text:
Tells you what's happening in Telecommunications around the world
The theme of the ITU events
in Dakar was "Enabling
Tomorrow's Digital World".
GSR-10 examined how regulators
can stimulate nationwide
broadband deployment
through adaptive and targeted
regulations and out-of-the-box thinking. It stressed
that for markets to thrive,
regulators must keep up with
the pace of convergence and
integration of ubiquitous
networks through adapting
institutional structures and
mandates, adopting cuttingedge
best practices and embracing new tools such as
innovative dispute resolution techniques.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré urged the world's ICT
regulators to do for the
Internet and broadband
what they have so successfully
achieved with mobile.
Dr Touré stressed that two
things need to change if the
online world is to become a
ubiquitous resource for all
Africans. "First, governments
need to raise broadband to
the top of the development
agenda. Secondly, we need
to ensure that Internet access
— and especially broadband access — becomes
very much more affordable. This is where the GSR can play an important role.
Affordability is dramatically improved when competitive
forces are brought to bear, and when there are
clear incentives to increase capacity."
Paying tribute to President
Abdoulaye Wade and all the
Senegalese authorities for
hosting the event, Dr Touré
recalled the great actions implemented
by the President
in both Senegal and Africa to
bridge the digital divide and
to bring the benefits of ICT
to all. He reminded the audience
that President Wade
was a visionary who had
contributed greatly to the
success of the World Summit
on the Information Society
(WSIS) with his brilliant initiative
to create the Digital
Solidarity Fund. ITU was
very proud to honour President Wade with its firstever
World Information Society Award in Geneva, on
17 May 2006.
Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director of ITU's
Telecommunication Development Bureau, underlined
that since the first GSR in 2000, the popularity of the
event had grown steadily. "I am glad to have been
involved in its success, first as a national regulator
and over the last four years as Director of BDT. I am
very pleased to have been able, in this position, to
organize the GSR in sub-Saharan Africa for the first
time in the history of the event," he stated.
Recalling that there are 156 ICT regulators in
the world today, Mr Al Basheer said that thanks to
their efforts, access to Internet services is open to
competition in 93 per cent of markets and competition
in the provision of basic services is the norm in
more than 66 per cent of markets. The ICT sector
has experienced tremendous growth in recent years
to reach an estimated 5.3 billion
mobile cellular subscriptions
worldwide, including
940 million subscriptions to
3G services at year-end 2010.
Outlining this progress,
Mr Al Basheer commented
that regulators have played
a leading role in creating an
enabling environment and
fostering innovation and investment.
However, their
focus must now shift. "Not only do we need to create
and sustain an enabling environment
for investment, and
foster market growth, but we
must also ensure effective
digital inclusion for all. Despite the progress in mobile
telephony and the Internet, particular efforts need to
be made to support the availability of infrastructure
and services in underserved and rural areas," Mr Al
Basheer added.
Two sets of recommendations from the Global
Industry Leaders' Forum, the first on the topic of "securing a wireless future", and the second on "creating
a light touch policy and regulatory environment"
also helped shape the GSR-10 debate. Mahfoudh
Ould Brahim, Deputy Director-General of mobile
operator Expresso, Senegal, who chaired the Forum
presented these recommendations, along with a report
(see story).
GSR-10 also heard a report from the meeting of
regional regulatory associations, held in Dakar on
9 November, and where experiences were shared
and discussion focused on ways to further intraregional
cooperation, as well as on the status and
challenges of regulatory harmonization, regional
experiences with regard to international mobile
roaming, and the transition from analogue to digital
broadcasting. This report was presented by Alagi
B. Gaye, Director General of Gambia's Public Utilities
Regulatory Authority, and Vice Chairman of the West
Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly
(WATRA), who chaired the meeting of regional regulatory
In eight interactive sessions, GSR-10 covered such
topics as building tomorrow's digital world today:
the impact of broadband on the economy; 21st century
regulation; spectrum in transition: the digital
dividend; dispute resolution in the ICT sector; ICT and
climate change: what role for regulators?; addressing
cyberthreats; living the information society; and
measuring regulatory efficiency. Discussion Papers on
these topics were issued for the global gathering enriching
the debate.
In addition to these sessions, two workshops
were held on "Connect a School, Connect a
Community" and on "National School Connectivity
Plans " featuring ITU's flagship initiative "Connect a
School, Connect a Community", along with country
projects. A final session of the GSR discussed "the
way forward".
GSR-10 also saw the launch of a special 10th
Anniversary Edition of the Telecommunications
Regulation Handbook, which has been jointly developed
by ITU's Telecommunication Development
Bureau and infoDev (World Bank). Complementing
the ICT Regulation Toolkit, the handbook provides
regulators with a solid basis on which to develop
national strategies to foster the growth of digital
* The GSR-10 Chairman's Report provides a comprehensive summary of all the sessions and workshops (and is available at:www.itu.int/ITUD/treg/Events/Seminars/GSR/GSR10/documents/GSRChairman_report.pdf).


text:
At the office I'm very lucky to try out the cheep tablets and for the bucks they are OK but just that. I find they can be quirky, have an unfinished OS and Apps with no apparent updates ever. So while we paid 99USD for it, I can imagine a consumer would be upset as they didn't understand what I'm inferring when I write "cheep."
Hi I am new to tablets I have not had one before, I am confused what is the differance between the versus 9 tablet and samsung galaxy 2, One is £300.00 and one is l£109.00. Both run on android 4.
I would be using a tablet mainly for the internet and console type games, graphicly is there a differance does one look better than the other. Or slower or what?
I thought I had made my mind up to get an Ipad 2 or a samsung galaxy but keep seeing cheaper tablets. So would I still get what I want with a cheaper tablet I want the graphics to look good and games to play good.
Thanks for your help from confused.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Check Out Archives of growth chart
Watch Me Grow – Growth Charts Make the Best Gifts
Growth charts make some of the best and most thoughtful presents. They are perfect for showers, birthdays, or just that special someone for that special occasion. Check out Thoughtful Inspirations for unique, personalized growth charts.


text:
Why You've Never Seen an Ad for Broccoli
A great ad from the Foodbank NYC. Not for broccoli.
In the wake of the fried chicken and bacon-y beast that is the Double Down, we now know that a grossly unhealthy product can be successfully marketed to the masses on strength of novelty alone. And it makes you consider the converse--why is marketing for healthy foods like fruit and produce nearly nonexistent? How come you've never seen an ad on TV for broccoli?Matthew Yglesias asked that question earlier today and has already sparked a (groan-worthy pun incoming ...) healthy debate.
It's Easy to Market Junk Food
The catalyst was a NY Times article about how companies market junk food to kids. From the piece:
"Despite the industry's self-regulatory system, the vast majority of food and entertainment companies have no protections in place for children," said Margo G. Wootan, the center's nutrition policy director. In the center's analysis of marketing to children, released last November, the highest grade, a B-plus, went to the candy maker Mars, which does not market to children under 12 and avoids other gimmicks that attract them.Which led Yglesias to wonder why bananas and broccoli aren't being marketed to kids: "This stuff is sold in stores, in exchange for money. Presumably there are for-profit enterprises out there with a vested interest in selling more," he writes.
"If companies were marketing bananas and broccoli, we wouldn't be concerned," Dr. Wootan said. "But instead, most marketing is for sugary cereals, fast food, snack foods and candy. And this junk-food marketing is a major contributor to childhood obesity."
The question has garnered a number of responses from around the blogosphere, but the primary takeaway is that companies that sell, say, a certain cereal or fast food can brand their products to give them a market advantage. A single broccoli grower has a lot more difficulty doing so--if they were to advertise broccoli in general, they'd be advertising for their competitors as well.
How to Market Healthy Foods?
There is, as you're probably aware, a long history of bananas being marketed to Americans, but that was largely because there was one major banana company (first United Fruit, then renamed Chiquita Banana). And advertising bananas meant you'd most likely be buying that company's bananas (they also were able to put stickers on the bananas to brand them).
The Incidental Economist explains further:
the basic problem is that a banana or a broccoli crown are commodities. A single grower could promote its product but who looks for a specific brand of grape or tomato? (Some do, but not many.) The meat and dairy industries have solved the collective action problem so we have seen advertising for those products ("The other white meat." "Got milk?") The question is, why are some food industries able to organize and not others?So if broccoli growers were able to unite (or even produce growers) to collectively advertise healthy veggies, we may see campaigns encouraging healthy eating of certain veggies. But a few problems remain--first, most Americans still don't seem to be too interested in eating too many vegetables, making such an advertising campaign risky. And that's largely because, second, profit margins are already very slim for many veggie growers. Which is of course partly because the US gov subsidizes corn and little else--healthy veggies get the shrift. Which is why a tomato and a small bag of Doritos cost about the same.
Needless to say, there's a whole can of worms to dig into here, but that's a start . . .
More on Food Marketing
Expert Says: Make Healthy Fast Food Affordable
Double Down: How KFC Sold America the Vilest Food Product Created by Man


