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Download Research Tools
The Microsoft Biology Foundation (MBF) has undergone a significant transformation since it was first released. Over time, it's become clear that a new name was also in order. So today, I am pleased to announce that MBF will now be known as .NET Bio. In addition to the new name, .NET Bio will also have a new location: the Outercurve Foundation. This move is the next logical step in the life of the project: transferring its ownership to a nonprofit foundation that is dedicated to open-source software underscores our community-led philosophy; while Microsoft will continue to contribute to the code, it will do so as one among a growing community of users and contributors.
About .NET Bio
.NET Bio is a bioinformatics toolkit that was built using the Microsoft 4.0 .NET Framework. It is designed for use by developers, researchers, and scientists, making it simpler to build applications to meet the needs of life scientists. This open-source platform features a library of commonly used bioinformatics functions plus applications built upon that framework, and can be extended by using any Microsoft .NET language, including C#, F#, Visual Basic .NET, and IronPython. Users can perform a range of tasks with .NET Bio, including:
Like other frameworks (for example, BioJava and BioPython), .NET Bio can help reduce the level of effort that is required to implement bioinformatics applications through the provision of a range of pre-written functionality.
In addition to enhancements to the performance and capacity of the basic features contained in the previous version, the new version will provide a range of new features and demo applications. This includes:
.NET Bio is now in use by both academic and commercial organizations—including Microsoft—worldwide.
—Simon Mercer, Director of Health of Wellbeing, Microsoft Research Connections
Learn More
The Kinect for Windows SDK beta was honored as one of the "10 Most Innovative Tech Products of 2011" earlier this week at the 2011 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards ceremony held at the Hearst Tower in New York City. Gavin Jancke, general manager of Engineering for Microsoft Research, who led the engineering and release for the Microsoft Research release of the Kinect for Windows SDK beta, accepted the award on behalf of Microsoft.
Award recipients were invited to demonstrate their technologies at a reception following the seventh annual ceremony. Gavin presented the SDK (software development kit) from a developer perspective discussing, among other things, skeletal tracking and raw sensor data. Jacob Vanderplas, an astronomer at the University of Washington, further illustrated the potential applications of the SDK in natural user interface (NUI) technologies with a presentation of the Kinect-controlled WorldWide Telescope concept demonstrator.
From left to right: Jim Meigs, editor in chief of Popular Mechanics; Gavin Jancke, general manager of Engineering for Microsoft Research; and Bill Congdon, publisher of Popular Mechanics, pictured at the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards ceremony
The ceremony was our second visit to New York City in as many months. Previously, we were pleased to present the SDK at the World Maker Faire 2011, which was held at the New York Hall of Science in late September. Maker Faire is an inspiring showcase of creativity and cool technology that celebrates technology enthusiasts of all ages. This year's event attracted 35,000 attendees, up 40 percent from the previous year.
Presenting at Maker Faire 2011
We were joined at this year's Maker Faire by our colleagues from Microsoft Robotics and Microsoft .NET Gadgeteer. Our teams jointly exhibited in a combined tent. We offered attendees just a taste of our technologies that are available for hobbyists, enthusiasts, and educators. The showpieces in our tent were the newly launched Robotics Developer Studio 4 beta and a new reference design robot, EDDIE, available from Parallax, Inc. We also presented two Kinect SDK beta demos: on-board robot sensing and NUI robot control—including a roving "party photographer" robot that proved very popular with young and old alike.
In addition to demonstrating our technologies, we were also honored with two awards at the Maker Faire: an inaugural "Makey" award for Kinect, and an "Editor's Choice" blue ribbon for our combined booth. It was fantastic to see so many people inspired by technology, including our own. We continue to look forward to seeing your inventions and ideas come to fruition.
—Stewart Tansley, Director of Natural User Interface, Microsoft Research Connections
I'm thrilled to be part of a new phase of the partnership between Dean Kamen's FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) organization and Microsoft (including the Microsoft Research Connections group). Last week, FIRST announced that Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360 sensor and the Kinect for Windows SDK beta software will be included in the standard robotics Kit of Parts for the 2012 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) season.
Dean Kamen, an American entrepreneur, inventor, and founder of FIRST, reveals Kinect as part of the 2012 FRC competition
FRC is a unique "Varsity Sport for the Mind," which is designed to help young people discover the interesting and rewarding aspects of engineering and research, while challenging teams and their mentors to solve problems in a six-week timeframe by using a standard Kit of Parts and a common set of rules. The 2012 kit will include Kinect technology, enabling competitors to not just control the robot, but to "be the robot."
By combining the Kinect technology with robotics, competitors will be able to control their robots by using a natural user interface—with potentially no joystick, game controller, or other input device required. Teams will have the option of programming their robots to respond to custom gestures that their human teammates create, or by using default code and gestures. Kinect will be beta tested by using robots built by FIRST students in the coming weeks in preparation for the 2012 competition.
"This is an awesome capability to incorporate into a robot," said Bill Miller, director of FIRST Robotics Competition. "By working with Microsoft, we are able to provide FRC students with an additional high-level sensor capability, adding to the options for our students' strategy on the field as well as delivering a unique robotics experience. This experience will take the competition to a new level, while also helping equip students with the skills and tools to innovate in the twenty-first century."
During the 2011 season, 2,072 FRC teams, totaling 51,800 students, competed at 59 events in the United States, Canada, and Israel. Participants are eligible to apply for nearly US$15 million in scholarships at more than 140 colleges and universities. An estimated 60,000 competitors will have access to Kinect technology in the 2012 competition.
"By putting the amazing capabilities of the Kinect sensor in students' hands, FIRST is able to provide a compelling and powerful new technology for the teams," said Tony Hey, corporate vice president, Microsoft Research Connections. "With so many students already familiar with Kinect for Xbox 360 at home, in school, and lately even on their PCs via the Kinect for Windows SDK beta, I'm sure it will be a popular choice."
We are honored to partner with the amazing FIRST organization and their thousands of student, educator, and parent participants. It is exciting to see so many young people inspired by these technologies and we look forward to being amazed by their creativity during the upcoming competition!


text: Healthy Recipes Spicy Grilled Pork Chops Recipe E-mail recipe Print recipe To save this recipe, register now! Quick Info: Servings Contains Red Meat Nutritional Info (Per serving): Calories: 196, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 159mg, Dietary Fiber: 1g, Total Fat: 9g, Carbs: 3g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Protein: 25g Exchanges: Lean Meat: 3.5 Recipe Source: More Diabetic Recipes Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 11 mins Rest Time: 4 h Total Time: 26 mins Ingredients 4 pork, rib chops, cut 3/4-inch thick 1/4 cup(s) lime juice 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon oil, olive 2 clove(s) garlic, minced 2 teaspoon cumin, ground 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce 1/4 teaspoon salt mango(es), sliced, or fresh chile peppers (optional) Recipe Tip: Marinate 4 to 24 hours. Preparation 1. Place chops in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For marinade, in a small bowl, stir together lime juice, chili powder, oil, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, hot pepper sauce, and salt; pour over chops. Seal bag; turn to coat chops. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally. Drain chops, discarding marinade.2. Place chops on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 11 to 14 minutes or until pork juices run clear (160°F), turning once. If desired, garnish with mango and/or chile peppers. E-mail recipe Print recipe To save this recipe, register now!

subset: commoncrawl


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Collection Outline
Descriptive Summary
Administrative Information
Sunday night. [1914: Dec.]
Friday night. [1915] Feb. 5.
3 p.m. 1915: May 11.
Paris. [1915] Aug. 14.
[1915] Sept. 12. Sunday.
[1915] Sept. 17 (May 17,1915 as per 5/17/82 letter from Willard Bohn, see mss. file 1). Monday.
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Descriptive Summary
|Coligny-Chatillon, Louise de Pillot de
|Coligny-Chatillon, Louise de Pillot de, comtesse, 1881-1963. Letters,
|VMF031[Accession: 1201]
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Information on Louise de Coligny-Châtillon may be found in the numerous critical studies of Apollinaire, in particular Guillaume Apollinaire, by Scott Bates, Twayne, 1967, pp.46, 135. In addition see Apollinaire's Poèms á Lou, avec deux textes d'Andre Rouveyre, Pierre Cailler, 1955. See also Lettres á Lou, edited with Preface and notes by Michel Décaudin, Gallimard, 1969 for Apollinaire's letters to her.
Guillaume Apollinaire, 1880-1918, met Louise de Coligny-Châtillon in Nice in September 1914 and a flamboyant affair began almost immediately. Lou was a member of one of the most illustrious families in Europe, a descendant of the famous Admiral Coligny. Initiallly she was amuned and fascinated by the poet, but not impressed. In anger and frustration Apollinaire joined the army, writing her on December 5, 1914 that he was leaving for the barracks at Nimes the following day. Within a few days she had followed him there. The evidence found in later letters and poems shows that they spend their time there in a frenzy of eroticism. The liaison lasted but a few months; but, they continued to correspond after their affair, having agreed to describe to each other everything, including the intimate physical details, concerning their future involvements. The posthumously published Poèmes á Lou have given us a revealing glimpse into the association. The present letters enhance that view considerably.
A translation of these letters done by Shirley M. (Tuck) Loui is included with the originals.
Gift of Shirley M. (Tuck) Loui, Feb. 19, 1980.
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Collection is open to research.
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Purchase, 1970. Bertrand Rota
Processed: July, 1970
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Sunday night., [1914: Dec.] (1 item (1 p.): ALS)
|Written from Hotel du Midi, Nimes. Declares her love for him. Letter is torn on second fold and first fold has been badly repaired.
