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Re: Re: Re: Romney Camp: Perry Wants to 'Dismantle' Social Security
September 21, 2011
Nicole Gelinas
Thanks, Andy — and youre right that the fraud prosecution as the remedy for a Ponzi scheme comes first, and that, therefore, my definition was incomplete.
Yet the fact that Ponzi schemes are so egregious that officialdoms only remedies are to a) shut them down immediately, b) as you note, prosecute and "incarcerate their designers, often for decades," and c) use the funds that the scheme collected to make partial restitution, suggests that the analogy between Social Security and a Ponzi scheme is in no way apt.
The solutions are part of the definition of the problem. Ive never heard of authorities trying to "reform" a Ponzi scheme. The fact that Social Security is salvageable with reform, then, is evidence that it is not a Ponzi scheme.
Further, another one of the hallmarks of a modern Ponzi scheme is that each victim of the scheme believes that his principal is held in a segregated, individual account, earning a return.
This belief was held by Bernie Madoffs victims, and is at the heart, too, of the new Full Tilt poker allegations. In reality, the Ponzi money is commingled with others money to pay off previous victims.
It is fraud that bridges the difference between the perception and the reality. And it is the outright fraud that constitutes the Ponzi scheme.
Social Security does not attempt to perpetrate a similar fraud, or any fraud at all. Everyone knows — or should know — that his funds are commingled with others funds. Social Security is not a collection of private investments whose principal generates individual income streams for the future. Social Security overtly redistributes money, with todays workers paying for todays elderly benefits.
And everyone knows — or should know by now — that the problem has a long-run mismatch between revenues and expenses.
Therefore . . . Social Security is not a Ponzi scheme. The public cannot be outraged at a perpetrated fraud, when no fraud has been perpetrated.
Social Security is a government program, and a popular one, that needs reform if it is to achieve its goal. In a Ponzi scheme, the only goal is to perpetuate the fraud to enrich its designers.
Original Source: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/277949/re-re-re-romney-camp-perry-wants-dismantle-social-security-nicole-gelinas
Pension Armageddon Stephen Eide, 06-29-15
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The Encyclical's Challenge Is To Climate-Change Activists, Not Skeptics Oren Cass, 06-19-15
Options For America's Affordable Housing Crunch Alex Armlovich, 06-19-15
New York City Would Be Better Off Without Rent Control Howard Husock, 06-18-15
Do Students Really Need Shakespeare In The 21st Century? Ben Boychuk, 06-18-15
Ditch Jackson, Keep Hamilton Charles Upton Sahm, 06-18-15
Pope Francis' Plan To Help The Poor Will Backfire Diana Furchtgott-Roth, 06-18-15
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Dangerous for ferrets: lethal for humans?
1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Vic 3010, Australia
2 Department of Immunology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
BMC Biology 2012, 10:10 doi:10.1186/1741-7007-10-10Published: 20 February 2012
First paragraph (this article has no abstract)
The influenza A viruses remain our most serious, known pandemic threat [1]. The possibility that a H5N1 high-pathogenicity avian influenza A virus (HPAI) could cross over to become established in humans has been a very real concern for more than a decade. As a consequence, it was big news at the recent Malta ESWI [2] meeting when Ron Fouchier from the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam announced that he had serially passaged an HPAI H5N1 virus in ferrets and achieved 'natural' ferret-to-ferret transmission. The first isolation ever (1933) of a human influenza A virus was in ferrets, and virologists generally regard these mustelids as the optimal model for most aspects of human influenza, including spread. It was not highlighted in Malta, but we learned later that Yoshi Kawaoka at the University of Wisconsin, Madison had similar findings, though he started with a virus that had been genetically modified in ways that might be expected to make it less virulent. It seems that others were also trying with reverse genetics approaches, but failed.

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Bollywood beauty Juhi Chawla was in Bangalore recently to wish her Premaloka co-star Crazy Star Ravichandran, who is launching his second son Manoranjan with Sandalwood's forthcoming movie Ranadheera. The actress visited Ravi's residence in Rajajinagar, Bangalore and spent time with the actor and his family. See the photos of Juhi Chawla's day out with Ravi's family...
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Manoranjan, Juhi Chawla And Ravichandran
In Photo: Crazy Prince Manoranjan, Bollywood Actress Juhi Chawla and Crazy Star Ravichandran.


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Ritchie Bros. to auction aggregate equipment, trucks in Orlando
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers will feature aggregate equipment and trucks at its unreserved public auction February 17-22 in Orlando, Florida.
Items for sale will include:
Screen plants
Jaw crushers
Impact crushers
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In addition to the auction, Ritchie Bros. will also offer ... Read More...
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Ritchie Bros. CEO Peter Blake to step down in 2014
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers announced Tuesday that the company's CEO, Peter Blake, will step down in May 2014, during the company's annual meeting.
Blake has worked with Ritchie Bros. for 22 years, serving as CEO for the last nine years.
Ritchie Bros. stated ... Read More...
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Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers President Rob Mackay to retire in October
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers has announced that President Rob Mackay will retire October 31, our sister site, Equipment World, reported.
Ritchie Bros. CEO Peter Blake said in a prepared statement that Mackay "took a role on the board of an agricultural equipment ... Read More...
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Ritchie Bros. to auction mining equipment in West Virginia
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers has scheduled an unreserved public auction at the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia, on May 22 at 9 a.m.
The auction will feature more than 150 pieces of mining and other heavy equipment items like wheel ... Read More...
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Ritchie Bros. sells more than $47 million in Houston auction
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers sold more than $47 million of heavy equipment and trucks during its two-day unreserved public auction in Houston, Texas, April 17-18.
More than 3,800 registered attendees bidded on more than 4,100 items, including more than 150 T/A truck ... Read More...
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Ritchie Bros. goes online with equipment in non-auction sector
Vancouver, B.C.-based Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers has gone online with its equipment sales.
Already a major player in equipment sales as the world's largest seller of used industrial equipment as an auctioneer, the company on Jan. 22 announced the initial release Ritchie ... Read More...
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Ritchie Bros. mining and earthmoving equipment auction set for Sept. 27
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers plans to conduct a massive mining and earthmoving equipment auction on Sept. 27, 2012 during the company's grand opening auction at its new permanent auction site in Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
More than 180 pieces of mining and earthmoving equipment ... Read More...
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- PHOTOS: Reclamation photo contest entries showcase post-mining opportunities606 Views
- Loader operator dies after sand avalanche at Massachusetts sand and gravel company428 Views
- Location is key for Dolese Bros. Co.'s Davis Quarry426 Views
- A total of 27 states have sued the Obama administration over the new EPA water rule388 Views
- Fireworks are being blamed for a fire at a Montana quarry364 Views


