text:
Comcast President Steve Burke, a former Disney executive, today identified animation as a key issue to be addressed and said if the merger went through, the new giant would reach out to companies like Pixar. Comcast wants to "do everything we can to empower the existing [Disney] animation group," he said.
Burke also said there would be savings of $300 million to $400 million by eliminating overlapping elements in the two companies. "This would not affect the vast majority of employees," he added.
In announcing its bid, Comcast also released a letter Roberts sent to Eisner after the Disney chief refused to discuss the offer.
"Given this, the only way for us to proceed is to make a public proposal directly to you and your board," Roberts' letter said.
Comcast proposed to issue 0.78 of a share for each share of Disney stock, providing Disney shareholders with a premium of more than $5 billion, based on stock prices as of closing Tuesday.
Under the proposal, Disney shareholders would hold 42 percent of the combined company.
Disney's stock jumped 14.62 percent to close today at $27.60. Comcast stock dropped 8.62 percent to close at $30.10.
David Miller, an analyst who covers Disney and other media companies for Sanders, Miller and Harris in Los Angeles, said the jump in Disney stock will force Comcast to increase the price.
"We think this is a lowball bid," Miller said. "Comcast is only offering a 9.9 percent premium over the Tuesday close. Disney is already trading higher than that today. Wall Street is telling Comcast they will have to up the offer. Shareholders will want more for their shares."
He said it is not uncommon for a company making a hostile bid to have to come back with several offers if the board rejects the initial offer.
But he also said that in terms of what the two companies do, the deal could be advantageous for both sides if it went through.
"Strategically this makes perfect sense for a studio operator to merge with a cable distributor," he said. "It is about content merging with distribution. There is not much overlap, which is good for employees."
At the same time, Comcast will have to make its case for managing such a diverse company, said Tom Wolzien, a media analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein. "They don't really have a record at all of running a conglomerate like a Disney or a Viacom or a Time Warner ... the jury is out on whether they can do it or not."
Analysts: 'Perfect Merger Partners'
Roberts pointed to Comcast's merger last November with AT&T Broadband — as well as the success of News Corp.'s merger with DirecTV and the merger of CBS and Viacom — as an example of how the proposal could be beneficial for Disney.
"Our management team has a proven track record of successful integration of our merger partners," Roberts said.
Analysts took a positive view of the proposed deal, saying it would create a media powerhouse that would be a strong competitor with media rivals News Corp. and Time Warner.
"We regard Comcast and Disney as perfect merger partners," said Merrill Lynch analyst Jessica Reif Cohen. "Comcast's long history of deal execution has been completely extraordinary in terms of shareholder value creation.
"The rationale behind the merger is identical to the News Corp.-DirecTV combination, which is a combination of content and technology," she said. "In this case, Comcast's broadband technology is superior to satellite, creating even more opportunities."


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
A method for expressing a hierarchy of scalabilities in complex systems, including a discrete event simulation and an analytic model, for analysis and prediction of the performance of multi-chip, multi-core, multi-threaded computer processors is provided. Further provided is a capacity planning tool for migrating data center systems from a source configuration which may include source systems with multithreaded, multicore, multichip central processing units to a destination configuration which may include destination systems with multithreaded, multicore and multichip central processing units, wherein the destination systems may be different than the source systems. Apparatus and methods are taught for the assembling of and utilization of linear and exponential scalability factors in the capacity planning tool when a plurality of active processor threads populate processors with multiple chips, multiple cores per chip and multiple threads per core.
1. A method of calculating a system scalability factor of a computer processor system including a processor, the processor having a core, the core capable of running a thread, the thread capable of supporting a task and the processor running an operating system; the method comprising:
estimating an initial value of an operating system scalability factor;
estimating a thread scalability factor;
estimating a CPU scalability factor;
estimating a processor core scalability factor;
iteratively combining the initial value of the operating system scalability factor, the thread scalability factor, the CPU scalability factor and the processor core scalability factor in an equation having a set of linear elements and a set of exponential elements to arrive at a result;
the step of iteratively combining further comprising the steps of:
a. grouping a set of measured performance records into a dataset;
b. computing a set of scalable processing quantities for the dataset;
the step of computing further comprising the steps of:
i. counting a number of active threads servicing CPU requests as a first number of active elements, N[1];
ii. counting a number of CPUs having active threads as a second number of active elements, N[2];
iii. counting a number of cores per CPU having active threads as a third number of active elements, N[3]; and,
iv. counting a number of active threads per core as a fourth number of active elements, N[4];
c. normalizing the set of scalable processing quantities by a corresponding number of active elements to produce a set of normalized scalabilities; and
d. determining the result as a product of the normalized scalabilities; combining the result with a measured performance parameter to arrive at an error; comparing the error to a predetermined maximum error;
repeating the step of iteratively combining if the error is greater than the predetermined maximum error;
accepting the result as the system scalability factor of the computer processor system.
2. The method of
3. The method of
associating a first linear scalability factor L[1] and a first exponential scalability factor a[1] to the operating system scalability factor;
associating a second linear scalability factor L[2] and a second exponential scalability factor a[2] to the CPU scalability factor;
associating a third linear scalability factor L[3] and a third exponential scalability factor a[3] to the processor core scalability factor;
associating a fourth linear scalability factor L[4] and a first exponential scalability factor a[4] to the thread scalability factor;
computing the set of scalable processing quantities SP[i] for i in the range 1 to 4 according to the equation:
SP[i]=(1+L[i]�(N[i]−1))�a[i] (N[i]−1).
4. The method of
computing the normalized scalabilities S[i] for i in the range 1 to 4 according to the equation:
5. The method of
6. The method of
associating a total number of active threads to a first number of active elements, N[1];
counting a number of CPUs having active threads as a second number of active elements, N[2];
counting a number of cores per CPU having active threads as a third number of active elements, N[3];
counting a number of active threads per core as a fourth number of active elements, N[4];
setting the total number of active threads equal to:
7. The method of
8. The method of
calculating a throughput rate, R_calc, from a measured single thread performance, S_meas taken from the set of measured performance records, according to the formula:
computing the error using R_calc and a set of measured throughput rates R_meas from the set of measured performance records, according to the formula:
wherein the summation is performed over the set of measured throughput rates.
9. The method of
10. The method of
11. The method of
12. The method of
adjusting at least one of the group of L[1], L[2], L[3], L[4], a[1], a[2], a[3] and a[4];
recomputing the set of scalable processing quantities SP[i].
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates generally to computer server capacity planning and enterprise application performance engineering within the field of information technology and more specifically describes a useful set of tools by which data center managers can reliably estimate and compare performance of server and workload migration scenarios wherein the servers operate multithreaded processes on a plurality of processor cores.
The performance of large scale production environments is an area of considerable interest as businesses become more diverse and applications become more complex. Data systems must remain reliable and available. Reliability and performance can be a considerable issue in the face of rapid system or application scaling such as would be experienced in a merger of two large corporations or in the implementation of a new server intensive application such as a web media application involving streaming video. Furthermore, system architecture is rapidly expanding to take advantage of CPU architectures having multiple cores with each core containing multiple processor threads capable of executing multiple program tasks.
A goal of modern capacity planners and application performance engineers is to optimize business applications on very large and complex systems with perhaps thousands of server nodes that are often geographically dispersed. The workloads processed by these applications and the infrastructure in which they execute change over time. New and different users and user behaviors change the level and mix of the workloads. The servers, networks and their configurations change for a variety of business reasons. Capacity planners and performance engineers must determine a) the impact of such anticipated or hypothetical changes, b) when anticipated increases in workload levels will exceed the capacity of the existing infrastructure, and c) what solutions to predicted performance bottlenecks will be most effective. Capacity planners and performance engineers accomplish these goals by measuring the current performance of their business applications, load-testing their applications in a test lab, or estimating such measurements during application design, and then building performance models using those measurements, and using those models to predict how performance will change in response to anticipated or hypothetical changes to the workloads, applications and infrastructure.
Server consolidation is one type of change to the IT infrastructure that occurs with increasing frequency in order to simplify server management, reduce space and power requirements, and other reasons—including simplification and potential improvement of performance management. However, the number of server consolidation options in a modern large IT environment is enormous. IT managers and capacity planners cannot effectively choose among the myriad of server consolidation options by trial and error or rules of thumb. They need the ability to evaluate different server consolidation scenarios rapidly and easily in order to make good choices before implementing those choices. Furthermore, with the advent of new processor configurations such as multicore multithreaded processors, choice of processor configuration becomes important to data center configuration. The present invention facilitates evaluation of server consolidation scenarios—and more generally of all scenarios specifying changes to workloads, applications or infrastructure—by modeling the scalability of the processor configurations of the servers involved in those scenarios.
In some situations, low performance of a production system may be analyzed. To relieve the situation, a workload reassignment or new equipment may be needed. In the absence of adequate modeling facilities the planning and implementation of the nature of the equipment to be deployed or the workload reassignment requires assembling an expensive test environment and scaling analysis.
In the situation of interest in the present invention, processor architectures utilizing a plurality of CPU chips, with a plurality of cores per chip and multithreading may be deployed to replace older slower equipment. In this case the IT capacity manager is required to plan a detailed server consolidation where the workload of a number of servers is consolidated onto a smaller number of servers. In the prior art, investigation of this type of system consolidation is also carried out with a test environment.
Referring to
This invention facilitates the evaluation of the performance effects of all anticipated changes to workloads, applications and infrastructure. Some particularly complex changes that have been difficult to analyze prior to this invention are data center server migration, server consolidation and workload reassignment. A general data center server migration situation is shown in
Source data center configuration 20 comprises a set of N server clusters 25-1, 25-2, . . . 25-N. Furthermore, server cluster 25-1 comprises a set of server nodes 28-1 and similarly, server clusters 25-1, . . . 25-N contain sets of server nodes 28-2, . . . 28-N (not shown). Server clusters 25-1, . . . 25-N functionally operates to service workloads 18 at arrival rates AB({w}) 15. The dimension of a server cluster is defined as the number of server nodes in the cluster. Source parameters 22 describe configuration parameters of the source data center configuration 20.