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Following disappointing showings in the nation's Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses, Bill Bradley and John S. McCain dropped out of the presidential race in rapid order yesterday, ensuring that the Democratic and Republican nominations will go to Vice President Al Gore '69 and Texas Gov. George W. Bush.
On Tuesday, McCain only managed four victories--in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont--in the 13 Republican contests, while Gore swept all 16 Democratic primaries and caucuses.
Yesterday morning, as expected, they both withdrew from the race, each vowing to keep fighting for the issues they believe in.
"We have been defeated but our cause has not," Bradley said at a news conference in West Orange, N.J. He vowed that he would continue to fight for his signature issues of improved race relations, health care and campaign finance reform.
While Bradley did not release the 412 delegates he has won--so they will have a voice at the Democratic National Convention in August--he immediately endorsed Gore for the presidency.
"I believe a Democratic president can do more for this country than a Republican president can," Bradley said. He added that Gore has his "full support" and that now is the "time for unity" to win the White House.
Bradley said his campaign failed because unions and the Democratic party establishment supported Gore and because he failed to communicate that his candidacy was not one of "self interest."
"It certainly shows that when you do battle with entrenched power that it's very difficult and, indeed, I think that's what the story of the campaign was," Bradley said.
Read more in NewsRadcliffe Eyes Cronkhite Center
Recommended Articles
Student Supporters Key to Final PushLate Monday night, Shauna L. Shames '01 crept around on strangers' porches, dropping pamphlets bearing Bill Bradley's likeness on their
McCain Trounces Bush, Gore Edges Bradley in NH PrimarySen. John S. McCain scored a landslide double-digit victory over Republican front runner Texas Gov. George W. Bush in yesterday's
Stumbling Over the GraniteNew Hampshire primary results should send sharp rebuke to party leadership If there is a chink in the armor of
Gore, Bush Seal Nominations With Huge WinsFrom sea to shining sea, Al Gore '69 and George W. Bush cruised to victory in numerous Super Tuesday primaries
Campaigning Students Celebrate, Despair After Super Tues.Though her candidate is hinting that he will drop out of the presidential race, Mattie Germer '03 says she does
The Spectre of ReformAfter an abrupt end to the competitive primary season, the two candidates who have received their parties' nominations--Vice President Al


text:
Miloud (in MSA: mawlid an-nabawi) is the celebration of the Prophet Mohamed's birthday. It is a national holiday in Morocco and falls on Monday, December 12, this year. Although primarily a family holiday throughout Morocco, it is a special occasion in Meknes, where it coincides with a pilgrimage to honor the holy man, Sheik Al-Kamal (Mohamed Ben Issa). This was a famous Sufi who created the Isawa brotherhood in Meknes in the 15th century. The Isawa are still well known in Meknes and throughout Morocco, particularly for their religious music. To hear some of this music during a party at the AALIM center, click here.
On this holiday, people come from all over Morocco, many of them from small Bedouin villages. Every vacant lot in the city is occupied by large canvas tents in which people from the same family or village sleep. Local family and extended-family members in Meknes contribute huge platters of couscous to feed them. There are also restaurant tents and a general atmosphere of carnival or fair time, with stands selling everything from food to clothing, matresses to toys.
The pilgrims visit Sheik Al-Kamal's tomb as well as the cemetery surrounding it; some partake in demonstrations of religious fervor while others simply watch.
Another aspect of the celebration is the famous "fantasia", a demonstration of horsemanship by Bedouin riders. Originally a demonstration of warriors' prowess, the fantasia now consists of mounted men in traditional garb who gather at the end of a large empty field and at a signal ride as fast as possible to the other end, where they rein in and discharge their traditional rifles, known in the Moroccan dialect as "bundukiyya". To see a video of this, click here.
The out of town visitors stay in Menes for three days before disappearing as suddenly as they arrived.


text: What is a Urogynecologist? A urogynecologist is a physician with specialized training in conditions that affect the female pelvic floor. Urogynecologists are obstetricians/gynecologists or urologists who have completed a two or three-year fellowship program that provides in-depth training in both non-surgical and surgical management of non-cancerous conditions that affect the female pelvic organs. This includes evaluation of the muscles, connective tissues and structures that are necessary for normal bladder, vaginal and bowel function. Some of the common conditions that urogynecologists treat include: urinary leakage (incontinence), pelvic organ prolapse (dropping of the uterus, bladder or rectum – also known as cystocele or rectocele), overactive bladder, recurrent urinary tract infections, vaginal atrophy (thinning of the vaginal skin which is common after menopause), accidental bowel leakage, urinary retention and maternal complications of child birth. Click here for information about scheduling an appointment with one of our urogynecologists.


text: Pink Sofa is a lesbian dating site. The site is free to register and offers features such as instant messaging, forums and chat rooms. When doing a local search there were not that many matches. The site has good potential however we suggest trying out the free version first and see if you have any matches in your area before signing up for a paid membership.


text:
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post116511878548780743..comments2019-09-11T04:20:20.048-04:00Comments on History Is Elementary: Martin Van Buren: He's So K-E-W-LEHThttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1165292506566742962006-12-04T23:21:00.000-05:002006-12-04T23:21:00.000-05:00Thanks Jenny....I have to say for some of the bad ...Thanks Jenny....I have to say for some of the bad things the Internet has brought us the good far outweighs the problems.

CTG, murky? Did you click on over to American Presidents and read the entire piece?elementaryhistoryteacherhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1165155388942863942006-12-03T09:16:00.000-05:002006-12-03T09:16:00.000-05:00Well, this is just an OK little piece about the or...Well, this is just an OK little piece about the origins, however murky, of the word that has become the universal shorthand for "all right" or "yes." Thanks for this enjoyable journey into the past.CaliforniaTeacherGuyhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1165134960881086772006-12-03T03:36:00.000-05:002006-12-03T03:36:00.000-05:00that translation of A Midsummer's night dream made...that translation of A Midsummer's night dream made me sad. How much is missed.
It is amazing how fast things are changing technology-wise.
We live in amazing times, it will be interesting to see how text-messaging, blogging, myspace and youtube shape then next generations.
I do have to say, I can't imagine homeschooling without the internet. It is so easy now to research things, find answers, print a worksheet...
enjoyed your post,
Jenny in CaJenniferhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Christine Wood and Jane Poynter
Red Gallery Contemporary Art Space 2005
It's pitch black and it's cold. From the dunes it would be hard to work out what these two photographers are doing up to their knees in the sea in the middle of the night. In between shouts and hoots of laughter a flash fires and then they run back up the beach and start the process again.
Christine and Jane are creating camera-less prints underwater. Each 8 x 10" piece of photographic paper is exposed by a large flash unit while being held just under the surface of the water. Each 'negative' is unique, capturing all the elements of the seashore – the motion of the waves, sand, seaweed and foam.
Each print is scanned and the two photographers work on the digital files separately, coming together again in this exhibition. The works represent both the collaboration of the initial creative process and the different art practice of the two artists. Both artists have chosen to select small details from the paper negatives, but have presented their pieces using very different methods.
Christine Wood's work is a series of large photographic prints mounted on perspex. The prints sizes have been arranged in a grid to reflect the inherent order in nature. Colours found in nature have been used to emphasize the shapes within the original black and white images.


text:
Types of Business Owners Three years ago Neil Stanford and I started our own car lot. We were both tired of working for the corporate world and surrendering our quality of life, everyday, to someone else. We longed to be our OWN boss. But, what it took for us to get started was a HUGE amount of capital up front. We had to rent monthly office space (1k), apply for a dealer license (12k), apply to 5 Dealer tags with the state (1k), furnish our office space (1k), pay for our advertising and then take out a loan to stock our lot with cars to sell (27k). All that effort and money STILL did not guarantee us profit as we had a TON of overhead to clear long before we earned our own living. When Neil leaves for vacation, we have to pay for an employee to cover our business. There was no "working system for success" in place for us to easily follow. We just figured it out, and we definitely made mistakes. This model is HIGH RISK> HIGH OVERHEAD.
I started my Beachbody business two years ago with $40. I did not (have to) buy any products or inventory. I immediately had a training system handed to me and a team of coaches mentoring me. My risk was nothing. I could walk away with no obligation and lose nothing, unlike our car lot where we'd still have a lease and a heafty loan to fulfill. When I started earning with Beachbody, I kept 100% of my profits right away. Beachbody provided my advertising, brand recognition, world-wide known products, customer service dept, my own website, shipping and administration... ALL with my $40 start up investment. I could literally leave for a week and my business would still thrive. Truly, compared to starting up our car lot, Beachbody has been an entrepreneurs DREAM job for me. I started earning from Day ONE and now after two years of consistency, I earn MORE than I did with my pharmaceutical career, even at its peak. This model is LOW RISK> LOW OVERHEAD.
Both new business models have unlimited potential. But our car lot SCARES us sometimes if we dont cover our business overhead, much less earn enough to cover our personal finances. I can honestly say since I am a part of BOTH businesses, my Beachbody business model is much more financially savvy since it has no overhead and an immediate income opportunity. Neil works for himself AND by himself. I work for myself, but not by myself. I have a team and a company backing me.
What does it take to be successful as an entrepreneur in ANY business? BELIEF in 1) your product 2) your company mission and most of all 3) YOURSELF. If you are LONGING to "be your own boss" like Neil and I once were, you truly CAN create your own destiny with Beachbody and afford your own business. Not everyone needs candles, housewares, handbags or even cars. But EVERYONE needs health and fitness regardless of age, sex or economic status. In fact, our country is in an obesity and disease crisis and NEEDS you. Beachbody has 115,000 coaches and are projecting we need at least 1 million to fill the population's demand. I am looking for FIVE SERIOUS entrepreneurs that are READY to take control of their own financial destiny, that want to build a career, pad their retirement account or even live towards being debt free. I am in the top %1 of all Beachbody coaches and will be personally mentoring YOU. I will be choosing my FIVE new apprentices by this FRIDAY. Im excited to have you join our Team http://seaystanford.com/apply/


