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Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Perhentian Muck Diving Experience
The Northern most archipelago of the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Pulau Perhentian (meaning: Stopover Islands) consists of the smaller Pulau Susu Dara in the North-west and the two larger islands of Pulau Perhentian Kecil (centre) and Pulau Perhentian Besar (South-east).
Rarely seen nudibranchs, countless seahorses anchoring on every protruding object on the seafloor, strange stares of frogfishes shrouded by soft corals. Such encounters on a single dive are every diver's and macro-photographer's dream especially those that have been touched by the amazing diversity of macro-life of Lembeh Straits in North Sulawesi, Indonesia or the increasingly popular Bali "black sand" dive sites, among many other localities.
However, discovering such a site in the North-eastern corner of Peninsular Malaysia sounds like an impossible news! After all, one can obviously see the distribution of muck-dive sites fitting well within or in the proximity of the Coral Triangle region: Bali, North Sulawesi, Semporna Islands, The Philippines, Eastern Indonesia, Timor, Papua New Guinea and many others. So, is it plausible that such sites exist far beyond the Coral Triangle?
The gin-clear waters of Pasir Panjang(Long Beach), Pulau Perhentian Kecil.
That was what our group responded to when our dive guide made his 2-year-old discovery known over a scrumptious dinner. It had been a tiring and fruitless dive off the coast of Pulau Perhentian Kecil that afternoon; We found nothing but silt and dead corals with an occasional, meagre covering of polyps on half-smothered whip corals. His account of that dive was a revelation.
The dead and destroyed coral heads along Pulau Perhentian Kecil's finging reef system: a direct victim of indiscriminate use of boats on shallow reefs.
The next day, arming with depth detectors and enthusiasm to the brim, we found ourselves navigating away from a small-headland off the coast of Pulau Perhentian Kecil at a snail's pace. With the boat engine chugging at high decibels, our dive guide told us from the top of his lungs how difficult it is to locate this site. It's little wonder as this mini sea mount, a smallish peak of an underwater dune, is quite a distance from the island and is under 28m of churning water.
The beautiful morning in Pasir Teluk Aur, Pulau Perhentian Kecil on the day of our dive.
Strong currents sweeping from the mainland 20km away constantly brings high levels of silt and nutrients to the sea mount, which contributed to the diversity of the benthic (bottom-dwelling) organisms. The currents, however, could be a bane to divers as well. If we were lost somewhere between the surface and the bottom in the currents, we could end up surfacing off the shore of Kelantan or Pattani in the North, or worst, in the middle of South China Sea!
Finally, the depth detector beamed a 28m reading and we scattered off gearing up our equipment before plunging together into the cerulean waters. The first few minutes seemed forever, as we fought arduously against the current while trying to maintain contact with others in the group under rapidly declining visibility.
As visibility came close to 3 metres, I have finally hit the sea bed. A quick survey indicate a terrain not unlike typical muck dive sites: a silty carpet of crushed and piled shell-rubble. There are no hard corals as the turbidity of the water discourages growth. Only some turfs of soft corals Sceleronephyta sp. were found.
A more detailed scanning of the area revealed overturned soft corals and highly disturbed sea bed. A glaring trail of destruction left by trawlers, and it's within the Pulau Perhentian Marine Park perimeter! Somewhere at the back of my mind, I was contemplating the possible incursion of seahorse fishermen into restricted territory were fueled by the growing demands of the traditional medicine market. This is the case for the once abundant populations of seahorses elsewhere around the Peninsular, as some studies have shown (see reference). Were the Perhentians already under pressure from such unsustainable fisheries?
Putting such preoccupations aside, I scoured the sediment loaded bottom for interesting critters that we were after. After several strokes of my fins and I am face to face with my first find.
A beautiful juvenile Sea slug (a.k.a. nudibranch), Armina semperi, devouring morsels of coral polyps of Sceleronephyta sp.
Just an arm length away, a much larger specimen of the same species was seen foraging for it's well known prey-The Sea Pen.
Indeed, just a metre away, lies a fully outreached Sea Pen, Virgularia sp., capturing plankton with its feathery filters called rachis.
As we continued exploring, a fiery pompom like organism crawling on the sand caught my sight. As I was about to maneuver into my photographing position when our dive guide frantically signaled me over to his side! It was the same critter I saw moments ago. This time I could get a closer look at its features.
It's Rory's Flabellina, an unidentified nudibranch (but with a common name) first discovered
also in Perhentian and recorded in the Great Barrier Reef as well.
We counted another two, then three and more all around the vicinity! They seemed to be common in this locality!
The backs of these nudibranchs are covered with "pompom" like structures known as cerata which could be detached from the body like the tail of a gecko, when harassed.
We were ecstatic by now, scrambling around and fixing our eyes on the shell grit carpet. We saw some bristle worms, Chloeia sp. common to such silty habitat. In addition to that, a scurrying heart urchin caught our attention as well. Most divers are familiar with the usually sessile or passive Diadema Urchins, Diadema sentosum. However, it is a rare privilege for divers to observe the rapidly moving bristles of this particular heart urchin has utilised in its movements.
The Heart Urchin, Eurypatagus ovalis, is a rare sight on most diving occasions as it mostly inhabits sandy and muddy substrates away from typical dive conditions.
As we were busy with our own finds, our diver guide signaled us for the critter we have been crying for.
Clinging tightly to a clump of Sceleronephyta sp. soft coral, is the timid Spiny Seahorse, Hippocampus spinosissimus. We cautiously moved around it so as not to over stress it.
After some photographing, we proceeded on.
Scanning various other possible microhabitats, we discovered some equally interesting crustaceans and their camouflaging behaviour.
A well known commensal urchin crab, Zebrida adamsii, seeks shelter within the pink spines of an unidentified urchin.
Another tiny denizen of soft corals is the Squat Lobster, Galathea sp. . Contary to it's name,
this critter is more closely related to hermit crabs than lobsters.
Another well camouflaged soft coral-inhabiting Procelain Crab, Lissoporcellana sp. hiding under the branches of Dendronephyta sp. at the centre of this picture.
As my air gauge closes in towards the 100 bar, I made the last dash to locate as many critters as possible. I have managed to find some more interesting slug species:
A cousin of Rory's Flabellina, this is the Red-lined Flabellina or Flabellina rubrolineata displaying its own set of violet-tinged cerata.
The exquisitely decorated candy-like Ornate Cadlinella, Cadlinella ornatissima, is a good macro-photography subject.
The widespread yet photogenic Serpent Pteraeolidia, Pteraeolidia ianthina, always equips itself with stinging cerata to ward off predators.
Sometimes, symbiotic single celled organisms called zooxanthellae can be found within the cerata, synthesising food from sunlight to supply its host.
On first sight, this may look like any unassuming patch of sand and grit.
However, a slight current generated by one of our unsuspecting diver revealed the 20cm long Wonderous Melible, Melibe mirifica ! I'm elated having never seen such a giant nudibranch before.
With 28m of water above us and our limited air reserve, we motioned everyone to start a gradual ascend up the water column. As much as we were unwilling to leave such a productive site, the discovery did not end there! Midway up the ascent, we chanced upon many rarely seen planktonic tunicates! This includes the swirling, snake like Colonial Salps, which is a chain of pelagic tunicates and the other are large (~10cm), solitary individuals simply known as Salps. And perhaps the most interesting part is: These two are of the same species! They are simply in a different stage of life. (Check out this link for more information)
Photographing the almost transparent solitary Salp, Salpa maxima, is a great challenge and the best shot I could obtain only shows its outline.
After 50 minutes of exhilarating discoveries, we emerged out of the water and beaming with smiles. There's still something to look forward in Pulau Perhentian after all! The corals and water visibility may not be comparable to those of many other East Coast Islands but Pulau Perhentian offers an alternative that is worth exploring, at a comparably lower cost than established muck dive sites elsewhere.
However, it was a rather bittersweet moment for us too: The absence of frogfishes and the scare number of seahorses we saw was a world way from what our dive guide first set his eyes on years ago. This confirmed my initial suspicion. Clearly, some fishermen have been breaching deep into Pulau Perhentian Marine Park. They have been plundering the last populations of seahorses to satisfy the unsustainable traditional medicine market.
As our boat chugged back to the dive centre, a flotilla of trawlers emerge over the horizon, heading towards the islands. Are we willing to lose this invaluable asset again?
One of the many shallow sea trawlers operating from Kuala Berang across Pulau Perhentian, on the mainland.
Reference and Further Reading:
1. C.K. Choo and H.C. Liew, 2005. Exploitation and Trade in Seahorses in Peninsular Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal 2005, 57(1), 57-66.
2. U. Sachidhanandam, R.C. Willan, L.M. Chou, 2000. Checklist of the Nudibranchs (Opisthobranchia: Nudibranchia) of the South China Sea. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 2000 Supplement No 8: 513-537. National University of Singapore.
3. N. Coleman, 2008. Nudibranchs Encyclopaedia: Catalogue of Asia/Indo-Pacific Sea Slugs. Neville Coleman's Underwater Geographic Pty. Ltd., 2008.
4. S. Harding, J. Comley, M. Helgeveld, N. Coltman, P. Raines, 2003. Malaysia Reefs and Islands Conservation Project 2003: Report of the Marine Pilot Phase. Coral Cay Conservation Ltd.
5. Reef Check Malaysia: Annual Survey Report 2007. Reef Check Malaysia, 2007.
6.Dr. G. R. Allen, R. Steene, 1994. Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Field Guide. Tropical Reef Research, 1994.
6 comments:
- Tsun-Thai Chai said...
Wow, what a great time you had off Perhentian. Love all your pics, especially the Wonderous Melible. And the salps are what I hope to see underwater one day. I must dive Perhentian some day!
- June 20, 2010 at 6:57 AM
- JK said...
Thanks Chai, for your heartwarming comments! I hope I'll be able to post more photos soon. Thanks and enjoy your explorations!
- June 23, 2010 at 8:52 AM
- David P. Cilia said...
Very nice nudibranchs; unlike snails these animals can only be appreciated in photographs or in life. The Eurypatagus is also very interesting, I've never seen any with the spines intact.
- June 26, 2010 at 11:20 AM
- JK said...
Indeed, DPC. Looking at wildlife when they are alive is much more interesting than dead ones!
- July 11, 2010 at 1:13 AM
- Luuuuuua said...
superbe fotografii,bravo
- September 2, 2010 at 2:58 AM
- JK said...
Thanks, Luuuuuua! Underwater photography is indeed a very interesting way to document the marine life!
- September 3, 2010 at 6:15 AM
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Thanks to ellie27 @ HUKD

