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The limited run of Disney's foray into interactive games based in Disneyland's Frontierland and Adventureland will come to a close on Aug. 29, per the Disney Parks blog, with a special wrap-up event at the underused Aladdin's Oasis. Throughout the last month and more the Legends of Frontierland and Adventureland Trading Company games have proven quite popular with resort visitors, drawing the interest of annual passholders in particular who've appreciated the opportunity to engage in new multi-day experiences and take home game-specific prizes.
The first experience to debut, Legends of Frontierland: Gold Rush, was frequently updated during it run. Thematic signs were added to advertise the game and help communicate the premise to potential players. A snake oil-styled refreshment cart was introduced to offer participants exotic soft drinks that granted guests mystical in-game powers including luck, knowledge or charm. By completing tasks guests aim to gain game currency, earn levels and buy up swathes of Frontierland whilst competing against other players.
Following the release of Gold Rush Disney unveiled a second interactive game, a pay-to-play experience based in and around Adventureland. The surprisingly reasonable fee bought guests one of nine individual quests that, when completed, resulted in a collectible take-home prize called a Juju. A sort of scavenger hunt composed of clever thematic elements, fans praised the excellent integration with existing area locations and lore. Popular too were the specialty drinks and treats created for the occasion, with numerous guests lauding the likes of Venom-ade at the Bengal BBQ or This Side Up Pineapple Parfaits from Tropical Imports.
There has been no word yet as to whether Disneyland plans to reintroduce these or other new interactive experiences, but their apparent success has fans expecting a return at some point down the line.


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Economist Joe Durkan Cuts Forecasts for Ireland
Joe Durkan doesn't mind too much being called the veteran of Irish economic forecasters. He's now the lead analyst at Irish think tank, the Economic and Social Research Institute, and over the years he's tracked some pretty rough economic times.
As an economics consultant in the 1980s, he scrambled for work amid the country's debt crisis that marked that stagnant decade. But even Mr. Durkan hasn't seen anything like the damage suffered from the euro debt spiral. The lead author of the ESRI's quarterly forecasts, he is now preparing to cut his economic forecasts because the "nightmare" of the euro debt crisis has further depressed the economy.
In an interview with Dow Jones Newswires, Mr. Durkan said he plans to cut his estimate for Irish gross domestic product this year from 2% to a "very modest growth" number because households are frightened to spend as Ireland's debt crisis extends into its third year.
Domestic economic activity remains flat, he says, because households have been frightened out of their wits about the escalating euro debt crisis. Consumers are saving and not spending, remaining spooked about their finances as more austerity looms. They even fear for the safety of their savings in Irish banks.
"The last three months have been a fright. There has been so much uncertainty about tax increases," said Mr. Durkan.
But, surprisingly, Mr. Durkan's recommended prescription to the government is not to lessen the austerity drive. Indeed, he urges the coalition to exceed the €3.6 billion in budget cuts it's planning over the next few months. He says more austerity may help insulate the country against another external shock as the euro debt crisis sweeps across the continent.
However, he wants the Irish finance ministry to detail at the earliest possible opportunity in as much detail as it can the scale of the tax measures. And he wants the ministry to announce the measures well before December–the traditional month for announcing annual budgets in Ireland. Ireland is required by the country's bailout lenders to bring in several more austerity budgets through 2015. Overwhelmed by the cost of saving its banks, it was forced to strike a €67.5 billion loan deal with the European Union and International Monetary Fund in November.
But Mr. Durkan has another surprise. Despite cutting his growth outlook, he remains fairly upbeat about the prospects of Ireland restoring its finances and getting back to high growth, in time, if the country plays its cards right. The key, he says, is the deal agreed between euro-zone leaders last month to extend the firepower of the currency bloc's rescue fund–the European Financial Stability Fund.
It means Ireland no longer has to dip a toe in markets any time soon. It can decide in late 2013 (when the bailout monies are due to run out) whether to use the rescue fund if market borrowing rates remain too high.