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Friday, December 27, 2013
Internet Use Admissible In Death Of Child
A mother convicted of negligent homicide and related offenses after one of her children drowned in a bathtub and another was severely injured appealed, claiming the the trial court erred in admitting evidence of her internet use while the children were in the tub.
The evidence showed that she was on a web page that was devoted to discussion of breast implants.
The defendant gave conflicting accounts to police and other witnesses
about the nature and length of her computer use, but admitted that she
"posted [a] blog" on a website named "myfreeimplants.com." The State
described the website, which the defendant admitted that she had visited since
2007, as a "social networking website where people can make donations for
others to get free breast implants." A forensic examination of the defendant's
computer resulted in a report that documented nearly continuous user activity,
exclusively at myfreeimplants.com, from 4:20 p.m. to 5:02 p.m. The majority of
entries were associated with viewing and writing blog posts on
myfreeimplants.com or sending messages on the website. The report
documented only when a user entered, or was directed to, a new web address;
thus, several gaps existed in user activity during which the user could have
been watching videos, reading online content, or composing messages.
The conviction was affirmed by the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
WMUR9 had this report. (Mike Frisch)


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Pam Kelly, Nottingham
Pam's son is in long-term recovery from addiction, including heroin use.
When he first sought treatment more than a decade ago, Pam says there were few places for her to turn for help in New Hampshire. Today, she's glad there's more public awareness and slightly less stigma around addiction
— but she says there's still a long way to go.
(The audio and transcript below have been lightly edited for clarity.)
Pam's Story, In Her Own Words
I am in recovery from the effects of a family member's addiction. In this case, my son's, which included long-term heroin use.
The most important moment for me was when I was able to accept that my son has a chronic relapsing brain disease — and that what I could do was to let him know that I would never lose hope for his recovery, that I had confidence in his ability to get well, and that I'd always be there for him.
What worked for me was being able to talk about this stuff without shame and secrecy, because those two things are the main ingredients in stigma. And stigma is what keeps people who have this disorder from coming forward to get the help they need.
What didn't work for me was having to listen to other people talk about, for example, some young person who'd just been arrested on drug charges, and to hear them speculate in such a judgmental and shocked way about what a horrible home life or what terrible parents this kid must have. Because I knew that my kids were loved and nurtured and protected. And I knew that my home was safe and sound. But I also realized that I was surrounded by a lot of ignorance — and that even though I believe ignorance is a curable disorder, the people who have it need to be interested in curing their ignorance. And many were not.
I wish more people realized that addiction is a disorder. It's not a choice. It's not a moral failing. Even when I listen to well-intentioned news programs or forums about the opioid epidemic, I hear the interviewer probing one of the panelists for juicy stories about his or her years of active use and addiction for entertainment value. And it's about time that we focus on treatment and recovery. I mean, do we dwell on how someone with obesity-related diabetes used to have binge-eating episodes or how they had out of control weight gain or were unable to follow a sensible diet? I mean, we don't want to hear those war stories.
I also wish that more people understood that this is a chronic disorder. And that means like other chronic disorders, such as heart disease, asthma, I mean hypertension and of course diabetes, they have to be treated with long-term management, and not just acute care.
I've learned over the years of my encounters with this disease that opinion cannot hold a candle to those with experience. We have to listen to those with experience. And not to those who have only theories and opinions to offer.
These Days, Pam Sees 'A Lot of Lip Service' From Policymakers
What I see, unfortunately, I see a lot of lip service among our policymakers, our politicians, our public officials. Because they recognize that there is a grassroots movement for addiction recovery support and services, and they recognize that it is a healthcare crisis. They recognize that there's an opioid disaster going on, in this state and certainly other states. So they talk the talk.
But then you see what agenda they're actually pushing or legislating, and it turns out they really want more law enforcement. They really want to get those bad drug pushers off the street. It's a very popular, sadly popular, stance. And that, mostly, I attribute to ignorance. Because people haven't really taken the time to think about how our war on drugs, which has been going on for 100 years, is a total failure.
If you look at the prohibition of alcohol, you can see all the bad things that came from that. We have the same thing going on. You have the illegal trade, which is hugely lucrative, and you have a huge demand. As long as you have a demand, I don't care how many drug pushers you pick off the streets. A lot of these dealers are really just small-time dealers and they're just selling to feed their own habits. They're not the big pushers.
So we have a program in New Hampshire called 'Granite Hammer,' which is just going to put more money into law enforcement, which is so expensive. Not only law enforcement, but going through the courts — I know the process, since I worked in the courts — and it's just not the way to deal with this. People don't get healthy and don't get into recovery by being shamed or by being punished.
It's just not how you treat somebody with a disease.


text:
There are many interesting applications which can greatly benefit from a graph database now, and in the coming years. The key challenge is to have a distributed graph database that can handle large amount of graph data and efficiently parallelize processing for speed. TigerGraph has unique technology that delivers today.
The electric power grid is a 'physical world' graph consisting of power generators, transformers, transmission lines, switches, meters, which is constantly changing. A real-time graph engine is essential to manage equipment in the grid and dynamically compute and estimate the electric power flowing in the grid for safety, efficiency and operations planning. We chose TigerGraph for three reasons: its real-time high performance computational power, its scalability to process large graphs, and its flexible and powerful SDK which enables my teams to develop vertical applications quickly and efficiently.
We tried many Graph databases but none met our requirements because of slow loading speed or slow query performance. TigerGraph's super fast data loading speed and real-time sub-second query performance on large datasets provides unparalleled performance advantages. It's a tool that really lets you tap into the full benefits of a graph analytics platform.
We have been using TigerGraph for two years now at Wish. TigerGraph's speed, scalability and graph model have enabled many applications for us that we previously thought were overly challenging.
Just installed TigerGraph developer edition: it is very easy to setup a new stand-alone environment. Now it's time to learn more about this powerful graph database.
TigerGraph is the first graph processing system that makes a serious attempt to store the data in native graph form that is suited for parallel processing. It carries out this vision throughout the entire implementation stack, building everything with a view toward efficient parallel processing. We are in the age of big data. We're in the age of huge graphs that no longer fit in a single machine, or if they do, they are large enough that computation over them is not efficiently carried out on a single machine. We need to parallelize this computation. In order to do that, we need to start from a platform that is already sensitive to the issues arriving from parallelization.
Outstanding performance in industry, surprising fast loading speed, efficient use of disk and memory, no noticeable delay in exploration in GraphStudio and GSQL is easy to learn!


text:
Wednesday, 13 August 2014
26 comments:
Your page is so very beautiful. The colours and layers are amazing...I admire you for using G49...I just cannot scrap with it and you used it so perfectly. Stunning little flower cluster. Your journaling touches me... we just have to meet up in real life at some time xxxReplyDelete
I don't know how you do it but you find the neatest sites! I love this! Such a beautifully composed piece, your layers, the colors, your embellies. Perfect, just perfect. Your journaling is perfect. Don't you wish the wisdom we gain with our age could happen when we're in our 20's ;) Ah, who am I kidding, we wouldn't be carefree and unafraid then. Wisdom comes at a perfect time i our lives :) Thank you for another wonderful challenge blog, I like this one :)ReplyDelete
Paula xoxo
Gorgeous Val & well done for being able to scrap about yourself! Always a challenge for me but I'm planning on doing it more often. And I do love a bit of G45 but I feel that I never do it justice. You have really used the beautiful pps to their full potential :)ReplyDelete
I agree with Jo - you've done the G45 proud! LOOVE the 1920s era too...& this is a FAB blog! My fave bit is the messy circle!!! It all ties it together so NEATLY... LOL .... Sorry ... In a pun mood;)ReplyDelete
A lovely photo of you! You are beautiful inside and out. And I love meeting another 50-something woman!!! Thank you so much for joining us at Challenge YOUrself. Your layout is gorgeous!ReplyDelete
Beautiful layout Val.ReplyDelete
Superb work with the Graphic 45...like Lynette, I find it difficult to work with. Maybe that's because I mostly scrap children's pages. But you made is look timeless and elegant, like the subject in question. Love the floral paper on the black background. The layering is beautiful, as is the journalling, all of which strikes a chord with me. It's wonderful to be at a stage in life where other people's opinions no longer matter. Perfection :)ReplyDelete
Just Beautiful Val. I love how everything on your page has a meaning to you , to who you are. I have this on my to do list, but a bit scared about doing it. Wonderful journalling, I love every little thing about this wonderful pageReplyDelete
Absolutely gorgeous, Val. I love how you've created this with all the little bits that are a part of you and what makes you YOU :) Amazing journaling as always too....fabo work :)ReplyDelete
oh! Val, this is a really beautiful page and a lovely photo of you too. I love the layers and the doodling and the crackly number, everything in fact! Also, have I ever mentioned how gorgeous your blog looks? Even the pinterest button comes up with a coordinating frame, so pretty! :o)ReplyDelete
Dear Val this page is fantastic. You look awesome and please at 58! Your selection of G45 are beautiful and the lady in the corner make me laugh. You are like my granny always beautiful, kind but ahead of your time. Your beautiful journaling lift my spirits. You make me look at 50s as a perfect time in ones life. Thank you for touching my life full of inspiration. You are an awesome lady.ReplyDelete
Oh Val - this is fabulous! I love the idea of scrapping about yourself and you've done such a fantastic job of it. And I especially love the messy circle and the vintage lady.ReplyDelete
Amazing Val! Love your color selection and all the doodling and journalling. Such a calm feel with this layout! Love the vintage too. So glad you joined in on the fun at Challenge YOUrself :)ReplyDelete
This is such a beautiful layout, Val! I love that photo of you, too. You have surrounded yourself here, as in life, with things that make you happy--and deservedly so! Congratulations on being a magical "58"!ReplyDelete
Hi Val :-)ReplyDelete
I have to agree with all of the ladies above --- Beautiful layout ! I just love the use of those pretty papers to scrapbook that photo of you. The mix of soft colours, against the strong black accents, looks so nice and is so appropriate for the journaling expressing both sides of you. I admire you for taking on the "Challenge YOU" challenge and giving us a chance to know you better. Great work, as always.
Beautiful layout Val! Love your doodled detail and pretty blossoms! The big blossoms look fantastic and I love the sweet butterflies fluttering about!ReplyDelete
Beautiful page and love these Graphic 45 papers...just like you....I would never say you are a day older than 45!!!!! ;-) You certainly have the energy and look so gorgeous for your age! Whether 45 or 58....you are beautiful inside and out!!!ReplyDelete
Hi Val, so very glad you found our little challenge blog as your layout is so very beautiful. Lots of feminine touches and awesome details. Thanks for playing along with us at Challenge Yourself. xxReplyDelete
Oh this is so pretty Val!! Those papers look great & I'm really liking the layering & clustering. BTW I am a neat freak & have all my hangers the same colour & style & all my clothes facing the same direction & evenly spaced in my wardrobe LOL despite being a grungy artist!!ReplyDelete
SO Beautiful Val.... sounds like a great challenge...Fabulous work with the G45 papers...love the design and layers and all the happiness surrounding you. xxReplyDelete
This is beautiful! Perfect paper choices and design. Your embellishing really sets it off. Thankd for joining in with us at Challenge YOUrselfReplyDelete
Absolutely an stunning layout, as always. The eye catches so many details, something new each time I look at it.ReplyDelete
Val really love your layout, the papers you choose and the layering is fantastic. Hope to see you next challenges. Thanks for playing along with us at Challenge YOUrselfReplyDelete
What a beautiful color combo you used, anf all that doodling <3<3 This is a lovely layout!ReplyDelete
So gald you are playing along with us in this challenge at Challenge Yourself, thanks :)
Love all the delicate details on this page. The doodling is fabulous! Thanks for playing along with us at Challenge Yourself!ReplyDelete
Such a fresh and pretty page!ReplyDelete