Destination data center configuration 30 comprises a set of M server clusters 35-1, 35-2, . . . 35-M. Server cluster 35-1 comprises a set of server nodes 38-1 and similarly, server clusters 35-2, . . . 35-M contain sets of server nodes 38-2, . . . 38-M (not shown). Server clusters 35-1, . . . 35-M functionally operates to service workloads 18 at arrival rates A({w}) 16. Note that the destination data center configuration 30 may contain a subset of the base server clusters 25-1 . . . 25-M. Furthermore, note that N or M may equal 1 (one) and that the dimension of a given server cluster may equal 1 (one) so that either the source data center configuration 20 or destination data center configuration 30 may contain only one server node. Destination parameters 32 describe the source data center configuration 30.
In migrating from source data center configuration 20 to destination data center configuration 30, a potentially large number of configuration parameters 22 and 32 must be specified or computed. Source parameters 22 are measured and specified typically as a baseline. Additionally, workloads 18 may be grown on a number of time intervals so that the performance sensitivity of the destination data center configuration 30 to workload may be plotted as a function of time
In server consolidation, the workloads from selected source server clusters 25-1, . . . 25-N are fully reassigned and distributed to the destination server clusters 35-1, . . . 35-M. The present invention applies generally to situations whereby the IT manager desires to understand what the performance of the destination data center configuration 30 will be relative to the source data center configuration 20 so as to optimize the destination data center configuration 30 for performance, cost, upgradeability or other feature. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides the ability to evaluate the performance of multichip, multicore, multithread processor configurations—and the effect of their performance on the performance of the applications and workloads—involved in server consolidation, workload reassignment and all other changes to a data center's workloads, applications and infrastructure.
In the case of multicore, multithread processing units, more sophisticated capacity planning and performance engineering tools are needed. Analysis tools in the state of the art may take multiple CPUs into account, but do not take into account non-linear scalability effects when resources such as cache memory and disks are shared by multiple cores and multiple threads.
Program instructions assigned to and being executed on a processor thread is referred to as a task; the terminology "active thread" means a processor thread with a task currently assigned and executing When processor threads 85 are activated the operating system will typically allocate tasks to processor threads most efficiently by minimizing the number of active threads per processor chip 55 and minimizing the number of active threads per core 85 so that on-chip resources are less likely to be shared. In planning for capacity upgrades, scalability becomes dynamic wherein active thread population varies with workload as tasks are allocated and deallocated in rapid succession. As active thread population varies in a dynamic way, CPU performance and system throughput will also vary in a dynamic way.
A performance tool is needed to take into account the variability of CPU performance in the presence of multicore multithreaded CPU architectures. The capacity planner for an enterprise system is faced with hardware upgrades which leverage these new highly parallel processing architectures, but complicate the allocation of workloads across the enterprise system. Furthermore, OS system designers require performance information that will allow the OS system designer to avoid inefficient thread dispatch algorithms. CPU architects require performance models of real systems in working environments so that processor chip architectures will combine resources optimally for threads and cores.
The present invention teaches a novel method for analyzing a multicore, multichip, multithreaded system architecture for the purposes of producing capacity planning in multichip, multicore, and multithread environments.
The present invention teaches a novel method for analyzing a multicore, multichip, multithreaded system architecture for the purposes of producing capacity planning in multichip, multicore, and multithread environments. While CPU performance data is beginning to be compiled for this class of systems (e.g. SPECint_rate2006 from Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation), apparatus and methods do not currently exist in the art to reduce this data to a usable form in capacity planning analysis and teach the utilization of such data. The complications of the problem capacity planning problem incorporating new system architectures are three-fold:
Briefly, the reason the performance of these systems do not scale linearly is due to contention for hardware resources. In older, single-core systems that contention was usually most noticeable at memory—multiple processing cores trying to access the same bank of physical memory which had long access times compared to the processor speed. In later systems the scalability was improved with the introduction of high-speed cache memory but shared cache could still limit scalability as well as access to memory on cache misses.
The scalability of multiple processor chips and multiple cores per chip in contemporary systems is still dominated by memory access. Although these systems may have three or more levels of cache the second or third level (L2 or L3 cache) may be shared by multiple processor chips or multiple cores on a chip. Even with the introduction of multiple levels or cache, memory access continues to be a performance issue because processor speeds (clock rates) have increased by orders of magnitude while memory access speeds have increased by factors in single or double digits.
Multiple hardware threads executing in a processor core share the instruction execution logic of that core. Each program instruction is executed in a series of steps or "stages" in the processor logic; e.g., instruction decode, data fetch, branch prediction, logic operation (add, subtract, Boolean, etc.) and data store. This series of stages is known as the processor execution "pipeline." As an instruction of a program passes through a stage of the pipeline the next instruction of that program can advance to that stage of the pipeline.
Since an instruction does not typically utilize all of the capability of any one stage (an arithmetic operation won't utilize branch prediction logic and a Boolean operation won't utilize floating point arithmetic logic), with the addition of an additional set of instruction data and control registers an second independent "thread" of execution can make use of idle logic at any stage in the pipeline. (The second thread must be an independent instruction stream because of data dependencies within any single instruction stream.) The primary contention between multiple hardware threads in a core is access to the required logic at each stage in the pipeline although some contention for memory access still exists. The contention for "stage logic" can be mitigated by replication of some logic at critical stages (e.g., duplication of Boolean and integer logic in the "operation stage") to make the use of more than two hardware threads at a core a viable architectural alternative.
The problem addressed by the present invention is to devise a consistent, parameterized algorithm that can be used to model the performance and response time across a broad range of these types of contemporary and future processors and operating systems.
The present invention teaches apparatus and methods to assemble CPU performance data into a scalability model and then to use the scalability model to predict system performance for multithreaded, multicore and multichip processor based systems.
In one embodiment of the present invention a method is taught whereby CPU performance data is efficiently gathered into an internal CPU performance repository where the internal data is analyzed by the characteristics of operating system, chip architecture type, number of chips, number of cores per chip and number of supported threads per core to determine a set of scalability factors. Scalability factors are defined for linear and exponential scaling of the characteristics with numbers of elements per characteristic.
The scalability factors, once determined are used in another embodiment of the present invention to analyze system performance for a source data center system and a destination data center system for the purposes of capacity planning. A first embodiment of the analysis process teaches the assemblage and utilization of a discrete event simulation model in which the novel multithreaded, multicore, multichip scalability factors are implemented to enable capacity planning using discrete event simulation of applications and workloads due to applications.
A second embodiment of the analysis process teaches the employment of scalability factors for multithreaded, multicore and multichip system architectures in a queuing theory based analytical method for the purposes of capacity planning. More specifically, methods are taught wherein service times for the system workloads are estimated and service rate vectors for processor configurations with various CPU request loads are determined and applied to a capacity planning tool.
In embodiments of the discrete event simulator and analytical methods for capacity determination of CPU architectures based on scalability factors an efficient method of dispatch is taught.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, efficiency of dispatch processes in operating systems for different CPU architectures operating in different system level and data center configurations may be determined.
In another alternative embodiment, different CPU architectures may be compared in the CPU design process for various system level and data center configurations.
The disclosed inventions will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show important sample embodiments of the invention and which are incorporated in the specification hereof by reference, wherein:
The numerous innovative teachings of the present invention will be described with particular reference to the presently preferred embodiment (by way of example, and not of limitation).
While the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood in view of the present disclosure, that numerous variations upon the invention are now enabled to those skilled in the art, which variations yet reside within the scope of the present teaching. Accordingly, the invention is to be broadly construed, and limited only by the scope and spirit of the claims now appended hereto.
Continuing with
After the CPU performance data has been stored in internal repository 102, capacity planning system 100 analyzes the CPU performance data to create an eight parameter scalability fit in scalability modeling process 108. The eight scalability parameters are determined for each system of interest in the internal repository 102 and stored into persistent storage as scalability factors 110. In practice, the stored scalability factors 110 are stored as separate columns in the internal repository 102. The scalability factors determine a linear and an exponential fit to each of four system CPU characteristics, the four characteristics being the operating system (OS) scalability, chip scalability, core scalability and thread scalability.
Table 1 shows the how the scalabilities are determined for a system.
The equations of Table 1 are valid in the case of symmetric dispatch of CPU requests, wherein active threads are evenly distributed across processor chips. Otherwise the system efficiency must be calculated from the perspective of each active thread such that N[4] describes the number of competing threads in the same core.
The analysis process 120 uses these basic formula to analyze the source system configuration 114 and the destination system configuration 115 using either a discrete event simulation or a standard queuing theory analysis to predict system response times and component utilizations. Each of these types of analysis is available in capacity planning applications such as "Modeler™" and "Capacity Planner™", available from Hyperformix, Inc. of Austin, Tex. Analysis process 120 is described further in connection with
The results of analysis process 120 are compared in system comparison step 123 to arrive at the level of improvement (or degradation) in system performance due to a potential migration from source system configuration 114 to destination system configuration 115 (or to some other potential change to the system such as a workload change or server upgrade). A criteria determined by the capacity planner is used to decide whether it is favorable to migrate to the destination system configuration 115. In cases, where migration is favored the destination system configuration is implemented in implementation step 125. In cases where migration is not favored, the capacity planner will typically adjust the destination system configuration 115 and perform analysis step 120 in an iterative manner 117 until the desired improvement or cost benefit is obtained. A typical criterion for favoring the implementation step 125 would be improvement in utilization by some given amount, for example a reduction in average CPU utilization from a source system 90% CPU utilization to a destination system 50% CPU utilization. Reduction in average response time for system software applications form reasonable criteria for capacity planning process 100. In the case of using a discrete event simulation, estimates for peak response times and peak utilizations are also possible.
