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Data Warehousing - System Processes
We have fixed number of operations to be applied on operational databases and we have well defined techniques such as use normalized data,keep table small etc. These techniques are suitable for delivering a solution. But in case of decision support system we do not know what query and operation need to be executed in future. Therefore techniques applied on operational databases are not suitable for data warehouses.
In this chapter We'll focus on designing data warehousing solution built on the top open-system technologies like Unix and relational databases.
Process Flow in Data Warehouse
There are four major processes that build a data warehouse. Here is the list of four processes:
Extract and load data.
Cleaning and transforming the data.
Backup and Archive the data.
Managing queries & directing them to the appropriate data sources.
Extract and Load Process
The Data Extraction takes data from the source systems.
Data load takes extracted data and loads it into data warehouse.
Note: Before loading the data into data warehouse the information extracted from external sources must be reconstructed.
Points to remember while extract and load process:
Controlling the process
When to Initiate Extract
Loading the Data
Controlling the process
Controlling the process involves determining that when to start data extraction and consistency check on data. Controlling process ensures that tools, logic modules, and the programs are executed in correct sequence and at correct time.
When to Initiate Extract
Data need to be in consistent state when it is extracted i.e. the data warehouse should represent single, consistent version of information to the user.
For example in a customer profiling data warehouse in telecommunication sector it is illogical to merge list of customers at 8 pm on wednesday from a customer database with the customer subscription events up to 8 pm on tuesday. This would mean that we are finding the customers for whom there are no associated subscription.
Loading the Data
After extracting the data it is loaded into a temporary data store.Here in the temporary data store it is cleaned up and made consistent.
Note: Consistency checks are executed only when all data sources have been loaded into temporary data store.
Clean and Transform Process
Once data is extracted and loaded into temporary data store it is the time to perform Cleaning and Transforming. Here is the list of steps involved in Cleaning and Transforming:
Clean and Transform the loaded data into a structure.
Partition the data.
Clean and Transform the loaded data into a structure
This will speed up the queries.This can be done in the following ways:
Make sure data is consistent within itself.
Make sure data is consistent with other data within the same data source.
Make sure data is consistent with data in other source systems.
Make sure data is consistent with data already in the warehouse.
Transforming involves converting the source data into a structure. Structuring the data will result in increases query performance and decreases operational cost. Information in data warehouse must be transformed to support performance requirement from the business and also the ongoing operational cost.
Partition the data
It will optimize the hardware performance and simplify the management of data warehouse. In this we partition each fact table into a multiple separate partitions.
Aggregation is required to speed up the common queries. Aggregation rely on the fact that most common queries will analyse a subset or an aggregation of the detailed data.
Backup and Archive the data
In order to recover the data in event of data loss, software failure or hardware failure it is necessary to backed up on regular basis.Archiving involves removing the old data from the system in a format that allow it to be quickly restored whenever required.
For example in a retail sales analysis data warehouse, it may be required to keep data for 3 years with latest 6 months data being kept online. In this kind of scenario there is often requirement to be able to do month-on-month comparisons for this year and last year. In this case we require some data to be restored from the archive.
Query Management Process
This process performs the following functions
This process manages the queries.
This process speed up the queries execution.
This Process direct the queries to most effective data sources.
This process should also ensure that all system sources are used in most effective way.
This process is also required to monitor actual query profiles.
Information in this process is used by warehouse management process to determine which aggregations to generate.
This process does not generally operate during regular load of information into data warehouse.


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It's always a sad day when the last game of the season arrives. There's no more (meaningful) baseball for another 5 months or so. So it was with both sadness and joy that I headed out to the Ballpark for the final game of the 2005 season. Sadness because it was the last game, we had a sub 500 record, and we would probably lose this one, too (we did).
Joy because I had won a contest a few days ago from the Rangers for a luxury box for the final game of the season. I rounded up some family and some friends, and hit the ballpark. Due to having a box, I wanted to be there when the gates opened, so I could get maximum use out of the time in the box. It was good because I had a 5 month old daughter and my mother in law was with us. Both do much better not being in the heat. So the suite AC was nice. In fact, whenever I'm in a suite (this was only my fourth game in one), I rarely pay much attention to the game. I spent most of my time talking to my guests. I did see however Mike Young's hit and removal from the game, which was a nice touch (screw you Yankees for whining about it). Was nice to see the ovation he got when Chuck Morgan announced that Young had the batting title. Congratulations to Mike Young for that. He became a father and was AL batting champ. Nice year for him, although I'm sure he's saddened by not being in the playoffs.
I will write about the season in general later on, but I wanted to say I had an awesome time at the game.
G162: Rangers lose season finale to Angels, 7-4
It's always a sad day when the last game of the season arrives. There's no more (meaningful) baseball for another 5 months or so. So it was with both sadness and joy that I headed out to the Ballpark for the final game of the 2005 season. Sadness because it was the last game, we had a sub 500 record, and we would probably lose this one, too (we did).
G161: Rangers lose again to Angels, 7-6
It's a sad thing when you can say that up until the sixth inning, the most interesting thing that happened at the game was when Rangers Captain visited your section.
Juan Dominguez didn't even get out of the first inning, giving up four runs on 6 hits with 1BB in 0.2IP. Not good. Set a tone for the night. As I said above, not much good happened until the sixth except for Rangers Captain showing up. In the sixth we had a quick strike score, when Soriano hit a three run home run (a no doubter, too). We did score one in the third, but I think I was paying attention to Captain at that time. We did make it interesting in the bottom of the ninth with two triples, but couldn't finish the job off, losing 7-6, guaranteeing a losing season. :(
G160: Rangers lose to Angels 7-1
Well, three games to go. I was at this one, as I tend to panic when there's single digit games left in the season, and I need to go to them. :)
RA Dickey was all over the place with his knuckleball, and didn't have any kind of control in the first inning, and it cost him. He gave up two runs in the first, and it could have been a boatload more. It was an ugly inning. He actually settled down until the fifth when it fell apart again, and he gave up three more runs. Edison Volquez, one of the relievers also tanked, giving up two runs in 0.2IP. Ramirez, Shouse, & Feldman also pitched, and were good. Problem is that John Lackey was a lot better. He only went 5 innings, but gave up no runs on three hits. Kelvim Escobar followed that with two shutout innings of his own. We only got a run against former Ranger Esteban Yan.
We only had 5 hits this game, and two of 'em were from Kevin Mench. Unfortunately, none of them were from Mike Young, so his hitting streak stopped at 25 games. He's almost assured of winning the batting title, unless he has a complete ofer the rest of the season, and Arod gets like 15 hits.
On the really good side, Alfonso Soriano stole second base and then third in the same inning, and became the only 30/30 guy in Ranger franchise history.