subset: commoncrawl


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From art to dance, celebrate Hispanic heritage with Broward County Libraries. This year, Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) takes on special meaning for Floridians. It was 500 years ago that Juan Ponce de Leon first explored the Sunshine State, bringing with him Hispanic culture, language and traditions that continue to enrich all people of Florida. Statewide, communities and organizations are also celebrating Viva Florida 500, the anniversary of this discovery and the commemoration of Florida's rich history. Enjoy a month-long fiesta of song, dance, stories, art and children's activities as Broward County Libraries observes both Hispanic Heritage Month and Viva Florida 500. For more information, please check the Library's online Hispanic Heritage Month event calendar. DANCE - Hispanic Heritage Month Dance Events @ Your Library September 17 – Latin Dance with Lee Fox, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Jan Moran Collier City Learning Library, 954-357-7680
Along the Way, by Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez
Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story, by Eddie
Me, by Ricky Martin
My Beloved World, by Sonia Sotomeyer
Rita Moreno: A Memoir, by Rita Moreno
Exploring the Sunshine State: Books for Viva Florida 500
Finding the Fountain of Youth: Ponce de León and Florida's Magical Waters,
by Rick Kilby
Heart and Soul of Florida: Sacred Sites and Historic Architecture,
by Elsbeth K. Gordon
The Spanish Exploration of Florida, by William Thompson
The Spanish Missions of Florida, by Eric Suben (For children/middle


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Published on November 14th, 2012 | by thehungrymanc0
Salvi's at The Corn Exchange
Pin ItMore Italian food.
That's no bad thing though right?
Myself and The Hungry Mrs were out and about on a chilly November Saturday and having only recently heard about Salvi's we decided to pop in for a bite to eat.
Before I go on can I just digress to say what a pleasure it is to have The Corn Exchange back. The Triangle? My arse.
Ok so back to Salvi's. Here for a year now by all accounts and having undergone a few changes in that time you'll find them in a small unit which forms part of this iconic building. Once you enter it seems you are immediately swept to the kind of place that you might expect to see in any number of cities across Italy or America, perhaps in London but not so much in our fair town. Lots of vibrancy and bustle within a relatively small space. First you're greeted by a rack of store cupboard goods on your right and smacked by colours and aromas from the deli counter in front of you. Then comes the welcome from the staff themselves which is friendly and inviting.
Seated with a glass of the increasingly popular Aperol Spritz, we had a look through the menu. The choice while not exhaustive was at least different to the options available at other Italian eateries. The added bonus here being that in most cases you could take away the ingredients used in your meal to attempt at home.
The deli/eatery is attractively fitted out with lots of natural woods on show with menu boards and produce popping up all the over the counter, forcing you (in a good way) to delve deeper into the offerings available.
So we tucked into shared nibbles of olives, bread, salami and the star of the show the Bufala Mozzarella – something in which Salvi's pride themselves. Mains were a toasted sandwich for my better half while I went all unadventurous in opting for spaghetti carbonara. For the lack of adventure, however, I was rewarded with a delicious dish of perfectly cooked pasta with delicious salty meat and creamy sauce. As for the sandwich – it was equally well received and more than enough – I may or may not have helped to finish this off. All were priced as you'd expect with the mains coming in under a tenner.
After eating we had a little chat to Maurizio who owns and runs Salvi's which is named for his father. Maurizio's story is one of being here for twenty years and on frequent trips to Italy in the past, friends, colleagues, strangers in the street, would stop him and ask him to return laden with produce from Italy. This, he decided, was not ideal and instead began to import authentic goods from producers he knew. Which lets face it cannot be a bad thing.
So what we end up with is a small, relaxed and informal eatery where you can also buy top quality ingredients to take home/snaffle on the train.
If I were to make one change it would be the automatic doors which were a bit of a pain on this chilly day. That said – I'm a bloke who owns a coat and, if needs be, a scarf. So scrub that!!
So Happy Birthday(ish) to Salvi's and long may they be here.
Now before you all rush off………..
Salvi's have, this year, launched a range of Christmas hampers. AND guess what? I've got one for you. Not one each. But I do have one to give away. Simply get yourself over to Twitter, follow thehungrymanc and The Corn Exchange (cornexchangeMAN) and Retweet any link you see to this post before 5pm on the 23rd November 2012.
