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Automation and Programmability
Infrastructure Provisioning and Operations
Development and Operations Models and Continuous Integration
Monitoring and Advanced Analytics
Cisco Nexus 9000 Series: Automation and Programmability Capabilities
Standard Network Manageability Features
Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol Support
Comprehensive Programmability Support
Bash Shell Access and Linux Container Support
This document examines the increased importance of automation and programmability capabilities in the network. It explores the various trends in the data center that necessitate flexible control of the underlying infrastructure: from the emergence of modern self-service IT to increased use of continuous integration using development and operations (DevOps) models. It discusses the automation and programmability demands on the network as a result of these trends and describes the comprehensive support for these capabilities on the new Cisco Nexus® 9000 Series Switches.
Automation and Programmability
Data center strategy has become a critical part of business strategy overall. Today, more than ever, the ways and means of IT deployment can make the difference between an efficient, successful organization and an inefficient one. That is because today IT applications and services support increasing numbers of business operations and create competitive differentiation in many industries. However, the resulting proliferation of applications and their underlying server, storage, and networking technologies is placing increasingly greater burdens on IT staff, demanding more from IT than ever before. One of the major burdens is the management of this complex IT environment, with considerable staff time needed to configure, deploy, and manage application infrastructure.
A recent IDC study shows just how heavy this burden has become. IT decision makers report that approximately three-quarters (76.8 percent) of IT staff time and resources is spent maintaining existing environments, and less than one-quarter (23.2 percent) of staff time is spent on value-added activities (Figure 1). Analysis of the maintenance portion reveals the following:
● 24 percent of staff time and resources is consumed by presystem deployment.
● 23 percent of staff time and resources is consumed by turning on and preparing systems for applications.
● 29 percent of the remaining time is spent monitoring and maintaining the IT infrastructure, including performing patch management, health monitoring, software and application updating, analysis, and troubleshooting.1
Concurrent with the challenges of adapting to these changes in the IT industry is the continued challenge for IT to do more with flat or decreasing budgets. This confluence of factors has caused IT managers to become eager to identify and adopt new technologies and solutions that deliver efficiency for those maintenance activities that are consuming more than three-quarters of staff time. The goal of IT managers is to deliver excellent maintenance service with less staff effort and increase the focus on deployment of new services for the organization. This trend is the focal point of evolving data center strategy. Therefore, enterprises are seeking data center solutions that deliver on the efficiency promises of unified infrastructure and management products.
The adoption of converged infrastructure solutions, such as Cisco® Unified Fabric and Cisco Unified Computing System™ (Cisco UCS®), has been increasing because converged infrastructure that spans computing, networking, and storage resources can improve IT agility, protect business investments into the future, streamline deployment, and significantly increase asset utilization. Converged infrastructure helps reduce floor space needs and energy costs and provides operation benefits by creating a virtualized pool of resources. However, the real reduction in the total cost of ownership (TCO) occurs when converged infrastructure is combined with end-to-end, simplified, automated management.
Automation and programmability capabilities in the components of the data center - computing, networking, storage, and services resources - enable this end-to-end automated management. A modern network device, be it a switch or a router or a service appliance, has to support a wide range of automation features and provide robust APIs for external tools, both off-the-shelf and custom-built, to be able to automatically provision network resources, provide bandwidth allocation and latency guarantees to support network service-level agreements (SLAs), and monitor the network for performance and compliance needs.
This document describes the various use cases for network automation and programmability and discusses the features of the Cisco Nexus® 9000 Series Switches that enable these use cases.
IT is increasingly being delivered as a service, with private cloud models, to provide the speed, flexibility, and competitive innovation needed by modern businesses. IT as a service (ITaaS) aims to achieve these goals:
● Accommodate rapid business growth without adding IT staff.
● Standardize the IT environment while providing the capability to expand the size, scope, and scale of services delivered to customers.
● Increase the customer base and global presence as a result of the nimbleness and agility of the IT environment.
● Increase collaboration among the development and IT teams, resulting in new automation use cases to foster even greater innovation.
ITaaS typically is implemented in several phases.
The first phase of ITaaS implementation requires several building blocks:
● Self-service portal and standardized menu of services
● Service-delivery automation
● Operation-process automation
● Resource-management automation
● Service lifecycle automation
Traditional networks use manual configuration and management mechanisms. The command-line interface (CLI), an interface designed for interactive human use, is the primary mechanism in such networks. The range of automation needed for a private cloud deployment, however, cannot be accomplished with the CLI and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)-based scripts and tools. To help IT environments transition from human-led network operations to automated network operations, IT needs:
● New network automation capabilities such as Power-On Auto Provisioning (POAP) and intent-led automation using the Puppet and Chef tools
● Programming capabilities such as Representational State Transfer (REST) and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)-based interfaces
● APIs with comprehensive language support
After implementing a private cloud infrastructure, IT departments focus on implementing chargeback models that allow business units to allocate, account for, monitor, and report resource use and associated costs. Business units get visibility into the amount they are paying for resources and the amount of their resources that is unused, allowing them to optimize resource consumption and costs. Such self-service optimizations depend on automation capabilities in the network: automated resource tracking and reporting with detailed statistics and analytics, automated resource provisioning and deprovisioning, automated tuning of quality-of-service (QoS) capabilities, etc.
As IT departments move from these private cloud ITaaS models to hybrid cloud models that use capacity bursting and cloud-based disaster recovery, automation features become even more important: to enable automated capacity management, workload mobility, and disaster recovery. Automated VLAN and Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN), route injection, security configuration, analytics collection, and error reporting are critical for successful hybrid cloud deployment. In addition, programmability features with comprehensive API and language support are needed for different orchestration and management frameworks in the public and private cloud domains to enable automatic configuration and management of the network.
Infrastructure Provisioning and Operations
Organizations endeavor to automate every aspect of their infrastructure: bare-metal, virtualized computing, networking, and storage resources and services (Figure 2). Automation of infrastructure provisioning can bring immense benefits by reducing the infrastructure light-up time: the amount of time that capital investments stay unused. This strategy also allows time-consuming, error-prone manual tasks to be replaced by automated tasks that are completed in dramatically faster times with increased accuracy. Similarly, after the infrastructure is operational, automation of day-to-day management, monitoring, and configuration changes can increase the efficiency of infrastructure operations teams.
Tasks that can be automated include:
● Autodiscovery and provisioning of devices
● Role-based and policy-based management of infrastructure
● Configuration management, event management, power management, and availability management of all devices and their components
● Autodiscovery of all components of a device, such as chassis, servers, fans, modules, memory units, and disks
● Dynamic provisioning of device resources (interfaces, VLANs, switch and port profiles, routes, etc.)
● Inventory, operation, and licensing status reports for all devices
● Continuous monitoring of resource utilization and capacity
Network automation is a crucial aspect of this comprehensive automation strategy. Features such as POAP and intent-based automation with the Puppet and Chef tools dramatically reduce network deployment and configuration times. Programming tools such as Python scripting and APIs such as Cisco NX-API enables instantaneous provisioning and automated monitoring through integration with existing tools and frameworks.
Development and Operations Models and Continuous Integration
Development and operations (DevOps) models of software development and deployment, with their agility in deploying new features and patches and their resulting business benefits, have become increasingly popular over the past few years. DevOps environments enable rapid enhancement and tuning of applications with continuous deployments: applications with rates ranging from tens of deployments per day to thousands of deployments per day, depending on the application and organization. With this rate of change, to enable a DevOps model, automation of infrastructure operations and management is not just desirable but required. Network devices, as critical parts of the infrastructure, need to support automation and programmability features.
As new applications are deployed, the infrastructure resources need to be provisioned to enable the applications. From a network perspective, various configuration tasks may need to be automated: provisioning of new VLANs, VXLANs, Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) instances, and QoS policies; injection of new routes into the network; etc. In ongoing deployments, network parameters may need to be changed to allow or restrict communications between components of the application or to tune networks for performance, based on application needs. Modification of routing parameters, addition and removal of access control lists (ACLs), modification of QoS parameters, etc. may need to be accomplished in the network.
Network devices need to provide comprehensive automation capabilities and APIs to support the new configuration change and operation model and to integrate with agile software development methodologies and tools that are prevalent in such environments.
Monitoring and Advanced Analytics
Network administrators seek a holistic view of the way that the network is performing and the ways that users are experiencing the delivery of applications and services. Comprehensive visibility empowers the network administrator to:
● Optimize network resources by characterizing application performance and use of network resources
● Troubleshoot problems with quick access to critical network information across bare-metal, virtual, and cloud environments
● Deliver consistent performance levels by assessing the impact of changes, such as server consolidation and virtual machine migration, on network performance
Tools that enable these capabilities depend on the APIs and interfaces exposed by network devices to gather information and identify events of interest and trends. They present information to the user in context-relevant reports with:
● Comprehensive traffic statistics and application, voice, and video performance metrics
● Detailed troubleshooting with insightful packet captures, advanced filters, and error scanning
● Centralized management and reporting
Traditional monitoring and analytics tools could use only basic features of network devices such as SNMP, CLI, syslogs, and remote monitoring (RMON) capabilities. Modern tools can provide more powerful monitoring and analytics by using new capabilities such as REST APIs, Python scripting, and comprehensive APIs such as Cisco NX-API. These APIs enable a variety of all-encompassing views of the network to be exposed to the administrator and also role-based, context-sensitive views to end users (Figure 3). The APIs also allow the tools to, optionally, modify certain network parameters automatically based on trends derived from the analytics: for example, migrate traffic to a different route if a specific route is congested.
With the increased pace of infrastructure convergence with cloud models, it is increasingly common for multiple tenant, organizations, and applications to share the same infrastructure. In such an environment, it is very important to gain visibility across the entire infrastructure to help ensure not just the security goals of the infrastructure team, but also the security and compliance expectations of the individual tenants and organizations.
The visibility and audit requirements from the network require the network to embody certain characteristics. The network must be:
● Observable: The network needs to provide visibility into resource use, secure resource segmentation, statistics, and performance across tenants and organizations.
● Controllable: The network should provide capabilities to change security parameters to meet security, compliance, and visibility needs.
● Automatable: The scale and complexity of today's networks dictate automated collection and monitoring of information for security and compliance needs. The same level of collection and monitoring cannot be accomplished with manual intervention.
To meet these needs, networks need to expose a very large amount of very detailed configuration and operation information to external tools and entities. A robust set of APIs, such as that exposed by Cisco NX-API, that tools can use to query network information can be critical for a secure data center. Automation capabilities such as those provided by Python scripting and Puppet and Chef integration, can help ensure that the network stays in compliance throughout the duration of its operation, even in the event of new threats and requirements.
Cisco Nexus 9000 Series: Automation and Programmability Capabilities
To meet the numerous demands of the network in the modern data center, a network device - or more particularly, the operating system that powers that device - must be:
● Resilient: To provide critical business-class availability
● Modular: To be capable of extension to evolve with business needs and provide an extended lifecycle
● Highly programmable: To allow rapid automation and orchestration through APIs