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One of the most original films of the year is in theaters now. It's called "Looper," and - believe it or not - I'll give you everything you need to know about this sci-fi thriller without any spoilers. Most of what I'll tell you about this exciting new film is revealed within the first act.
HINESVILLE: Liberty Stadium Cinemas
The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge will celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week with its annual Okefenokee Festival from noon-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13.
The Long County Fatherhood Walk-A-Thon on Friday in Ludowici drew plenty of dads and even a few moms. About 70 people - including Rep. Al Williams, D-Midway - gathered for the event, which was conducted by the Long County Head Start program.
Faith Baptist Christian Academy freshman Andrew Maynard is willing to take on whatever service is asked of him, from cleaning restrooms to cutting the lawn at his school.
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You might feel compelled to get involved on the "right side" of a seemingly unfair fight. But appearances can be deceptive. Get the facts before going forth into the fray.
Downtown Hinesville came alive Saturday night with the sights, sounds and smells of the ninth annual Blues & BBQ. Several live musical acts kept patrons rocking as they enjoyed smoked Boston butt, chicken and ribs; participated in barbecue and sweet-tea contests; decorated the festival grounds with sidewalk chalk; and mingled with neighbors and friends.
NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. births fell for the fourth year in a row, the government reported Wednesday, with experts calling it more proof that the weak economy has continued to dampen enthusiasm for having children.
We began our celebration of Good Neighbors on Friday, with National Good Neighbor Day. At Keep Liberty Beautiful, we know there are lots of traits that make for good neighbors. I have been lucky most of my life to have had not only good neighbors, but wonderful neighbors who became extensions of our family.
From stilettos to squash sales and cotton candy, Thursday-night events in downtown Hinesville are aimed at drawing attention to a critical issue.
WASHINGTON - Airline passengers can expect fewer carriers to choose from, fewer flights to smaller cities and more baggage and other fees as the industry continues to grapple with high fuel prices and a weak economy, according to a government report released Tuesday.
An old-fashioned entertainment venue is celebrating a modern advancement as the Jesup Drive-In Theater invites viewers to check out its digital projector.
Most of you likely have watched "Training Day," which starred Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke as mentor and rookie cops, respectively, who go on a gritty ride through LA's streets. It has become one of the most memorable cop movies of all time.
The smoky aroma of pit-cooked barbecue and the mournful sounds of wailing guitars will fill the downtown-Hinesville air Saturday.
The Kiwanis Club of Liberty County has fewer than 15 members, but its collective community service has a lasting effect.
Bobby Batson of Richmond Hill will be on the TV show "700 Club" on Tuesday to promote his upcoming movie, "90 Minutes in Heaven".
Liberty County native and musician Dakota Woods will play at 6 p.m. Sunday at Johnny Harris Restaurant on Victory Drive in Savannah as part of the Savannah Songwriter Series.
The Hinesville Downtown Development Authority recently had a food drive for the Manna House.
Every state has "cowboy toilet paper" growing somewhere in it.
Dr. Peter Martin loves animals.
In Chatham County, just outside Bloomingdale off Highway 204, there is a property with an old house, horse stables, an arena and a barn.
Daisy Jones, the city of Hinesville's Homeless Prevention Program coordinator, walked from table to table, ensuring each vendor was prepared before opening the doors of Bradwell Institute's gymnasium at noon June 6.
It started with the scanning of some old photos for safe keeping.
Last weekend's two-day radio-controlled air show in Liberty County raised more than $1,000 to support Bryan County-based Family Promise.
Clifton and Linda DeLoach recently donated a truckload of Vidalia onions to the Long County 4-H Club to be sold to as a fundraiser. DeLoach, who is a Long County commissioner, said the club is always doing good deeds for the county, and he and his wife's annual donation of onions is a small way they help support the club.
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Retiree Health Benefits At the Crossroads
This issue brief reviews recent trends and developments in employer-sponsored retiree health coverage and examines the impact of recent legislation, such as the Medicare drug benefit and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on retiree health coverage. The report describes leading strategies employers have been pursuing or considering to limit costs for retiree health benefits. In addition, the report considers the potential implications of proposals aimed at reducing federal spending for retiree health coverage and costs.Report Read More
Visualizing Health Policy: Recent Trends in Employer-Sponsored Insurance
This Visualizing Health Policy infographic takes a look at recent trends in employer-sponsored insurance, including average premium increases for workers with family coverage, the average yearly cost of premiums for single and family coverage and how those costs have increased in the past decade, along with the prevalence of health…Infographic Read More
Web Briefing for Journalists: How ACA's Employer Requirements and Related Provisions Affect Businesses and Workers
A major piece of the Affordable Care Act will first take effect January 1 when larger employers will be required to offer coverage to their workers or face penalties. How do the penalties work and how are they being phased in? To help reporters understand and cover these issues, the Kaiser Family Foundation held a web briefing exclusively for journalists.Event Read More
Web Briefing for Media: 2014 Kaiser/HRET Employer Health Benefits Survey
On Wednesday, September 10, 2014, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) held a reporters-only web briefing to release the 2014 Employer Health Benefits Survey.Event Read More
Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: January 2015
The latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds though few Americans are paying attention to the pending Supreme Court case over whether the health care law says that people in all states can get financial help to buy health insurance, most say they would want Congress and their state to act to fix potential gaps should the Supreme Court rule in favor of the plaintiffs. With a new Republican majority controlling both Houses of Congress, the public remains divided on what they would like Congress to do next with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) overall. About a third (32%) say they favor repeal, another 14 percent would like the law scaled back, 19 percent want the law to move forward as is, and nearly a quarter (23%) would like to see the law expanded.Poll Finding Read More
Ask the Experts About Reform: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Headed?
The Alliance for Health Reform and Eli Lilly co-sponsored this briefing to have an expanded panel of prominent experts answer questions about the current health reform efforts. Questions addressed include: What is the status of major reform bills? How do they differ from each other, and from the plan that…Event Read More
Workplace Wellness Programs, Healthy Behaviors and Health Reform
Many large employers offer financial incentives to their employees to exercise regularly, improve their diets, lose weight and quit smoking. Health reform proposals would write some of these incentives into law. But some patient advocates say that, depending on how the incentives are structured, they can make coverage more expensive…Event Read More
Tax Subsidies for Private Health Insurance
This brief describes the different forms of tax assistance for private health insurance, including subsidies offered through the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces and benefits for people who are self-employed or who have employer-based coverage. The brief also provides examples of how the subsidies work and how the amounts may differ by income and type of coverage.Issue Brief Read More
2014 Employer Health Benefits Survey
This annual Employer Health Benefits Survey (EHBS) provides a detailed look at trends in employer-sponsored health coverage, including premiums, employee contributions, cost-sharing provisions, and other relevant information. The 2014 EHBS survey finds average family health premiums rose 3 percent in 2014, relatively modest growth by historical standards.Report Read More


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The first session of the 2015 Yoga Plus programme starts on May 16th – May 29th. We look forward to welcoming you this year – both regular and new guests.
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The first time I played this game I was REALLY very scared. The sounds, the art, the story, everything it's perfect for a short adventure Point n' Click. Please, Love you for this.
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BRADENTON, Fla. — Gaby Sanchez hit his team-leading fourth Grapefruit League home run as the Pirates rallied for a 4-3 win over the Red Sox at McKechnie Field on Monday afternoon. Trailing, 2-1, in the...Read More
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The 2TB versions of Samsung's SSD 850 Pro and SSD 850 Evo have suggested retail prices of $1,000 and $800, respectively. They are currently the highest-capacity solid-state drives on the market.
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Moving beyond California, the company is now test driving an autonomous vehicle in Austin, where it will further try to learn how to safely navigate the roads.
Logitech's Driving Force Wireless for the PS3 may not be for hard-core racers, but what you give up in performance you get back in ease of use and set up.
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Though not the fastest on the market, the WD Elements' large capacity makes it an excellent deal considering its low price.
If you're confused by the distinction between these two Apple services, well, you're not alone.
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CNET editor Dong Ngo picks the best solid-state drives (SSDs) currently on the market.
On today's show we wrestle with the idea that a self-driving car may need to sacrifice your life over the lives of others, the future of VR, Taylor Swift and the state of streaming music, Mr. Robot and much, much more.
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Identical StrangersHachette Australia 2012; US$ 23.79
'Imagine a slightly different version of you walks across the room, looks you in the eye and says hello in your voice. You discover that she has the same birthday, the same allergies, the same tics and the same way of laughing. Looking at this person, you are able to gaze into your own eyes and see yourself from the outside. This identical individual... more...
Instant MomHarperCollins 2013; Not Available
"Some families are created in different ways but are still, in every way, a family." Writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding , Nia Vardalos firmly believed she was supposed to be a mom, but Mother Nature and modern medicine had put her in a headlock. So she made a choice that shocked friends, family, and even herself: with only fourteen hours'... more...
Instant MomHarperCollins 2013; US$ 17.99
"Some families are created in different ways but are still, in every way, a family." Writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding , Nia Vardalos firmly believed she was supposed to be a mom, but Mother Nature and modern medicine had put her in a headlock. So she made a choice that shocked friends, family, and even herself: with only fourteen hours'... more...
Raising Adopted ChildrenHarperCollins 2010; Not Available
In this completely revised and updated edition of Raising Adopted Children , Lois Melina, editor of Adopted Child newsletter and the mother of two children by adoption, draws on the latest research in psychology, sociology, and medicine to guide parents through all stages of their child's development. Melina addresses the pressing adoption issues... more...
Too Hurt to Stay: The True Story of a Troubled Boy?s Desperate Search for a Loving HomeHarperCollins Publishers 2012; Not Available
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Another Forgotten ChildHarperCollins Publishers 2012; Not Available
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Crying for Help: The Shocking True Story of a Damaged Girl with a Dark PastHarperCollins Publishers 2012; Not Available
The second book from Sunday Times bestselling author Casey Watson. Two weeks after saying farewell to her first foster child, Casey is asked to look after Sophia, a troubled 12-year-old with a sad past. Sophia?s actions are disturbing and provocative and, before long, Casey and her family find themselves in a dark and dangerous situation. more...
A Baby?s CryHarperCollins Publishers 2012; Not Available
What could cause a mother to believe that giving away her newborn baby is her only option? Cathy Glass is about to find out. From author of Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller Damaged comes a harrowing and moving memoir about tiny Harrison, left in Cathy?s care, and the potentially fatal family secret of his beginnings. more...
I Miss Mummy: The true story of a frightened young girl who is desperate to go homeHarperCollins Publishers 2010; Not Available
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Cut: The true story of an abandoned, abused little girl who was desperate to be part of a familyHarperCollins Publishers 2009; Not Available
Million-copy bestselling author Cathy Glass tells the story of Dawn, a sweet and seemingly well-balanced girl whose outward appearance masks a traumatic childhood of suffering at the hands of the very people who should have cared for her. more...