G159: Rangers drop finale of M's series, 4-3
We lost. Kenny Rogers got a "quality start" in his final performance as a Ranger (barring some major change of Hart (har-har) somewhere). He went 6, giving up 4R (3ER) on 9H. He ended up losing the game, as Ryan Franklin who we usually destroy pitched well. That leaves Kenny with a record of 14-8. Probably not what Scott Bora$ wanted going into what is likely Kenny's final contract negotiation. At this point, I think the only way Kenny comes back is if Hart moves aside. Not that Hart would move aside for any player, but that's probably what will have to happen. I personally wouldn't mind Kenny coming back. As has been said many times in many places, he knows how to pitch in Arlington, and doesn't seem to mind being here (except in contract years).
Things aren't looking good for finishing with an over 500 record. That means we now have to sweep the Angels at home over the last three games, which will give us a record of 82-80. If we take two, we end up at 500. Offensively, only six hits. Four were by Dellucci & Tex. The others were Mike Young & Shrek. Not much happening offensively for us really. Except we got a home run from David Dellucci in this one. We now need 6 over the last 3 games to break the all time record. Fairly doable, but we have to be consistent about it, don't want to have to go into the last game needing five.
G158: Rangers beat M's again, 7-3
No time for an big update, but we're back to .500 again. We're falling behind in the race to get the home run title. We had better tee off at home in the last three games if we still want that. Mike Young's hitting streak is at 24 games now. I'm tired of the Phil Nevin watch.
Great article in the DMN about Mike Young being a new dad. As a new dad myself, I can relate.
G157: Rangers take first game of M's series, 3-2
No time for an big update, but it was nice to see some good pitching in this game. Was also really nice to see Mike Young take care of business and break his own hit record for the Rangers in his first two at bats. He's a virtual lock for the batting crown.
G156: Rangers win on Sunday night, 6-2
I started watching this game, but tuned out because I am not a fan of watching Rangers games with other broadcasters. I don't really have anything against Morgan & Miller, but they have to make it seem like the person watching the game has never seen the game. I don't need a basic education on the Rangers when I'm watching their games, I know what I'm watching already. Not only that, they do the interview the managers in the dugout stuff, which I could do without.
We took the rubber game of the Oakland series 6-2, behind a great performance by Juan Dominguez, who went 7.1IP, giving up just 2ER on 8 hits, and 0 BB. Benoit & Cordero finished up, giving up nothing, was a good pitching performance from the guys in the Texas uniforms. On the other side, Kirk Saarloos got knocked around a bit, giving up 5ER on 8H in 3.2IP. Not a great performance there at all.
Offensively, we were led by Mike Young (2-3), Jason Botts (3-4), and Rod Barajas (2-4, 3R HR). Back to two games under .500 with 6 games to go. We should do OK in Seattle, the final three games at home will be the tough ones.
Mike Young watch: 2-3, now batting .333 (.14 points ahead of Guerrero), 215 hits – needs two hits to break own franchise record for hits
Phil Nevin watch: Back to the bench after going 0-4 yesterday, got another $58k
HR watch: 1 (Barajas), Team total: 258. Needed to set record: 7. Games left: 6
You can view my full update for this game here, or you can leave a comment about this game below.
G155: Rangers pen blows the lead in Oakland Saturday, 7-6
Another game I missed due to a screw-up on my part – I saw the score when it was over before I watched the game on the TiVo, so I didn't bother to go back and watch.
RA Dickey did well enough, going 5.2IP, giving up 2ER, while walking 5, hitting one guy.. OK, it wasn't stellar, but he pitched well enough for a win I thought. However, our bullpen which has been respectable if not great lately reverted to their earlier season form. Even Mark Teixeira talked about it, saying "all this year we've been finding ways to lose". He's right about that, our pen let this one away. We had gotten to Zito as well, forcing him to give up 5ER on 7H over his 6 innings. Not a shellacking, but definitely un Zito like. It was wasted.
Tex also went 2 for 4 with a double and a home run. Mike young went 3 for 5. That's 5 hits, we had a total of nine, so it wasn't a terribly balanced attack.
Mike Young watch: 3 for 5, average up to .332, hitting streak of 21 games
Phil Nevin watch: Off the bench, but went 0 for 4 for that 58 grand he earned in this game.
HR watch: 1 (Teixeira), Team total: 257. Needed to set record: 8. Games left: 7
You can view my full update for this game here, or you can leave a comment about this game below.
G154: Rangers take opener of Oakland series Friday, 3-1
Kenny Rogers won in Oakland. What a shocker. He has a record of about 600-2 in Oakland's stadium. Formally, he went 6.1IP, giving up 1ER on 5H and 5BB. A high amount of walks, but it didn't affect his bottom line. And the run they did get was a solo home run in the first by Kotsay. Beyond that, the A's were pretty much kept under control.
Offensively, we had some hits (nine), but it felt like one of those games where we couldn't get it all going. The only person with more than one hit was Blalock (two). Everyone else who got one got that, one. One of them was Mike Young who advanced his hitting streak to 20 games with a home run. If Young runs the table for the rest of the season, he'll tie Gabe Kapler's club record of 28 a couple of years ago, which will be frustrating since he'll be on a roll, and the only thing that stops him will be the end of the schedule. Since we open at home next year, it will make for an interesting celebration of a new franchise record, what with it being the home opener – that's always an electric crowd anyway.
Since I covered Mike Young above, the Phil Nevin watch was another 58 grand spent on a right handed bench warmer.
You can view my full update for this game here, or you can leave a comment about this game below.
G153: Rangers drop finale of Anaheim series, 7-4, get swept
Well, we got swept by the Angels. Before this series, we got back to 500, now we're three below again. I knew that with 12 games left and 6 against the Angels that it'd be hard to stay at 500. Right now there's 9 games left, so we'll have to go win 6 out of the 9 to end the year at 500. Not a great proposition, imo.
This was another game I missed most of due to night time daddy duties. From looking at hte box scores, Chris Young had an OK start, going 5 innings, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and three walks. As many walks as hits generally isn't a good thing, and it probably cost him in the ER department. Volquez on the other hand came in and got bombed, giving up 4 hits and 3ER in 0.2IP. That was pretty much the deciding factor.
We had no home runs, so we had better start getting things in gear if we want the major league home run record, I think we need as many HRs as there are games left at this point. Given the way the season has gone, it would be nice to end up with that. Mike Young seems to have locked up the batting championship, barring a meltdown.
Mike Young watch: 2 for 3 with an RBI on a sac fly. Batting 330.
Phil Nevin watch: Still on bench. Collected another $58,596 warming the bench.
You can view my full update for this game here, or you can leave a comment about this game below.