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Russia's intervention in Syria has captured international headlines for months, but what kind of blowback has Moscow been facing? Leksika's Sean Crowley investigates, taking an in-depth look at the negative side-effects Russia has faced since launching its Syria campaign, both at home and abroad.
At 0350 hours on 31 October Kogalymavia/Metrojet Flight 9268, an Airbus A321-200, took off from Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh Airport with over 220 Russian and Ukrainian tourists onboard. Sharm el-Sheikh is Egypt's third busiest airport, handling charter and budget flights for tourists seeking to enjoy themselves in the southern Sinai. As the aircraft soared over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, the tourists left behind the long, natural shores and crystal clear waters of the Red Sea resort city with the St. Petersburg autumn awaiting many of them upon their return home. Though the excursion to Sharm el-Sheikh could have been the first for many of the passengers, this was hardly a maiden voyage for the plane or its pilot. The pilot, Valeriy Nemov, had more than 12,000 hours of flying experience with 3,860 on the Airbus A321. The aircraft itself about 56,000 flight hours and had completed over 21,000 journeys. The aircraft was built in 1997, and has been operated by Metrojet since 2012.
As it left Sharm el-Sheikh behind, Flight 9268 flew over an area it had been warned against flying lower than 24,000 feet out of concern that jihadists toting anti-air (AA) weapons could target them. Weather conditions were also poor at the time. At 0413, the aircraft went missing, disappearing from air traffic controllers' radar screens. The aircraft also failed to make contact, as expected, with air traffic controllers in Cyprus. Flight 9268 never made its expected 0912 arrival time at St. Petersburg. The pilot did not ask to change the plane's route – at least according to Egypt's civil aviation ministry – and the controllers reported no distress calls. (Other accounts reported that the pilot did send a distress call and that the plane attempted to land at El-Arish International Airport.) However, according to radar data, the aircraft was descending more than 6,000 feet per minute before it met its ultimate fate. An investigation later revealed an explosion ripped the plane in half in midair; the small part of the tail end burned and the larger part crashed into a rock.
All 220 passengers died; 213 were Russians and four were Ukrainians. Many of those dead were children under the age of 11. The victims ranged in age from 10 months to 77-years-old. Seven crew members died as well. The final crash site was in Hassana area south of Arish. Investigators recovered the body of a 3-year-old girl almost 8 kilometers from the crash site. The victims' bodies were spread out over a 5-km radius. Many of the other bodies were missing limbs. Most were burned as the aircraft had a large load of fuel. Many died strapped in their seats. Passengers' belongings, bits of metal, and parts of the aircraft were scattered across the region.
At 0830 hours Egyptian authorities discovered the wreckage and dispatched an emergency response force. Over 45 ambulances sped to the crash site. As sirens blared on the ground, military planes soared overhead accompanied by the thunderous sound of dual rotor blades belonging to CH-47 Chinook helicopters. When they landed, they retrieved bodies from the scene and flew them to Kabrit airport in Suez. The first 15 bodies arrived at the Zeinhom morgue in Cairo and remained there until three Russian government planes finally flew over 100 bodies and 140 body parts to St. Petersburg. In addition to investigators and security service personnel, Egyptian Prime Minster Sharif Ismail visited the site.
The Islamic State (IS) was quick to issue a statement claiming responsibility for downing the aircraft, though it provided no definitive proof. However, this did not stop Russian President Vladimir Putin from accepting the caliphate's claims as true, and using the incident to justify further Russian military action in Syria. The 13 November IS attacks in Paris only encouraged this.
Regardless of whether or not the caliphate brought down Flight 9268, Russia's actions in Syria have made it a target for jihadists affiliated with both IS and non-IS groups. In addition to Russia's apparent alignment with Shi'a factions in this sectarian strife, its use of unguided munitions in Syria that produce substantial civilian casualties (more than IS, according to some reports) has only increased the animosity toward it by Syrians and Sunni Muslims worldwide. This is likely to have disastrous effects for both the Russian general populace and government. Both will face an increased risk of terrorist attacks against Russia interests at home and abroad while the government will have to contend with a public disillusioned with Russia's intervention in Syria.
Shooting From the Hip
On 4 October Syrian opposition groups posted video footage of an unusual munition deploying from aircraft overhead followed by a series of detonations just above the ground. Another video, filmed in the southwest Aleppo town of Kafr Halab, shows a similar pattern of explosions. Yet another video showed similar weapons obliterating a Jabhat al-Nusra camp in the same area. Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name: "Fencer") strike fighters deployed most of these weapons.
Observers on the ground found the remains of SPED-D munitions from an RBK-500-SPED-D, a type of cluster bomb only deployable by aircraft. The payload launches while above ground at targets below. Local groups claim that Russian aircraft deployed the munitions, but there is no evidence of Russian aircraft operating in the area. However, this was the first incident marked the first use of this type of cluster bomb in the Syrian Civil war.
According to General Bob Otto (USAF), the Air Force's Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), "[these munitions] aren't precision weapons" but "dumb" bombs guided to their targets only by gravity and the plane's position and the velocity upon release. Such weapons are highly inaccurate.
However, the Russian Ministry of Defense claims that its airstrikes are extremely precise, using the most modern equipment only directed at vetted targets after careful examination of all available intelligence. Ironically, the Defense Ministry report that stated this also reported Russia's use of the FAB-500, a 500-kilogram, high-explosive, unguided bomb. Observers also spotted an OFAB-250-270 bomb attached to a Su-25 (NATO reporting name: "Frogfoot") close air support (CAS) jet at Russia's Hmeymin Airbase in Syria. The bomb is a high-explosive fragmenting variant of the high-explosive FAB-250 which lacks the former's flat nose. The OFAB-250 is a 3-meter, 266-kg, high-explosive, fragmentation device that delivers 97-kg payloads primarily against unprotected targets such as terrorist training camps and arms depots. Weapons such as these could explain why between 30 September and 1 October Russia had to make three bombing runs against Tajamu al-Aaza in Al-Lataminah. On 8 October Russia also employed thermobaric munitions against several targets in Hama province.
Even videos and photographs from Russia's own Defense Ministry show that Russia's airstrikes are inaccurate and indiscriminate. In some cases, Russian aircraft strike with the same precision as their Syrian counterparts. President Assad's forces also indiscriminately bomb cities under rebel control. The regime's warplanes lack sensors guided munitions necessary for precision targeting. Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) jets drop inaccurate rockets, unguided bombs, and cluster munitions that can cover an area the size of a football field. In addition, the regime is dropping barrel bombs made from metal barrels with high explosives and shrapnel out of low-flying helicopters. Barrel bombs cost less than USD 200. These weapons actually kill more civilians than IS. According to Kenneth Roth of Human Rights Watch (HRW), "The apparent aim is to kill and terrorize civilians (and destroy civilian structures) so as to drive civilians from opposition-held areas and to send a warning of misery that attends anyone whose neighborhood is taken by opposition groups."
Russia does not need to use barrel bombs as it already has a suitable quantity of air-to-ground missiles (AGMs). Even then, despite the fact that over 100 states signed an agreement banning the use of cluster munitions, Russia continues to produce and use them. (The United States also did not sign this agreement, but it began to phase out cluster munitions in 2003.) The Center for Analysis of Strategies and Tactics, a Moscow-based think tank, has criticized Russia for its failure to develop satellite-guided bombs, new long-range precision AGMs, and the targeting systems to direct them. Russia's air-to-surface targeting systems are over 30 years old. Smart bomb technology first gained widespread recognition around the time of the Persian Gulf War and, therefore, when the Soviet Union was collapsing. Since then, the Russian military has invested few rubles in improving the accuracy of its air-delivered weapons.
According to the Pentagon's Gulf War Airpower Survey accuracy suffers and the risk to the pilots increases when using unguided munitions. Manual bombing works best at altitudes of below 10,000 feet. Between 10,000 and 15,000, accuracy still suffers but survivability increases.
Nevertheless, Russia has deployed some precision-guided munitions in Syria. Most of these weapons use the GLONASS satellite navigation system to home in on targets. A weapons system operator onboard the aircraft usually guides the missile to its target but Russian media, almost in a throwaway manner, has admitted ground-based laser designators can also guide in these projectiles leading to the possibility that Russia has combat air controllers on the ground in Syria. One such bomb employed by Russia in Syria is the KAB-250, a 3.2-m, 250-kg, fragmentation munition that delivers a 129-kg payload of high explosive. In contrast, the KAB-500 is 3.02-m, 500-kg, and delivers a 380-kg high-explosive payload. It is a fragmentation device like the KAB-250.
Laser-guided missiles include the Kh-25L (NATO reporting name: AS-10 "Karen") and Kh-29L (NATO reporting name: AS-14 "Kedge"). The Kh-25L is 3.75-m, 320-kg, and carries a 112-kg, high-explosive payload. The Kh-29L is much larger at 3.9-m, 660-kg, and 317-kg payload. The Kh-25L is a fragmentation device while the Kh-29L is a penetrating high-explosive.
Russia also appears to be employing bunker-buster bombers to eliminate the command centers of IS and other rebel groups that are often multilevel underground bunkers made of reinforced concrete. The BETAB-500, at 2.5-m and 380-kg, delivers a 77-kg payload on target. Though this may appear light, its built-in jet booster accelerates the bomb allowing it to break through reinforced structures before exploding.
Russia also appears to be using a self-aiming smart bomb called the SPBE. These were reportedly used to destroy 20 IS tanks on 8 October. The weapons system uses infrared guidance to strike targets with great precision. The SPBE was developed from the more advanced KAB-500Kr guided bomb which is effective against bridges and command posts but less effective against targets such as military equipment. The SPBE uses large charges to destroy its targets. A variant called the SPBE-D can destroy up to six tanks at once. The SPBE is deployable from an altitude of 400 to 5,000-m. As it descends, parachutes slow it down to around 17 meters per second. At an altitude of 150-m, the bomb aims at its target and deploys its payload which can penetrate up to 70-mm of armor at a 30-degree angle.
Russia has also deployed an anti-helicopter mine based on the SPBE. Installed on the ground, the mine scans the airspace around it after receiving a signal from a command post. If a helicopter enters its range, the mine detonates, sending an armed munition at the helicopter.
Russia Today (RT) broadcast images of a Su-34 (NATO reporting name: "Fullback") fighter-bomber carrying a KAB-500-SE satellite-guided bomb. Fencers and Frogfeet, in contrast, appear to carry most of the unguided bombs. This further indicates that unguided bombs make up most of Russia's arsenal in Syria as there are more Fencers and Frogfeet in the country than Fullbacks. Russia also likely does not want to expend all of its precision-guided munitions (PGMs) in Syria. Munitions such as the KAB-500 and KAB-250 – which come in laser, electro-optical, and satellite-guided variants – are usually mounted on Fullback strike aircraft. Conversely, Fencers and Frogfeet mostly carry Kedges and Karens. Naturally, though, the Russian media prefers to focus its coverage on Russia's precision arsenal.
