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Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Does Seaside Have A Marketing Problem?
Smalltalk is, at least in the case of Squeak, a whole different world. You have to unlearn a lot of what you know in order to use it. Editing is different, class creation is different, version control is different. Basically everything you know as a programmer gets thrown out the window.
You can't edit it with vi or emacs; you don't do source control with svn; everything's weird and new.
Kurt says most people never get past this hump. He says the few who do see the light; they return to other languages certain they've glimpsed a new world, a plane beyond. I agree with him there.
But I have to disagree with Kurt's claim that Seaside doesn't have a marketing problem. I don't think anything he said was wrong. I just want a broader use of the term "marketing."
The entire Ruby on Rails phenomenon constitues a powerful and compelling argument that building low barriers to adoption into a system is a very effective marketing move.
I recently tried to get the Rails core team to switch the for loops in the scaffolding templates to iterators, on the grounds that this would encourage new Rails programmers to use iterators instead of repeating their bad old habits with for loops. I failed completely. Josh Susser said that replacing for loops with iterators would set up a barrier to adoption for new Rails programmers, and that was that. The idea didn't fly for a second.
Low barriers to adoption are an explicit strategy in Rails, and part of the reason for its success. This strategy is a marketing strategy. Realistically, if you're doing trivial tasks in Ruby, the difference between a for loop and an iterator is very slight. There is no technological benefit or loss here; it's purely a question of how people feel about it. A PHP programmer sees a for loop, they feel comfortable; they see an iterator, they're puzzled. A tiny difference, but that's the decision the team made. The scaffolding templates use for loops for purposes of marketing. It's a move designed to expand the user base.
Seaside has a marketing problem, because Smalltalk has a marketing problem. It's a marketing problem built into the technology. This is why Avi Bryant's idea of a GemStone Ruby VM offering persistence for Web apps is a good idea. With Ruby you've basically got people programming in Smalltalk already.
6 comments:
I think the same could've been said for Lisp, except that Slava Akhmechet broke through the understanding barrier last year. I think XML has turned what always was a marketing problem for Lisp into marketing potential, if the Lisp community would just take advantage of it (and that's a big if).ReplyDelete
As for Ruby programmers programming in Smalltalk already, that's roughly correct. If only Seaside were ported to it, though. I've been hearing conflicting reports about continuations being removed from Ruby. Some people say that decision has been made, but I talked to a guy who's been working with Ruby for a while, about a month ago, and he said continuations are still there. So I suppose there might still be hope.
Ruby has continuations, but Ruby isn't turtles all the way down, so you can't rewrite Ruby's continuations the way you can rewrite Squeak's continuations. That much I know; after that I'm fuzzy. If I recall correctly, the precise nature of the problem is that Ruby continuations can't be made serializable, and the change to continuations in Seaside is that they are serialized.ReplyDelete
Of course it's pretty easy to review the source, and I just did, and it does appear that Seaside's writing and reading its continuations to and from streams, so I probably remembered correctly.
As far as I know, the work to make Ruby continuations serializable would be more substantive than the work to make Squeak continuations serializable. You'd have to drop down to the C of the interpreter, and further you'd have to fork Ruby.
However, there's a lot more to Seaside than continuations, and certainly if you were to use component objects in Ruby with rendering methods and which used Markaby in those methods, instead of templates, you'd have a similar experience, but you wouldn't have the all-in-one niftiness, or the built-in Web-based IDE, or really much of anything except for components and Markaby. OK, forget this paragraph, that was useless.
OK wait no. You'd also have a nice degree of reconfigurable flexibility, and that's something, at least.
I was up @ 5am and this comment isn't going to get any more coherent, but could become less so, so I'm gonna quit while I'm ahead. (Although I realize I'm not that far ahead.)
I have been at the WTF stage when I fired up squeak for the first time :)ReplyDelete
I don't agree that the interface is so sophisticated that most mere mortals just are not ready for it. I think the initial "WTF" impressions are a result of design decisions which didn't really take beginners into account (despite vociferous claims to the contrary)
What makes me such an expert at being new? precisely that: Being New! :)
There is something to be learned from the fact that most of the times the people who make others understand a technology are actually outsiders, or at the periphery.
Say what you will of COBOL, but it was Grace Hopper who did it. Chuck Moore is a brilliant guy, but if you ever read his explanations of Forth code or listened to his fireside chats, you would know immediately that he is not the guy to who should be evangalizing that marvelous language. It was Leo Brodie, a technical writer by trade, who wrote two of the classics of Forth and computer science for that matter (IMO at least.)
It was not Matz who made ruby insanely popular, it was an MIS student, initially on the outside of the language who did it! (DHH).
It would seem that people who are closest to the technology are somehow paralyzed by the very affinity and their minute understanding of it.
Even though Smalltalk in general and Squeak (and Seaside) in particular maybe "superior" technologies, the interface seems to reflect a mindset which is not necessarily welcoming to the non-initiates. Even though, at the face of things, Squeak is meant for kids (of all categories of learners).
Scratch is built on top of Squeak and is lightyears ahead of it in terms of interface design. So, it is definitely possible to do it, right there in squeak. I still stand by my suggestion of a "Scratch like" interface to seaside. I didn't really mean a templating system for seaside by that, but a set of constraints and two modes: visual (scratchy widghets) and expert (teh old class browser). Problem domain being Web Application programming.
That is what scratch does, it imposes constraints by making available only things which apply to the domain at hand. I happen to think the same can be done for Seaside.
P.S. If this comment turns out to be a rambling rant in the morning, I blame it at posting at such a late hour in a sleep deprived state.
And then Matz and Koichi dropped the bomb: Ruby 2.0 would support neither continuations nor green threads...
This doesn't really make sense if you have a look at the Smalltalk VM land. If you take RIFE continuations you have continuations and native threads today (in Java).
It's not that the interface is so sophisticated that most mere mortals are not ready for it. It's that most programmers already have a strong sense of context of what programming and computing is, that when they come upon Squeak, they go "WTF??", because it's so different. I mean, take a look at why Rails has been taking off. It's not as popular as, say, Java, not by a longshot, but there's still buzz about it, and interest is growing. It has nothing like a Scratch interface. It doesn't even have a page designer tool. You write the mark-up for your views in a text/code editor. It's popular with people who already understand how to build web apps. with a database back end. It caters to them. It says, "Hey, look. You can define tables in the database, and they'll show up instantly in your web interface. And you can customize the web interface thusly." It has an "instant gratification" factor for them. You do something in the database, it shows up in your browser with little work on your part. Giles is right. It is marketing, but it's targeted at a certain audience. Would kids who know nothing about programming at the start find it interesting and fun? I doubt it.
I've seen some people in the Seaside mailing list suggest creating an ActiveRecord-like framework for Seaside. People turned up their nose at it, seeing that approach as unsophisticated. Ramon Leon took a crack at it several months ago. If you look at his blog there's more where that came from.
I misspoke a bit in the comments on Giles's last post on this, when I said that Squeak in conjunction with "Programming With Robots" (Ducasse's book) was so easy for beginners. It turns out the reason is that the book has kids using a customized image, which likely has some things already laid out and configured, so there are fewer mysterious things to deal with.
The way I really got my start with Squeak was to get a book on it. I got "Squeak: Object-Oriented Design with Multimedia Applications", by Mark Guzdial. You can get it at Amazon. It's an old book (from 2000) that's out of print, but you can still get copies. The material in there is still relevant in terms of getting the basics. I'll warn you that not everything in the book works with the modern Squeak versions. I've occasionally had to fall back on the version of Squeak that comes on CD with the book, Version 2.7. It's real important to do the exercises. Otherwise you won't get much out of it. Once you get the basics, the Smalltalk language and Seaside become more understandable.
I guess there's less irony to this than I thought. When I thought about one of my other comments on this, I realized that kids do get a nice introduction to Squeak, because of eToys, whose interface is built right into the standard version. Squeak makes it easy to get started with putting stuff on the screen and manipulating it. Seaside is not nearly as approachable. You have to access it through Squeak's programming tools, and the class library. You have to read some instructional blogs on it if you want any direction about where to start. You have to really want to learn it to have the motivation to do so.
I see what you mean now about a Scratch-like interface. I've taken a look at Scratch and while it seems like a neat introduction to programming for kids, I didn't find it that interesting for someone like myself. What you're suggesting is something like an ASP.Net design interface, where you can drag and drop controls onto a design surface, tweak settings in a GUI, and then run the app. I can understand the appeal of that approach for simple apps. I know from working in ASP.Net that even though the design-surface interface is nice, there were always times when I was dealing with a complex interface where I had to drop down into the template mark-up code. In the case of Seaside, that would mean opening a code browser on the selected component so you could view/edit the Smalltalk code that generates the display. So while it would be a nice introduction, it likely would not satisfy more knowledgeable developers. The web does not lend itself well to that kind of graphical design environment. That's the reason really good web page design tools are few and expensive, IMO.
Come to think of it, this would be an interesting design challenge. The design surface would, I imagine, have to be a cross between an HTML/CSS renderer and a native GUI, that's capable of reacting to events and generating code.
I imagine one reason this hasn't happened is because the infrastructure is not there yet. All you have to do is look at Scamper, which is Squeak's web browser app., to see that it doesn't render web pages well. Not to say that it can't do it at all, but the software hasn't been developed. I think the main reason a beginner's interface for Seaside hasn't been done is because the people who learned it all had the same motivations: to learn it, finally fall in love with it, and then use it. None of them thought, "Gosh, how would a beginner approach this? We need to create a beginner's interface." By the time they've learned it, they think, "This is great!" and they go on to use it in projects. They don't have the inclination or the time to create that interface. The people who would be interested in doing this are educators, but if they use Squeak at all they're more interested in eToys and such.
The ideal would be a couple different web app. design strategies brought to reality that run on top of Seaside. One would be as you suggest, a beginner's interface that emphasizes what the developer can see (the web UI), and the other would be more of a data-centric strategy that emphasizes rendering what's in a database, or some other data store. Ramon's at least started that effort.
Re: "Seen the light dog"
Another way of saying it is "Taking the Red Pill". :) That thought came into my head several months ago. It's this feeling that you've caught a glimpse of what programming can be like, and it's so good you don't want to go back. Though when I've thought about job prospects, I have sometimes felt like that back-stabber in The Matrix who thought, kicking himself, "Why didn't I take the Blue Pill??" It's that part of me that's shaking my head at myself, saying, "Mark, Mark, Mark...(sigh) WTF are you doing with your life?" It's the part of me that wants to ensure my survival, and cautions me against making dumb mistakes. But then I think, "If it feels so good, it can't be a dumb mistake, can it?" I think my worst nightmare with this is, yes, you can learn something that's obscure and "insanely great", but it's just going to lead you down a rathole in terms of your physical existence. Better to just join the herd and at least earn enough money to sustain yourself, and put away some savings for retirement. Ugh!! I hate thinking like this, but it does come up.
Re: Seaside having a marketing problem
I've heard some Seaside evangelists say (myself included) that RoR is "the gateway drug to Seaside". Maybe we're just dreaming. In my case that's the way it worked out. I went to Ruby first, explored that for a month or two, and then discovered Squeak and Seaside and thought it was great. Ruby helps bridge that barrier of understanding that would stump most people.