G151: Rangers beat again by Colon & Angels, 2-1
There's not a whole lot to say about this game. The outcome is what I think most people expected. Bartolo Colon beat Juan Dominguez. But it took a 20 game winner and potential Cy Young candidate to beat Juan Dominguez. That's a good thing. Their pitching lines were:
Dominguez: 7IP, 6H, 2R (1ER), 2K, 2BB, 98NP
Colon: 7IP, 4H, 1R (0ER), 4K, 0BB, 85NP
If you like pitching, this was a game to watch. In fact, the run we got was a gift. Colon & the Angels surived three errors by third baseman Macier Izturis. We had a total of five hits in the entire game, most definitely scattered. We couldn't get anything going against Colon, which is no big surprise, we never seem to be able to do that.
Mike Young watch: 1 for 4 with 1 run scored. Hitting streak at 17 games.
Phil Nevin watch: $58,596 paid to Nevin to warm that bench. (That's taking his 2005 salary of $9,492,689, and dividing by 162).
You can view my full update for this game here, or you can leave a comment about this game below.
G150: Rangers sweep M's beind 8-6 win on Sunday
I didn't get to see any of this game. If you read my commentary for Saturday night's game, my wife and I were holed up at a motel a couple of miles from our house due to our AC being broken. We got a call in the middle of the morning Sunday on my cel phone from the AC repair guy who wasn't scheduled to come out until Monday morning. He says he can make it out. So I flew over to the house, and got the AC repaired. After we were all done with that, I went back to the motel, at this point we were about 30 minutes away from checkout time, and getting billed for the second day. We had a majorly huge scramble to get all of the stuff for us, the baby, and our two cats out of the motel and into the truck to get back home. We were fortunate that we got done in time. When we got home and finished unpacking, football was on, and I started watching the two games I had TiVoed on the Sunday Ticket package. As I pay a lot for that package, I feel compelled to watch them.
We're all back home and safe, and cool. Which is good given the current heat wave we're having here (to those reading outside the DFW area, it's about 10-15 degrees above normal for this time of year, we should be at 82-85, and it's around 95-97 now). I'm grateful for the guy who nice nice, friendly work for me on a Sunday morning no less. I didn't get taken too, which was always good. :)
Anyway, about halfway through I realized the Rangers game was on as well, but at this point the game was already over. We got a sweep which let me use my sweep graphic which I haven't done in awhile. The win also got us back to .500 which is a big goal. Now I wanted two games above .500 which seems reachable now. There's twelve games left in the season. 3 vs the A's, 3 vs the Mariners, and 6 vs the Angels. To finish 2 over .500 we'll have to go 7-5 over that span. Doable, but with 6 against the Angels, one never knows.
Mike Young watch: 1 for 4 with 2 runs scored. Hitting streak at 16 games.
Phil Nevin watch: Still on the bench, still whining about it.
You can view my full update for this game here, or you can leave a comment about this game below.
G149: Rangers win Saturday 7-6, but my mind was elsewhere
This game was one of my season ticket games. Unfortunately, I could not attend due to an emergency at home. It was cool in the morning, so I decided to save some electricity for a few hours and air out the house by turning off the AC. I did that. But once it got warm again, I turned the AC back on again, and it never came on! Well, the unit outside never came on, I should say. Due to that, it kept getting hotter and hotter in the house. My wife got done working at 4, and when she got home, I wanted to move her and the baby over to a motel about a mile and a half from our house. So we started doing that around the time the game was getting started. I came back home to bring a few loads of things we'd need for the baby, and then decided I was going to move myself and the cats over there, too, as the house was about 90 degrees inside.
Due all of this, I only got to hear the briefest of bits when I was going back and forth from home to the motel, although I did get to hear the winning run score. As much as the site and going to games is, taking care of my family is definitely the priority in life there. If I had been there, I'm sure I would have a lot to write about given the way the game finished, but my mind was elsewhere this night.
Mike Young watch: 2 for 5, with 1 RBI, and 1 game winning run scored. Hitting streak at 15.
Phil Nevin watch: Still on the bench, still whining about it.
Jason Botts watch: 3 for 4 with an RBI in the
Nevin DH spot.
You can view my full update for this game here, or you can leave a comment about this game below.
G148: Rangers' Rupe beats M's Hernandez Friday, 5-3
This game was billed as a Ranger kid getting a look-see with a major league debut against the Mariners' Godlike phenom. The way it was in the press, we were going to get a perfect game thrown against us, and give up 13 runs or so. Hernandez went 3IP, and gave up 5ER on 8H, and 3BB. Not a good outing. Josh Rupe went 5IP, and gave up 2ER on 6H, and 1BB to get his first major league win in his first major league start. That was good. He also was the 30th different pitcher we've used this year, tying last year's record. We are still a few behind the number of starters we used last year, and I don't think we'll get to that one, though.
We added another home run (Barajas) to continue our assault on the team home run records this season. Offensively, we had a total of 9 hits, which was less than the Mariners had, but ours worked better, as we got the win.
Mike Young watch: 2 for 4, with a run scored.
Phil Nevin watch: Still on bench. Still whining about it.
You can view my full update for this game here, or you can leave a comment about this game below.
G147: Rangers beat M's despite 4 errors, 4-3
The Rangers won their second game in a row, which very recently is something unusual. Our streaks lately have been mostly in the backwards direction.
Kameron Loe started this game, and with the exception of one really unusual statistic, had a great line. 5.1IP, 2R (1ER). He did allow 6 hits, walked four, and committed three errors of his own, yet still left with the lead, and got the win. The errors is the unusual bit. It definitely was a tightrope walk, but the damage was minimal. Shouse, Benoit, & Wilson kept it scoreless until the ninth. Coco came in, and was 2005 Coco, not the really shutdown one from last year. He gave up another run. Stats say his season ERA is 3.75, but wow it feels like it's 6 or 7, he seems to give up a run most every time. Obviously that's not true, but that's what it feels like, anyway. The Mariners left 13 men on base for the game.
Offensively, we had no home runs, but had a couple of doubles (Mench, Blalock). This was another game where we didn't have a lot of offense. We had a total of five hits in the game. The aforementioned two doubles, plus three hits. One of the hits was by Michael Young who extended his hitting streak to 13 games. It also was his 200th hit of the season, which was a nice milestone to get at home. He continues to lead the batting race, but if you read this article on ESPN by Jayson Stark, the actual batting champion should be Placido Polanco of the Tigers. Read it. Folks who hate Bud Selig and the way Interleague play has "eroded" statistics will get a kick out of that.