I have been told that in the hamper there will be wine, a selection of pasta and antipasti items, chocolates and a voucher to collect some of the delicious Mozarella when convenient. It will look something like this:
Thanks so much to all those who followed and Retweeted. The WINNER of the hamper (as chosen by TweetRoulette) is @emdarlington
Please e-mail me @ firstname.lastname@example.com to arrange delivery.


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Q Building
On January 13, 2011, Q Building was opened in time for Spring 2011 semester classes. The project completed on budget totaling $15.5 million, which includes purchase, design and remodel. It is the new home to PVCC's Math Division, Center for Teaching and Learning, Continuing Education, and several general education classrooms. It features 26 classrooms, areas for testing, faculty offices and support areas. A double classroom can convert to a large space for conferences and meetings. A mezzanine level was added to the atrium to create a general study space, and the "Q Cafe" was created on the North Porch; both are part of extensive informal learning spaces throughout the building which encourage students to stay on campus to interact and learn from fellow students in an environment that fosters creativity and collaboration.
The building's squared off exterior makes the most efficient use of space. The building's entrance was reoriented to the north, connecting it to the rest of the PVCC campus. The new structure incorporates technology upgrades including phone and data lines, audio-visual capabilities, fire alarm and security systems. Solar tubes were added throughout much of the building for natural light, and the aging Energy Management System equipment was replaced with a connection to the campus Central Plant with its state-of-the-art efficiencies.
The Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center Charter School (AAEC) was moved to a new, upgraded and expanded area on the building's southwest side.
|In the beginning...
On March 27, 2007, the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board approved using 2004 General Obligation Bond funds to purchase the George L. Campbell Library, a branch of the Maricopa County Library system, which is adjacent to the PVCC campus on the south. It was determined by all concerned that the purchase price of $4M for the 65,929 square-foot building was a far more prudent use of public funds than constructing from ground up the 2-story, 45,000 square-foot General Classroom building originally planned. The purchase included 341,859 SF or 7.85 acres of land and added 250 parking spots to the PVCC campus.
At the time of purchase the building had two occupants which became lessees of PVCC when the property was transferred: the Maricopa County Library and the Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center Charter School (AAEC). The library plans to vacate the building when its lease expires in 2011.
3/27/07 – Governing Board approves purchase of the George L. Campbell Library
Q Building Committees
|Education Specifications


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Tour 3.
A journey into Steppe country.
At a time when winter has the northern and central areas of Europe firmly in its grip, here in the most southerly area of Spain, a mild climate attracts many birds to spend this time of year resting and recuperating from their busy summer breeding seasons. An area that attracts many species is the flat and open steppe country which surrounds the historic town of Osuna. Here a combination of open country and lagoons provide a particularly appealing wintering ground for many species migrating from the far north, perhaps the most spectacular being the Common Crane, a huge bird that travels here in family groups and join together in flocks on the open plains. Many wildfowl and wading birds congregate in large numbers, joining those remaining in the area from the hot summer months such as Greater Flamingo.
Large and open areas make for easy viewing for such resident species as Calandra Lark, where large flocks roam the cereal fields during winter; these are joined by the wintering flocks of various finch species and Corn Bunting, whilst good numbers of Spanish Sparrow can be found near to old farm ruins which are plentiful in the area. Here we can find the surprisingly hard to locate Great Bustard, for such a large bird this species is elusive, but always a possibility on a day spent touring the countryside around Osuna. Little Bustard and Black-bellied Sandgrouse are other elusive, but ever present birds of this steppe region.
Another feature of the area is its attraction for various raptors, here resident species such as Common Buzzard and Black-winged Kite see their ranks increased by wintering birds and these are joined by Merlin, Hen Harrier and Red Kite. Whilst other wandering and dispersing juvenile birds are regularly seen over the more open areas such as Black Vulture, Bonelli's and Spanish Imperial Eagle. Griffon Vulture, Lesser Kestrel and Peregrine are seen throughout the year. Major prey and in particular Rabbit and Red-legged Partridge are common and most likely explain the presence of the larger raptors being seen here during the winter months.