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Friday night., [1915] Feb. 5. (1 item (1 p.): ALS)
|[Nice] Opening of letter refers to a poem [by Apollinaire] titled [The Dream] in which a child is repeatedly beaten. Lou elaborates upon this scene and declares her passionate longing for him in explicite physical detail. Evidences interest in flagellation. Page is very large.
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3 p.m., 1915: May 11. (1 item (2 pp.): ALS)
|Describes her recent activities and feelings. Quotes lines [unidentified] from verse he has [written to her]
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Paris., [1915] Aug. 14. (1 item (2 pp.): ALS)
|Informs him of change of address and relates her recent travels in an auto. Asks him to write her at new address.
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, [1915] Sept. 12. Sunday. (1 item (2 pp.): ALS)
|Reaffirms her devotion and passion and discusses briefly Apollinaire's beliefs in the importance of the couple and the symbolic significance of their union. (For interesting explication, see BATES, p. 135)
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, [1915] Sept. 17 (May 17,1915 as per 5/17/82 letter from Willard Bohn, see mss. file 1). Monday. (1 item ( 2 pp.): ALS)
|Remarks upon the verse he sent her. Discusses his development toward a more optimistic outlook and despairs the possible return of an unpleasant pessimism.
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Hope everyone is having a great 2012 so far! I've been trying to stay caught up with the influx of great posts showing up all over the web. Here are a few to share with you:
The Return of the Blogs of the Roundtable (Critical Distance): A blog roundtable has been started (re-started?) that will provide monthly critical thinking themes for anyone interested in games to write about. Here at The Border House, we'd love to host your submissions! "This official re-launch of the Blogs of the Round Table asks you to talk about a game experience that allowed you to experience being other than you are and how that impacted you–for better or for worse. Conversely, discuss why games haven't provided this experience for you and why." If you would like to write about this, feel free to email us your submission at email@example.com. Be sure to include a well-captioned image and a short 2-3 sentence bio for your post! We will do the legwork of contacting Critical Distance for you so that your post will be featured in the monthly roundtable.
Dear Customer Who Stuck Up For His Little Brother (Huffington Post): Thank you to everyone who emailed us this link, which couldn't be any more relevant for The Border House. If you don't have a tissue, grab one.
Designer's Playbook episode: Gender in Games (YouTube): Dominic W. sent us this link to a video he made in which he talks about gender in video games.
Namco Pulls Offensive Soul Calibur V Poster (Digital Battle): Bet you thought it was this one, didn't you? Nope, it was one that featured a closeup of Voldo's crotch. That's right — a gratuitous shot of a woman's breasts is just fine, but a fully clothed male groin shot is too offensive to keep up on their Facebook page.
Passivity and Women in Games (PopMatters): "The male dominated industry has made some visible efforts to include women in their casts and make them more valuable characters. They've just failed spectacularly. Strong, believable, flawed female protagonists are a moving target for developers, even the ones that are certain that they've created them. What is most overlooked is competence."
The Rise, Fall, and Return of Lara Croft (Culture Highs): "This is when it hits me, this is when I realize that Lara Croft is in no way girly, and I begin to quietly idolize."
Help an Indie Designer Create a Female Character (Reddit): "When I was first asked to work on this game I refused on the basis that it seemed quite sexist, and overly objectified women. However, now I am in a position to change anything and everything, I'm at a loss as how to make it much better within the above constraints."
So Maybe Including a Shock-Collar-Wearing Female Slave in The Old Republic Wasn't The Best Idea? (The Mary Sue): "The trouble is that there are very, very few people who can experience a story without bringing in their own personal context. You'd have to either be wildly imaginative or somewhat delusional to ignore your real-world experiences completely."
Amy Hennig, Creative Director at Naughty Dog (PikiGeek): "One of the goals for Saucy Saturday is to bring these women pioneers to light, to show you that women can be creative, they can handle themselves in the industry, and they can be badass. You probably aren't aware that some of the most popular games on the market only exist because women helped create them. So today, our honorary Lady Designer of the Month is Amy Hennig: writer and director for some of the most successful Naughty Dog games."
What other links did we miss? Drop them in the comments, and as always — feel free to email us any links for inclusion at email@example.com.


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Many people come to South Korea with the express purpose of learning more about the Korean War. However, there's more to South Korea than just a history of warfare; South Korea is a beautiful country filled with ancient palaces, charming villages, peaceful temples and excellent food. While its sister country North Korea rots away under a dictatorship, South Korea has thrived under democracy, becoming a major economic player and highly desirable tourist destination. For more information on the Flight Deals to South Korea, click here.
Thailand is world-renowned for its beaches. Some excellent beach resort cities and islands to check out include Hua Hin, Pattaya, Phuket, Ko Samui, Ko Chang, Ko Kut and Ko Samet. If you'd prefer to relax in a more natural setting, you can find tropical rainforests in Khao Sok National Park, stunning waterfalls in Khao Yai National Park and amazing limestone formations in Phang Nga Bay. For more information on the Summer Flight Deals to Thailand, click here.
By Robin Esrock
The postcard islands of Thailand offer the paradise of our imaginations. Yet alongside the coconut trees and squeaky white beaches, expect to find hordes of tourists. Thanks to direct flights from Bangkok, the crowds, and the businesses that compete for them, can be somewhat overwhelming. If you're looking for alternatives to hotspots like Koh Phi Phi and Phuket, put these less-known islands on your radar.
Koh Ngai
With no roads, motorbikes or cars, Koh Ngai is a small island on Thailand's west coast, surrounded by coral and known for its long sandy beaches and turquoise sea water. It's an ideal spot for relaxing on less-crowded beaches, sea kayaking, snorkelling along the coral, or enjoying a coconut cocktail in the rustic thatched beachfront restaurants. Inland from the beach are some great jungle hikes in pristine forest. There are a few good resorts on the east coast of the island, overlooking jagged limestone outcrops that make for spectacular sunrises. The must-see island excursion is popping on a boat to the nearby Emerald Cave, known as one of the seven wonders of Thailand.
Photo credit: Darren Johnson
Flickr Creative Commons
Koh Lanta
This long, narrow island, located in the Krabi Province off the Andaman Coast, is known as a quieter, more relaxing destination for sun and sand seekers. Its white sandy beaches and outstanding snorkelling and diving, coupled with affordable guesthouses and hotels make it one of the Thailand's kept secrets, although in recent years it has been getting more popular. Koh Lanta is made up of an archipelago of some 50 uninhabited islands (a boon for marine life), culminating in the Mu Ko Lanta Marine Park located in the southern end of the island. The local population is known to be more conservative than on other islands, and together with their conservation-minded outlook, and the calm, tranquil seas, Koh Lanta radiates a peaceful ambience and family-friendly vibe.
Photo Credit: Dave B
Flickr Creative Commons
Koh Tao
Koh Tao's past is as colourful as its turquoise waters and emerald jungles. Long a fishing post, it was also pirate hideaway, and later, a prison for political prisoners. Today, it's a prison most visitors will be sad to leave. Koh Tao literally means Turtle Island, and it's the abundance of marine life that makes this southern Gulf Coast island one of the best diving spots in Southeast Asia. Keeping the environment pristine is taken seriously, which is why you'll find no plastic bags on the island. Rent a scooter to explore some of the fantastic beaches and viewpoints around the island, or explore various trails and sea kayak routes. An important breeding area for marine turtles, Koh Tao's diving reputation makes it the ideal spot to get your PADI certification, or simply snorkel out from its many white sandy beaches.
Photo Credit: Victoria Peckham
Flickr Creative Commons
Robin Esrock is a Vancouver-based travel writer, and host of the TV series Word Travels. Having visited over 100 countries on 6 continents, he'll check-in monthly with exciting suggestions for your next adventure.
Ready to discover South America? There are so many great places to visit during this time of year. Why not explore the idea of hiking at Machu Picchu when it's not too hot, enjoy avoiding the crowds and seeing the colorful foliage in Buenos Aires, play on the Rio de Janeiro beaches, or maybe even adventure to the Galapagos Islands off of the coast of Ecuador. With so many great options in South America, it is worth checking out the great deals we love to share with you.
1. Get on a Bicycle
Colombia takes its bicycles seriously, so much so that each Sunday and most public holidays whole sections of Bogota, Cali and Medellin are cordoned off and reserved for a festive gathering of cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers and pedestrians. Dating back to the 1970's, the Colombian concept of Ciclovia has proven so popular that it has since spread around the world, including events held in Canada. In Bogota, up to 2 million locals gather each week, enjoying the space and atmosphere on 120km of car-free city streets. A range of activities include musical performances, markets and dancing, adding to the festivities. Tourists are welcome to join in the fun, with bicycle rentals available from vendors close to the hotel district.
2. Drink the Coffee
Colombia produces some of the world's finest coffee, enjoyed by locals, visitors, and aficionados around the world. It is mostly grown on the Andes mountains, in an area known as the Coffee Region, and is served black "tinto", with a distinctive mellow aroma. Locals will be drinking coffee at all times of the day – in coffee shops, restaurants, bars or on the streets – but to really get under the skin of the bean, you can visit the source in the Coffee Triangle. Here you'll find the National Coffee Park, a theme park devoted to the drink, as well as farms and plantations open to the public. UNESCO has declared the region a World Heritage Site. Wherever you find yourself, drinking coffee with passionate locals is a true Colombian experience.