text: Next week on July 21-24, the 47th Annual Comic Con International will take place at the San Diego Convention Center. This year will play host to an impressive line-up of films, both new and old. The festival features a series of discussions, forums, and film showings. This year's special guests include Stan Lee, Christopher James Priest, J. Michael Straczynski, G. Willow Wilson, Jason Aaron, Michael Barrier, and Allen Bellman. Some of this year's movie highlights include Labyrinth (1986), Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), Battlestar Galactica (1978), Highlander (1986), Flash Gordon (1980), Batman the Movie (1966), Top Gun (1986), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), Deadpool (2016), and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). Click here to see the full schedule at the Comic Con 2016 website.

subset: commoncrawl


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"Fast and Furious 6" has unleashed an army of photos from the film, featuring stars Vin Diesel, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Ludacris, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Luke Evans and Gina Carano. Oh, and a whole lot of cars. "Fast and Furious 6" opens May 24, 2013.
Check out all the action here:


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Well, maybe. According to new research, the same process that makes animals grow thicker coats in winter could be used to help cure human baldness. That is, therapies could target not just hair follicles themselves, but tissues around the follicle that could respond to environmental cues. Says study author Dr. Cheng-Ming Chuong, "To deal with the hair growth, you not only try to help the stem cell [in the follicle], but you can improve the 'soil,' like — You put a tulip bulb in a nicer soil, you will grow a nicer hair." Tulips growing out of a dude's head would be nice, but we'd like to see a sassy leopard coat or maybe a fashionable mink too.
Image via photobank.ch/Shutterstock.com


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The next few years could prove very complicated for corn producers as they painstakingly search for the perfect hybrid for their fields.
"We're in a transition year right now, so it can be confusing," says Kathy Flanders, Auburn University Extension entomologist, referring to the new Bt products on the corn market this year. "These Bt products protect us against various pests. We've got some new products that'll be with us for a few years, and there will be even different ones in another few years. So right now, we have the old stuff, the new stuff and the older stuff."
These Bt products are not all created equal for the different kinds of corn insect pests in Alabama, she says. "Some are designed for different things that you don't have in your area, and you might not need that particular Bt technology," said Flanders, speaking at the recent Central Alabama Corn Production Meeeting held in Autaugaville.
According to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System Corn IPM for 2009, corn has been genetically engineered to produce Bt toxins that are effective against caterpillar insects such as European corn borer, Southwestern corn borer, and lesser cornstalk borer. Bt corn can also help protect corn against attack by corn earworm and fall armyworm. It is marketed under such names as YieldGard for corn borers (Cry1Ab protein), "Bt" (Cry1Ab protein), CB YieldGard (Cry1Ab protein) and Herculex I (Cry 1F protein).
All of these hybrids express the Bt protein throughout the plant.
Results from tests in Alabama show Bt corn for corn borers is most likely to pay off in two situations:
In north Alabama, in areas where there are chronic problems with stalk borers such as the Southwestern corn borer (yields of Bt corn were approximately nine bushels per acre greater than yields of non-Bt corn in 2004).
In years when corn must be planted after recommended planting dates (tests in Baldwin County indicated that fall armyworm pressure is sufficiently high for Bt corn to be profitable when planted in March).
Bt corn for corn borers can be planted on up to 50 percent of the total corn acreage. There must be a 50-percent non-Bt corn refuge. In 2009, some of the Bt corn will require only a 20 percent refuge. "Refuge requirements are changing, so pay attention," says Flanders.
Some of the new types of Bt corn are effective against other caterpillars such as fall armyworms and corn earworms. Currently available varieties of Bt corn are effective against the root-feeding larvae of corn rootworms, particularly the western corn rootworm.
The genes in this genetically engineered corn are different from those conferring resistance to corn borers and other caterpillar pests, says Flanders. Sometimes, the two types of genes are stacked in a hybrid — like in Herculex Xtra or YieldGard Plus, for example — in order to give the plant resistance to rootworms and caterpillars such as the corn borer.
Western corn rootworm is a pest of continuous corn in the northern half of Alabama. This is where planting a hybrid with a rootworm Bt gene is most likely to pay off, says Flanders. Bt corn for rootworms is not effective against Southern corn rootworm.
When growers are ordering corn seed or looking at reports, they need to understand the full name of the product and what that product does. "There are a lot of hybrids out there that are stacking the corn borer and the rootworm traits. You might not need the stack, but if that's all you can get from your seed dealer, and they won't charge you more for a certain trait, then a stacked gene variety would be okay to use. Just think about which traits are most useful for your area," she says.
"The next few years could prove to be confusing as far as corn hybrids go, says Flanders. "Be an informed consumer, and find out what's in that seed bag."
In corn trials conducted in southeast Alabama's Wiregrass region this past year, some of the hybrids with Bt traits showed a decrease in aflatoxin contamination, says Austin Hagan, Auburn University Extension plant pathologist.
"We had a number of varieties with Bt traits, and they were planted early with a lot of corn earworm and fall armyworm activity. We're still looking at these and clarifying which traits they had, but we saw a decrease in aflatoxin contamination in some of the varieties compared with others. In the ones with corn earworm and fall armyworm traits, the aflatoxin levels dropped down some. That's a secondary benefit," says Hagan.
A large project is currently under way in the Southeast to specifically address the aflatoxin problem in corn, he says. "There are a lot of issues with aflatoxin showing up in corn now," he says.


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T&A Tuesday! [PICS]
Tuesdays suck. Very rarely does anything fun or interesting ever take place on this god forsaken day. But, we here at 99X firmly believe in making the best of a sh___y situation, so we bring you T&A Tuesdays. Enjoy the girls and hopefully these pics help you 'rise' to the occasion. If you have any pics of your own that you want to share, send them over to email@example.com or hit us up on Twitter!


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• The Schedule
Friday, May 4, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 5, 2012 at 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. – on ESPNU
UC Santa Barbara (23-19, 9-6) at UC Irvine (24-17, 8-7)
at UC Irvine's Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark (2,900)
Overall record vs. the Anteaters – 36-37
Last series win – 1992 (4/29 - 4/31 @ UCSB – 2-1)
Last series loss – 2011 (5/13 - 5/15 @ UCSB – 0-3)
Last time out vs. the Anteaters – L, 4-2 @ UCSB (5/15/11)
Streak – Lost 3
• Sunday's Game at Irvine Televised
For the first time in over two decades, the UC Santa Barbara baseball team will be featured on television and will make its inaugural appearance on the ESPN family of networks this season.The Gauchos' game at UC Irvine on Sunday, May 6 will be televised on ESPNU with first pitch slated for 2 p.m. It will mark the first time since the 1990 season that UCSB has been featured on either a regional or national TV network. For more information, click here.
• Huddle Up!
All UC Santa Barbara baseball fans are invited to the latest Gaucho Baseball Huddle, which will take place on Saturday, May 5 immediately following the game at UC Irvine. For just $25, fans will receive a ticket to the 1 p.m. game at UC Irvine and entrance into the special postgame reception at Steelhead Brewery, located just off the Irvine campus. The event will feature Gaucho coaches and players in this exclusive postgame reception. For more information, click here.
• On the Radio
All of UCSB's Big West Conference games will be broadcast live on AM 1290 in Santa Barbara and live online by clicking here. Included in the broadcast schedule is a majority of the rest of the Gauchos' schedule, which will be broadcast exclusively live online. To see a full schedule of Gaucho baseball on the air, click here.
• Vasquez Named to National Watch List
Six-foot-six freshman left-hander Andrew Vasquez has been named to the College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year Watch List – one of just 51 pitchers in the nation to be so honored. Vasquez leads the Big West in three important categories – with a 1.74 ER, a .188 batting average against and his 81 K's. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. native also ranks in the top-10 in innings pitched (67.1, 7th), wins (6, 2nd) and starts (11, 2nd).
• V is for Vertigan
Junior centerfielder Brett Vertigan is the only player to be ranked in the top-10 in as many categories as he currently is. He leads the Big West with a .377 batting average in an effort to become the first Gaucho since Bill Geivett in 1985 (.412) to lead the conference in batting. Vertigan also ranks high in slugging percentage (2nd, .519), on-base percentage (2nd, .450), hits (1st, 69), runs (1st, 44), stolen bases (1st, 17), triples (1st, 6) and total bases (2nd, 95) and walks (10th, 19).
• High Marks for Trinkwon
Sophomore Brandon Trinkwon ranks in the top-10 in the Big West in batting average (7th, .342), slugging percentage (4th, .500) and on-base percentage (1st, .478).
• Pitch Around Them
Two Gauchos rank among the nation's toughest to strike out as Brett Vertigan strikes out just once every 14.1 at-bats (63rd) and Greg Mahle once every 13.9 at-bats (69th). Brandon Trinkwon ranks 21st in the nation with his 36 walks.
• Set 'Em Up, Knock 'Em Down
UCSB's pitching staff has struck out an astounding 345 batters this season, which already ranks the squad 7th in single-season school history. The record is 428 by the 1984 team. At their current pace, the Gauchos are due to strike out 463 batters this season and the team's 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings in the 21st-best mark in the country. Matt Vedo's 11.41 strikeouts per nine innings is 10th in the nation while Andrew Vasquez's 10.83 is 20th. Vasquez's 81 K's rank him 16th overall and Vedo's 79 are 26th nationally.
• Double Your Pleasure
UCSB has turned 47 double plays this season, ranking the team 11th in the nation.
• Rubber Soul
UCSB's pitching staff boasts a 3.68 ERA setting the team on pace for consecutive sub-4.00 ERA's for the first time in two decades as the 2011 team's 3.65 ERA was the program's lowest since a 3.24 clip in 1984.
UCSB Quick Fact
Brett Vertigan ranks not only as one of the best in the Big West, but in the nation, too. Entering this week, his .377 batting average is 66th, his 44 runs is 46th, his six triples are 9th, his 95 total bases are 84th and his 17 stolen bases are 72nd.
By the Numbers
5 – Wins needed by head coach Andrew Checketts – in 14 remaining games – to secure the most victories by a first-year coach in UCSB history. Al Ferrer's 27 wins in 1981 are the standard.