● Secure: To protect and preserve data and operations
● Flexible: To integrate and enable new technologies
● Scalable: To accommodate and grow with the business and its requirements
● Easy to use: To reduce the amount of learning required, simplify deployment, and ease manageability
The enhanced Cisco NX-OS Software is designed to meet all these criteria while running on the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches. The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series consists of Cisco Nexus 9500 platform modular switches and Cisco Nexus 9300 platform fixed-configuration switches.
Equipped with enhanced Cisco NX-OS as the operating system, Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches function in unified fabric mode to provide network connectivity through traditional means but with exceptional performance, resiliency, and programmable automation functions.
Enhanced Cisco NX-OS on the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series integrates with a variety of open source software (OSS) and commercial technologies to provide comprehensive automation, orchestration, programmability, monitoring, and compliance support (Figure 4).
Standard Network Manageability Features
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series supports standard network manageability features that are widely used by network administrators and operators for automation (Figure 5):
● SNMPv1, v2, and v3
● Syslog
● Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF)
● CLI and CLI scripting
Enhanced Cisco NX-OS on the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series supports numerous capabilities to aid with automation. The platform incorporates comprehensive APIs that expose an extensive set of functions, providing investment protection with the capability to add support for new automation capabilities in the future (Figure 6).
POAP automates the processes of installing and upgrading software images and installing configuration files on Cisco Nexus switches that are being deployed in the network for the first time.
When a Cisco Nexus switch with the POAP feature boots and does not find the startup configuration, the switch enters POAP mode, locates a Domain Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, and boots itself with its interface IP address, gateway, and Domain Name System (DNS) server IP address. The switch also obtains the IP address of a Trivial FTP (TFTP) server or the URL of an HTTP server and downloads a configuration script that enables the switch to download and install the appropriate software image and configuration file (Figure 7).
POAP enables touchless bootup and configuration of new Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches, reducing the need for time-consuming, error-prone, manual tasks to scale network capacity.
Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol Support
Enhanced Cisco NX-OS on the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series integrates an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) client into the operating system. This integration allows a Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switch to be managed and configured by XMPP-enabled chat clients, which are commonly used for human communication. XMPP support enables several useful capabilities:
● Group configuration: Add a set of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series devices to a chat group and manage a set of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches as a group. This capability can be useful for pushing common configurations to a set of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series devices instead of configuring the devices individually.
● Single point of management: The XMPP server can act as a single point of management. Users authenticate with a single XMPP server and gain access to all the devices registered on the server.
● Security: The XMPP interface supports role-based access control (RBAC) and helps ensure that users can run only the commands that they are authorized to run.
● Automation: XMPP is an open, standards-based interface. This interface can be used by scripts and management tools to automate management of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series devices (Figure 8).
Puppet and Chef are two popular intent-based infrastructure automation frameworks.
Chef allows users to define their intent through a recipe - a reusable set of configuration or management tasks - and allows the recipe to be deployed on numerous devices. The recipe, when deployed on a Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switch, translates into network configuration settings and commands for collecting statistics and analytics information. The recipe allows automated configuration and management of a Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switch.
Puppet provides a similar intent-definition construct, called a manifest. The manifest, when deployed on a Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switch, translates into network configuration settings and commands for collecting information from the switch.
Both Puppet and Chef are widely deployed and receive significant attention in the infrastructure automation and DevOps communities. The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series supports both the Puppet and Chef frameworks, with clients for Puppet and Chef integrated into enhanced Cisco NX-OS on the switch (Figure 9).
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series includes support for the Cisco Nexus plug-in for OpenStack Networking (Neutron). The plug-in allows customers to easily build their infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) networks using the industry's leading networking platform, delivering performance, scalability, and stability with familiar manageability and control. The plug-in helps bring operation simplicity to cloud network deployments. OpenStack's capabilities for building on-demand self-serve multitenant computing infrastructure are well known. However, implementing OpenStack's VLAN networking model across virtual and physical infrastructures can be difficult.
OpenStack Networking provides an extensible architecture that supports plug-ins for configuring networks directly. However, each network plug-in enables configuration of only that plug-in's target technology. When OpenStack clusters are run across multiple hosts with VLANs, a typical plug-in configures either the virtual network or the physical network, but not both.
The Cisco Nexus plug-in solves this problem by enabling the use of multiple plug-ins simultaneously. A typical deployment runs the Cisco Nexus plug-in in addition to the standard Open vSwitch (OVS) plug-in. The Cisco Nexus plug-in accepts OpenStack Networking API calls and directly configures Cisco Nexus switches as well as OVS running on the hypervisor. Not only will the Cisco Nexus plug-in configure VLANs on both the physical and virtual network, but it also intelligently allocates VLAN IDs, deprovisioning them when they are no longer needed and reassigning them to new tenants whenever possible. VLANs are configured so that virtual machines running on different virtualization (computing) hosts that belong to the same tenant network transparently communicate through the physical network. Moreover, connectivity from the computing hosts to the physical network is trunked to allow traffic only from the VLANs configured on the host by the virtual switch (Figure 10).
Table 1. Cisco Nexus Plug-in for OpenStack Networking
Cisco Plug-in Resolution
Extension of tenant VLANs across virtualization hosts
VLANs must be configured on both physical and virtual networks. OpenStack Networking supports only a single plug-in at a time. The operator must choose which parts of the network to manually configure.
Accepts OpenStack Networking API calls and configures both physical and virtual switches
Efficient use of limited VLAN IDs
Static provisioning of VLAN IDs on every switch rapidly consumes all available VLAN IDs, limiting scalability and making the network more vulnerable to broadcast storms.
Efficiently uses limited VLAN IDs by provisioning and deprovisioning VLANs across switches as tenant networks are created and destroyed
Easy configuration of tenant VLANs in top-of rack (ToR) switch
Operators need to statically provision all available VLANs on all physical switches, a manual and error-prone process.
Dynamically provisions tenant-network-specific VLANs on switch ports connected to virtualization hosts through the Cisco Nexus plug-in driver
Intelligent assignment of VLAN IDs
Switch ports connected to virtualization hosts are configured to handle all VLANs, reaching hardware limits very soon.
Configures switch ports connected to virtualization hosts only for the VLANs that correspond to the networks configured on the host, enabling accurate port-to-VLAN associations
For large, multirack deployments, aggregation switch VLAN configuration
When computing hosts run in several racks, ToR switches need to be fully meshed, or aggregation switches need to be manually trunked.
Supports Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders to enable large, multirack deployments and eliminate the need for aggregation-switch VLAN configuration
OpenDayLight Integration and OpenFlow Support
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series will support integration with the open source OpenDayLight project championed by Cisco (Figure 11). OpenDayLight is gaining popularity in certain user groups because it helps meet some of their requirements from the infrastructure:
● Operators want affordable real-time orchestration and operation of integrated virtual computing, application, and networking resources.
● Application developers want a single simple interface for the network. Underlying details such as "router," "switch," or "topology" can be a distraction that they want to abstract and simplify.
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series will integrate with the OpenDayLight controller though well-published, comprehensive interfaces.
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series will also support OpenFlow to enable use cases such as network tap aggregation (Figure 12).
Comprehensive Programmability Support
Comprehensive programmability features available on enhanced Cisco NX-OS on the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series enable custom automation and scripting.
Cisco NX-API on the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches allows web-based programmatic access to the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series. This support is delivered through an open source web server, NGINX. Cisco NX-API exposes the complete configuration and management capabilities of the CLI through web-based APIs. The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches can be instructed to publish the output of the API calls in either XML or JSON format. This comprehensive, easy-to-use API enables rapid development on the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches (Figure 13).
Python is an easy-to-learn, powerful programming language. It has efficient high-level data structures and a simple but effective approach to object-oriented programming. Python's elegant syntax and dynamic typing, together with its interpreted nature, make it an excellent language for scripting and rapid application development in many areas on most platforms. The Python interpreter and the extensive standards library are freely available in source or binary form for all major platforms from the Python website: http://www.python.org/.
The same site also contains distributions of and pointers to many free third-party Python modules, programs, and tools and additional documentation.
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series supports Python Release 2.7.5 in both interactive and noninteractive (script) modes.
The Python scripting capability on the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches gives programmatic access to the switch CLI to perform various tasks and POAP and Cisco Embedded Event Manager (EEM) actions. Responses to Python calls that invoke a Cisco NX-OS CLI return a JSON output instead of just text output: a powerful feature that makes Python scripting easy and helps ensure that the scripts are forward compatible.
The Python interpreter is available by default in Cisco NX-OS.
Various repetitive, manual workflows that are error prone can be automated either on-device or off-device using the Python scripting capabilities on the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series (Figures 14 and 15).
Bash Shell Access and Linux Container Support
Network operators in DevOps environments and modern enterprise data centers endeavor to use the comprehensive tool and scripting capabilities developed for the computing environment on network devices. To support our customers, Cisco has enabled support for direct Linux shell access and for Linux containers. With Linux shell access, customers can access the underlying Linux system on the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches to use the Linux commands with which they are familiar and to manage the underlying system (Figure 17). Customers can also use support for Linux containers to install their own software in a relatively secure fashion to enhance the capabilities of the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series.
Customers, for example, are installing bare-metal provisioning tools such as Cobbler on Cisco Nexus 9000 Series devices to enable automatic provisioning of bare-metal servers from the ToR switch.
Modern data centers require a highly available network that provides the bandwidth and service guarantees required by organizations and their applications. In addition to performance and resiliency characteristics, modern networks need to support several new capabilities: automated provisioning and monitoring of network resources, programmatic access to statistics and events to enable end-to-end visibility, and RBAC and policy management. The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series is powered by enhanced Cisco NX-OS, an open, Linux-based, modern operating system. The switches expose a comprehensive set of automation and programmability features to meet the requirements of data center operations teams. The capabilities are comprehensive in both their breadth, with support for a wide variety of technologies (commercial and OSS), and depth, with comprehensive automation features and APIs. They enable a wide variety of use cases (Table 2).
Table 2. Use Cases for Automation and Programmability Capabilities of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series
Infrastructure Provisioning and Automation
Security and Compliance
Chef Integration
Puppet Integration
XMPP Support
OpenStack Support
Cisco NX-API
Python Scripting
Bash Support
Linux Containers
Cisco understands that the needs of the market evolve rapidly as technologies evolve and new technologies emerge. Cisco has a long history of responding to customer needs and has designed enhanced Cisco NX-OS on the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches to evolve rapidly with new features. Starting with a strong foundation, the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series provides a comprehensive set of automation and programmability features that can be built on in the future.
Please visit http://www.cisco.com/go/nexus9000 for more information


