com.
1. Finnair
2. Air New Zealand
3. Cathay Pacific
4. Emirates, of the United Arab Emirates
5. Etihad Airways, of the United Arab Emirates
6. EVA Air, of Taiwan
7. TAP Portugal
8. Hainan Airlines, of China
9 Virgin Australia
10. British Airways
Contact Steve Johnson at email@example.com or 408-920-5043. Follow him at Twitter.com/steveatmercnews


text:
Linebacker Kendall Joseph of Belton-Honea Path is moving toward the end of his recruiting now that he's cut his list to Clemson, Duke and Louisville.
Clemson recruiter Brent Venables visited with him last week.
"He likes the way I move and the way I play," Joseph said. "He feels I can be a leader on defense at middle linebacker. He's telling me real good things."
Joseph also has been in touch with his recruiters from Louisville and Duke.
"Louisville wants me to come in and be the middle linebacker and the leader of the defense," he said. "Duke is showing me a lot of love, saying good things can happen and that Duke is on the rise."
Joseph said he has no favorite among the three and Clemson's proximity is not a major issue.
"It's a plus for them to be 40 minutes away but not a big factor in my decision," he said. "The playing time at each is about the same. Each has a great coaching staff. I can't go wrong. God will let me know what's best for me."
Joseph went to a pair of Clemson games last season and to a spring scrimmage. He visited Duke this spring and was at Louisville two weeks ago. He is going back to Clemson in early June and will make his decision around the middle of the month.
In other recruiting news:
It was just a few, short years ago a Clemson running back who went by the initials CJ ran his way into the Tigers record books and into the hearts of their fans. CJ Spiller will forever be considered one of Clemson's football greats. Now, another running back with the same initialized first name will be joining the Tigers looking to become a fan favorite. CJ Fuller of Easley committed to the Tigers on Monday following the conclusion of his spring practice, and he's well aware of the comparisons his name will draw to Spiller's career. "People around here always talk about CJ Spiller and stuff, but I just want to go in there and do my thing and see what happens," Fuller said. Clemson offered Fuller last season and he has been favoring the Tigers ever since. "It feels great," he said of the commitment. "It's just a childhood dream fulfilled. I liked them from day one. I went out and I did mu job and did my homework on other schools and came to the conclusion Clemson is on top." Fuller rushed for over 2,000 yards last season in a zone read offense and feels Clemson's offense will be a great fit. Clemson has one senior running back in 2013 and Fuller is the second running back commitment for 2014. Fuller also had offers from North Carolina, N.C. State and Louisville. He's the sixth commitment for Clemson's 2014 class.
WR Demarre Kitt of Tyrone, Ga., has set June 10 for his commitment date and is down to Clemson, Tennessee and Ohio State.
DE Kendal Vickers of Havelock, N.C., has had his mind made up to go to USC for months dating back to when Brad Lawing was recruiting him for the Gamecocks. He never publicly committed because early in the school year it did not look like he would qualify. But all of that has changed now. "He's turned out to be a qualifier," said his coach Jim Bob Bryant. However, Vickers will not enroll at USC this semester. Bryant said Vickers will enroll at Georgia Military JC this fall and will need to be there just one semester. So, he will play this season for GMA and then he plans to transfer to USC in January according to his coach. That transfer, of course, hinges on USC re-evaluating Vickers in the fall and deciding to take him. Assuming he plays and does not redshirt this season, Vickers would have four years to play three at USC. If counted toward the 2014 class, Vickers stands as the fourth commitment for that class.
RB Derrell Scott of Havelock, N.C., made an unofficial visit to USC on Saturday with his father. USC has been strong with Scott for more than a year but other schools, most notably Florida State, have made a move with him in recent weeks. "South Carolina is still in his top five," Bryant said. Florida State, Clemson, Ohio State and Oregon round out the five.
DB Darin Smalls of Summerville says that USC continues to lead for his services. He does not have a list but did name Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Tennessee as other schools of strong interest. Smalls is in no hurry to make a decision and is planning to make his announcement National Signing Day. USC, Clemson and Virginia Tech have been by to see him this spring. Smalls has plans to take several visits this summer including Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
WR Blake Bone of Woodruff was offered last week by Central Florida. That's his seventh offer. The others are USC, Clemson, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisville and North Carolina.
QB Mason Rudolph of Northwestern has a top two and is rapidly closing in on decision time. LSU and Oklahoma State are the favorites. "I'll probably make my decision in the next two or three weeks, and then I'll camp at the school I plan on going to get more familiar with their coaching staff," he said. Rudolph did not name a leader. He picked up an offer from Virginia earlier this month, his sixth.