Prices for each day tour 1 to 4 persons total cost 220 Euro5 to 8 persons total cost 340 Euro Prices are total costs not per person. To book your tour contact us
Do you consider a friendly atmosphere, comfort and relaxation, as well as value for money, an essential part of any well earned holiday? If you do, then all our birding and nature tours have been specifically designed to suit you!
If you require further information please Contact Us or telephone: +34 636 291 714Spanish Nature, not only for bird watching holidays in Spain, but also worldwide including Morocco, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Galapagos, India , Brazil, China, Thailand, Kenya, The Gambia and Botswana
Moroccan Birds. A must visit for every Birdwatcher, or considering a Birding Holiday in Morocco
Spanish Nature © 2009-2012. No portion of this website may be reproduced without the prior written consent of Spanish Nature. All rights reserved. Spanish Nature is registered in Holland at Veemkade 404, 1019 HE
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Número registro mercantile 0205684.


text: We had a wonderful morning with Gina Glaros and Rob Lydick at NewsChannel 15 in Fort Wayne. They couldn't thank us enough for leaving a few samples of cookies after our interview. We truly appreciate all of the support we see from WANE TV! Click HERE to see the interview!


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Baihua Resort Hotel
- Location:
- Address: Baihua Shanzhuang, Zengcheng, Guangzhou
- Tel: 020-82618888 (Book this hotel, call 800-2682918)
- Hotel Name in Chinese: 广州百花山庄度假村
- Lowest Price: $60
Open in 1999, decorated in 2008, Baihua Resort Hotel is four-star level hotel, which situated in a beautiful scenery spot surrounded by green trees and mountains as well as a reservoir.
The well-equipped Baihua Resort Hotel has plenty western style villas, superior room, lakeside scenery deluxe room and six size conference rooms. It has two restaurants, a Chinese restaurant and western restaurant. Other amenities are tennis, swimming, billiards basketball, table tennis, and badminton
- Prices not include 18% service fee and tax.
- Payment Method: pay using our secure online payment service or pay at the hotel at some hotels.
- Triple/quad occupancy may require an extra bed at extra cost.
Hotel Amenities
|Hotel Services
|Car rentals, Laundry service, Child care, Room service, Currency Exchange, Wake Up Call, Parking Service, 24hr Reception, Permanent English-speaking staff, Business Centre, Copy Service, E-mail, Fax Service
|Room Amenities
|AM/FM radio, Alarm clock, Color Television, Cable/satellite TV, Coffee/tea maker, Telephone, Hair dryer, In-room safe, Electronic Lock, Iron and ironing board, Refrigerator, Mini Bar, Bath and Shower, In-house movies, Internet access, Free for Internet
Hotel Amenities: Parking, Air-Conditioned Facilities, Indoor Swimming Pool, Beauty Salon, Sauna, Business Center, Gift Shop, Billiards, Tennis court, Suitable for wheelchairs, Meeting Room, Ballroom, Deposit Box at Front Desk, Fire Detector, Bowling, Squash room
Dining Facilities: Chinese Restaurant, Western Restaurant, Lounge Bar
Print the Taxi Directions
- Please drive me to Baihua Resort Hotel, thank you!
- 请送我到广州百花山庄度假村,谢谢
- Address: Baihua Shanzhuang, Zengcheng, Guangzhou
- 地址: 广州 增城 荔城镇百花山庄
- Tel: 020-82618888
Similar Hotels as Baihua Resort Hotel
Guangtian Hotel
Location: Guangzhou East Railway Station,Tianhe Sports Center
From: $ 60
Minghong Hotel
Location: Guangzhou East Railway Station,Liuhua Complex,Huan Shi Road East
From: $ 60
Suntec Plaza Hotel Apartment Guangzhou
From: $ 60
Check out the list of all 449 hotels in Guangzhou


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Dec. 12, 2009
Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery
Georgetown vs. Washington
John R. Wooden Classic presented by Toyo Tires
Coach Lorenzo Romar
I was very impressed with Georgetown. They executed. We did a decent job in the first half of maintaining discipline. You have to be disciplined defensively against a team like that is constantly putting pressure with the backdoor cuts. The second half we weren't disciplined and as a result, they got tons of easy baskets on us. We also didn't do a very good job of taking care of the basketball. Twenty-five turnovers against a team like Georgetown is going to put you in a bad way. I commend our guys for fighting until the end. Our guys didn't quit. In the second half we came out flat. They methodically continued to do what they were doing and were able to distance themselves from us.
