text: After Rice, NFL increases domestic violence bans BY HOWARD FENDRICH, AP PRO FOOTBALL WRITER NEW YORK (AP) — Acknowledging he "didn't get it right" with a two-game suspension for Ravens running back Ray Rice, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced tougher penalties for players accused of domestic violence, including six weeks for a first offense and at least a year for a second. In a letter sent to all 32 team owners Thursday and obtained by The Associated Press, Goodell never mentions Rice by name but makes clear references to the Baltimore player who was charged with assault after being caught on video dragging his then-fiancée off a casino elevator. "My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families. I take responsibility both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future properly reflect our values," Goodell wrote. "I didn't get it right. Simply put, we have to do better. And we will." Since January 2000, 77 players have been involved in 85 domestic violence incidents with six being cut by their teams, according to USA Today's NFL Arrests Database. The NFL suspended six players for one game each, and Rice was the second player to be suspended for two games. Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy was convicted in July of assaulting his ex-girlfriend and has appealed for a jury trial set for November. His league punishment has not been announced. Goodell's letter doesn't state clearly how the league will handle pending cases and NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in an email, "Each case will be addressed individually on its merits." Outrage over Rice's punishment prompted three members of Congress to write to the commissioner asking him to reconsider Rice's suspension; the governor of Maine also threatened to boycott the league, and numerous groups that advocate for women and families condemned the penalty as too lenient. The commissioner told teams to distribute his memo to all players and to post it in locker rooms. It reads in part: "Domestic violence and sexual assault are wrong. They are illegal. They are never acceptable and have no place in the NFL under any circumstances." The memo says that violations of the league's personal conduct policy "regarding assault, battery, domestic violence and sexual assault that involve physical force will be subject to enhanced discipline." The NFL Players Association said it had been informed of the increased punishments. "As we do in all disciplinary matters, if we believe that players' due process rights are infringed upon during the course of discipline, we will assert and defend our members' rights," the union statement said. The personal conduct policy is not subject to collective bargaining with the players' union, and the commissioner has leeway to impose punishments for such off-field violations. Goodell's statement also did not stipulate whether the commissioner would act before a player is formally charged. "We particularly applaud your decision to impose tougher penalties, and to give serious consideration to circumstances that may warrant even harsher consequences," said Esta Soler, chief executive of the advocacy group "Futures Without Violence," who met last week with Goodell. "We know that this is not an issue that can be addressed overnight, and intimate partner violence will not be eliminated by tougher game penalties alone," the statement continued. Goodell promised more training and education for staff and players. Rice's suspension begins Saturday. He has never said exactly what happened in the elevator, and he and the woman in the video are now married. Rice apologized publicly and said his actions were "totally inexcusable." An initial domestic violence offense will draw a six-week ban without pay, although the memo says "more severe discipline will be imposed if there are aggravating circumstances such as the presence or use of a weapon, choking, repeated striking, or when the act is committed against a pregnant woman or in the presence of a child." A second offense will result in banishment from the league, but a player will be allowed to petition for reinstatement after a year. "There is no assurance that the petition will be granted," the memo says. Goodell's letter notes other steps the league will take to "strengthen our policies on domestic violence and sexual assault," including efforts to educate all NFL employees on the subject. Post Views: 1,758

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I do not really understand the above conversation but I was shocked to read the part written by Ustaz Azhar Idrus saying:
"Islam dan Kristian bertuhankan Allah…Isa adalah Nabi umat Kristian dan Nabi umat Islam.."
When Ustaz Azhar wrote that both Islam and Christian worship Allah; does he mean that both Islam and Christian share the same god that is Allah?
That statement is totally wrong and it is an example of Pluralism of Religion.
Christian's god is not Allah; Muslims and Christian do not share the same god.
Is Ustaz Azhar confused because Lim Guan Eng suggested the Christians to use the word "Allah" in the Malay version of bible to refer to the Christian's god or gods? (Please read: PAS Says, "Yes" For The Word "Allah" In The Malay Version Bible)
Ustaz Azhar always says that UMNO is really bad because UMNO do not fight for Islam and Muslims must not vote for UMNO. (Pease read: Ustaz Azhar Idrus, A PAS Candidate for PRU 13?)
So now if this screenshot is real, who are the better Muslims?
That is why the Christians in Malaysia are not allowed to call their god Allah as what the Pakatan Rakyat wanted because some people may get confused. (Please watch: Video: Naser Disa Polemik Isu Kalimah Allah)
And the Pakatan Rakyat supporters are always confused; please read: Himpunan KL112′s Most Popular Photo.
Or does he really believe that both Islam and Christian worship Allah?
What will PAS leaders say about this as Ustaz Azhar is PAS's favourite religious speaker?
Can we trust PAS and Pakatan Rakyat to take care of our country?
*Please read: 'Azhar Idrus Mesti Bersumpah' by Paneh Miang*
Related articles
- Ngeh Koo Ham, Majlis Syura Ulama PAS And 'Kalimah Allah' (ahmadalikarim.wordpress.com)
- PAS Says, "Yes" For The Word "Allah" In The Malay Version Bible. (ahmadalikarim.wordpress.com)
- Interesting Videos Of HKR #KL112
- Did Lim Guan Eng Said The Malays Are Moron?


text: On Fri, 2005-12-30 at 09:35 +0100, Leif Nixon wrote: > Skylar Thompson <skylar at cs.earlham.edu> writes: > > > For a variety of reasons, I recommend using ssh with passwordless > > keys, rather than host authentication with rsh. > > I beg to differ. Passwordless keys are a really bad habit (except in > very special circumstances like cron jobs - but then the key should be > restricted in authorized_keys to allow a single command). > > Setting up hostbased authentication for ssh is much more appropriate > for a cluster environment. > > http://www.snailbook.com/faq/trusted-host-howto.auto.html I'm not sure how many clusters out there, computational or otherwise, have high security requirements, but if you're interested in maximizing security, you're probably better off with RSA or DSA-based public key authentication than something host based. Aside from the fact that IP addresses can be spoofed, if you go pure host-based, then anyone on the host in question can do what they need to do. If you do go pure host-based auth, and you want to maximize security given that requirement, then you might want to guard that one host very carefully. Or am I missing the point somehow?


text:
Make your products visible globally with Elite Membership.
I agree to the
terms and conditions
Existing User?
Sign In with Email
Remember Me
Forgot Password?
New User?
Enter your registered Email ID to get reset password.
Elite Member
Individual Register
Propylene glycol (CAS Number: 57-55-6) is an organic compound with the chemical formula C3H8O2. It is a colorless vicious liquid with almost no odor and sweet taste. This compound is categorized as a diol alcohol, which is miscible with various solvents such as water, chloroform and acetone. It is a colorless hygroscopic liquid that has an asymmetrical carbon atom, such that it exists in two enantiomers. Racemic mixture is the commercial product. It has very low toxicity and volatility.
Propylene glycol is synthesized from propylene oxide. There are two processes adopted for the manufacture. The first is the catalytic method that proceeds at 150°C with a small amount of alkali or sulfuric acid or ion exchange resin and second one is non catalytic method which proceeds at 200 °C. The end products consist of 20% propylene glycol, 1.5% dipropylene glycol and traces of other polypropylene glycols. On purification 99.5% pure propylene glycol is obtained. Propylene glycol can also be obtained from glycerol, which is a biodiesel byproduct.
- A significant amount of propylene glycol manufactured is used as a chemical feedstock to produce unsaturated polyester resins.
- Propylene glycol is treated with a mix of unsaturated maleic anhydride and isophthalic acid to produce a copolymer.
- On further cross linking, thermoset plastics are obtained from partially unsaturated polymers.
- Polyurethanes are produced from oligomers and polymers that are produced by treating propylene oxide with propylene glycol.
- Paint industries buy propylene glycol to manufacture waterbased acrylic architectural paints. Industries such as food, pharmaceuticals and tobacco buy propylene glycol, which is used as an additive, solvent and humectant in their products.
- It is also used in electronic cigarettes and vegetable glycerin.
- Propylene glycol suppliers supply the chemical to model manufacturers who use it in their products such as model railway and model boat to simulate smoke or steam with a small heating element.
Propylene glycol has low oral toxicity as large quantities are needed to cause noticeable health effects. It is a non-irritant to the skin and in is minimally irritant to the eyes, even in its undiluted form, which could cause minor transient conjunctivitis during the exposure period. No significant hazard is posed by the inhalation of propylene glycol. This compound is not carcinogenic, sensitizing or genotoxic in nature. Propylene glycol suppliers and other end user industries who buy propylene glycol must be aware of the toxic effects of the chemical.
Propylene glycol must be stored away from oxidizing agents and open flame in a dry environment. Containers used for storing the chemical must always be tightly sealed irrespective of whether it its empty, partially filled or full. Propylene glycol suppliers, manufacturers, laboratory and plant personnel must be cautious during the handling and storing of this compound. Drilling operations must not be carried out near the container. Safety shower and eye bath facilities should be provided in proximity to the work place.
A few of the reasons why you should buy Propylene glycol from us include:
- Global Reach: We are an online portal with Propylene glycol suppliers and manufacturers listed from across the globe.
- Quality Assurance: With our verified list of Propylene glycol suppliers we ensure the quality of the Propylene glycol.
- Fast Processing: Our experts process the enquiries quickly, connecting genuine buyers and suppliers of Propylene glycol.
- Customer Service: Communications is the key! And, our support team keeps our customers happy.
Please verify your Email ID to continue.Enter the Verification Code sent to your Email ID.If you have not received Verification Code,please click Resend Code.
Stay updated with the latest chemical industry trends and innovations.
Verification Code has been sent to
Please enter the Verification Code below to verify your Email Address.If you cannot see the email from "email@example.com" in your inbox,make sure to check your SPAM Folder