Anyway, we got a win, and are back to three under .500. Josh Rupe makes his major league debut on Friday night. Odd that after going so long this season with the initial 5 man rotation we broke camp with that since June, we seem to be in a hurry to make up ground on the record 17 starters we used in 2004. I think (without looking it up), that Rupe will be #13 this year.
You can view my full update for this game here, or you can leave a comment about this game below.
G146: Rangers win in 10, 7-6
Usually on day games during the week, I don't get a good listen because I'm busy doing something at work. Well, on this one, I forgot the game was even on until it was two hours into the game. I turned it on, but only got to listen for about 5 minutes, and had to bail – too busy at work yesterday. I had the game on my TiVo at home, so when I got back home from my bowling league I turned it on and watched from the bottom of the 9th onwards. Kind of nice watching the end of a game knowing you're gonna win. :)
But we can thank David Dellucci here, for his pinch hit, two out, bottom of the ninth, two run, game tying home run. That's pretty much what this game was about for me, not having seen the vast majority of it.
Again, attendance was listed as 18,077 – it looked like half that from what I saw on TV.
We're back to four games under .500. There's 16 games left in the season, and to reach my goal of two games over .500, we'll have to go 12-4 over the remainder of the season, which is unlikely, as six of the 16 are against the Angels. Even ending at .500 will require 10-6. Ugh.
G145: Rangers lose again to Baltimore, 4-3
2004's Home Opener starting pitcher R.A. Dickey finally made his first appearance of the 2005 season, in game 145. Only this time he showed up with a different pitch, a knuckleball. Something the Rangers haven't really (seriously) had since Charlie Hough last was in a Ranger uniform in 1990. My wife and daughter were with me in this game. We had some comp tickets in Sec 229 Row 2. We almost got a foul ball, the closest one came was that it hit the red railing right in front of us, and the bounced back downstairs. The section two to our right got about half a dozen fouls over the night.
Aside from the first inning, Dickey was pretty good. His total line was 7IP, 5H, 3ER. Two of those runs and three of the hits were all in the first inning (along with a walk). So yeah, I'd say Dickey did pretty good. I'll write off the first inning to jitters, as it was the first time he'd pitched in the majors with a knuckleball. The problem this game had was that the Orioles kid was better. John Maine went 6.1IP, giving up just two hits – both solo home runs (Mench, Blalock). In fact, outside of those home runs, we had only two other hits total the whole night (double – Soriano, single – M Young). We were pretty inept at the plate.
Still, I had a great time at the game with my family. Took some pictures of that, they're online here if you want to see 'em.
The attendance was listed at 21,167. It looked like a lot less than that to me.
G144: Rangers drop Mondays' game to O's, 4-2
Another game I didn't watch much of. It was Monday Night Football. I was doing the same thing that I'm sure Kevin Mench would have been doing had the Rangers been off, watching the Eagles on Monday Night Football.
It was surprising to read in the local press that Rafael Palmeiro was "sent home" to rehab an injury, and then when his team gets here, he doesn't hang out with them. Seems odd – I'd be stunned if Raffy plays another game with Baltimore. Sosa wasn't there too, probably for mostly the same reason, they're doing better without them. Sosa & Raffy was one of the primary reasons I wanted to see the Orioles in town this year. As it stands, it's a couple of fading teams playing a mostly worthless game in mid September.
This game was mostly lost on a big two run error by Kevin Mench in right field. Edison Volquez went 4 innings, and gave up just 1 earned run (3 total, due to that error). But the real reason I suppose was Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera, who only allowed 2 earned runs, and the 4 relievers who followed him gave up none. Mike Young kept his hitting streak going with another hit.
No home runs, though.
G143: Rangers take A's series finale, 7-4
Didn't watch much of this game, as it was Week 1 in the NFL, and I was watching the Steelers / Titans game on NFL Sunday Ticket. Yeah, I'm a bigger baseball fan than a football fan, but there's something about first weekend that makes the games "unskippable" to me. Given there was early, late, and night games, I didn't TiVo the Rangers game, as I wouldn't have time to watch all of it.
Was nice to get a win, though – although we should have won the other two in this series, too. Kenny Rogers got the win, his first in awhile, going 6 innings, giving up 7 hits and 3 ER. John Wasdin tossed three scoreless innings behind Rogers for the save.
Mike Young went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. He continues to lead the AL (not sure about the NL too) in batting average, he's about 6 or 7 points above Arod and Johnny Damon with a couple of weeks to go. The other player we have in the lead or close to it is Tex who is close to the HR lead, and is leading in RBI's. Tex only had one hit tonight, but it was a three run home run. Mark DeRosa also had a home run again, showing some surprising consistency. I know bench player is always a role that's hard to fill, and there's lots of candidates – I wonder if he'll return next year. He's been really solid whenever he's been used.
G142: Rangers lose again to the A's, 5-4 on Saturday
This was one of the windier nights I've been to at the ballpark in quite a long time. And thanks to Mr Hicks' quest for more money, the A's won the game tonight. I speak of course of the jet stream created by the Gold Club behind home plate. It most DEFINITELY gave Dan Johnson a grand slam in the second inning. He hit a ball to right that was admittedly well hit, but was NOT a home run off the bat. Watching Mench glide backwards and keep going was an "uh-oh" moment. In fact, I said that as soon as he hit the ball, and I was right. Wind assisted grand slam. Where have you gone, Tom Schieffer?
Anyway, other than that grand slam ball that shouldn't have been, I thought Kameron Loe was good. If you take away that hit, his record would have been 6.2IP with 7H and 1ER, but that's not how it played out. He gave up 8 hits and 5 earned runs. I felt he got ripped off by the conditions. His apparent appendage reliever CJ Wilson came on and finished the game, with 2.1IP and no hits, no runs. But we couldn't get it done against their pen. Witasik, Rincon, & Street didn't give up any runs. Oakland starter Joe Blanton did give up 4 though.
Our home run barrage continues unabated. We had three (Young – 1st, Dellucci – 3rd, Teixeira – 6th). I forget what the number is at the moment, but we've set a new team record for "home" home runs. At the rate we're going, we will pass the all time major league record. Fat lot of good that does. But remember, chicks dig the longball, and they'll come to the park and spend money in the Gold Club, right?
My wife said the other day I seem more sarcastic than usual lately. I don't see it, do you? ;)
G141: A's series starts with a loss Friday, 9-8
When the schedule was announced for this weekend's series, I was jazzed, as originally Barry Zito was to pitch on Saturday night against Kameron Loe, which was a game I had a ticket for, and wanted to see. However, Zito got switched to tonight's game. While Zito's numbers don't show dominance (4ER over 7IP), he looked good. His obscenely good curveball was in show tonight (8 strikeouts). Our only home run against Zito was by a guy whose play has changed my opinion on him, Mark DeRosa. In all, we only managed 5 hits off of Zito, but they were well placed, scoring 4 off of Mr. Teddy bear.