The Greatest Casualty
On the same day that a U.S. Ac-130 Spectre gunship bombed a Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières; MSF) facility in Kunduz, Afghanistan, fearing a Taliban presence in the hospital (there was none), Russian pilots in Syria reportedly struck a medical facility nowhere near IS territory. "Why are the Russians bombing my hospitals and ambulances?" asked Dr. Ammar Martini, the co-founder of Orient Humanitarian Relief, a nonprofit that provides medical and educational services in northern and central Syria.
At the beginning of the Syrian Civil War Dr. Martini refused to follow the orders of President Assad's military police and let opposition fighters die at the Red Crescent hospital he worked at then. Regime authorities subsequently arrested and tortured him. Afterward, Dr. Martini established Orient with Dubai-based entrepreneur Ghassan Aboud. The organization also operates an anti-Assad television station in Dubai. Orient prides itself on treating both regime soldiers and opposition fighters though it does not treat IS jihadists who have attacked Orient before. Dr. Martini is based in Turkey, traveling between there and Syria.
Russia hit an Orient emergency ambulance center in Idlib destroying around four or five vehicles. Dr. Martini insists that the Russians were "specifically targeting Orient." Russia also nearly hit an MSF hospital in a refugee camp in Al Yamdiyyah, Latakia. The Russian bombs missed the hospital but wounded several townspeople in a nearby village. Dr. Jawad Abu Hatab, a heart surgeon working at the facility, believed that Russia was intentionally targeting the hospital and missed.
Russia also missed a hospital in Yameda and hit a field hospital on the outskirts of Hama. Another sortie struck an Orient ambulance carrying casualties from Ishem, a village in the Jabal al-Zawiyah area which is 30-km southwest of the provincial capital, Idlib City.
On 3 October Russian aircraft bombed a medical facility maintained by the White Helmets, a Syrian volunteer civil defense corps opposed to IS and the regime. The Russian aircraft killed one White Helmet in a so-called "double-tap" bombing. One bombed exploded and when the White Helmets arrived to assist the survivors, a second munition exploded. The dead White Helmet was Issam Al Saleh, a father of two. Nine members of one family also died in this airstrike, and rescue workers on the scene claim that there were no fighters in the area. This also occurred in the Jabal al-Zawiyah area. Two Orient paramedics survived ferrying injured from the village. Once the Russians finished their airstrikes, the Syrian regime moved in to drop barrel bombs. Dr. Martini maintains that "the regime is giving the targets and locations" to the Russians. Russia's decision to attack hospitals likely indicates that its strategy is simply to target any infrastructure providing support to anti-Assad forces in any capacity.
Orient maintains 10 hospitals in Syria, all of which have outpatient clinics and perform up to 500 operations per day. The hospitals have oxygen tanks pumps and highly flammable equipment making them dangerous to bomb. Dr. Martini even admitted, "We cannot open the hospital or accept any patients because we were very afraid the Russians will attack us again." The staff at Orient hospitals are now working in basements, closing outpatient clinics, and only operating at night.
Russia's employment of an arsenal composed mostly of unguided munitions is already having grievous consequences for the Syrian population. According to the Syrian National Council, a political group allied with anti-Assad rebels, Russian airstrikes killed 36 civilians within the first few days of its operations in Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims 28 people during this time period including women and children. Naturally, Moscow denied these allegations. Around the same time Russia reportedly destroyed a mosque in Jisr al-Shughour. Two civilians died in this strike. Airstrikes in Idlib on 1 October killed seven civilians including two children. Another airstrike in the Hama suburb of Habeet killed three civilians including a 5-year old girl. It injured twelve others. In a strike on Idlib's Jabal al-Zawya region, two children were among seven civilians killed. By 3 October, the strikes, according to the SOHR, reported that Russian airstrikes had killed only 14 fighters. Twelve were from IS and two were from al-Nusra. To date, Russia airstrikes have killed around 403 civilians in addition to 381 fighters.
President Putin insists that any allegations of Russia killing civilians are "information warfare." The Kremlin also insists that it does not bomb residential areas despite evidence to the contrary. On 30 September, the first day of Russia's airstrikes in Syria, Fencers bombed a residential area in Talbiseh. (The Kremlin even confirmed that it launched airstrikes against this area.) There were civilian casualties in Talbiseh which is controlled by Jaish al-Tawhid, brigade in the FSA. The area also has no IS or al-Nusra presence despite Moscow's claim.
"We believe if you inadvertently kill innocent men, women, and children, then there's backlash from that," said General Otto. "We might kill three and create 10 terrorists. It really goes back to the question of are we killing more than were [sic] making?"
The Caliphate Strikes Back
Following Russia's airstrikes in Syria, at least 40 rebel groups pledged to attack the Russian "occupiers." These groups include Ahrar al-Sham, the Islam Army, and the Levant Front. The U.S.-backed Division 101 and Tajammu Alezza groups also pledged to attack Russian forces. The Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood declared war on Russia. Many rebels already appear to be acting on such declarations. Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the leader of the al-Nusra Front, called for retaliatory attacks on Russian targets. He even urged his followers to "distract" Russia from its operations in Syria by targeting civilians and military targets in Russia itself. Hours after al-Julani's call, two mortar shells struck the perimeter of the Russian embassy in Damascus though there were no casualties.
Al-Qa'ida is not the only group stepping up its efforts to target the Russians. The Homs Liberation Movement, a Free Syrian Army (FSA) brigade affiliated with al-Qa'ida, has plans to infiltrate the Syrian military in order to gain access to their Russian counterparts and then kill them. It plans to employ both double agents and suicide bombers. Captain Rashid al-Hourani, one of the group's field commanders, plans to recruit agents within the ranks of the regime to provide his brigade with the movements of regime forces and the Russians.
The Islamist Homs Liberation Movement, despite being associated with al-Qa'ida, actually uses tactics similar to IS. Its relationship with al-Qa'ida's al-Nusra franchise was uneasy at first, but now it is reportedly participating in joint rebel governance structures. It should be noted that such structures include al-Nusra's harsh interpretation of sharia law. The Movement's primary operating areas are in al-Rastan, Talbiseh, and other cities that form part of a rebel enclave between Hama and Homs. The Movement's territory also bisects a highway linking Damascus to Latakia. If the Assad regime's ground forces are to link up with the Russians and secure the state's most important supply route, they must first clear the rebels out of these areas, which have been priority targets for the Russians.
Captain al-Hourani maintains that the Movement wants to develop its own propaganda to counter Russian, Syrian, and Iranian messages that all Syrian rebels are "terrorists." He also mentioned that the Russian airstrikes have unified Syria's squabbling rebel groups. Captain al-Hourani is also begging for American support even though most "secular" rebels have actually in the past surrendered to jihadist groups such as al-Nusra, refused to fight against them, and have given American weapons to them.
However, perhaps the greatest retaliatory strike – if it was that – against Russian interests was the apparent downing of Flight 9268 by IS. Nevertheless, there is still debate as to whether the caliphate brought down the Airbus. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called claims that IS brought down the aircraft nothing but "propaganda." President Sisi also tried to make it seem as though Egyptian military and security forces had the situation in the Sinai under "full control." He also insisted that people should not speculate on the cause of the crash as the results may not be known for months.
The Russian news agency Interfax obtained the transcript of the pre-crash cockpit recordings. The media agency noted that there were "sounds uncharacteristic of routine flight," though it did not detail what these were. Investigators who recovered the black box also noted such sounds. The crew reportedly exchanged routine communications with air traffic controllers four minutes before the plane disappeared from radar. Still, there was no mention of anything unusual, and the crew failed to send a distress signal.
The initial theory shared by many was that IS shot down the aircraft with a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS). However, U.S. intelligence soon reached the conclusion that an IS missile did not shoot down the plane. It based this theory on a heat flash detected by a U.S. infrared satellite over the peninsula The U.S. now believes that the explosion came from inside the plane either from an onboard bomb or a fuel tank explosion. However, U.S. officials have also ruled out technical problems and human error. On whether terrorism was responsible for bringing down the aircraft, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper stated, "It's unlikely, but I wouldn't rule it out." At the same time, the U.S. Embassy on 3 November instructed its staff members to avoid travelling to the Sinai. The embassy insisted this action was merely a precaution pending the outcome of the investigation into the crash.
Egyptian and Russian officials mostly concur with these estimates, claiming that the IS does not have the missile capabilities to down an aircraft at that altitude. The jet was flying at 31,000 feet when it broke apart mid-air, 23 minutes after leaving Sharm el-Sheikh airport. British officials also agree with U.S. intelligence that caliphate operatives planted a bomb on the flight.
However, there was no evidence of an explosive impact on the crash victims' bodies. Investigators have also not found any traces of explosive devices in the debris. Though there was no blast-related trauma, the blast would not have to have been very large to rupture the aircraft. Theories for the blast, in addition to a bomb, include a malfunctioning engine exploding and a structural problem which caused a fire on the plane. TASS, another Russian news agency, claimed that "elements that were not part of the plane" were found at the crash site.
There is still some evidence that a mechanical error may have been the cause of the crash or at least exacerbated a possible bomb blast. In November 2001 the plane experienced a "tail strike" when its tail hit a runway while landing in Cairo International Airport from Beirut and required repairs. At the time, the plane was registered to Middle East Airlines, a Lebanese carrier. As recently as 2013 the plane was thoroughly checked for cracks. The tail was found multiple kilometers away from the rest of the plane's wreckage. It is possible that the repair work went wrong following the 2001 tail strike. The tail could have detached itself from the plane before the explosive event and before the fire engulfed the plane.
Additionally, officials claim that the pilot warned of a technical problem before the disaster and asked to land at the nearest available airport. This is contradictory to initial statements made by Egyptian officials. Russian investigation agency, Rostransnadzor also found violations when it conducted a routine flight safety inspection of Kogalymavia. The inspection occurred in March 2014, but the airline supposedly addressed the safety concerns. However, before takeoff, the crew reportedly requested help from technical services multiple times because the engine would not start up several times. Metrojet officials have already denied that technical problems and human error played a role. They insist that protection systems on the plane would have prevented it from crashing even if there were major errors in the pilot's equipment.