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Mike added a post in a topic Would you be happy with the Kaminsky pick if...The issue I have with Kaminsky is that he's not really a good fit next to Al Jefferson. He's not athletic. He's not a rim protector, and on the whole he isn't impressive on the defensive side. The positive is he can shoot and potentially develop into a stretch-4, but unless he improves defensively, he could be a liability as a starter and ultimately become a role player off the bench.
Now maybe long term we will let Al Jefferson walk away, and then pursue an athletic center to replace him, and let Kaminsky develop into that Channing Frye type player. But to be honest, if we were going after a big, I would rather have drafted Myles Turner because he could have been a better fit next to Al. Though I suppose Kaminsky is more pro ready and likely to contribute in Clifford's rotation, whereas Turner is another raw prospect like Vonleh that may have been marginalised.
Overall, we need Kaminsky to become at least as good as Channing Frye. But arguably that might be a waste of a top ten pick, especially if Justice Winslow becomes a borderline star or better. Same with Turner.
Mike added a post in a topic Brow signs $145m extension with NolaAl signed after Davis and MKG's rookie seasons. So why would we not have gone for Al Jefferson in free agency?
They aren't the same type of player and actually would compliment each other quite well. Davis has led the league in shot blocking these past two seasons (something we've struggled with), has been pretty prolific as a scorer, and in general has been one of the best two way players in the league. For me, having him next to Al would help both players and would give us one of the best big man duos in the league.
I think Henderson in a line up with a star (Davis) and two very good players (Kemba and Al), would be a decent enough starter, and especially so if he became a more consistent 3pt shooter. All we'd need is to find a new SF and we could have acquired a steady starter in free agency, through a trade, or our own draft pick. Or we could have waited a year and made an attempt on a new free agent in free agency, and let's face it, a young star like Davis should easily be able to persuade one to come play on this team.
That said, this never happened so hey ho.
Mike added a post in a topic Brow signs $145m extension with NolaMakes you wonder how good this team would be right now if we had won the lottery that year and got Davis instead of MKG. Building around Kemba, Davis, and Al would have been our big three. Instead we got MKG in our "big three". Ah well, guess there's always next time...
Mike added a post in a topic Biz is a free agentI can't say I am surprised because the past two seasons under Clifford he doesn't seem to have been rated as more than a role player. He went from starting 74% in his first two seasons, to starting just 21%, and that was only boosted due to injury problems last season. And likewise his minutes diminished under Clifford. In his first season he averaged 23.1 mins, that improved to 27.3 mins in his second season and he showed steady improvement. Que Clifford (and Big Al), and those minutes fell to 13.9 mins in 2013-14, and while they increased to 19.4 in 2014-15, that was arguably down to injuries and not more trust and/or desire to play him more.
For me, I think it is possible that Clifford (and perhaps Cho?) don't see Biyombo as a pivotal piece going forwards, and instead see him as an impact player off the bench. Maybe they'll try and sign him to a long term deal, or try and keep him on a cheaper one to two year deal, or simply let him walk. After all, they've acquired two big men this off season in Hawes and Kaminsky. That's two more players to added to a packed front court, so I suspect someone has to make way...
Mike added a post in a topic Official Frank Kaminsky Selection PollI don't hate the pick per se, rather the fact that we passed on Winslow who had top five talent. He could have easily developed into an excellent SG prospect. But the guy we got will do a steady job for us and should be able to contribute from day one.
Mike added a post in a topic Batum to Hornets, Hendo + Vonleh to PortlandOr we manage to replicate the Hawks star-less style of play and manage to have good players at each position. If we can manage that, then perhaps we can do more than getting swept in the first round.
Mike added a post in a topic Hornets Acquire Jeremy LambTalented young kid. Good acquisition for the team. Glad to see the team making moves to try and improve the team. Shame we've lost Vonleh, but Batum and Lamb are good additions.
Mike added a post in a topic Batum to Hornets, Hendo + Vonleh to PortlandI wonder how Henderson feels not long after opting in for the 15-16 season?
He could have picked anywhere he wanted to go, but chose to opt in and stay here. Then he gets traded. Be interested to see how he reacts and players in Portland.
Mike added a post in a topic Batum to Hornets, Hendo + Vonleh to PortlandThat could certainly be a possibility. Both athletic players that should be able to play as part of a small line up. Batum also gives us a clutch 3 point shooting to spread the court.
With Stephenson and Henderson gone, we're going to have to find a SG. Could be an indication we will target Hezonja (if he falls) or Booker in the draft, and perhaps if we have the cap space, Wes Matthews could be a good addition at SG.
Mike added a post in a topic Batum to Hornets, Hendo + Vonleh to PortlandPortland adding cover if Aldridge walks away?
I know that Vonleh isn't ready to take over that starting burden, but he's talented and got a relatively high ceiling to be a good starter if given a chance to develop.
As for us, Batum is a solid small forward. Not sure what this means for MKG going forwards, one of them is going to have to drop to the bench. But it gives us good depth at that position.
Mike added a post in a topic Stanley Johnson refuses to workout for HornetsThe issue with us is that he's going to be stuck behind MKG, and perhaps after seeing how Vonleh was marginalised last season, he might not want to come to a team that is not going to start him and give him a lot of minutes?
I agree that he shouldn't burn bridges, but some players want to try and control where they go, and I'm not surprised if Johnson doesn't want to come here. And to be honest, I think our sights should be set on a SG like Hezonja or Booker, or a big like Turner or Cauley Stein.
Mike added a post in a topic Zeller being shopped, Kaminsky the target at 9.I wouldn't be against trading Zeller if we could pull decent value for him in return. He doesn't really do any one thing well, and unless he steps up his defense and develops a three point shot, he's nothing more than a role player. I'd rather give Vonleh more minutes off the bench, and find a new starting PF.
As for Kaminsky he should be a solid player. But he's not very athletic and defensively he's only ok at best. For me, if we are to pair a new starter with Jefferson then we need to find an athletic rim protector, who can reel in the rebounds. That would help Al on the defensive side because last season he did seem to have slowed down and taken a step back. If we can get him someone like WCS or Myles Turner, or land someone in a trade or through free agency of that style, then that would be better than Kaminsky.
I think that honor goes to the Sacramento Kings.
Mike added a post in a topic Kevin Love anyone?I'm not sure Kevin Love would come here, but if he did, would pairing him and Al Jefferson be a good fit for one another?
For me, if he leaves Cleveland I think the Celtics or Lakers could be the landing spot for him. Imagine if the Lakers pull off a trade for Demarcus Cousins (eg #2 and Randle for DMC) and Love signs for them. Suddenly they have Clarkson, Kobe, Love, and Cousins as 4/5ths of their starting line up. All they'd need is to find a SF and their starting line up could be pretty competitive next season if they stay healthy.
Mike added a post in a topic Drafting PF makes the most sense...To be honest, I think you're right that there will be at least one worth wing prospect available when we are on the clock. I've recently seen Stanley Johnson fall to #11, Trey Lyles up to #8, and WCS up to #9 in a mock draft (nbadraft.net). For me, if Stanley Johnson is available at #9 then I'd hope that we would draft him because he would be the BPA, same way if someone like Hezonja or Winslow took an unexpected tumble. But outside of them, are wings like Booker, Oubre, and Dekker the BPA at #9 if the top eight is the same as what I posted last time?
I'm not sure. Dekker is a solid all round prospect that is pretty much NBA ready. Whereas Oubre is raw, but has a ton of potential. And Booker is somewhere inbetween. All three fit a need, but an argument could be made that the likes of Trey Lyles, WCS, or even Turner is the next best player available.
I feel that this team is built in a similar fashion to the Grizzlies. We are based on defense, and while extra scoring is required, I wouldn't be surprised if they did draft another big. And to be honest, I wouldn't consider it negative either because someone like WCS could develop into an excellent center. I appreciate we have Biyombo, but his offense is extremely limited averaging a handful of points, whereas I could see WCS developing his shot and play making ability to perhaps get double digit points. I'd probably say if we went for another PF it might be overkill, but Lyles is a decent stretch four prospect that could help us immediately, whereas the jury is still out on Zeller, and Vonleh is still very raw.
Personally I hope that one of Stanley Johnson, Justice Winslow, or Mario Hezonja fall to us at #9. If they aren't available, I'd be happy with us taking a chance on Booker or Oubre. Though I can't help but see how WCS or even Lyle could help us.
Mike added a post in a topic Drafting PF makes the most sense...The majority of mocks I've read have a draft order something like:
1. Towns, 2. Okafor, 3. Russell, 4. Mudiay, 5. Winslow, 6. Porzingis, 7. Hezonja, 8. Johnson
That leaves the following players who tend to come next in many different orders:
- PG: Cameron Payne
- SG: Devin Booker
- SF: Sam Dekker, Kelly Oubre
- PF: Trey Lyles, Bobby Portis
- C: Willie Cauley-Stein, Myles Turner, Frank Kaminsky
I'd love to see us draft WCS. He's very athletic, and a decent shot blocker and rebounder. At worst he should be able to develop into a Dalembert type player, if not reach an even higher ceiling than that. He may always be more limited offensively, but he'd give us an excellent center prospect to build around, and we could even move Al Jefferson to PF.
The alternative would be to add Kelly Oubre, Sam Dekker, or Devin Booker to give us more shooting. Someone like Booker could develop into an excellent starter at SG, letting us move Henderson to sixth man, and trade Stephenson. Though Oubre is an intriguing player, very athletic, decent shooter, and has the talent to be a starter.
I'd be happy pick from WCS, Booker, Oubre or Dekker.