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Rahman, Mohammad Mafizur and Khanam, Rasheda and Absar, Nur Uddin (1999) Child labor in Bangladesh: a critical appraisal of Harkin's Bill and the MOU-type schooling program. Journal of Economic Issues, 33 (4). pp. 985-1003. ISSN 0021-3624
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Taxing "Junk Food" as Part of the Food Revolution
One of the innovative programs initiated by the people of Davao City and supported by the City Government of Davao is the Davao Food Revolution. It is a revolution that believes access to affordable healthy food is a human rights and social justice issue.
This food revolution is being led by women, who usually make the decisions about food in the family. They are the women who belong to the Mothers for Peace movement. And the revolution officially started in 2012 with the partnership of Mothers for Peace, the City Government of Davao, and the Department of Education (DepEd).
The Davao Food Revolution's goal is to help achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on holistic and empowering health practices as a means to reduce poverty. Breaking the cycle of poverty requires investments by governments and civil society in children's wellbeing, as well as women's rights. It is a sound economic investment with high rates of return.
It is primarily an advocacy campaign for access to affordable healthy food in public schools. Its central message is "access to healthy food is a basic right" starting with school children. Malnourished children are less likely to grow and develop their full potential. Basic education may be free but school snacks and meals are not. Without proper nutrition, school children will suffer micronutrient deficiencies and frequent illnesses that lead to poor school performance and high dropout rates.
The food that our school children eat is an important public health issue. Although DepEd has already banned "junk food" in all public and elementary and secondary schools, principals and teachers have difficulty complying with this directive as most of the food readily available in supermarkets and local grocery stores that are offered in school cafeterias are processed and with little nutritional value. The food being sold to school children by vendors outside the school are even worse. Aside from dubious nutritional content, the food may have not been prepared in a safe and sanitary manner.
The Davao Food Revolution provides a model where schools can tap the women in the different barangays near schools to grow organic vegetables and fruits, prepare them using creative kid-friendly recipes, and supply affordable healthy food made of fresh, local, and organic ingredients to school children.
Not only does the revolution promote the health and nutrition of public school children, it also provides opportunities for women's livelihood. It is an innovative solution that not only addresses women's practical needs (access to affordable healthy food), but also women's strategic needs (control and power over decisions on how their food is produced, prepared, sold, and consumed). It is investing in women micro-entrepreneurs engaged in healthy food production and processing, and promoting healthy food carts as a vehicle to increase access of school children to affordable healthy food.
Davao City is nationally and internationally recognized for its track record in conducting successful public health campaigns such as the ban on smoking, firecrackers, and aerial spraying of harmful chemical agricultural inputs. The Davao City Council has introduced an ordinance banning "junk food" in schools and outside the schools' immediate vicinity as part of the city's healthy lifestyle campaign. It has not been implemented yet because they could not get a consensus on what "junk food" is.
Ironically, it was reported that the proposed ordinance was criticized by the Department of Health (DOH) because defining what constitutes "junk food" is tricky. For DOH, if you fortify a processed food with a drop of vitamins and nutrients of some sort, it is no longer considered "junk." So technically, since sugar, salt and fat are nutrients, what we may consider "junk food" can still have nutritional value.
Of course, that argument is also tricky, not to mention lame, in so many levels. Some food are better than others. We should not consume too much of any particular nutrient, with historically heightened concerns about fat, salt, and sugar. Consumption of fat is associated with obesity and heart disease; consumption of salt with hypertension and cardiovascular disease; and sugar with obesity and diabetes. So maybe DOH can rethink their definition of what "junk food" is and take their cue from the healthy food advocates of the Davao Food Revolution.
The news that incoming President Rodrigo R. Duterte is planning on taxing "junk food" is a proposal being supported by the mothers who want healthy food for their children. This move will help discourage the production and consumption of unhealthy food because studies have shown that people respond to prices when deciding what to eat and drink. Taxes discourage consumption of targeted food and drinks and increase consumption of alternatives.
But taxing "junk food" is just one part of a comprehensive healthy food policy. There must also be increased investments in production of healthy alternatives like government support to small organic farmers, urban community gardens, and micro-enterprises producing healthy food. Tax incentives can also be given to businesses engaged in healthy food production and distribution, including restaurants and grocery stores. As you make "junk food" less affordable, you must also make healthy food more affordable and accessible.
Everybody eats and how we eat impacts on the health of our families and communities. Having a pool of healthy human resource is important to peace and development. Changing the way we eat can lead to other changes in our individual and communal lives. That is why access to affordable healthy food is an economic, health, and social justice issue. Let us bring the Davao Food Revolution to the rest of the Philippines.
First appeared on Mindanao Times, June 9, 2016.


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Chamatkar ne Namashkar is yet another thriller best seller from Suresh Sompura. He tried to open more layers of truth in this book. We all know that the world is changing so fast & honestly no one believes anything with any magic or proof. Suresh Sompura Ji Tried to make this book more interesting by creating more twists & thrilling story.
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Nice morning on American - went 3 for 5 and didn't get wet! Yes - there are some Kokanee still left!


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I have shown on this blog that long-abandoned myths about the enclosure movement in England have been exploded for more than 40 years. This is in response to Chris Ferrara's laundry list of conventional claims about English enclosures, in his book on the Church and libertarianism. Instead of admitting what is obvious to everyone, namely that he had not known anything about modern scholarship on the subject, he is now reduced to: "But why are the past fifty years of scholarship on the enclosures more reliable than the past two centuries of scholarship?" Ouch.
That pretty much sums up the state of the debate, such as it is, but I wonder why Ferrara does not apply the same standard to other areas of historical inquiry — e.g., when modern historians of science began, in the 1950s, crediting the Church with having played a much more salutary role in the Scientific Revolution than had previously been realized, why did Ferrara not demand to know why we should credit this more recent research over the work of the past 200 years?
Then Ferrara pretends I am relying on "a single book by a single scholar, G.E. Mingay." Translation: despite having weighed in on the historical controversy over enclosures, Ferrara had never heard of Mingay. This would be like trying to assess war guilt in World War I without (like it or not) at least coming to grips with the work of Fritz Fischer.
And in fact my work on this subject relies not just on Mingay's seminal Enclosure and the Small Farmer in the Age of the Industrial Revolution (1968) but also on his 1997 book Parliamentary Enclosure in England — not to mention the important contributions of F.M.L. Thompson and J.R. Wordie.
When you are writing a work of propaganda, you do not mention that debates exist. That would make the world less cartoonish, and cartoons are what works of propaganda are all about. When you are embarrassed into admitting that a debate exists, you then pretend you knew about it all along, but that it wasn't worth mentioning.
Most propagandists are ignored. Most do not have a Tony Flood who will critique their work with painstaking detail. There is a new book, self-published, by a left-Keynesian (it's bad for consumers to stop spending during recessions!) that repeats the same nonsense we read in Ferrara, but that left-Keynesian won't need a Tony Flood. The refutation of Ferrara is quite sufficient.