text:
Please join us for an exciting discussion on Edna Manley's Bogle monument and the controversy that has surrounded it. This event was rescheduled from its original date of October 14.
Tag Archives: Edna Manley
Invitation – Heritage Week Panel Discussion
Edna Manley's Bogle: A Contest of Icons – Tell Us What You Think!
Since Independence, there have been several controversies about public monuments in Jamaica, starting in 1963 with the proposed National Monument for the Harbour View Roundabout, which was to be designed and sculpted by Alvin Marriott but which was never completed as a result. The other controversies pertained to Edna Manley's Bogle (1965), Christopher Gonzales' Bob Marley (1983) and Laura Facey's Redemption Song (2003).
By far the most protracted controversy has been about the Bogle monument, which started at the time of its 1965 unveiling in front of the Morant Bay Courthouse, had resurfaced in 1971, and flared up again in 2009, after the statue had been moved to Kingston for restoration. A group of Morant Bay stakeholders requested that the monument should not be returned and replaced by a new monument, based on Paul Bogle's presumed "true likeness" – the photograph reproduced below. The matter remains unresolved and the NGJ has made use of the presence of the recently restored statue in Kingston to present an exhibition on the subject, which opens on September 23 and continues until November 13.
Press Release – Edna Manley's Bogle: A Contest of Icons
The National Gallery of Jamaica is pleased to announce its upcoming exhibition titled Edna Manley's Bogle: A Contest of Icons, which will open to the public on Sunday, September 26.
This research-based exhibition examines the iconographies of Paul Bogle and the 1865 Morant Bay Rebellion, with a specific focus on Edna Manley's Bogle monument and the assumed photograph of Paul Bogle. The photograph was uncovered in the late 1950s and, while there are unresolved questions about its attribution, has become the de facto official representation of Paul Bogle. Edna Manley's Bogle was unveiled in 1965 as the official monument to the Morant Bay rebellion and was located in front of the historic Morant Bay courthouse until it was recently removed for restoration. A second, truncated version can be seen in the 1865 Memorial at National Heroes Park in Kingston. Continue reading
Invitation – Edna Manley's Bogle: A Contest of Icons
Edna Manley's Bogle
There has been much controversy, recently, about Edna Manley's 1965 Paul Bogle monument, which was for nearly forty years located in front of the Morant Bay Court House, where it served as a monument to the Jamaican National Hero Paul Bogle and the 1865 Morant Bay Rebellion. The monument had been damaged by vandals and weakened by the 2007 Morant Bay Courthouse fire and was taken to Kingston for restoration. Stakeholders in the Morant Bay community have however opposed its return and demanded its replacement with another monument that would be a "true likeness" of Bogle, based on a presumed photograph of him. This request subsequently received the support of the St. Thomas Parish Council and the KSAC. The future location of Edna Manley's Bogle Statue is currently under debate.
The current controversy is the third such episode around this monument: the first one occurred at the time of the unveiling in 1965 and the second in the early 1970s. The debate about the Bogle monument is one of several controversies that have surrounded public monuments in Jamaica in the post-Independence period – the controversies about the 1983 Bob Marley statue by Christopher Gonzalez and the 2003 Redemption Song/Emancipation by Laura Facey are the two other main examples.
This post, which was written by NGJ Chief Curator David Boxer, is adapted from "Edna Manley's Bogle: Creation of an Icon," a NGJ exhibition and publication in preparation, which will examine the creation of Edna Manley's Bogle and the debates that have surrounded it.
In 1964 when Edna Manley was commissioned to do the statue of Paul Bogle in preparation for the commemoration of the centenary of the Morant Bay Rebellion, she was faced with a common problem that has faced countless artists who are required to make a representational image of a historic figure for which no true and acceptable likeness is available. For unlike the established image of George William Gordon, the other National Hero who was also executed in the aftermath of the Morant Bay rebellion, there was no accepted image of Bogle. A few years before she worked on the commission, an image had surfaced which was purported to be of Bogle but there were many who questioned its authenticity.


text:
Google launched its Chrome Web browser on September 1, 2008—three years ago today. In the time since its debut, Google's Web browser has attracted a considerable following and influenced other browser vendors. To celebrate the anniversary, Google has published an interactive HTML5 infographic that presents the history of the major Web browsers and Web standards.
Chrome's contributions to the Web and browser design are significant. Google set the pace of development for modern browsers by being the first browser vendor to adopt a radically shorter development cycle and a release management strategy that emphasizes fast-paced incremental improvement. Chrome's transparent update system and channel-based prerelease distribution model are being adopted by Firefox and could eventually be picked up by other browser vendors.
Chrome's distinctive minimalist design has also changed the way that browser vendors think about usability. Chrome's approach to paring down the interface and offering a more streamlined user experience has been embraced by other browsers. Google took the lead on some controversial moves, like not displaying "http" in the location bar.
Although Chrome has come a long way, the browser still lags behind its competitors in some key ways. When we first reviewed Chrome in 2008, one of our biggest gripes with the user interface was the lack of tab overflow handling. After three years, this issue still hasn't been fixed. Chrome's user interface for browsing history is another major weak area relative to other browsers. History autocompletion in the Omnibox is also quite limited compared to Firefox's AwesomeBar.
Despite the limitations, Chrome's audience has grown explosively since its 2008 launch. According to statistics from StatCounter, the browser's marketshare hit 10 percent last year and continued growing to 23 percent, as of this month. It's become an important part of Google's product landscape, serving as the central pillar of the company's ambitious Chrome OS operating system.
After three great years of innovation and raising the bar, Chrome's future looks bright.
Listing image by Illustration by Scott McCloud


text:
DALLAS – All the major airlines announced today that they will start offering in-flight porn – as a way to increase revenue.
Porn will soon take flight on airlines across America. Executives from all the major American airlines have approved a new technology that will make erotic movies available for passengers on flights longer than forty-five minutes.
You won't have to do this anymore to watch porn on a flight:
Airline executives believe that the in-flight porn offer mimics hotel room paid "erotic" TV services. Passengers will be able to use their iPads or smartphones to watch the erotic movies, OR they will be able to rent an iPad or iPhone from Flight Attendants for the specific purpose of "erotic enjoyment."
The airlines feel that this new service will bring in good deal of revenue for the airlines and allow them to keep fares low for the foreseeable future.
"It makes a lot of economic sense," said Stephen Morris, a chief airline analyst for Goldman Sachs. "These types of movies generate a lot of money. The airlines will be fulfilling a demand of some passengers, while at the same time keeping costs low for others. It's a brilliant move."
Some passengers aren't so happy. "I don't want some dirty old man watching porn and whacking off underneath his airline blanket while I'm trying to breast-feed my baby. That's disgusting," said Sharon Tweener of Scarsdale, NY.
The airlines said they will take every precaution to prevent children from seeing the pornographic images. But a representative from the Flight Attendants Union said that "it's going to be impossible to stop children from seeing these films. We are going to have to set up viewing booths, or viewing areas on the plane. It's never going to work," said the representative. "Our union members are not the Porn Police."
There are many others who object to the availability of porn on flights, but the airline executives told WWN that the new porn policy will be implemented on a trial basis for six months. "We'll see how it goes. If people don't like it, we'll stop, but if it goes well, we may increase our porn purchases for 2012 and beyond."
The Mile High Club is expanding!


text:
Mecalux builds one of the tallest logistics centers in Europe
The new logistics center for Hayat Kimya, in Turkey, with a capacity of 161,000 pallets has become a global benchmark in automated clad-rack warehouses. The colossal facility, 150 feet high, has allowed this leader in the chemical sector to tackle the centralization logistics and production processes.
Video transcription
Hayat Kimya, a leading chemical company in the Turkish and Eurasian market, has its headquarters in Izmit, Turkey, where its 4 production centres for the manufacture of hygiene and cleaning products are located.
Due to its enormous productivity growth in recent years, Hayat entrusted Mecalux with the construction of a warehouse capable of taking on all logistics and storage management in a comprehensive and automated manner.
10,000 tonnes of structure gave shape to the Hayat silo, whose impressive measurements far surpass those of a conventional warehouse.
46 metres high, 120 metres long by 105 metres wide...
with a storage capacity of 161,000 pallets.
Tarik Demiryakan (Head of logistics at Hayat Kimya)
"At Hayat Kimya we have invested heavily in this warehouse and we are very pleased about receiving an immediate return. We have saved a lot of money by closing external warehouses and by creating a centralised repository that has allowed us to eliminate transport between different locations. Currently, the goods are moved between each process without human handling."
The production centres are connected to the silo by 4 raised tunnels which connect the tissue, hygiene and detergent factories with the automated warehouse, thus improving the displacement times of all the goods.
These tunnels allow the transit of a large number of pallets by means of the accumulation conveyors that have been installed inside, and a series of double load lifting platforms that facilitate entry of the pallets into the warehouse.
The warehouse consists of a silo and an operations building with 4 floors or levels.
The offices are located on Level 1.
On Level 2 there are picking operations, and on Levels 0 and 3 incoming goods reach the silo.
The goods from the factories, mostly transported through the tunnels, come into the silo through two monorail circuits of 450 metres each, located on Levels 0 and 3. This is all fully automated.
The monorail system, thanks to its high speed of displacement of up to one hundred metres per minute, allows for a high number of inflows and outflows of goods.
On Level 0, Mecalux has built an automatic truck unloading system for goods coming from the detergent factory, located 2 km away.
Both levels have an identification checkpoint that verifies the dimensions, and a set of scales to check that the permitted weight limit is not exceeded. After passing the control, the pallets are loaded onto monorail trucks and taken to the silo.
The Hayat silo is served by 15 stacker cranes that place the goods on 24 storage tiers at height, using the most advanced technology available.
At 46 metres high, 120 metres wide and 105 metres long, this large-scale silo is capable of storing over 161,000 pallets.
Its 15 stacker cranes raise the goods while moving them lengthways, in order to improve location and collection times, reaching a maximum speed of 180 metres per minute. These stacker cranes also have telescopic forks, a mechanism for horizontal handling that helps to deposit or remove the cargo units on the single and double bottom shelves.
The Hayat silo was designed with important safety measures in order to minimise any risks, and with an oxygen reduction system for fire prevention. The entrance gates to the silo maintain the appropriate percentage of oxygen inside.
Hayat is also in an area with high seismic risk, so it was necessary to reinforce its construction with deeper anchoring and with an additional structure of 2000 tonnes.
Ümit Ugur (Plant Manager at Hayat Kimya)
"The most important thing in the construction of an automated warehouse is to properly identify and specify at the outset what the needs and expectations are. All processes can thus be designed in the most appropriate manner. The more accurate the initial design, the more efficiency and profit can be obtained from the automated warehouse."
The picking zone in Hayat is located on Level 2 and consists of two areas. One is for picking with conventional pallet racking and the other has dynamic channels served by 4 shuttles.
In the manual picking area, products with medium or low rotation are stored, while in the automatic picking area those with the fastest rotation are stored.
The arrival of the goods from the silo is handled using 4 lifting platforms that connect the monorail area on Level 3 with the picking area. The Easy WMS management software from Mecalux arranges them in the most suitable way, and tells the operator the optimal picking route for the composition of the order being prepared.
Once the pallet is ready, it is baled, labelled, and sent via two lifting platforms to the monorail on Level 0, which carries the pallets to the dispatch area.
The dispatch area, on Level 0, has 17 dynamic channels. The dynamic channels, with a capacity of 33 pallets each, are gravity storage systems that move the pallets across the surface using an appropriate slope and allowing the goods to be grouped for each order or route.
Hayat Kimya keeps its system of entry and dispatch of trucks in operation twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, handling more than 150 trucks per day. This figure has been made possible thanks to the automation of the entire facility.
Celalettin Dizman (Director of Systems Development and Operations at Hayat Kimya)
"With the help of the Mecalux team, we have implemented most of our functional processes with the WMS. We have a great system that is fully integrated from the start of production to the loading of the truck."
For Hayat, Mecalux has built one of the largest freestanding automated warehouses in Europe. The bespoke project tailored to its storage, production and dispatch needs has led to the complete optimisation of the storage space, detailed control of each product, and maximum efficiency through the automation of all the processes.
The Hayat Kimya facilities have entailed a challenge for Mecalux, converting this project into a worldwide benchmark in freestanding automated warehouses.