Table 165 presents a typical scalability analysis for core 151. Table 168 presents a typical scalability analysis for cores 152, 156 and 157.
Table 160 is a list of linear scalability factors L[i] and a list of exponential scalability factors a[i] for i=1 . . . 4 for a set of elements, element[1]=OS, element[2]=chip, element[3]=core, element[4]=thread, for which N[1]=5, N[2]=2, N[3]=2 and where N[4]=2, respectively, for core 151 and N[4]=1 for cores 152, 156 and 157.
For the first core, core 151, EffectiveNElements [i] 163 a, scalability [i] 164 a, and system_scalablity 165 a are calculated using equations from Table 1 for the data provided in table 160. Similarly for cores 152, 156 and 157, EffectiveNElements [i] 163 b, scalability [i] 164 b, and system_scalablity 166 b are calculated as in Table 1.
To illustrate the calculation, the thread EffectiveNElements of core 151 is computed in table 165, column 163 a, according to:
And the thread scalability of core 151 is computed in table 165, column 164 a, according to:
The results of similar computations for OS, chips and cores are shown in tables 165 and 168, table 165 for tasks on core 151 and table 168 for all other tasks. In table 165 the two active threads on core 151 are running at 57% efficiency due to contention between the chips, cores and threads. In table 168 the two active threads on cores 156 and 157 are running at 91.5% efficiency. The average efficiency across all five threads is a weighted average equal to 77.8% so that computing work is done at a rate of 5*0.778=3.88 CPU-secs/second. An analytic queuing model computes and uses the average efficiency as described below and a discrete-event simulation model simulates the efficiency experienced by each task individually, a more accurate approach.
Once the system parameters 310 are specified, the simulation process continues in lookup step 320 by looking up the scalability factors from stored scalability factors 110 using CPU architectures 312 and operating systems 311 specified in system parameters 310. The system scalability factors 322 are stored in memory of the host computer system and available for use during the discrete event simulation to compute dynamic efficiencies and expected times of completion for submitted tasks.
The discrete event simulator 300 now executes in simulation process 324 until it has reached a predetermined simulated time, or some other ending criterion, at which time the simulation process ends 326, storing simulation results 325 which may include at least average response times for CPU requests and average CPU utilizations. The discrete event simulation may also produce "break-out" results such as CPU utilization by specific users, user classes, specific applications or transaction types in addition to larger scale results such as user end-to-end response time including other resource usage.
If the jth task is completed, then all tasks for ith>j are redispatched to the next lowest dispatch order, ith−1, by adjusting the ServiceDemandRemaining vectors. Then the number of active tasks is decremented by one. If service demands are then recomputed in [ServiceDemandCompleted] since the last allocation event for all remaining tasks by calculating the amount of processor work completed and reducing the ServiceDemandRemaining by that amount for each task. The amount of processor work yet to be done for each task is specified by ServiceDemandRemaining. In either the case of a new task being dispatched or a previous task being completed, new times of completion are recalculated for each task in dispatch process 337. The earliest time of completion will become the next event for this simulated server if no new tasks arrive in the interim.
Dispatch process 337 looks up the chip and core position of each task and computes a delivered thread capacity (DTC) for each task by calling DeliveredThreadCapacity process 338. Furthermore, an expected time of completion for each task (ExpectedTimeOfCompletion) is computed for use by the discrete event simulator engine.
DeliveredThreadCapacity is computed in process 338 according to the previously described method for calculating OS, chip, core and thread efficiencies, the methods using scalability factors 332 to compute scalabilities as indicated explicitly in
Set of methods 336 specifically give the number of elements utilized according to dispatch order rules.
The dispatch order implicitly following the dispatch order rules of (1) selecting the first available chip with the fewest number of active threads servicing tasks; (2) selecting the first available core on that chip with the fewest number of active threads servicing tasks; (3) selecting an idle thread on the selected core and selected chip.
DeliveredThreadCapacity 338 computes and returns the system_scalability as in Table 1 for the active thread on ichip and icore, for nthreads active threads in the system.
Steps 339 then implement the EffectiveNElements[i] calculations of Table 1 for OS, chips, cores and threads, respectively for OS. OS_EffectiveNElements, Chip_EffectiveNElements, Core_EffectiveNElements; and Thread_EffectiveNElements.
The dispatch order rules given and utilized in connection with the methods of
Once the system parameters 410 are specified, the analytic process continues in step 420 by looking up the scalability factors from stored scalability factors 110 using CPU architectures 412 and operating systems 411 specified in system parameters 410. The system scalability factors 422 are stored in memory of the host machine and are available for use in analytic calculations to compute service rate vectors {μ(i)} and estimated service times {Sw} per workload w and which in turn are submitted to standard queuing theory analysis 430. The service rate vectors {μ(i)} are computed in service rate calculation 424 and stored as service rate vectors 425. The service times {Sw} are computed in estimate service time process 428 and stored as service times 429.
Standard queuing theory analysis 430 yields information 434 about the system with system configuration 410, the information 434 including at least the average response time per workload w and the estimated average CPU utilization <U(w)> per workload w or per set of workloads {w} submitted at submission rates, {λ(w)}.
Set of parameters 450 includes the number of processor chips in the given server, number of cores per chip in the given server, the total number of cores in the given server, the number of threads per core in the given server, and the maximum number of usable threads on the given server. The analytical model has server scalability factors 451, which is a subset of the system scalability factors 422. Additionally, there are variables utilized in the pseudo code listing: i, which is an index for counting the number of tasks dispatched to threads on the given server, ichip is a chip index selecting one of the chips on the given server, icore is a core index selecting one of the cores on the selected chip.
The primary step of computing μ(i) 454 essentially sums the delivered capacity of each active thread when i threads are dispatched to the server system. The delivered capacity is computed in procedure 455 for a given core, icore, and a given chip, ichip, wherein the OS EffectiveNElements, chip EffectiveNElements, core EffectiveNElements and thread EffectiveNElements are computed according to steps 339 in conjunction with corresponding numbers of contending elements computed in step 336 of
The dispatch order rules given and utilized in connection with the methods of
Maximum and minimum efficiencies are computed in step 442, the maximum efficiency being 1 (one) by definition and the minimum efficiency being the minimum of μ(i)/i of all possible threads i in the system. The initial service time estimates {Sw} are derived in step 444 wherein the efficiency E is effectively an adjustment parameter that will be iteratively adjusted to some value between E_min and E_max as given in step 442. Iteration step 446 repeats the process of adjusting service times {Sw} and predicting an overall traffic intensity ρ and utilization U from the adjusted service times {Sw}, until one of the following is true: (|U−U0|<U_tolerance), or the maximum number of iterations is exceeded. Service times {Sw} are adjusted within iteration step 446 according to the adjustment step 448.
The present invention includes a system for creating a set of scalability models encapsulated in scalability modeling process 108 of
Turning to
In step 540 the set of OS scalability parameters are adjusted for each operating system and then the set of chip scalability parameters is adjusted for system configurations and system architectures. In step 550, the set of core scalability parameters and the set of thread scalability parameters are adjusted. The process terminates at step 551.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the scalability modeling process 108 is performed periodically on the internal repository 102 as internal repository 102 is periodically refreshed with data from new systems that has been gathered from the internet or other sources.
Detailed descriptions of estimate steps 510, 520 and 530 will now be described in relation to
In step 504, the system_scalability is normalized according to the equation:
In step 505, the computed performance rate, R_calc is calculated from the measured single threaded performance 138, S_meas, for the first record in dataset 502 according to
In step 506, the least squares error between a measured performance rate R_meas 139 and the computed performance rate R_calc is calculated for each record and summed over all records, r, according to:
The least squares method to determine the error is the method used in the preferred embodiment. In alternate embodiments of the present invention, other measures of goodness of fit may be used without substantially changing the scalability modeling process.
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An ozone monitor including an ozone reactive surface, held within a container, which is adapted to specifically react with ozone. The surface is also adapted to fail to react with nitrogen dioxide in an amount which affects ozone quantitation by more than 20% when the nitrogen dioxide is provided at a concentration of 76 ppb and ozone is provided at a concentration of 30 ppb within a test gas.
1. An ozone monitor comprising:
an ozone reactive surface having a chemical coating comprising nitrite ions, a basic compound, and a hygroscopic component, said surface being constructed so as to specifically react with ozone, said surface also being constructed so as to fail to react with nitrogen dioxide in an amount which affects ozone quantitation by more than 20% when said nitrogen dioxide is provided at a concentration of 76 ppb and ozone is provided at a concentration of 30 ppb within a test gas; wherein said nitrite ions are reactive with ozone to form nitrate ions, wherein the quantity of said nitrate ions is indicative of the quantity of ozone monitored;
said surface being held within a container.
2. The ozone monitor of claim 1 wherein said surface is further constructed so s to allow quantitation of said ozone within a factor of 20% at humidities between 10% and 90%.
3. The ozone monitor of claim 1 wherein said hygroscopic component is glycerol.
4. The ozone monitor of claim 1 wherein said surface is further constructed so as to allow quantities of said ozone within a factor of 20% at temperatures between +50° F. and +100° F.
5. The ozone monitor of claim 4 wherein said surface is further constructed so as to allow quantitation of said ozone within a factor of 20% at humidities between 10% and 90%.
6. The ozone monitor of claim 1 wherein said coating comprises less than 0.003% by weight nitrate ions prior to exposure to ozone.