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County district makes strides, monitor says
Staffing, student discipline areas of concern, judge told
Posted: June 9, 2014 at 5 a.m.
The Pulaski County Special School District is close to complying with some parts of its desegregation plan, but falls short in others, Desegregation Monitor Margie Powell said in a new report to a federal judge.
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Olmert's network of cronyism goes beyond Holyland
The former PM's conviction for bribery last week opened a Pandora's box of connections he has had with major players in Israel's business sector.
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In 2002, at the height of one of the most serious economic crises in Israeli history, the governor of the Bank of Israel, David Klein, managed to create anxiety in the country's banking system. A carelessly phrased answer to a reporter sent a warning that an Israeli bank might collapse. Klein...
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Q#58-04 Page A ORDINANCE NO. 58-04 AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF JUPITER, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE TOWN OF JUPITER, CHAPTER 26, ENTITLED "VEGETATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION", ARTICLE Ill, DIVISION 2, SECTION 26-76 TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVES TO THE FENCING OF PRESERVE AREAS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF LAWS IN CONFLICT; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the Tawn of Jupiter (the "Town") has adopted a comprehensive plan which has been determined by the Department of Community Affairs to be in compliance with Chapter 163, Part II, Florida Statutes; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 163.3202(2), Florida Statutes, municipalities are required to adopt land development regulations to implement their adopted comprehensive plans; and WHEREAS, the Conservation Element of the Town's Comprehensive Plan, through Objective 1.1 and 1 5 and their implementing policies, requires the protection of environmentally sensitive lands and all native ecological communities within the Town; and WHEREAS, the Town's Planning and Zoning Commission has reviewed the proposed amendments to Chapter 26 of the Town's Code and has made its recommendations to the Town Council; and WHEREAS, the Town Council, after due notice and public hearings, deems it to be in the best interest of the public safety, health and general welfare to amend certain provisions of Chapter 26 of the Town Code entitled "Vegetation and Environmental Preservation" NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained by the Town Council of the Tawn of Jupiter, Florida . 0#58-04 Page B that: Section 1 . The whereas clauses a re i ncorporated h erein a s true a nd correct a nd a s findings of the Town Council. Section 2. Chapter 26, Article Ill, Division 2, Section 26-76 of the Code of Ordinances of the Town of Jupiter, is hereby amended as follows: Section 26-76. Preserve Areas. The following minimum requirements shall apply to preserve areas, whether native upland vegetation or environmentally sensitive lands: (7) Management Plan a. A management plan for all designated preserve areas shall be prepared and shall include appropriate provisions for exotic species control, fire management, off-road vehicle control, and fencing or other suitable boundary markers. Section 3. Severability If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this Ordinance is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct and independent provision and such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions thereof. Section 4. Repeal of Laws in Conflict. All Ordinances or parts of Ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repeated to the extent of such conflict Section 5. Codification. The Sections of the Ordinance may be renumbered or relettered to accomplish such, and the word "Ordinance" may be changed to "section", "article", or any other appropriate word 0#58-04 Page C Section 6. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon adoption K:\StaflWP51Wrnendtowncode\Veg&EnvPres\Ord 58-04\0rd#58-04 First doc September 29, 2004
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OK, so there is serious hackage going on across 2.7.1 2.8 maybe more.
If you see this code added to ANY of your files you have been hacked!
<? /**/eval(base64_decode... /> (this is just the start of the code)
I wonder if the wordpress crew is aware of this major issue?


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Do you need to present you iPad app really fast and don't have time to make custom landing/teasing/product page? Well, I've made really simple free PSD template just for this occasion. There is only rotated render of iPad, short description and download button.
I tried to sell this template on Creative Market but it wasn't so popular like my other template so I decided to offer it for free!
There is a Flipboard app placed for example, but you can easily change it to your app by replacing texts, icon/logo and app screen in smart objects. There are both white and black iPads in the PSD and 3 different backgrounds from Subtle Patterns. Lato font is in the zip too...
... and don't forget to visit my Creative Market shop if you are looking for some more stuff :)
More Ales Nesetril
keyboard shortcuts: ← previous shot → next shot L or F like Z toggle zoom


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By CNN Philippines Staff
A motorboat carrying at least 204 people capsized shortly after leaving Ormoc port, Leyte at 12 p.m. on Thursday (July 2). Police have filed multiple murder raps against the ferry's owner, captain and crew.
By Alex Ho, CNN Philippines
Senior Supt. Elmer Jamias was both lionized and demonized. But who is this tough cop who stood his ground — and kept his calm — in a faceoff with
the second most powerful man in the country?
By Steve Almasy, CNN
A guide at South Africa's most famous national park survived a leopard attack on Thursday afternoon (July 2) after a tourist scared the animal away with his car, Kruger National Park said.
CNN Philippines eats: Dine and dessert at Cab Cafe
#Throwback: Remember the cassette tape?
Nina Beltran: Giving away stuffed toys and hugs
Ricky Lee: Writing as a tool to change the world
Today is Kid Peña's first day in office as acting mayor. In this report, we find out what things Peña prioritized and how the people of Makati accepted the transition.
How important are political parties in the success of a candidate's campaign? Will they be able to secure the youth vote?
Filipino culture gives emphasis to respecting the elderly, and Mike Medenceles took it upon himself to help the forgotten elderly get back on their feet. This is his story.


text: Snow in Starkville's Serengeti! Bill Poe transformed his backyard into the "Serengeti Outback" last summer with local artist Eric Abbott painting the wall mural and landscaper Mark Bullman creating scenes reminiscent of Poe's trip to East Africa's Serengeti. The other wall mural shows giraffes, zebras and wildebeest.View more articles in:


text: The skatepark at House of Vans, nestled in the arches underneath Waterloo station, is a brilliant free space just a short walk from Southbank. The park itself has a great bowl for more experienced rider, with extensions and door gaps. Then a concrete mini ramp, again with a variety of extensions. Finally a small street style section, with a hub ledge, ledge with steep bank and a great unique wavy bank.