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In the last post, I mentioned the DSM board's attempt at preemptively striking against textbook psychosis. There's a whole other world out there in the mental health field dedicated, and quite passionately might I add, to prevention psychiatry: stopping the progression of certain experiences, mainly psychosis, before they turn into something they can label as schizophrenia.
I have nothing against their passion. But I would like one of the members to explain how creating several new disorders like attenuated psychosis syndrome would do anything other than create a new label multitudes of teenagers would be diagnosed with, fed medications that aren't researched on teenagers, and make them fear their future more than they should.
So, where do we start?
If you ask me (no one did), preventive care, if that's what it's to be called, includes family dynamics, relationship dynamics, and self-dynamics, not only diagnosis and medications.
Family Dynamics
This is an important but difficult portion for me to write. I find myself grappling with words that sound rehearsed and disingenuous, because I'm not quite sure what a healthy family dynamic would be. But I understand that what you are taught, what you see, what you experience as a child heavily influences what you teach, what you see, and what you experience as an adult. This includes behaviors and thought patterns that may be seen in the world of psychology as abnormal.
The family as a whole must be looked at in preventive care because it may very well be that the problem starts somewhere in the family, perhaps in the history of the family. Substance use, abuse, neglect, perfectionism, other illnesses of family members that fall on the responsibility of the child. Every moment of life becomes a little more traumatic, and the brain is our rock, it must do what it must to protect us from processing emotions we don't fully understand. As helpful as that can be in the moment, it becomes something to wrestle with for many years in the long run.
As a child, I never spoke my insecurities, my emotions, or opinions. I didn't feel safe physically or emotionally. I didn't learn healthy outlets for anger, and I didn't learn healthy outlets for sadness. I didn't know my pain was worth mentioning, so all of it meshed together somewhere in the back of my mind, and eventually came out as panic attacks, depression, psychosis, and self-harm.
Does this mean my family is to blame? No. What it means is that the dynamics were not healthy. It means when looking at preventing further development of experiences like psychosis and depression and self harm, regardless of whether a diagnosis is the main goal, we have to look at how the family functions/functioned as a whole.
Relationship Dynamics
What's been learned in childhood and adolescence inevitably bridges into the relationships we have throughout life, and if there is a pattern of bumpy relationships–friendships, romantic relationships, acquaintanceship– then it's time to also take a look at why. Everyone, even the most introverted person, needs a close friend once in a while. The inability to have an open, comfortable, a mutual connection with another person may force a person inward.
It may also signify an inability to understand what healthy relationships look like, another one of my own personal weak points. Part of preventive care should be focused heavily on providing a person resources on how to learn to have these healthy relationships, even if it's just one person. And I'm not talking about just therapy, I'm talking about workshops and intensive analysis. Having someone in your corner makes all the difference when you feel lost or disregarded or confused.
How does the person regard themselves? How does the person treat themselves? This is the most important aspect of preventive care, because in the end you really only have yourself as your largest support force; if you're not on your side, who is? This is why I believe adding another diagnostic label telling someone they're developing a life-long "illness" that they will need long-term medication as treatment doesn't really empower them to look at their life with healthy vision.
Is the person stuck inward? Do they value themselves? Do they value others? Do they have painful outbursts? I point out these behaviors for a reason: they are most often questions asked and behaviors people want to change. I don't believe preventive care should be about changing anyone, but rather giving the person a chance to see a different perspective and a different side of things. The personal transformation which transpires from that will help the person loosen up in the way they are meant to loosen up, rather than forcing a way of being on them. We've seen that force isn't a healthy dynamic between "patient/client" and doctor many times.
Where Does This Leave Us?
If you are a provider, take into account everything. I'm sure that's something that's taught over and over again, in fact I know it is because I've heard it in every psychology class I've ever taken. But sometimes we forget. And sometimes we don't mean to forget. Sometimes we get wrapped up in what our job is versus what our job could be. And that's when it's important to take a step back and really engage with people, understanding them on a personal level. It's a two way street here: while it's up to us consumers to take our health into our own hands, it's also up to providers to guide us appropriately when we might not be able to take our health into our own hands.
There's a notable difference between doctor's who are genuinely curious about what's ailing you and those who want to help, but come equipped only with the DSM.