7. The ozone monitor of claim 6 wherein said nitrite ions are provided by sodium nitrite.
8. The ozone monitor of claim 6, further comprising a nitrate electrode positioned so as to detect said nitrate ions.
9. The ozone monitor of claim 1 wherein said basic compound is a carbonate.
10. The ozone monitor of claim 9 wherein said carbonate is potassium carbonate.
11. The ozone monitor of claim 1 wherein said surface is a liquid phase and said container is constructed so as to allow gaseous contact with said liquid.
12. The ozone monitor of claim 11 wherein said container comprises a membrane which allows gas to pass but not liquid to pass through said membranes.
13. The ozone monitor of claim 1 wherein said surface is a solid surface.
14. The ozone monitor of claim 13 wherein said surface is a filter and said container constructed so as to be located on a stationary object or on the outer clothing of a person.
15. The ozone monitor of claim 14 wherein said container envelops said filter and comprises openings to allow gas external to said monitor to pass through said openings to contact said filter.
16. The ozone monitor of claim 14 or 15 wherein said monitor is further provided with a fan or pump positioned so as to actively cause gas external to said monitor to contact said filter.
17. An ozone monitor comprising an ozone reactive surface comprising sodium nitrite, potassium carbonate, and glycerol wherein said nitrite ions are reactive with ozone to form nitrate ions, wherein the quantity of said nitrate ions is indicative of the quantity of ozone monitored.
This invention relates to ozone monitors.
Ozone is an atmospheric oxidant formed through photochemical reactions of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides. Daily maximum outdoor 1-hour ozone concentrations can range between 50 and 300 parts per billion (ppb), and often exceed the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 120 ppb. A large fraction of outdoor ozone may penetrate houses and other buildings (Weschler et al., Journal of Air and Waste Management Association, JAPCA, 39:1567-1568, 1989). High ambient levels of ozone can cause human respiratory health effects, including changes in lung capacity, flow resistance, and epithelial permeability (Lippman, Journal of Air and Waste Management Association, 39:672, 1989).
Suzuki et al., Taiki Osen Gakkaishi 18:544-50, 1983; Rukavishni et al., Soviet Patent Applications 902708, 1982, and 862901, 1981; Ronnebeck, German Patent Application 126109, 1977 and 1980; Tiefenau, U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,754, 1975; and Toya Rika Instruments, Japanese patent application 48058892, 1971 describe ozone gas measurement using a potassium iodide solution.
Ozone can be continuously monitored by a UV photometer where the UV absorption by ozone is determined. The greater the UV absorption, the greater the concentration of ozone.
This invention provides an air monitoring device which allows for the measurement of individual human exposure to ozone. The monitors are insensitive to other oxidants present in a normal gaseous atmosphere. They are also insensitive to the humidity and temperature of the gaseous atmospheres. The monitors of the present invention can be formed as integrated sampling monitors utilizing active or passive air sampling techniques or as a continuous monitor. These monitors are inexpensive and provide an accuracy of measurement comparable to the standard UV photometric ozone analyzer. Unlike the UV photometer, the integrated sampling monitors are simple to manufacture and suitable for both fixed area and personal monitoring. Unlike the potassium iodide monitors, they are not sensitive to sunlight, and are therefore easier to handle and use. That is, exposure of the monitor to sunlight does not significantly (i.e., ±10%) alter the value for ozone concentration obtained by use of the monitor.
Generally, the integrated sampling monitors of this invention are provided as devices containing filters coated to react specifically with ozone in a gaseous atmosphere. The coating solution used to coat the filters is a mixture of inorganic salts including nitrite ions. During the sample collection period, ozone in the sampled gas oxidizes the nitrite on the filter to nitrate. The average ozone concentration for the sampling period is determined by the amount of nitrate formed on the filter, as determined by ion chromatography or other quantitative nitrate analyzing technique. Generally, in a continuous monitor of this invention the equivalent of the coating solution is exposed to the sampled gas and nitrate is continuously analyzed in the solution.
Thus, in a first aspect, the invention features an ozone monitor having an ozone absorbing surface held within a container. The ozone absorbing surface is adapted to specifically absorb ozone without absorbing nitrogen dioxide in an amount which affects ozone quantitation by more than 20% (e.g., when nitrogen dioxide is present at a concentration of 76 ppb, and ozone at a concentration of 30 ppb within a test gas). By "absorbing surface" is meant a surface which chemically reacts with the ozone to form a product which specifically indicates that ozone had contacted the monitor surface. For example, nitrite in the surface reacts with ozone to form nitrate.
In preferred embodiments, the ozone absorbing surface is also adapted to allow accurate quantitation of ozone (within 20%, i.e., the true value ±20% of that value) at temperatures between +50° F. and +100° F., and at humidities between 10% and 90%; the surface includes a chemical coating which absorbs and chemically reacts with ozone, most preferably, the chemical coating includes nitrite ions (e.g., provided as sodium nitrite) which will react with ozone to form nitrate ions, and the coating has less than 0.1%, more preferably less then 0.03%, even more preferably less than 0.003% (by weight) nitrate ion prior to ozone exposure.
In other preferred embodiments, the chemical coating also includes a basic compound, e.g., a carbonate, such as potassium carbonate; the chemical coating also includes a hygroscopic component, e.g., glycerol; the surface is a solid surface, e.g., a filter, and the filter is held within a container adapted to be fixedly positioned to a stationary object or to the outer clothing of a person; the container envelops the filter and includes openings to allow gas to contact the filter; and the monitor is provided with a fan or pump to actively cause gas to contact the filter.
Alternately, the ozone absorbing surface is a liquid and the container is adapted to allow gaseous contact with the liquid; and the container has a gas permeable membrane, e.g. a teflon filter, which contacts the liquid and allows gas, but not liquid, to pass through the membrane. Preferably, the liquid includes nitrite, and a nitrate monitor is provided in the liquid to continuously monitor nitrate concentration as a measure of ozone in the atmosphere contacting the liquid.
Most preferably, the ozone monitor includes an ozone absorbing surface containing sodium nitrite, potassium carbonate, and glycerol.
In a second related aspect, the invention features a method for monitoring ozone in a sample of gas. The method includes providing an ozone absorbing surface adapted to specifically react with ozone, as described above; contacting the surface with the sample of gas for a measured time period; and measuring the amount of ozone absorbed by the surface.
In preferred embodiments, the surface is provided within a monitor, such as those described above, and the measuring step involves determining the amount of nitrate ions on the surface, e.g., by ion chromatography; and comparing the amount of nitrate ions on the surface to the amount of nitrate ions on the surface prior to contact with the sampled gas.
In a third related aspect, the invention features a composition adapted for the measurement of ozone. The composition includes nitrite ions, a basic component, and a hygroscopic component.
In preferred embodiments, the nitrite ion is provided as an inorganic salt, most preferably an alkali metal nitrite, e.g., sodium or potassium nitrite; the base is a carbonate, e.g., an alkaline metal carbonate, such as sodium or potassium carbonate; the hygroscopic component is glycerol; and the nitrite ion and base are provided in crystalline form.
In a fourth related aspect, the invention features a method for monitoring ozone, including the steps of providing an ozone absorbing surface including sodium nitrite, potassium carbonate, and glycerol; contacting the surface with a sample of gas for a measured period of time; and measuring the amount of ozone absorbed to the surface.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof, and from the claims.
The drawings will first briefly be described.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are a diagrammatic side and exploded views of a passive integrated sampler of the invention;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrammatic cross-sectional and top views of an active integrated sampler;
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a continuous ozone monitor;
FIG. 4 is a graphical comparison of results obtained through laboratory experiments using an ozone monitor of the present invention and a UV analyzer;
FIG. 5 is a graphical comparison of ozone determinations made in field experiments by a monitor of the present invention and a continuous ozone monitor; and
FIG. 6 is another graphical comparison of field experiments using an ozone monitor of the present invention and a UV analyzer.
Referring to FIGS. 1A and B, a sampler 10 is formed from a container 12 having an air inlet grid 14 and a coated filter 16 having a nitrite coating. Also provided is a clip 18 to allow sampler 10 to be attached to a stationary object or to the clothing of a person. In this design, coated filter 16 is sandwiched between two wire screens 19.
Sampler 10 essentially consists of a nitrite coated glass fiber filter 16. The coating solution includes sodium nitrite (1% w/v), potassium carbonate (1% w/v) and glycerol (2% v/v) in a solvent of 70% ultrapure water and 30% methanol.
The sodium nitrite used in the coating is provided as extremely pure sodium nitrite crystals. For example, the nitrite may be obtained by standard recrystallization of ACS Certified, Baker Analyzed reagent grade sodium nitrite by heating a supersaturated solution of sodium nitrite in water at 90° C., then allow slow crystal growth as the solution cools, finally collect the resulting crystals by vacuum filtration. This recrystallization may be performed three or four times until the level of sodium nitrate within the remaining crystals is less than 0.003% (by weight). This level may be determined by making a sample of the coating solution and having it tested by ion chromatography (or by equivalent methodology).
The purified sodium nitrite is weighed to 1% (w/v) of the desired volume of coating solution to be made. Also, 1% (w/v) of analytical reagent grade anhydrous potassium carbonate is added, along with 2% (v/v) anhydrous glycerol. The remaining liquid volume is made up from a solution of 70% ultrapure water, e.g., MILLIPORE Systems, and 30% analytical reagent grade methanol. The resulting mixture is a coating solution which may be stored for several weeks at 4° C.