text:
Well, I have to admit. I came to Macy's today with a plan: Visit the four Starbucks inside starting from the top and work my way out of the massive store in time to meet some friends for brunch. I started with a latte at the 6th floor Starbucks, quickly followed it with a double shot of espresso at the 5th floor Starbucks, took my time sipping a tall pike in the 3rd floor Starbucks' generous seating area, and then arrived at the first floor balcony Starbucks with just enough room in me for another double shot.
What I did not expect was to be told by one of the baristas at the balcony location that there is actually a 5th Starbucks cafe inside Macy's on the the 2nd floor. Hell, I thought I was technically on the second floor! But no. When I asked about the supposed "Evening Menu", I was told I would find it at the 2nd floor Herald Square Café. Needless to say, I quickly downed my double shot, cut through the perfumes and headed back up the escalator.
And there it was, right on the Broadway side of the building in the corner of the women's shoe department. I had literally passed by it on my way to the 6th floor earlier and not even noticed. Why? Two reasons: they do a good job at distinguishing it from the rest of the merchandise, and there is technically no Starbucks branding on any of the signs. None. As you can see above, all signs read: Herald Square Cafe. Now before you go jumping to any conclusions, this is not like your typical Barnes & Noble Cafe that happens to serve Starbucks coffee. This is a truly unique experience altogether.
Where do I start?
So yes, this location is called the Herald Square Cafe, but it is owned by Starbucks. Some have called these kind of stores mercantile or non-branded, but honestly the coffee cups are still typical Starbucks red-cups, so it's not that sneaky. Yes, there is also an evening menu that includes champagne and wines. It also has some pretty neat food options like truffle oil mac & cheese and hand-crafted chocolates, but honestly my mind went straight to the fact that they serve alcohol. I wonder what that says about me?
Anyway. The seating area — in fact, the entire cafe — is very elegant and classy. The tables and chairs are composed of marble and wood. The sofas are upholstered with a dark grey floral design, and there is a beautiful clock fixture mounted on the wall that represents Macy's exterior clock that overlooks Broadway.
Well , I must admit I probably looked like a crazy person. Here I stand, a Starbucks enthusiast hyped up on 2 double shots of espresso, a latte and a coffee, standing in a newly discovered and very unique Starbucks that serves champagne and brings your food to your table. So what did I do? I ordered myself a brut rosé, sat down at one of the extravagant sofas and simply allowed myself to relax for a moment — a long moment. I sipped my champagne and thought how cool this past year has been and how I've enjoyed discovering places like this around the city. I know New York is not for everyone, and I know there is much more than Starbucks in New York. But this experience really has led me on quite the journey. Those are just a few of the thoughts that came to mind before I finished my glass and walked out of the Macy's Herald Square and its five distinct Starbucks within.


text:
One of the more enjoyable aspects of running a B&B is that you get a chance to meet people from hundreds of places visiting for all sorts of reasons. We have had guests from all 50 states and 31 foreign countries in the 10 years we've been operating. Who knew Narragansett, RI was such a cross roads for travelers!
What brought this to mind was the fascinating cross-section of folks that have passed through here in the last seven days. Normally this is a pretty quiet time of year (except for the Valentine's Day extravaganza). But for some reason, we have had a very welcome influx of midweek visitors from several far-flung starting points.
We had a gentleman from Lowell, Mass., who proposed to his sweetheart on Valentine's Day at the Beavertail Lighthouse. Fortunately, he got the answer he was looking for and she was flashing a big ring and an even bigger smile at breakfast Sunday morning.
Then there was the couple from upstate New York who had brought their daughters to a retreat at a local Catholic girls school and got spend some private time together. They never missed a serving on our three-day chocolate weekend and promised to come back for future festivities.
On Sunday we welcomed two University of Rhode Island visiting professors, one from Portugal and one from Ecuador, who are staying for five days. To my relief, their English was much better than my rusty high school Spanish and they have enjoyed sampling the local restaurants.
On Monday, a mom from from California checked into the Hideaway Suite with a nanny and three children (oldest age 9). Youngsters often require adjustments in menus and frequently provide cleaning challenges, but in the slow season you have to be willing to go the extra mile to keep your income stream flowing.
Thursday we're expecting a father and daughter from Pennsylvania who are on the road scouting out colleges in New England.
That's four states, three continents, people crossing the Atlantic and traveling from the Pacific, ages ranging from 3 to 79, professors and soon-to-be college students, young couples about to marry and parents enjoying a few moments away from family, fathers and daughters, mothers and sons. And that's just in one week during the off season. If you like variety, this is the job for you.


text:
"In essence, not voting for it is a vote against it."
This is the Marco Rubio Show:
For months, Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio has been dogged by questions about his rampant absenteeism from the Senate. On Friday, the senator from Florida missed another vote. This one stood out more than most―for the legislation's scope and the extent of Rubio's criticism of it.
Rubio was one of just two senators who did not vote on on a sweeping tax and spending bill that passed with bipartisan support. His three Republican Senate colleagues running for president each cast votes.
The thing is, Mr. Rubio said on Thursday he knew "enough to say we're going to oppose it, and I know enough to say that we should use every procedural aspect that we have to slow it down and perhaps force some changes on these things that we've been discussing".
Or, as Steve Benen of msnbc put it:
But when Rubio said "we," he wasn't referring to himself. In fact, he did not take any steps to pursue his goal: the Republican didn't show up on Capitol Hill to try to delay the process, and a day later, Rubio also didn't show up to vote against the bill he wanted to kill.


text:
So Say We All!
I'm concerned at the demise of literary reading–the reading of fiction, poetry, or plays. It has declined among all specified ethnic groups, at all educational levels, among all age groups, and among both women and men. In US research, the "steepest decline in literary reading is in the youngest age groups". For example, the decline goes from 59.8 percent in 1982's 18-to-24 group to 42.8 percent in groups surveyed in 2002. The decline in literary reading correlates with increased participation in Facebook, Twitter, and discussion boards.
via Inside View from Ireland: Rise of Social, Demise of Literary Reading.


text:
"Heimvegen", a brand new song from Norwegian progressive/psychedelic black metallers ENSLAVED, is available for streaming at MetalInjection.net. The track comes off the band's new EP, "The Sleeping Gods", which will be released for free via Scion A/V in the near future.
According to MetalInjection.net, "The Sleeping Gods" is a 28-minute effort which "serves up a diverse feast of blackened Viking folk, prog and ambient psychedelia that will engage and challenge your metal mind. These tracks display the superlative songwriting skills we've come to expect from ENSLAVED, delivered with addictive, headbanging immediacy."
"The Sleeping Gods" track listing:
01. Heimvegen
02. Alu Misyrki
03. Synthesis
04. Nordlys
05. The Sleeping Gods
Source: Blabbermouth.net


text:
Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Picnicking facilities are provided at Madeline Bertrand and Silver Beach. Both parks provide tables and grills that are available on a first come, first serve basis. Both parks also offer facility rentals for pre-scheduled group outings.
Picnic tables and group facilities are not available at Love Creek, but simple picnics are permitted on the lawn and nature center patio area. You are also welcome to enjoy a lunch along the trails or while enjoying the observation windows in the nature center.
Please Note: Alcohol is prohibited at all Berrien County Parks locations.