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Paradise Regain'd
The Fourth Book
Perplex'd and troubl'd at his bad success
The Tempter stood, nor had what to reply,
Discover'd in his fraud, thrown from his hope,
So oft, and the perswasive Rhetoric
That sleek't his tongue, and won so much on Eve, [ 5 ]
So little here, nay lost; but Eve was Eve,
This far his over-match, who self deceiv'd
And rash, before-hand had no better weigh'd
The strength he was to cope with, or his own:
But as a man who had been matchless held [ 10 ]
In cunning, over-reach't where least he thought,
To salve his credit, and for very spight
Still will be tempting him who foyls him still,
And never cease, though to his shame the more;
Or as a swarm of flies in vintage time, [ 15 ]
About the wine-press where sweet moust is powr'd,
Beat off, returns as oft with humming sound;
Or surging waves against a solid rock,
Though all to shivers dash't, the assault renew,
Vain battry, and in froth or bubbles end; [ 20 ]
So Satan, whom repulse upon repulse
Met ever, and to shameful silence brought,
Yet gives not o're though desperate of success,
And his vain importunity pursues.
He brought our Saviour to the western side [ 25 ]
Of that high mountain, whence he might behold
Another plain, long but in bredth not wide;
Wash'd by the Southern Sea, and on the North
To equal length back'd with a ridge of hills
That screen'd the fruits of the earth and seats of men [ 30 ]
From cold Septentrion blasts, thence in the midst
Divided by a river, of whose banks
On each side an Imperial City stood,
With Towers and Temples proudly elevate
On seven small Hills, with Palaces adorn'd, [ 35 ]
Porches and Theatres, Baths, Aqueducts,
Statues and Trophees, and Triumphal Arcs,
Gardens and Groves presented to his eyes,
Above the highth of Mountains interpos'd:
By what strange Parallax or Optic skill [ 40 ]
Of vision multiplyed through air, or glass
Of Telescope, were curious to enquire:
And now the Tempter thus his silence broke.
The City which thou seest no other deem
Then great and glorious Rome, Queen of the Earth [ 45 ]
So far renown'd, and with the spoils enricht
Of Nations; there the Capitol thou seest,
Above the rest lifting his stately head
On the Tarpeian rock, her Cittadel
Impregnable, and there Mount Palatine [ 50 ]
The Imperial Palace, compass huge, and high
The Structure, skill of noblest Architects,
With gilded battlements, conspicuous far,
Turrets and Terrases, and glittering Spires.
Many a fair Edifice besides, more like [ 55 ]
Houses of Gods (so well I have dispos'd
My Aerie Microscope) thou may'st behold
Outside and inside both, pillars and roofs
Carv'd work, the hand of fam'd Artificers
In Cedar, Marble, Ivory, or Gold. [ 60 ]
Thence to the gates cast round thine eye, and see
What conflux issuing forth or entring in,
Pretors, Proconsuls to thir Provinces
Hasting or on return, in robes of State;
Lictors and rods, the ensigns of thir power, [ 65 ]
Legions and Cohorts, turmes of horse and wings:
Or Embassies from Regions far remote
In various habits on the Appian road,
Or on the Æmilian, some from farthest South,
Syene, and where the shadow both way falls, [ 70 ]
Meroe Nilotic Isle, and more to West,
The Realm of Bocchus to the Black-moor Sea;
From the Asian Kings and Parthian among these,
From India and the golden Chersoness,
And utmost Indian Isle Taprobane, [ 75 ]
Dusk faces with white silken Turbants wreath'd:
From Gallia, Gades, and the Brittish West,
Germans and Scythians, and Sarmatians North
Beyond Danubius to the Tauric Pool.
All Nations now to Rome obedience pay, [ 80 ]
To Rome's great Emperour, whose wide domain
In ample Territory, wealth and power,
Civility of Manners, Arts, and Arms,
And long Renown thou justly may'st prefer
Before the Parthian; these two Thrones except, [ 85 ]
The rest are barbarous, and scarce worth the sight,
Shar'd among petty Kings too far remov'd;
These having shewn thee, I have shewn thee all
The Kingdoms of the world, and all thir glory.
This Emperour hath no Son, and now is old, [ 90 ]
Old, and lascivious, and from Rome retir'd
To Capreæ an Island small but strong
On the Campanian shore, with purpose there
His horrid lusts in private to enjoy,
Committing to a wicked Favourite [ 95 ]
All publick cares, and yet of him suspicious,
Hated of all, and hating; with what ease
Indu'd with Regal Vertues as thou art,
Appearing, and beginning noble deeds,
Might'st thou expel this monster from his Throne [ 100 ]
Now made a stye, and in his place ascending
A victor people free from servile yoke?
And with my help thou may'st; to me the power
Is given, and by that right I give it thee.
Aim therefore at no less then all the world, [ 105 ]
Aim at the highest, without the highest attain'd
Will be for thee no sitting, or not long
On David's Throne, be propheci'd what will.
To whom the Son of God unmov'd reply'd.
Nor doth this grandeur and majestic show [ 110 ]
Of luxury, though call'd magnificence,
More then of arms before, allure mine eye,
Much less my mind; though thou should'st add to tell
Thir sumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feasts
On Cittron tables or Atlantic stone; [ 115 ]
(For I have also heard, perhaps have read)
Their wines of Setia, Cales, and Falerne,
Chios and Creet, and how they quaff in Gold,
Crystal and Myrrhine cups imboss'd with Gems
And studs of Pearl, to me should'st tell who thirst [ 120 ]
And hunger still: then Embassies thou shew'st
From Nations far and nigh; what honour that,
But tedious wast of time to sit and hear
So many hollow complements and lies,
Outlandish flatteries? then proceed'st to talk [ 125 ]
Of the Emperour, how easily subdu'd,
How gloriously; I shall, thou say'st, expel
A brutish monster: what if I withal
Expel a Devil who first made him such?
Let his tormentor Conscience find him out, [ 130 ]
For him I was not sent, nor yet to free
That people victor once, now vile and base,
Deservedly made vassal, who once just,
Frugal, and mild, and temperate, conquer'd well,
But govern ill the Nations under yoke, [ 135 ]
Peeling thir Provinces, exhausted all
By lust and rapine; first ambitious grown
Of triumph that insulting vanity;
Then cruel, by thir sports to blood enur'd
Of fighting beasts, and men to beasts expos'd, [ 140 ]
Luxurious by thir wealth, and greedier still,
And from the daily Scene effeminate.
What wise and valiant man would seek to free
These thus degenerate, by themselves enslav'd,
Or could of inward slaves make outward free? [ 145 ]
Know therefore when my season comes to sit
On David's Throne, it shall be like a tree
Spreading and over-shadowing all the Earth,
Or as a stone that shall to pieces dash
All Monarchies besides throughout the world, [ 150 ]
And of my Kingdom there shall be no end:
Means there shall be to this, but what the means,
Is not for thee to know, nor me to tell.
To whom the Tempter impudent repli'd.
I see all offers made by me how slight [ 155 ]
Thou valu'st, because offer'd, and reject'st:
Nothing will please the difficult and nice,
Or nothing more then still to contradict:
On the other side know also thou, that I
On what I offer set as high esteem, [ 160 ]
Nor what I part with mean to give for naught;
All these which in a moment thou behold'st,
The Kingdoms of the world to thee I give;
For giv'n to me, I give to whom I please,
No trifle; yet with this reserve, not else, [ 165 ]
On this condition, if thou wilt fall down,
And worship me as thy superior Lord,
Easily done, and hold them all of me;
For what can less so great a gift deserve?
Whom thus our Saviour answer'd with disdain. [ 170 ]
I never lik'd thy talk, thy offers less,
Now both abhor, since thou hast dar'd to utter
The abominable terms, impious condition;
But I endure the time, till which expir'd,
Thou hast permission on me. It is written [ 175 ]
The first of all Commandments, Thou shalt worship
The Lord thy God, and only him shalt serve;
And dar'st thou to the Son of God propound
To worship thee accurst, now more accurst
For this attempt bolder then that on Eve, [ 180 ]
And more blasphemous? which expect to rue.
The Kingdoms of the world to thee were giv'n,
Permitted rather, and by thee usurp't,
Other donation none thou canst produce:
If given, by whom but by the King of Kings, [ 185 ]
God over all supreme? If giv'n to thee,
By thee how fairly is the Giver now
Repaid? But gratitude in thee is lost
Long since. Wert thou so void of fear or shame,
As offer them to me the Son of God, [ 190 ]
To me my own, on such abhorred pact,
That I fall down and worship thee as God?
Get thee behind me; plain thou now appear'st
That Evil one, Satan for ever damn'd.
To whom the Fiend with fear abasht reply'd. [ 195 ]
Be not so sore offended, Son of God;
Though Sons of God both Angels are and Men,
If I to try whether in higher sort
Then these thou bear'st that title, have propos'd
What both from Men and Angels I receive, [ 200 ]
Tetrarchs of fire, air, flood, and on the earth
Nations besides from all the quarter'd winds,
God of this World invok't and world beneath;
Who then thou art, whose coming is foretold
To me so fatal, me it most concerns. [ 205 ]
The trial hath indamag'd thee no way,
Rather more honour left and more esteem;
Me naught advantag'd, missing what I aim'd.
Therefore let pass, as they are transitory,
The Kingdoms of this world; I shall no more [ 210 ]
Advise thee, gain them as thou canst, or not.
And thou thyself seem'st otherwise inclin'd
Then to a worldly Crown, addicted more
To contemplation and profound dispute,
As by that early action may be judg'd, [ 215 ]
When slipping from thy Mothers eye thou went'st
Alone into the Temple; there was found
Among the gravest Rabbies disputant
On points and questions fitting Moses Chair,
Teaching not taught; the childhood shews the man, [ 220 ]
As morning shews the day. Be famous then
By wisdom; as thy Empire must extend,
So let extend thy mind o're all the world,
In knowledge, all things in it comprehend,
All knowledge is not couch't in Moses Law, [ 225 ]
The Pentateuch or what the Prophets wrote,
The Gentiles also know, and write, and teach
To admiration, led by Natures light;
And with the Gentiles much thou must converse,
Ruling them by perswasion as thou mean'st, [ 230 ]
Without thir learning how wilt thou with them,
Or they with thee hold conversation meet?
How wilt thou reason with them, how refute
Thir Idolisms, Traditions, Paradoxes?
Error by his own arms is best evinc't. [ 235 ]
Look once more e're we leave this specular Mount
Westward, much nearer by Southwest, behold
Where on the Ægean shore a City stands
Built nobly, pure the air, and light the soil,
Athens, the eye of Greece, Mother of Arts [ 240 ]
And Eloquence, native to famous wits
Or hospitable, in her sweet recess,
City or Suburban, studious walks and shades;
See there the Olive Grove of Academe,
Plato's retirement, where the Attic Bird [ 245 ]
Trills her thick-warbl'd notes the summer long,
There flowrie hill Hymettus with the sound
Of Bees industrious murmur oft invites
To studious musing; there Ilissus rouls
His whispering stream; within the walls then view [ 250 ]
The schools of antient Sages; his who bred
Great Alexander to subdue the world,
Lyceum there, and painted Stoa next:
There thou shalt hear and learn the secret power
Of harmony in tones and numbers hit [ 255 ]
By voice or hand, and various-measur'd verse,
Æolian charms and Dorian Lyric Odes,
And his who gave them breath, but higher sung,
Blind Melesigenes, thence Homer call'd,
Whose Poem Phœbus challeng'd for his own. [ 260 ]
Thence what the lofty grave Tragœdians taught
In Chorus or Iambic, teachers best
Of moral prudence, with delight receiv'd
In brief sententious precepts, while they treat
Of fate, and chance, and change in human life; [ 265 ]
High actions, and high passions best describing:
Thence to the famous Orators repair,
Those antient, whose resistless eloquence
Wielded at will that fierce Democratie,
Shook the Arsenal and fulmin'd over Greece, [ 270 ]
To Macedon, and Artaxerxes Throne;
To sage Philosophy next lend thine ear,
From Heaven descended to the low-rooft house
Of Socrates, see there his Tenement,
Whom well inspir'd the Oracle pronounc'd [ 275 ]
Wisest of men; from whose mouth issu'd forth
Mellifluous streams that water'd all the schools
Of Academics old and new, with those
Sirnam'd Peripatetics, and the Sect
Epicurean, and the Stoic severe; [ 280 ]
These here revolve, or, as thou lik'st, at home,
Till time mature thee to a Kingdom's waight;
These rules will render thee a King compleat
Within thy self, much more with Empire joyn'd.
To whom our Saviour sagely thus repli'd. [ 285 ]
Think not but that I know these things, or think
I know them not; not therefore am I short
Of knowing what I aught: he who receives
Light from above, from the fountain of light,
No other doctrine needs, though granted true; [ 290 ]
But these are false, or little else but dreams,
Conjectures, fancies, built on nothing firm.
The first and wisest of them all profess'd
To know this only, that he nothing knew;
The next to fabling fell and smooth conceits, [ 295 ]
A third sort doubted all things, though plain sense;
Others in vertue plac'd felicity,
But vertue joyn'd with riches and long life,
In corporal pleasure he, and careless ease,
The Stoic last in Philosophic pride, [ 300 ]
By him call'd vertue; and his vertuous man,
Wise, perfect in himself, and all possessing
Equal to God, oft shames not to prefer,
As fearing God nor man, contemning all
Wealth, pleasure, pain or torment, death and life, [ 305 ]
Which when he lists, he leaves, or boasts he can,
For all his tedious talk is but vain boast,
Or subtle shifts conviction to evade.
Alas what can they teach, and not mislead;
Ignorant of themselves, of God much more, [ 310 ]
And how the world began, and how man fell
Degraded by himself, on grace depending?
Much of the Soul they talk, but all awrie,
And in themselves seek vertue, and to themselves
All glory arrogate, to God give none, [ 315 ]
Rather accuse him under usual names,
Fortune and Fate, as one regardless quite
Of mortal things. Who therefore seeks in these
True wisdom, finds her not, or by delusion
Far worse, her false resemblance only meets, [ 320 ]
An empty cloud. However many books