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Bollinger Delivers 60K BBL Tank Barge to Bouchard
Bollinger Marine Fabricators, L.L.C., Amelia, La., a Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. company, has delivered Bollinger hull # 561, B. No. 264, a double hull 60,000 BBL oil tank barge built to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA'90) to Bouchard Ocean Services, Inc., Melville, N.Y.
Barge B. No. 264 is a manned ocean, clean oil tank barge measuring 350-ft long, with a 70-ft beam and a depth of 25-ft. The barge is built to, and certified by American Bureau of Shipping and United States Coast Guard to meet the requirements of OPA'90 with 10 cargo compartments and two separate pumping systems. The barge is equipped with two Byron Jackson cargo pumps, driven by Detroit Diesel Series 60 engines, and the deck is equipped with two Techcrane model F10-50 electric-hydraulic cranes.
The delivery of the B. No 264 marks the 13th OPA'90 compliant tank barge delivered from Bollinger facilities to Bouchard. In all, Bollinger has delivered a total of 59 OPA'90 compliant barges into the oil and gas industry.


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Development of soybean with reduced oligosaccharides low flatulence
One of the major reasons for people's aloofness from soy foods in many countries, especially where fermented soy products are not in vogue, is the flatulence experienced on consumption. Raffinose and stachyose are the two flatulence-inducing sugars, which constitute about 0.5 and 4 of the total soybean seed on a dry weight basis, respectively. Both raffinose and stachyose are the galactosyl derivatives of sucrose. Raffinose is one unit of galactose attached to a sucrose moiety with a 1 6 glycosidic linkage stachyose is one unit of galactose attached to raffinose with the same glycosidic linkage. Therefore, they are collectively referred to as raffinosaccharides or raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs). The RFOs remain undigested in the upper intestine as Homo sapiens lack the a 1 6 glycosidase required for degradation of a 1 6 galactosidic linkage. They then pass on to the lower intestinal tract where they are metabolized by intestinal microflora, leading to the production of CO2,...
Methods Used in Soy Product Preparation
The acceptance of soy-based fresh foods had always remained under scanner because of the beany flavour, difficulty in cooking and presence of anti-nutritional factors such as trypsin inhibitors, hemagglutinins, flatulence factors and phytic acid. Several methods of soybean preparation - including soaking, blanching, germination, enzyme treatment and ultrafiltration -have been useful in the removal of undesirable factors and making soy foods more palatable and acceptable (Chauhan and Chauhan, 2007). Various methods may be used for the preparation of soybean products, some of which are discussed here.
Materia Medica of medicinally important orchids
Actions Antiphlogistic, pectoral, sialogogue, stomachic and tonic. Therapeutics In Vietnam the plant is used in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, general debility, flatulence, dyspepsia, reduced salivation, parched and thirsty mouth, night sweats, fever and anorexia.
Caraway In Folk Medicine Of Various Countries
The range of Carum carvi is immense (from Northern Europe to the Mediterranean regions, Russia, Iran, Indonesia and North America). In numerous countries it is a very common species and, as a result, an integral part of their folk medicines. For example in Poland caraway is recommended as a remedy to cure indigestion, flatulence, lack of appetite, and as a galactagogue (Tyszynska-Kownacka and Starek 1988). In Russia it is also used to treat pneumonia (Czikow and Laptiew 1982). In Great Britain and the USA it is regarded a stomachic and carminative. On The Malay Peninsula caraway is one of the nine herbs ground together and made into a decoction to be drunk at intervals after confinement, and in Indonesia the leaves mixed with garlic and spat on the skin are recommended to treat inflamed eczema (Perry 1980). Some of the properties are supported by scientific research and observations and are the reason for using caraway in contemporary medicine.
Nutritional and Economic Benefits
Soybean is one of the oldest food sources known to humans. On an average, it contains about 40 protein, 23 carbohydrates, 20 oil, 5 mineral, 4 fibre and 8 moisture (Gopalan et al., 1974 SOPA, 2002). Soybean is recognized for its value in enhancing and protecting health. Soy protein contains all of the eight essential amino acids. The recent discovery of the value of soy-isoflavones and their role in disease prevention has created a special interest in soybean. It has boundless food potential. However, soybean also contains some antinutritional factors such as trypsin inhibitor, urease and flatulence factors. Hence, it requires careful processing before utilization.
Fabaceae Plants For Medicine
L The leaves are applied as a poultice to ulcers of the foot, etc. or as a dressing for skin diseases. The bark and root are a remedy for jaundice and are used as a general tonic (Dalziel, 1937). A decoction of the bark with native natron is, in certain districts, a treatment for abdominal troubles, with flatulence in horses. The leaf decoction is also used for the treatment of venereal disease and semen insufficiency (Ainslie, 1937).
Caraway in Veterinary Medicine
Caraway is also used in veterinary medicine, but for animals the herb (Herba carvi) is a more popular remedy than the fruit. It contains a significant amount of essential oil and flavonoids. The decoction of the fruit and herb is used to cure gastrointestinal disorders like flatulence, indigestion, stomach aches and gripes. It promotes gastric secretion and stimulates appetite.
Oligosaccharides raffinose and stachyose
Oligosaccharides (raffinose and stachyose) are present in soybean and soy products and constitute about 0.5 and 4.0 of the seed, respectively. Although they are considered undesirable due to their flatus-inducing properties, recent studies have indicated that they also have beneficial effects. They have been reported to stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria in the colon (Tomomatsu, 1994), which provides various health effects. They also inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria (Clostridia perfringens, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria) and enhance bulking of the stool, which dilutes the toxins produced by certain Gram-negative bacteria and eliminate them from the intestines. They convert sugars into lactic and acetic acid and thus reduce the colonic pH, which is beneficial for colonic mucosa. Furthermore, they reduce the risk of colon cancer (Pool-Zobel et al., 2002), modulate the immune system (Bland et al., 2004) and contribute to bone health (Nzeusseu et...
Lavender oil and its supposed functions
'Lavandula angustifolia has a yang quality and its ruling planet is Mercury (Tisserand, 1985).' That author lists its properties as 'analgesic, anticonvulsive, antidepressant, antiseptic, antispas-modic, antitoxic, carminative, cholagogue, choleretic, cicatrisant, cordial, cytophylactic, deodorant, diuretic, emmanogogue, hypotensive, nervine, sedative, splenic, sudorific, tonic, vermifuge and vulnerary'. Its uses are for 'abcess, acne, alopecia areata, asthma, blenorrhoea, blepharitis, boils, bronchitis, carbuncles, catarrh, chlorosis, colic, conjunctivitis, convulsions, cystitis, depression, dermatitis, diarrhoea, diphtheria, dyspepsia, earache, eczema, epilepsy, fainting, fistula, flatulence, gonorrhoea, halitosis, headache, hypertension, hysteria, influenza, insomnia, laryngitis, leucorrhoea, migraine, nausea, nervous tension, neurasthenia, oliguria, palpitations, paralysis, pediculosis, psoriasis, rheumatism, scabies, scrofula, gall stones, sunstroke, throat infections,...
Carum carvi is recommended as a remedy curing digestive tract disorders like flatulence, eructation, stomach aches, constipation, lack of appetite, nausea. It is a mild drug, considered safe even for infants and the elderly. In small children caraway is used to treat flatulence and stomach aches, in the elderly for bile flow disorders, intestinal atony, vegetative neurosis (Ozarowski and Jaroniewski 1987).
Who Flos Chamomillae
Use for symptomatic treatment of digestive ailments such as dyspepsia, epigastric bloating, impaired digestion, and flatulence 1, 3, 5, 29, 34, 35, 114 . Infusions of camomile flowers have been used in the treatment of restlessness and in mild cases of insomnia due to nervous disorders 34, 55 .
Acorus calamus L
(b) Fresh rhizomes are crushed and squeezed to get the extract. A little water is added. Both the extract and powder drug are used in colic, dyspepsia, and flatulence. For children Half cup (125 mL) is used twice a day for 8-10 days. For adults One cup (250 mL) thrice a day for 15-20 days. flatulence.
Digestive Downsides
As it is not digested, there tends to be a lot of inulin in the large intestine or colon after eating a meal rich in inulin. However, none reaches the stools, and only a small fraction occurs in the urine (Molis et al., 1996). This is because inulin is completely fermented by the general microbial fauna in the large intestine, especially by bifidobacteria and lactobacilli (Nilsson and Bjorck, 1988 Nilsson et al., 1988). The digestion of inulin and fructooligosaccharide is accompanied by the production of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and other gaseous products (Stone-Dorshow and Levitt, 1987). This leads to an undesirable side effect of eating Jerusalem artichoke and other inulin-rich foods flatulence. In addition to flatulence, excessive inulin consumption can cause a range of abdominal symptoms, such as osmotic diarrhea, pain, and bloating (Roberfroid et al., 2002a). There are recognized upper limits to the amount of inulin that it is wise to eat in a...
Traditional use
Chamomile has been known for centuries and is well established in therapy. In traditional folk medicine it is found in the form of chamomile tea, which is drunk internally in cases of painful gastric and intestinal complaints connected with convulsions such as diarrhea and flatulence, but also with inflammatory gastric and intestinal diseases such as gastritis and enteritis.
Emerging Trends
Soybean was originally processed to improve its shelf life, inactivate or remove anti-nutritional factors, improve safety, make desirable sensory changes, produce more convenient products and add value. Today, however, some of these reasons have changed, with a focus on maintaining or saving the components of soybean that have health benefits. For example, instead of removing oligosaccharides that cause flatulence in some people, these are now looked upon favourably because they increase the bifido-bacteria population in the colon, giving a protective effect against pathogenic organisms. Isoflavones and trypsin inhibitor (Bowman-Birk inhibitor) are believed to provide protection from cancer (Danji, 2000 Messina, 2002). With increasing interest in the use of soybean in food, due to its health benefits, the demand for direct food uses of soybean may increase in the future.
Fodder and feed uses
Fodder refers particularly to food given to animals, rather than which they forage for themselves. It includes hay, straw, compressed and pelleted feeds, oils and mixed rations and sprouted grains and legumes. Soybean is also used as an animal fodder. Ruminants need a high fibre content in their feed. Soybean hulls are extensively and exclusively used for roughage in feeding livestock (United Soybean Board, 2008). This feedstuff is a source of highly digestible fibre that does not contain starch (Coverdale et al., 2004). Soy protein concentrates are preferred because the absence of water-soluble carbohydrates not only increases the protein content, but also keep the flatulence problem under control. Soybean meals play an important role in the production of fish feed and pet foods. Soybean proteins and the linoleic and linolenic acids present in full-fat soybean meal may even improve the fur quality of mink. Soybean meal represents one of the major feed ingredients for cattle,...
The results of a study to determine the lipid-lowering effects of artichoke suggest that this occurs via an indirect modulation of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA-reductase activity.23 Furthermore, this study investigated many of artichoke's main active constituents and revealed that cynaroside and, more specifically, its aglycone luteolin were most responsible for inhibition, while chlorogenic acid was less effective and caffeic acid, cynarin, and dicaffeoylquinic acids exerted little hypocholesterolemic influences. A methanol-derived extract from artichoke leaves was able to suppress triglyceride elevation in mice that were fed large amounts of olive oil these active compounds were determined to be both sesquiterpenes (cynaropicrin, aguerin B, and grosheimin) and three newly discovered sesquiterpene glycosides (cynarascolosides A, B, and C).24 Inhibition of gastric emptying was also shown to contribute to the antihyperlipidemic activity in this study. The side effects of this plant are...
Nutritional value
During the second century bc, Wu mentions that vegetable soybeans enhance the yang principle and have medicinal value (Shurtleff and Aoyagi, 1994). In the 1950s in the USA, vegetable soybeans were considered distinctly superior to grain soybeans for human consumption (Weber, 1956). Compared to sweet green peas (Pisum sativum L.) vegetable soybeans are rich in protein, fat (cholesterol-free), phosphorus, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamins A, B1, E and C, folic acid, isoflavones and dietary fibre (Table 19.1). Vegetable soybean has a lower percentage of flatulence-producing starches compared to grain soybean. Like the grain soybean, vegetable soybean also has anti-nutritional factors. Trypsin inhibitor (TI) activity is low in vegetable soybean compared to grain soybean. One third of the TI activity remains in vegetable soybean after boiling for 5 min. Vegetable soybean is highly nutritious, yet the nutritional value is not a major factor determining its market value. Pod and...