text:
(HealthDay News) – Patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing an HLA-mismatched unrelated donor (MMUD) reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) may benefit from a prophylactic, short-course, bortezomib-based regimen to reduce the incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), according to research published online Aug 6 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
John Koreth, MBBS, DPhil, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and colleagues conducted a prospective, Phase 1/2 trial involving 45 patients who underwent MMUD RIC HSCT. Participants underwent a short-course GVHD prophylaxis regimen consisting of bortezomib administered on Days One, Four, and Seven following peripheral stem cell infusion plus methotrexate and tacrolimus.
The researchers found that the cumulative incidence of Grade 2–4 GVHD over 180 days was 22% and the one-year cumulative incidence was 29% for chronic GVHD. At two years, deaths due to relapse occurred in 38%, and nonrelapse mortality was 11%. Progression-free survival and overall survival were 51% and 64%, respectively, at two years. The rates of nonrelapse mortality, acute and chronic GVHD, and survival were similar to those of contemporaneous HLA-matched RIC HSCT.
"In conclusion, short-course, bortezomib-based GVHD prophylaxis appears safe and efficacious in HLA-mismatched RIC transplantation, with encouraging survival," the authors write. "Importantly, bortezomib-based MMUD transplantation achieved clinical outcomes comparable to HLA-matched transplantation, along with enhancement of various immune reconstitution parameters."
One author disclosed financial ties to Millennium Pharmaceuticals, which partially funded the study and develops and markets bortezomib.
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)


text:
Memorial Day Story: Coffee, Ink & Tears
A few weeks ago I made my trek cross-country from Virginia to Arizona to start a new position with The Foresight Companies. In the back of a 10×10 U-Haul was enough furniture to fill a one-bedroom apartment, my clothes along with living essentials. My wife proclaimed that if I ever decided to leave her, the truck held everything I would have. A single day of unloading, unpacking and sorting placed me into my new digs. By early evening I was pretty much set up – even pictures hung.
The next morning, I had to go grocery shopping so I made a list to avoid wandering aimlessly in the aisles wondering what I should buy. Because of an early morning AO (area of operations) re-con, I knew of a nearly new grocery store about a mile away. Upon arriving, and since I had no coffee, I found the convenient Starbucks just inside the front entrance.
It was early morning as I had yet to adjust to the Mountain Time zone. The coffee shop was empty of patrons and I was greeted by a young, smiling gal asking what she may provide for me. As I gave her my order, I noticed on her right forearm was an unusual tattoo – a banner with Semper Fi atop a flower. This ink caught my eye because I wondered if she was a Vet; not many Marine Corps tats are adorned with a flower.
So I inquire of her, "Are you a former Marine?" She answered, "No, but my brother was." I asked where and when he served and she told only a few years…and then shared that he was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Tears shot out of my eyes. I asked her to please tell me about him.
Courtney told me that Justin was killed in a helicopter crash along with several other Marines during Iraq Freedom. She went on to share that she honors his service and, as a daily reminder of him, got the tattoo. For those that know me well, there are some subjects that I become emotional over and cannot hold back tears; young people dying for our Country is one of them.
As she made my coffee we chatted a bit and I told her I'm new to town. Courtney told me where important things were located like shopping areas, good local eats and such. As she handed me the coffee, she too had tears in her eyes, making mine flow again. I thanked her for sharing Justin with me, his sacrifice for our freedom, and her kindness to an old sobbing Vet. I asked Courtney if I could share her story, and she agreed.
I wanted to share this story for a few reasons. First, pay attention and engage people because everyone has a story. Second, "those people" with ink have depth (I'm tatted myself). Finally, God has a way to let you know you are in the right place. I would have never known about Justin's sacrifice for our freedom if I had not traveled all the way across our fantastic country, eventually finding myself simply in need of coffee and groceries that first early morning. I'm grateful that Courtney is my barista and friend.
In Memory of Captain Chris Cash. He gave the ultimate sacrifice June 24, 2004 in Baqubah Iraq. RIP my fellow NCMA Alum.
For all those that gave the ultimate sacrifice, thank you. For the rest of us, please take a moment to be grateful. Our freedom did not come for free. Happy Memorial Day.
From the Command Post (West), Cheers Y'all! #thefuneralcommander


text:
All things considered, it has happened once more. I reached a couple of instructing customers who demanded they would start practicing with the beginning of another year. What number of them are really doing it? None.
I as of late heard a specialist say that lone 5% of individuals keep their new year's resolutions. What's more, the fizzled determination that I find out about frequently is "work out". Numerous individuals say they need to, plan to, and need to work out – yet they never do it. Insights demonstrate that half of rec center enrollments go unused after the initial three months.
I myself have a tendency to be now and again with work out. I remain with the routine for half a month and after that something happens to throw me off track – I travel, I get a frosty, or battle with some family unit catastrophe, or a family emergency comes first. Before long my best-laid plans are in shambles. When life returns to typical, I have an accumulation of tasks and adminstrivia that expend my opportunity and energies. Here and there it's prior weeks I come back to my activity schedule.
In any case, in the end, I do get back on track. I generally know I will, since practice is a basic piece of my life. When I don't work out, I feel slow and overweight and yes – liable. When I do work out, I have more stamina, I rest better, and I feel vain, notwithstanding the incidental sore muscles and throbbing joints.
As an instructor and mentor, I've examined the manners by which individuals persuade themselves. In this article, I'll reveal to you how to get propelled and remain persuaded to work out. The data originates from my own understanding, my readings, and from conversing with ordinary individuals (not competitors or physical coaches) who consistently work out.
Everybody concurs that activity is advantageous. We know the advantages of activity, yet information is useless unless you make a move – and you will probably make a move when you take after these rules for beginning.
Beginning – The Preparation Phase
To start with, counsel with your doctor. Get some information about the sorts of activities that are alright for you.
Second, inspect your alternatives. You don't need to join a rec center or turn into a jogger, since that is others main event. Pick an action you would appreciate. You may pick in excess of one kind of activity with the goal that you get a blend of exercises. In a perfect world, that blend ought to incorporate activities for:
Adaptability (consider extending or yoga)
Equalization (hand to hand fighting or moving, for instance)
Cardiovascular wellness (high impact exercise classes, tennis, or biking are great applicants)
Quality and conditioning (weight preparing and protection exercise will fill the bill)
Third, buy the correct apparatus. Select the correct apparel for your action – that may mean foot-product, defensive knee cushions, gloves, a protective cap, or an athletic bra or jockstrap. In the event that you utilize gear, it ought to be in great condition and very much kept up.
Fourth, consider enlisting a mentor or selecting in a class. A physical mentor can enable you to plan an activity routine in view of your physical condition and wellness objectives. A coach's recommendation is particularly critical on the off chance that you utilize weights or exercise machines, since he or she can enable you to begin at a sheltered level of protection and demonstrate to you the best possible stances and developments. Along these lines you keep away from damage. In the event that employing a mentor sometimes falls short for you, you may locate some brilliant recordings that will manage you at home. Another probability is to select in a class where an educator will show all of you the correct developments. Rec centers and wellness focuses offer an assortment of classes; a considerable lot of them are free with your participation.


text:
The fifth day of Tihar is Bhai Puja.
"Bhai" mean brother in Nepali. This festival is mainly for brothers and sisters.
It is believed that this tradition was started by Yama (the God of death) and his sister Yamuna because of their affection for each other.
In this day, sisters apply sacred Tika on their brother's forehead and pray to Lord Yama for her brother's long life and prosperity.
Some of the ethnic groups in Nepal use the Pancha Rangi Tika (Five coloured Tika) for Bhai Tika. First a base, rice flour is applied vertically on the forehead then yellow, green, red, blue and white colour Tika are put on top of this line in a row. But in the Newa culture, we just use rice, vermilion and yogurt, mix them and use that as a Tika.
For this occasion, I had invited my brothers and their families to my apartment and we did the Bhai Tika on my balcony.
This is how I did my Bhai Tika.
Before the Bhai Tika, just like in Mha Puja, the floor was purified by sprinkling water on it, then we made Mandaps in front of a row of seats on the floor where my brothers were sitting. I used a copy of the same Mandap which was designed by AS but this time I printed them in A3 paper. In Nepal the Mandaps are made by hand on the floor using oil, rice flour, vermilion, puffed rice and sometimes beans. The number of the Mandaps needed is three plus the number of people doing the Puja. So I had two big Mandaps, for my brothers. in a row and three smaller Mandaps at the top of the row for the House God (Kuladevata), Yamaraj and Janmaraj, and one crow drawn at the end of the row symbolising Lord Yama.
Beside the three Mandaps at one end, I also had a Sukunda with a candle on it.
Then I put all the sweets and Rotis that I had made or bought as well as some fruits around the Mandap along with the Masala and Sagun.
The Rotis I made at home this year were
- Besana ko ladoo
- Puri
- Nimki
- Lal Mohan
- Strawberry cup cake
- Chocolate cup cake
(I will post recipes in my next post)
I also bought Soan Papdi.
Then I had trays with fruits like mangoes, peaches, plums, rockmelons, oranges, apples and pears.
I made Masala at home this year with dry coconuts, dry dates, raisins, almonds, pistachio nuts, apricots, dry figs, cashews, cloves, cardamoms, beetle nuts, hard shelled walnuts, palm sugar cubes and lots of Chocolates. I used clear cello wrap and colourful bows to make it look beautiful.
For Sagun, I boiled the eggs, took the shell out and fried them in a pan. I made Bara (lentil cakes, for which I will share recipe later), fried some chicken, fish and cut fresh garlic.
I made Mala out of tinsel and bought Jajanka in a Nepali grocery store. Jajanka is made of many rounds of a white cotton thread forming a circle of about two feet in diameter and tied with a small piece of colourful cloth in order to have no ends. Jajanka symbolizes the integration of the beginning with the end. It is about creation, maintenance and fullness of life. Normally the Mala is supposed to be of Makhmali ful/Supadi ful (Globe Amaranth) as it never dries and always looks fresh.
I also bought T-shirts for both of them.
Bhai tika process
- First I gave Nasala, a few drops of water, in the palm of the right hand of my brothers to throw some into the mouth and rest over the body for purification.
- I worshipped the House-God and Yama's Mandap with water, rice, flowers, and vermilion powder.
- I gave water, rice, flowers, and vermilion powder to my brothers first to worship the Mandap of the House God and then the crow, then to worship their own Mandaps. The Mandap is used as a medium to present the various offerings to the self.
- Then I put Tika made of vermillion, rice and yogurt on my brothers forehead and gave them flowers to put on their head as a blessing form God. This was followed by Mala and Jajanka around their neck.
- Normally in Nepal, they use Ita (special long threads made using white cloth soaked in mustard oil) but here we used tea light candles instead. I gave both my brothers the candles. They took the candle from my hand, lit them and put them on their Mandap. This light is believed to brighten the inner self and keep evil at bay.
- Then I took some water in an Ankhura (a small pitcher for Puja) filled with oil and water and Dubo in my hand and circled around my brothers three times.
- Then I gave them some rice and flower in their hand. Then I gave trays of Rotis, fruits, Masala, sweets and clothes to them and they had to hold them and keep them from touching the ground. Then I toke some rice and flower in my hand and showered each of them and worshipped the god within them. Only after that could they put the trays down.
- Then my brothers put Tika on my forehead, touched my feet for my blessings and gave me the gifts they had brought for me.
- I gave them the Sagun . For Sagun, you put a plate of egg, Bara, meat and fish in the right hand and yogurt or alcohol in the left hand
- Once everyone finished eating the Sagun, we used Kucho (broom) from top end of the row of Mandaps to the bottom of the row, touching each Mandpa to erase them and conclude our Bhai Tika.