3. Enjoy the Carnivals
Colombian love to let their hair down, celebrating at vibrant, colourful events that take place throughout the country. The Barranquilla Carnival is perhaps the most famous annual party, taking place in the four days preceding Lent. The Carnival rivals Brazil for its costumes, parades, music and theatre. Salsa dancers from around the world gather in Cali in December for the annual Cali Fair, while the Black and Whites Carnival takes place in January in the south-western town of Pasto. Meanwhile, Bogota's Ibero-American Theatre Festival competes with Edinburgh as the world's biggest arts and theatre spectacle. Taking place every two years around March/April, the festival lasts 17 days with over 600 acts converging on the city from around the world.
Robin Esrock is a Vancouver-based travel writer, and host of the TV series Word Travels. Having visited over 100 countries on 6 continents, he'll check-in monthly with exciting suggestions for your next adventure.
Congratulations to Toby C. and Melissa D.!
Each winner got a C$250 travel voucher with BudgetAir.ca
Thank you all for the great packing tips and awesome participation.
As usual, the Travel Guru had a very hard time choosing the winners. There were some really good tips, and interesting ideas.
Here are the winners of February's Travel Guru contest and their tips:
"Best tip to hit the slopes on a budget! CALL! Phone and ask what kind of deals they have to offer and you'd be surprised! :)" T.C.
"The best ways to hit the slopes on a budget:
– look for early bird specials for season passes
– check for specials on a regular basis and sign up for reminders
– travel in low season (avoid december holidays/march break) or go through the week
– pack snacks in a backpack…apres ski/hilltop chalets can cost a bit – or share a meal with a friend :)
– when buying gear, shop in April or go to the ski/snowboard trade show in your area or try second hand by shopping online or at a place like sports swap" M.D.
Now is time to put these tips into practice!
Good travels from our Team at BudgetAir Canada.
Fun in the Philippines — from $965
Pack your bags and fly to the Philippines for less. We bet these awesome deals will make you forget all about this winter.
For inspiration and ideas for traveling to the Philippines, check out one of our most recent blogs — Top 3 Places to Visit in the Philippines
It is almost time for the Travel Guru to pick two winners for the "Best hit the slopes on a budget tip" contest.
We want to thank all of you for sharing your tips.
It's nice to hear that you are enjoying the winter and doing some amazing snow sports!
Please keep your tips coming, you still have double the chance of winning a C$250 travel voucher!
Remember to: enter your tip on our Facebook wall: http://www.facebook.com/BudgetAirCanada and good luck!
Here are our top 5:
"Lifts and resort staff are your best friends for local / insider tips. Chat them up while you're waiting for your chair and see if they will spill the beans!" Jen G.
"Best tip to hit the slopes on a budget! CALL! Phone and ask what kind of deals they have to offer and you'd be surprised! :)" Toby E. C.
"The best ways to hit the slopes on a budget is to buy discount vouchers online ahead of time with a ski and hotel package close to home, this will give you a 50% to 80% savings sometimes. Some vouchers include ski rental equipments too. More cash in your pockets left to splurge on a nice meal after skiing or snowboarding." Patti C. S.
"The best ways to hit the slopes on a budget:
– look for early bird specials for season passes
– check for specials on a regular basis and sign up for reminders
– travel in low season (avoid December holidays/march break) or go through the week
– pack snacks in a backpack…apres ski/hilltop chalets can cost a bit – or share a meal with a friend :)
– when buying gear, shop in April or go to the ski/snowboard trade show in your area or try second-hand by shopping online or at a place like sports swap" Melissa D.
"Hitching a ride with your ski's on your backpack. Wait for someone with their own ski's strapped on their roof. Pretty safe bet for a ride and you may get offered a couch for the weekend. If you don't then stay at the nearest hostel.. lots of ski hills have them. You get to meet lots of new people and next trip may be even cheaper if you make new friends that live at the hill or have a cabin there!" Pepi C.
With over 7000 islands, there's something for everyone in the Philippines, an oddly overlooked country in Southeast Asia. Here's my three favourite places to put on your radar.
The region of Bohol is one of the most popular destinations in the Philippines, with quirky attractions to make it unique. It's also got some of the country's best beaches, notably on Panglao Island, located a short a short drive from the regional capital of Tagbaliran City. Bohol's star attraction however is the Chocolate Hills, an otherworldly landscape comprised of 1200 limestone conical hills. Not far away is the only place to encounter a curious little creature called the tarsier, the second smallest primate in the world. You'll spot them clinging to trees off the footpaths in a protected sanctuary. Another must-do is a lunch cruise on the Luboc River, a comfortable and delicious setting to explore the lush jungle and its vibrant communities.
El Nido is a chain of 45 jagged limestone islands, located at the north of the province of Palawan. The province has the highest number of islands in the Philippines, the least amount of people, and due to its wealth of protected areas, is proudly referred to as the "Last Ecological Frontier." Amongst the most beautiful is El Nido, home to some of the world's best diving, a range of gorgeous (and eco-friendly) hotels, and dreamy islands straight out of a paradise calendar. Traditional outriggers can deposit you on your island for the day, completely private and deserted. Just make sure they remember to pick you up! There are also daily excursions to turquoise lagoons on Maniloc Island, the aptly shaped Snake Island, and spectacular caves and coves.
Quezon City and Manila are notoriously crowded, which is why many visitors prefer the less-hectic Cebu City, the capital of Cebu province. Here you can visit Magellan's Cross, planted by the explorer on the shores of Cebu in 1521. Check out the country's oldest religious relic at the impressive 16th century Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, or perhaps take a Jeepney at sunset for a beautiful view atop TOPS, a popular romantic spot with locals. A few hours drive away are world-class beaches on Bantayan and Malapascua Islands.
Cebu, Palawan and Bohol are easily accessible with low-cost local airlines departing regularly from Manila.
Robin Esrock is a Vancouver-based travel writer, and host of the TV series Word Travels. Having visited over 100 countries on 6 continents, he'll check-in monthly with exciting suggestions for your next adventure.
Click here to visit BudgetAir Canada now!
Would you be my Valentine?
Whether you are searching for your soul mate or you just want to take your better half on an unforgettable vacation, Paris has that romance vibe you are looking for.
Fall in love with these deals and book your flight to Paris today. Our deals always include all taxes and fees.
Wishing you a Happy Valentine's day.
BudgetAir Canada Team.


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Clinical Trials
Current Clinical Studies
The UAB Department of Dermatology is seeking patients for participation in clinical trials. All of our studies provide free medication and an evaluation by our dermatology staff. The following conditions are currently under study or will be starting soon.
- Childhood Acne
- Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL)
- Dysplastic Nevi
- Epidermolysis Bullosa
- Hand dermatitis
- Nail Psoriasis
- Onychomycosis (toenail fungus)
- Psoriasis
- Psoriatic Arthritis
- Sarcoidosis
We also have two long term follow up studies including:
- Atlas (for patients already on Amevive) and
- PSOLAR (for patients on biologic therapies for psoriasis)
Please contact Wendy Cantrell at (205) 502-9960 or firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.


text:
Designed by Patricia Urquiola
Manufactured by Gandia Blasco
Product code: GAN-MANGAS-MR*
Rug design based on a patchwork of different wool knits. Four different shapes available, to combine as 'sleeves' (Mangas) or to work as freestanding elements. Three colourways for each shape.
Mangas Rectangular is available in two sizes;
145 x 300cm
170 x 240cm
Product downloads
4-6 weeks
Accessories orders over £100 free for Mainland UK.
Non-Mainland UK and International options available in basket
Mangas Pouf Caramelo
Mangas Pouf Globo
Mangas Pouf Campana
Mangas Farol
Mangas Campana
Mangas Rectangular
Mangas Globo


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We live in a violent society.
When I first became a police officer, I carried a six-shot revolver. Portable radios were bigger and heavier than bricks. There were no cages in the patrol cars, and the patrol cars had a red light and a blue light on top. At least I had TWO lights on my car! The idea of in-car computers was science fiction.
After a little over a year on the street, I was in my first shooting with that six-shot revolver.
Technology has changed a lot of things related to police work and personal defense, but the primary weapon has never changed.
You are the weapon. The gun is a tool.
We live in a violent society. If you carry a gun for personal defense, you must be fully prepared for an armed confrontation. For most of us, that means we go out and buy a gun. We may buy some practice ammunition and go to the range. Some of us may even get good training on how to shoot the new gun. But we haven't started our weapon training, because YOU ARE THE WEAPON. THE GUN IS A TOOL.
Like any good warrior, you need to prepare yourself mentally for battle. The first step is to ask yourself one simple question.
Am I prepared to kill another human in self-defense?
This may not be an easy question to answer at first, and that is OK, as long as your indecision occurs in the safety of your own home or in a training environment before you carry the gun. Most of us have been hardwired to be kind and gentle. That is a healthy thing in day-to-day society. The problem is, not everybody plays by those rules.
We live in a violent society.
To prove this point, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that in 2009 there were 1,318,398 victims of violent crime in the United States. That same year 15,241 of our citizens were killed by violence.
As of this writing in the fall of 2010, the U.S. Government reports that 5,721 service personnel were killed in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Operation Enduring Freedom began in 2001 after the September 11 attacks. We can all agree that the loss of 5,721 brave American service personnel is a terrible loss.
The shocking fact is that during that same time period from 2001 to 2009, we had 146,078 people killed within our own borders! Nearly 30 times more people were killed in the U.S. than were killed in two wars.
We live in a violent society.