Juan Dominguez was not good. He only went 3.1IP, and gave up 7 hits, 8 runs (5ER), allowing three home runs. Erasmo Ramirez gave up the other run in his 2.2IP. Shouse & Karsay also pitched, not allowing anything.
We tried to make a charge late, scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth, capped by a three run bomb by Mark Teixeira, but it wasn't enough, and our race towards 500 continues in the wrong direction. Three games under now.
G140: Rangers lose to Twins 8-6
This game happened on the 7th, I'm writing this in the 15th, I don't remember much about this game, that's a danger when you let updates slide too long. :)
G139: Rangers homer their way to a win on Tuesday, 10-7
I watched the first five innings of this game. Things were good. Michael Young got a home run (barely) in the first inning, and then David Dellucci smacked a towering grand slam in the second. Life was feeling good. Kenny Rogers, however, wasn't crisp, and let the Twins creep back into the game. He gave up two runs in the second, and two more in both the fourth and fifth. That tied the game at 6-6 in the fifth inning. It was at this point I got called away for Daddy duties.
When I came back to the game, I saw we were down 7-6, and then I got bummed, and decided to help out my wife with baby stuff, and washed bottles. During my washing of the bottles, I peeked at the game, and it was at the top of the 9th now, and we were up 10-7. That was a surprise, so I backed up on the TiVo and watched the ninth. All I could think of when Tex mashed the home run off the second level facade of the Metrodome was, "Well, the grand slam wasn't totally wasted". It's always annoying when you hit a grand slam and lose.
But David Dellucci was the star here. He went two for 5 with 5 RBI's – four of which came on the grand slam. Adrian Gonzalez chipped in with two doubles. The best moment was probably when Michael Young singled in the top of the ninth against Joe Nathan (whom we seem to have a lot of success against) to tie the game. It was a two out (and I think two strike as well) hit, something Young is adept at executing.
John Wasdin was great out of the pen, going 2.1 innings, giving up no runs and no hits. Coco did the same in the 9th for his 31st save, only he got two strikeouts as well.
One game away from being back at .500 – feels like forever since we've been there.
You can view my full update for this game here, or you can leave a comment about this game below.
G138: Loe & Wilson shut out Twins on Monday, 7-0
Wow. Kameron Loe talked himself into the rotation a few starts ago, and boy has he delivered. Today he got his third win in a row in the rotation. He went 8 innings, giving up no runs on 5 hits, and one walk (plus 1 strikeout). He looked good. I watched him in Frisco when he was there, and told my wife at the time "This guy is going to be good, pay attention". Granted, it's still early, but he definitely has delivered on that promise I made to my wife two seasons ago. He looked great. If he can keep it going like this, he should be part of our rotation for 2006. His first three starts at least have earned him a spot for the rest of this season at least. CJ Wilson also followed up his streak of good performances by pitching a scoreless ninth to back up Loe. CJ certainly has rebounded after some horrendous starts earlier in the year.
Carlos Silva was let down by his defense. He gave up 6 runs, but only one of them was earned, so he pitched pretty well, too. Francisco Liriano, the uber pitching prospect made his major league debut in the 9th, and was greeted very rudely by Gary Matthews Jr who absolutely destroyed the fifth pitch into the last row of seats in left field. Homerdome, indeed. :) Other than that he looked good, but hard to get a feel based on one inning.
Nice to see a win, and we're close again to my revised goal for the season. At the start of the season, it was at least get the Wild Card. At the all Star break it was finish at least two games over .500, or at worst 500. I think those are reachable goals, if we keep playing the way we've been doing this past week.
You can view my full update for this game here, or you can leave a comment about this game below.
G137: Rangers destroyed in Royals series finale, 17-8
The less said about this one, the better.
You can view my full update for this game here, or you can leave a comment about this game below.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (WVLT) -- Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) says he now wants to wait until after President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) have had a chance to work out a fiscal reform package before he releases his own budget proposal.
In a statement released late last week, the recently re-elected Senator called on Congress to focus its "collective energy" on supporting the negotiations.
"Our office has spent the past year painstakingly drafting a fiscal reform package, but now is not the time for any of us, Republicans, Democrats, rump groups or gangs, to be publicly promoting our own plans," said Sen. Corker. "The entire Congress will be involved at some point, but right now the only two people who are likely to get a result by year's end are President Obama and Speaker Boehner."
In July, Corker said he'd developed a plan to reform taxes and balance the federal budget, but he's not planning to release details until after the election. He told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that his plan will both cut entitlement spending and raise more money.
Even though Corker said he intended to keep his "soup to nuts" plan private until after the presidential election is settled, he said he submitted a draft for review by congressional budget staff. The Chattanooga Republican said he thinks his proposal can provide a path to compromise between Republicans who want to cut spending and Democrats who want to raise taxes.
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One of the most significant and contentions elements of many contemporary ecclesial movements is the practice of stability. Among ecclesial communities that are proliferating in the West today there is a strong emphasis on rejecting the sort of transience and career-driven mobility that has become ubiquitous in our culture.
However, to many ears this sort of theological practice raises questions, particularly missional questions. If the church is to start practicing stability, rootedness, and understand itself in a way that gives particular and sustained priority to locality, how does this relate to the church's missional vocation? Is the church not always a community en via, a communion on its way? If we are a company of pilgrims is the commitment to stay in one place really fitting to the nature of our missional identity as the elect people of God?
I want to suggest that yes, in fact it is, or at least that the practice of geographical stability/longevity is a central part of the church's missional identity. The first thing to be noted here is that the upward mobility of the Western middle class has nothing whatsoever to do with the missional mandate of the Christian church. The idea that simply being free to pick up and leave whenever we want is somehow closer to the ideal of missionality that commitment to a particular location is simply silly.
More to the point however is the fact that stability, when understood theological is actually a missional practice, indeed, it is rightly understood as a practice of dispossession, of instability. The commitment to remain with a people in a specific place is not static, lethargic, or lazy, but rather indicates a form of agapeic surrender in which we attempt to give up control of our lives for the sake of the other to the end of the faithful worship of God.
In other words, the commitment of stability is at once koinonial and doxological in nature. All of this, however, is overtly missional. Indeed the idea that geographic longevity is somehow a sort of maintenance of our own domestic status quo is an idea that only occurs to Westerners who desire maximum control over the shape of their lives. Nearly every missionary that I have ever met or read about insist that the only true and viable form of missional encounter occurs through long-term proximity and communal solidarity.