It is preferred to use a nitrite and carbonate in the coating solution which has sodium as the cation for one and potassium for the other. Ozone reacts more efficiently with nitrite when the nitrite and the carbonate come from salts of different metals. This may be because the mixed potassium-sodium crystals formed on the coated surface are more hygroscopic than potassium-potassium or sodium-sodium crystals. An increase in the number of water molecules in the coated surface enhances the oxidation of nitrite to nitrate by ozone. For this reason the hygroscopic compound glycerol is provided in the coating solution.
Filter 16 is prepared as a 14 mm glass fiber filter (Schleicher and Schuell grade #30; other sizes can be used, e.g., 17-25 mm, and can be formed of acid-washed cellulose or other inert material) which has been cleaned with hydrochloric acid, chromic acid, nitric acid, sodium hydroxide and methanol, and then allowed to dry. Specifically, 150 ml of concentrated nitric acid is placed into a 600 ml beaker. 100 filters are placed into the acid and carefully separated from each other. The filters remain in the acid for two hours with periodic swirling of the filters in the beaker. The acid is then decanted, and approximately 250 ml of ultrapure water added to the beaker. The filters are swirled in the water for 2-3 minutes. The water is then decanted and the water rinse procedure is repeated two more times. This procedure is repeated with concentrated chromic acid for one hour; concentrated hydrochloric acid for 0.5 hour; and 10N sodium hydroxide for 1 hour with ultrapure water rinses between each treatment. Afterwards, the filters are washed twice with ultrapure water. Finally, 25 of the filters are placed in a Buchner funnel with a light vacuum applied. The filters are then rinsed with approximately 1 liter of ultrapure water or until the pH of the residual water is neutral, as measured by pH indicator paper. 50 ml of methanol is then poured onto the filters and the filters are allowed to dry as the methanol is gently sucked through the Buchner funnel and filters. The funnel is covered with a clean tissue as the filters dry. When completely dry (approximately 20-30 minutes) the filters are stored in a clean, dry container.
0.100±0.002 ml of the coating solution is placed on the center of each of the above filters. This coating procedure is performed within a glove box under clean, dry air conditions. The coating solution disperses itself over the filter and is allowed to dry for one to two hours in the pure atmosphere of the glove box. The coated filters are then stored in clean, airtight vials until used. Filters which are not exposed to a gas sample are used to check background levels of nitrate on the filters (see below).
Prior to use, filter 16 is placed within container 12 and the container placed within a clean, airtight bottle until ready for sampling (to prevent atmospheric gases contacting the filter before ozone sampling). The sampler device is then removed from the sealed bottle and exposed to a selected gaseous environment for a measured period of time, typically one to seven days. When the filter is used for active air sampling, that is, air is mechanically forced through the coated filter, then accurate samples may be taken as low as 30 minutes. Generally, the minimum and maximum flow rates for an active sampler of this invention are 0.2 and 1 liter per minute, respectively. During the sampling period, the nitrite within the coating solution on the filter is oxidized by ozone present in the sampled gas to nitrate. It is this nitrate which is assayed as a measure of the amount of ozone in the sampled gas. Since this reaction is pH-dependent and its rate constant increases with pH, the basic compound, sodium carbonate, is used in the coating solution to keep the collecting medium alkaline. Furthermore, since the oxidation of nitrite by hydrogen peroxide is fast only at low pH, the sampling technique is insensitive to the presence of hydrogen peroxide in the sampled gas. Laboratory experiments indicate that the method is also insensitive to the presence of nitrogen dioxide (another important oxidant) in the sampled gas.
After sampling, the filter is placed into a closed container and the nitrate on the filter is extracted with 5 ml of deionized distilled ultrapure water and sonicated. (A control filter (i.e., a filter not exposed to the sampled gas and from the same batch of filters as that used for sampling, is simultaneously tested for nitrate.) Next, the extract is filtered to remove any fibrous material, then it is analyzed by ion chromatography for the concentration of nitrate. Ion chromatography analysis is performed on a Dionex 2000i instrument. An AG4A guard and AS4A separation column is used at a flow rate of 1.7 ml per minute with a detection range of 10 uS. The eluent is 1.8 mM sodium carbonate and 1.7 mM sodium bicarbonate with a regenerate of 40 mN sulfuric acid.
The amount of nitrate in the extract determined by ion chromatography, or other quantitative technique, allows direct measurement of the ozone present in the sampled gas. The number of moles of ozone collected by the coated filter medium is equal to the number of moles of nitrate formed. Of course, nitric acid gas and nitrate particles collected simultaneously on the alkaline filter medium during ozone sampling may affect the measurement. However, under usual ambient conditions this positive interference represents less than 5% of the nitrate formed during the nitrite ozone reaction. Alternately, reaction of the ozone with organic aerosols collected on the filter media can result in an underestimation of ozone concentration. However, due to the amount of nitrite on the coated filter relative to expected concentrations of organic aerosols, this interference is thought to be relatively small.
Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, active integrated monitor 40 has a replaceable coated filter 42, formed as described above, held within a container having an open face inlet 44 and a screw base 46. Filter 42 is replaced by unscrewing inlet 44 and base 46 and inserting a new filter between the inlet and base. A pump (not shown) is connected to pipe 48 to draw air (shown by arrow 50) through the filter.
The performance of the above active integrated ozone sampler was tested in both laboratory and field experiments. For the laboratory tests, known amounts of ozone, ranging between 50 and 300 μg, were generated using an ozone calibrator. Sampling periods varied between 1 and 12 hours. FIG. 4 compares measurements from the active sampler with a continuous UV-photometric ozone analyzer (manufactured by Thermo Environmental Instruments, Inc., Model 49 having a teflon filter in the input line to prevent particles from entering the monitor; calibrated using an ozone calibrator Model 49PS). The mass of ozone collected by the active sampler were slightly lower (approximately 9%), than those generated by the ozone calibrator. The results of these eight laboratory tests show good agreement between the integrated active sampler and the standard ozone monitor.
In field tests, two active samplers were co-located with a UV-photometric continuous ozone analyzer. Sampling durations were approximately 24 hours. FIG. 5 compares the ozone concentrations obtained from the active samplers and a continuous ozone monitor. Again ozone measurements from the continuous instrument are slightly higher, by approximately 5%.
FIG. 6 compares field and laboratory results obtained from passive samplers to a continuous UV-photometric ozone monitor. Good agreement is again found.
Further laboratory and outdoor experiments were conducted at the U.S. EPA laboratories at Research Triangle Park, N.C., during the period of Feb. 28 through Mar. 28, 1990. The results are shown in Table 1. For the laboratory experiments, the exposure time was 16 hours. Relative humidity varied between <10% and 60%. For one of the chamber experiments, nitrogen dioxide was mixed with ozone to investigate interference of this oxidant with ozone measurements. For all laboratory tests, as shown by Table 1, good agreement was found between the continuous UV analyzer and the above-described passive ozone sampler. The mean difference between the results obtained with these two devices was less than 10%. Furthermore, although only one outdoor experiment was conducted, the results of Table 1 show a good agreement between the two devices.
TABLE 1______________________________________Results from evaluation tests conducted at the U.S. EPA Exposure UV NewTest Relative Time analyzer method DifferenceType Humidity (min.) ppb of 03 ppb of 03 (%)______________________________________chamber <10% 960 125.0 117.0 -6chamber <10% 960 37.0 31.5 -15chamber <10%* 960 30.0 30.8 +3chamber 35% 960 34.0 32.2 -5chamber 60% 960 37.0 39.1 +6chamber <10% 960 15.5 15.9 +3chamber <10% 960 162.0 164.0 +1chamber <10% 960 167.0 168.8 +1chamber <10% 960 150.0 156.9 +5outdoor outdoor 1260 31.0 28.3 -9______________________________________ *In the presence of 76 ppb of NO2.
Other embodiments are within the following claims. For example, referring to FIG. 3, a continuous ozone monitor 20 is formed from a closed container 22 having a membrane 24 which allows gas to enter liquid 26 within container 22 but does not allow liquid 26 to pass. Also provided is a nitrate electrode 28 which continuously monitors the nitrate concentration within liquid 26. Liquid 26 contain nitrite, carbonate and glycerol, as described above; as an ozone monitoring solution. Also provided is an optional fan 30 to cause air (shown by arrows) to be passed over membrane 24.
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Thursday, November 15, 2012
Southern Tier Double Milk Stout
For anyone not familiar with milk stouts, it's essentially a stout that contains lactose. The lactose (sugar from milk which does not ferment in the beer) adds body and sweetness to the beer.
Double Milk Stout, or 2X Stout as it's labeled, is very dark with a slight amber tint. My pour had minimal head and lacing, but I'm willing to chalk that up to user error. I don't exactly pride myself on exceptional pouring skills. There is a lot going on in the aroma, and if I had to describe it in one word, it would be "chewy." It smells very robust with lots of chocolate and coffee, but there is also a roastiness present.
One of the features that attracts me stouts is the smoothness, and Southern Tier has nailed it with this milk stout. It feels thicker than it looks and it goes down silky smooth. The aroma does not betray the flavor either; there is plenty of chocolate and coffee present. However, the flavors are very well balanced and I don't feel overwhelmed by any one flavor in particular. It is very malty and lightly hopped, and I detect a very slight alcohol warmth on the finish.
I don't have a fireplace, but I imagine this would be a great beer for a cold night in front of the fire. I plan to pair my next bottle with dark chocolate. If you're fan of stouts and have not tried Southern Tier's Double Milk Stout, I recommend giving it a shot. If you have, what did you think?
Posted by Paul Thompson at 10:52 PM 0 comments
Labels: Milk Stout, Southern Tier, Stout
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Bison Brewing Gingerbread Ale
We are well into November, which means the Winter seasonal beers have begun to hit the shelves. It's still a bit early in season for my tastes considering the weather is still considerably mild, but I love Winter seasonals so I'm not going to pass them up. My first purchase of the season included Gingerbread Ale from Bison Brewing.