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Why did you choose to attend Morrisville?
"I chose Morrisville because of the size and the breath-taking country atmosphere. The class sizes are small, the professors are very kind and caring, and the students are all very friendly. It is like a small community and I love it here!"
Accounting A.A.S.
Course DescriptionIntermediate Algebra w Trig
Topics include: Exponents, roots, and radicals; Functions and their graphs; Solving and graphing quadratic equations and applications; Solving radical equations; Equations in quadratic form; General angle trigonometry; Solving systems of linear equations in two or three variables and applications. (TI-83 plus or TI-84 plus required. TI-Nspire or similar calculator is not allowed.) Prerequisite: MAGN 101 (C or better required) or equivalent 3 credits (3 lecture hours), fall or spring semester These credits count toward the Math and/or Science (List B) requirements for graduation. Students who successfully complete MATH 102 will fulfill the SUNY General Education requirement for Mathematics.


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Nueces County: Robstown minor league baseball team owes $24K
If Thunder don't pay, commissioners will be looking for new tenant
CORPUS CHRISTI - The gates to Fairgrounds Field in Robstown are locked in a last-ditch effort by Nueces County to collect $24,000 in unpaid rent from a minor league baseball team.
If the Coastal Bend Thunder doesn't pay by Jan. 15, a one-year contract renewal will be terminated and the county will look for another tenant, county commissioners decided Wednesday.
A phone number listed for the Coastal Bend Thunder was out of service Wednesday.
Commissioner Oscar Ortiz, whose precinct includes the baseball field, said the county has tried for weeks to contact the team to settle the unpaid bill. The Thunder, which is five months behind rent and in its offseason, is unable to use the field until it pays the county.
This is not the first time the county has taken action to collect rent from a minor league team renting the field. Earlier this year, the county reached a $100,000 settlement agreement with the owner of the first baseball team to use the field, the Coastal Bend Aviators.
Team owner Horn Chen agreed to pay the amount, putting to rest a two-year dispute with the county over the team's unpaid rent. Chen owned the team until 2007. The team pulled out of its contract and the county filed a lawsuit to collect $115,000 in unpaid rent and charges for repairs. The county settled at its bottom limit.
County Judge Loyd Neal said the Robstown venue is a tough place for a minor league to make money, but it can be done.
"They have to be able to attract a following," he said. "The last couple of teams have just not spent the money on advertising and developing a fan base. Baseball is a family sport, and they're going to have to aggressively to promote those things or there's not going to be any of those teams."
Neal and Ortiz said they would like to see the Thunder continue, but the county may have to look at other options for leasing the field.
"We'll see how things shake out and maybe we'll get a phone call," Ortiz said.
The Thunder is a member of United League Baseball. It played the last game of its second season in August and is under a year contract with the county that expires Dec. 31. The Thunder is the third team to play in Robstown. The first was the Aviators and the second was the Corpus Christi Beach Dawgs.
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Katy Perry's chicken once caused a bomb threat at her tour last year.
Katy Perry's chicken once caused a bomb threat.
The 'One That Got Away' hitmaker was reduced to tears when there was a bomb scare while she was on tour last year, but police eventually discovered the source of the sniffer dogs' interest was actually some chicken left in a backpack near Katy's dressing room.
She told Interview magazine: ''Right before I was supposed to go on stage there was a bomb threat. You know those bomb-sniffing dogs? They were everywhere.
''They started sniffing a backpack near my dressing room. Well, they had to put me in an armoured car, and I started crying at one point ... but we found out at the end that it was chicken the dogs were sniffing.''
However, this isn't the first time Katy - who split from husband Russell Brand in December - has feared being bombed.
The 27-year-old star had a strict Christian upbringing and has previously admitted her pastor parents Keith and Mary Hudson banned her from reading any book other than the Bible and wouldn't let her listen to non-religious music, and she was always scared she would be ''bombed'' if she went against their wishes.
Katy recently said: ''I didn't have a childhood. Growing up, seeing Planned Parenthood, it was considered like the abortion Clinic.
''I was always scared I was going to get bombed when I was there. I didn't know it was more than that, that it was for women and their needs. I didn't have insurance, so I went there and I learned about birth control.''