text:
A few years ago my mom introduced me to NFL RedZone and my football watching life has never been the same. This program highlights every touchdown, every field goal, every major play, and more during the 7+ hours the NFL is on Sunday afternoon. No commercials means there's no opportunity to leave your couch, but you wouldn't want to knowing that every significant play of the week will be shown to you. At the helm of this television masterpiece is my guest for Episode 124, Scott Hanson. We talk about his five hour audition for the role of host, the exponential growth in popularity of the program and why he has the most discussed bladder in television. It was a real honor having Scott on my podcast and I know you're in for a treat. Enjoy.
Follow Scott on Twitter at @ScottHanson and learn more about NFL RedZone at nfl.com/redzonetv
Run Time – 20:30
Send your feedback to email@example.com.
Download the MP3 — Subscribe on iTunes


text:
I think enterprise software is sexy as hell. There, I said it. I think creating value that customers will pay for is extremely hot. A recurring revenue stream makes me giddy. And nothing, absolutely nothing, turns my head more than profitability.
Why is enterprise boring by definition? How can improving or changing the way people do business not get you fired up? Even when I was a noob to the Valley, I still preferred business over consumer. Maybe it's just because I don't understand consumers or I don't want to fall prey to their fickle nature. Maybe I really am just old and boring and can't accept it. Or maybe it's because I grew up in the age of SaaS. At my first startup in 1998, we didn't even know what to call it. We said, "Um, it lives in your browser." [Blank stare.] "You can log in from any computer, even from home." [Furrowed brow.] Our incumbent competitor wasn't just premise-based, but kiosk-based, so it was a mind-bending concept for our prospects to grasp. At some point these magical services became ASP, then on-demand, then SaaS, and now we're all happily living in the cloud – until the next rebrand.
The inspiration for this blog came after reading a great article in TechCrunch where Alexander Haislip explains that the model to follow is not Instagram, but companies that have "real intellectual property, obvious monetization and a plethora of cash-rich potential acquirers." I loved Alex's contrast on the statistical exit probability and valuations of consumer and enterprise markets…. but it was the reader comments that hooked me. It was a lively debate and I'd wager I could guess the age of each commenter within 5 years. And then I found the one that struck a nerve, "God in Heaven, I don't know ONE techie who WANTS to build that crap!"
Crap? Really?
As I sat ranting in my head about how these SoLoMo app building, Red Bull drinking, freemium loving, hoodie wearing twentysomethings don't have a freakin' clue, it hit me – I am a complete hypocrite. I cannot count the number of times I've turned up one side of my lip while emitting an audible sound of disgust at the thought of working for a global, lumbering, legacy enterprise like Oracle or Cisco. How could that enterprise be my enterprise? I realized that, just as the newest generation of entrepreneurs and enthusiasts have little understanding of what's come before them, I've completely failed to pay homage to all that came before me. … and what those companies did to empower our generation to build the next great thing on top of their achievements.
When I joined the "dotcom" ranks, we were revolutionizing the world with "the Internet," turning tradition on its ear, changing the way the world communicated, and had zero respect for anything that got in our way. In hindsight, it's clearer to me that while all of that is true, we owed that opportunity to the trailblazers that made our revolution possible. Without the on-premise and client-side software providers, what improvements would we have had to offer with our fancy new SaaS-iness? Without the hardware, database and communications infrastructure, what would we have built upon? The big boring behemoths are behemoths precisely because our world can't run without them. Remove that infrastructure and our apps, enterprise or otherwise, grind to a screeching halt.
I'd also venture to say that this generation's arrogance is completely justified. Social and mobile are absolutely revolutionizing how the world connects and interacts. It did, however, take a lot of once-alluring hardware innovation and uber-sexy enterprise (and consumer) software to get here.
Thankfully Aaron Levie has declared enterprise is sexy "again" (twice!). And even if Dustin Moskovitz and Drew Houston haven't explicitly declared their infatuation they (along with others) have certainly done it in deed. Yes, fanboys, someone can voluntarily leave Facebook for enterprise without dying of boredom. And just for the record, I love SoLoMo apps, Red Bull and hoodies. Just don't get me started on freemium unless you're ready for an earful. It's a topic for an upcoming blog.
Here's my point: From mainframes to mobile, everything that has value was sexy at some point, even if that's no longer the case. This blog will feature interviews and guest posts from everyone along the way. Tales from the trenches, lessons learned, and a timeless perspective on who and what has contributed to creating the industry I love.
Wanna share your sexy story through a guest post or interview? Let me know in the comments or connect with me on Twitter.
Special thanks to David "The Punctuation" Gleason for his Wikipedia mind, colorful insight and masterful editing prowess.


text:
Tagged: needle felt
Felt trolls – so common here in Finland. Most of what I see I don't like -but these I like! They are needle felted by Katharina Wikholm, who also makes jewellery from polymer clay, and objects from papier mache. Katharina showed her felted figures at Stundars a couple of weeks ago. Aren't they lovely?
I don't felt myself. It's one of many decisions I've made: I can't do everything, even if I'd like to. For the same reason I don't make pottery, I don't embroider, I don't make bobbin lace, I don't do wood work even if I'd very much like to. Not basketry, papier mache, origami… I could go on for a very long time telling you about crafts I don't do, but would like to do.
Summer is finally here. Who could've guessed? After this awful spring, the coldest and longest during the last 100 years, summer is really here. We're happy!


text:
In Japan, while Christmas is a popular commercial holiday, it's not even an official national holiday (schools are still in session for example in most areas). The big holiday of this time of year is the New Year's period (お正月 o-shougatsu), including January 1st itself and the days following it. O-shougatsu can either mean New Year's Day itself, or the holiday period after it up to the 7th day after New Year's Day. Most people get at least the first three days of the new year off work and school, and many get the whole week off.
The New Year period really starts around this time of year. The busy end-of-year period is called 師走 (しわす shiwasu), which literally means the master (or teacher/elder - 師 shi) runs around - meaning that it's such a busy time of the year that even the elders are not still. Shiwasu culminates on New Year's Eve, called 大晦日 (おおみそか oh-misoka). Housewives in particular are busy, since tradition dictates that the house must be made clean from top to bottom, and the New Year's feast all prepared, before the new year can be welcomed. (My mom used to lay out new underwear and pyjamas for us every New Year's eve, so we could greet the new year with pristine underpants I suppose.)
A song that kids have sung since it was introduced in the early 20th century that looks forward to New Year's Day is もういくつ寝るとお正月 (もういくつねるとおしょうがつ mou ikutsu neru to oshougatsu), which means "How many nights (to sleep) before it's New Year's?" This simple song was written by a songwriter called Rentaro Taki, who tragically died in 1903 at the young age of 23, but wrote a lot of songs that are still sung to this day. This is his most popular. The lyrics go like this:
お正月には 凧あげて
こまをまわして 遊びましょう
お正月には まりついて
おいばねついて 遊びましょう
How many nights to sleep until it's New Year's?
On New Year's Day (or during the New Year period) let's fly kites
and play by spinning tops
Come come fast, New Year's
How many nights to sleep until it's New Year's?
n New Year's Day (or during the New Year period) let's bounce a ball
and play with a shuttlecock
Come come fast, New Year's
Here's a video of someone singing it reasonably painlessly:
The first verse lists two play activities that are typical 'things that boys do', flying kites and spinning tops, while the second verse lists two typical girls' activities, bouncing a mari or decorative ball and playing hanetsuki, a form of shuttlecock (the precursor of badmington), using highly decorated paddles called hagoita (羽子板) and shuttlecocks called oibane (追い羽根)made of a hard wooden ball and colorful feathers.
Parody versions
This is such a well known song that parody versions abound -- rather like they do for Jingle Bells. Basically the first line stays the same, and the two following lines are changed.
This version was the standard us us kids used to sing over and over, driving our parents nuts:
How many nights to sleep until New Year's?
At New Year's (someone) ate mochi, got sick and died
Come come quickly funeral car!
初売り (はつうり hatsu uri) is the first sale of the new year; many stores these days open up on the 1st, hoping to lure in shoppers who are bored of lounging around at home. Here's a "hatsu uri reality check" kind of parody version:
How many nights to sleep until New Year's?
At New Year's (I) bought stuff I didn't need at the Hatsu uri sales
Come come quickly, payday!
お年玉 (おとしだま otoshidama) is a small money gift given to children on New Year's Day. Japanese kids look forward to getting otoshidama in the same way kids in the West look forward to Christmas presents under the tree. (Christmas presents are exchanged in Japan, but on a much smaller scale.) First, an otoshidama parody version from a kid's point of view:
How many nights to sleep until New Year's?
At New Year's I'm getting a lot of otoshidama and buying a Wii
Come, come fast New Year's!
While kids love getting otoshidama, adults of course feel the financial pinch, especially if they are obligated to give to many nieces, nephews, grandkids, and their own children. So here's the "otoshidama woes" adult point of view version:
How many nights to sleep until New Year's?
At New Year's the nieces come, the nephews come, the grandkids come...and I'm broke
Go home quickly you brats!
There are a lot of other parodies around, but I've kept it just to the PG-rated ones ^_^.
Do you know any other parody versions? If you know any Japanese people, ask them if they have any!