This beer is really dark and pours relatively heavy with a ton of head. The aroma is dark and roasty with some hints of chocolate and caramel. There are also some spicy notes as well, such as cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. It is a full and festive aroma that makes me eager to dive in for a sip.
The first thing I noticed about this beer is how incredibly smooth it is. It does not feel quite as thick as it looks, and in fact, it feels a bit watery. There is plenty of flavor, though, to distract me from this shortcoming. The dark malts take center stage here, but there is a bit of spiciness. The cinnamon and nutmeg give this beer the festive, seasonal flavor that I enjoy, and the ginger is very subtle and not at all overpowering. The first bottle I had tasted a bit boring, but I drank it directly from the refrigerator. The second bottle I drank at slightly above refrigerated temperature and the flavor was much more full and exciting.
This is the first offering from Bison Brewing that I've tired, so I do have a benchmark by which to judge this beer, but it is a solid seasonal. Also, it's USDA certified organic, if you're into that sort of thing. I mention this last because this is a good beer that happens to be organic rather than a beer that is good despite begin organic. While it won't top my list of Winter seasonal beers, it is certainly worth another drink.
Posted by Paul Thompson at 9:32 PM 0 comments
Labels: Bison Brewing, Gingerbread Ale, Orgainc
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True Blood
You Tell Us! Will Jason Choose Hoyt or Jessica?
There are many ways to ruin a perfectly good bromance, but hooking up with your best friend's gal in the back of a pickup truck has to be at the top of the list. Uncool, Jason.
Yeah, yeah, Jason's addicted to Jessica's blood and he can't resist her pale skin and fiery red hair, but Hoyt might not be as understanding as we are. Jason's going to have to make a decision — will he reject Baby V and her alluring fangs in favor of his brother from another mother, or will he succumb to his primal needs?


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God of War: Ascension "From Ashes" Super Bowl 2013 Commercial
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- Written by Khurram Shehzad
Kratos swore an oath in blood to the gods, and ended up losing everything he ever loved. The live-action trailer shows a stylized representation of Kratos and his family just before tragedy transformed him into the Ghost of Sparta.
Video shows that Sony feels confident enough to spend a near fortune on advertising the game. Viewers will only be getting a one-minute version of the trailer. Have a look at the trailer below.
God of War: Ascension "From Ashes" Super Bowl 2013
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The cast of Mad Men got together at the Paley Center for Media's PaleyFest 2014 honoring the show, but what's really important is what they wore. Let's take a look!
Sadly, my favorite January Jones wasn't there. Not sure why. Maybe she's shooting something. Like BIRDS IN HER BACKYARD, AM I RIGHT? (Mad Men joke, okay, moving on.)


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Oceanic BioLite Travel BCD X-Small Black/Blue
Dive Pink & Fight Breast Cancer Includes a $40 Donation
Dive Pink & Fight Breast Cancer Includes a $40 Donation
The Biolite is the newest lightweight BCD by Oceanic weighing only 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg)! This is the ultimate travel BC with a perfect balance of features and benefits that makes Scuba Diving a pure joy. The Biolite keeps things simple with clean, straightforward design that focuses on comfort and convenience. If your travel plans call for lightweight luggage, then the Biolite is definitely for you.
Now with pink accent color for a more feminine look the Biolite Ladies BCD comes in 4 sizes from X-Small to Large. BCD includes a right shoulder carabineer adjustable positioning system. BCD has a low profile back pack that makes it easy to fold in half for traveling purposes. Low profile bladder design and made with Patented Bioflex material- a living fabric" that stretches, flexes and conforms to your body. With a material that can stretch while remaining airtight, Oceanic is able to make a smaller air cell, creating less bulk and drag underwater while achieving high volume of lift when required.
The Biolite comes with torso adjustable shoulder straps and a self-adjusting sternum strap that is equipped with a safety whistle. The streamline, Integrated Weight System accommodates up to 14 lbs (6.4 kg) in dual 7 lbs (3.2 kg) front weight pockets. The Quick Drop" weight release system is easy to load and use. In addition, there are dual 5 lbs (2.3 kg) tank band Non Drop Weight Pockets" which also add stability when used in the water. BCD uses Oceanic's Power Inflator equipped with a cable activated Pull Dump and has an additional lower rear Pull Dump/Overpressure Relief Valve mechanism. The BC provides 32 lbs to 38 lbs (14.5 to 17.24 kg) of lift from the X-Small to the Large Sizes. BC comes with an Owner's Manual.
The Oceanic BioLite Travel BCD is commonly used for Recreation, Warm Water and more. The Oceanic BioLite Travel BCD is popular because customers like the following qualities of the Oceanic BioLite Travel BCD : Comfortable, Durable, Easily Adjustable.
This product has a limited warranty of 12 months.
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Comments about Oceanic BioLite Travel BCD:
So nice to pack for travel, saved a ton of space. Performed Great! Didn't miss my pockets at all, plenty of loops to hook things to. Only thing I'd change is tank strap could stand to be a couple inches lower, not a deal breaker though. Selling my old one.
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Comments about Oceanic BioLite Travel BCD:
I was looking for a travel BCD with a cool water like buoyancy. I fill it with 18 lbs all the pockets, steel tank and 7mm wetsuit with a hood. No problem descending/ascending, very comfortable fit and finish and super light for travel. This is my only BCD for tropics and Southern California dives. There are some mild concerns about weight pockets design but it is something that I can get used to.
Highly recommend!
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Great for travell
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Comments about Oceanic BioLite Travel BCD:
My husband gave me this BCD as a present.
I read that it takes time to get accustomed to use this BCD, and that (because of the air distribution) it puts you face down.
Well, the only trouble I had was in the deflation, because of the air bubbles stuck, but then you get used to make funny movements and the problem is solved.
And about the face down position, it is not truth. You can lay, stand, sit or do whatever you need to do in the position you want to.
It is small and very light, so it's really practical.
And it is so comfy that the first dive I found my self touching it to be sure that I still wearing it.
There is only thing that I would like to be different about my BioLite
- you can't deflate if you don't detach the hose, and when detached it may be difficult to find.
But overall I consider this a perfect BCD.
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Comments about Oceanic BioLite Travel BCD:
This BCD is great for travel but everyday diving can be a bit limited due to no storage pockets. Once you hook all you gear onto this BCD, a diver starts to resemble a christmas tree. This BCD is made very nicely, however, I seen used biolites with the center chest strap torn off and there is no way it can be attached to the shoulder strap again. The quick weight release requires a good finger coordination before the weights can be dumped, something not everyone has during emergencies, thus, I prefer velcro release not this. Also, an issue with holding a tank securely. Overall, you can get it for travel but do get a different BCD for local dives.
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Want to entice others to adopt? Have a favorite four-legged friend at the Adoption Center but can't adopt another one? Sponsor a homeless animal's adoption fee to promote their forever home to come along quickly.
To sponsor a specific animal's adoption fee, please contact Lucy Fox at 610-566-1370 x 222.


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Anyone else catch the premiere last night?
The older brother Jase is pretty funny and worthless.
Off to a good start, but I'll be interested to see how they keep it up without scripting it all to hell.
Anyone else catch the premiere last night?
The older brother Jase is pretty funny and worthless.
Off to a good start, but I'll be interested to see how they keep it up without scripting it all to hell.
watching it now. its hilarious how everybody just $#@!s around while willie tries to keep Duck Commander functioning...
the flooding of the loading dock with Willie yelling he cant fire anybody because they are all "Kinfolk" killed me.
and the Dad and the uncle are awesome..
Last edited by froghorn717; 03-22-2012 at 09:10 PM.
Uncle Si can't drive for $#@!. That was a pretty cool little football field they set up. Willie's wife is cute. They really need to get serious about their business or they're going to piss off customers. Jase reminds me of Step from the movie Extract.
Jase and his dad have some supremely quotable lines. Unfortunately I have a terrible memory for quotes.
I loved the scene where the old man is skinning frogs and giving advice to the grandson. Cracked me up.
From the previews I thought this would absolutely suck but it kinda roped me in, I'm looking forward to next week.
And this is definitely the problem I'll be looking for:
but I'll be interested to see how they keep it up without scripting it all to hell.
These people are the real deal. Knew them through a close friend in Calhoun, LA. Old Phil built duck calls in a little shed next to his mobile home. He still lived in that old mobile home long after he started making big money. Dude can really blow a duck call....of course, he is a multi-national champion.
Uncle Si looks like he has drank too much of his own shine.
"...to kill Delicious meat"
- Phil on a squirrel hunt
"What Willie needs to do if he wants to be more productive....is fire all of us"
- Jase on Willie's plan for "synergy"
and the neighbor, Mountain Man, giving his definition or rather starting to give his definition of "synergy"...$#@!ing gold.
oh man, Phil and Si at Willie's kids career day:
Si: " you ever hear of Vietnam?"
Phil: biting the head off of a duck....then proceeding to clean it. Dressed in full hunting gear.
holy $#@! this show is great
Last edited by froghorn717; 03-28-2012 at 10:33 PM.
I liked it when Phil said, "Jase will risk life and limb to get the frog"
That's exactly the way they do it over there. You lay over the front edge of the boat and the driver rams the boat right up in the weeds/bank and you just grab it. No gig or any of that bull$#@!. Those dudes over there will literally catch 1-2 hundred frogs in a night. They actually have a frog hunting season over there. I guess it's to keep them from wiping them all out.
Swamp People, Sons of Guns, Ragin Cajuns, Bayou Billionaires, Duck Dynasty. Am I missing any others? Is there no end to America's fascination with Boudreaux and Thibodeaux?
Great show. Lived in Moron, right next to West Moron for 3 years. This is a true reality show, I can vouch for it.