On Pondexter and Thomas doing most of the scoring
Those two are the only ones averaging in double figures. That is how it has been. They have been carrying the scoring load.With the other guys, they have to find a rhythm and be able to shoot the ball confidently. These guys have to continue to be aggressive and come out and play.
On the second half
We came out lackadaisical and weren't hustling as much as we were in the first half. We were just moving in slow motion and they beat us on a lot of easy plays. I wish we could restart that half again and maybe the outcome would be different for the game.
On the Georgetown frontcourt
It was pretty tough. Those guys are big. Julian Vaughn is 6-10, 250 and so is Greg Monroe. They have a lot of weight on us and were able to do a lot of good things. Monroe is versatile. He can put the ball on the deck and quick like a guard sometimes.
Coach John Thompson III
We are excited to be part of this event because of Coach Wooden and have the opportunity to come out here to play a terrific well-coached Washington team. We had a pretty good stretch at the start of the second half. We were able to stretch things out a bit and held on at the end. That is a terrific win against a very good team.
On win over Washington and Butler in the last two games
We have a resilient group. With Butler and Washington, they are two terrific teams with very different styles of play. I wanted that because within our league every other night you are playing a team with a totally different style of play. I wanted that preparation. For long stretches, in both games, our defense was pretty good. We made both teams take tough shots. That was our goal. We want the opposition to take tough, contest shots and I thought we did that.
Greg Monroe
On remaining undefeated
I'm happy. We are undefeated. The team has worked really hard together. We are trying to keep finding ways to win. It's nothing special that we are doing. We are just working together and executig.
Julian Vaughn
On the team's offense
The whole group, as a core, we have good chemistry. We keep playing unselfishly. We just try to grind it out and keep the offense going. Everyone looks for each other and try to get the best shot on offense. We aren't trying to exploit anything. We're just trying to make open shots and play good basketball.


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National Guard Ready for Any Retaliation
Jeff Schuman reports, email@example.com
The Wyoming National Guard is satisfied with Osama Bin Laden's death, but says the Global War on Terror continues.
After nearly 10 years of searching, the man-hunt for one of the most wanted terrorists is over.
"We have been as a nation chasing Bin Laden for a lot of years," Wyoming National Guard Maj. Gen. Luke Reiner said. "And it is with some satisfaction that we, that he has been found."
Over 2,200 men and women have been deployed from Wyoming to fight for the Global War on Terror, and to fight against the man responsible for nearly 3,000 deaths on 9/11.
"It should bring some closure to some of the sacrifices that we as a state and a nation have made."
President Obama says that the world is a far better place following the death of Osama Bin Laden. But in no way, shape or form is the War on Terror over.
"Bin Laden had deputies and the deputies will step up to the plate," Reiner said. "And I would anticipate that while this is a huge success for our nation, that the War on Terror will continue."
Retaliation has been feared across the nation, but General Reiner says the men and women serving this country is ready for whatever is to come.
"It is a privilege for us to serve. And we look forward to continuing to do that for many years to come."


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I know, I know. I promised you a full review of the first season of Archer, but ya know what, that's a lot of ground to cover, so shush! A good talk about this movie is well overdue so you are going to sit there, read about it, and enjoy it! Then you can have your precious Archer. Maybe. Seriously, I'm re-watching the whole first season, you can't rush quality. Get off my back!