subset: commoncrawl


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Author: Kasie WestPublication Date: July 1st 2014Publisher: HarperTeen~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~
She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…
Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.
Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect.
Hey, seen all the squeals and happy happy reviews over On the Fence? Well this is another one. First, I have a confession. This is my first Kasie West book, yes, I know. I feel slap-yourself-in-the-face-stupid that I've waited this long to read one, and ohmygod cuteness overload. I think it's my quota for the month. I'm not a cutesy reader, only when it's Jennifer E Smith, but even I was smiling all the way through it. LOOK WHAT YOU DID BOOK. And I get it now, I do.
This is probably going to make no sense because you know how it is when you just love a book so much you want to gush about it and you can't even review it properly because there are no words to describe it? Hello, On the Fence. You know what surprised me the most about it though? The fact that while Sport plays a big part in our characters lives, and they spend a lot of time playing different types, I was never bored. And really, Sport is the one thing that bores the hell out of me, it does. I can appreciate it, but nope.
I'm not a sporty person, unless it comes to Badminton and Tennis, then yay, because I love playing for fun, operative words being for fun, just don't mention the rules to me because that's when we part ways because my brain shuts off. It's not that I can't play by the rules, because I can, it just literally does not go into my brain. The fun thing about On the Fence though, while I couldn't identify myself within the book, I loved all the characters. I would say I'm more like Charlie though, because while I'm not that sporty, I was kind of a tomboy, because I sure as hell wasn't girly like Amber. But it was fun to see how Charlie interacted with that, and while she's not exactly girly as her either, she gets a happy medium that fits just right with her, and she can explore that side of herself that she couldn't before because she's literally surrounded by guys, her three brothers, her father, and the best-friend-basically-brother-next-door-neighbour Braden.
You guys, the way they all were with each other was freaking hilarious and I want to be in that group, okay? That's where most of the smiling came from. And then we have the awkward stages of Charlie realising she likes Braden as more than what she thought she should see him as, and while it was slap-in-your-face obvious between the both of them, it was so cute to just watch them come into their own, it doesn't happen straight away, and there's a lot of fighting on both parts but when they do, ahhhhhhhhhh. So. Freaking. Cute. And sweet. Smiling time.
It's not all cuteness and smiles though, we do have a serious issue plot to do with Charlie's mother, that wasn't what I was expecting and while the subject is pretty heavy, it never felt heavy in here, you know? There's secrets, and with Charlie not knowing it created this issue inside her that remained unresolved all those years, and that gave her issues with herself. It was one of the saddest things to see in here because while Charlie was so sure of the person she showed everyone else, she forgot to show that person to herself, she felt she was supposed to be strong all the time, and that anytime she felt weak, she was insecure about it.
On the Fence was a great introduction to Kasie West, and if you're like me and hadn't read any of hers, read this one first. It's my favourite, though I haven't read the rest, but don't care. It still counts.
Rating: 5/5


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And we're SoCal people. We don't have rain gear.
Not like these people.
These people were SERIOUS about getting their photos.
Photos of ... nothing.
But, it was awfully nice of them to wear a rainbow selection of raincoats just so MY pictures could look nice. ;-)
I know it looks like the clouds are parting. But, I promise you, there were just more clouds under those clouds.
We moved on and left these serious photographers to their craft.


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Ceratiola falcatula Gandoger; Empetrum aciculare Bertoloni
Plants 0.5-2.5 m; bark gray (interior surfaces reddish), exfoliating on older branches. Leaves 4(6) per node; petiole appressed to ascending, tan, 0.5-1 mm; blade yellow-green to green, linear to acicular, 5-15 × 0.7-1 mm, base acute to rounded, apex acute, surfaces minutely glandular to glandular-hairy, with prominent, longitudinal groove abaxially. Inflorescences sessile; bracteoles 2(-4), sessile, ovate, 0.8-1 mm, margins erose. Flowers sessile, tan to reddish brown; sepals persistent, imbricate, ovate to orbiculate, 1-1.5 × 0.7-1 mm, margins fimbrillate; petals persistent, imbricate, 1-1.5 × 0.7-1 mm, margins fimbrillate; stamens reddish brown; filaments 2-3 mm; anthers 1 mm; pistil reddish purple, 1.5-2.5 mm; ovary ovoid, 0.7-1 mm; style 0.7-1 mm, ± equaling stigma; stigma 0.5-1 mm. Drupes red (tan to yellow), 1.5-2 mm diam. Seeds (pyrenes) reddish brown, 1-1.7 mm. 2n = 26.
Flowering Mar-Jun(-Nov). Deep, xeric, sandy soils of oak scrub, sand pine scrub, longleaf pine sand hills, fluvial sand ridges, and maritime dune fields; 0-100 m; Ala., Fla., Ga., Miss., S.C.
Ceratiola ericoides occurs in sites with low fire frequency, yet its seed germination is stimulated by fire once seed production begins at 10-15 years of age (A. F. Johnson 1982b). Leaves are strongly aromatic.
Other Databases
Other Databases


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A letter to the editor in this week's C&EN focuses on a fatal fireworks disposal incident in 2011, when five Donaldson Enterprises died in an explosion and fire in a storage magazine after disassembling contraband fireworks:
As a chemist with more than 50 years' involvement with display fireworks, I find it appalling that in the Donaldson Enterprises Inc. incident the safest and most obvious means of disposal was apparently never considered (C&EN, Jan. 28, page 26). Simply firing the materials normally and allowing them to function as designed in a safe place would have been a far better course of action.
Display fireworks are fundamentally different from munitions and other classes of explosives in too many ways to list here. But following are a few of the more salient differences applicable to disposal: They are often complex in construction, not designed with disassembly in mind, and widely varied in the number of different pyrotechnic compositions that might be present in a single device. They are not reliably destroyed by water or other liquids, are perilous to cut into, and are dangerous to mass-incinerate whether wet or dry. Disposal involving such methods requires great caution and a full knowledge of the product and should be reserved only for situations where conventional firing is impossible.
It appears that the materials in this case were not damaged or defective, but were merely mislabeled. Had they been properly marked and classified for professional use, they would have been perfectly suitable for that purpose. Therefore, there was no practical necessity for disposal by unusual means.
This raises the question of whether the root cause of this tragedy was, in fact, bureaucratic: Might arbitrary yet rigid protocols have precluded a far safer and simpler disposal? It would not be the first time that safety has been sacrificed upon its own altar by misguided policy.
I'm not sure it's safe to assume that the fireworks were neither damaged nor defective or that "arbitrary yet rigid protocols…precluded a far safer and simpler disposal." I don't think the Chemical Safety Board addressed whether the fireworks were in good condition–from what I understand, no one with fireworks expertise ever looked at them, which frankly seems to be the whole reason those five workers died.
As for whether bureaucracy was at fault, CSB actually pointed to a lack of regulations and protocols as contributing to the incident. From the CSB report (pdf):
Contractor Selection and Oversight Findings
- The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which governs federal agencies' acquisition of goods and services, does not specifically require a federal contracting officer to consider safety performance measures and qualifications when determining the "responsibility" of a potential government contractor or subcontractor to handle, store, and dispose of hazardous materials such as fireworks.
- The Department of the Treasury Acquisition Regulation (DTAR), the Department of the Treasury's supplement to the FAR, does not impose sufficient requirements for safe practices and subcontractor selection and oversight with respect to the unique hazards associated with handling, storing, and disposing of hazardous materials.
Regulatory and Industry Safety Standard Findings
- The CSB found a lack of regulations or industry standards that adequately address safe fireworks disposal. Federal or local codes, regulations, or industry standards do not establish safety requirements, provide guidance on proper ways to dispose of fireworks, or address the hazards associated with the disassembly of fireworks and the accumulation of explosive fireworks components.
- While OSHA's [Process Safety Management (PSM)] standard applies to fireworks manufacturing, OSHA has determined that the regulation does not apply to work activities related to fireworks disposal. Therefore, DEI was not required to implement a more robust PSM system for its fireworks disposal process. For example, DEI's change to its disposal process led to the accumulation of material that created a mass explosion hazard. PSM elements such as Management of Change (MOC) would have required a safety review of this change.
- Emergency hazardous waste disposal permits are granted in Hawaii and throughout the country to entities seeking to dispose of seized contraband fireworks because they are considered an imminent threat to human health and the environment. However, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) does not incorporate PSM-type elements in its hazardous waste permitting process, despite the extremely hazardous nature of the materials covered by these permits.