text:
Preserving The East African Greenheart
Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) member Yvonne Otieno recently interviewed Dr. Alice Muchugi about Warburgia ugandensis, an important medicinal tree species. Warburgia ugandensis is commonly known as East African greenheart and is an important medicinal tree species found throughout East Africa used to treat numerous human and livestock diseases.
The species is on listed on the IUCN Red list and categorized as Vulnerable amid concerns about over-exploitation; the World Agroforestry Centre runs a project to preserve the tree. Dr. Alice Muchugi of the World Aagroforestry Centre recently spoke to Yvonne Otieno, IUCN CEC member, about the tree's uses, potential, threats to its existence and ongoing research.
Q. Tell us more about the tree and where it is found.
A. It occurs in lowland rainforest, upland dry evergreen forest and in some swampy forests. Geographically the species is found in Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, South Africa and Swaziland. In Kenya the species occurs widely in the highland forests (Aberdares, Cherangani, Chyulu, Karura, Mt Elgon, Rumuruti, Taita) and riverines of savannah woodlands (Masai Mara, Baringo).
Q. What are some of its uses?
A: W. ugandensis is widely used by the local communities living within the plant's natural range to cure several ailments such as stomach-ache, constipation, toothache, common cold, cough, fever, muscle pains, weak joints, candidiasis, measles and malaria, as well as livestock diseases e.g. trypanasomiasis. It looks like it rivals the widely known neem tree (Azadirachta indica) in herbal remedies use that is claimed to cure "40 diseases".
W. ugandensis plant extracts have high antimicrobial activity, meaning that it can kill many disease-causing microorganisms. Laboratory experiments support these claims. Although most of the plant parts (leaf, twigs, stem and root bark) display antimicrobial potency, the stem bark is the most widely used by traditional healers and medicine-men. As is the case in several medicinal plants, most bark is harvested from natural forests.
Q. Seeing that the tree has so many uses, is it under any threat?
A. Over-harvesting of the stem bark leads to the death of the tree hence threatening the species' survival. In addition, the tree provides good timber and has been indiscriminately felled in some natural forests like Rumuruti (Kenya). There has also been a lot of encroachment of the natural forests for farming and settlement. Consequently, the survival of the species is under threat, but this status has not been reviewed by WCMC or IUCN except for the sub-species longifolia found in Tanzania. Review for such listing is needed.
Q. What research does the World Agroforestry Centre conduct on the tree?
A. For the last five years our interest in the species has been how the medicinal benefits can be sustained and its survival ensured. Surveys on existing natural forest in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania show the species populations declining at an alarming rate and hence the need for urgent conservation measures. Incorporation of the tree in cropland will contribute to conservation. Several remnant trees are found on farmland generated from encroached natural forests. Here the species does not affect the food crop growing beneath it.
Q. What does is it mean to the public farmers and/or conventional and herbal medicine?
A. Our research results have shown that the species is very easy to propagate and also grows fast. These are characteristics farmers prefer in tree domestication.
Commercial use of W. ugandensis extracts in convectional drugs can also create an impetus for domestication of the species. Hence research is also focusing on the commercial application of the antimicrobial activity especially in the cure of economically important diseases such as malaria. Continued use of W. ugandensis twigs in brushing teeth prevents periodontal diseases and therefore W. ugandensis herbal-based toothpaste may be explored.
Currently, W. ugandensis herbal preparations are in the local market in Kenya and Uganda. A species in the same genus native to southern Africa, Warburgia salutaris herbal products are in the international market and can be purchased on-line.
Interestingly, W. ugandensis is a common tree within East African urban centres where it is planted for aesthetic value; it is evergreen! And when it comes to ceremonial tree planting sessions, of course W. ugandensis is the tree of choice!
Q. So what next in terms of research?
A. Current research activities aim to encourage on-farm planting to reduce harvesting pressure on natural forest, and to develop better farming techniques for the species. This includes both propagation and management of plant on farm and sustainable harvesting for the herbal industry.
The Centre is also doing more research focusing on production of more leaves than the bark and exploring the genetic manipulation to over-express important phytochemicals in the leaves and W. ugandensis extract based drug discovery for neglected diseases such as leishmaniasis and human trypansomiasis is also being explored with collaborating institutions
The Centre is encouraging the on-farm planting of the species for supply of the herbal extracts as well its conservation. Most of the mature W. ugandensis existing on farmers fields are remnants of the cleared forests or wildings collected locally. As these trees will be future seed sources, it is important to ensure that they are of wide genetic base.
Copyright © International Union for Conservation of Nature 2011


text:
"Life is difficult."
With these three words begin a book called The Road Less Traveled by Scott Peck. It is a book that literally has helped me change my life- and the lives of countless others.
Today, especially, these words ring true.
Life is difficult for us- who have to try and make sense out of the pain and frustration and difficulties that he faced almost constantly.
Life is difficult for parents, teachers, family members and friends who may feel as powerless as I have felt this past week.
Life is difficult when pain overcomes all the loving words and gestures of family, of friends of therapist, of rabbis and priests- life is especially difficult then.
But how does this happen? How can we address it?
I wish I knew.
My faith tells me that we are all- all of us doing the best we can from our particular point of consciousness. My heart knows this to be true, but my brain often needs more evidence. It keeps telling me that I failed. Some of your brains may be saying the same thing.
He struggled with depression, gender identity and, quite frankly, with being an adolescent- a difficult enough endeavor without adding on the extra baggage. And I thought things were going okay- not perfectly, but there are wonderful parents here offering support and encouragement, supportive professionals taking an interest in helping, friends who do what friends do- remind us that no matter what it seems like, we are not alone. I hoped- I prayed- that he would be okay. Would come through this process with the perspective of a champion- a champion who addressed each struggle as skillfully as possible and never (or seldom) gave in to fear.
Here's the problem- I'm always underestimating fear. I'm always underestimating the power that potential futures have of paralyzing, shutting down, creating a reaction instead of inviting a thoughtful response. Fear drives us out of our minds and out of our hearts. It's a powerful thing. It can take the truth and twist it. It can take love and make it insufficient. Fear can make us question the unquestionable- knowing that there is never a satisfying answer- but still, trying to do SOMETHING.
And for a kid who kept things tightly held, who was a perfectionist, whose beauty was seen by everyone else- but not by the one who most needed it- fear was the final distortion.
He knew it- we talked about it- but there was still a desire to be more than just "good enough"- he wanted to be stunning. And those of us who love him saw that stunning quality. We can still see it.
Life is difficult. This is one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know life is difficult- once we truly understand and accept it- then life is no longer as difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters. It's something everyone has to deal with. It's not just me. Or you. Or them. It's us.
Peck ends his book with this:
"The universe, this stepping-stone, has been laid down to prepare the way for us. But we ourselves must step across it, one by one. Through grace we are helped, and through grace we know we are being welcomed. What more can we ask?"
I believe he is being helped, he is being welcomed- and yet most importantly for us today- he is being dearly missed. Because that's the only way to respond to the loss of beauty in our world.
And how have we failed?
We can't if we loved.


text:
Okay, I'll admit that title is a little misleading- cos most of these I really, really love. I just know some of these are not well liked- so please, don't throw banana peels at me! (that's my job 😉 )
#1 Forbidden Love– starting off with something nice and safe, I love the Romeo-and-Juliet style forbidden romances, especially where everything is at stake because of two characters falling in love… Alright, so not totally safe 😉 This one ties me up in knots, unravels me and makes me super invested in the story. I don't care how much of a cliché it is- it gets me (nearly) every time!
#2 Fake Dating– this is one of those romance themes that is becoming instabuy for me. Ever since I read To All the Boys I've Loved Before I have been head over heels for this trope. It doesn't matter how many times I've seen it, I will always go back for more!
#3 Misunderstandings– okay getting to the first controversial one. Lots of people hate this one- and believe me, I get why- the thing is… I don't hate it. I think it's a staple of romance for a reason, partly cos (unfortunately) it's realistic, but mostly cos it creates tension and reasons for people not to be together, without resorting to making the love interests terrible people (aka indecisiveness, cheating, and basically most of the ingredients for a typical love triangle). Also, it nearly always gets used in one of my favourite ever tropes…
#4 Enemies to lovers– I'll admit, I'm complete trash for this one. Think Simon and Baz from Carry On– there's a reason I keep going on about that book! This one also ties into…
#5 Secretly a sweetheart– nothing melts my heart more than seeing the soft side of a supposedly hardened character. And I know it's not always popular, but I cannot get enough of the misunderstood bad boy (important caveat that they can't actually be an irredeemable bad guy for this to work).
#6 Redemption Arcs– this one can be unpopular, cos some people think it's overdone… annnd I don't care. Darth Vader, Snape, any other controversial redemption arc- I am *there* for it. For me, it's a basic idea that if someone goes into the dark side, there has to be a way they can find their way back and if it's done well nothing hits me in the gut more. More than that, I enjoy pontificating about how far a character can be redeemed (one great copout I totally approve of is for the baddie to redeem themselves and promptly die- yes, I'm sneaking in another trope that I am totally a sucker for 😉 )
#7 Descent into *DARKNESS*– kinda can't include the redemption arc without talking about how much I love the opposite. Though this is done far less, I am so excited to read when a hero becomes a villain. Perhaps it's because it's like a form of *evil wish fulfilment*; maybe it's because it's such a fascinating way into the human mind. Either way, give me all the anti-hero story arcs please!
#8 Moral ambiguity– well, if I like the last two, it stands to reason this would be on the list. Basically, I like the good, the bad and everything in between. Give me all the characters I don't know whether to root for or simply hate (thanks GRRM)
#9 Dark backstories- including dead parents– yes, you read that right. I'm one of those *MONSTERS* that actually appreciates when the parents are killed off before the story begins or something nasty happens in the protagonist's past… Really though, this can't come as so much of a surprise given how often I've talked about the need for darkness in books and why bad parents in books can be totally necessary. I won't go into too much detail, as I've spoken at length about this before, but I personally find it can be essential to a lot of storytelling and can be an exercise in empathy for the reader.
#10 Rags to Riches/Cinderella stories– here's another one that I cannot stop reading! Every time I see a Cinderella retelling, I pick it up. And whenever a character goes from incredibly sucky circumstances to being raised far above their station- I eat that stuff right up! I'm a glutton for this kind of narrative!
#11 Ridiculously overpowered characters or magic systems– this one's a weird one for me to include, cos it skirts super close to the Chosen One line- and I've made it pretty clear I'm not a fan of that. That said, when there's magic in a story, I want a bit of a show. I find it so entertaining when there is endless possibility when it comes to a magic system. I love when fantasy breaks all the laws of reality. And for this to happen, it means a lot of the characters have to be able to do the impossible. I especially love it if the protagonist in the world has multiple abilities that make them stand out from the crowd- like Fitz in the Farseer Trilogy and Nona in Red Sister. It's not just that talented characters are interesting to me, I get hyped to see what they'll do with all that power!
So let me have it- what do you think of all of these tropes? Do you love them or hate them? And which tropes (unpopular or not) do you secretly love? Don't be shy!