Anyway, if you haven't taken the time to go see this movie, you need to get some respect fo yo-self. The plot is pretty simple, there's an evil communist dictator trying to build a perfect world in his image and the hero is an average Joe construction guy trying to fit into that perfect image and follow all the rules. But then stuff happens and he finds this thing and it turns out he's the only one that can save the world from that image he was trying to hard to be a part of. You know, the usual. There's also some girl, rocket man, Batman, a bipolar unikitty, and black Gandalf. Oh, and pirates! To save the world, all they have to do defeat the killer robot army, not get killed by Liam Neeson, defeat the Kragle, and get blown up. Or not blown up, they were never really clear on that part.
The movie is full of a healthy does of twists and turns and I am trying really really hard not to spoil anything because you simply have to see it for yourself. The only bad thing I can say about this movie is that it simply ended too soon. But truth be told, if it were any longer the content would begin to feel forced.
I know this is an incredibly short review, but again, I love you so much I'm not going to spoil anything. The acting was awesome, the story was awesome, even the soundtrack was awesome. Everything is Awesome!!! That's why I'm giving this movie 4 stars out of five. (I would have given 5 but it is my first rated review and I don't want to appear soft.)
So go see the movie and tell me what you think. What was your favorite part? You can leave your answer in the comments below, just beware of reading them if you haven't seen the movie yet!


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Legendary pop singer Michael Jackson's children will attend school for the first time.
Jackson's three children—Prince, Paris and Blanket—will go to school in 2010, for the first time.
Their grandmother Katherine Jackson said she wants to give them a more conventional upbringing after years being indoors and away from the world.
"I'd say I'm a little less strict but I've tried to follow the way Michael was raising them," the Telegraph quoted Katherine as saying.
"But they don't have friends. They don't go to school. They have private lessons at home. They'll be going to a private school in September for the first time," she added.
« Christopher & Albie Manzo "Millionaire Matchmaker" Season 4 Dean Sheremet LeAnn Rimes Divorced »


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Current Articles
RSS Feed
Customers who need to encrypt data in Microsoft SQL Server databases know that they must protect the encryption key with appropriate controls to meet compliance regulations and to achieve safe harbor in the event of a data breach. Townsend Security's Alliance Key Manager solution provides the Extensible Key Management (EKM) software to make proper key management a breeze. Called Key Connection for SQL Server, this EKM Provider software is installed on the server hosting the SQL Server database and it talks seamlessly to one or more Alliance Key Manager servers running in a separate server instance. Customers get proper key management that meets compliance regulations such as PCI-DSS in an easy-to-deploy solution.
Performance is always a consideration when it comes to enabling encryption, so customers naturally ask us about key caching. Does Key Connection for SQL Server cache the encryption keys to enable better performance?
The short answer is Yes, it does.
How it does key caching depends on whether you use Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) or Cell Level Encryption (CLE). Let's drill into each of these cases.
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)The implementation of TDE by Microsoft involves encrypting the entire table space and the database logs. It is the easiest type of encryption to deploy as it requires no changes to the actual application that uses the SQL Server database. You can implement TDE encryption by installing the Key Connection For SQL Server software and issuing four commands through the SQL Server management console. Restart logging to insure that it is encrypted and you are done.
So with TDE, how are keys managed? The TDE architecture involves SQL Server generating a symmetric key (usually a 256-bit AES key) and then asking Alliance Key Manager to encrypt it with an RSA key. This encrypted symmetric key is then stored on the server that hosts the SQL Server database. When you start SQL Server (or restart it, as the case may be) the SQL Server instance asks Alliance Key Manager to use RSA decryption to decrypt the symmetric key. Once that is complete the SQL Server instance has the key it needs and no longer needs to communicate with Alliance Key Manager. There is no need for key caching and the key will be decrypted the next time that SQL Server starts.
Cell Level Encryption (CLE)The implementation of CLE by Microsoft SQL Server is quite different than for TDE. The EKM Provider software is still responsible for managing the symmetric encryption key, but it is accomplished in a different way. You must make small changes to your application SQL statements to request encryption and decryption of the cell contents. When CLE is activated the Key Connection for SQL Server software is called for each column and row that needs to be encrypted or decrypted. This means a lot more calls to the EKM Provider software and this is where key caching is very important.