Wise men have said are wearisom; who reads
Incessantly, and to his reading brings not
A spirit and judgment equal or superior
(And what he brings, what needs he elsewhere seek) [ 325 ]
Uncertain and unsettl'd still remains,
Deep verst in books and shallow in himself,
Crude or intoxicate, collecting toys,
And trifles for choice matters, worth a spunge;
As Children gathering pibles on the shore. [ 330 ]
Or if I would delight my private hours
With Music or with Poem, where so soon
As in our native Language can I find
That solace? All our Law and Story strew'd
With Hymns, our Psalms with artful terms inscrib'd, [ 335 ]
Our Hebrew Songs and Harps in Babylon,
That pleas'd so well our Victors ear, declare
That rather Greece from us these Arts deriv'd;
Ill imitated, while they loudest sing
The vices of thir Deities, and thir own [ 340 ]
In Fable, Hymn, or Song, so personating
Thir Gods ridiculous, and themselves past shame.
Remove their swelling Epithetes thick laid
As varnish on a Harlots cheek, the rest,
Thin sown with aught of profit or delight, [ 345 ]
Will far be found unworthy to compare
With Sion's songs, to all true tasts excelling,
Where God is prais'd aright, and Godlike men,
The Holiest of Holies, and his Saints;
Such are from God inspir'd, not such from thee; [ 350 ]
Unless where moral vertue is express't
By light of Nature, not in all quite lost.
Thir Orators thou then extoll'st, as those
The top of Eloquence, Statists indeed,
And lovers of thir Country, as may seem; [ 355 ]
But herein to our Prophets far beneath,
As men divinely taught, and better teaching
The solid rules of Civil Government
In thir majestic unaffected stile
Then all the Oratory of Greece and Rome. [ 360 ]
In them is plainest taught, and easiest learnt,
What makes a Nation happy, and keeps it so,
What ruins Kingdoms, and lays Cities flat;
These only with our Law best form a King.
So spake the Son of God; but Satan now [ 365 ]
Quite at a loss, for all his darts were spent,
Thus to our Saviour with stern brow reply'd.
Since neither wealth, nor honour, arms nor arts,
Kingdom nor Empire pleases thee, nor aught
By me propos'd in life contemplative, [ 370 ]
Or active, tended on by glory, or fame,
What dost thou in this World? The Wilderness
For thee is fittest place, I found thee there,
And thither will return thee, yet remember
What I foretell thee, soon thou shalt have cause [ 375 ]
To wish thou never hadst rejected thus
Nicely or cautiously my offer'd aid,
Which would have set thee in short time with ease
On David's Throne; or Throne of all the world,
Now at full age, fulness of time, thy season, [ 380 ]
When Prophecies of thee are best fullfill'd.
Now contrary, if I read aught in Heaven,
Or Heav'n write aught of Fate, by what the Stars
Voluminous, or single characters,
In their conjunction met, give me to spell, [ 385 ]
Sorrows, and labours, opposition, hate,
Attends thee, scorns, reproaches, injuries,
Violence and stripes, and lastly cruel death,
A Kingdom they portend thee, but what Kingdom,
Real or Allegoric I discern not, [ 390 ]
Nor when, eternal sure, as without end,
Without beginning; for no date prefixt
Directs me in the Starry Rubric set.
So saying, he took (for still he knew his power
Not yet expir'd) and to the Wilderness [ 395 ]
Brought back the Son of God, and left him there,
Feigning to disappear. Darkness now rose,
As day-light sunk, and brought in lowring night
Her shadowy off-spring, unsubstantial both,
Privation meer of light and absent day. [ 400 ]
Our Saviour meek and with untroubl'd mind
After his aerie jaunt, though hurried sore,
Hungry and cold betook him to his rest,
Wherever, under some concourse of shades
Whose branching arms thick intertwin'd might shield [ 405 ]
From dews and damps of night his shelter'd head,
But shelter'd slept in vain, for at his head
The Tempter watch'd, and soon with ugly dreams
Disturb'd his sleep; and either Tropic now
'Gan thunder; and both ends of Heav'n, the Clouds [ 410 ]
From many a horrid rift abortive pour'd
Fierce rain with lightning mixt, water with fire
In ruine reconcil'd: nor slept the winds
Within thir stony caves, but rush'd abroad
From the four hinges of the world, and fell [ 415 ]
On the vext Wilderness, whose tallest Pines,
Though rooted deep as high, and sturdiest Oaks
Bow'd thir Stiff necks, loaden with stormy blasts,
Or torn up sheer: ill wast thou shrouded then,
O patient Son of God, yet only stood'st [ 420 ]
Unshaken; nor yet staid the terror there,
Infernal Ghosts, and Hellish Furies, round
Environ'd thee, some howl'd, some yell'd, some shriek'd,
Some bent at thee their fiery darts, while thou
Sat'st unappall'd in calm and sinless peace. [ 425 ]
Thus pass'd the night so foul till morning fair
Came forth with Pilgrim steps in amice gray;
Who with her radiant finger still'd the roar
Of thunder, chas'd the clouds, and laid the winds,
And grisly Spectres, which the Fiend had rais'd [ 430 ]
To tempt the Son of God with terrors dire.
And now the Sun with more effectual beams
Had chear'd the face of Earth, and dry'd the wet
From drooping plant, or dropping tree; the birds
Who all things now behold more fresh and green, [ 435 ]
After a night of storm so ruinous,
Clear'd up their choicest notes in bush and spray
To gratulate the sweet return of morn;
Nor yet amidst this joy and brightest morn
Was absent, after all his mischief done, [ 440 ]
The Prince of darkness, glad would also seem
Of this fair change, and to our Saviour came,
Yet with no new device, they all were spent,
Rather by this his last affront resolv'd,
Desperate of better course, to vent his rage, [ 445 ]
And mad despite to be so oft repell'd.
Him walking on a Sunny hill he found,
Back'd on the North and West by a thick wood;
Out of the wood he starts in wonted shape;
And in a careless mood thus to him said. [ 450 ]
Fair morning yet betides thee, Son of God,
After a dismal night; I heard the rack
As Earth and Skie would mingle; but my self
Was distant; and these flaws, though mortals fear them
As dangerous to the pillard frame of Heaven, [ 455 ]
Or to the Earths dark basis underneath,
Are to the main as inconsiderable
And harmless, if not wholesom, as a sneeze
To mans less universe, and soon are gone;
Yet as being oft times noxious where they light [ 460 ]
On man, beast, plant, wastful and turbulent,
Like turbulencies in the affairs of men,
Over whose heads they rore, and seem to point,
They oft fore-signifie and threaten ill:
This Tempest at this Desert most was bent; [ 465 ]
Of men at thee, for only thou here dwell'st.
Did I not tell thee, if thou didst reject
The perfet season offer'd with my aid
To win thy destin'd seat, but wilt prolong
All to the push of Fate, persue thy way [ 470 ]
Of gaining David's Throne no man knows when,
For both the when and how is no where told,
Thou shalt be what thou art ordain'd, no doubt;
For Angels have proclaim'd it, but concealing
The time and means: each act is rightliest done, [ 475 ]
Not when it must, but when it may be best.
If thou observe not this, be sure to find,
What I foretold thee, many a hard assay
Of dangers, and adversities and pains,
E're thou of Israel's Scepter get fast hold; [ 480 ]
Whereof this ominous night that clos'd thee round,
So many terrors, voices, prodigies
May warn thee, as a sure fore-going sign.
So talk'd he, while the Son of God went on
And staid not, but in brief him answer'd thus. [ 485 ]
Mee worse then wet thou find'st not; other harm
Those terrors which thou speak'st of, did me none;
I never fear'd they could, though noising loud
And threatning nigh; what they can do as signs
Betok'ning or ill boding I contemn [ 490 ]
As false portents, not sent from God, but thee;
Who knowing I shall raign past thy preventing,
Obtrud'st thy offer'd aid, that I accepting
At least might seem to hold all power of thee,
Ambitious spirit, and wouldst be thought my God, [ 495 ]
And storm'st refus'd, thinking to terrifie
Mee to thy will; desist, thou art discern'd
And toil'st in vain, nor me in vain molest.
To whom the Fiend now swoln with rage reply'd:
Then hear, O Son of David, Virgin-born; [ 500 ]
For Son of God to me is yet in doubt,
Of the Messiah I have heard foretold
By all the Prophets; of thy birth at length
Announc't by Gabriel with the first I knew,
And of the Angelic Song in Bethlehem field, [ 505 ]
On thy birth-night, that sung thee Saviour born.
From that time seldom have I ceas'd to eye
Thy infancy, thy childhood, and thy youth,
Thy manhood last, though yet in private bred;
Till at the Ford of Jordan whither all [ 510 ]
Flock'd to the Baptist, I among the rest,
Though not to be Baptiz'd, by voice from Heav'n
Heard thee pronounc'd the Son of God belov'd.
Thenceforth I thought thee worth my nearer view
And narrower Scrutiny, that I might learn [ 515 ]
In what degree or meaning thou art call'd
The Son of God, which bears no single sence;
The Son of God I also am, or was,
And if I was, I am; relation stands;
All men are Sons of God; yet thee I thought [ 520 ]
In some respect far higher so declar'd.
Therefore I watch'd thy footsteps from that hour,
And follow'd thee still on to this wast wild;
Where by all best conjectures I collect
Thou art to be my fatal enemy. [ 525 ]
Good reason then, if I before-hand seek
To understand my Adversary, who
And what he is; his wisdom, power, intent,
By parl, or composition, truce, or league
To win him, or win from him what I can. [ 530 ]
And opportunity I here have had
To try thee, sift thee, and confess have found thee
Proof against all temptation as a rock
Of Adamant, and as a Center, firm
To the utmost of meer man both wise and good, [ 535 ]
Not more; for Honours, Riches, Kingdoms, Glory
Have been before contemn'd, and may agen:
Therefore to know what more thou art then man,
Worth naming Son of God by voice from Heav'n,
Another method I must now begin. [ 540 ]
So saying he caught him up, and without wing
Of Hippogrif bore through the Air sublime
Over the Wilderness and o're the Plain;
Till underneath them fair Jerusalem,
The holy City, lifted high her Towers, [ 545 ]
And higher yet the glorious Temple rear'd
Her pile, far off appearing like a Mount
Of Alablaster, top't with golden Spires:
There on the highest Pinacle he set
The Son of God, and added thus in scorn: [ 550 ]
There stand, if thou wilt stand; to stand upright
Will ask thee skill; I to thy Fathers house
Have brought thee, and highest plac't, highest is best,
Now shew thy Progeny; if not to stand,
Cast thy self down; safely if Son of God: [ 555 ]
For it is written, He will give command
Concerning thee to his Angels, in thir hands
They shall up lift thee, lest at any time
Thou chance to dash thy foot against a stone.
To whom thus Jesus: also it is written, [ 560 ]
Tempt not the Lord thy God; he said and stood.
But Satan smitten with amazement fell
As when Earths Son Antæus (to compare
Small things with greatest) in Irassa strove
With Joves Alcides and oft foil'd still rose, [ 565 ]
Receiving from his mother Earth new strength,
Fresh from his fall, and fiercer grapple joyn'd,
Throttl'd at length in the Air, expir'd and fell;
So after many a foil the Tempter proud,
Renewing fresh assaults, amidst his pride [ 570 ]
Fell whence he stood to see his Victor fall.
And as that Theban Monster that propos'd
Her riddle, and him, who solv'd it not, devour'd;
That once found out and solv'd, for grief and spite
Cast herself headlong from th' Ismenian steep, [ 575 ]
So strook with dread and anguish fell the Fiend,
And to his crew, that sat consulting, brought
Joyless tryumphals of his hop't success,
Ruin, and desperation, and dismay,
Who durst so proudly tempt the Son of God. [ 580 ]
So Satan fell and strait a fiery Globe
Of Angels on full sail of wing flew nigh,
Who on their plumy Vans receiv'd him soft
From his uneasie station, and upbore
As on a floating couch through the blithe Air, [ 585 ]
Then in a flowry valley set him down
On a green bank, and set before him spred
A table of Celestial Food, Divine,
Ambrosial, Fruits fetcht from the tree of life,
And from the fount of life Ambrosial drink, [ 590 ]
That soon refresh'd him wearied, and repair'd
What hunger, if aught hunger had impair'd,
Or thirst, and as he fed, Angelic Quires
Sung Heavenly Anthems of his victory
Over temptation and the Tempter proud. [ 595 ]
True Image of the Father, whether thron'd
In the bosom of bliss, and light of light
Conceiving, or remote from Heaven, enshrin'd
In fleshly Tabernacle, and human form,
Wandring the Wilderness, whatever place, [ 600 ]
Habit, or state, or motion, still expressing
The Son of God, with Godlike force indu'd
Against th' Attempter of thy Fathers Throne,
And Thief of Paradise; him long of old
Thou didst debel, and down from Heav'n cast [ 605 ]
With all his Army, now thou hast aveng'd
Supplanted Adam, and by vanquishing
Temptation, hast regain'd lost Paradise,
And frustrated the conquest fraudulent:
He never more henceforth will dare set foot [ 610 ]
In Paradise to tempt; his snares are broke:
For though that seat of earthly bliss be fail'd,
A fairer Paradise is founded now
For Adam and his chosen Sons, whom thou
A Saviour art come down to re-install. [ 615 ]
Where they shall dwell secure, when time shall be
Of Tempter and Temptation without fear.
But thou, Infernal Serpent, shalt not long
Rule in the Clouds; like an Autumnal Star
Or Lightning thou shalt fall from Heav'n trod down [ 620 ]
Under his feet: for proof, e're this thou feel'st
Thy wound, yet not thy last and deadliest wound
By this repulse receiv'd, and hold'st in Hell
No triumph; in all her gates Abaddon rues
Thy bold attempt; hereafter learn with awe [ 625 ]
To dread the Son of God: he all unarm'd
Shall chase thee with the terror of his voice
From thy Demoniac holds, possession foul,
Thee and thy Legions; yelling they shall flye,
And beg to hide them in a herd of Swine, [ 630 ]
Lest he command them down into the deep,
Bound, and to torment sent before thir time.
Hail Son of the most High, heir of both worlds,
Queller of Satan, on thy glorious work
Now enter, and begin to save mankind. [ 635 ]
Thus they the Son of God our Saviour meek
Sung Victor, and, from Heavenly Feast refresht
Brought on his way with joy; hee unobserv'd
Home to his Mothers house private return'd.