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Godfrey Urges Governor Malloy To Sign Mammography Bill On Behalf Of CT Women
Letter to Governor Malloy:
May 25, 2016
Honorable Dannel P. Malloy, Governor
State Capitol
Hartford, CT 06106
Dear Governor Malloy:
On behalf of tens of thousands of women across Connecticut, who deserve access to quality diagnostics and health care, we urge you to sign into law HB 5233, An Act Concerning Health Insurance Coverage for Tomosynthesis for Breast Cancer Screenings.
In considering this bill in committee and throughout the 2016 General Assembly Session, lawmakers learned that tomosynthesis, or three-dimensional mammography, saves lives by providing doctors with better and more accurate images to diagnose breast cancers. Indeed, the new technology is so much improved over two-dimensional images that it nearly eliminates false positives and the need for additional imaging.
This new technology is something your office highlighted in 2011 when you visited Hologic, the company in Danbury that developed and makes tomosynthesis imaging machines. At the time you were right in stating that Hologic's innovative thinking and precision manufacturing would help save lives and ensure the state's economic future. That is exactly what Hologic is doing, employing over 300 people, and this legislation supports them.
The bill is not a mandate; it does not require a medical provider to use tomosynthesis. Further, since 1988 Connecticut insurance statutes have required coverage of mammography. Tomosynthesis is simply a new technology in the existing mandate for mammography. We should encourage new technologies, not discourage them.
Despite the fact that insurance companies worked to defeat it, this bill was unanimously supported in the Senate, and passed 139-3 in the House. Lawmakers understood that we have an opportunity to improve women's health care, and support hi-tech bioscience jobs.
We hope you will sign HB 5233 into law.
Representative Bob Godfrey
Deputy Speaker, 110th District
Representative Janice Giegler
Minority Whip, 138th District


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Video Of Eagle Snatching Toddler From Park.
Reports of Eagles making off with all sorts of small domestic animals has been common. This video posted on YouTube shows a child being snatched up by a golden eagle in Montreal park.
The bird appears to lift the child several feet off the ground before dropping it and flying off.
This is unlike anything we have ever seen. That poor child must have been so frightened. We are just glad he is ok!!


text: Meet The Team: Joe Vasco of the Central PA and Northern Maryland Regions Published August 17, 2017 | By Achim Neumann, President Joe, where did you grow up? I was born in Harrisburg Pennsylvania and grew up in Steelton PA which is in South Central Pennsylvania. Where did you study for college? I received my BS at Clarion University in Clarion, PA and my MBA from Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, PA. What was the first job you had out of college? What was the most important lesson you learned there that has stuck with you for your entire professional career? My first job out of college was as Financial Analyst with Xerox Corporation. The Customer's experience is the key to success in my opinion. What drew you to working with A Neumann and Associates? I saw it as a great opportunity to use my background in business, finance, and business ownership to help other business owners through the process of buying/selling their business. I am excited about the opportunity. What counties and states do you represent? My territory is Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland. The counties in PA include Lancaster, York, Lebanon, Dauphin, and Cumberland. In Maryland, the main counties are Baltimore City, Carrol, Cecil, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, Anne Arundel, and Howard. My territory also includes Sussex County in Delaware. What do you feel makes your region unique compared to others? (tax benefits, special laws, etc.)? The region has a unique mix of businesses, which includes a diverse range including small manufacturing and service companies farming, and large technology companies. The region also has a lot of influence of State and Local Government. What do you find is the biggest challenge in your region compared to others? The territory is large and the distance between the counties. What do you find is the biggest advantage working in your region compared to others? I was born and raised in this region and spent most of my career working and owning businesses in the region. I am familiar with the differences in the counties and business sectors in the region. What do you think is the most underrated opportunity in your region? Small manufacturing, Service and Health Care. What is the most rewarding experience you've had working in your region? Working with the people in the region is the most rewarding experience. Best advice for someone considering selling a business in this region? Get a business valuation done to know the true market value of your business, work with a good M&A Company to help you through the process. Try to get several offers. Best advice for someone considering buying a business in this region? Be careful. Do the required due diligence and understand the details of the business, financials, and the industry.


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Day 255: Breakfast Club
The Slightly-Healthy Brunch Version:
Smashed (love that menu-word) avocado with lemon and goats cheese on sourdough, topped with a poached egg. Or, corn fritters with smashed avocado, beetroot relish, wasabi mayo and a bacon side. All with at least two lattes and good company.
The Culturally Aware Version:
Pho. Vietnamese broth with noodles, fresh herbs, lime, chili and topped with fine cut raw beef that cooks itself in the hot broth. Divineness in a bowl. Doesn't really go with coffee, but I don't do breakfast without, so go the Vietnamese option of coffee served with lots of condensed milk for the authentic immersion. I am physically drooling.
The Everyday:
Two Weetbix, soaked in milk until soft and then zapped for a minute in the microwave. Add a spoon of golden syrup. Yes, it is effectively baby food. But babies don't have at least two brewed white coffees with it, do they?
The Insanely-Bad-For-Me, Regression to Childhood Version:
At least two brewed white coffees with a plate of biscuits or cake. I am ashamed but sometimes this is what I have when I get up in the morning. Ironically it makes me hungry again in about forty-five minutes.
The Night-Shift Version:
Because night-shift warps all ideas of the nature of arbitrary time, the best types of post shift breakfast goes along this line: steak, chips, a fried egg, worchestshire sauce, and beer.
P.S: Went to breakfast after this post and they none of these options. Sorely disappointed!
Who wore it better?
Putting a link on with:


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Country-side charm
Offering country-side charm, Shafer is part of the chain of five small towns that make up the community of Chisago Lakes. Nestled along Highway 8, these small towns work together, yet are uniquely their own.
Rolling grasses unfurl from the highway and open out toward the horizon and the St. Croix Valley as you enter the town of Shafer.
Sweeping landscapes of green meadows, picturesque pastures, and barns are the essence of this region.
This long-time farming community continues to stay true to its roots with businesses that create memories and honor traditions. A key segment of the Swedish Immigrant Trail runs through the area and allows you to re-trace the steps of early settlers or meander the countryside at your leisure. Enjoy apples, pumpkins and bakery treats at the local orchard while enjoying broad views of the St. Croix Valley. Be sure to visit during the fall harvest time, and join in the Shafer Days celebration where you won't want to miss the old bank robbery reenactment and craft fair.
Take time to discover wide open spaces that offer breathing room to wander, reflect and enjoy nature. Meander through the 43-acre Franconia outdoor art sculpture park and spend the night camping at one of the cozy sites or in a quaint bed and breakfast.
It's all yours to explore in Chisago Lakes.