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Tackle the challenge of managing video files.
Deliver meaningful, measurable experiences with digital asset management (DAM) and martech innovators by your side.
For over 70 years, Widen has inspired marketers, creators, and technologists to work imaginatively. From finding, reusing, proofing, and publishing content to controlling your brand, the Widen Collective® integrates five powerful apps365体育足球滚球比分 to help manage your content challenges across the entire lifecycle.
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365体育足球滚球比分Publish content across different channels and platforms with digital asset management as your content engine.
Connect your content to team members, partners, and other marketing platforms.
Review, annotate, and approve project files across different teams and locations.
Collaborate with teams on documents, images, and videos in one centralized place.
365体育足球滚球比分Tag and upload your assets from anywhere in the world – individually or in batches.
365体育足球滚球比分Ingest files and folders effortlessly with drag-and-drop and upload wizard tools.
Do-it-yourself automation to notify anyone about the latest assets.
Find your assets easily with quick search, category search, predictive search, or filters.
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Search for keywords in PDFs and Microsoft Office documents.
Distribute your digital assets securely across the web, social, mobile, broadcast, or print.
Use share links and embed codes to place image, video, or audio files in any web-based channel and enable new versions to update automatically.
Use collections and Portals to easily share your digital assets with different teams, agencies, and customers.
Track user activity and asset performance across many channels.
365体育足球滚球比分Learn how, where, and who is repurposing your content when assets are downloaded or shared.
365体育足球滚球比分See metrics on individual assets and collections for shares, embed views, and downloads.
365体育足球滚球比分Widen has thrived for more than 70 years because:
We want to be the best part of your day, so you can reach your highest potential – every day.
With offices in the United States and Europe, Widen helps you increase marketing efficiency anywhere in the world.
customers around the world
active users around the world
countries worldwide
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"Widen has helped us serve an international market by being a tool that communicates. It's allowed for more open communications, which helps our markets grow."
365体育足球滚球比分Life Fitness
"DAM serves as the engine for content delivery. It empowers sales, resellers, and e-commerce and derives meaningful analytics to help grow your business."
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"We've built elaborate systems around the DAM, leveraging Widen's API to create a photo management workflow. Widen's product is core to our current ecosystem."
365体育足球滚球比分Clear Channel Outdoor
We won "" at ClickZ Marketing Technology Awards, but that's just one reason people choose Widen.
1. We step on the field with you. Some tech companies implement their software, wave goodbye, and wish you luck. The Widen customer experience365体育足球滚球比分 is a total service approach that never, ever quits. Our experts are like blockers who step in the way of 300-pound problems so you can get to the endzone.
2. We're DAM black belts.365体育足球滚球比分 In 1997, we released one of the earliest digital asset management systems. To this day, we're 100 percent focused on DAM. That kind of longevity and dedication is rare in the martech industry. We create, use, and dream DAM like it's an art form (which we think it is).
3. We've been in business since 1948. From the peak of print to the rise of digital to the frontiers of immersive media, we've adapted to all the seismic shifts in communication. Because we've seen it all, we're quick to spot the future – and driven to tap its full potential. We put value over being first.
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5. Our customers rock.365体育足球滚球比分 From Fortune 100 enterprises to world-famous universities, we serve over 600 organizations in 158 countries. We have customers in virtually every industry.
6. We get the content lifecycle. From the "eureka!" moment to the approval process to the day an asset retires, our DAM handles all the grunt work. Content has its own "circle of life," and we keep it turning here in our own Pride Rock of Madison, Wisconsin.
7. Culture is our rocket fuel.365体育足球滚球比分 Widen is certified as a WorldBlu Freedom-Centered Workplace™. We employ people with developmental challenges in partnership with Madison-based Community Support Network. Our CEO (Chief Eudaimonia Officer), Matthew Gonnering, gives one heck of a . And list the goes on. We think people who love what they do and where they do it will aim for the moon.
8. Then + now. We keep one hand in the past and one in the future. If you need original photography services, retouching, or a catalog product, we're on it. If you want the most useful DAM system a company can own, we've got that covered, too.
9. We're 100 percent cloud. Our customers deserve the best scalability, ease, and security a tech company can offer. That's why we built the Widen Collective™ on top-notch cloud infrastructure. No matter how fast you move and grow, we keep pace.
10. We're obsessed with security. Widen bulletproofs your assets. We participate in regular security audits and penetration tests – and continue to pass with flying colors.
11. We make marketing flow. Some tech companies make fancy features for show. We design every function for your real marketing and creative processes. You'll find everything you'd expect in a top DAM system and things you won't get from anyone else. Check out the Collective's key features
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14. We're our own customer. We're the primary test subject for our DAM software. Our digital content production365体育足球滚球比分, marketing, and creative teams use our tech and services to do their work. They give us sharp, real-world feedback.
15. We're educators.365体育足球滚球比分 Part of our mission is to turn you and your team members into DAM champions, advocates, and administrators. So, we provide oodles of resources to make that happen. Come to live Widen Workshops, learn online, or join us at the annual Widen Summit to get your DAM on.
16. We give a DAM. Marketing and creative people face many of the same challenges no matter where they work. That's our tribe. We know your pains and aspirations. We measure our success by yours.
17. We love DAM wordplay. And we are aDAMant about funDAMentally changing the way your product marketing flows!
Tackle the challenge of managing video files.
365体育足球滚球比分Understanding the five core DAM concepts.
Learn the difference between an RFP, RFI, and RFQ.
June 9-11, 2020
Chicago, IL
June 17-18, 2020
London, United Kingdom
(Speaking and exhibiting)
September 16, 2020
Chicago, Illinois