text:
Most recent performance
There are currently no scheduled performances of The Dream / Connectome / The Concert. It was last on stage 31 May—13 June 2014 as part of the Summer 2013/14 season.
This Royal Ballet mixed programme opens with a classic by Frederick Ashton, based on Mendelssohn's delicate score and the plot of Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. In a magical nocturnal world, Oberon and Titania play games with unwitting mortals, while the mischievous Puck intensifies love's comic confusions. The ballet's fleet footwork and gentle humour show Ashton at his brilliant best.
A new work for The Royal Ballet by Alastair Marriott is at the heart of the evening. Following last year's successful 'Trespass' – with Christopher Wheeldon as part of Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 – Marriott's fifth work for the Company on the main stage is an exciting collaboration with acclaimed designer Es Devlin and lighting designer Bruno Poet.
The programme ends in superb style with The Concert. This humorous, beautifully crafted ballet by Jerome Robbins is a superbly witty spoof of a classical music concert. As a pianist performs Chopin, the audience allow their minds to wander and their resulting fantasies take flight.


text:
Alaska Cruise From Vancouver - Maxima Travel International (2006 - 2018 Best Service Award)
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Today, the Disney Wonder is a breathtaking ship. Though its exterior is nearly identical to its sister ship's, its interior features whole new designs that make the experience of staying aboard the Disney Wonder fresh, exciting and new.
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From the beginning, the Disney Wonder was meticulously designed to bring the golden age of ocean liners to life. Specially commissioned paintings, sculptures and woodwork, as well as rare animation cels from the expansive Disney archive, make the ship's interior inimitable and distinctive. Attention to detail can be observed in everything from the murals and framed pieces that line its interior walls to the gleaming fixtures and furnishings that fill its grandest spaces.
Alaska Cruise from Vancouver