text:
Introduction to my play on Carson McCullers.
After writing a radio play in 2008 for France Culture on Carson McCullers (Conversation at Nyack), I decided to continue my research on her life. Something still niggled me. The subject seemed 'half open' just like the twin stone slabs that covered her grave and her mother's in Nyack cemetery. One of her biographers noticed that they had moved a little. He assumed it was to be closer to each other. I felt it more like a mute plea or interrupted speech.
So, I started a new play, Dead or Alive, for the theatre this time. To me Carson's voice beyond the tomb was still brimming with life. Death had never been her problem. It had always seemed to be of more use to her than to others. Much more than death, Carson's true fear was the absence of love.
In her novels, it's often thanks to death that people find the answer they are searching for.
When reading writer's lives two recurring tendencies are often to be found. Writers are often haunted by their childhood and/or have a close bond with a grandparent. Their intimate and profound connection with the two extremes of life illuminates their prose. Here are but a few notable examples: Marcel Proust, Kawabata, Gérard de Nerval, E.M Forster, Mishima, Carson McCullers…
They bring back visions and convictions from their childhood much like cosmonauts bring back impressions from their voyage to the moon. Childhood thoughts and the promises that children make to themselves are very clear in their adult minds. If the every day use of one's imagination brings us to suppose that life is a continuum and therefore does not necessarily stop with our last breath, that life is and always will be, the child in us is the one who whispers this to us.
We live in a society where death isn't PC. Alluding to death, Hades, Tartarus, the Other Side, is good for greasy haired palm readers. Yet death is free of charge. Death is for everyone – for our friends, our lovers, our parents, even our children… When we lose someone, we have a more 'open' perception of life's threshold as if we had reopened the fontanel – that fragile and mysterious area on the baby's skull that only completely closes up a year and a half after the child's birth. For some of us, a potential other world is nothing more than the clay to which we return or the uterus from which we are dragged out screaming… Even if for others, consciousness doesn't end when you kick the bucket… Whatever our intuitions of death, mourning someone we love stops us from immediately consigning the dead to their convenient graves. We converse with the dead for a time and this conversation connects us more deeply to our inner selves.
The characters in Dead or Alive use a conversation of this kind to address issues they always avoided when they were alive. Death is the active force that helps them find a favourable outcome to an ancient family dilemma. In the cemetery, Carson gets the elbowroom and the opportunity to deal with her taboos and borrows the courage of her novels' characters to solve her own problems – a courage she didn't possess in her lifetime. Stuck in Nyack cemetery with her unresolved problems, she is compelled to tackle the truth and to reveal it to us in the process.
Her autobiography Illuminations and Night Glare is a testament to the truth she avoided. As I read, her tone seemed shallow compared to her fiction. Glimpses of sincerity slip through here and there like transparencies but the voice doesn't 'speak' with the authority of her novels. Although her mother was already dead, one had the sense of her reading over her daughter's shoulder. In this autobiography, their unspoken pact can't be dissolved as if the omnipresence of Carson's mother does not give her access to her own psyche. She can only reach the authentic voice in her books through the medium of her imagination. But in the cemetery in Dead or Alive, the two women no longer need to lie to each other to survive. Their lies, their betrayals and their secrets have lost their power once the two women come to accept that they are truly dead.
Comparing the voice in her books with the inconsistencies of her autobiography felt like superimposing two unmatching transparencies to get a more complete picture. This is turn helped me to ask more precise questions which I could find no answer to in her biographies or on the web. Then, quite by chance, I unearthed an event, so carefully hidden by her family that it was only recently revealed after the publication of all her biographies on an academic site.
Yet, this event completely changes the reading of her life.
Everything ineluctably converged on Carson's mother, Marguerite Smith, nicknamed Bebe by her family: the devoted mother who nursed her genius daughter all her life. A daughter with rheumatic fevers, a daughter who drank with her husband Reeves McCullers, a daughter who suffered sudden unexplained seizures… 'An admirable mother, full of patience, courage and love…' In Illuminations and Night Glare, Carson glosses over (except to vent her hate of psychiatrists) her time in a psychiatric hospital, an abortion, her father's death and her relationship to Reeves, the man she married twice.
She doesn't face up to anything or take any responsibility. Was her husband's suicide a weight on her conscience? The problem seemed to stem from something beyond her marriage. As if she was incapable of reacting like an adult woman in certain circumstances because the foundations that supported her life were not solid enough. Everything seemed to go back to Carson's mother and her mysterious grandmother.
Carson McCullers three major biographers seem to hover around a mystery the authors cannot quite fathom. Even if Jacques Tournier's, instinctively poetic, intuits Carson's true voice almost clairvoyantly. Josyane Savigneau who resurrects Carson with vigour and genius is the only one to comment on a secret, of which Mary Mercer, Carson's therapist and friend, seems to hold the key. (Virginia Carr's enormous pile stuffed with anecdotes is curiously bereft of any echo of Carson as if she had just walked out of the room on the first page.) Yet, no one seem to question the omnipresent mother, no one has any insights about the family's sudden departure to Nyack near New York – a disquieting undertaking for a family of deep Southerners.
But the sacred, untouchable mother, like Mecca's Black Stone, rises in the background of all Carson's mysteries. Carson's complaints about her husband Reeves are a smoke screen that hides abortion, hospital confinement and the death she hardly speaks about. Reeves himself is also close to Marguerite Smith. He was part of the parties she gave to discuss avant-garde ideas and politics. It was even suspected in Columbus, their hometown, that Marguerite had written her daughter's books. Marguerite is the magnetic centre of a vortex.
I have built my play around three dead characters who have urgent business to settle with each other. A secret they conspired to keep hidden poisoned their lives. Dead or Alive brings out in the open, so they can deal with it and reach out to each other at last.
I have faithfully followed the elements of Carson's life to structure the play. The imaginary ending allows Carson to be set free and get's her out of the cemetery of denial so she can resume her life where she left it – of course -more alive than dead…