In short, the practice of stability is not an attempt to refuse the call of mission, but rather the very embodiment of that call's acceptance. The practice of stability, far from being a mode of maintenance or control is the very act of allowing ourselves to be destabilized by the lingering presence of the other, of the neighbor. Stability names the very way in which we practice the instability and openness to the interruption that is the inbreaking of the kingdom of God.


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The DOM(E) is an appropriate off-grid home for locations as far afield as the Namibian desert and Siberia since the unique construction and insulation provides a comfortable interior climate regardless of outdoor temperatures. Entirely self-sufficient, it has a small solar rooftop system on the house that heats hot water and a rainwater capture system.
Related: Magical Dome House in Remote Thailand Constructed in Six Weeks for Just $8,000
The dome-shape allows for plenty of natural ventilation, plus the design calls for daily supplies of fresh air to enter four points within the structure, which is connected to an underground duct system. This provides both heating cooling in summer and winter, and stale air is channeled out of the tiny home. The interior is lined with birch plywood, giving the cozy abode a lovely, crisp finish.
Via Arch Daily
11 Comments
Koza Rohata December 1, 2014 at 12:31 am
where can i buy plans for the geodome
Kim Daves Taylor November 29, 2014 at 5:52 pm
Is this just a concept at this point or are these being manufactured? Some additional info would be stellar as I can see many interested parties…or maybe I'll just get this project going myself?
Doug Mill November 29, 2014 at 11:24 am
I contacted NRJA about the Dom(e) back in june and have heard nothing back from them. Are they real?
amazone4 November 29, 2014 at 11:12 am
I am a real estate developper, and I would be very interested to know more about the product, dimentions the construction kit if it is a kit and pricing.
Michel Beaulieu
ShranderX November 11, 2014 at 11:52 am
Very cool, writing could be better. Why would you bother heating hot water?
Carolina Arentsen Urria November 11, 2014 at 10:26 am
How much? Where to buy?
joan newman November 11, 2014 at 5:54 am
I want one
trulafloyd November 10, 2014 at 8:33 pm
Interested in purchasing one of these!
alhambhra October 10, 2014 at 3:52 pm
Where to get in. And more info & specs, pls? Thank u.
John Armstrong July 29, 2013 at 7:51 pm
time to get a ticket in tattslotto ?
psaunearth June 5, 2013 at 7:59 pm
Do these come in larger sizes?
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As construction workers prepare to punch through the Elwha and Condit dams in Washington state, the federal government is preparing to release a series of major environmental and economic studies on an even more dramatic plan to remove four dams on the Klamath River in Oregon and California.
The Department of the Interior reports it will release on Sept. 22 a draft Environmental Impact Statement and a crucial, detailed plan and cost estimate for several dam removal scenarios for the Klamath Basin.
The Klamath River is one of the most important habitats for salmon in the two-state area, providing runs for the imperiled chinook salmon, coho salmon and for steelhead trout. The river used to support the third largest salmon population on the West Coast, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The Department of the Interior's cost estimate will determine how much money the cash-strapped state of California has to come up with to keep the dam removal deal on track. The dams' owner, PacifiCorp, has secured $200 million to fund dam removal through a surcharge on rate payers in Oregon and California. The state of California has agreed to fund the remainder of the cost with a bond measure.
The decommissioning of the dams is part of a grand bargain between water users in the Klamath Basin that advocates hope will end decades of animosity and declining water quality in the basin.
In 2010, energy company PacifiCorp signed a legal settlement with farmers, tribes, fishermen and environmental groups, agreeing to pursue a good faith effort to remove four Upper Klamath dams. The dams were built without fish ladders and block migrating salmon from hundreds of miles of their natural habitat.
At the same time, tribes, fisherman and several environmental groups signed another settlement, linked to the first, agreeing to end lawsuits over irrigation diversions and water rights in the basin. They also agreed to implement a range of habitat restoration projects and water sharing measures.
"We think that instead of having these fish on the endangered species list, we'll have them in the smokehouse" says Craig Tucker, a spokesman for the Karuk Tribe, which signed the agreements. Tucker believes removing the dams will open up about 1200 miles of habitat in the main stem of the river and along tributaries in the upper Klamath Basin for anadromous fish. "It will give the fish more places to spawn, more places to rear, cleaner water, cooler water, and more dependable flows," Tucker says.
Signing the agreements, however, didn't finalize the deal.
In order to go into effect, the pair of settlements must be approved by the Secretary of the Interior and authorized and funded by Congress by March 2012. In the Senate, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley plans to introduce a bill that would authorize the restoration plan. But it's not clear how a bill would win approval in the House of Representatives, where several key Republicans oppose dam removal.
Several environmental groups, some farmers in the Klamath Basin and elected officials in Siskyou County in California also oppose the settlements. The environmental groups, including Water Watch and Oregon Wild, question the cost of the fulfilling the agreements and whether they will leave enough water in the Klamath River to improve salmon runs.
The fish model the Secretary of the Interior plans to release next week will suggest that removing the dams would significantly increase the returning chinook salmon population and allow for increases in tribal and recreational fishing, says Dennis Lynch, the program manager for the Klamath Secretarial determination.
A 60-day public comment period will follow the release of the Secretary's report.
Numerous studies used to develop the plan are available online.
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text:
LOFT Beach Tile Print Tankini Top
LOFT Beach Tile Print Tankini Top
$39 .99
Online Exclusive
 Sensationally sultry - and flaunting a tantalizing tile print - this chic corset inspired style is designed with contrast patterns, plus smart removable straps - for twice the styling options. Removable cups. Lined.
Style #327018
Hand Wash, Line Dry


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Older adults may become discouraged when their bodies begin to wear out. Family caregivers, too, could feel the effects of these ailments as more of the care begins to fall on them. Family caregivers can encourage their loved ones to seek help and support from pain, no matter what their age.
Q. I'm an 84-year-old widow who has bad hips and my doctor wants to replace them. I feel as though I'm too old for this, though, and I live alone, with no help. What do you suggest?
Listening to the doctor is always your best bet. But here's additional information that could help. According to researchers at Duke University, there is no age limit to the benefits of total hip replacement. What's more, those with osteoarthritis who undergo such a surgery are twice as likely as those who do not to show improvements in physical functioning and increased ability to care for themselves.
"We found that total hip arthroplasty improves everyday life for patients and is as beneficial to people in their 80s or 90s as it is for someone in their 60s," said Linda George, Ph.D., professor of Sociology and associate director of the Duke Center for the Study of Aging. "We know that hip replacements are relatively safe and reports have shown a very high rate of patient satisfaction due to reduced pain and increased range of motion," she added.
What's more, research even revealed a cost savings to the health-care system because reimbursement for the procedure – estimated to be $4,000 to $6,000 – is less costly than the long-term cost of health care for the disabled. Health economists estimate savings associated with a year of a disability-free life at approximately $50,000, including all related health-care costs incurred by disabled patients such as hospital stays, nursing homes and home health care.