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1) Be Sun Savvy And Bump Up Your SPF In The Summer
2) Keep Hydrated… From The Inside Out
Yes, you hear this all the time, but it is especially important in the summer. As things heat up, and as you may become more physically active this time of year, you will lose hydration quickly via perspiration. Keeping hydrated is both a beauty issue in that when you are well-hydrated, your cells and organs, and all your systems, function better, and when things are functioning better, you look better! We need at least 8-10 glasses of water a day, and perhaps more in the summer, and when we are working out. Remember to drink sodas, coffee drinks, and cocktails in moderation, as those beverages do not count as water intake and tend to be dehydrating. Boo! But true.


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Minced Pork Noodles (肉脞面)
This must be one of the most common noodles eaten in Singapore and available at every single hawker center. A little more extravagant than the humble fish ball noodles, this version includes pork liver, and a few other toppings.
Often eaten with mee pok (flat noodles) or mee kia (fine noodles), drenched in a vinegar and chilli sauce.
I think that noodles must be QQ or has a tangy texture to be delicious. To achieve this, always dunk the noodles into cold water right after it is cooked, and then back into the hot water to reheat them.
I don't normally use eggs for my noodles as I find the texture better using just alkaline water instead of eggs. The alkaline water reacts with the flour and turns it yellow. This chemical reaction gives the noodles a special texture described only in Chinese noodles. Not really al dente, not really soft or hard, more like a tat of rubbery feel to it, and the mouth feel is simply superb.
Add any toppings according to taste and preference. Some stalls in Singapore serve them with raw eggs, abalone, scallops, etc etc etc. The possibilities are endless.
1 portion of alkaline noodles
1 Tbsp Vinegar
1 Tbsp Light Soya Sauce
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp bullion
4 Tbsp hot water from cooking the noodles
200g minced pork seasoned with 1 Tbsp soya sauce and pepper
6 medium prawns boiled
50g sliced and boiled pork liver
6 fried wontons
5 dried shitake mushrooms rehydrated, sliced and stewed on low heat with 1 Tbsp dark soya sauce and 1 tsp bullion and 5 Tbsp water
Stewed abalone (optional)
Scallops cooked (optional)
Eggs (optional)
Cut coriander leaves
Fried shallots
Pork fat cubed and fried
Pork crackling
5 fresh red chillies
5 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook the noodles as per instructions.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing all ingredients with 1 Tbsp of chilli sauce.
- Coat the noodles with the sauce and then top the dish with toppings 1 and toppings 2.


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Feeling Hormonal?
From conquering cravings to revving metabolism,
hormones are the key to zapping flab.
Here's how to use them to your advantage.
Ever wonder why a hectic day sends you diving face-first into a bag of chips? That's the result of your adrenal glands releasing the stress hormone cortisol.
Cortisol is a Stress Hormone.
That response, which is meant to give you a burst of energy for fighting or fleeing, can often remain high due to sustained stress. leaving you craving high-sugar or high-carb – fast sugar – foods .
There's even some evidence that cortisol causes you to accumulate fat specifically in your belly.
Serotonin has the opposite effect: It calms you down and is a natural appetite suppressant.
To get the same effect without drugs or sugary high-calorie carbs, load up on folate-rich lentils, asparagus, and spinach. Your brain uses the B vitamins in these foods to make serotonin.
Getting enough sleep helps, too. A study in the Journal of Clinical Neurology found that cortisol levels can double after a single all-nighter. The ball is in your court – small changes can make a huge difference on the balance of hormones in your system.
For Those Who Are On The Path of Learning More
About The Body & Mind & Their Interconnectivity
This post was made possible by Melinda Moyer.


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TruScreen Visits The Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands is a new opportunity for TruScreen, with cervical cancer rates being some of the highest in the world, we believe TruScreen would be an ideal fit for the region.
TruScreen's Clinical Research & Training Officer, Dr. Carolina Velasquez visited Fiji between the 15th – 18th April, 2018. During this visit our TruScreen representatives visited 2 prominent health facilities, Viseisei Sai Health Centre, Nadi, and The Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Suva, and presented TruScreen to key gynaecological influencers in Fiji, conducting demonstrations and training.
We are now collaborating with experts in Public Health from University of New South Wales to have TruScreen evaluated by women's health officials as a solution for government cervical cancer screening in the Pacific Region.


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Saul "Slash" Hudson, first known here as Vünter Slauche, is known as an English-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, who was later revealed to be (in the South Park universe that is just a fictional character from a Dutch legend, like Santa Claus.
He appeared as the guitarist in Randy Marsh's band in the episode "I'm a Little Bit Country".
In the episode, "Crack Baby Athletic Association", Clyde and Craig need to find Slash so that he can play at the event EA Sports is sponsoring. Clyde calls his parents when he cannot find Slash and they explain that Slash is make-believe, that he is actually based on the Dutch legend of the Vünter Slauche. The episode ends with the boys learning that EA Sports has collected all of their profits. Eric is too depressed to care; he just can't believe that Slash isn't real. He also can't accept the fact that someone he knew pretended to be Slash during his eighth birthday party. Although Eric does appear again in the end saying he is real. It is hinted that since Slash doesn't really exist in the universe of South Park, he resides in Imagionationland.
The real Slash (of Guns N' Roses not some fantasy guy) reacted to this episode by posting, "I'm not ... real? :("
As he appears in "I'm a Little Bit Country", Slash wears black cowboy boots, black pants, a white shirt with a peace sign design, and a small black top hat. He has long curly hair, which covers his eyes and face. He was seen playing a blue and black electric guitar.


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The Help
I am born and raised in Portland, Oregon- where I am from it's a pretty liberal. I am not from the south and have visited different parts of the south on vacation but what I know of what happened in the south I have mainly read about in books or seen in movies. I know that in different parts of the United States and the world have gone through lots of racism, segregation, and in-equality that I might not know or even see... and might never completely understand. My mother is Puerto Rican and my father is Caucasian from a small paper mill town a few hours from Portland. When I was kid I remember my mother would tell me to check the Caucasian box when ever I filled out paperwork. I didn't realize until later that my mother wanted me to not be judged on my race. I have also been told a few times in my life that I am not Hispanic enough and other times I have been told that I am just a white girl whom will never understand. My sisters are quite a bit older than me and some kids from their school weren't allowed to play with them because they were mixed. I do understand that people come in different shapes and sizes- and I am not going to be someone that judges you based on where you come from- good or bad. I want to get to know you for you!
I know people get made fun of for not being skinny enough, not having the right clothes in school (I still regret wearing those hot pink florescent shorts in high school), wearing glasses, having braces, or perhaps not coming from the right side of the tracks. I guess the whole point of this blog post is that everyone is different and everyone has their own hurdles in life. I often talk on this blog about finding your own path and your own way in life.. and that life isn't always cookie cutter mold. We aren't made from cookie cutters? are we? We are all unique creatures... maybe even snowflakes.
I loved the book because it reminded me to simply be nice to one another and to make an effort with people as individuals.
"We are two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought"- The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
PS- If you read the book- didn't you just die over the Minnie's Pie chapter? 2 pieces of Minnie Pie for you! lol :)