text: The Worst Cancer Risk Factors\\nFake sugar, plastic, bacon: We asked top cancer experts to rank the risks. Turns out we're all probably worrying about the wrong things.\\nTobacco is responsible for 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in American women and increases your risk for cervical, pancreatic, kidney and oral cancers. Quit now—after 10 years, your risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half.\\nSeventy-seven percent of cancers are diagnosed in people older than 55. The effects of aging on your cells combined with bad behavior and outside factors take their toll. You can't freeze time, but you can adopt healthy habits today.\\nAbout 65 percent of incidents of the deadliest form of skin cancer—melanoma—are directly caused by UV radiation from the sun. When enjoying the beams, please, sunscreen.\\nYes, genes are powerful, but only 5 to 10 percent of cancers are genetic. And even if you do have a family history, good habits may \\"turn off\\" bad genes through the epigenome, a system of DNA-related chemicals. Take that, double helix.\\nHPV and hepatitis B are linked to certain cancers, and HIV could indirectly raise your risk. Ask your doc about HPV and hepatitis vaccines. (And, P.S., a condom wouldn't hurt.)\\nBy raising the level of hormones circulating through your body, excess fat seems to create a cozy home for cancer growth. Drop some pounds; lower your risk.\\nYes, a bit of booze can help your heart and brain. But (sucky-health-fact alert) only one glass a day slightly raises breast cancer risk, and more is worse. Weigh the choices with your M.D.\\nWe love hot dogs and bacon. But truth: Red and processed meats may raise your risk for colorectal cancer. Plus, sugary drinks are so highly associated with obesity that they could indirectly bump up your cancer risk.\\nGetting your heart pumping can lower your chances of getting colon, breast, lung and even endometrial cancer. Aim for 150 moderate minutes or 75 vigorous minutes per week. If you happen to lose weight, even better.\\nBirth control with estrogen may lower risk for ovarian and endometrial cancers, but it raises it slightly for breast cancer. When you choose to go off, the risk drops.\\nIt's unavoidable—even bananas emit a little! And although medical scans do carry dangers, the upside outweighs them; just confirm that tests are truly needed.\\nIn theory, chronic stress could impact immunity and DNA repair, which help fend off cancer. But the science isn't solid. For now, call it one less worry.\\nLarge studies haven't consistently linked phones to cancer. But the tech and our use habits change rapidly, so we can't be sure. A hands-free set could be safer.\\nThe number is low because the jury is still out. But animal studies have linked BPA—a compound found in some plastic and cans—to an increase in cancer risk. Avoid it when you can.\\nPink, blue or yellow packet, there's no solid evidence artificial sweeteners give you cancer. In the 1970s, scary studies were done on lab rats, but the results never translated to humans.\\nResearch suggests your morning joe can actually *reduce* your risk for basal cell carcinoma. Gulp that skim latte without guilt (but easy on the sugar, if you can resist).\\nDelete the chain emails: Your roll-on does *not* seep into your system and cause cancer. And have you heard the one about underwire bras and cancer? Yeah, also false.\\nAbortion does not—we repeat, *not*—cause cancer. By the way, some states require medical pros to warn you about this made-up risk. So appalling. Ignore, ignore, ignore.\\nTherese Bevers, M.D., medical director of the Cancer Prevention Center at MD Anderson Cancer Center\\n\\nDeborah Capko, M.D., oncological surgeon at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center\\n\\nJohnathan Lancaster, M.D., president of the Moffitt Medical Group at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute\\n\\nPeter Shields, M.D., deputy director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center\\n\\n*Additional info from the National Cancer Institute and the American Lung Association*


text:
With the stock market lurching again, plenty of investors are nervous, and some are downright bearish. Then there's Robert Prechter, the market forecaster and social theorist, who is in another league entirely.
Mr. Prechter is convinced that we have entered a market decline of staggering proportions — perhaps the biggest of the last 300 years.


text:
MILPITAS — SanDisk, which has found huge sales gains by focusing on business needs for its ubiquitous flash memory products, juiced that area of its business by agreeing to purchase enterprise-flash company Fusion-IO for more than $1 billion.
SanDisk announced Monday morning that it has agreed to pay $11.25 per share for the Salt Lake City company, which values Fusion-IO at $1.21 billion; SanDisk will commit $1.1 billion in cash for the deal, after assuming Fusion-IO's cash reserves.
"Fusion-io will accelerate our efforts to enable the flash-transformed data center, helping companies better manage increasingly heavy data workloads at a lower total cost of ownership," SanDisk CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said in Monday's announcement.
The Milpitas flash-memory company, known for memory cards popular for consumer products such as digital cameras, has used acquisitions to muscle its way into the booming market for flash storage on a grander level. SanDisk purchased two software companies, Schooner Information Technology and FlashSoft, in 2012 and followed that up with the $307 million acquisition of Newark-based solid-state drive manufacturer SMART Storage Systems in 2013.
With flash storage becoming fashionable in data centers and other large corporate storage, SanDisk capitalized on its purchases and increased its annual sales more than $1 billion in 2013, topping $6 billion in revenues for the first time and experiencing a gigantic 150 percent gain in profits.
Fusion-IO should enhance SanDisk's ability to offer businesses complete storage packages — the company was one of the first to succeed at providing flash solutions for data centers. Founded in 2005, Fusion-IO arrived just as cloud computing and big data created a big need for bigger and faster storage solutions and found big-name clients such as Apple and Facebook, with the Menlo Park company accounting for just less than half of Fusion-IO's business when the enterprise-flash company went public in 2011.
Fusion-IO went public at $19 a share and zoomed up to $25 in its debut on Wall Street, pushing its valuation up to nearly $2 billion as optimism abounded with Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak as the company's chief scientist. However, the company has suffered from instability at the top, firing then-CEO Don Basile before its IPO and losing cofounders David Flynn and Rick White, the CEO and chief marketing officer respectively, in 2013 as Fusion-IO's huge sales growth began to disappear.
Since producing a profit of $4.6 million and increasing sales more than 500 percent in its 2011 fiscal year, Fusion-IO has yet to show off those abilities again. Sales growth in the 2013 fiscal year slowed to 20 percent, and Fusion-IO tallied a loss of more than $38 million; With three quarters gone in its 2014 fiscal year, Fusion-IO is actually on track to post a decline in sales this year, with revenues down 13.8 percent year-over-year through nine months.
The company's decline in performance sent its stock to record lows: The $11.25 price SanDisk agreed to pay, while less than 60 percent of Fusion IO's IPO price, was still more than 21 percent higher than the stock's closing price at the end of last week.
"Fusion-IO was in the midst of a corporate transition toward a larger focus on enterprise solutions," Sterne Agee analyst Alex Kurtz wrote in a note Monday morning, adding that the acquisition "signals the likelihood that the board saw a longer road ahead on this front."
Kurtz added that other Silicon Valley enterprise-flash stocks — namely Nimble Storage and Violin Memory — could be positively affected by the news.
Fusion-IO ended Monday's morning trading session slightly higher than the price SanDisk agreed to pay, at $11.40, suggesting some investors are betting that a higher bid could be possible; SanDisk, which has been trading at progressively higher records for months, reached more record prices and finished out the morning session at $101.19, a 2.8 percent gain from Friday's closing price.
Contact Jeremy C. Owens at 408-920-5876; follow him at Twitter.com/jowens510.


text:
Since its creation in 1988, Point du Jour has produced documentaries, documentary series and drama docs, weekly magazines as well as webdocs for the international and French markets, many of them co-produced with international partners.
Productions cover a wide range of subjects in the fields of history, society, culture, science & discovery, travel & adventure. In 2003, the company received the "French TV Producer of the Year Award".
Its commercial subsidiary Point du Jour International handles distribution and pre-sales of in-house documentaries as well as some third party documentaries. In 2004, it received the first "TVFI Export Award" for "Dark Side of the Moon".