Uncertainty regarding the cause of the crash did not stop states from taking security precautions. The German airline Lufthansa said that it will no longer fly over the Sinai "as long as the cause for the crash has not been clarified." Air France issued a similar statement. British Airways ordered its flights to avoid flying low over the Sinai. Turkey and Belgium suspended flights to Sharm el-Sheikh following the incident. Britain resumed flights from Sharm el-Sheikh to the United Kingdom on 6 November after initially cancelling them. Passengers are still only allowed to carry hand baggage. Flights from the U.K. to the Red Sea resort city remain suspended. Ireland also suspended flights to the resort city airport. The canceled flights left thousands stranded at Sharm el-Sheikh. Ironically, one of the few countries to still allow flights to the resort was Russia. Emergency actions to rescue the tourists were finally enacted on 5 November, and Russia suspended all flights to Sharm el-Sheikh. A Russian airlift evacuated 11,000 citizens from the resort city to Russia on 8 November. One-third of the tourists in Egypt are Russian, and 80,000 still require evacuation.
A joint committee has been established to examine the black box. It will include representatives from Egypt, Russia, Airbus, and Ireland. The jet was an Irish-owned aircraft (specifically owned by a company in Dublin) leased by Russia. President Putin also sent a team of Russian investigators to determine the crash's cause. The Russian Investigative Committee launched its own investigation primarily to look for safety issues. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) also assisted with aerial surveillance in an effort to locate the downed Russian aircraft. It had intelligence assets in the area.
Grievers in St. Petersburg have left flowers, candles and paper airplanes at the Pulkovo airport. President Putin also declared 1 November a day of mourning. He stated, "Without any doubt everything should be done so that an objective picture of what happened is created, so that we know what happened." On 8 November the bell in St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg tolled 224 times; one ring for each of the crash victims.
Around the time of the 13 November Paris attacks, however, the Kremlin found itself onboard with the idea that a bomb took down the aircraft. On 17 November the Federal Security Service (Federal'naya sluzhba bezopasnosti Rossiyskoy Federatsii; FSB) announced that it was certain that a bomb had brought down the aircraft. FSB Director Aleksandr Bortnikov stated that the plane's downing was a terrorist attack and that the bomb was likely homemade containing around 1-kg of TNT. Four days after IS terrorist attacks left hundreds dead in Paris, Bortnikov claimed that traces of foreign-made explosives had been found on fragments of the downed plane and on some passengers' personal belongings. At the same time, Egypt refused to confirm that a bomb had brought down the plane.
President Putin was also quick to clear up an ambiguity regarding the cause of the crash when he declared Russia would hunt down those responsible for the incident. Clad in a dark suit as he made his announcement, the Russian president promised to intensify airstrikes in Syria, and stated, "We'll find [those responsible] anywhere on the planet and punish them." (This was eerily similar to statements made by then-Prime Minister Putin following 1999 apartment bombings allegedly committed by Chechen jihadists where he promised to wipe out the terrorists wherever they hid including "the shit-house.") The FSB is offering a USD 50 million bounty for the bombers. President Putin also visited the Russian Defense Ministry to hear proposals from his military chiefs on how to better combat the caliphate. Those he met with included Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, Chief of the General Staff General Valeriy Gerasimov, Foreign Minster Sergey Lavrov, and Foreign Intelligence Service (Sluzhba vneshney razvedki; SVR) Director Mikhail Fradkov.
Jihadist groups in Northern Sinai have not shot down commercial jetliners or even fighter aircraft before. Still, hundreds of military and security force personnel have already died fighting IS jihadists in the Sinai. Even then, the Egyptian interior ministry is not stepping up security at the Sharm el-Sheikh airport.
The Sinai peninsula is home to one of the most dangerous IS affiliates: Wilayat Sinai. The group has already twice claimed responsibility for downing the Russian passenger jet yet it has produced no martyr videos. The group has waged a long insurgency against Egyptian forces. It has expanded to attacking international targets since pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's caliphate, though much of its focus still remains close to home. If it was responsible for the plane downing, it was likely out of their duty to target enemies of the caliphate rather than work out local grievances.
Wilayat Sinai's activities are limited to the northern Sinai while Sharm el-Sheikh is in the south. If they were responsible for shooting down the Russian jetliner, it would show a significant increase in the group's reach. Wilayat Sinai has failed to carry out attacks outside of this area. However, its pledge of allegiance to IS could provide it additional resources and expertise.
Wilayat Sinai was born out of a domestic terrorist group following the 2011 uprising that overthrew longtime Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak. This group was originally dedicated to attacking Israel. In 2012 a new group, Ansar bit al Maqdis, formed, and focused itself on attacking Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai. During the rule of Muslim Brotherhood President Muhammad Morsi, the group remained relatively quiet. When the Egyptian military overthrew President Morsi on 30 June 2013, the group resumed its activities. It became exclusively dedicated to raids on military and police targets in the Sinai. It claimed responsibility for killing top Egyptian security officer and beheading multiple soldiers.
However, experts believe the group was losing its ability to attack soldiers in November 2014 when it pledged allegiance to IS, becoming Wilayat Sinai. Afterward, the group's focus became more international. It even sent jihadists to Syria who could have brought back skills obtained from fighting there. Though it has made no significant land grabs, it has acquired better weapons and claimed responsibility for more sophisticated attacks. For example, it claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on an Egyptian warship this July. In August it released video of a Croatian aid worker captured in Cairo. Then in September four U.S. troops and two Fijian peacekeepers working as part of a Multinational Force and Observers mission were injured in a bomb blast.
Northern Sinai has become a virtual no-go zone even for residents. They have since moved to the city of Arish about an hour from the Israeli border. Egyptian efforts to contain Wilayat Sinai remain ineffective.
IS provided no evidence that they were responsible for bringing down the Airbus, but it did say the attack was retribution for Russian airstrikes in support of the Assad regime. It posted a video allegedly showing the flaming aircraft falling from the sky and surrounded by smoke. (Local tribesmen also reported the plane was "burning" as it fell out of the sky.) IS did not even provide exact details on how they took down the plane or who the martyrs were that carried the operations. In fact, in an audio recording, the caliphate declared, "And God willing, one day we will reveal how [the plane was brought down], at the time we desire." The closest IS came to revealing its operational methods was by posting a picture online that allegedly showed the bomb that brought down the plane. The picture of the contraption showed that it was composed of a soft drink can and two other components that appeared to be a switch and a detonator.
Nevertheless, there remains no definitive evidence that the caliphate took down the plane. Some experts have noted that attacking aerial targets requires a different set of skills than taking down ground targets. IS jihadists have previously targeted a Kurdish rally in Ankara, Turkey, killing 128; killed 40 in a Beirut suburb; and, most recently, killed over 130 in Paris. If IS took down this plane, their capabilities are more sophisticated than previously imagined.
Al-Nusra leader al-Julani's calls for attacks on Russian targets serve as a reminder that the most brazen terrorist attacks on aircraft have been carried out by al-Qa'ida, specifically its Yemeni affiliate, al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). AQAP was behind the so-called "Underwear Bomber" as well as a plot to detonate bombs in UPS planes hidden inside printer cartridges. These devices were developed by Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, AQAP's master bomb maker. However, no al-Qa'ida affiliate ever claimed responsibility for the plane's downing, and Egypt falls outside of AQAP's jihadist jurisdiction. In addition, since Russia's airstrikes began on 30 September, it would mean that this attack took place too quick for there to have been any substantial planning. An attack of this magnitude and apparent sophistication would have required such planning.
At the same time, airport security at Sharm el-Sheikh is reportedly not very efficient. Workers have previously complained about poor pay, and some have reportedly played video games on duty. In addition, three top airport officials, including the security chief, have already been fired. Egypt has also detained two employees for questioning at the Sharm el-Sheikh airport, though no arrests have been made according to Egyptian Interior Minister Magdi Abdel Ghaffar. There are a total of 17 people being held by Egyptian authorities with two suspected of helping the bombers. CCTV footage from the airport shows a baggage handler carrying a suitcase from an airport building to another man, who was loading luggage onto the Russian plane from underneath. Security forces also announced that they are looking for two employees suspected of leaving a baggage-scanning machine unattended as passengers boarded the Russian plane. Authorities claim they have already questioned all airport staff involved in handling the Russian plane, its passengers, and their bags. This breach in security and subsequent incident with the aircraft could damage Egypt's USD 7 billion tourism industry which was already in decline before this. Egypt also wants the world to believe that its post-Arab Spring instability under control. Sharm el-Sheikh was supposed to be isolated from the violence.
The caliphate's claims of downing the aircraft – whether true or not – will only exacerbate Russia's intervention in Syria. Russians remain concerned that IS could target Russian interests at home and abroad. The plane's downing has only confirmed the fears of some. Cooperation on the plan crash investigation could also strengthen Russo-Egyptian relations, something President Putin has long wished to do.
Most Russians remain opposed to a ground intervention, but the Russian armed forces' current strategy for defeating IS is not working. In fact, the strategy is more focused on bolstering the Assad regime than eliminating the caliphate; it needs to shift its strategy. Therefore, if it does want to defeat IS, Russia can only intensify its Syria campaign. This will mean ground troops and "volunteer" fighters which will increase tensions with the West.
Russians remain fearful of a terrorist attack on their own soil. A 13 November Levada poll reveals that 48 percent of Russians expect an "imminent" attack on Russian soil. Russia even instituted new anti-terrorism laws on 14 November. They may have reason to fear. Attacking Russian targets would be an excellent way to decrease popular support for Russia's intervention in Syria. IS has threatened a mass wave of terrorism in Russia and promised to take control of the Caucasus and seize the Kremlin.
Many Russians have become disillusioned with the Kremlin's intervention in Syria, hence why Moscow was likely unwilling at first to link the IS and the Syria campaign to the plane downing. In fact, 63 percent of Russians, according to a poll by the radio station Echo Moscow, oppose continued Russian intervention in Syria. An unknown individual floated two wooden coffins in the St. Petersburg canals. One was spray-painted in red with the question "For what?" The other read "For whom?" Indeed, the Kremlin struggled with answers to these questions until –by luck – the Paris attacks proved politically expedient.
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons


text: After the development phase is over, we move on to operations and management. This is the forum that works for the same. Members come from varied places and you find thousands of threads on almost each aspect of webmaster tools like special media, content development, domain names and browser. There are company specific forums as well, which help in better utilization of the information provided here.


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Lichtenstein based many of his early paintings on imagery he found in comic books. The source for this work is Run for Love! published by DC Comics in 1962, the cover of which the artist significantly altered to arrive at the finished composition. In the original illustration, the drowning girl's boyfriend appears in the background, clinging to a capsized boat. Lichtenstein cropped the image dramatically, showing the girl alone and encircled by a threatening wave. He changed the caption from "I don't care if I have a cramp!" to "I don't care!" and the boyfriend's name from Mal to Brad. In addition to appropriating comic books' melodramatic content, Lichtenstein manually simulated the Benday dots used in the mechanical reproduction of images.
Gallery label from 2011.


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Wrong username or password.
System Center
Configuration Manager
70% of a platform's yearly cost relates to its management. System Center Configuration Manager is the powerful console from which businesses control software deployment, it's patching, security and updates.
The creation of a computers software image is critical to ensure ease of management when "operational".
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- — Dashboard reporting is included


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Aruba Motorcycle Tours
Address: Jaburibari 16
Whether it is that you seek to join a guided tour or simply look for that cool feeling of touring the island on a motorcycle, no need to look any further - we offer it! We offer island tours in small groups daily in the morning as well as in the afternoon with experienced tour guides. If that's not your thing and you prefer to tour the island by yourself, not a problem at all with our Harley-Davidson rental offers. Your comfort and safety is important to us. We take pride in our motorcycles and provide you with well maintained and clean bikes at all times. DOT approved helmets are also provided. We provide FREE PICK-UP & DROP-OFF SERVICE! Our tours include visiting famous landmarks like: - Alto Vista Chapel - California Lighthouse - Casibari Rock Formation - Frenchman's Pass - Colorado Point and many other spectacular sites... Tour fee: USD $ 20 pp Our tour guides keep you out of busy traffic, so more touring for you! We rent out the following Harley Davidson Motorcycles: - Harley Davidson Road King - $125 half day or $165 full day - Harley Davidson Heritage Softail - $125 half day or $165 full day - Harley Davidson Dyna - $125 half day, $165 full day or $400 for week rental (5 days) - Harley Davidson Sportster - $100 half day, $130 full day or $350 for week rental (5 days) We provide free pick-up & drop-off service! Located at Noord


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Ink Review: Noodler's Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham
Noodler's Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham
Pen: Kaweco AL-Sport F
Paper: Rhodia Dotpad 80gsm
Shading: low to moderate
Saturation: high
Flow: wet
Dry Time: 18 seconds
Just when I thought I'd heard about all of the Noodler's inks, I found out they had a Canadian line! I heard about Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham by listening to Brian Goulet's Q&A a few weeks ago. He was asked what his favorite ink was that nobody has heard of, and his reply was Noodler's Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham. As soon as he mentioned it, I knew I had to find some to try. I went over to Wonder Pens' website and noticed they didn't do shipping to the US (to their credit, they attempted to reach out to me afterwards but I already had some by that point), so an awesome reader of the blog Brad T. ordered some for me and sent it over - thanks so much Brad!
Plains of Abraham is a very unique and interesting ink. It's a deep blue with a hint of purple tones; definitely very unique. Despite its high saturation, it has some decent shading which is awesome. One thing Brian noted was that it is super thick and it flows like tar - he's absolutely right. It's definitely got a thicker consistency than a lot of inks I've used. It's not syrup-y or anything like that, but it definitely flows thick. I've had it in my Kaweco for a couple of weeks and I've not had any issues with flow or clogging, so it doesn't appear to have an effect on ease of use. The ink was actually formulated and released a few years back and had been discontinued; but it has since made its return and for good reason. In addition to it being a great color, it has the Noodler's signature bulletproof and eternal qualities for those folks who want their writing to stick around for a while.
The name for this ink is inspired by the Seven Years War and the battle of The Plains of Abraham where the British and French battled for control of the land, which ultimately prompted the "British North America" affecting what Canada is today. In addition to his usual politically driven name and label, he added the saying "American Canadian Ink for Canada" to the label.
The chromatography of this ink was a bit stubborn. Not sure if it was the bulletproof properties or the thicker consistency, but the ink just would NOT move any further up onto my sheet than it did. It did still give a pretty good idea of the colors in this ink - the burgundy/maroon color definitely gives this ink it's purple hue, and it's got some black undertones as well as the royal blue.
The ink is in a league of its own, but the closest comparisons I had were Diamine Registrar's and Bad Belted Kingfisher. The color sits somewhere between those two.
I really love the blueish-purple tone of this ink. It's definitely very different than all the other standard blue-black inks that are out there. I'm kind of disappointed that this ink isn't available in the US, but no matter - we have sources like Wonder Pens who seem to be willing to quote US shipping (which is awesome of them!) and wonderful pen friends like Brad who graciously helped me get a sample. Yet another reason why the pen community is amazing! Also, check out Wonder Pens' blog - they have some awesome stuff over there that I've really enjoyed reading lately.
If you're interested in a bottle, reach out to your Canadian friends or hit up Wonder Pens and see what they can quote you for shipping. You won't be disappointed!
Thanks for reading!