Are you prepared to kill another human in self-defense? It can be a scary and difficult question.
In his book On Combat, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman cuts to the heart of this question:
- If you have no capacity for violence, then you are a healthy, productive citizen: a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath: a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? Then you are a sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking in the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.
Are you a sheepdog? Are you a warrior?
You may need to ask yourself some religious questions. Do your spiritual beliefs allow you to kill in self-defense? Some belief systems completely prohibit the taking of a human life. If you believe that, then follow through with your beliefs, but do not carry a gun unless you are willing to use it.
You must understand that there is a difference between killing and murder. As a legally armed citizen, you have the right to protect yourself and others from serious physical harm or death. Having killed in the line of duty as a police officer, I am grateful to know that I am not a murderer. The laws of man and my spiritual beliefs allow me to use deadly force in defense of myself and others.
As a young police officer, I asked myself how I would feel if I had to kill someone. I thought about "Thou shalt not kill." My personal research led me to understand that the Commandment actually means "Thou shalt not commit murder." That was my personal conclusion. If that is an issue you need to address, seek guidance from spiritual leaders you trust. Research the texts of your beliefs. Be at peace with whatever conclusion you decide upon.
Your social beliefs may prohibit you from using deadly force. Many kind-hearted people try to change the world every day but could not shoot someone to defend themselves. Unfortunately, this occurred in the police department where I worked.
The following description of the event is from the FBI Uniform Crime Report on Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted in 2002:
A Dayton police officer with nearly two years of law enforcement experience was critically wounded after responding to a domestic disturbance call at 3:30 p.m. on May 15, 2000. The 40-year-old officer and her partner were in their patrol vehicle en route to the residence where a man was reported to have shot at his girlfriend and her four-year-old son. The suspect was leaving the residence as officers arrived, and a short car chase ensued. He stopped his vehicle, exited with a .30-caliber semiautomatic rifle and aimed it at the victim officer's partner. Both officers exited the patrol vehicle and took cover, the partner behind the vehicle and the officer behind the vehicle's right front fender as four other officers arrived at the scene.
The first officers at the scene ordered the man to put down his weapon, but he replied that if they didn't drop their weapons, he would shoot them. A little more than a minute later, the suspect reportedly approached the officer, who had taken cover behind the right front fender of the police car and told her to drop her gun or he would "blow her head off." The officer, who was wearing body armor, placed her gun on the ground and raised her hands. The suspect then shot the victim officer in the neck from less than five feet away. Her partner returned fire and shot the man six times.
The 21-year-old offender, who was on conditional release pending criminal prosecution, was known to law enforcement as a drug dealer. He was treated for his wounds, then charged with three counts of Felony Assault, two counts of Aggravated Robbery, one count each of Child Endangerment, Failure to Comply, Carrying Concealed Weapon, Having Weapons Under Disability, and Unlawful Possession of Dangerous Weapons. The victim officer was left quadriplegic as a result of the shooting and died of her injuries on August 25, 2002, at the age of 43.
I knew this officer and worked with her. I knew the other officers on the scene and worked with them. I was not on the scene of that incident. I do not know why the officers did not shoot the suspect before he fired. I do know that there were some people there who were not prepared to kill someone in the line of duty. As a result, Mary died.
You must be prepared to use the gun if you carry the gun. I have heard people say that they will just "flash" the gun and that will scare the bad guys away. That is complete and utter foolishness.You have the gun to deliver deadly force under legal guidelines. Almost all states consider "flashing" the gun to be a crime. More importantly, you have just told the "wolf" that you have a gun. He may want to take it from you, and the "wolf" may just be crazy enough to try. You had better be ready to deliver accurate, lethal fire under appropriate conditions.
You must also consider how your use of deadly force will affect the people you love. They need to be a part of this discussion. You may carry the gun, but they will carry the burden with you if you ever have to kill in self-defense. Settle all the questions long before they can haunt you. Be settled in your mind that you are prepared to use deadly force as it is legally allowed where you live.
Consider these factors before you go forward with your self-defense plans. Make informed and intelligent decisions that you can live with, so if you do carry a gun, you will not hesitate. We all know that "He who hesitates is lost." This is especially true in a gunfight.
Be mentally and spiritually prepared to protect yourself and the people you love. Then go get the gun, get good training, and always remember: You are the weapon. The gun is a tool.
Categories: All Articles and Defensive Training Concepts.
Tags: carrying concealed, ccw, conceal and carry, concealed carry, concealed weapons, deadly force decisions, pdn, personal defense, and personal defense network.


text:
A platform for connecting to a CCS7 network for supporting concurrently running CCS related applications. Copies of the SUs flowing through the network are sent to the platform where the FISUs, LSSUs and MSUs are filtered to provide the desired SU type for each of the applications. The MSUs are filtered by MSU category and MSU type within category into groups of MSUs of particular interest to the applications, respectively. Linked lists of filter elements associated with the respective linksets of the CCS7 network perform the filtering by comparing category and type fields to the MSU categories and types to form the groups. Filter change data received at a user interface is utilized to modify the filters.
1. A platform for use with a Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (CCS7) network which transports SS7 Signal units (SU) therethrough, wherein an SU can be of an SU type including a Fill-In Signal Unit (FISU) type, a Link Status Signal Unit (LSSU) type or a Message Signal Unit (MSU) type, wherein an MSU can be of an MSU category that is one of a plurality of MSU categories, said platform supporting a plurality of concurrently executable application software programs for processing SUs in accordance with diverse application functionality, respectively, said platform comprising:
input interface means for receiving copies of said SUs from said CCS7 network, and
filtering means for separating said SUs into groups of MSUs of interest to said plurality of application software programs, respectively,
said filtering means including SU filter means responsive to said copied SUs for passing said MSUs,
said filtering means further including MSU filter means responsive to said MSUs passed by said SU filter means for separating said MSUs into said groups in accordance with said MSU category,
said platform operative to direct said groups to said application software programs, respectively.
2. The platform of claim 1 wherein an MSU of an MSU category can be of an MSU type within said MSU category,
said MSU filter means being further operative to separate said MSUs into said groups in accordance with said MSU type.
3. The platform of claim 2 wherein said CCS7 network includes signaling linksets for transporting said SUs, said MSU filter means comprising:
a plurality of linked lists of filter elements, each linked list being associated with one of said linksets,
each said filter element including a field for identifying one of said application software programs, a field for identifying said MSU category and a field for identifying said MSU type,
said MSU filter means being operative for comparing said MSUs passed by said SU filter means with said filter elements so as to separate said MSUs into said groups.
4. The platform of claim 3 wherein said field identifying said MSU type comprises a bit map of MSU types where each bit of said bit map represents a separate MSU type.
5. The platform of claim 4 wherein said MSU filter means is operative to separate an MSU into a group based on said field identifying one of said application software programs.
6. The platform of claim 3 further including:
user interface means for entering filter change data into said platform, and
filter change means for entering said filter change data into said filter elements.
7. The platform of claim 6 wherein said filter change data relates to said application software programs, said MSU categories and said MSU types,
said filter change means being operative to enter said filter change data into said fields of said filter elements in accordance with said application software programs, said MSU categories and said MSU types.
8. The platform of claim 6 wherein said filter change data includes linkset related data,
said filter change means being operative to modify said MSU filter means in accordance with said linkset related data.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the telecommunications Common Channel Signaling (CCS) network particularly with respect to an applications platform therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Telephone systems throughout the Unites States presently include a CCS network overlay on the conventional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The CCS network is preferably implemented utilizing the Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) protocol and is often referred to as the Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (CCS7) network.
The CCS7 network is a packet switched network that comprises nodes called Signaling Points (SP) and digital links that interconnect the SPs. The SPs are of three basic types; namely, the Signaling Transfer Point (STP), the Service Control Point (SCP), and the Service Switching Point (SSP). The PSTN communicates with the CCS7 network via the SSPs located at the telephone company switching offices such as the end offices and tandem offices. The SSPs are connected to the STPs via digital links and an STP is coupled to an SCP via digital links. The SCPs are databases containing telephone company, subscriber and call related data. The digital links interconnecting the SPs are formed into linksets.
CCS7 separates the signaling function that sets up and supervises a call from the switched voice/data path of the call through the PSTN. Prior to CCS7, the signaling information was carried in-band on the voice/data path.
The CCS7 network conveys data packets called SS7 Signal Units (SU) generated by the SSPs and routed by the STPs. Three types of Signal Units are specified for signaling on the CCS7 network. These are denoted as Message Signal Units (MSU), Link Status Signal Units (LSSU) and Fill-In Signal Units (FISU). CCS7 network links idle by transmitting FISUs. The LSSU conveys link status information between points of the network.
The MSU carries network information and is utilized to convey call set-up and supervision signaling. The MSU also controls transaction oriented functions such as data base queries and responses to the SCPs. An MSU can be of a particular category. For example, an ISUP MSU includes an Integrated Services Digital Network User Part and is generally utilized to transfer call set-up and supervision signaling information. An SCCP MSU includes a Signaling Connection Control Part which provides routing and management functions for transfer of messages other than for call set-up. Query and response MSUs will be of the SCCP category and will include a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP). An SCCP TCAP MSU will generally be utilized in such transaction oriented functions as queries and responses to SCPs.
An MSU of a particular category can be of a variety of types. For example, an ISUP MSU can be an Initial Address Message (IAM), a Continuity Check Message (COT), an Address Complete Message (ACM), an Answer Message (ANM), or a Release Message (REL).