text: I got an entry in apache's error.log that has me confused. The server gets hit with random file not found errors like most any web server would (script kiddies looking for admin pages for web apps that aren't even installed and the like.. standard stuff.) But then I saw a file not found error for a file that does exist, a web page that gets hit often since it pulls in the most organic search traffic. At first I figured someone typo'd the URL when entering it in manually, but it checks out fine, letter for letter.. And I double checked the page, it loads fine now. So, it seems for one moment, my Apache server thought a file that is legit and regularly accessed, no longer existed. What happened? Is this common? Does Apache log anything else that could shed more light on what happened? I reviewed the requesting IP address's instances in Apache's access.log and it appears the only request that IP ever made was the single line that resulted in 404ing.. so it doesn't appear like it was a script hitting everything on the site, it was very specific and the user bounced after getting my 404 page. :/


text:
Top 10 Downloads*
- Museum Informatics: Collections, People, Access, Use
- Becoming Digital
- Ontologies and the Semantic Web
- Complex Acts of Knowing: Paradox and Descriptive Self Awareness
- Beyond the Gallery Walls: Tools and Methods for Leading End-Users to Collections Information
- Reinventing Information Services Outsourcing: A New Management Tool or Just a Fad?
- Metadata: A Fundamental Component of the Semantic Web
- Metadata Generation: Processes, People and Tools
- Copyright's Digital Dilemma Today: Fair Use or Unfair Constraints?
- Semantic Web Services
*from the ASIS&T Digital Library
April/May 2006
|The First I-Conference of the I-School Communities
Glynn Harmon, Guest Editor
The I-Conference: Gathering of the Clans of Information
Harry Bruce, Debra J. Richardson and Mike Eisenberg
Identity in the I-School Movement
John Leslie King
The I-Conference and the Transformation Ahead
James Thomas, Ray von Dran and Steve Sawyer
The I-Conference in Retrospect
Anthony Debons and Glynn Harmon
Passing the Taxi-Driver Test
Andrew Dillon and Mary Lynn Rice-Lively
|From Game Studies
to Bibliographic Gaming: Libraries Tap into the Video Game Culture
Christy Branston
Architecture Success Story:
The Development of www.plainlanguage.gov
Thom Haller
President's Page
From the Editor's Desktop
Irene L. Travis
Inside ASIS&T
What is the Bulletin?
Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology is a bi-monthly news magazine packed with developments and issues affecting the field, pragmatic management reports, opinion, and news of people and events in the information science community.
Publication Information
Past Issues
Past issues of the Bulletin can be viewed, in their entirety, at the Digital Library or here on our site.
You may also purchase past issues online.


text:
Newspaper-Inspired Facebook Layout Will Deliver More Interesting Stories & A Real-Time Ticker
In a move that shouldn't surprise anyone, Facebook is re-organizing users' homepages. The new look homepage will allow users to "see the things they're most interested in." The main elements that will power the new layout are, the revamped Friend Lists, the new Subscribe button, and a real-time ticker.
One notable change is that the verbiage "post" seems to be completely removed from the Facebook vocabulary. All mentions of content-formerly-known-as-posts are now labeled as "stories."
A "Personal Newspaper"
The rationale behind the new layout ironically takes after newspapers, the very form of media that Facebook is slowly replacing. The release states that:
When you pick up a newspaper after not reading it for a week, the front page quickly clues you into the most interesting stories. In the past, News Feed hasn't worked like that. Updates slide down in chronological order so it's tough to zero in on what matters most.
In order to achieve this, some posts will be labeled as a "Top Story" with a blue mark the left hand corner:
Images will also be much larger and easier to view from the homepage. For those avid Facebook users, new stories will show above the "Top Stories" section:
Real-Time Ticker
In order to combat the News Feed time-lag, Facebook is launching a real-time ticker. This will update posts, photo uploads, comments and friend activity in the right side of the screen above the controversial chat bar. This new element will help users see what is happening in real-time, without losing their place.
For a full view of what is coming for the new Facebook layout, watch the following video:
We're listening.
Have something to say about this article? Share it with us on Facebook, Twitter or our LinkedIn Group.