The Key Connection for SQL Server software in this case does cache the symmetric encryption key (usually a 256-bit AES key) in order to improve performance. The key is cached using an equally strong RSA key to prevent key capture by malware. When SQL Server calls the Townsend Security EKM provider the software retrieves the key from the key server and will cache it locally for a 24 hour period. For the next 24 hours all subsequent requests for encryption or decryption are satisfied locally without the need to retrieve the key again. After 24 hours, the key is discarded and a fresh key is retrieved from the key server. If the connection to the key server is not available error messages are written to the Windows Event Log, but encryption processes will continue using the locally cached key, once the 24 hour period expires, network connectivity will need to be restored for a fresh key to be retrieved and operations restored. With key caching database encryption, performance is much better.
The architecture of the Alliance Key Manager EKM provider implements other core features needed to help protect your database. These include:
Key caching is important for performance, but this is just one part of an overall key management strategy for Microsoft SQL Server.
As customers move to virtualized and cloud environments, Alliance Key Manager and the Key Connection for SQL Server EKM Provider software will move with you. In addition to traditional IT data centers, all Townsend Security encryption and key management solutions run in VMware (vSphere, ESXi, etc.), Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and in any cloud service provider vCloud environment.
This is a guest blog by Nick Trenc, CISSP, QSA, PA-QSA, VCP. Nick is an IT Security Architect at Coalfire Labs.
In any environment where potentially sensitive data is stored using Microsoft's SQL Server, one of the key issues is how to best protect that data. Microsoft SQL Server does offer several security controls natively, but almost all of them require some sort of extensive configuration and management in order to be done according to security best practices. Additionally, SQL Server's own security controls do face some shortcomings.
If using SQL Server's own encryption tools, database encryption keys are stored right next to the data they are used to protect. This makes it easier for would be malicious users to capture both the protected data and the keys used to protect that data.
This is where Townsend Security's Alliance Key Manager (AKM) comes in to play. Utilizing the built-in SQL support, IT administrators can generate, store, and manage keys within AKM away from the data those keys are used to protect. This enables separation of duties and dual control which are both best practices and requirements of several compliance frameworks.
Alliance Key Manager utilizes the Extensible Key Management (EKM) functionality of SQL Server (Enterprise Edition 2008 and newer) to centrally manage encryption keys. In addition, AKM also includes native support for SQL Server Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) which can be used to encrypt all of the tables within SQL Server. Finally, AKM includes support for SQL Server Cell Level Encryption (sometimes called Column Level Encryption), integrates directly with the Windows Certificate store, and includes features for key caching and mirroring for high availability.
For more information on using AKM to specifically meet PCI DSS compliance within a virtual environment (but also applicable to most environments), please see the VMware Product Applicability Guide for PCI 3.0 published by Coalfire Systems with collaboration with Townsend Security and VMware.
Organizations running SQL Server Enterprise edition gain the added benefit of SQL Server transparent data encryption (TDE) and extensible key management (EKM). The encryption capabilities of Enterprise edition enable users to easily encrypt data at the column level of a database, and EKM allows users to store encryption keys using a third-party encryption key management solution. These streamlined capabilities of SQL Server Enterprise Edition have made SQL Server one of the easiest databases to encrypt, and therefore it's popularity hasn't waned.
One of the biggest issues facing SQL Server users today is maintaining security as users move their SQL databases to the cloud. While Microsoft Azure remains a popular cloud service provider (CSP) for SQL users, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and VMware are also common amongst organizations moving to the cloud, especially those migrating a multi-platform environment. Each of these top-tier CSPs offer security solutions to help you protect your cloud environment; however, when considering security in the cloud there are two important things to remember: The security offered by your CSP won't provide you with a complete security solution, and the security solutions you bring to protect your data in the cloud can fail if not implemented correctly.
Don't rely on the cloud for complete security!
Your CSP should provide your business with some security, but their solutions are likely limited. Most CSPs will offer firewall protection, for example. Top-tier CSPs have also undergone some certifications such as Payment Card Industry (PCI) and FedRAMP compliance. It is important to remember, however, that relying on firewalls alone is not enough to prevent intruders, and cloud certifications never mean that your company will automatically meet these compliance regulations as well. A comprehensive data security plan is required for any business operating in the cloud, and this typically requires using third-party security solutions to ensure your business meets compliance and is adequately protecting data.