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Best Practices for CRL Checking on SharePoint Servers
The fact is that SharePoint 2010 servers think they need to be able to reach out to http://crl.microsoft.com. They need get a current list of certificates for revoked (expired, key compromised, CA compromised, etc.) certificates.
But that's not an option for most of the SharePoint servers I work with. It's common for firewalls that prevent such outbound http calls and therefore prevent CRL checking. The inability to check the CRL (certificate revocation list) can create a myriad of strange performance problems and timeouts for w3wp.exe's, owstimer.exe, asp.net, and .net applications. Sometimes those problems are pretty easy to figure out with a bit of research (like a 15 second delay when browsing to a SharePoint page after an IISRESET) and sometimes the problems that show up are more mysterious.
There are dozens of blogs on this subject and a variety of approaches people take. So why write on this again? There are at least eight somewhat bewildering options that Admins may be forced to choose from. Sometimes one of those options works well for one farm and doesn't work well for another farm with a similar problem. Sometimes the impulse to get the problem fixed is stronger than the impulse to abide by best security best practices. Some of the advice is dated and deserves improvement. Also it's not clear what applies to SP2007, to SP2010, and/or to SP2013. I'm going to attempt to consolidate and evaluate all the options.
If a SharePoint server doesn't have access to the CRL, I expect that you've got some kind of CRL checking problem to one degree or another.
One good way to determine whether or not you need to consider one or more of these options for your servers is to set up CAPI2 logging. It's not enabled by default but it's easy to do. Steps can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2625048. (Also see http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=18844)
Another way that this problem is often detected is for a fiddler/netmon/wireshark trace is performed while reproducing the problem and calls to crl.microsoft.com are noticed. Sysinternals Utilities such as Process Monitor and Process Explorer can also show this traffic. It might be good to restart IIS and restart the SharePoint timer service while doing this.
You could also task your network administrator with checking the firewall/proxy logs (in a 72 hour period?) to see which servers are making calls to crl.microsoft.com.
Option 1 - Adjust a FIREWALL RULE to permit traffic from the servers to crl.microsoft.com
When a SharePoint Administrator asks a Network Administrator to open a hole in a firewall, the Network Admin usually laughs a knowing-laugh and says, "Not unless you can give me a really good reason!" The answer of, "So SharePoint will perform better," isn't usually good enough. But I'd highly recommend revisiting this option.
Try asking the network admin / security engineer to look at the logs produced by the firewall/proxy to get a sense of the frequency of calls to crl.microsoft.com. This information also would show which servers are making these calls. And from there perhaps a firewall rule can be adjusted to be adequate-but-still-strict.
This option is the most effective solution and it ironically may also be the most secure options. It avoids the problem of disabling the CRL checking—something that does tend to be a good idea from a security standpoint. Most of the other options in this list disable CRL checking in one way or another and that's not really a best security practice. I'm not the only one saying this. Consider these quotes:
- "Note that disabling CRL check is not recommended in a production environment, unless you are troubleshooting an issue and wants to isolate if the problem is related to CRL validation. Make sure to turn it on again after performing the validation. . . While it is important to keep secure access to Internet from the enterprise standpoint, it is also important to make sure that applications that require Internet access to validate CRL are capable of doing it. CRL checking is a secure mechanism that helps validate the validity of a certificate. . . make sure to add crl.microsoft.com to the list (on your firewall or proxy) and you should avoid issues of this nature." (Reference)
- ". . . disabling this option is not recommended for security reasons" (Ref.)
- "Unblock access to the above URL so CRLs can be retrieved when needed. This is the *PREFERRED* approach." (Ref.)
- "PREFERRED RESOLUTION: Allow the server and the services accounts to access the crl.microsoft.com domain." (Ref.)
Option 2 - Add crl.microsoft.com to the HOST FILE and point it to the local address
It is very common for a SharePoint Admin to add crl.microsoft.com to the host files of their SharePoint servers and point it to 127.0.0.1. This is certainly easy to do and is usually enough to keep the biggest, most obvious sharepoint performance problems problems at bay. However, the CRL is not at 127.0.0.1. So right there I think this is not the best possible solution. The processes on the server that want to check the CRL still cannot check the CRL. Maybe you avoid having to wait for a timeout this way but maybe there are better options for both performance, security, and thoroughness. Several people report that this isn't always good enough to stop all crl checking related problems.
Option 3 - Set generatePublisherEvidence to FALSE in in a .config file
This option is easy to implement, is highly recommended by many reputable sources, tends to give really good results (solves problems that the host file entry doesn't always solve), and has the added advantage of being able to be applied with impressive granularity. For example, it can be applied in a web.config file for a specific web application, a root web.config file so that many/all web applications are affected, or in an owstimer.exe.config file to only helps the owstimer.exe process.
SharePoint uses .NET and ASP.net. .NET applications (all managed code) attempts to download the CRL for any signed assembly it loads on startup. This is normal. Setting generatePublisherEvidence to false prevents that.
Should it be done? I note how MSDN seems to recommend it: "We recommend that services use the <generatePublisherEvidence> element to improve startup performance. Using this element can also help avoid delays that can cause a time-out and the cancellation of the service startup." The same article explains that most asp.net/.net applications don't need to verify the signatures (certificates, and therefore CRLs): "The common language runtime (CLR) tries to verify the Authenticode signature at load time to create Publisher evidence for the assembly. However, by default, most applications do not need Publisher evidence. Standard CAS policy does not rely on the PublisherMembershipCondition. You should avoid the unnecessary startup cost associated with verifying the publisher signature unless your application executes on a computer with custom CAS policy, or is intending to satisfy demands for PublisherIdentityPermission in a partial-trust environment. (Demands for identity permissions always succeed in a full-trust environment.)"
The same article also clarifies, "[i]n the .NET Framework 4 and later, this element has no effect on assembly load times." This suggests to me that this option is more important for SharePoint 2010 (which uses .net 2.0/3.5) than for SharePoint 2013 (which uses .net 4.0/4.5).
The fact that it is recommended for aspnet.config and for owstimer.exe.config by a SharePoint Escalation Engineer here is also encouraging.
The easy part is modifying the config file with one simple, short line:
<generatePublisherEvidence enabled="false"/>
The not-so-easy part is deciding config file(s) to add it to? A web.config file? If so, which web.config file? (There are many to choose from!) What about adding it to an owstimer.exe.config file? (Often overlooked.) What about other .net applications and services that might also run on a SharePoint server? Do you need to create a config file named <ApplicationName>.exe.config and add the line to it? I like the fact that you've got great granularity here. But that might increase the odds of setting it at the less than optimal place. If you want to set it for some specific process or specific web application, you can. And if you want to set it at a "global level" or "root level" instead you can do that. But even at the root level you have some options to wade through. Which of these files should you edit?
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\CONFIG\web.config
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\15\CONFIG\web.config
Some bloggers go for the aspnet.config file (ref.1, ref.2) recommends making the change at the aspnet.config file. This would affect all the web application and websites that use asp.net. It doesn't affect any process that uses CLR/.Net. Setting it at the machine.config level would disable it not just for asp.net but all .net/managed code running on the server.
One fine point here is that SharePoint 2010 uses 2.0 and 3.5. So you might want to edit the config file of your choice in both the 2.0 and 3.5 folders. It might be a good idea to do it in the x86 and x64 folders too.
SharePoint 2013 uses .net 4.0. So there is probably no need to make any changes in the 2.0 or 3.5 folders.
If you decide to set it at "the hive level" (14\CONFIG and/or 15\CONFIG) you might expect the web.config in the 14 hive to affect the site collections running in 2010 mode (which is possible on a SP2013 server if you upgraded the database from SP2010 but didn't upgrade the site collection) while the web.config in the 15 hive should affect site collections running in 2013 mode.
It's also good to keep in mind that that disabling the generation of publisher evidence in a web.config file or aspnet.config file won't affect Owstimer.exe. For SharePoint servers running owstimer.exe, you may want to consider creating an owstimer.exe.config file. (Ref.)
Option 4 – Export the SharePoint Root Authority certificate of the farm and import it into the Trusted Root Certification Authorities store of each SP server in the Farm
This option comes from "Workaround 1" in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2625048 ("Site slowness because of SharePoint STS certificate CRL Checking"). It is also recommended as workaround 1 in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2672574 (SharePoint 2010 – Performance issue on external BDC lists).
I'm a big fan of this option. I like this option because it doesn't seem controversial to me that SharePoint servers in a farm should trust this certificate. I'm a little surprised that this doesn't happen the moment a server is joined to the farm. When a SharePoint farm is created, a root certificate is created for the servers in that farm to use for internal communication. The validity of that certificate is checked frequently. If this certificate is found in the local certificate store of the sharepoint server, trust is assured and communication goes on like it should. If the certificate is needed and it is not in the local store of the server, the server tries to validate the certificate over the network. This can cause unwanted delays.
Another thing I like about this option is that it doesn't disable any CRL checks. It's less controversial from a security standpoint than some of the other options then. But it's also not going to cover as wide a variety of problems as other options may give.
Option 5 - Disable the automatic update of root certificates on the SharePoint Servers
Technically this option really has nothing to do with CRL checking or the lack thereof. But it does often come up in the discussion of CRL checking and possible causes for performance problems in SharePoint BDC, Infopath Services, or anything that relies on the Secure Store service. This is discussed in detail at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2672574 (SharePoint 2010 – Performance issue on external BDC lists).
This option is found in several articles on the internet. Most interestingly it is found as Workaround 2 in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2672574 and again as workaround 2 in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2625048. Personally I prefer workaround 1 in both instances. But it's good to know what all the options are.
KB 2672574 gives the best hint as to why one should or shouldn't do this: "There should not be specific implications to SharePoint since we are using self-signed certs and manage them ourselves. The SharePoint certificates do have an expiry and we do have a health rule that watches for that IIRC and will warn the admin to update/re-roll them. The main aspect to think through is for "other" certificates used on the box (like SSL certificates, certificates to trust download packages or for SAFER policy etc) which are issues from certificates chained to those in the TRC store."
The gist of it is to launch gpedit.msc as admin on the SharePoint server(s). (This assumes that it's not all greyed out due to being controlled by Group Policy.) Drill down into Local Computer policy > Windows Settings > Security settings > Public Key Policies. Double-click the Certificate Path Validation Settings. In the Network retrieval tab, add a checkmark beside "Define the policy settings" and uncheck the option to "Automatically update certificates in the Microsoft Root Certificate Program (recommended)." Run gpupdate /force.
Option 6 - Change the registry key for Software Publishing "State" value to '0x00023e00'
One common workaround to attempt to disable CRL checking is to open the registry and set HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WinTrust\Trust Providers\Software Publishing "State" to dword:00023e00.
The steps are simple:
Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe)
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WinTrust\Trust Providers\Software Publishing
On the left side pane look for State key and double click to open it
Change the Value data to 146432 Decimal or 0x00023e00 Hexadecimal
No reboot is needed.
When "State" is set to 00023e00, certificate revocation is turned OFF. When "State" is set to 00023c00, it is turned on.
I admit that this can help avoid some CRL checking problems. But I am not very favorable towards it because (1) it's not a best practice from a security standpoint, (2) it's not very granular or flexible, (3) it seems like it should guarantee to solve all CRL checking related problems but there are times when it does not solve them.
One of the possible reasons it may not solve all CRL related problems is that sometimes the HKEY_CURRENT_USER entry may not be adequate. It *may* also need to be applied to locations as well, such as:
- HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WinTrust\Trust Providers\Software Publishing
- HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WinTrust\Trust Providers\Software Publishing
In theory, a Process Monitor trace should show whether these keys are being touched or not. HKCU works for the "current user" but may not have anything to do with the service accounts that your application pools, for example, are running under.
Option 7 - Download and Import the fresh CRLs from crl.microsoft.com every month
If your servers are unable to reach out to http://crl.microsoft.com due to strict security policies but you also want to continue checking CRLs, you can.
You can download copies of the lists simply by browsing to these URLs:
- http://crl.microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/CodeSignPCA.crl
- http://crl.microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/CodeSignPCA2.crl
- http://crl.microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/microsoftrootcert.crl
- http://crl.microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/CSPCA.crl
- http://crl.microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/MicCodSigPCA_08-31-2010.crl
There could be other CRLs that you might need. This is where CAPI logging comes in handy. The CAPI2 logs should show you which processes are reaching out to specific CLRs. Example:
But then you need to put them somewhere.
You can use certutil (already on your server) to import those CRLs to the local CRL store of each and every SharePoint Server.
The commands are simple:
Certutil –addstore CA CodeSignPCA.crl
Certutil –addstore CA CodeSignPCA2.crl
Certutil –addstore CA microsoftrootcert.crl
Certutil –addstore CA CSPCA.crl
Certutil –addstore CA MicCodSigPCA_08-31-2010.crl
Similarly, but as an alternative, you could place the downloaded .crl files on an IIS website, for example, that is accessible to the SharePoint servers, has directory browsing enabled, that is listening on port 80, and has a folder structure of pki/crl/products. And then you could create either an internal dns entry (or several hostfile entries) that resolve crl.microsoft.com to the IP address of the web server. The idea here of course is that whenever a server reaches out to http://crl.microsoft.com/pki/crl/\, they end up getting the CRLs from what amounts to an internal mirror.
So why don't more people do this? There is a catch here. Those CRLs are set to expire every two months (?) or so. They're always getting replaced by fresh CRLs. And if a certificate were revoked, the CRL might get replaced sooner than the two month expiration date. Even though it's easy to download the CRLs and import them, it's not something an Admin is going to want to do every two months. It is something that could be scripted, but that's a hassle too.
Option 8 - Uncheck "Check for publisher's certificate revocation" in Internet Explorer's Internet Options
Many have used the simple option of opening Internet Explorer on the servers, expanding the TOOLS menu, selecting Internet Options, selecting the Advanced tab, and unchecking the box beside "Check for publisher's certificate revocation."
(Some also might tempt the reader to also uncheck "Check for server certificate revocation.")
The main appeal to this is how simple it is. And it seems to work for solving many CRL checking problems. It disables CRL checking for pretty much everything on the server. It was especially popular in the days of ASP.net 1.1 and ASP.net 2.0 (before the ability to disable generatePublisherEvidence was added to 2.0).
I unchecked "Check for publisher's certificate revocation" on a test machine while running Procmon and saw that the majority of the changes made by unchecking this revolved around keys in the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AdvancedOptions\CRYPTO\ area, there was also a change at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WinTrust\Trust Providers\Software Publishing – STATE.
Here is a screenshot of the salient part of the procmon capture:
So ultimately this is the same as Option 6. But to minimize the number of registry changes, I'd recommend option 6 over this one.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I invite you to leave comments that will help me improve this blog.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2625048 Site slowness because of SharePoint STS certificate CRL checking
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb629393.aspx <generatePublisherEvidence> Element
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/pfedev/archive/2008/11/26/best-practice-generatepublisherevidence-in-aspnet-config.aspx Best Practice - <GeneratePublisherEvidence> in ASPNET.CONFIG
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/2303.understanding-access-to-microsoft-certificate-revocation-list.aspx Understanding Access to Microsoft Certificate Revocation List
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/tom/archive/2008/10/28/web-site-stops-responding-for-15-25-seconds.aspx Web Site Stops Responding for 15-25 seconds
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/tess/archive/2008/05/13/asp-net-hang-authenticode-signed-assemblies.aspx ASP.NET Hang: Authenticode signed assemblies
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/gregmcb/archive/2008/05/06/ssl-and-authenticode-causes-crl-lookups-if-your-machine-cannot-access-the-crl-for-verification.aspx SSL and Authenticode Causes CRL lookups if Your Machine Cannot Access the CRL for Verification
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2672574 SharePoint 2010 – Performance issue on external BDC lists
Additional keywords:
The revocation function was unable to check revocation because the revocation server was offline