Other categories of MSUs are the SCCP Unitdata and the SSCP Unitdata Service which have message types of TCAP query, TCAP response, TCAP conversation, and TCAP unidirectional.
The above discussed MSU categories and MSU types within the categories are merely exemplary. Numerous other MSU categories and MSU types are known in the SS7 protocol for performing a variety of functions.
Systems are known in the prior art that couple to the CCS7 network for performing specific dedicated applications. For example, an article in TELECOMMUNICATIONS of July 1987, volume 21 number 7, pages 67-71, entitled "SS7 Testing Tools" by B. Nelson, describes equipment for testing the CCS7 network. The equipment is manufactured by Hewlett-Packard as the Signaling Test Set HP37900D. This equipment can record information at a network point and limited analysis can be performed thereon in an ad hoc fashion.
Another dedicated system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,718 issued Nov. 29, 1988, entitled "Call Data Collection And Modification Of Received Call Distribution". The disclosed system collects call data from an STP link and processes the call data to perform traffic analysis.
Another such dedicated system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,929 issued Apr. 16, 1991, entitled "Billing System For Telephone Signaling Network". The system of said U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,929 captures MSUs received by an STP and processes the MSUs to identify, as a service provider, a telephone company that transports an MSU, or a telephone company that provides call data for an MSU, for example, in response to an MSU query. The MSUs are also processed to identify as a recipient for the service, the telephone company that formulated the MSU.
It is appreciated that a telephone company such as an RBOC cannot readily obtain knowledge of the Signal Unit traffic flowing through its CCS network. As discussed, a dedicated system can be designed and deployed to connect to the network to analyze the Signal Unit traffic in accordance with a specifically desired "built-in" application. This approach is wasteful of interface and processing resources, particularly when plural and diverse applications are desired. Analysis of the traffic is done off-line in an ad hoc fashion by the department of the telephone company that desires the traffic data.
The present invention provides a platform for supporting plural application software programs related to processing SS7 Signal Units flowing through the CCS network for extracting and deriving various types of specialized information therefrom, respectively. The platform receives SS7 Signal Units copied from the CCS network and screens and filters the Signal Units into respective subsets that are of particular interest to the plural applications running on the platform. The filtered subsets of Signal Units are directed to the applications, respectively, for processing. Thus, the applications run independently with respect to each other. Generally, FISUs are discarded prior to filtering and LSSUs will be screened prior to filtering and directed to highly specialized applications that require the LSSUs. The MSUs that remain after screening out the FISUs and LSSUs are then filtered by MSU category, and type within category, into the subsets that are appropriate for the respective applications. These filtered subsets of MSUs are then directed to the respective applications for the specialized processing for which the applications are designed. The applications can run concurrently to process the respective subsets of filtered MSUs.
In the preferred embodiment, input ports of the CCS network interface of the platform receive T1 channelized SS7 Signal Units copied from the links and linksets of the CCS network. The filtering is preferably performed on a per linkset basis where the MSUs are first grouped by linkset and then filtered for category and type. A further embodiment may perform the filtering on a per link basis.
External control of the filtering functionality is provided through a user interface whereby a user can specify desired filtering in accordance with application, linkset, Signal Unit type, MSU category and MSU type. For example, a user, such as an application owner, can access the platform for filter control from a terminal at an administration site.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the formats of the SS7 Signal Units.
FIG. 2 is the standard routing label which is placed at the beginning of the SIF of the MSU of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the Common Channel Signaling--Information Platform (CCS-IP) of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram of the link message data structure utilized for input SU formatting in the Network Interface Platform of the CCS-IP of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a diagram of the linked structure of the MSU filters of the Network Interface Platform of the CCS-IP of FIG. 3.
FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c are diagrams of the data structures of elements utilized in the MSU filtering structure of FIG. 5. FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c illustrate the link filter array element, linkset filter element and filter element, respectively.
FIG. 7 is a diagram of the format of the data structure of the application message passed by the MSU filters of FIG. 5 to the applications running on the CCS-IP.
FIG. 8 is a diagram of the linked filter change structure utilized by the filter manager of the Network Interface Platform of the CCS-IP of FIG. 3.
FIG. 9 is a diagram of the data structure of the filter change element utilized in the filter change structure of FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is a diagram of the linked filter structure of the master filter structure and elements of the master station of the CCS-IP of FIG. 3.
FIGS. 11a, 11b and 11c are diagrams of the data structures of the elements of the master filter structure and elements of FIG. 10. FIGS. 11a, 11b and 11c illustrate the master linkset element, application element and master filter element, respectively.
FIG. 12 is a diagram of the linked filter structure of the server filter structure and elements of the application data server of the CCS-IP of FIG. 3.
FIGS. 13a and 13b are diagrams of the data structures of the elements of the server filter structure and elements of FIG. 12. FIGS. 13a and 13b illustrate the server linkset element and server filter element, respectively.
FIG. 14 is an illustration of a user interface window displayed on the master console of FIG. 3 for configuring the filter MSU category pursuant to an application and linkset.
FIG. 15 is an illustration of a user interface window displayed on the master console of FIG. 3 for configuring the filter MSU type pursuant to MSU category, application and linkset.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 1 illustrates the formats of the MSU, the LSSU and the FISU. FIG. 2 illustrates the standard telephone label format of the SIF of the MSU. These formats are in accordance with North American (ANSI) Standards as promulgated by Bell Communications Research in Bellcore TR-NWT-000246, Issue 2, June 1991, Revision 3, December 1993. The indicated fields are as follows:
BIB=Backward indicator bit
BSN=Backward sequence number
CK=Check bits
DPC=Destination point code
FIB=Forward indicator bit
FSN=Forward sequence number
LI=Length indicator
N=Number of octets in SIF
OPC=Originating point code
SF=Status field
SIF=Signaling information field
SIO=Service information octet
SLS=Signaling linkset selection.
The label of FIG. 2 has a length of 56 bits and is placed at the beginning of the SIF. The DPC indicates the signaling point for which the message is intended, while the OPC indicates the signaling point which is the source of the message. The SLS field is used by the signaling system to balance Signal Unit routing for load sharing.
The LI differentiates between the three types of Signal Units as follows: the FISU has an LI of 0; the LSSU has an LI of 1 or 2; the MSU has an LI greater than 2. The SIO contains a Service Indicator (SI) which identifies the message category of the MSU (ISUP, SCCP, etc.) The SIF contains an identification of the message type within the message category. For example, an ISUP message can be of type IAM, ACM, etc. For message category ISUP, the tenth byte of the SIF identifies the message type and for message category SCCP the message type is found at byte 8 of the SIF. The TCAP and SCCP parts are contained in the SIF.
Referring to FIG. 3, a schematic block diagram of the CCS-IP 10 of the present invention is illustrated. The CCS-IP 10 is shown connected to the CCS7 network 11 of an RBOC but could be utilized with any CCS7 network. The network 11 comprises an arbitrary set of Signaling Points interconnected by digital linksets. For example, the network 11 includes STPs 12 and 13 interconnected by a digital linkset 14. A Link Interface Device (LID) is connected to the linkset 14 for copying SUs transported between STPs 12 and 13. STP 12 is the near end point of the linkset 14 and STP 13 is the far end point. The STP 12 also terminates a linkset 16 that could terminate at another point within the network 11 or at a point outside the network. The far end terminating point of the linkset 16 could be another STP or an SSP in an End Office or Tandem Office. The SSP may or may not be owned by the RBOC that owns the network 11. For example, the linkset 16 may terminate at an SSP in an End Office of an Alternate Exchange Carrier (AEC). Additionally, linksets terminating at the STP 12 or the STP 13 can be utilized for connections to SCPs (not shown).
The LID 15 duplicates the SUs traversing the linkset 14 and provides the duplicates thereof in channelized T1 format on T1 links 17. Although only one linkset 14 with the associated LID 15 is illustrated, it is appreciated that groups of, or all of the linksets of the network 11 may be similarly configured with LIDs to provide copied SUs on T1 links similar to the links 17. For example, T1 links 18 may provide SUs from these other linksets. Numerous commercial devices are available for implementing the LID 15. For example, the DEXCS manufactured by DSC Inc. may be utilized for this purpose.
Although the LID 15 is illustrated connected adjacent to an STP, it is appreciated that the CCS-IP 10 can be connected with respect to other SPs of the network.
The CCS-IP 10 is comprised of a plurality of Network Interface Platforms (NIP), a representative one of which is identified by reference numeral 20. The NIP 20 is a front end processing system for the CCS-IP 10 utilized to terminate T1 links, such as links 17 and 18.
The CCS-IP 10 also includes a plurality of application data servers, a representative one of which is identified by reference numeral 21. The server 21 may be implemented by any suitable high end data processing system, such as the U6000 departmental server available from Unisys Corporation of Blue Bell, Pa. The NIP 20 and the server 21 are shown intercoupled through a conventional interface 22 in a host/client relationship. The interface 22 could be implemented on any high performance bus such as Ethernet, Multibus II, VME or SCSI. Communication between the server 21 and other NIPs of the CCS-IP 10 are through such interfaces as schematically indicated at reference numeral 23.
The server 21 supports a plurality of independent applications 24 which may run concurrently. The outputs of the applications 24 are transmitted to a departmental user 25, such as the Revenue Accounting Office (RAO), of the RBOC. Communication with the departmental user 25 is through a conventional Data Communications (DATACOM) interface 26, such as X.25. The departmental user 25 receives outputs from other application data servers of the CCS-IP 10, as schematically indicated at reference numeral 27.