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DALLAS – Government contracts specialist Paul W. Searles, a partner with Haynes and Boone, LLP, has received a top honor from the National Contract Management Association (NCMA), a McLean, Va.-based association of contract management professionals.Mr. Searles, who has more than 16 years of experience counseling and representing clients on a variety of complex business and litigation matters involving government contracts, was recognized as an NCMA Fellow on June 20 at a joint meeting of the Fort Worth and the North Texas NCMA chapters.The Fellow designation is reserved for individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of contracting and to the NCMA. Criteria to be a Fellow include academic background, contributions to education, contributions to NCMA programs and conferences, service to NCMA through chapter and national offices, and status in the contracting community.Mr. Searles has represented government contractors and subcontractors in a wide range of matters involving the Department of Defense, General Services Administration and other government agencies. He has also handled bid protests before the Government Accountability Office, and government contract appeals and litigation at U.S. District Court, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and federal boards of contract appeals involving breach of contract, contract claims, and terminations for convenience and default.Before joining Haynes and Boone, Mr. Searles served in the United States Air Force as a senior pilot, a space operations officer, and a procurement officer for aircraft electronics and computer systems.He is a 1989 graduate of the Southern Methodist University Law School and received his M.B.A. from Western New England College in 1982.Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, Washington, D.C., Mexico City, Moscow and New York, providing a full spectrum of legal services. With more than 450 attorneys, Haynes and Boone is ranked among the largest law firms in the nation by National Law Journal. The firm has been recognized by Vault.com as one of the "20 Best Law Firms to Work For," by Corporate Board Member Magazine as one of the "Best Corporate Law Firms in America," and has received the Minority Corporate Counsel Association's Thomas L. Sager Award for commitment to diversity.
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Sorry about the sound. It was at an open air service for our rather large church, and I was in front of the speakers. There were fifteen baptisms last Sunday. The song is Chris Tomlin's "Jesus, Messiah".
As I went through the baptism booklet in preparation for her baptism, I asked Rosie when she first believed. She said, "When I was three...no, when I was one." That pretty much sums it up for her. Some children believe from a very young age. We've never focused on a single defining event with our kids. We focus on their hearts and whether they believe right now, and if their life reflects that truth. Some children will have a very defined moment of salvation, others will not remember ever not believing. Rosie knows that she was born a sinner and every sin deserves the wrath and curse of God. She also knows that Jesus died for sinners and that His blood washes sin away. And she believes this with all her heart.
Oh, and a funny for you. Near the end of Rose's baptism booklet my mom asked Rose, "And what is sin"? To which Rose replied, "Sin is the bad things that you don't want to do because if you do them, you get a spanking!"


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A Stranger's Gift/
I have one particular addiction: books. There's very little that I don't like about them, from an orderly line of them occupying a shelf, the heft and weight, to their universal format that allows them to be accessed by everyone. (That sounds like a dig against eBooks, but it's not). Inevitably, when I am drawn to a bookstore, I end up with a couple volumes that caught my eye under my arm as I leave the store. This happen earlier today after a late lunch when Megan and I wandered back home. A local store, The Book Garden, is holding a sale for their used books, buy one, get another free. I've picked through the store pretty well, and I'm always happy to see that they've got a replenished collection every time that I go in. This particular trip, I found that they had a pair of Harry Potter novels, The Sorcerer's Stone and The Deathly Hollows, neither of which I had, and both in hardcover. I've bee working to get all of the book for my own collection (in hardcover), and used bookstores usually have a couple of them, I picked up the pair, intending on adding them to my collection (with just a couple of others (Books 4 and 6) left to pick up after that before I had the entire set.
The books bagged, We walked home along Barre St, where we came across a trio of children playing on the sidewalk. The three of them were bundled up against the cold, but looked like they were having fun. They spread out across the sidewalk and a demanded a password to cross, giggling. Megan guessed Cat (or Kat, they said it began with K) and I guessed people for mine, and they allowed us to pass. One little girl said that she could read the sign on the side of the truck parked across the road, and read it for me.
Impulsively, I asked them if they liked to read. Her dark face lit up with a wide grin and nodded. I pulled one of the books out of my bag, The Sorcerer's Stone and handed it to them, asking if they wanted it. They took it out of my hand and look even more excited, and ran inside. I overheard the brother tell his mother that a 'nice man gave us Harry Potter!' as we walked by their apartment's door. I hope that the mother's reaction wasn't that her children had just been given a book by a stranger, and throw it away or forbid them to read it, but accept it in the spirit that it was given: impulsively, with the intention that they will read a fun children's story, one that I greatly enjoyed as a youngster. Their excitement was tangible, and he way that their faces lit up gives me some hope that the book will be enjoyed (maybe in a couple of years, or hours).
Books, I think, should be given out more freely, and their use encouraged in the instances when that's not possible. It's certainly something that I'd like to do more, and I wonder if i should start picking up books that would appeal to children and find some way to distribute them to those in need. Reading is important, essential, and some of the stories that I've heard from family members and significant others about the abilities of children in the school systems, I'm worried about some of them. Hopefully, I've inspired a couple of kids that reading can be, well, magical, interesting, and exciting.


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Spil Games (with it's HQ located in the Netherlands - 30 min. from Amsterdam) is one of the largest online gaming publishers, active on a global scale.
We strive to build a real time operational warehouse, where every event on our portals is stored, processed, analyzed and the result pushed back to the live portal in few minutes – we are talking about 400+ million gameplays per month on our 45 global gaming portals accessible anytime, anywhere.
Our analytical Vertica cluster (with a capacity of 100TB) is positioned right in the center of this process and we are only at the very beginning of the big data journey. So this is the phase where the Vertica DBA can truly make a difference – there are tons of new things to uncover!
We need a passionate Vertica DBA to make that difference.
Check out the spec here: http://www.spilgames.com/jobs/database- ... hilversum/
A few things to consider:
[*] We need someone onsite. Remote working is not an option.
[*] We need someone permanent - contracting at this point is not an option
[*] To end with a more positive note: We offer a relocation package for the right candidate! We onboarded > 30 nationalities the last few years. You're in good hands.
Just want to chat to find out more?
Skype me: enrico.heidelberg
All the best,
Enrico Heidelberg
Sr. Recruiter IT a.i. - Spil Games
Job - Vertica DBA wanted @ Spil Games (the Netherlands)
Moderator: NorbertKrupa
- Newbie
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2015 12:31 pm


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Tom Hanks: There will be no coming back for Weinstein
The star said the recent sexual abuse allegations marked a watershed moment for all industries.
Actor Tom Hanks has said that there will be no coming back for movie mogul Harvey Weinstein following the torrent of sexual abuse allegations that have emerged against him.
The Oscar-winning star said that the claims, which have since encouraged other stars to speak about their experiences of harassment from bosses, marked a "watershed moment".
Hanks spoke to BBC Radio 4's Will Gompertz days after Weinstein was fired from his film firm, The Weinstein Company, and resigned from its board.
Asked if Weinstein could ever return to high esteem in the industry, Hanks said: "No, not at all."
"I think we are at a watershed moment, this is a sea change. I think his last name will become a noun and a verb. It will become an identifying moniker for a state of being for which there is a before and an after."
Hanks sits on the board of governors at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, hosts of the prestigious Academy Awards, and said that he "completely agrees" with the organisation's recent decision to expel Weinstein from its ranks.
He continued: "If Hollywood and the entertainment industry was the only place where sexual harassment occurred, I would say yes (I am complicit in that), but you and I know that that's not the case; it's built into the rules of society.
"There is going to be – righteously, I think – a pause in the discussion for the women to be heard, meaning that perhaps all men, myself included, should pipe down and not try to explain it, and not try to comment on it, certainly not try to defend it or even try to prosecute it.
"What has to happen right now is we need to listen to everyone who has ever been a victim and give them the full-throated opportunity to speak as specifically as they are comfortable to do."
He added: "Anywhere that there are men in power, there are going to be those types of guys that are sexual predators for the women who work underneath them – and it happens in the homosexual community as well.
"I am trying to figure out if there is a worse word to use than predator, and I don't think there is in this circumstance.
"There should be a code of ethics posted in every lunch room of every company on the planet, that says 'here is the behaviour that is expected of you as an employee of this company'."
A-listers such as Angelina Jolie, Cara Delevingne, Eva Green and Lea Seydoux have made public claims against Weinstein – including an allegation from Rose McGowan that he raped her.
Weinstein, who has "unequivocally denied" allegations of non-consensual sex, is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police after women made five allegations against him spanning from the late 1980s to 2015.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) has suspended his membership and his British wife, fashion designer Georgina Chapman, announced she is leaving him.
US broadcaster Spike is also investigating claims his younger brother, Bob Weinstein, sexually harassed Amanda Segel, a former executive producer of sci-fi series The Mist.
One of the most recent complaints comes from Russian television personality Katya Mtsitouridze, who told trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter that Weinstein invited her to his hotel room, where he greeted her in a bath robe and asked her for a massage.
Talking of the meeting 13 years ago, she said: "I was frozen into immobility like a statue, because a well-known producer with whom I've come to discuss modern Russian writers, was in a bathrobe.
"I was disgusted. (It was) like a scene from a bad movie."
PA Media


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Interpretation of your dream:
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bodyHappiness. Good business ventures. External form of internal nature. Happiness. Good business ventures. External form of internal nature.
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faceIdentity. Ego. Self-image. This dream denotes displeasure with yourself and warnings of someone working secretly against you. Dreaming of your face represents your willingness to deal with problems in your personal life. It signifies your true persona versus the one you choose to show. Dreaming of your face represents your willingness to deal with problems in your personal life. It signifies your true persona versus the one you choose to show. This dream is favorable if you see happy and bright faces, but significant of trouble if they are disfigured, ugly, or frowning on you. To a young person, an ugly face foretells lovers' quarrels; or for a lover to see the face of his sweetheart looking old, denotes separation and the breaking up of happy associations. To see a strange and weird-looking face, denotes that enemies and misfortunes surround you. To dream of seeing your own face, denotes unhappiness; and to the married, threats of divorce will be made. To see your face in a mirror, denotes displeasure with yourself for not being able to carry out plans for self-advancement. You will also lose the esteem of friends.
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