LB Christian Miller of Spring Valley on Friday announced a decommitment from Florida. Miller had committed to the Gators in mid-February. He is still considering the Gators, along with Alabama and Tennessee.
DL Zeke Rodney of South Pointe picked up an offer from Toledo after the Rockets paid him a visit during spring practice. His other offers are S.C. State, Boston College, Louisiana-Lafayette, Marshall, Charlotte and Appalachian State. Clemson, Kansas State, Tennessee, Boston College and Indiana have also visited Rodney recently.
He plans to camp at Clemson, Florida State and Indiana. Rodney does not have any favorites.
Northwestern DB Corey Seargent was offered Thursday by Charleston Southern.
WR Quadarius Fair of Andrew Jackson is moving away from the area and won't be playing football there this season according to coach David Moore. Fair was not out for spring practice due to the pending move. Fair is also a basketball prospect and may be pursuing that.
Basketball News:
The USC women signed 5-foot-7 guard Olivia Gaines of Chester last week to a National Letter of Intent.. Gaines will have two seasons of eligibility beginning with the 2013-14 season. After her high school career at Chester, Gaines spent the last two seasons at Louisburg College, NC After helping the Hurricanes to the 2013 NJCAA Division II National Championship, Gaines was named the Junior/Community College Player of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Averaging 18.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.5 steals, the sophomore earned a spot on the NJCAA All-America team. .
The basketball spring signing period ended Wednesday and 6-7 Donte Grantham of Martinsburg, WVA decided not to sign. Grantham decided he will attend a prep school in the fall and put himself back on the market for the 2014 recruiting season. He is considering Brewster Prep in New Hampshire and Hargrave Prep in Virginia. Grantham had offers from Clemson, West Virginia, Miami, Maryland, Penn State, Xavier and others. He took an official visit to Clemson in early May.


text:
Credit and information management company uses SanDisk® Fusion ioMemory cards to slash reporting times while minimizing server footprint.
The Challenge
TransUnion Interactive, Inc. (TUI) is a consumer subsidiary of TransUnion. With TransUnion Interactive, businesses can better acquire customers, strengthen long- term customer value and increase their bottom line. Through various sites, including TransUnion.com, consumers can benefit from online educational materials and easy- to-use tools designed to help them manage and control their finances.
TransUnion Interactive's IT department maintains a reporting environment in which the company gathers information from all of its websites. Examples include number of users visited, number of visits per user, which users pulled reports, statistics around monetary profiles, and so forth.
As the number of users and data volume began to grow, generating reports took an increasingly long time. Infrastructure Architect Tim Bojorquez told us, "Generating reports on our storage-based system took upwards of 30-45 minutes. With so many jobs being run daily, some business users were not receiving their reports until the afternoon."
TUI's Director of Infrastructure and Architecture Ramdas Kenjale, worked with Tim and his team to look for ways that TUI could cost-effectively improve the performance of its reporting system to ensure employees were armed with the information they needed to make decisions when they arrived in the morning.
The Solution
Tim told us he had investigated SanDisk's Fusion ioMemoryTM ioDrive® cards several years earlier. He was impressed by the performance, but it did not fit within the efficient blade architecture they had standardized on. "We needed a solid-state solution that would fit into our blade architecture," Tim said. "When we heard the ioDrive mezzanine product was available, we knew we could get the performance we needed. We implemented servers with the maximum PCIe slots and leveraged the Fusion ioMemory products' full capacity."
Powering Reporting Performance
To implement the system, TUI installed the ioDrive cards into the reporting blade server and moved the reporting databases off the back-end storage and onto the SanDisk-powered system. The results spoke for themselves.
"Reporting jobs went from going across the network to a hard disk-based NFS system to solid-state media located within the blade servers themselves," Tim said. "Generating reports went from taking 30 to 45 minutes to about five minutes running off the ioDrive cards."
"Reports run four to five times faster, at a minimum, than they used to," Ramdas stated. "What this means is that everyone who uses these reports for their work— from Accounting to Marketing—has their reports at the beginning of the day. This means they are equipped with timely information to help them make the best decisions."
Quick and Easy Implementation
TUI was also pleased with the ease of implementing the Fusion ioMemory products.
"Our storage-based reporting environment was already built on blades," Tim told us. "A key factor in our decision to purchase the ioDrive cards was that we didn't have to worry about redesigning our system. Implementing them required a simple installation and moving the data around a bit."
Tim Bojorquez, Infrastructure Architect, TransUnion Interactive
Excelling in Efficiency
TUI's system was designed to maximize performance while saving maintenance, floor space, and energy costs. Adding ioDrive cards to the mix took their ROI to a new level.