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I get this from xdpyinfo:
screen #0:
dimensions: 1024x768 pixels (25x22 millimeters)
resolution: 1040x887 dots per inch
Which is incorrect and makes some apps like emacs go wild with font sizes.
This machine is an intel mac mini running fedora 7 with and intel driver from git commit ff2be3995d33f9e4b7f63b380f166b6168c9b9c6, dated Fri Jul 13 12:47:18 2007. I'm using an almost empty xorg.conf just to force load the 'intel' driver.
The monitor is a somewhat old 15 inch CRT and thus I'm using the DVI <-> VGA adapter.
There's another issue which I should maybe report in another bug: the driver always chooses as default resolution firstname.lastname@example.com which looks really odd but looking at the X log the monitor seems to return the correct information to the driver about the resolutions it supports. Actually xrandr reports a lot of resolutions which I don't even dare try fearing the monitor to fry:
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1024 x 768, maximum 1360 x 1360
VGA connected 1024x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right) 25mm x 19mm
1360x768 59.8 60.0
1280x800 60.0
1152x864 60.0
1280x768 60.0
1280x720 60.0
1024x768 84.9 75.1* 70.1 60.0
800x600 84.9 75.0 60.3
720x540 69.9
640x480 80.6 84.6 75.0 60.0 59.9
720x400 70.1
TMDS-1 connected (normal left inverted right)
1360x768 59.8 60.0
1280x800 60.0
1152x864 60.0
1280x768 60.0
1280x720 60.0
1024x768 60.0
800x600 60.3
640x480 59.9
TV disconnected (normal left inverted right)
The mode I'm running is what I'm using in mac os x which actually just allows me to choose from 3 resolutions:
I'm attaching the X log, thanks for looking at this!
Created attachment 10725 [details]
Xorg log
Created attachment 10726 [details]
Is 1024x768@60hz the preferred mode for this monitor? Can you give me a product name to associate with it?
(In reply to comment #3)
> Is 1024x768@60hz the preferred mode for this monitor? Can you give me a
> product name to associate with it?
Preferred as in "written in the box or manual"? That I don't know since I lost those some years ago... But the mode I always used is 1024x768@75 so I'd like that to be the preferred :-)
About the name. On the back it says it's made by "FUNAI Electric Company of Taiwan" and the model number is PM36B.
Will the driver be able to detect the correct physical size and set DPI to sane values?
Created attachment 11066 [details] [review]
quirks for funai pm36b
Could you test the attached patch for the X Server to add quirks for this monitor? I'm hoping it fixes both the physical size detection and the initial mode selection.
(In reply to comment #5)
> Created an attachment (id=11066) [details]
> quirks for funai pm36b
> Could you test the attached patch for the X Server to add quirks for this
> monitor? I'm hoping it fixes both the physical size detection and the initial
> mode selection.
Applied the patch to fedora's current X server (22.214.171.124-9.fc7), rebuilt the rpm and yea, it's working.
Just a tiny bit which is still wrong: the auto selected mode is 1024x768@70 and not 75. Else it's great now.
> Else it's great now.
Well, actually it is not. I had changed gdm to start the server with "-dpi 96" and forgot to change it... After removing that and with this patch applied I get this:
$ xdpyinfo
screen #0:
dimensions: 1024x768 pixels (25x19 millimeters)
resolution: 1040x1027 dots per inch
Could you include the output of xrandr --verbose?
And the new log, too.
Created attachment 11080 [details]
xrandr --verbose
Created attachment 11081 [details]
new log
(In reply to comment #9)
> And the new log, too.
done. fyi, i'm using 1024x768@75 because i set gnome to do the change on login, because gdm comes up @70hz.
Please re-test with the current x server with a plan Xorg startup (not gdm), which has a variant of this patch committed. And new log if it fails.
I'm assuming this is fixed as feedback timeout. Please reopen if it still exists with the new server code.
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Browsing Steward Observatory Preprints by Title
Now showing items 59-78 of 91
NGC 2818, An Open Cluster containing a Planetary NebulaeThree color UBV photometry of the cluster NGC 2818 shows it to lie at a distance of 3.2 kpc. The cluster has a color excess E_(B-V)= 0.22 and an ultraviolet excess of 0.09. The evolutionary turnoff from the main sequence occurs in mid A. The faint main sequence in the cluster shows a distinct bend or discontinuity. Preliminary velocity measurements indicate that the high excitation planetary nebula NGC 2818 is probably associated with the cluster.
OB Stars Near the Supernova Remnant RCW 86The filamentary nebula RCW 86, identical with the non - thermal radio source MSH 14 - 63, is part of a supernova remnant. A group of OB stars is found near the radio source. The distance of the group is 2500 pc; this agrees well with the radio distance of the remnant. It is suggested that the remnant was formed by the explosion of a member of the group; the explosion occurred probably in 185 A. D.
Observable Signatures of Young GalaxiesI review theoretical expectations for the probable appearance of galaxies during their formation phase, placing particular emphasis on the uncertainties in these ideas. Recent models suggest that formation may occur relatively recently, but that young galaxies are less spectacular than previously supposed. They may be analogous to recently discovered high red - shift radio galaxies, and indeed they may have been observed directly in faint galaxy counts. I summarise several other lines of evidence which suggest that galaxy formation may have been a recent process. Finally I give preliminary results from a detailed analytic study of the observable properties of young galaxies in a Cold Dark Matter universe. Predictions are given for faint galaxy counts and redshift distributions, and for the galaxy luminosity function.
Photoelectric Photometry of Some Galaxies in the Region of the Virgo ClusterFour color photometry of 26 galaxies, mostly in the region of the Virgo Cluster, is presented.
Polarization and Structure of the Crab Nebula : Proceedings of the 23rd IAU ColloquiumPresent knowledge of the optical, radio and X -ray polarization of the Crab is reviewed and discussed as it bears on the structure of the magnetic field, time scales in the nebula, and relations between nebula and pulsar. Not as much high -resolution polarimetry has been done on the Crab as might have been expected. Loops of field and a large -scale structure can be recognized, but it is not known whether the fields generally are smooth or chaotic on a small scale. Field lines tend to curl around the filaments. The large angular size of the X -ray source poses a difficulty to conventional theory. The form of the nebula does not single out the pulsar as its source, and the exact relation between pulsar and nebula is uncertain. The wave -field or "synchro- Compton" interpretation of the continuum emission is erroneous but has led to interesting observations of circular polarization. Circular polarization of the ordinary synchrotron radiation might be observable in the radio band. Magnetic flux may have been generated in the nebula by winding of lines around the rotating pulsar. Polaroid photographs then suggest that the pulsar rotation axis is roughly NW -SE, but confirmation is lacking.
Polarization of Radio Sources. I. Transfer of synchrotron Radition through an Extended Radio Source with Faraday Rotation|Polarization of Radio Sources. I. Homogeneous Source of Arbitrary Optical ThicknessThe problem of transfer of radiation in a medium with polarized emission, polarized absorption and Faraday rotation of the plane of polarization is formulated. Solutions are obtained for the case of a homogeneous source. In the range of frequencies for which a medium is optically thick the degree of polarization of synchrotron radiation depends on the type of absorption process and is different for synchrotron absorption and for thermal absorption. It is therefore suggested that the low frequency polarization measurements of radio sources with curved spectra may determine whether synchrotron self -absorption or thermal absorption or another process is responsible for the low frequency curvature in spectra of certain radio sources.
Polarization of Radio Sources. II. Faraday Effect in the Case of Quasitransverse PropagationUnder the conditions of quasitransverse propagation of electromagnetic waves in a magnetoionic plasma, the effect analogous to Faraday rotation in the quasilongítudinal case (which we will call Faraday pulsation) can produce a large elliptical polarization of originally linearly polarized radiation. Therefore, the presence of elliptical polarization in the radiation cannot serve as a means for distinguishing between a synchrotron mechanism with high energy electrons and any other type of emission process in radio sources in which conditions suggesting quasi - transverse propagation (large magnetic fields) may take place. The Faraday pulsation has a wavelength dependence through which it can be identified.
A Possible Rotation Chain of Galaxies|Possible Systematic Redshifts in a Chain of GalaxiesRedshifts are reported for two groups of galaxies. Although these two groups have previously been assigned to the same cluster, their redshifts indicate that they are not associated. A systematic variation of redshifts is found across the chain of one of these groups, Abell 2247, and three possible interpretations are discussed. It is concluded that rotation of the chain is the most likely explanation of the systematic motions.
Pulsation Constants and Densities for Double Mode Variables in the Cepheid Instability StripPulsation constants and period ratios are given for the first six radial pulsation modes of a set of seven polytropes with indices ranging from n = 2.25 to n = 4.00. The polytrope results are combined with published theoretical data from stellar model pulsation calculations and observational data on thirteen double mode variables in the Cepheid instability strip to obtain four interpolation formulae relating fundamental periods Po, pulsation constants Qo, and period ratios P1 /P0 and P2 /P1. The derived relations are used to obtain accurate densities for the thirteen observed variables, which include six dwarf Cepheids or AI Vel stars, one S Sct star, one RR Lyr star, and five Cepheids. Approximate masses and luminosities are obtained for some of these stars. The probable connection between mass- luminosity ratios and the existence of double mode variables is discussed.
Redshift Magnitude Bands and Quasi Stellar Absorption Line Multiple RedshiftsQuasi stellar absorption line redshifts are shown to be consistent with the redshift- magnitude band pattern concept. The redshifts in multiple redshift objects tend to concentrate at band crossings corresponding to the magnitude of each object.
Redshift Quantization in the Lyman-alpha Forest and the Measurement of qoWe present evidence for redshift quantization in the Lyman -a forest of several QSOs. The Ly -a data are at redshifts z from 1.89 to 3.74, and the theory of redshift quantization proposed by Cocke (1983, 1085) is used to scale the quantization interval (24.15 km s -') to these high redshift. The sealing depends on the deceleration parameter qo, and the quantization is present at a statistical significance of greater than 99% for qo = 1/2. This may be taken as confirming the inflationary model of the early history of the universe. The significance of the quantization is highest at go rs 0.48, and the width of the peak is about 0.03 . The result can also be seen as providing confirmatory evidence for both the theory of the redshift quantization and the above value of qo, but at a significance of only 03 %. The scenario proposed for the relativistic generalization of the theory is that of fermion wavefunctione and quantum operators in a background Riemannian spacetime satisfying Einstein's field equations.
Redshift-Magnitude Bands, Quasi Stellar Sources, and Systems of RedshiftThe visibility and character of redshift- magnitude bands in a diagram of general field galaxies compared to specific clusters depends upon the cosmological model. In the normal expanding universe model where galaxies have lives comparable to the age of the universe, no band structure should be visible outside of clusters. Band structure is, however, shown to exist among quasi stellar sources and to show the identical slope and band spacing characteristics as do the galaxies in the Coma cluster. At least 14 bands can be identified forming a convergent band series among QSS emission line objects. The validity of the band phenomenon is tested by power spectrum analysis and shown to be highly significant. The distribution of points about the band structure is Gaussian. Cross projections of the band system are shown to give rise to harmonic periodicities which can explain some or all of the periodicities observed in the z distribution of QSS objects. The Coma galaxy band system is shown to be a scaled version of the QSS band system. Galaxies appear to occupy a separate band system which is convergent to the start of the QSS system as its series limit. QSS absorption line objects are further shown to apparently form a third independent band system beginning at the high redshift limit of the QSS emission line system. The band phenomenon is briefly discussed in terms of a model invoking multiple states of matter, rapid galaxy evolution, and possible time evolution of matter observed as a function of lookback time in a singular origin Universe.
Search for Close Binary Evolved StarsWe report on a search for short -period binary systems composed of pairs of evolved stars. The search is being carried out concurrently with a program to characterize the kinematical properties of two different samples of stars. Each sample has produced one close binary candidate for which further spectroscopic observations are planned. We also recapitulate the discovery of a close detached binary system composed of two cool DA white dwarfs, and we discuss the null results of Ha observations of the suspected white dwarf /brown dwarf system G 29-38.
Solid Hydrogen Coated Graphite Particles in the Interstellar Medium, ISolid hydrogen coated graphite particles may be expelled from regions of star -formation into the general interstellar medium. The solid para- hydrogen mantles, which contain a small proportion of orthomolecules are stable against evaporation in the general interstellar radiation field. They are also stable against physical and chemical sputtering in HI regions. Extinction efficiencies are calculated for solid hydrogen particles and for graphite particles with solid hydrogen mantles. Graphite core -solid hydrogen grains are capable of producing excellent agreement with the interstellar extinction observations from 2u - 1100 A. The graphite core radius may be in the range ro = 0.04 - 0.06u and the solid hydrogen mantle radius in the range r = 0.15 - 0.25u. The albedo and phase function of these particles are consistent with the requirements imposed by the diffuse galactic light. Solid hydrogen is strongly anisotropic in its crystal structure and optical properties. Approximate models yield good agreement with the observed trends of the wavelength dependence of interstellar polarisation.