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Pushing your enterprise cluster solution to deliver the highest performance at the lowest cost is key in architecting scale-out datacenters. Administrators must expand their storage to keep pace with their compute power as capacity and processing demands grow.
safijidsjfijdsifjiodsjfiosjdifdsoijfdsoijfsfkdsjifodsjiof dfisojfidosj iojfsdiojofodisjfoisdjfiodsj ofijds fds foids gfd gfd gfd gfd gfd gfd gfd gfd gfd gfdg dfg gfdgfdg fd gfd gdf gfd gdfgdf g gfd gdfg dfgfdg fdgfdgBeyond price and capacity, storage resources must also deliver enough bandwidth to support these growing demands. Without enough I/O bandwidth, connected servers and users can bottleneck, requiring sophisticated storage tuning to maintain reasonable performance. By using direct attached storage (DAS) server architectures, IT administrators can
Beyond price and capacity, storage resources must also deliver enough bandwidth to support these growing demands. Without enough I/O bandwidth, connected servers and users can bottleneck, requiring sophisticated storage tuning to maintain reasonable performance. By using direct attached storage (DAS) server architectures, IT administrators can reduce the complexities and performance latencies associated with storage area networks (SANs). Now, with LSI 12Gb/s SAS or MegaRAID® technology, or both, connected to 12Gb/s SAS expander-based storage enclosures, administrators can leverage the DataBolt™ technology to clear I/O bandwidth bottlenecks. The result: better overall resource utilization, while preserving legacy drive investments. Typically a slower end device would step down the entire 12Gb/s SAS storage subsystem to 6Gb/s SAS speeds. How does Databolt technology overcome this? Well, without diving too deep into the nuts and bolts, intelligence in the expander buffers data and then transfers it out to the drives at 6Gb/s speeds in order to match the bandwidth between faster hosts and slower SAS or SATA devices.
So for this demonstration at AIS, we are showcasing two Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) servers. Each server houses the newly shipping MegaRAID 9361-8i 12Gb/s SAS RAID controller connected to a drive enclosure featuring a 12Gb/s SAS expander and 32 6Gb/s SAS hard drives. One has a DataBolt-enabled configuration, while the other is disabled.
For the benchmarks, we ran DFSIO, which simulates MapReduce workloads and is typically used to detect performance network bottlenecks and tune hardware configurations as well as overall I/O performance.
The primary goal of the DFSIO benchmarks is to saturate storage arrays with random read workloads in order to ensure maximum performance of a cluster configuration. Our tests resulted in MapReduce Jobs completing faster in 12Gb/s mode, and overall throughput increased by 25%.
Tags: 12Gb/s SAS, 6Gb/s SAS, AIS, bandwidth, bottleneck, DAS, DataBolt, DFSO, direct attached storage, Hadoop, I/O, MapReduce, MegaRAID, SAS, SATA, Serial ATA, Serial Attached SCSI
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Many of you may have heard of a poem written by Robert Fulgham 25 years ago called "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." In it he provides such pearls of wisdom like "Play fair," "Clean up your own mess," "Don't take things that aren't yours" and "Flush." By now you're wondering what any of this has to do with storage technology. Well the #1 item on the kindergarten knowledge list is "Share Everything." And from my perspective that includes DAS (direct-attached storage).
Sharable DAS has been a primary topic of discussion at this year's annual LSI Accelerating Innovation Summit (AIS). During one keynote session I proposed a continuum of data sharing, spanning from traditional server-based DAS to traditional external NAS and SAN with multiple points in between – including external DAS, simple pooled storage, advanced pooled storage, shared storage and HA (high-availability) shared storage. Each step along the continuum adds incremental features and value, giving datacenter architects the latitude to choose – and pay for – only the level of sharing absolutely required, and no more. This level of choice is being very warmly received by the market as storage requirements vary widely among Web-cloud, private cloud, traditional enterprise, and SMB configurations and applications.
Sharable DAS pools storage for operational benefits and efficiencies
Sharable DAS, with its inherent storage resource pooling, offers a number of operational benefits and efficiencies when applied at the rack level:
LSI rolls out proof-of-concept Rack Scale architecture using sharable DAS
In addition to just talking about sharable DAS at AIS, we also rolled out a proof-of-concept Rack Scale architecture employing sharable DAS. In it we configured 20 servers with 12Gb/s SAS RAID controllers, a prototype 40-port 12Gb/s SAS switch (that's 160 12Gb/s SAS lanes) and 10 JBODs with 12Gb/s SAS for a total of 200 disk drives – all in a single rack. The drives were configured as a single storage resource pool with our media sharing (ability to spread volumes across multiple disk drives and aggregate disk drive bandwidth) and distributed RAID (ability to disperse data protection across multiple disk drives) features. This configuration pools the server storage into a single resource, delivering substantial, tangible performance and availability improvements, when compared to 20 stand-alone servers. In particular, the configuration:
I'm sure you'll agree with me that Rack Scale architecture with sharable DAS is clearly a major step forward in providing a wide range of storage solutions under a single architecture. This in turn provides a multitude of operational efficiencies and performance benefits, giving datacenter architects wide latitude to employ what is needed – and only what is needed.
Now that we've tackled the #1 item on the kindergarten learning list, maybe I'll set my sights on another item, like "Take a nap every afternoon."
Tags: 12Gb/s SAS, AIS, DAS, direct attached storage, rack scale architecture, RAID, sharable DAS
Views: (2031)
With the much anticipated launch of 12gb/s SAS MegaRAID and 12Gb/s SAS expanders featuring DataBolt™ SAS bandwidth-aggregation technologies, LSI is taking the bold step of moving beyond traditional IO performance benchmarks like IOMeter to benchmarks that simulate real-world workloads.
In order to fully illustrate the actual benefit many IT administrators can realize using 12Gb/s SAS MegaRAID products on their new server platforms, LSI is demonstrating application benchmarks on top of actual enterprise applications at AIS.
For our end-to-end 12Gb/s SAS MegaRAID demonstration, we chose Benchmark Factory® for Databases running on a MySQL Database. Benchmark Factor, a database performance testing tool that allows you to conduct database workload replay, industry-standard benchmark testing and scalability testing, uses real database application workloads such as TPC-C, TPC-E and TPC-H. We chose the TPC-H benchmark, a decision-support benchmark, because of its large streaming query profile. TPC-H shows the performance of decision support systems – which examine large volumes of data to simplify the analysis of information for business decisions – making it an excellent benchmark to showcase 12Gb/s SAS MegaRAID technology and its ability to maximize the bandwidth of PCIe 3.0 platforms, compared to 6Gb/s SAS.
The demo uses the latest Intel R2216GZ4GC servers based on the new Intel® Xeon® processor E5-2600 v2 product family to illustrate how 12Gb/s SAS MegaRAID solutions are needed to take advantage of the bandwidth capabilities of PCIe® 3.0 bus technology.
When the benchmarks are run side-by-side on the two platforms, you can quickly see how much faster data transfer rates are executed, and how much more efficiently the Intel servers handles data traffic. We used Quest Software's Spotlight® on MySQL tool to monitor and measure data traffic from end storage devices to the clients running the database queries. More importantly, the test also illustrates how many more user queries the 12Gb/s SAS-based system can handle before complete resource saturation – 60 percent more than 6Gb/s SAS in this demonstration.
What does this mean to IT administrators? Clearly, resourse utilization is much higher, improving total cost of ownership (TCO) with their database server. Or, conversley, 12Gb/s SAS can reduce cost per IO since fewer drives can be used with the server to deliver the same performance as the previous 6Gb/s SAS generation of storage infrastructure.
Tags: 12Gb/s SAS, 6Gb/s SAS, AIS, application performance, Benchmark Factory, database performance, DataBolt, enterprise, enterprise applications, MegaRAID, PCIe 3.0, TPC-C, TPC-E, TPC-H
Views: (1489)
Back in the 1990s, a new paradigm was forced into space exploration. NASA faced big cost cuts. But grand ambitions for missions to Mars were still on its mind. The problem was it couldn't dream and spend big. So the NASA mantra became "faster, better, cheaper." The idea was that the agency could slash costs while still carrying out a wide variety of programs and space missions. This led to some radical rethinks, and some fantastically successful programs that had very outside-the-box solutions. (Bouncing Mars landers anyone?)
That probably sounds familiar to any IT admin. And that spirit is alive at LSI's AIS – The Accelerating Innovation Summit, which is our annual congress of customers and industry pros, coming up Nov. 20-21 in San Jose. Like the people at Mission Control, they all want to make big things happen… without spending too much.
Take technology and line of business professionals. They need to speed up critical business applications. A lot. Or IT staff for enterprise and mobile networks, who must deliver more work to support the ever-growing number of users, devices and virtualized machines that depend on them. Or consider mega datacenter and cloud service providers, whose customers demand the highest levels of service, yet get that service for free. Or datacenter architects and managers, who need servers, storage and networks to run at ever-greater efficiency even as they grow capability exponentially.
(LSI has been working on many solutions to these problems, some of which I spoke about in this blog.)
It's all about moving data faster, better, and cheaper. If NASA could do it, we can too. In that vein, here's a look at some of the topics you can expect AIS to address around doing more work for fewer dollars:
And, I think you'll find some astounding products, demos, proof of concepts and future solutions in the showcase too – not just from LSI but from partners and fellow travelers in this industry. Hey – that's my favorite part. I can't wait to see people's reactions.
Since they rethought how to do business in 2002, NASA has embarked on nearly 60 Mars missions. Faster, better, cheaper. It can work here in IT too.
Tags: 12Gb/s SAS, AIS, big data analytics, cloud infrastructure, cloud services, datacenter, flash, flash memory, hyperscale datacenters, NAS, NASA, SAN, SDN, shareable DAS, software-defined networks, sub-20nm flash, triple-level cell flash, VDI, web 2.0
Views: (1173)