text:
I first visited SFO in the spring of 2017 as part of a 5 day stop over before heading down to LA for a tour. I immediately fell in love with the city. Strangely enough, I decided to return last November to explore a destination that had been on my bucket list for well over a year. YOSEMITE ( COMING SOON) Read more
Tag: golden gate bridge
5 facts you didn't know about San Francisco
What qualifies someone to write about something?
I've been through a tun of cities all over the world, but in the few years there have only been a few which I have spent 3 days or more in. So to all the cities and destinations I have only glided through, apart from my personal experience I feel like I can't really create a post 'Top things to do in…' Because quite frankly I do not know.
Luckily San Francisco does not fall into that category.
Firstly, San Francisco is, in my opinion one of the most beautiful cities ( if one looks over the homeless- more on that later). With temperatures not adjusting that much throughout the year, ranging from around 10-20C one could probably get away with wearing that same outfitting everyday and not feeling too uncomfortable.
And so, I continue.
Fact. 1
(This is actually one of my all time favourite facts)
The Chinese Fortune Cookie. Well it's not actually Chinese. In fact many sources suggest that it was invented in San Francisco over 100 years ago. The man who is credited with the Fortune Cookie was actually Japanese. Makoto Hagiwara was actually the caretaker of the Japanese Tea Garden and is said to have created the cookie at sometime between 1890 and 1990. I have actually been to the cookie factory. Well. Kind of. There was some sort of weird filming going on at the time and we decided to move on. I've been outside the cookie factory. Here's a photo of opposite the cookie factory in North Beach.
Fact. 2
The Golden Gate Bridge.
..Is not called so because of its colour, because quite frankly the bridge is red. ( sorry.. international orange) Once doped 'the bridge that couldn't be built' It is now noted as one of the modern wonders of the world. The bridge opened in 1937 after 4 years of battle against fog, tides and winds. The name actually comes from 'The Golden Gate Straight' – the entrance from the Pacific Ocean to San Fran Bay. The Straight was named by army officer John C Freemont who took a particular liking to the beauty of the area in 1846. It reminded him of the 'Golden Horn' in Istanbul. ( two years before gold was even discovered in California.) Thus has absolutely nothing to do with the Gold Rush.
Another quick fact about the GGB- It is the second most jumped bridge in the world. Since opening 1600, people have jumped. ( including 16 in 1014) . One person has survived the fall.
Fact. 3
Cable Cars.
One of the most famous attractions in the city are actually the last manually operated cable cars in the world. Otherwise known as 'The Moving Landmark' there are currently only 44 on the road. ( prior to The Great Earthquake in 1906 there were 600). There are 3 existing lines for you to travel along and soak up the Californian sun (and winds). The oldest of these is the California Street Line, offering fab views of The GGB. The current fair is $7 ( one way as of Aug 2015) May seem a little pricey but firstly San Francisco is, and secondly its like a fairground attraction in itself. Do it, you know you want to.
Okay so I have already spoken about the Fortune Cookie, but here's a few more facts about food.
Although native to ancient Egypt, Sourdough bread has close links to The City by the Bay. With the creation of the Boudin bakery in 1849 coinciding with the Gold Rush, the bread became popular. Gold miners became known as 'Sour Doughs' and to this day the 49ers mascot is nicknamed 'Sourdough Sam'. The Martinez, the said Grandfather of the Martini was created in the late 1800's. It is said that the first cocktail was mixed by Jerry Thomas in the Occidental Hotel. Although Clam Chowder in a bread bowl has become a rather iconic dish of San Fran, the chowder itself has its origins in New England.
Fact. 5
Okay, something you will know. San Fran has a LOT of hills. In fact it has 74. One of the most famous hills is 'Telegraph Hill' After climbing up the other side to whiteness stunning views of the city from Coit Tower, the most scenic way to descend is to follow the 400 steps down Telegraph Hill. Along your way you'll find beautiful displays in back gardens and cute houses along with a fair few parrots. Once you get to the bottom, you'll arrive at the Embarcadero where you can easily reach the cities piers or head back to Market Street by walking ( around 20 minutes) or cable car. Nevertheless, on top of any hill you will get a stunning view of Victorian turrets, parks and forests. It will be worth the muscle strain in your poor poor legs.
Tony Bennet Left is heart here.
I mentioned above, ( more later on the homeless)… Look out for "More on San Fran" – chances are I won't call the post that…
Hope you enjoyed, Please comment with any other fun facts about this fantastic city.
connect with me on instagram: @katevictoriaphotography
Wear flowers in your hair.
my video finally of San Fran :O
Enjoy and subscribe 🙂
connect with me on instagram : @katevictoriaphotography
AND on SNAPCHAT: kategoesglobal


text:
Computer scientists have identified almost two dozen computers that were actively working to sabotage the Tor privacy network by carrying out attacks that can degrade encrypted connections between end users and the websites or servers they visit.
The "spoiled onions," as the researchers from Karlstad University in Sweden dubbed the bad actors, were among the 1,000 or so volunteer computers that typically made up the final nodes that exited the Tor—short for The Onion Router—network at any given time in recent months. Because these exit relays act as a bridge between the encrypted Tor network and the open Internet, the egressing traffic is decrypted as it leaves. That means operators of these servers can see traffic as it was sent by the end user. Any data the end user sent unencrypted, as well as the destinations of servers receiving or responding to data passed between an end user and server, can be monitored—and potentially modified—by malicious volunteers. Privacy advocates have long acknowledged the possibility that the National Security Agency and spy agencies across the world operate such rogue exit nodes.
The paper—titled Spoiled Onions: Exposing Malicious Tor Exit Relays—is among the first to document the existence of exit nodes deliberately working to tamper with end users' traffic (a paper with similar findings is here). Still, it remains doubtful that any of the 25 misconfigured or outright malicious servers were operated by NSA agents. Two of the 25 servers appeared to redirect traffic when end users attempted to visit pornography sites, leading the researchers to suspect they were carrying out censorship regimes required by the countries in which they operated. A third server suffered from what researchers said was a configuration error in the OpenDNS server.
The remainder carried out so-called man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks designed to degrade encrypted Web or SSH traffic to plaintext traffic. The servers did this by using the well-known sslstrip attack designed by researcher Moxie Marlinspike or another common MitM technique that converts unreadable HTTPS traffic into plaintext HTTP. Often, the attacks involved replacing the valid encryption key certificate with a forged certificate self-signed by the attacker.
"All the remaining relays engaged in HTTPS and/or SSH MitM attacks," researchers Philipp Winter and Stefan Lindskog wrote. "Upon establishing a connection to the decoy destination, these relays exchanged the destination's certificate with their own, self-signed version. Since these certificates were not issued by a trusted authority contained in TorBrowser's certificate store, a user falling prey to such a MitM attack would be redirected to the about:certerror warning page."
From Russia with love
The 22 malicious servers were among about 1,000 exit nodes that were typically available on Tor at any given time over a four-month period. (The precise number of exit relays regularly changes as some go offline and others come online.) The researchers found evidence that 19 of the 22 malicious servers were operated by the same person or group of people. Each of the 19 servers presented forged certificates containing the same identifying information. The virtually identical certificate information meant the MitM attacks shared a common origin. What's more, all the servers used the highly outdated version 0.2.2.37 of Tor, and all but one of the servers were hosted in the network of a virtual private system providers located in Russia. Several of the IP addresses were also located in the same net block.
The researchers caution that there's no way to know that the operators of the malicious exit nodes are the ones carrying out the attacks. It's possible the actual attacks may be carried out by the ISPs or network backbone providers that serve the malicious nodes. Still, the researchers discounted the likelihood of an upstream provider of the Russian exit relays carrying out the attacks for several reasons. For one, the relays relied on a diverse set of IP address blocks, including one based in the US. The relays frequently disappeared after they were flagged as untrustworthy, researchers also noted.
The researchers identified the rogue volunteers by scanning for server relays that replaced valid HTTPS certificates with forged ones. That might have helped to detect certificate forgery attacks such as the one used in 2011 to monitor 300,000 Gmail users—wouldn't be detected using the methods devised by the researchers. The researchers don't believe the malicious nodes they observed were operated by the NSA or other government agencies.
"Organizations like the NSA have read/write access to large parts of the Internet backbone," Karlstad University's Winter wrote in an e-mail. "They simply do not need to run Tor relays. We believe that the attacks we discovered are mostly done by independent individuals who want to experiment."
While the confirmation of malicious exit nodes is
novel important, it's not particularly surprising. Tor officials have long warned that Tor does nothing to encrypt plaintext communications before it enters or once it leaves the network. That means ISPs, remote sites, VPN providers, and the Tor exit relay itself can all see the communications that aren't encrypted by end users and the parties they communicate with. Tor officials have long counseled users to rely on HTTPS, e-mail encryption, or other methods to ensure that traffic receives end-to-end encryption.
The researchers have proposed a series of updates to the "Torbutton" software used by most Tor users. Among other things, the proof-of-concept software fix would use an alternative exit relay to refetch all self-signed certificates delivered over Tor. The software would then compare the digital fingerprints of the two certificates. It's feasible that the changes might one day include certificate pinning, a technique for ensuring that a certificate presented by Google, Twitter, and other sites is the one authorized by the operator rather than a counterfeit one. Several hours after this article went live, Winter published this blog post titled What the "Spoiled Onions" paper means for Tor users.
Listing image by ifood.tv


text:
August 09, 2022
USICH Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Policy Statement
Featured Tools
Before you go...
Thank you!
You have been added to our mailing list and will receive the USICH newsletter.
We know how to end homelessness. Let's do it, together.
Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter!
Email Address
By submitting this form, you are granting: United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, 1275 First Street, NE,, Washington, District of Columbia, 20552, United States, http://www.usich.gov permission to email you. You may unsubscribe via the link found at the bottom of every email. (See our Email Privacy Policy for details.) Emails are serviced by Constant Contact.


text:
By Leslie Flood, Chief Business Officer
April 1 is the start of our Early Bird Registration and Renewal for the 2015 membership year at Girl Scouts – NC Coastal Pines! Here are the top 5 reasons to register now:
1. Beat the "back-to-school" madness. There's so much to do in the fall – new teacher, buying school clothes and supplies, school fees – it's crazy. Don't add Girl Scout registration to the madness – Register Now!
2. Confirm girl and adult participation in your troop. With early registration, you know who is returning and who might need some extra encouragement. Early Bird helps identify those few extra spots to fill or if you need to recruit some additional parent support!
3. Your troop can hit the ground running in the fall! This year's memberships expire on September 30. Have member registration out of the way so you can jump right into planning fall activities.
4. Girls will be excited for Back-to-Troop! We all want to know we have a place in the group. Help girls know that the troop is continuing and that everyone will be part of the troop again in the fall!
5. Girl Scouts is FUN! Girls have new experiences that inspire them to look forward to what they're doing today, tomorrow, and years from now. And adults can be part of the fun too – Volunteer today!
If these reasons aren't enough to sway you, check out our Early Bird incentives:
• Early Bird Patches for all girls and leaders! Who doesn't love a new Girl Scout patch?
• $15 Early Bird Gift Card to the council shop or for council activities. To qualify troops must have at least 5 girls and 2 adults* registered.
• 15% off Camp and Event Fees – Parents/Guardians will receive one discount coupon for one camp session or council-sponsored event from May 1, 2014 – May 31, 2015.
• Cash Prizes – Weekly drawings for troops to win cash awards: 3 troops per week will win $150 in April, $75 in May, and $50 in June. To qualify troops must have at least 5 girls and 2 adults* registered.
• $500 Grand Prize – One lucky troop with at least 5 girls and 2 adults* registered by June 30 will win a $500 cash award.
Extra! Extra! Troops will get additional chances to win for each 5 girls registered during the drawing period. The earlier the troop registers and the more girls, the more chances to win!
Start the FUN! Click here to register and renew today! It's quick, efficient and environmentally friendly.
* For registration purposes, Adult Membership is associated with one specific troop only. In other words, you can't be counted as an adult in each troop you're associated with.
**All troops that meet the qualifications will be included in each drawing going forward, so register early for best odds to win