"The ROI on the ioDrive cards is considerable. Without SanDisk, the IOPS necessary to support fast reporting under our current query load would have taken shelves of capacity," Tim said. "We would have needed 10-12 shelves of disk storage and three times the money to equal the IOPS capabilities three ioDrive cards achieved with a single blade server. SanDisk was not only faster, but more cost effective."
"The ioDrive cards are less expensive than competing solid-state products when priced on performance," Ramdas added. "Performance was our primary goal, but the ioDrive cards enabled us to do more with less hardware, which is always a benefit."
Database Servers
Storage (NFS)
Database Servers
Storage (NFS)
Implementing the ioDrive cards gave TUI the following benefits:
Tim is thrilled with the SanDisk-powered blade system and told us, "We just purchased higher capacity ioDrive cards to grow the reporting environment and look forward to evaluating several other I/O constrained areas where the existing ones can be used."
About the Customer
TransUnion Interactive, Inc. is a consumer subsidiary of TransUnion. As a global leader in information and risk management, TransUnion creates advantages for millions of people around the world by gathering, analyzing and delivering information. For businesses, TransUnion helps improve efficiency, manage risk, reduce costs and increase revenue by delivering high-quality data, and integrating advanced analytics and enhanced decision-making capabilities. For consumers, TransUnion provides the tools, resources and education to help manage their credit health and achieve their financial goals. Through these and other efforts, TransUnion is working to build stronger economies worldwide. Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Chicago, TransUnion reaches businesses and consumers in 25 countries around the world.
SanDisk предлагает решения, которые помогут оптимально использовать инфраструктуру как компании из списка Fortune 500, так и стартапа с пятью сотрудниками.
Персонал отдела продаж SanDisk готов ответить на ваши вопросы и обсудить разработку специализированного решения SanDisk для вашей организации.
Мы будем рады ответить на ваши вопросы, для этого просим вас заполнить форму.
Спасибо. Мы получили ваш запрос.


text:
We are sorry, this product is currently not available.
Minted + domino Art Print Challenge: we partnered with design marketplace Minted to find fresh up-and-coming art to feature on domino.com! From the thousands of submissions, we've uncovered 75 brand new pieces, 25 of which are exclusive to domino.
Standard Paper & Framing
A thick, matte art paper in a brilliant white hue. Standard framed art prints are custom fitted using plexi glass, a protective backing, bumpers and hanging wire.
White Premium Wood
• Handcrafted white wood frame.
• Frame width is .75" for dimensions 16 x 20 and smaller; 1.5" for dimensions 18 x 24 and larger.
Since moving to New York City, I've had a love affair with the Brooklyn Bridge. Its symmetry, history, and architecture inspire me each time I lay my eyes upon it. On a cold morning, towards the end of a winter storm, I wandered to the bridge's walkway in hopes of capturing the iconic structure without any foot traffic. The snowfall helped me to isolate the bridge's architecture even more, minimizing the skyline behind it.
About the Artist Jason Derck:
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, now living in Brooklyn, NY, Jason has always had an interest in captured moments. Starting with polaroid as an infant, to disposables as a teen, he now uses primarily DSLRs to highlight the world that surrounds him. His interests are nature, urban landscapes, and interactions between the two. If he could do anything, it would be to go on a hike and explore a new location.
Artist Location: Brooklyn, New York
For more ideas check out domino and MINTED art challenge


text:
DeveloperWiki:Package signing
This page will act as a brain dump and collaborative design document for implementation of package signing in pacman.
See also: Package Signing Proposal for Pacman
- 1 Currently implemented signing functionality in pacman and associated tools
- 2 How Arch will implement package signing
- 3 Course of action
- 4 How signing is implemented in other distributions
- 5 Links
Currently implemented signing functionality in pacman and associated tools
- Template:Codeline can sign a package
- Template:Codeline can add said signature to the database and sign the database
- Template:Codeline exists for the sake of managing keys, but there is missing functionality
- Template:Codeline can verify package signatures from repo databases, detached (.sig) package signatures, and signatures of the repos themselves (still some work to do)
How Arch will implement package signing
- Packages will be signed using Template:Codeline. This creates a detached binary signature (.sig).
- The signed package will be added to the repository, and a detached signature of the repository will be generated, using Template:Codeline. The command line options indicate that the signature of the old database will be verified, and that the new database will be signed. Independently of these options, Template:Codeline will detect the detached signature, convert it via base64 to ASCII, and add it to the repository.