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Originally written on Fox Sports | Last updated 10/25/12
Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis had a well-known fascination with trying to acquire former first-round draft picks from other teams if they became available. According to New York Giants safety Stevie Brown, Brandon Meriweather's name can be added to a lengthy list. Brown sought answers after being cut by the Raiders in the 2011 preseason following a productive rookie campaign as a special-teams player and defensive reserve. From what he heard "through the grapevine," the late Davis had made the move while hoping to sign Meriweather as a free agent following his release by New England. Davis didn't get his man - and lost Brown in the process. Chicago outbid Oakland and Denver, among other interested Meriweather suitors, with a lofty one-year, $3.25 million contract offer. Brown was claimed off waivers by Carolina, released almost immediately afterward and then signed with Indianapolis two weeks later for the rest of the 2011 campaign. "I heard that Davis wanted to get Meriweathe...
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The Giant Beastcast: Episode 06
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Her Story is a bold and largely successful experiment in interactive crime fiction.
Rocksteady's gorgeous-looking third Arkham game refines its open-world format a bit and lets you drive a whole hell of a lot of Batmobile.
It's squid kids and ink blasting abound in Nintendo's exceptionally fun new online shooter.
Platform »
A boss fight is a culminating challenge that pits the player against one or more enemies representing a greater threat and/or difficulty than those previously faced. These scenarios typically feature unique antagonists.
A powerful release of energy. This energy is usually expelled in all directions very quickly, typically giving off orange or red flames.
The CP System is a family of arcade system hardware manufactured by Capcom for their arcade games from 1988 to 1999, including the Street Fighter II and Street Fighter III games.
A marketing term coined by Sega in 1992 to refer to the faster processing speeds of their Genesis console, suggesting it delivered a better experience than the competing SNES. The term is now primarily used to refer to Sega's advertising for the Genesis in the '90s, and sometimes other similar marketing campaigns.
These spooky entities are the spirits of the dead, returned from beyond their graves for generally sinister purposes. There's generally about even odds whether a particular ghost will be helpful or malevolent towards the living, but some ghosts just want to be left alone entirely.
Power Ups can be used to give the controlling character, or any other character, temporary or permanent upgrades.
Throwing weapons include knives, shurikens, axes, darts or even explosives such as grenades and molotov cocktails.
Slashing weapons are designed to cut and slice rather than causing blunt trauma. Examples include swords, axes, claws, naginatas, or even whips.
The continue is a classic gaming concept, and usually arises when the player "dies" or fails in the game. Usually some loss is tied to a continue, in a form of a "life" or something of other value.
A mode in the game, occasionally an unlockable, allowing players to listen to individual music tracks.
We all know that explosions will get you to buy a game. This is why you want stuff blowing up on your game cover!
The first subscription based video game serviced offered through your cable company.
Fascism is a controversial totalitarian, nationalistic political ideology. Within video games, various Fascist regimes are often portrayed as the enemy within the Second World War.
It's arguably the one move that symbolizes the medium to those outside it. The ability to jump, be it onto building, onto platforms, or onto skulls, is one of the all time most important abilities ever put in a video game.
Chiptunes are musical compositions that are synthesized by a computer or console sound chip.
Game Over originally appeared in pinball machines, and later, arcade machines. When players lose at a game, it is game over.
The concept of lives in video games evolved to let the player get a second chance after failing once. The most recognizable symbol is the heart.
A curtain of death raining from the sky. So many bullets at a time your eyes can't keep up.
Side-scrolling games present the world as viewed perpendicular to the direction the characters are facing on screen. With a heavy focus on lateral movement, objectives are often met by moving from one end of a stage to the other.
The Virtual Console is a platform service that first appeared on Nintendo's Wii and later on the 3DS and Wii U. Games from past consoles are emulated to run on the new hardware with the added benefits of system-level save states and other features.
In many games there is a ranking system, the players with the highest point value are listed in a "high score" table.
Games released coinciding with new hardware.
Levels that progress forward by themselves at a fixed rate.
Video game bosses are usually the main antagonist, and arch nemesis of the main protagonist. In most cases the end of a game is when the main character defeats the final boss.
Vertical scrolling is when the screen scrolls along the y-axis. In a vertical scrolling game the player usually starts from the bottom of the screen and moves up. They are also almost always presented in a top-down perspective.
Ghouls are carrion eating undead creatures that dwell in graveyards and other lonely places. The stench of death surrounds these vile abominations wherever they go. Some Ghouls have been known to paralyse their victims with their manky claws.
When fighting is no longer relegated to the ground, but can also take place in the air.
Resurrection is the act of being brought back to life. One must have already been living and have died in order to be able to be resurrected.
The wear and tear of a character's outfit as he or she receives damage. It can be done for realism, but often serves to titillate.
The concept of a helpless female character in desperate need of rescuing by a male protagonist, in most cases from a villain, or from a form of impending doom.
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What the world's richest are buying for cheap
What will your expenses in retirement be?
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Decades from now, economic historians will look back at this
period as the era of exceptionably low interest rates. Just as
people now shake their heads in disbelief of double-digit Treasury
yields and mortgage rates in the early 1980s, years from now people
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the U.S. government money at a fixed 1.5% for 10 years.
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text:
My plan is to use the intersect point:
and then create the ray from that point to the intersect point. Ive tried this:
public static Vector3 ScreenPositionToWorldPoint(Matrix View, Matrix Projection, Matrix World,IntVector2 MousePos) { Vector3 nearSource = new Vector3((float)MousePos.x, (float)MousePos.y, 0f); Vector3 nearPoint = gGlobal.Device.Viewport.Unproject(nearSource, Projection, View, World); return nearPoint; }
But the vector3 returned isn't the correct number. For instance, if the player is standing at 10,0,10 then that will return 9.999, 0.00123, 9.9999. Thats with the viewport being 800x600 and sending that as the mouse position.
Anyone have a clue how to do this or an alternate way?
Edited by Oblivion165, 16 October 2012 - 03:48 AM.


text: |An off-white pirate style shirt with lace up neckline, ruffled collar and cuffs. This is a unisex shirt and can be worn by either men or women. Available in one size: Adult Standard. Eyepatch, hat, and wig sold separately. Pants not included. Shirt may differ slightly from shown, it is more of a cream colored shirt with black laces.


text:
My company installs millwork and trim on commercial projects, some so large we might have to walk ¼ to ½ mile inside the building to reach the place where the work is to occur. And the work might be spread out over a large area, as was the case on a recent project where we trimmed a ¼-mile long corridor in a hospital.
At the beginning of the job I realized we'd have to set up our cut station multiple times or spend a lot of time walking back and forth from wherever it was. I didn't feel like wasting that kind of time so I built a mobile base for our miter saw stand from a sheet of plywood, some casters, and a handful of fasteners. Including design time, the base took just over two hours to build—time well spent given the countless hours we saved by keeping the cut station close to the work.
The base has five 2-inch rubber casters, two at each end and one in the middle. The back edge is stiffened by a 6-inch vertical rip of plywood. The center wheel is at the non-stiffened edge so the base can float (flex) over humps in concrete floors. Because the casters are small, they offer enough resistance that there's no need to lock them when using the saw; the stand only moves when I want it to.
The base was made to fit FastCap's BestFence stand—though really, it could have been designed to carry any commercial or home-made saw stand. To keep the stand in position, each of its four feet lands in a 2-inch rubber pipe cap that is screwed to the base. Between the legs we carry a small ultra-quiet compressor, dust extractor, and the safety cones the hospital requires us to use. The dust extractor is held in a cradle to keep it from rolling around and the trash can swings out on a plywood pivot for quick and easy access. With all of this stuff on the base there is still room to store a tool bag, nail guns, and other small items. We hang our hoses and cords from the BestFence handles. When it's time to move we simply roll the base to wherever the cut station needs to be.
I've built this cart more than once, modifying the design to suit the job at hand. Typically, I unload at the loading dock, put everything on the base, and then roll it to the work area. If there are stairs, I won't load the cart till I get everything to the top-at which point I'm able to roll it around the facility. The base saves us a lot of time by making it easy to keep our cut station and associated tools close to the work area. We use it in much the same way as we use our mobile tool cart.
Benches and Tool Stands
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text:
Kenneth Dwone Hicks
Position: RB
Height: 5-10 Weight: 222 lbs.
Born: April 25, 1981 in Huntsville, AL
High School: Lee
College: Middle Tenn. St.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 0 (14747th overall since 1950)
Other SR Links: College Football at Sports-Reference.com
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Output includes all games from 1998 to 2014.
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text:
Results 1 to 2 of 2
Thread: Character Redesign
May 19th, 2006 #1
Character Redesign
This is a wip I started earlier today. He will also wear some armor and have chains hanging down from his belt thing. This is an old favorite character of mine who I'm using for a rendering homework assinment. I suppose I will have to do the feet/hands and swords now. I suck at hands and feet. Let me know if there are any crits or anything.
Hide this ad by registering as a memberMay 19th, 2006 #2
Not really enough to crit just yet. In the meantime, I'd advise having something else on the outfit that pushes some repetition with the helmet (maybe give 'em bone armor in some spots.) It's a little too distracting if everything else turns out to be really flat or plain materials and he's got this hulking skull on his head. Finish 'em up, yar.