Your own reluctance to undergo the procedure, however, is common. Even though there has been an increase in the number of such surgeries in the past 10 years, fewer than 25 percent of patients who could benefit from the procedure elect to receive it.
If you do decide to have the surgery, please ask your doctor about your rehabilitation options. There should be places in your area where you can go to convalesce until you are able to be at home on your own.
Or consider calling a home-care company such as Home Instead Senior Care®. The company, which provides CAREGiversSM to the homes of seniors to help with such tasks as meal preparation, medication reminders, errands and shopping, could provide additional assistance as you convalesce at home.
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Dolphins' Week 15 Playoff Scenarios
The Miami Dolphins head into Week 15 with a 7-6 record. Let's take a look at their playoff chances moving forward. Read More
NFL Playoff Picture Week 15: Patriots' Scenarios
The New England Patriots are 10-3. Find out their different playoff scenarios. Read More
NFL Playoff Picture Week 15: Chargers' Scenarios
The San Diego Chargers' playoff hopes took a slight hit with a Week 14 loss, but a win this weekend against the Denver Broncos could erase any bad thoughts about missing the postseason. Read More
Predicting Every Playoff Seed In AFC After Week 14
These six teams are likely to reach the postseason in the AFC after Week 14. Read More
Bengals Could Be On The Verge Of Missing Playoffs
The Cincinnati Bengals have a slight lead in the AFC North. But with a tough schedule ahead, they may see that lead disappear. Read More
NFL Playoff Picture Week 15: Chiefs' Scenarios
The Kansas City Chiefs' playoff hopes aren't nearly as dismal as their recent performances. Read More
NFL Playoff Picture Week 14: Texans' Scenarios
Here's a breakdown of the Houston Texans' playoff chances and various scenarios. Read More
Breaking Down Chiefs' Week 14 Playoff Scenarios
A breakdown of what the Kansas City Chiefs need to do in order to make the playoffs heading into Week 14. Read More
NFL Playoff Picture Week 14: Dolphins' Scenarios
The Miami Dolphins are in challenging for a Wild Card playoff spot in the AFC, but they should have their eye on winning the AFC East. Read More
Broncos' Week 14 Playoff Scenarios
The Denver Broncos have a one-game lead on the San Diego Chargers as they look to win their fourth straight AFC West crown. Read More
Breaking Down Playoff Scenarios For Chargers
There are many different outcomes that could make or break the San Diego Chargers playoff chances. These are the Week 14 scenarios that directly affect their playoff hopes. . Read More
NFL Playoff Picture Week 14: Browns' Scenarios
Cleveland still has a shot to make the postseason, but they'll need a whole lot of help in order to do so Read More


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I have posted an update on G+ about libArduino on Google+ but I have not mentioned lib430 yet. If you were observant, the clues were to be found in the SVN repository and the build instructions. Either way it's about time to officially tell you about lib430 and what it is. So here goes.
lib430 is not a library per se. It is a collection of libraries to cover all the most common areas. The one that is probably most interesting to anybody who is new to lib430 is libcomm which implements communication routines, both via hardware and software uart including SPI and I²C. The reason I am building it is because I would rather create proper building blocks before I start building stuff.
lib430 is licensed under a GNU GPL license, and is thus an open source project. What is important is that it remains a collection of modular and useful libraries, and as such it will hopefully grow to provide a reliable and efficient foundation for future MSP developers to build on.
How to get it.
Check it out from the Subversion repository:
$ svn checkout http://svn.noccy.com/mspdev mspdev
That part is simple enough. Once the checkout is done you can use the "svn update" command to keep it fresh.
How to build it.
The chef is ready to serve you a freshly compiled library to use. You need, however, first either…
- Attach your Launchpad to the computer via USB and wait for the device to be ready. This is so that our magical voodoo-induced Makefiles will be able to detect your microcontroller.
- Define the "MCU" environment variable. In bash you do that by either putting the variable before the command (f.ex. "MCU=msp430g2553 ./chef -b") or exporting it (f.ex. "export MCU=msp430g2553 && ./chef -m msp430g2553 -b".)
$ ./chef -m msp430g2553 -b == Cooking for: msp430g2553 == :: libair: Installing :: libarduino: Installing ...
The -b switch will tell the script to build the library for the specified mcu (-m mcu). You can also delete old libraries with the -d switch. -p to package it into a tar.gz file or -a descriptive-name to create a patch file that you can contribute to the project if you don't have write access to the Subversion repository.
How to use it.
If you have played with libraries in C earlier, you probably know this already. If not, I will introduce you gently into the beautiful world of libraries. First of all, libraries are nothing but archives (or compressed folders if you prefer) containing object files (.o). So, when you link with a library, you link with the object files in there.
As such, you can provide the library as an input file to the linker, or you can keep the files in a known location and use the -llib (lowercase "L")switch to link to the library. Both of these alternatives do require you to use the -Ipath (capital "i") option to specify the path where the include files can be found. If you have copied the include files and the library files (extension ".a") into your project, a simple -I. will suffice. Otherwise you need to provide the path to where they are located on your filesystem.
The -l (lowercase"L") alternative however requires you to provide yet another path, the location to where the library files can be found using the -Lpath argument. Without this the compiler won't be able to find the libraries much less link them. Also, you strip the "lib" part of the files when specified with -l, so as such "libfoo.a" becomes "-lfoo".
Making things easier for us are the makefiles that you can find in the skeleton folder. Copy the Makefile to your project folder, and modify the definitions appropriately:
# Source files and target binary, define your source files here to have them # compiled, and define the target basename. An .elf binary will be created as # well as a .hex file: SOURCES = main.c database.c config.c SOURCESA = TARGET = mspov include ../../skeleton/common.mk LIBS = -L../../lib430/$(MCU)/lib INCLUDES = -I../../lib430/$(MCU)/include LIBS += -lair
Take notice to the fact that the include statement is defined before the library definitions. This is because the MCU variable will be in the include, and it is needed to find the appropriate paths for the LIBS and INCLUDES variables.
Now you know how to set up the building. Now how to actually use it. The best way to figure that part out for now is by looking at the include files. Doxygen will eventually be used to automate documentation building. Either way, once the code is in place, just type "make" to build your project.
You can contribute by providing patches. These patches should be sent to the lib430 list at https://groups.google.com/group/lib430. SVN write access can be arranged for contributors.
More Information.
- Hyperlinked Markdown: lib430 README
- Supported Compilers: GCC
- Supported Microcontrollers: TI msp430 series
- Language: C (GNU)


text:
December 22, 2014
DALLAS (AP) - Police say a Dallas firefighter and a pickup driver were injured when the driver hit a ladder truck as officials worked the scene of an earlier accident on Central Expressway.