text: (This is an one-time forward, to point towards a potentially useful resource). ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2002 15:30:21 -0800 From: webmaster at supercomputingonline.com To: eugen at leitl.org Subject: SC Online: Scientists To Demonstrate TeraGrid At SC2002 Dear registered user, Below you will find a few of this week's top stories. For full coverage of the high performance computing and networking industries visit www.supercomputingonline.info To retrieve articles via email: 1) Forward this message to listbot at supercomputingonline.com 2) In the subject line type "get" and the four digit number at the end of the article's URL. ie "get 2047" Thanks for reading Supercomputing Online! ====================================================================== CGG Passes 15-Teraflop Mark --------------------------- CGG's worldwide network of seismic data processing centers has passed the 10,000 CPU mark and offers an overall computer capacity of over 15 Teraflops. This huge increase in computing power, following the recent installation of an additional 1536 CPUs in Houston, 1088 CPUs in London and 320 CPUs in Kuala Lumpur, is necessary to support the worldwide commercial success of A+ (CGG's anisotropic Kirchhoff pre-stack time and depth migration services) and the recent launch of WaveVista(TM) (CGG's no-compromise shot-domain wave-equation migration). Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2819 ********************************************************************** SGI Advance Membrane Protein Research At Henri Poincare University ------------------------------------------------------------------ MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- SGI announced that the Computational Chemistry and Biochemistry Group at the Henri Poincare University in Nancy, France, has become the first visualization services client of the National Higher Education Computing Center (CINES) supercomputing facility at the University of Montpellier in southern France. The center is newly equipped with a 512-processor SGI(R) Origin(R) 3800 server and an eight-processor Silicon Graphics(R) Onyx2(R) visualization system with four InfiniteReality2(TM) subsystems. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2821 ********************************************************************** NSF Awards $1 Million to Develop Protein Database At SDSC --------------------------------------------------------- The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded more than $1 million for research at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California, San Diego to develop the Protein Kinase Resource, a database cataloging a family of enzymes that play key roles in cellular regulation. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2824 ********************************************************************** The Grid Gets Real ------------------ The European DataGrid (EDG)1 project has taken a major step towards making the concept of a world-wide computing Grid a reality. Its latest release of middleware - the software that makes a Grid of computers work together seamlessly - will support production quality Grid computing. Markus Schulz, one of the chief software developers at CERN2, explains, "This release will take the EDG project from the laboratory bench into the real world." Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2832 ********************************************************************** NCSA, Intel and Mellanox to feature MPI over InfiniBand at SC2002 ----------------------------------------------------------------- BALTIMORE--The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), Intel, and Mellanox have collaborated to develop an Open Source MPI stack optimized for 10 gigabit-per-second (4X) InfiniBand networks, which will be used in a demonstration utilizing InfiniBand in the National Computational Science Alliance(Alliance)/ NCSA booth at SC2002 (R1249). Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2831 ********************************************************************** Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, HP Form Grid Alliance ------------------------------------------------------- PITTSBURGH, Pa., and PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) and HP announced they have formed a strategic alliance to demonstrate the potential of the National Science Foundation's extensible TeraGrid. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2833 ********************************************************************** Scientists To Demonstrate TeraGrid At SC2002 -------------------------------------------- The five partners in the National Science Foundations TeraGrid project will use SC2002, this years edition of the annual high-performance networking and computing conference, to demonstrate a variety of applications on a prototype TeraGrid infrastructure. The demonstrations will showcase applications that are poised to take advantage of the computational capability of the TeraGrid, which will be deployed in 2003 as the world's largest, fastest, distributed infrastructure for open scientific research. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2834 ********************************************************************** Promicro Systems Plugs Into the Power of Linux to Exhibit Scalable Performance ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BALTIMORE, MD - November 12, 2002 - Promicro Systems will continue to champion the advancement and implementation of Linux clustering technology at the 15th Annual SC2002 Conference, a worldwide forum for envisioning the future of HPC and networking technologies. The company will demonstrate Intel-based Linux clusters that provide a flexible, scalable and powerful computing platform for research institutions, computationally-intensive vertical industries, and the general business sector. Promicro has also partnered with its customers to illustrate different clustering applications at SC2002. Promicro will demonstrate various cluster technologies with Los Alamos National Laboratory (booth #R3211) and the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California, San Diego (booth #R1134). Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2835 ********************************************************************** >From TeraGrid to Smart Tech, NCSA/Alliance Booth to Show Tomorrow's Technologies ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BALTIMORE--Visitors to booth R1249 at SC2002 will get a peek at the power of the TeraGrid, learn about the technology behind the IntelliBadge project, observe the capabilities of an early version of the NEESgrid, see visualizations of supernovae explosions and black hole collisions, and much more. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2836 ********************************************************************** SC2002 Dedicates Education Program to Maryland Educator ------------------------------------------------------- BALTIMORE--The SC2002 Education Program will be dedicated to the memory of Mary Ellen Verona, Ph.D., who died Oct. 7 at age 56, after a long battle with breast cancer. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2837 ********************************************************************** Force10 Networks Lands Third TeraGrid Customer: Caltech ------------------------------------------------------- MILPITAS, Calif. -- Force10 Networks, Inc., the leading developer of high performance Ethernet systems, today announced that the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) of Pasadena, CA, is using the Force10 E-Series(TM), the most scalable and highest performing Ethernet switch/routers in the industry, in its grid computing network. The E-Series is connecting the Center for Advanced Computing Research (CACR) to the TeraGrid project, the world's largest supercomputing grid, sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Force10 has already won business with the National Center For Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) and the San Diego Supercomputing Center (SDSC). Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2838 ********************************************************************** CTC CBSU RepeatFinder --------------------- A new e-Science tool for bioinformatics lets scientists sift through genomes like miners sifting through gravel with fine mesh screens as they pan for gold. Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (BTI), a not-for-profit research organization, and computational scientists at the Cornell Theory Centers Computational Biology Service Unit (CBSU) have announced the launch of RepeatFinder, an innovative and unique resource for computational genomicists. RepeatFinder, developed jointly with David Stern and Jude Maul of BTI and Jarek Pillardy from CBSU, is designed to help scientists search the non-coding regions of a genome for small clues to the mysteries of evolution. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2839 ********************************************************************** SGI Names New Member to its Board of Directors ---------------------------------------------- MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- SGI announced that Anthony R. Muller will join its board of directors in January 2003. Muller, currently the executive vice president and chief financial officer of JDS Uniphase Corporation, will also serve as chairman of SGI's Audit Committee, succeeding C. Richard Kramlich. Kramlich, a general partner and cofounder of the venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates, has served as a director of SGI since 1984 and will retire from the board when his term expires at the 2002 annual meeting. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2843 ********************************************************************** Sun's John Gage to Speak on Simple Technology's Role in a Complex New World ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SAN FRANCISCO -- In a major keynote address, Sun Microsystems Chief Researcher John Gage will discuss the key role that simple technology is playing in an increasingly complex new world order. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2848 ********************************************************************** Evotec OAI Agrees Entropia DCGrid Delivers More Cost-Effective Computing Power ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Entropia, Inc., the leading provider of PC grid computing solutions, announced that Evotec OAI AG, a partner for integrated high-value-added drug discovery to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, has deployed Entropias DCGrid for additional compute power in lieu of purchasing a more costly high performance computing solution. DCGrid is a powerful and cost-effective PC grid computing platform that provides high performance computing capabilities by aggregating the unused processing cycles from networks of existing Windows-based PCs. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2817 ********************************************************************** Oracle and HP launch Financial Services Competency Center --------------------------------------------------------- Oracle Corporation, the world's largest enterprise software company, and HP announced the formation of a Financial Services Competency Center in New York City. The jointly operated center will bring the porting, testing and migration capabilities onsite to financial services institutions and independent software vendors (ISVs) migrating systems to industry-standard HP ProLiant(TM) servers and Oracle9i Real Application Clusters running on, but not limited to, Linux. The Oracle and HP Financial Services Competency Center will include substantial technical resources and financial services specialists from both companies and provide customers with onsite support, helping to ensure the seamless migration to a more robust and scalable infrastructure. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2818 ********************************************************************** Cray Inc. Wins $8.4 Million Order from Spain's National Institute of Meteorology ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SEATTLE--Global supercomputer leader Cray Inc. reported that it has won a multi-year order, valued at about $8.4 million, for a Cray X1(TM) supercomputer system from Spain's National Institute of Meteorology (INM). The order includes an interim Cray SV1(TM) system. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2820 ********************************************************************** Platform Computing Builds 'True Grid' ------------------------------------- TORONTO, CANADA -- In a compelling demonstration of collaboration and interoperability through Grid computing, Platform Computing and seven business partners will create a "True Grid" from the SC2002 show floor in Baltimore, incorporating IT resources across North America. Using Grid software Platform MultiCluster, Platform Globus and the Globus Toolkit(TM), Platform and its partners Apple, Dell, HP, IBM, Microway, RLX and SGI, will build a heterogeneous Grid integrating the system, cluster and Grid middleware levels. Deployments like this are being used to simulate real-life Grid computing for federal applications ranging from the design of defense systems to intelligence operations. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2822 ********************************************************************** Intershop and HP Services Strengthen Partnership ------------------------------------------------ SAN FRANCISCO, and JENA, Germany -- Intershop Communications, a leading provider of e-commerce solutions for global enterprises, today announced that it has signed a strategic partnership with HP Services (HPS), taking their consulting partnership to the next level. With this announcement, Intershop becomes a Premium Partner of HP. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2823 ********************************************************************** DataDirect to Show World's Fastest Fibre Channel FC-2 Storage Controller At SC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOS ANGELES - DataDirect Networks will be demonstrating the world's fastest storage controller at SC2002/Baltimore from November 18 to 21. DataDirect's S2A8000 Silicon Storage Appliance is a new storage controller device that has been created to allow the deployment of extremely high-performance, easy-to-manage, and highly scalable 24/7/365 storage networking foundations that bring appliance-driven networks up and operational in hours, rather than days or weeks. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2825 ********************************************************************** Abbey National Treasury Services Selects DataSynapse's Distributed Computing ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK -- After reviewing alternative vendor offerings and performing rigorous scalability and performance testing, Abbey National Treasury Services plc ("ANTS"), part of the Abbey National Group -- the sixth largest banking group in the UK has selected DataSynapse, Inc.'s LiveCluster(TM) solution as the guaranteed distributed computing infrastructure to support next generation financial application development corporate-wide. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2826 ********************************************************************** Oracle Announces Oracle9i Production Support for Itanium -------------------------------------------------------- ORACLEWORLD 2002, SAN FRANCISCO, -- Oracle Corp. today announced the first production release of a commercially available database designed for the Intel(R) Itanium(R) processor family, with proven performance. Oracle9i Database on Itanium 2-based systems running HP-UX will be generally available by the end of the year. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2827 ********************************************************************** SGI IRGO Software Optimizes Technical Computing Environments ------------------------------------------------------------ MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- SGI today announced the availability of SGI(R) IRGO(TM) HPC workflow-optimization features for the IRIX(R) operating environment to help developers compile and optimize high-productivity solutions for mission-critical and business-critical technical compute environments. IRGO provides tools for run-time optimization, development optimization and workflow security, enabling the creation of highly efficient code in a secure environment. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2828 ********************************************************************** New Model of SGI Origin 3000 Supercomputer ------------------------------------------ MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- SGI today announced the SGI(R) Origin(R) 3900 server, the newest model of the SGI(R) Origin(R) 3000 supercomputer family that packs four times the computational density of previous configurations into a single industry-standard rack. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2829 ********************************************************************** Linux NetworX Announces Life Sciences Cluster Optimized with Bio Tech Software ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SALT LAKE CITY - Linux NetworX announced today the availability of its Evolocity(TM) Life Sciences Cluster, a system designed specifically for bioinformatic and genomic researchers. This ready-to-run system combines the benefits of a Linux NetworX cluster configuration with popular life science applications such as BLAST, HMMer, ClustalW, Amber, Gaussian, and Sort. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2840 ********************************************************************** Linux NetworX Doubles the Density of Its Evolocity Cluster ---------------------------------------------------------- SALT LAKE CITY - At the SC2002 trade show next week in Baltimore, Linux NetworX will unveil Evolocity(TM) II (E2), its next generation cluster design with 0.8U nodes, which allows 100 CPUs to fit into a standard 42U rack - a 20 percent density improvement over 1U nodes. While E2 is being officially launched at SC2002, Linux NetworX has already implemented the technology when it delivered the world's fastest Linux cluster supercomputer to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Oct. 2002. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2841 ********************************************************************** Supercomputing Enters a Renaissance, Declares SGI ------------------------------------------------- MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.-- SGI announced a differentiated strategy to meet the evolved needs of scientific and technical high-performance computing (HPC) users. This class of users is confronting escalating complexity from enormous data sources such as satellite scans, seismic monitoring, long-range global climate data and full- body medical scans. At the same time, users have a competitive necessity for improved productivity and increased collaboration. These evolved requirements are changing the way supercomputer systems are designed -- a supercomputing renaissance in which the HPC market is coalescing around a more efficient, balanced system design. The result is a shift in the way HPC is defined from solely high-performance to include high-productivity computing. SGI ushers in this new era of supercomputing with a number of new product announcements over the coming weeks and months. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2842 ********************************************************************** SGI Hosts Homeland Security and Defense Summit in Washington, D.C. ------------------------------------------------------------------ WASHINGTON -- High-level officials from U.S. military and civilian agencies, SGI executives and leading system integrators gather today at the 2002 SGI Homeland Security and Defense Summit to discuss technology's role in homeland protection and to showcase innovative technologies used in support of homeland security and defense-in the areas of urban intelligence, critical infrastructure protection, and disaster response, modeling and simulation. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2844 ********************************************************************** Sun and Oracle Celebrate 20 Years of Innovation ----------------------------------------------- ORACLEWORLD, SAN FRANCISCO -- From OracleWorld 2002 in San Francisco's Moscone Center, Sun Microsystems, Inc. and Oracle Corp. heralded two decades of joint innovation and deepened their commitment to deliver high value, reliability and enterprise efficiency to the more than 70,000 Sun and Oracle customers around the world. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2845 ********************************************************************** SGI Expands Capability of SAN Filesystem ---------------------------------------- MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Today, SGI announced its popular shared filesystem for storage area networks (SANs), CXFS(TM) 2.2, can manage up to 32 different client machines within one SAN. CXFS(TM) previously handled up to 16 client machines. This significant improvement increases the scalability of SGI(R) storage solutions and ultimately increases productivity for users of SAN environments by eliminating file duplication and the time it takes to move large files over the network. The release of CXFS follows the release of the Brocade(R) SilkWorm(R) 3900, a 32-port Enterprise Fabric Switch that SGI offers to its customers. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2846 ********************************************************************** SolidWorks 3D ContentCentral Slashes Design Time ------------------------------------------------ CONCORD, Mass. - SolidWorks Corporation today unveiled 3D ContentCentralSM, a free online directory of downloadable, three-dimensional computer-aided design (3D CAD) parts from leading component manufacturers that will help engineers reduce design time and bring products to market faster. Users can search 3D ContentCentral to quickly find and download solid models of parts into their designs to check compatibility and ensure the accuracy of their designs. 3D ContentCentral helps participating component manufacturers attract new customers and increase revenue by encouraging thousands of design engineers to "design in" (check compatibility and subsequently purchase) their products. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2847 ********************************************************************** Promicro Systems and Avail Solutions Partner -------------------------------------------- POWAY, Calif. - Promicro Systems, in partnership with Avail Solutions, today introduced a cost-effective backup appliance that provides businesses with advanced data storage, backup and recovery capabilities. Promicro has combined its ProStore network-attached storage (NAS) server with Avail's Integrity backup software and automated tape library, providing the benefits of both disk- and tape-based data protection in one seamless package. Full text: www.supercomputingonline.com/nl.php?sid=2849 ********************************************************************** All original content copyright 2002 Atomic Communications, Inc. To unsubscribe: send an email to listbot at supercomputingonline.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. Feedback on this, our newsletter's beta version, is welcome at comments at supercomputingonline.com.


text:
The Strayer Consulting Group, Inc. is an organization development
firm specializing in helping technology companies build strong management
teams to meet the competitive needs of today's business environment.
Operating in Silicon Valley since 1987, SCGI has five affiliate offices
throughout the United States and Canada. SCGI has worked with over
200 start-ups, 150 public companies and has been affiliated with over
30 venture groups as special limited partner or professional advisor.


text:
EDIT: This link is no longer active. If you'd like to download the assets, you can here.
Here's my part for the DSF October Blog Train (click on the image for download). There are so many wonderful parts, be sure to check them all out.
You are coming from: DreamyNest Designs
Your next stop is: EhKho
You can check in at the main station here.