The server 21 receives an input from a time standard 30 to provide synchronization of clocks. The time standard 30 is preferably implemented by a Global Positioning System (GPS) Time Machine. However, a variety of other clock synchronization methods may be used. Time synchronization is provided to the Network Interface Platform 20 through the interface 22, as indicated by reference numeral 31.
The network 11 is geographically dispersed through the region controlled by the RBOC that owns the network. The CCS-IP 10 includes a plurality of servers, such as the server 21, at various sites throughout the region. Each server is coupled to one or more NIPs, such as the NIP 20, so as to connect to the various signaling linksets of the network 11. The SS7 SUs flowing through the network 11 are copied at the LIDs throughout the network and transported on the T1 links (such as links 17 and 18) which terminate at the various NIPs of the CCS-IP 10. In this manner, the CCS-IP 10 can gather information from the entire CCS7 network 11 of the RBOC. Each of the applications 24 may be distributed across several of the application data servers (such as the server 21) for processing the information in the network SUs.
The CCS-IP 10 also includes a master station 34 that may be implemented by any suitable high end data processing system such as the U6000 departmental server available from Unisys Corporation of Blue Bell, Pa. The master station 34 communicates with the application data servers, such as server 21, of the CCS-IP 10 via a Wide Area Network (WAN) 35. It is appreciated that a variety of standard communication interfaces may also be utilized for this purpose. Communication with the data servers other than server 21 is schematically indicated at 36. The master station 34 receives an input from a time standard 37 for synchronization of system clocks. The time standard 37 may also be implemented by a GPS as described with respect to time standard 30. The master station 34 and the system data servers are arranged in a host/client relationship. The master station 34 provides a centralized, single point of control for administration of the remote client data server systems.
The master station 34 includes a user interface 38 for providing system configuration information to the CCS-IP 10. A master console 39, including a display 40 and a keyboard 41, communicates with the interface 38 via a link 42. The master console 39 is utilized to configure the CCS-IP 10 in accordance with the requirements of the network 11. Linkset and network point identification information is entered in accordance with the network configuration. Linkset monitoring and parameter control data is entered at the master console 39 in accordance with requirements of the applications 24 and in accordance with particular specifications of the RBOC.
In a manner to be described, the master console 39 is utilized to configure MSU filtering to provide filtered and screened MSU subsets to the respective applications 24 so that an application only receives MSUs of interest.
Each of the data servers, such as the server 21, includes a console (not shown) similar to the console 39 for providing configuration and control inputs at the RBOC remote sites at which the respective servers are located.
With continued reference to FIG. 3, the T1 link connections 17 and 18 from the network 11 terminate at ports 50 of the NIP 20. The relationship between the T1 channels, the linkset identifiers of the network 11 and the T1 inputs of the ports 50 are provided by the RBOC and entered into the CCS-IP 10 via the master console 39. This configuration data is stored in configuration tables 51 in the NIPs, the data servers and the master station of the CCS-IP. The information is entered via the user interface 38 on communication paths 52. The linkset of the network 11 from which an SU is copied is uniquely identified by the T1 port and channel.
The raw T1 channelized SS7 SUs received at the ports 50 are applied to a link message structure function 53 that formats each SU into a link message structure. The link message structure will be described below with respect to FIG. 4. The SU data of the message starting with BSN is stored at an addressable location in SU data 54. The link message structure 53 for an SU includes a pointer to the SU data stored in SU data 54.
The NIP 20 includes an SU filter 55 for distinguishing between FISUs, LSSUs and MSUs. The SU filter 55 inspects the LI field of the SU for this purpose. The SU filter 55 accesses the SU data 54 for to obtain the LI of the SU being tested. If only MSUs are of interest, the SU filter 55 determines if the LI is at least 3. Although not shown in the figure, if the SU of interest is not an MSU message, a switch is included in the SU filter 55 for appropriately directing the LSSUs and FISUs for use by applications requiring these SU types.
The NIP 20 includes MSU filter structure and elements 56 for filtering the MSUs in accordance with linkset, application, MSU category and MSU type within a category. The MSU filter structure and elements 56 filters the MSUs into groups of interest to the applications 24, respectively, formatting and directing the MSU groups to the respective applications via paths 57, 58 and 59. The configuration tables 51 provide the MSU filter structure and elements 56 with the system configuration information for correlating received MSUs with the linksets of the network 11 from which they were copied. The MSU filter structure and elements 56 accesses the SU data 54 to compare the incoming MSUs against the filters so as to provide the desired groups on paths 57-59. The MSU filter structure and elements 56 will be described in detail below with respect to FIGS. 5-7.
The NIP 20 includes a filter manager 65 for controlling the MSU filter function and for changing the filter structure and elements in a manner to be described. Details of the filter manager 65 will be described below with respect to FIGS. 8 and 9.
As described above, the applications 24 on the application data server 21 receive the grouped MSUs on the paths 57-59. The applications 24 provide respective outputs to the interface 26 via paths 70, 71 and 72. The server 21 includes filter structure and elements 73 which are utilized in the CCS-IP 10 in downloading and changing the filters of the NIP 20. The filter structure and elements 73 is responsive to the configuration tables 51 of the server 21 for the reasons discussed above with respect to the configuration tables 51 of the NIP 20. The filter structure and elements 73 will be described in detail below with respect to FIGS. 12, 13a and 13b.
The server 21 includes a filter manager 74 which is structured and functions in a manner similar to that described above with respect to the filter manager 65.
The master station 34 includes filter structure and elements 80 utilized in downloading and changing the MSU filtering with respect to the data servers, such as the server 21, of the CCS-IP 10. Details of the filter structure and elements 80 will be described below with respect to FIGS. 10, 11a, 11b and 11c. The configuration tables 51 of the master station 34 provide linkset information to the filter structure and elements 80 for reasons similar to those described above with respect to the configuration tables 51 of the server 21 and the NIP 20.
The master station 34 also includes a filter manager 81 for controlling and changing the filter structure and elements 80. Filter changes entered at the master console 39 through the user interface 38 are entered into the filter structure and elements 80 via the filter manager 81. These changes are downloaded to the filter structure and elements 73 of the data server 21 via the filter manager 74 and to the MSU filter structure and elements 56 of the NIP 20 via the filter manager 65. The other servers and NIPs of the CCS-IP 10 also receive the downloaded filter information via the WAN 35 and the interfaces between the servers and the NIPs.
The embodiment of FIG. 3 was explained in terms of a CCS7 network of an RBOC. It is appreciated that the invention, as described, is generally applicable to any providers of CCS7 networks, such as Interexchange Carriers (IXC), wireless network providers and the like.
Referring to FIG. 4, with continued reference to FIG. 3, details of the link message structure 53 of the NIP 20 are illustrated. The size of the fields indicated is in bytes. The link message structure includes a message identification field 100 for administrative purposes. The structure includes a timestamp field 101 providing the time in milliseconds since midnight when the SU was received. The timestamp is derived from the time standard 30 through the time sync link 31. A channel number field 102 contains the T1 channel number on which the SU was received. The channel number is derived from the T1 interface of the NIP 20. The link message structure includes an SU length field 103 containing the length of the SU data. A field 104 contains a pointer to the location in SU data 54 storing the SS7 SU data starting with BSN.
Referring to FIG. 5, with continued reference to FIG. 3, the filter structure of the MSU filter structure and elements 56 of the NIP 20 is illustrated. The MSU filter structure comprises linked lists 110 of filter elements 111. The linked lists 110 originate at respective linkset filter elements 112. A link filter array 113 indexed by T1 link channel number points to the linkset elements 112. The 24 channels of a T1 link are schematically illustrated at 114. Correlation between specific T1 channels and CCS7 linksets is schematically illustrated by arrows 115.
Referring to FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c, with continued reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, details of the elements of the MSU filter structure of FIG. 5 are illustrated. FIG. 6a illustrates a link filter array element 113. The element 113 includes a field 120 containing a pointer to the first linkset filter element 112.
FIG. 6b illustrates the linkset filter element 112. The linkset filter element 112 includes a field 121 containing the Signaling Link Set (SLS) index number of the linkset with which the element is associated. The index number is provided by the configuration tables 51. The linkset filter element 112 also includes a field 122 containing a pointer to the first filter element 111.
FIG. 6c illustrates the details of each filter element 111. The filter element 111 includes a field 123 containing an identification of the application with which the filter element 111 is associated. The filter element 111 also includes a field 124 containing the code of the MSU category to be filtered by the element. A field 125 of the filter element 111 contains a bit map of the MSU message types within the MSU category designated in the field 124 that are to be filtered by the filter element 111. The MSU message type field 125 is preferably implemented as a 32 byte bit map where the bits of the 32 bytes represent the respective message types within the message category of field 124. The bits corresponding to the message types to be filtered are set on. The filter element 111 also includes a field 126 containing a pointer to the next filter element 111 in the linked list 110 (FIG. 5) of filter elements.
With continued reference to FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c, the channel field from the link message structure (FIG. 4) is utilized to index the link filter array 113. The indexed link filter array element 113 contains the pointer 120 to the linkset filter element which provides the system SLS index of the linkset being monitored. The linkset filter element 112 includes the pointer 122 to the first active filter element 111 in the linked list 110 (FIG. 5) of filter elements for the linkset designated by the linkset filter element 112.
The present invention accommodates configurations where filtering is performed by SS7 link as well as by linkset. In that arrangement, an additional pointer is added to the link filter element 113 that points to another linked list 110 of filter elements 111 only for that link. The filtering process then checks all filters for the link, then all filters for the link's linkset.