Yeah, I was afraid it would go to this quickly. Scripted events to fill time.
Just show them hunting and working in the shop. Don't get the overacting wives involved. They almost make it unwatchable.
still like the show. Its a guilty pleasure so to speak.
however when they were trying to call in the beavers with Si's boombox and Phil shot it while everybody was "asleep", when they were "startled" awake and just started shooting at the tank...yeah that was scripted. Little disappointing but whatevs, show still makes me laugh.
very, very scripted but still good. i look at it as a sitcom with actors and those guys are great actors. Louisiana version of the cosby show.
Let me clarify. Is it scripted? Obviously. I was referring to the way the people are. They are exactly what you see.....guaranteed.
very funny, they have great writers
uncle si cracks me up to no end and damn those rednecks love blowing $#@! up
im also going to guess they have more than 4 workers in that huge ass facility
Watching the beaver hunting episode. First time to watch it. Very enjoyable. I'd consider it a semi scripted reality sitcom based on real personalities. The old guys' obsession with the beavers, and the nam references are funny.
Lol. Uncle Si telling school kids about nam and Phil massacring a duck in the classroom. Clearly scripted but I don't care. I'm enjoying this.
I take a jug of ice tea and this cup everywhere I go.
As the commercials say, "The beards are back" tonight @ 9. Can't wait.
Old article about Phil...SIAP
Interesting guy. Was the QB for ULM ahead of Bradshaw. Quit before his senior year since football interfered with duck hunting and still got a free agent offer from the Redskins. Also has a master's degree in Education.
^ Damn good article, thanks.
I'm a fan. Sure, it's scripted, but the folks are real. Love me some Phil. And even my wife agrees with my crush on Jace's wife. She's damned cute, and pretty funny.
Plus, anyone who has any dumbass redneck "well $#@! . . . I thought that was gonna work" in 'em oughta appreciate their foolish efforts to get some honey, etc. I watch them do stupid $#@!, and think "hell, that's something I would've done."
4 terrible episodes so far. HUGE drop-off from last season.
Really hard to try and watch this. If you enjoy it, sure watch it, but I kind of have a limit for plain old foolishness and this show has way too much of it.
Just ran across this thing. It's awesome. And while I totally get the criticism, some of you need to understand that there is more there than meets the eye.
When the gay dude came to take the pictures of the mom and dad and the dog - the gay guy offers "organic" dog treats for the dog. The dad responds that he could give the dog a squirrel - that's real organic, it doesn't come in a plastic bag and it's free range. And he's right. It's not just hilarious. It's a totally different perspective.
So anyway I really came over here to post that if you google on Korie Robertson, the third "suggestion" is "Korie Robertson feet". Which is really weird.
Before and after the beards. Willie done got himself fat.
I was at heb waiting in line the other day. Saw Si had a book. Downloaded it. It is great. I love Si
no good can come from hillbillies expressing their views :
So Phil made the gays butthurt?
I've never watched it.
These hairy $#@!s are everywhere. I see more bearded rednecks on more products than anybody this side of Spongebob.
Now one of them is being $#@!canned for anti-gay statements (said vagina is better than a man's $#@!). Who the $#@! cares? Isn't this a case of "rednecks gonna redneck"?
Anyway, what's the appeal? Are they funny? What makes them interesting? Why does anybody give a $#@!?
ive seen a couple episodes at my folks house. its a basic scripted "reality" show that usually ends with some moral feel good family lesson. some of the characters seemed kinda funny, but i got tired of it after 3 episodes. just seemed way too forced and contrived. not sure why its soo popular
they have good writers and the duck people do a good job of reading the script
the show was x1000000 better when it was on the outdoor channel and they did much more hunting and stuff
It's humorous in doses but it gets old pretty quick. Clearly scripted but that doesn't bother me. People (mostly rednecks and bible thumpers) take it too far as though there is something existential about them. But there's not. Great marketers.
Count me among those who have never seen an episode, and never plan to.
So glad my wife is into watching some sports channel instead of gag-inducing "reality" tv.
They look like a bunch of a Al-Qaeda terrorists. The show is awful. It makes Hee-Haw looks like Masterpiece Theater.
Never heard of it until a few months ago. Watched about 5 minutes of those hairy rich rednecks messing around and thought this was Louisiana branch of the Honey Booboo clan.
I long for the days of PeeWee Herman.
So you aren't allowed to say that a woman's vagina is better than a man's anus??
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Enjoy your patio with oversized bistro chairs
Be it a small or big space, you can always utilize it. Altering a few items in your patio can make your house look and feel contemporary. Here is a look at some ideas which can help you decorate a patio of any size.
Bistro chairs
There are different types of chairs out there. Many of them can improve the look of your patio. Oversized bistro chairs are best furniture items for any patio. You can check out some elegant wrought iron bistro chairs. Their contemporary design makes them a great addition to any outdoor living space. Their curved back, comfortable seating and stackable design make them functional. You can go for chairs with powder coated steel frames if you want a durable option. Metal patio bistro chair is also a long lasting furniture item. You can pick some metal rocking chairs with antique finish. Such chairs can give your house a great look. Oversized bistro chairs help you relax after those long hectic days. You can call your friends over and have a private tea party whenever the weather is pleasant.
Dining chairs
You can choose different types of upholstered parsons dining chairs for the inner spaces of your house. These chairs can help you have great a time with your family and friends. They certainly add an elegant touch to your house with their thickly-upholstered, scrolled back style. You can use these versatile chairs as accent or dining chairs. Their nice design and look can fit well into any room's décor.
Dining table/coffee tables
Coffee tables can be a good furniture item for the patio while dining tables are the right ones for your dining room. You can pick some multipurpose or extendable tables in order to get the full value of money.
Other than furniture items, you can add plants and fountains to your patio. Fresh flowers and water can give your house a welcoming look. So, make some small changes to your house and get ready to receive loads of compliments.


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Server Maintenance - 10th June; 7 AM - 12 NN (GMT+8)
Attention BlackShot Players,
BlackShot Online will be having a regular Server Maintenance tomorrow, 10th June (Friday) at 7 AM to 12 NN (GMT+8).
Rewards MAYhem (May GS Rewards) will be given tomorrow also.
Please be guided and log out of the game before 7:00 AM to avoid having account problems.
Thank you and enjoy playing BlackShot!
Game Management
BlackShot Operation Team
*Server maintenance time may extend without prior notice.*


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The team spends the time making a case for not only why the game is special but how it should appeal to the Star Wars fan in all of us. Covering the bases of story, voiceovers, companions, exploration, graphical style, and more, the developers hit on all of the selling points of the game while giving first-time viewers a good reason to give this title a shot.
Even if you're a veteran of the Mandalorian War, there should be a tidbit or two in this documentary that's new to you, whether it be absorbing the behind-the-scenes voice recordings or seeing just how big and bushy some of the devs' beards have become. You can watch the full documentary after the jump -- and don't forget to check out our comprehensive guide to launch and beyond!


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Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.You can use your Twitter or Facebook account to sign up, or register directly.
Universal Studios Florida Minor Construction Update 1-11-13
Discussion in 'Universal Orlando' started by Jakester, Jan 11, 2013.


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Offers two approaches to implementing ecommerce functionality in Dreamweaver: adding a shopping cart to an existing site or building a stand-alone solution with PHP and MySQL.
Shows how to create online businesses by leveraging the integration of Business Catalyst and Dreamweaver CS5.
"I'm learning stuff that I wouldn't necessarily have even considered before, due to time and cost. You guys rule." —Nate M.
more from our members »


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New councillor
Posted: November 27, 2012|
Comments (0)
A NEW councillor has been co-opted for the Boniface ward in Crediton.
Andrew Wyer, who has lived in the town for a decade, was chosen after applying for the position in October.
A Lawrence ward vacancy is still available. Anyone interested in applying is asked to contact Crediton Town Council.


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We've been patiently waiting, and wondering when the official nominations were set to come in for this year's 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards... Well, here's the scoop! ABC has just confirmed that the nominations will be announced on The View come the morning of April 30, 2008! Soaps.com will bring you the full list live that morning, so be sure to check back with us for all the latest in this year's Emmy news! If you're watching "The View" that morning, you'll find All My Children stars Rebecca Budig (Greenlee) and Cameron Mathison (Ryan), Farah Fath (Gigi) and John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex) of One Life to Live, Marcy Rylan (Lizzie) from Guiding Light and Van Hansis (Luke) of As the World Turns will join Bryan Dattilo (Lucas) and Alison Sweeney (Sami) from Days of Our Lives as they relay the nominations live Wednesday, April 30.
Pre-Nominations Previously Reported on February 21, 2008:
Soaps.com is excited to bring its readers the pre-nominees for this year's 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards! Although the official and final list of the nominees for the prestigious event will not be made public until a bit later here's a little teaser to fuel your anticipation of who might make the cut!