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Venues Archives | Cleveland Music Group
By Jane
Venues In Cleveland: Which One is the Right Fit for You?
On 20, Oct 2016 | No Comments | In Wedding & Event Planning | By Jane
So you're throwing your next big hoorah in the Cleveland area and need to find a place with the atmosphere that fits your needs, but how do you choose? CLE Music Group works with the top venues in Northeast Ohio and we have some valuable tips on how to choose the best venue for your event.
Read more…


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Armed with a big bag full of scrap fabrics, some stuffing and safe plastic needles, I went to the Moor Music festival last weekend. Sarah Spicer did a fantastic job of organising the kids tent and the activities this year. There were zones for different activities: Hoopla, Dressing up, Telephone, Face Painting, Random craft and my Re-Toyed Trash sewing workshop so the kids had too much to do to ever get bored. I also noticed some non-kids sneak in for a face painting.
The kids were decorating the tent with their creations throughout the festival and made hats, tea pots and other magical things to be used in their Mad Hatters Tea Party on the last evening. Some images from the party will be in the next post.
I brought with me some examples of plush toys made at recent workshops. You might recognise some of these characters from previous blog posts. The tortoise and the octopus were very popular with the kids and some tried their best to take them home. However I offered that they could make their own toys instead.
Some of the kids had never sewn before and needed lots of help to get started, so we had lots of one-on-one sewing lessons. The 'Monsters Inc.' furry fabric seemed to be very popular with lots of monsters being sewn together.
Robyn made a teddy bear called 'Sully', named after the Monsters Inc character. I was very impressed with her sewing capabilities and her patience because this teddy bear took a long time to complete. Here she is with her completed teddy.
This girl made a snake from a section of some old stripey socks. Notice the snake's long tongue with hearts on it. This snake is called Alex.
Here's a full-length photo of Alex.
This plush is a soft monster ball with eyes.
Ellie made two furry seals on the first day. This is the second one with two ears.