As discussed above, the MSU filtering for MSU category and type within category is done in the MSU filter structure and elements 56 of the NIP 20 of FIG. 3. The link message structure of FIG. 4 is applied to the MSU filter structure and elements 56 which obtains the data for the associated MSU from the location of SU data 54 pointed to by field 104 of the link message structure. Each MSU is compared to each filter element 111 of the linked list 110 pointed to by the linkset filter element 112. The message category code in field 124 of the filter element 111 is compared to the message category in the SI field of the MSU. If a match occurs, the message type in the SIF field of the MSU is compared to the message type bit map of the filter element 111 to determine if the message type is on. If an MSU passes the tests of a filter element 111, the message is formatted and sent to the application designated in field 123 in a manner to be described. Thus, each incoming MSU from a CCS7 linkset is tested against each filter element 111 of the linked list 110 pointed to by the linkset filter element 112 for that linkset.
When an MSU passes the tests of a filter element 111 it is formatted and transmitted to the application identified by field 123 of the filter element. Referring to FIG. 7, the application message format is illustrated. The application message includes a field 130 for containing an identifying header. A field 131 is utilized for the message category and is derived from field 124 of the filter element 111. A field 132 is utilized to denote the message type which is obtained by copying the message type from the appropriate byte of the message SIF field. A field 133 is utilized to contain the number of octets in the message data field. This includes the SIO and SIF fields from the MSU. The value is determined by counting the octets between successive flag fields on the signaling link.
A field 134 is utilized to contain the signaling linkset index and, as described above, is sent to the filtering function from the configuration tables 51 along with the MSU. The value is retrieved from the linkset filter element 112. A field 135 designates the direction, send or receive, of the MSU. As described above, the CCS-IP 10 is configured so that sending SS7 links are given odd numbered T1 channels, whereas receiving SS7 links are given even numbered T1 channels. The channel number is contained in field 102 of the link message structure of FIG. 4. A field 136 contains the timestamp of the message which is derived from field 101 of the link message structure of FIG. 4. A field 137 is utilized to contain the data field of the MSU which is comprised of SIO and SIF. The data field is derived from SU data 54 in accordance with the pointer of field 104 of the link message structure of FIG. 4.
The formatted application message of FIG. 7 is sent to the appropriate application utilizing the application identification of field 123 of filter element 111 (FIG. 6c) as the address of the application.
As described above with respect to FIG. 3, changes to the filters are effected at the master station 34 and downloaded through the appropriate server 21 to the appropriate NIP 20. The filter manager 65 of the NIP 20 effects the filter changes to the MSU filter structure and elements 56. Details of the filter manager 65 are illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9.
Referring to FIG. 8, the filter change structure is illustrated. The structure comprises a linked list 140 of filter change elements 141 with an identifying header 142.
Referring to FIG. 9, details of the filter change element 141 are illustrated. A field 150 identifies the linkset, by linkset index number, of the filter in which the change is desired. A field 151 identifies the application for which the filter to be changed is utilized. Fields 152 and 153 designate the MSU category and MSU type, respectively, of the filter to be changed and a field 154 contains the time at which the change should become effective. A status field 155 indicates whether the change element is pending or active and an action field 156 designates the pending status of "no action pending", "to be added", "to be changed", or "to be deleted". A field 157 provides a pointer to the next filter change element 141 in the linked list 140.
The filter manager 65 receives filter changes from the filter manager 74 of the server 21 and stores the filter changes in the pending changes linked list of FIG. 8. The filter manager 65 periodically checks each pending filter change element 141 to determine if the effective time has expired, and if so, makes the changes in the change element 141 effective. Filter elements 111 are added or deleted from the linked lists 110 or changed in accordance with the actions and data specified in the change elements 141. When the change element 141 designates the "to be added" action, the new filter element 111 is added to the end of the list 110. When the action designated in a change element 141 is completed, the change element is deleted from the linked list 140. The filter manager 65 considers the change elements 141 for potential activation in the order in which they appear in the linked list 140.
With continued reference to FIG. 3, the MSU filter structure and elements 56 are constructed, managed and modified by the filter manager 65 based on information downloaded from the master station filter manager 81 through the server filter manager 74. To implement this functionality, the master station 34 includes the filter structure and elements 80 controlled by the filter manager 81, and the server 21 includes the filter structure and elements 73 controlled by the filter manager 74. The filter structure and elements 73 and 80 are similar in configuration and content to those discussed above with respect to FIGS. 5, 6a, 6b and 6c. In addition, the server filter manager 74 includes filter change structure and elements similar to those discussed above with respect to FIGS. 8 and 9. Filter modifications are entered by users (e.g. application owners) via the master console 39 and the user interface 38 in a manner to be described.
Referring to FIG. 10, the master filter structure of the master filter structure and elements 80 is illustrated. The master filter structure is comprised of a plurality of filter elements 160 formed into linked lists 161 each of which originates at an application element 162 of an application linked list 163. Each application linked list 163 originates at a linkset filter element 164 in a signaling linkset array 165 that represents all signaling linksets in the system. The linkset filter array element 164 is indexed by linkset index number. Each element in the array 165 contains a pointer to the first application that has filters for the linkset.
Referring to FIG. 11a, the master linkset element 164 is illustrated. The linkset filter array 165 contains one master linkset element record 164 for each linkset of the system. The element 164 includes a field 170 containing a pointer to the application element 162 of the first application element in the linked application list 163.
Referring to FIG. 11b, details of the application element 162 are illustrated. The element 162 includes a field 171 containing the application ID and a field 172 contains the application status of on/off. The application status of field 172 indicates whether or not the application is active on the linkset. Filtering is not performed for applications that have been turned off. A field 173 contains an action indicator specifying whether the application is to be turned on or off at the effective time or if no action is pending for the application. A field 174 contains the effective time for turning the application on or off. A field 175 contains a pointer to the first filter element 160 in the associated filter element linked list 161. A field 176 contains a pointer to the next application element 162 in the application element linked list 163.
Referring to FIG. 11c, details of the master filter element 160 are illustrated. A field 180 contains the message category code of MSUs to be filtered. A field 181 contains a bit map of message types for designating MSU types within the MSU category of field 180. As discussed above with respect to the field 125 of FIG. 6c, the respective bits of the bit map denote the MSU types. A field 182 contains the effective time that an action pending against the filter element will be activated. A field 183 contains a status indicator designating whether an action is pending for the filter element or if it has been activated. A field 184 contains an action indicator denoting the type of action to be effected. A field 185 contains a pointer to the next filter element 160 in the linked list 161.
Referring to FIG. 12, the server filter structure of the server filter structure and elements 73 of the server 21 is illustrated. Filter elements 190 form linked lists 191 each of which originates at an element 192 in a signaling linkset array 193. The signaling linkset array 193 contains an element 192 for each linkset-near end point combination in the system. Each of the servers, such as server 21, of the CCS-IP 10, will only have filters for the linksets under its control.
Referring to FIGS. 13a and 13b, details of the elements 190 and 192 of FIG. 12 are illustrated. FIG. 13a illustrates the linkset filter array element 192 having a field 200 containing a pointer to the first filter element 190 for the linkset. The linkset array 193 has one linkset element 192 per linkset.
FIG. 13b illustrates the server filter element 190 which contains fields 201-204. The fields 201-204 are the same as fields 123-126 of FIG. 6c and are described above with respect thereto. The filter manager 74 of the server 21 also includes a filter change structure and elements constructed in the manner described above with respect to FIGS. 8 and 9.
Referring again to FIG. 3, the user interface 38 provides a menu driven procedure to a user at the master console 39 for entering filter and filter change information. A sequence of windows are displayed through which the user can navigate to enter the data. A main menu window (not shown) lists the applications on the CCS-IP 10 for user selection. When a user selects an application, a window (not shown) lists the linksets of the network 11 for which the selected application is configured and an edit option is provided in the window. When the user selects a linkset and the edit option, a further window provides the user with the option to edit the filters on that linkset for the selected application. This window is illustrated in FIG. 14.
Referring to FIG. 14, the top of the window displays the current application and the window title which, in this case, is Linkset Filter and a field 210 displays the identification of the selected linkset. A toggleable pushbutton 211 shows whether the selected application is on or off. The status of the application can be changed by toggling the pushbutton 211. Each message category is displayed and whether or not a filter has been defined for that category. Pushbuttons 212 permit the user to select a filter to add, change, or delete. To delete a filter, a pushbutton 213 is utilized. To add or change a filter, a pushbutton 214 is utilized. A pushbutton 215 is provided to enter desired values. Selecting the pushbutton 214 brings up the Linkset Filter Message Types window illustrated in FIG. 15.
Referring to FIG. 15, the top of the window displays the current application and the window title which, in this case, is Linkset Filter Message Types. The selected linkset is displayed in a field 220 and the selected message category is displayed in a field 221. A window 222 displays all of the message types associated with the selected message category and the on/off status of each message type for the selected linkset. The "Monitoring (ON/OFF)" toggle field permits the user to select ON or OFF for each message type. A scroll bar 223 permits scrolling through the message types. A pushbutton 224 is utilized to record the filter.
With continued reference to FIG. 3, when changes are to be made to filters through the user interface 38, the user interface 38 sends a message to the filter manager 81. The filter manager 81 receives the filter changes, sends the changes to the filter manager 74 and stores the changes by updating the master filter structure and elements 80. On server 21, the filter manager 74 receives the filter changes from the master station 34, sends the changes to the filter manager 65 and stores the changes by updating the server filter structure and elements 73. The filter manager 65 of the NIP 20 updates the MSU filter structure and elements 56 at the appropriate effective times.