As we reported back in December, those included in the categories below were chosen through a new method to consist of votes and entries made via an inclusive online and judging entry portal by entrants and judges approved by the Daytime Administration. And the categories are…
Outstanding Lead Actor Pre-Nominees:
All My Children's David Canary (Adam/Stuart), Thorsten Kaye (Zach Slater) and Michael E. Knight (Tad)
As the World Turns's Scott Bryce (Craig), Jon Hensley (Holden), and Michael Park (Jack)
Bold and the Beautiful's John McCook (Eric), Ronn Moss (Ridge) and Jack Wagner (Nick)
Days of Our Lives' Stephen Nichols (Steve), James Scott (EJ), Thaao Penghlis (Tony) and Peter Reckell (Bo)
General Hospital's Steve Burton (Jason), Tyler Christopher (Nikolas) and Anthony Geary (Luke)
Guiding Light's Ricky Paull Goldin (Gus), Robert Newman (Josh) and Ron Raines (Alan)
One Life to Live's Michael Easton (John), Robert S. Woods (Bo) and Jerry verDorn (Clint)
The Young and the Restless' Peter Bergman (Jack), Eric Braeden (Victor) and Christian LeBlanc (Michael)
Outstanding Lead Actress Pre-Nominees:
AMC's Bobbie Eakes (Krystal) and Susan Lucci (Erica)
ATWT's Martha Byrne (Lily), Terri Colombino (Katie) and Maura West (Carly)
Bold and the Beautiful's Susan Flannery (Stephanie), Hunter Tylo (Taylor) and Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke)
Days' Deidre Hall (Marlena) and Alison Sweeney (Sami)
GH's Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), Megan Ward (Kate) and Laura Wright (Carly)
GL's Crystal Chappell (Olivia), and Nicole Forrester (Cassie)
OLTL's Erika Slezak (Viki), Kassie DePaiva (Blair) and Robin Strasser (Dorian)
Passions' Lindsay Hartley (Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald), McKenzie Westmore (Sheridan) and Tracey Ross (Eve)
Y&R's Jeanne Cooper (Katherine), Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki), and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis)
Outstanding Supporting Actor Pre-Nominees:
AMC's Jeffrey Carlson (ex-Zoe), Jacob Young (JR) and Billy J. Miller (Richie)
ATWT's Trent Dawson (Henry), Grayson McCouch (Dusty) and Austin Peck (Brad)
Bold and the Beautiful's William deVry (Storm), Patrick Duffy (Stephen), and Dax Griffin (Shane)
Days' Bryan Dattilo (Lucas), Jay Kenneth Johnson (Phillip), and Joseph Mascolo (Stefano)
GH's Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), Rick Hearst (Ric) and Sebastian Roche (Jerry)
GL's Murray Bartlett (Cyrus), Jordan Clarke (Billy) and Daniel Cosgrove (Bill)
OLTL's Brian Kerwin (Charlie), John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex) and Tuc Watkins (ex-David)
Christopher Maleki (Spike), Phillip Jeanmarie (Vincent) and Eric Martsolf (Ethan)
Y&R's Greg Rikaart (Kevin), Ted Shackelford (ex-William) and Kristoff St. John (Neil)
AMC's Alicia Minshew (Kendall) and Sabine Singh (ex-Greenlee)
ATWT's Kelley Menighan Hensley (Emily), Colleen Zenk Pinter (Barbara) and Marie Wilson (Meg)
B&B's Jennifer Gareis (Donna), Lesli Kay (Felicia) and Heather Tom (Katie)
Days' Judi Evans (Bonnie), Martha Madison (Belle) and Mary-Beth Evans (Kayla)
GH's Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane) and Kimberly McCullough (Robin)
GL's Beth Chamberlin (Beth) Marcy Rylan (Lizzie) and Gina Tognoni (Dinah)
OLTL's Kathy Brier (Marcie), Catherine Hickland (Lindsay) and Bree Williamson (Jessica)
Erin Cardillo (Esme) and Melinda Sward (Pretty)
Y&R's Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren), Judith Chapman (Gloria) and Adrienne Frantz (Amber)
Outstanding Younger Actor Pre-Nominees:
ATWT's Van Hansis (Luke), Jake Siberman (Luke) and Jesse Lee Sofer (Will)
Days' Blake Berris (Nick), Darin Brooks (Max) and Matthew Florida (Ford)
GH's Dylan Cash (Michael) and Josh Duhon (Logan)
GL's Lawrence Saint-Victor (Remy), Tom Pelphrey (ex-Jonathan) and John Driscoll (Coop)
OLTL's Brandon Buddy (Cole), Edward Alderson (Matthew) and Jason Tam (Markko)
Adrian Bellani (Migue) and Blair Redford (Miguel)
Y&R's Hunter Allen (Noah) and Bryton McClure (Devon)
Outstanding Younger Actress Pre-Nominees:
AMC's Melissa Claire Egan (Annie), Chrishell Stause (Amanda) and Leven Rambin (Lily/Ava)
ATWT's Jennifer Landon (Gwen), Alexandra Chando (Maddie) and Marnie Schulenburg (Alison)
B&B's MacKenzie Mauzy (Phoebe)
Days' Shelley Henig (Stephanie), Kristen Renton (Morgan) and Rachel Melvin (Chelsea)
GH's Julie Marie Berman (Lulu) and Kirsten Storms (Maxie)
GL's Mandy Bruna (Marina), Bonnie Dennison (Daisy) and Caitlin Van Zandt (Ashlee)
OLTL's Kristen Alderson (Starr), Farah Fath (Gigi) and Brittany Underwood (Langston)
Danica Stewart (Jessica) and Hannia Guillen (Paloma)
Y&R's Vail Bloom (Heather) Emily O'Brien (Jana), Tammin Sursok (Colleen) and Christel Khalil (Lily)
Soaps.com wants to send a big congrats out to those in the running for an Emmy Nomination! For fans who won't be able to make it to the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California on June 20, 2008, be sure to tune in to ABC for the live event! As always, Soaps.com is determined to bring you special highlights from the Emmy's, including many pre-Emmy parties'! Stayed tuned as Editor-in-Chief, Christine Fix, delivers the goods straight from the red carpet herself!
Let the Emmy hype begin!


text: Healthy Recipes Healthified Chutney Chicken Salad with Couscous Recipe E-mail recipe Print recipe To save this recipe, register now! Quick Info: Servings Contains Wheat/Gluten Nutritional Info (Per serving): Calories: 470, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 610mg, Dietary Fiber: 11g, Total Fat: 4.5g, Carbs: 93g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Protein: 20g Exchanges: Vegetable: 1, Starch: 4, Other Carb: 2, Lean Meat: 1 Carb Choices: 5.5 Recipe Source: Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 20 mins Ingredients 1 3/4 cup(s) broth, chicken, less sodium 1 1/4 cup(s) couscous, 100% whole-wheat 1/2 cup(s) mango chutney, large pieces cut up 1/4 cup(s) vinaigrette, herb, fat-free 6 ounce(s) chicken, breast (cooked), cut into bite size pieces 1/2 cup(s) raisins, golden, or regular raisins 1 cup(s) cucumber(s), coarsely chopped and seeded, or use radishes 1 small cucumber(s), cut into spears Recipe Tip: 75% less total fat • 83% more fiber than the original recipe—see the comparison. Preparation 1. In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to boiling. Stir in couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous lightly with a fork. 2. In a medium bowl, combine mango chutney, olive oil, and salad dressing. Add chicken, raisins, chopped cucumber, and cooked couscous. Toss to coat. 3. Serve with cucumber spears. E-mail recipe Print recipe To save this recipe, register now!


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Below is the poem entitled The Black Mountain which was written by poet
Sivey. Please feel free to comment on this poem. However, please remember, PoetrySoup is a place of encouragement and growth.
Read Poems by
Russell Sivey
High up on the rockiest mountain
A mountain of black stone
Very sharp the flat face
This place has a dark cloud
Floating just over the mountain
It's the only cloud in the sky
Ominous darkness over the black stone
A mountain of doom it is
It will rain on the harsh land
Treacherous the landscape is
Great and mighty
Especially with the large cloud
All power is spread about here
Not many can climb this mountain
The mighty sheer mountain
Of all slate, coal black stone
The cloud seems to be attached
To the dim mountain
A whole scene of darkness
Very hard to see and visualize
To see the top of the mountain
Maybe no one has really seen the very top
They might not be able to reach it
To feel the mightiness of the mountain
What power is there
What a true feel of dominance
A real deliverance of the soul
Into another realm of life
The black mountain
Russell Sivey


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Edited Jun 26 2010, 12:22
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Wow! I know I say this all too often but where does the time go? I am currently about to start my last rotation of third year in a few days and have no idea how that happened. The past year has honestly seemed like one giant blur. Was it yesterday I was aimlessly walking around the halls of Miami Valley Hospital looking for a patient's room? It sure seems like it!
I just finished my surgery clerkship. For any of you that read my blog regularly you probably know I am interested in surgery. Well…I have some news for all of you. I am still interested in surgery! It was great to actually be working hands on and I really felt like I had an immediate impact on my patient's lives. You really get immediate results with surgery (most of the time). Even though the hours were rough, it was probably the most fun I have had during my third year of medical school.
I started out at a physician-owned surgical hospital in Springfield, OH. It was a bit of a drive but it was incredibly fun. There were no residents at this location. That's right! It was just me and the surgeon scrubbed into every case. When you are the only one scrubbed in besides the surgeon you get to do a lot more than just retract (a fancy word for holding a metal device to move tissue out of the way) and suction (blood, water, and even feces). I was what they would call "first-assist" on every surgery. None of the surgeries were very complex but I was getting to do something that I greatly enjoyed. If you are interested in surgery and come to Wright State I recommend doing a rotation there!
The second half of the rotation I was on trauma. While putting in an average of 65 hours a week sounds like a terrible time I was actually enjoying it. The hardest part for me was the down time when nothing was going on (and we were supposed to be studying). However, it is hard to study when you are in a surgery for 7 hours (yes that happened during this rotation but it still isn't the longest surgery I have been in) and answering trauma calls every hour or so. While I definitely enjoyed the surgery aspect of this part of the rotation I do not think I am interest in trauma surgery. Cardiothoracic surgery is where it's at and that is still my number one interest.
Only one more rotation to go until the end of third year. What??!?! I'm still working on finalizing my schedule for fourth year. Less than a year until Match Day where I find out where I live for my residency training! A little more than a year until I am a graduate of the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine! Sometimes it feels like one big dream. As always feel free to contact me with any questions! Talk to you again in a few weeks!