text:
TP06: Home Opener in Review
You owe it to yourself to be the best you can possibly be – in baseball
and in life. – Pete Rose
After all is said and done, the first experience of a Home Opener while working for a Major League team will no doubt surpass the majority of my baseball game memories. There was so much that happened throughout the day that recalling everything would be a daunting task, making me grateful for the photo log I kept, capturing all of the best moments. Words are problematic at times; often, the more you try to convey your thoughts and reactions using an elaborate description, you fall short of doing the lone task you set out to do: allowing an audience to tap into your exact feelings and emotions by revisiting a specific moment in time. So, forgive me if it's difficult to sum up the entirety of the day; so many words are appropriate but none provide adequate justice.
For a week prior to the Home Opener, I observed and assisted (where required) as the field was constructed, the office staff planned and organized the pre-game ceremonies, Rogers Centre was set-up and prepared for the next six months and the Toronto Blue Jays were on a five-game winning streak. The pitching mound that had been in its preliminary stages my first day on the job, had been worked on and shaped by grounds crew to meet league regulations. Olympians and Paralympians were confirmed, jerseys were ordered, media coverage highlighted Spring Training and forecasted 2010, ACE cleaned up for the beginning of another new season, JForce rehearsed and that's only the tip of the iceberg. With everything that goes into the first home game of a season, fans only witness a tiny glimpse of the preparations for a few hours during the night, but it's everything that ensued prior to gate opening, that allows the night to go accordingly as its seen and televised nationally.
You could tell it was the Home Opener for a multitude of reasons but most noticeably because Rogers Centre was energetic from the first moments of the day. Contagious smiles, a buzz about the building and employees wishing one another a "Happy Home Opener." I overheard a co-worker proclaiming to another in the office, "there are only three reasons why I dress up; my birthday, New Years and the Home Opener." The suits, shined shoes and fresh haircuts exhibited that point and everyone was around the building was eager for game time. The Home Opener is an annual chance on a municipal, provincial, and national stage to showcase the franchise and their efforts to fans at the commencement of the new season. It also inadvertently acts as proof that this city – the only major league baseball city north of the US boarder – is adamant about baseball in this country.
The digital narrative I posted acts as a photographic play-by-play of the Home Opener encompassing the 48-hour span in which the day was set-up, rehearsed, and executed. The entire day is a blur but what exists in my memories a couple days after the big night, are fragments of reactions and thoughts that I endured throughout that time frame. A few moments in particular are vivid in my mind and it's as though I can put myself back in that precise moment every time I recall that memory, reliving every step.
The minute I stepped out of the car Monday morning, I began the day with so much energy and excitement for what was approaching. That reaction to the Home Opener remained and grew throughout the day. I had the opportunity to chat with fans and members of the media as well as Olympic and Paralympic athletes, who for the most part, had never seen a game of baseball, but the best moment by far, was towards the end of the pre-game ceremonies almost immediately before the first pitch. The drum line and JForce lined centre field with the armed forces on either side holding flags representative of Canada and the US; thirteen Canadian Olympic and Paralympic medalists stood tall behind the pitching mound, wearing their medals with pride in a new place full of passion and pride and both teams, stood on the field for the national anthems after the team introductions. It was that moment, right before the field cleared for the commencement of the game, that time stood still, even if it's only in my memories. In a split second, that moment had passed, the field had cleared and the first pitch was thrown. Needless to say, I can begin to describe it, but words don't do it nearly enough justice.
I'm positive that all 46,321 fans in attendance would agree that if there's anything you should experience in Toronto, it's a Home Opener. There's expectation and determination with the hope of success riding on this season and if the Home Opener was any indication of the support that the Jays have behind them, this team will no doubt prove what they're capable of in the upcoming months.
2 Comments
Cool blog, Megan. It's awesome to get a behind-the-scenes look at Opening Day and at the Jays. Can't wait to read more as the season progresses, and it's cool you went to Ryerson. (I'm a j-school class of '04 grad.)
I can just imagine the thrill that it must be to enter in that park, admist 46,321 Boo-ing, erhm, I mean cheering fans, for the home opener. I was excited to see such a large turn out. But what has happened since then? What has been the difference in the game now? No one was there to see Romero rock the show the other day. No one saw Eveland last night pitch another masterpiece or saw Gonzelez have one of the best games of his career. How can we change this?
I've recently noticed that they are trying to draw in more people through different advertising techniques: (for more info:
That being said, is this all that we can do? Thanks to Twitter and other social media sites it seems that I have realized that there is a lot more Jays fans that I originally realized. And they are strong Jays fans!
In a recent sports-media class I took, it was stated that there is more Yankee fans in Canada than Jays fans. What I am having a hard time realizing is that Leaf fans are pure leaf fans, they are dependale, loud, and do not miss a game. Sold-out games ALL OF THE TIME. Yet, unfortunately, they don't win… I mean they do.. but.. yeah.
The Jays right now are still on the top of the AL East (although they have yet to play the aforementioned Yankees or Red Sox) but we are having minimum attendance. It just makes no sense to me.
Anyways, sorry for the rant. I'm glad that the opener was amazing. Hopefully every game will be just as good!


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Hello Bigsnake.
You can see the R-M269 matches in the Family Tree DNA Y-DNA Haplotree - FTDNA (https://www.familytreedna.com/public/y-dna-haplotree/R). Haplotree is public.
You expand the tree in the following sequence:
On the R-M269 line you click on the three vertical dots that appear at right side and select "Country Report". A window will open with all countries and their flags and number of participants of the R-M269 project by country and also the grand total.
In my case I can expand my tree to R-P310 haplogroup because that is the deepest haplogroup I know of from my haplotree. To go deeper I have to do new tests. I am awaiting the arrival of my new FTDNA Y-DNA Kit to know more:
In my case I'm expanding as follows:
I hope that this can help you someway. Hugs.


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Horse racing hospitality
From Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood, to Cheltenham Festival and the Investec Epsom Derby, at the forefront of the social calendar are the prestigious horse racing events.
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At Villiers, we have a range of horse racing hospitality packages that offer unparalleled views and exceptional service that helps you to celebrate in style.


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The Deleted Scenes of Holy Communion
We take communion regularly in church. What about the deleted scenes from that story? The story of The Last Supper is often times abbreviated to only focus on when Jesus took the bread, broke it, and said, "This is My body," and the wine saying, "This is My blood. . ." Sure, taking the cracker […]Read More The Deleted Scenes of Holy Communion


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I was pleased to be given the chance to cater for a funeral tea the other day. The family had decided on a Green Burial in the beautiful Binning Wood and had invited their family and friends back to their house afterwards for afternoon tea- even though it was only 1pm (sandwiches, sausage rolls and cakes can be enjoyed at anytime of the day).
When I met beforehand with the husband and daughter of the lady who had passed away, it became clear that the lady had baked at home herself and her baking had left them with strong, happy memories. They asked for a Cherry Cake, Brandy Scrolls and home made Sausage Rolls among other things.
So that was my challenge - to produce an old fashioned cherry cake with the appearance and taste of a cake they remembered - although I said straight away that I couldn't guarantee the cherries would not sink! - the ladies husband knew what I was talking about so I guess she had found it tricky as well.
At such a sad time it is gratifying to know that plain traditional baking, served on china tea plates with tea drunk from china cups, can evoke many happy memories and make a difficult day more bearable.