- Template:Codeline will download both the databases and the database signatures and verify the databases upon database sync and each time the database is opened. When a package is loaded, its signature will be checked whether that comes from a repo database or a standalone .sig file.
Course of action
These are the changes that need to be made before Arch can implement package signing.
arch-keyring package
Some package will be created that contains all necessary keys for an Arch user to validate package signatures.
Key Policy
The DeveloperWiki page for key creation must be finalized. Several developers and now Kerrick are working on this; feel free to contribute.
Key creation, submission and verification
Solely the responsibility of the developers. This page gives the current progress.
pactests must be written for all signing functionality. This is a big issue; if you would like to contribute, this is a good place to do so.
Documentation for the new features must be reviewed and finalized.
Additional Features
These are important but non-essential features that should be added soon after package signing is implemented. Work on these issues can start now, but priority should be given to the "requirements" above.
Package validation without root privileges
Currently, pacman's GnuPG home directory (aka gpgdir, typically /etc/pacman.d/gnupg/) must be locked in order to check a package's signature. Only root can perform this locking, so either locking must be disabled for read-only accesses, or the directory must be copied/linked to a writable location when a user is performing package verification.
Timeline for increasing security
A timeline for transitioning between some unsigned packages and a fully-signed set of packages must be made. This is the responsibility of the developers.
Allan's TODO list
Allan has a TODO list with further needed features at User:Allan/Package Signing.
How signing is implemented in other distributions
Frugalware uses a fork of pacman which implements package signing (verify)
Arch based distro gnuffy uses signed packages with their custom package manager Spaceman modeled on pacman.
Binary packages (.deb)
To sum up, the GPG signature is included in the .deb.
Regular non signed binary packages are "ar" archives of at least 3 files:
- data.tar.gz (files to be installed)
- control.tar.gz (package metadata)
- debian-binary (contains the version of the deb format)
Signed packages also have a _gpgorigin file at the root of the .deb that is a "gpg -abs" of the concatenation of the 3 laters (as explained here):
cat debian-binary control.tar.gz data.tar.gz > /tmp/combined-contents gpg -abs -o _gpgorigin /tmp/combined-contents (-a "Create ASCII armored output" ; -b "detach signature" ; -s "sign")
Source packages
Original files are provided on the repo like this acpid_2.0.4.orig.tar.gz with diff if necessary (acpid_2.0.4-1.diff.gz). A description file containing MD5sums of the orig.tar.gz and diff.gz is written and signed using GPG and uploaded along these.
- Signature type: GPG
- Stored: in the RPM
A RPM package is a tarball of installed files to which is added a header made up of metadata (name of package, version, ...). This metadata can contain a GPG signature of the tarball. See the file format specification for details.
NB: packages built for the RedHat Network are signed with the RedHat official key(s) but technically a RPM can be signed using any other key (one can even add another signature to the RPM)
To check a package correction, one must first import the signer's key first: Example for RedHat
rpm --import /usr/share/doc/rpm-4.1/RPM-GPG-KEY
And can then check signature manually:
$ rpm -K openldap-clients-2.3.43-4.x86_64.rpm openldap-clients-2.3.43-4.x86_64.rpm: sha1 md5 OK
And even fully check the package (MD5):
$ rpm -Kv openldap-clients-2.3.43-4.x86_64.rpm openldap-clients-2.3.43-4.x86_64.rpm: SHA1 header hash: OK (65999383ad859be0ce337aee4c1f6bd049ebe4a0) MD5 sum: OK (4be23a341d23b794d08fbee35c459c83)
Option --nogpg prevents rpm from checking GPG signatures
- Enable Official Distribution package signature but also enables personal and multiple signatures
- Implies complicated package format with header containing signature of an inner tarball (not very KISS)
- Space greedy on repos
For each package, a small description file containing the SHA sum of the package is created. That file is then signed using gpg (.dsc) and uploaded within the same folder as the package:
gpg --clearsign description_of_package
See result for acpid in Ubuntu
- Space greedy (2 files for 1 package)
Bug reports
Mailing list discussions and patches
- Add Keyring option in alpm/pacman
- Package signing again
- PATCH (newgpg) Let pacman specify GnuPG's home directory.
- Dan's pacman tree build&test
- GPG work
- GPG signature option in makepkg patch
- GPG signature support for makepkg
- GPG signature option in makepkg, adapted to Dan McGee's suggestions patch
- GPG verification patch
- GPGSIG in repo-add patch
- Signing by default
- Package Database signing
- Pointless to use non-md5 for makepkg INTEGRITY_CHECK
- Can we trust our mirrors
- Multiple/Shared Architectures