Police say the ladder truck was blocking an accident scene early New Year's Day when a pickup rear ended it. The firefighter and pickup driver were taken to the hospital.
The accident the firefighters were blocking involved an accused drunk driver striking a police car from behind on the shoulder of the road. An officer and female passenger in the police car weren't injured. The female passenger was in the police car after being abandoned on the road following a disturbance. The accused drunk driver was arrested.
Dallas Fire-Rescue did not release details of the firefighter's injuries.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Salinator fragilis living on a tidal mudflat in Tasmania
Last Updated: 15 June 2011
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Without Wikipedia, where can you get your facts?
Wikipedia has blacked out its English-language site for 24 hours. So how will its regular readers get information?
Work-averse students, corner-cutting journalists and people who simply enjoy wasting time online are in for a testing day.
Wikipedia, the user-generated internet encyclopaedia, has taken part in a temporary "blackout" in protest against the proposed US anti-piracy laws known as Sopa and Pipa. Users attempting to access the site see a black screen and a political statement: "Imagine a world without free knowledge."
It might be an inconvenience for those who rely on it - although for those with the wherewithal to turn off Javascript or access the site via Google cache, there are still ways into Wikipedia. But the blackout still acts as a reminder that there are plenty of other places to look for information.
Perhaps the most loyal Wikipedia addicts will find this a pleasant change. Alternatively, for those who have come to depend on it, the withdrawal symptoms might be excruciating.
Either way, the shutdown offers a rare insight into what the modern world would look like minus Wikipedia.Go to the library
Those feeling lost without Wikipedia can turn to that most traditional of research tools - the book.
How to get around the blackout
Students finishing essays, sports fans looking to settle an argument - or perhaps journalists wanting to check a fact - are going to be in trouble today. Wikipedia has gone black.
If you need to find out about other topics, try the mobile site - strangely, still working.
Or use one of Wikipedia's language sites and have Google Translate render it into English.
It's a habit they should get into more often, according to Andrew Orlowski, executive editor of technology news site The Register.
While he believes the internet's egalitarian ethos has been a positive force, Orlowski fears that it has also come at the expense of standards of scholarship and expertise normally required by editors of the printed word. "It encourages a kind of intellectual laziness," he adds.
The campaign to save libraries in the UK threatened by cuts might suggest they continue to occupy a unique place in the public affections, regardless of hi-tech competitors.
But for Dr Mark Graham of the Oxford Internet Institute, who has studied the Wikipedia phenomenon, they have some serious disadvantages compared with their online equivalents.
"For many people just getting to a library is hard, it's time-consuming, whereas you can consult Wikipedia anywhere, from your phone," he says. "It's open access, it's free."Pick up the phone
It's the time-honoured technique employed by fact-checkers, researchers and journalists. If in doubt, ring an expert and ask them.
Sopa and Pipa explained
The US bills are designed to block access to sites containing unauthorised copyright material.
Content owners and the US government would be given the power to request court orders to shut down sites associated with piracy.
Advertisers, payment processors and internet service providers would be forbidden from doing business with infringers based overseas.
Sopa also requires search engines to remove foreign infringing sites from their results, a provision absent in Pipa.
Orlowski believes it is a habit many regular Wikipedia readers could benefit from adopting. A university professor, for instance, will have attained their status though hard work and study, he says - Wikipedia editors, by contrast, only need a broadband connection.
But supporters of the site argue that it does not claim the same authority as peer-reviewed scholarship and should, instead, be seen as a starting point for research.
Moreover, Graham argues that Wikipedia's collaborative editing ensures mistakes are quickly corrected - a verdict backed up by a 2005 study by the journal Nature.
"It's hard to keep blatant falsehoods up for long because there are so many eyeballs on it," he says.Other websites
It might not be apparent from some of the more fevered coverage of the shutdown, but there is plenty of internet out there beyond Wikipedia.
As such, the site's rivals no doubt braced themselves for a surge in traffic.
Those looking a reference fix can turn to the online edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which claims to be the oldest such compendium still in print.
Online-only alternatives include Scholarpedia, whose entries are peer-reviewed by experts, Encyclopedia.com, and Citizendium, which was set up by Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger.
If all else fails, those who cannot cope without Wikipedia for 24 hours can familiarise themselves with Google cache.See for yourself
Wikipedia in figures
- Estimated 365 million readers worldwide
- Editions in 283 languages
- 20 million articles, 3.8 million of them in English
- 100,000 regular contributors
- Ranked as the sixth most popular website in the world
Source: Wikipedia
For the most dedicated browsers, it is perhaps the most radical solution of all - switch off your computer altogether and see the world for yourself.
Orlowski hopes this is a trend that catches on. While the internet has undoubtedly broadened the scope for sharing human knowledge, he argues, people have become accustomed to acquiring knowledge through their computer screens rather than first-hand.
"The primacy of direct experience has definitely been lost," he says. "People end up relying on other people's opinions."
Graham agrees that looking beyond Wikipedia's parameters is no bad thing. For instance, the site tells us a lot about the West but considerably less about Africa, he argues.
"Wikipedia does a great job of telling us what it knows about," he says. "But there are huge gaps."Use your memory
If all else fails, those struggling to come up with the name of the capital of Laos or the birthplace of Otis Redding can always try falling back on their powers of recall.
Or can they?
Orlowski suspects many dedicated web users have, like him, become too accustomed to the ease and convenience of search engines and online sources to depend on their memory.
"It's too late for that," he says ruefully. "It's like second nature now."


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Laughter is not a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is the best ending for one.Henry Ward Beecher
We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our own worst enemiesRoderick Thorp
Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.Francis Bacon
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Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one.Oscar Wilde
But you realize, love should ALWAYS start as friendship. If you can't be friends first, then love is USELESS. And I will be adamant about this fact. Lovers must be best friends. If you ask me, if you ask a married couple who their best friends are, and they reply someone OTHER than their spouse, their marriage will fail. Friends first. Always.Unknown
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Our very best friends have a tincture of jealousy even in their friendship; and when they hear us praised by others, will ascribe it to sinister and interested motives if they can.Charles Caleb Colton
You are not very good if you are not better than your best friends imagine you to beJohann Kaspar Lavater
Best friends are the siblings God forgot to give usUnknown


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Many times we feel reluctant to tide up a room because we know that this is one operation that will take a lot of time and energy. At the same time, it is very important to keep everything in order so that when you need an item, you will know exactly where to get it from. In the kitchen, more than in any other room, you need to know where things are, because cooking is not the time to start looking for stuff.
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