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Stanford employees' data on stolen laptop
STANFORD Tens of thousands of workers at university at risk of ID theft
Stanford University has notified tens of thousands of past and current Stanford University employees that their personal information - including their dates of birth, Social Security numbers and home addresses - was on the hard drive of a stolen university laptop.
A Stanford spokesman said Saturday that the stolen computer contained personal information on people hired by the university before Sept. 28, 2007, which could be as many as 72,000 people. Stanford sent out an e-mail message Friday to all the current and former employees it could reach, advising them of the theft.
"While there is no evidence that any of the information on the stolen laptop has been accessed, the University is committed to taking steps to assist individuals whose personal data may be misused," Stanford Chief Financial Officer Randy Livingston wrote in the e-mail.
With the theft, Stanford becomes the latest in a series of big institutions - from Wells Fargo Bank to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - to face security breaches from a stolen laptop. The risk in such cases is that criminals may use personal data from the stolen computer to create fake credit accounts in the name of unknowing victims.
Stanford officials would not provide any details on the theft, such as when or where the computer was stolen.
They said data on the laptop included some or all of the following: employees' names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, business titles, work and home phone numbers, home addresses, salaries, and Stanford e-mail addresses and employee identification numbers.
The laptop did not contain driver's license, bank account or credit card numbers. Nor did it include information on employees of Stanford University Hospital or the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.
The university said it will provide additional credit monitoring to help employees respond to the possible data breach and protect their identities from fraud. It is also looking at how to protect employee data better in the future.
"We will have services in place next week and Stanford is committed to assuming this cost," the e-mail to employees said.
Stanford is far from alone in facing privacy problems stemming from stolen laptops.
A 2007 study by the Ponemon Institute, a privacy think tank in Traverse City, Mich., estimated that 73 percent of corporations experienced the loss or theft of a data-bearing portable device such as a laptop in the preceding two years.
Wells Fargo had two laptops stolen in 2003 and 2004 that held data on thousands of mortgage and home-loan customers. The Department of Veterans Affairs had a computer stolen in 2006 that held confidential information on over 25 million veterans and military personnel.
UC Berkeley faced a similar problem in 2005 when someone stole a laptop containing confidential data on more than 98,000 graduate students and applicants.
"One group of organizations that seems to be the worst offenders with breaches of this sort is colleges and universities," said Mike Spinney, a Ponemon Institute spokesman.
In the Berkeley case, investigators recovered the laptop about six months later when it was being offered for sale on eBay - with no apparent misuse of the student data.
Stanford officials said in their e-mail that they believe the theft of Stanford's laptop was a similarly unsophisticated crime.
"We believe that the perpetrator of the crime was not seeking the records on the computer or even aware of them," Livingston wrote. "Often, such thefts are property crimes in which the laptop's hard drive is erased before the laptop is resold."
But one computer security expert said that thieves are becoming increasingly savvy about the value of personal data on computers, and that a flourishing black market for stolen data has emerged over the past several years.
"In the past, if a laptop was stolen from a cafe, it was reasonable to think it would be reformatted and sold as a new machine," said Robert Richardson, director of the San Francisco-based Computer Security Institute. "Now I wouldn't make that assumption. Even the dumbest criminals out there are on to the fact that the data is where the money is."
Personal information such as Social Security numbers and birth dates are valuable commodities in the underground world of identity theft. Criminals can use this kind of data to take out loans or open credit accounts in the name of an unknowing victim.
Someone who steals a laptop with personal information doesn't necessarily need to know how to commit identity fraud personally - just where to sell the information.
"The typical person who steals a laptop sells the data for a couple of bucks a record," Richardson said. "Then somebody else figures out what to do with it."
Online resources
If you're a former or current Stanford employee hired before Sept. 28, 2007, you may be affected by the theft. Call Stanford at (650) 736-0099 or send an e-mail to email@example.com.
For more information on laptop security and identity theft generally, see the Identity Threat Resource Center at www.idtheftcenter.org, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse at www.privacyrights.org, or the Ponemon Institute at www.ponemon.org.


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I am closing this blog. Just too many blogs to keep up with, so I'm trying to condense them down to only about three. Also, I want to make them in a way you can find things more easily and know which blog you'd like to go to.
I will have one for my everyday stuff which can consist of my project 365, scrapbooking, and whatever strikes my fancy. This blog can be found here: Barb's Bite Sized Notes
My Photo-A-Day consist of things in my county in PA. Check that out here:
Photo-A-Day-Centre County PA
You will also see my blog where it will only consist of recipes that I like. It can be found here: Serving Up Cinnamon Toast (This is in progress and you may not see it actually listed for another few weeks.)
Please feel free to visit any of these blogs and comments are always welcome. And, if you are a follower of mine please feel free to follow one or more of my other blogs. Would love to have you visit.
I will leave this up for a month or so and then take it down altogether. You can either bookmark my other blogs or follow me. Thanks for stopping by.


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Back to our regularly scheduled programming. Here's an excerpt from Slaughterhouse-Five by the inimitable Kurt Vonnegut:
…The visitor from outer space made a serious study of Christianity, to learn, if he could, why Christians found it so easy to be cruel. He concluded that at least part of the trouble was slipshod storytelling in the New Testament. He supposed that the intent of the Gospels was to teach people, among other things, to be merciful, even to the lowest of the low.
But the Gospels actually taught this:
Before you kill somebody, make absolutely sure he isn't well connected. So it goes.
The flaw in the Christ stories, said the visitor from outer space, was that Christ, who didn't look like much, was actually the Son of the Most Powerful Being in the Universe. Readers understood that, so, when they came to the crucifixion, they naturally thought:
Oh, boy – they sure picked the wrong guy to lynch that time!
And that thought had a brother: "There are right people to lynch." Who? People not well connected. So it goes.
The visitor from outer space made a gift to Earth of a new Gospel. In it, Jesus really was a nobody, and a pain in the neck to a lot of people with better connections than he had. He still got to say all the lovely and puzzling things in said in the Gospels.
So the people amused themselves one day by nailing him to a cross and planting the cross in the ground. There couldn't possibly be any repercussions, the lynchers thought. The reader would have to think that, too, since the Gospel hammered home again and again what a nobody Jesus was.
And then, just before the nobody died, the heavens opened up, and there was thunder and lightning. The voice of God came crashing down. He told the people that he was adopting the bum as his son, giving him the full powers and privileges of The Son of the Creator of the Universe throughout all eternity. God said this: From this moment on, He will punish horribly anybody who torments a bum who has no connections!
Moral of the story: don't be rude to the bum-looking old man eating alone in McDonald's, because he might just end up giving you $20 to help you hitchhike to Seattle and then you'll feel like an asshole for traveling 2000 miles and yet still being a shallow narcissist.


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About Me
I'm a machine learning researcher and high school student in San Diego, California. Although I'm still in secondary school, I have a passion for academic research and have published three papers in various conferences of machine learning, computer vision, and robotics. I have some experience in industry too, acting as a software developer for a startup company. In my free time I enjoy reading Stoic philosophy, stargazing, singing Indian classical music, and going on walks with my dog Peanut.
MultiNet: Mulit Modal Deep Learning for Autonomous Driving
Autonomous driving requires operation in different behavioral modes ranging from lane following and intersection crossing to turning and stopping. I created a technique for learning multiple distinct behavioral modes in a single deep neural network through the use of multi-modal multi-task learning. I tested this technique using labeled data from over one hundred hours of driving our fleet of 1/10th scale model cars.
PhonoNet: Raga Predicton and Visualization
Indian classical music is a fading art form which focuses predominantly on improvisations on specific melodic modes, or ragas. The improvisational nature of the Indian ragas make them very difficult to consistently record in a distributable written format. Because ragas are passed down solely through an ancient oral tradition, much of the rich knowledge of Indian ragas is dying.
To address this issue, I created the PhonoNet deep learning system for raga detection, a tool which documents and augments the learning of Indian classical music and ragas by providing raga prediction and audio visualization.
SimpleCV for Computer Vision Workshop
As the president of my high school robotics team, I lead a number of outreach efforts. For one of our team's STEM workshops, I created a simple wrapper on top of OpenCV called SimpleCV to teach middle school students the basics of image manipulation and computer vision. At the end of the activity, all students could draw a mustache on top of an image of a face and some were able to draw mustaches on themselves with a live feed camera!
Haar Cascade Training Library on Windows
A comprehensive library for training Haar Cascades on Windows machines (primary operating system of my robotics team). All necessary files are compiled and stored within the repository with detailed usage instructions. Don't get me wrong, Linux RULES! This is just so my robotics computer vision team members could get started.