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Since its inception, The Legacy Center has helped local nonprofit organizations establish outcomes and evaluate their programs to determine whether and to what extent the program is effective in achieving its objectives. The projects can take two forms, Developmental Asset Profiles and custom evaluations.
The results derived from these projects allow our partners to make program adjustments, retain or increase funding, assess community impact, engage collaborators and gain favorable public recognition.
The Legacy Center has done projects with 4H of Midland, Clare and Gladwin Counties (3-year study); Livingston County, the ROCK Center for Youth Development; United Way of Midland County; Midland County Probate, and Juvenile Court and many others.
If you're interested in evaluating one of your programs, contact us today!


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This feature documentary based on Margaret Atwood's bestselling book Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth offers a fascinating look at debt as a mental construct and traces how it influences relationships, societies, governing structures and the fate of the planet itself. Exploring the link between debtor and creditor in a variety of contexts and places, from the mountains of northern Albania to the tomato fields of southern Florida, the film blends compelling stories of "owing" and "being owed" with the views of renowned figures like Karen Armstrong, Louise Arbour, William Rees and Raj Patel.
To continue watching all these documentaries, please buy us a coffee.


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Mister Release Date UpdatedApril 05, 2017 11:46
Mega Prince Varuntej is one of the finest actors among the youngsters in Telugu cinema. The actor has been eagerly waiting for a massive hit and he signed a new movie in the direction of Srinu Vaitla. The movie has been titled Mister and the entire shoot of the movie has been wrapped up recently. Varuntej, Lavanya Tripathi and Hebah Patel played the lead roles in the film and the post-production work of the film is currently in final stages. The audio and the trailer have been well accepted by the audience all over.
The movie has been slated for April 14th release however the makers pre-poned the release date to April 13th. Now the latest news reveal that the film will hit the screens on April 14th and not on 13th. A grand pre-release event has been planned on April 7th in Hyderabad and Megastar Chiranjeevi will attend the event as Chief Guest to promote the film. Mickey J Mayor is the music composer and top producers Nallamalapu Bujji, Tagore Madhu are jointly producing Mister. The movie has been carrying massive expectations and Mister is the last release before Baahubali: The Conclusion.


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The Real Problem With Willets Point
By jhanasobserver May 17, 2012 6:09 pmreprints
A reader sends along this thoughtful critique of the problems inherent in the latest plans for Willets Point:
What a horrible idea. A parking lot and a mall? That neighborhood is a mess already, though. Just a few hundred feet from the bay in one direction and Flushing Meadows in the other, and they're both nearly impossible to access. It should be a wonderful spot to hang out before a ballgame, and instead it's just a tangle of highways. Thank you, Robert Moses.
It's a very interesting point, and perhaps points to a better way forward for this forlorn corner of the city.
Read More


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Custody – Contact and Residence
These are the terms used under Scots law which may be more commonly known as Access (Contact) and Custody (Residence).
If you have split from your partner and have been able to agree arrangements for any children you have then you may want to put that in writing and we can assist you with drawing up an Agreement. If however there is a dispute between you and your partner then we recommend that you consult with us to advise you of your rights and options. Most disputes can be resolved by negotiation however if this is not possible then the matter may require to be decided by Court.
We have a broad experience in dealing with all types of contact and residence issues, both in Scotland and disputes that reach across the border and can offer sympathetic and understanding advice.


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Nice day out there in Iowa City .
And here is a nice bike all accessorized and ready to be picked up today.
Inside we have a nice reorganization of our sales floor.
And we're listening to Bon Iver, isn't that nice?
July 23, 2014
July 11, 2014
Our floor is orange when it is not too dirty.
So is this sweet old Schwinn Voyageur. The owner had us add some shine from Velo Orange and Nitto and a touch of honey from Brooks.
Another orange one, brand new out of a really small box is this Dahon Speed D7 in tangerine. This is the folding bike we sell more than any other because it is simple, strong, and, well – it's orange!
In other upgrade news we have gotten in a couple more sets of Retroshifters, now called Gevenalle or however it's pronounced – one set to help this tandem shift more reliably especially up front on it's wide range crankset. The other set is for a Breadwinner Aufderheide we are building up, pictures to follow but a bike so nice gets it's own blog post!
Another cool upgrade shifter project. We took off dead Shimano trigger shifters here and replaced them with these nicely machined thumb shifters from Microshift. Strong light cheap – pick all three!
Not orange but sure to make folks green with envy is this decked out Xtracycle Edgerunner with the full family package to haul kids and or cargo – plus a generator wheel powering front and back lights with a USB charger.
Last thing orange and upgraded we made some major changes to our helmet / clothing / shoe corner. Stop in and take a seat – we do! Carpet is also quite comfortable for naps we hear.
March 20, 2014
Spring sprang, here is what's sprouting in the shop lately. We are well stocked with generator wheel hubs and lights, including these 3 awesome Busch & Muller models.
Also just got our spring Arkel order whether you are looking for touring or commuting bags we have a whole bunch in stock.
We also added our first hitch mount car rack if you are into taking bikes for a drive?
Sunglasses from Optic Nerve, we got a couple pairs for you to check out.
And our clothing selection continues to grow, shop jerseys and shorts, now we have some rain wear in, plus a whole lotta socks.
Also lots of new helmets, and of course those Detroit Bikes A-Type, and we have lots of used bikes right now, plus a bunch of winter stuff on sale that won't be of any use at all once it is summer, but might help once or twice more this spring, so come by and see what's new!
January 31, 2014
We got Detroit Bikes! Aside from being a nice get around town bike at a nice price these bikes are also made in Detroit, MI, USA.
They came in boxes, white boxes, and it must be the box that is fragile, because it isn't the bike.
Our first build, built. The Detroit Bike is the A-Type and it comes in one color and one size. What you see there is what you get. This is a super smooth and smart city bike. Steel frame, bolt on wheels, internal 3 speed hub, chainguard, fender and rack.
Reflector on the fender, and a nicely done cut out graphic on the rack.
If that still is not enough for your A-Type bike vision check out the valve caps!
These bikes even come with a real non-generic (yet black and white) illustrated owner's manual. With the attention to detail it seems Detroit Bikes has maybe some Type A personality folks that designed the Type-A? Well, we are excited to have them in stock and have special introductory pricing also so come on in and have a look!
July 24, 2013
The construction is wrapping up, let's move on shall we?
Here is what we look like now. If a parked car is ever blocking our front door again, we are having it towed.
We built up this SOMA San Marcos. No need to go into the details when your bike looks this good but it's Campy, Brooks and awesome all over!
Here it is again, and a bit of our new landscaping out front also. Just a beautiful bike! We also got new shop clothing in. It's a big old box full so if you are looking for some new duds come try us on for size.
30¢ Squad, Oasis, Constellation Coffee (Wake Up Iowa City going national) Trumpet Blossom Cafe, Brown Wing Studio and CMC Construction. So local, so orange and green!
July 16, 2013
First up, our great BIG Stupid Construction SALE will continue through closing time this Saturday! 10% off all new bikes, take another 10% off bikes already on sale! So yes, the construction is almost done, the building is looking great and things are returning to normal. Much thanks to all of you who braved the noise dust mud and such to wade in here and see us!
So what have we been up to behind the scenes? Well, we have brought in a couple of new bikes from Marin that are sure to please most bike commuting needs. The Muirwoods 29'er is basically a steel frame mountain bike built for the streets. 3×8 drivetrain, disc brakes, locking skewers for the wheels and saddle and reflective decals galore. The Hamilton 29'er is the same chassis but with rim brakes and a 1×7 drivetrain for simplicity and easy cheap maintenance.
When we build the bikes we recycle the boxes by bike, always! Speaking of bikes, again, we are now Selle Anatomica dealers and have we the demo saddles to prove it!
There is kind of a line already to try a demo, but if you want to get on one give us a call and we can get you on the list. These made in the USA saddles have quite the comfortable reputation and so far have gotten good reviews from the few people we have sent them out under. Sadly demand has been so high we have not yet gotten to demo ourselves!
We also built another really nice generator system that was picked up so fast by the new owner we did not even have time to snap a picture of the finished project, so here are a couple of the parts.
Last new thing, our updated shop clothing is shipping to us this week! Jerseys and shorts this time, might see them by the weekend, early next week for sure! And just so you don't think we are going all NEW on you, we got some used bikes ready and they are up on the USED BIKES page now.
March 21, 2013
We have as many used bikes ready to go right now as we probably will until next fall, so if you are looking for a commuter, mountain bike, kids bike, tandem or road bike check out the page and see if there is something there for you.
We just bulked up the Newbaum's made in the USA bar tape. So many colors it took 2 photos to fit them all in.
A new shop jersey and shorts order is almost ready and will be going into production soon. We still have a few of the old design, and Surly wool jerseys in stock as well, at great prices.
Wake Up Iowa City's newest locally roasted offering, 3oth Century Bicycle Golden Gear Chain is right here on the counter waiting for you as well.
Grab a pound to GO!