text:
June 30, 2015
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013
ATLANTA (AP) -- State regulators have approved Georgia Power's costs so far to build two nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Georgia Public Service Commission gave the approval at a meeting Tuesday.
With the project now several months behind schedule and cost increases looming, the commission also asked the utility to come up with new projections for when the work will be finished.
Georgia Power customers have been paying for the reactors through a monthly fee on utility bills since 2011.
In its most recent report to the PSC, the utility said the cost of the project has risen to $6.2 billion from $6.1 billion, but the company has not asked to collect any more money from customers at this time.
(Copyright 2013, The Associated Press)
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text:
Originally written on Fox Sports Southwest | Last updated 5/4/13
Move over Adam Richman ... Man vs. Food has nothing on this awesome fan at Friday night's Texas RangersBoston Red Sox game. The old saying goes that "Everything is bigger in Texas," especially the food that can be found at the concession stands at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. And on that list of gigantic food offerings is the impressive Beltre Buster. NESN cameras caught one very hungry fan eating the 24-ounce hamburger during Friday night's broadcast. The production kept up with the gentleman, following his progression throughout the night. Persistence paid off for this big eater, as by the end of the game, it looked as if he dusted off the monster meat patty. NESN announcer Don Orsillo was so impressed with the feat that he tried it himself ... but came nowhere near this champion chomper. The Beltre Buster is new to the Texas Rangers menu this season. The burger is named after Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre and over a pound of beef, eight ounces of bacon and is cover...
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Nine Indian military personnel were killed when two Mil Mi-17 transport helicopters operated by the Indian air force crashed after taking off from Jamnagar air base on 30 August.
The incident occurred at midday, and an inquiry has been ordered to investigate the accident's cause, India's defence ministry said in a statement.
Indian media reports suggest that the two helicopters collided in mid-air.
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Jamnagar air base is located in India's western Gujarat province.
The Indian air force had an active fleet of 128 Mi-17s prior to the accident, as recorded by Flightglobal's HeliCAS database.
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Automate your color correction with a Perl script
Card Trick
If you have grown tired of manually correcting color-casted images (as described in last month's Perl column), you might appreciate a script that automates this procedure.
Last month, I wrote about using reference cards to correct the white balance in digital photos by taking a test snapshot (see Figure 1) [2]. The black, white, and gray plastic cards, which are available from any good photography equipment dealer, should not generate any color values in a digital image. This provides three calibration points for low, medium, and high light intensity, which the GIMP photo editing tool can then reference to correct your snapshots.
Perl Magic
How can a simple Perl script find out which pixel values the three cards create, even though their position in the image is not known, without using artificial intelligence?
If the photographer manages to spread the cards in the center of the image as shown in Figure 1, the script can follow an imaginary horizontal line and identify the cards on the basis of pixel values along the x axis.
The light intensity measured along this line remains constant for a fairly substantial distance, as long as the line lies within one reference card.
Once the line touches the background, the pixel values will start to fluctuate significantly.
Listing 1, graphdraw, uses the CPAN Imager module to create the graphs shown in Figure 2.
The graphs represent the red, green, and blue components of the color values along the horizontal line drawn in Figure 1 on a coordinate system in which the x axis matches the x coordinates in the image and the y value represents the color component value with a range of 0 through 255.
The CPAN Imager module's read() (line 12) is a multi-talented beast that can identify, read, and convert any popular image format to its own internal Imager format for editing.
Listing 1
01 #!/usr/local/bin/perl -w 02 use strict; 03 use Imager; 04 use Imager::Plot; 05 use Log::Log4perl; 06 07 my ($file) = @ARGV; 08 die "No file given" 09 unless defined $file; 10 11 my $img = Imager->new(); 12 $img->read( file => $file ) 13 or die $img->errstr(); 14 15 $img->filter( 16 type => "gaussian", 17 stddev => 10 18 ) or die $img->errstr; 19 20 my $y = int( 21 $img->getheight() / 2 ); 22 my $width = $img->getwidth(); 23 24 my $data = {}; 25 26 for my $x ( 0 .. $width - 1 ) 27 { 28 push @{ $data->{x} }, $x; 29 30 my $color = $img->getpixel( 31 x => $x, 32 y => $y 33 ); 34 my @components = 35 $color->rgba(); 36 for my $color_name ( 37 qw(red green blue)) 38 { 39 push @{ $data 40 ->{$color_name} }, 41 shift @components; 42 } 43 } 44 45 my $plot = Imager::Plot->new( 46 Width => 550, 47 Height => 350, 48 GlobalFont => 49 ,/usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts/Verdana.ttf' 50 ); 51 52 for my $color_name ( 53 qw(red green blue)) 54 { 55 $plot->AddDataSet( 56 X => $data->{x}, 57 Y => 58 $data->{$color_name}, 59 style => { 60 marker => { 61 size => 2, 62 symbol => ,circle', 63 color => 64 Imager::Color->new( 65 $color_name), 66 } 67 } 68 ); 69 } 70 71 my $graph = Imager->new( 72 xsize => 600, 73 ysize => 400 74 ); 75 76 $graph->box( 77 filled => 1, 78 color => ,white' 79 ); 80 81 # Add text 82 $plot->{,Ylabel'} = 83 ,RGB Values'; 84 $plot->{,Xlabel'} = 85 ,X-Pixel'; 86 $plot->{,Title'} = 87 ,RGB-Distribution'; 88 89 $plot->Render( 90 Image => $graph, 91 Xoff => 40, 92 Yoff => 370 93 ); 94 95 $graph->write( 96 file => "graph.png" ) 97 or die $graph->errstr();
If something goes wrong, the Imager methods return false values. For more details about an error, cautious programmers tend to call the errstr() method to return a cleartext description of the issue. The getpixel() method (line 30) examines the RGB values of a pixel in the image at a location defined by its x and y coordinates and returns an Imager::Color object, which contains the pixel's RGB values.
A call to rgba() (line 35) returns these values along with the value for the alpha channel. Here, you are just interested in the first three RGB values.
The script calls shift in line 41 to extract them one by one.
Image View
The Imager::Plot module represents boring numbers as graphs in an attractive coordinate system without too much hassle with respect to scaling, axis labeling, or graphical layout, and it returns image files in all popular formats, allowing the user to check them later with an image viewer or web browser. The new() constructor (line 45) accepts the dimensions for the resulting image and the path to an installed True Type font, which it then uses for axis labeling.
The script collects the required coordinates in a hash of hashes, to which $data points. It stores all the x coordinates in $data->{x} and all red values in $data->{red}; the green and blue values are stored in the same manner. The AddDataSet() method (line 55) then adds the data separately for each of the three graphs, each of which are drawn in a different color.
On completion, a new Imager object is created in line 71; later, it will create the resulting graphics file. Before this happens, the box() method colors the image background white, then Render() draws the coordinate system, the labels, and the three graphs in one fell swoop.
Finally, the write() method saves the output file on disk in PNG format.
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NoScript Flaw
Mozilla's script blocker add-on could be putting malware sites on the whitelist.
RIP SSLv3
The Internet community officially banishes the notoriously unsafe Secure Sockets Layer protocol.
Mate 1.1 Arrives
Popular desktop environment continues the Gnome 2 legacy – with new support for the Gnome 3 toolkit.
US Government Requires HTTPS
The Obama White House has issued a memorandum telling all US government agencies they must use HTTPS for all websites and web communication.
Mozilla Signs Firefox Add-Ons
New program will dial up security for the Firefox browser.
Fedora 22 Arrives
Red Hat's community distro embraces the cloud.
Code.org and College Board Team Reach Out for Talented High School Coders
New partnership will bring more and better CS training to US schools
A Peek Inside TeslaCrypt Ransomware
Criminals offer online help over Tor network
Mumblehard Still Spams
Sophisticated malware is still present on Joomla and WordPress sites around the world.
Launchpad Gets Git
Future versions of Ubuntu's code service will support the popular Git version control system used with Linux and other open source projects.


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MSCD requirements and classes
What are the minimum requirements for MSCD and why are classes scarce?
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The requirements for MCSD haven't changed yet, despite the upheaval in MCSE exams for Windows 2000. I'm guessing that Microsoft is working feverishly to incorporate their new .Net architecture into a revised MCSD program. That means they will be making announcements soon. For information on the requirements for the MCSD, please visit the MS Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/default.asp?PageID=mcp&PageCall=requirements⋐Site=cert/mcsd&AnnMenu=mcsd.
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...Putting the president above the Congress is an invitation to tyranny. The president has no powers except those specified in the Constitution and those enacted by law. President Bush is stretching the power of commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy by indicating that he can order the military and its agencies, such as the National Security Agency, to do whatever furthers the defense of the country from terrorists, regardless of whether actual force is involved.
Surely the "strict constructionists" on the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary eventually will point out what a stretch this is. The most important presidential responsibility under Article II is that he must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed." That includes following the requirements of laws that limit executive power. There's not much fidelity in an executive who debates and lobbies Congress to shape a law to his liking and then goes beyond its writ.
Willful disregard of a law is potentially an impeachable offense. It is at least as impeachable as having a sexual escapade under the Oval Office desk and lying about it later. The members of the House Judiciary Committee who staged the impeachment of President Clinton ought to be as outraged at this situation. They ought to investigate it, consider it carefully and report either a bill that would change the wiretap laws to suit the president or a bill of impeachment.
Monday, December 26, 2005
Barron's Editorial Issues Call to Consider Impeachment
Thanks to Raw Story for publishing excerpts from a Barron's editorial that calls on Congress to consider impeaching President Bush. Barron's is a widely circulated weekly magazine for investors published by the Wall Street Journal. Here's a quote:
Posted by Bruce Prescott at 9:07 AM
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