From the windows on the master console 39, the user has the option to add, delete, and change message category or modify message types. The user of an application may also turn monitoring on or off for a selected linkset. These functions are effected from the windows illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15. For example, pushbutton 211 turns monitoring on and off for the selected linkset and application. The filter manager 81 appropriately sets fields 172 and 173 of FIG. 11b.
Monitoring is turned on and off for a selected linkset and application without losing filters that have been created. When monitoring is turned off for a linkset and application, the appropriate filters are deleted from the structure of FIG. 5. When monitoring is turned back on, the appropriate filters are downloaded from the master station 34 and re-entered into the filter structure of FIG. 5.
It is appreciated from the foregoing, that the CCS-IP 10 of the present invention provides the capability to filter selected SU types and MSU categories and types so as to filter and forward messages to a plurality of concurrently deployed SS7 applications. SS7 messages are provided to whatever applications need to receive them, permitting the applications to decrease the volume of messages they receive by filtering out unwanted message categories and types. Preferably, filtering is by linkset or link and can be by any MSU category and any MSU type based on category. Upon receipt of a message which fulfills all filtering criteria for an application, the complete SU is provided to the application together with the timestamp, signaling linkset identification and send/receive indication (see FIG. 7).
It is appreciated from the above descriptions of the filter structure and elements, that a framework is provided to facilitate adding applications to the application set 24. The described mechanisms for adding SU and MSU filtering for new applications facilitates adding applications to the platform.
Typical application software programs that may be deployed on the CCS-IP 10 (applications 24, FIG. 3) are as follows.
A Usage Measurement (UM) application may be deployed by an RBOC to determine the MSU traffic sent and received on the peripheral links of its CCS7 network 11. These peripheral links may be rented by, for example, other telephone companies. Aggregate counts of MSUs meeting predetermined criteria may be provided in such a UM application. For this UM application, the SU filter 55 would pass only MSUs and the MSU filters 56 would only monitor the peripheral links and would pass only ISUP messages of pre-selected types and SCCP Unitdata or Unitdata Service messages with a TCAP portion.
Another application may involve End Office Integration (EOI) where the RBOC is interested in conversation time or access time for calls originating from an Alternate Exchange Carrier (AEC) end office that complete through a tandem office of the RBOC either to an Interexchange Carrier (IXC) or to another end office in the LATA. For such an application, the SU filter 55 would pass only the MSUs. The MSU filters 56 for the EOI application would only monitor linksets originating from an AEC and would pass ISUP messages of the IAM, ACM, ANM, and REL types.
An RBOC may desire to deploy a Network Surveillance and Monitoring (NSM) application which would require that all linksets of the RBOC CCS7 network 11 be monitored. The filters 55 and 56 would pass all SUs to this application.
A Fraud Detection and Prevention (FDP) application may involve the ISUP MSUs of selected types (IAM, ANM, REL) as well as SCCP MSUs of TCAP query and response types.
While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than of limitation and that changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention in its broader aspects.
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USMNT Review, MLS Cup Preview, Live Show: MLS Talk Podcast
Ladies and gentleman, your boy is back. MLS Talk co-host Christopher Riordan is back from vacation, and just in time. We've got national team news, MLS Cup talk, and one show to do it.
And that show will start around 9:30 p.m. Eastern (6:30 p.m. Pacific) and will streamed live via UStream:
You can take part in the show by providing feedback via the chatroom, which I'll be monitoring throughout.
And you can always give feedback via the comments (below), email, or Twitter.


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See other London properties
The Walrus Hostel
Real Reviews
Real reviews from fellow travellers
These are trusted reviews from guests who have actually stayed here. We hope you find them helpful.
Note: we only give a property a rating once it has received a minimum of 3 reviews.
- " The staff do the best in order to make the guests feel well. All my needs was supplied by them. It that hostel worh while is for just two reasons: location and staff. "
- 08 Jul 2015 Flavio Brazil
- " We had a fantastic experience here! The staff were very helpful, kind, and when there was a problem with the lock on our door they bought us a beer. The beds were comfortable and we felt very safe and happy with our accommodations. We would definitely stay here again! "
- 19 Jun 2015 Alex and Emily USA
- " Loved the staff! Great location, breakfast and beer! "
- 05 Jun 2015 Courtney USA
- " The hostel is right next to the rail station. So if you are a light sleeper then this might be a problem. The beds are very thin and at times quite uncomfortable. The showers can be good, depending on how many people shower at once. Since the water pressure is affected by how many people shower. The hostel is relatively closed to big Ben and Buckingham palace, and its a walk away the tube. The hostel has a great bar, with a great atmosphere. The staff is courteous, friendly and professional. "
- 25 May 2015 Anonymous USA
- " This was our favorite hostel of our entire 3 week trip around Europe! The staff was so friendly and helpful. The wifi connection was good but it was annoying at times because you had to keep signing into it. The breakfast was pretty good, there was a good variety including fruit and coffee. The location is awesome, walking distance to Big Ben and very close to a tube station. The cleaning lady was around a lot and she was super friendly. You should definitely stay here!!! "
- 16 May 2015 Melissa USA
- " we loved it, friendly people an profesional, we already recomended it, congratulations "
- 15 May 2015 Anonymous Mexico
- " Great hostel, staff were professional and you can tell they wanted you to enjoy yourself.wasfun having them as your bartenders in the pub as well. Only complaint was the showers were pretty bad. "
- 29 Apr 2015 Anonymous Canada
- " Something should be done to keep out the noise from the trains. "
- 15 Apr 2015 Anonymous England
- " The walrus staff is amazing. They help me on everithing i need! "
- 09 Apr 2015 Anonymous Argentina
- " The staff was superb! They made us feel like home from the minute we stepped in until the very end of our stay. The toilets weren't in such a good condition. Sometimes we had to go through several toilets to find one that wasn't blocked. All in all a great experience, anyways! "
- 19 Mar 2015 Hanna Finland


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My name is Crystal or as many in the scrapping community know me as Family Comes First. I am 35 and live in Central, NY with my family. My family is my life!! I am a proud stepmother to two beautiful children, Dylan who is 14 and Ciara is 12. They keep their dad (Carl) and I busy, trust me! I work full time at an Accounting/Financial Planning firm and recently completed my Business Administration Degree. My hobbies include Photography and Digital Scrapbooking. I had been a paper scrapper for years and began Digital Scrapping in 2008 and love it!! I look forward to getting to know everyeone here at The Studio!!
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Riding The Indiana Flyer
The cost is $130 round-trip for the first two passengers in a group, $86 for a third, and $65 each for the fourth and additional passengers. Runs leave the company's office at 4023 Transportation Drive at 6 and 8 a.m. and 2 and 5 p.m. For more information, call 515-2417 or visit www.theindianaflyer.com.
After 28 years of business travel, John Fyfe and Laura Boger are making travel their business.
Next week their new company, The Indiana Flyer, will start offering shuttle rides from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis. They're marketing to business travelers flying out of the Indianapolis airport, but the shuttles also can stop at downtown or popular shopping locations in Indianapolis, depending on customer demand.
Fyfe, who along with Boger worked at North American Van Lines in Fort Wayne, said his travel-heavy schedule, including many weeklong trips out of Indianapolis, inspired them to offer an alternative way for companies to send employees to Indianapolis.
"You could hire a limo company, or there's Greyhound. There's not much in between," he said. For a price of $130 round-trip, The Indiana Flyer could become that midpoint. (If more than two passengers on the same itinerary and the same payment ride the Flyer, additional passengers in the group pay lower rates.) Their financial case for a $130 ride to Indianapolis and back goes like this: Consider the cost of mileage – 50.5 cents per mile at Fyfe's most recent job – combined with $60 or more for long-term parking for a week.
"My company was at the $220 mark to compensate me for driving to Indianapolis," he said.
Although they will offer shuttle service on weekends, hoping to attract leisure travelers, neither Fyfe nor Boger argues that price alone can sell leisure travelers or families who can drive themselves to Indianapolis for about $50 round-trip, even with today's soaring gas prices. But among the other benefits: The Indiana Flyer has room for about 50 customers to park for free in a fenced, security-monitored lot beside the firm's office at 4023 Transportation Drive.
The company will operate four scheduled departures daily Monday through Friday between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis International Airport, with three departures on Saturdays and Sundays. The weekend schedule will include drop-offs at various locations around the Indianapolis area, including, but not limited to, Keystone and Circle Centre.
The company's two air-conditioned, late-model Dodge Sprinter vans offer seating for up to nine passengers and feature WiFi connections.
Theirs is not an unprecedented idea. Twenty-five years ago, Indiana Motor Bus Co. started offering four daily buses to Chicago's O'Hare airport. It faced competition not only from Air Wisconsin flying out of Fort Wayne, but also Amtrak passenger runs.
Amtrak and the bus service are long gone from Fort Wayne, but Fort Wayne International still has flights to Chicago and other Midwestern hubs.
Kristina Holmes, community and government affairs manager for the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority, says the airport still stacks up as strong competition for shuttles to other airports.
While The Indiana Flyer might offer a less-expensive alternative than paying mileage plus parking, it may not be as attractive an alternative when travelers "add the cost of the shuttle and airfare from Indianapolis to spending five hours in a car with strangers," Holmes said.
For now, Fyfe and Boger intend to do most of the driving themselves, but they also have three part-time drivers available.