Remember these two things when protecting data in the cloud:
Storing data in SQL Server in the cloud presents new security challenges. Hackers or malicious users can gain access to sensitive data easily through common hacks. Easy hacking of SQL Server is a result from:
When it comes to securing SQL Server in the cloud, you should also always consult your legal and auditing team (or consultants) before assuming that your data is safe and you are compliant with any industry security regulations. On a general level, it's important to include these security measures in your holistic security plan:
It's important to remember that your business continuity relies on your own security plan. Regardless of the environment, when your organization experience a data breach, ultimately the responsibility is yours. Your customers, as well as your employees, rely on you to protect their data, and if you fail to do so, the consequences may include loss of customer loyalty and a severely damaged brand. The ultimate way to prevent access to sensitive data is using encryption and encryption key management.
To learn more about how Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise Edition can easily be secured in the cloud, download:
VMware® is hands-down the virtualization choice of large and small organizations, and it is easy to see why. Not only is it a highly reliable and scalable platform, VMware also provides a complete set of tools you need to deploy, manage, monitor, and protect virtual machines.
Earlier this month, Paul Taylor with Security Insider - Podcast Edition spoke with our founder, Patrick Townsend about encrypting data on Microsoft SQL Server in VMware environments, steps to encrypting data on SQL Server (with and without TDE), as well as talk about Townsend Security's Alliance Key Manager for VMware. Here are a few highlights (download the podcast for the whole conversation):
Paul Taylor: We've talked about the Townsend Security encryption and key management solutions for VMware. Today let's put the focus on Microsoft SQL Server and encryption in the VMware customer environment. Can you give us an overview of how VMware customers can protect data in SQL Server databases?
Patrick Townsend: Just to recap, we really need two things to get encryption right: A key management solution to protect the critical encryption keys, and an encryption solution for the SQL Server database. And they have to talk to each other.
For the first part, our Alliance Key Manager for VMware solution provides a fully functional, enterprise key management solution that protects SQL Server databases as well as other databases and other operating systems.
For encrypting SQL Server, our Alliance Key Manager solution comes with a full Microsoft SQL Server Extensible Key Management Provider. We call this Key Connection for SQL Server and it is one of the modules that our key management customers receive without paying additional license fees. Key Connection for SQL Server provides the encryption and integration with our key server to provide a complete, end-to-end solution for encrypting data in the SQL Server database.
Paul Taylor: Can you talk a little about how Microsoft enables encryption in SQL Server?
Patrick Townsend: If you are running SQL Server Enterprise Edition or higher, you have access to Microsoft's automatic, full database encryption facility called Transparent Data Encryption, or TDE. TDE is very easy to implement. It doesn't require any changes to your existing applications, and using TDE with Alliance Key Manager, our encryption key management solution, is very straight-forward. It typically only takes a few minutes to get up and running with our encryption key manager and TDE. Cell level encryption, on the other hand, will take at least some changes to your SQL statements or .NET application code. These changes aren't difficult at all, but you still need to make them. For some of our customers who don't have the source code for the application, or who don't have IT resources available, this can be a significant barrier.
Paul Taylor: What about Microsoft customers who aren't using the Enterprise Edition of SQL Server? Can they encrypt their data with the Townsend Security solution?
Patrick Townsend: With SQL Server Standard and Web Editions we provide two paths to encrypt data. The first is to use SQL Views and Triggers along with our .NET DLL to provide automatic encryption without any changes to applications. And the second path is to modify your C# or Java applications to use our .NET DLL to perform encryption at the application level.
Both approaches leverage our Microsoft .NET DLLs to perform encryption with integrated key management. Both are very simple to implement. And there are no additional license fees to deploy and use our Microsoft .NET DLLs to accomplish this.
Paul Taylor: So, walk me through the steps for encrypting data in my SQL Server Enterprise Edition database. How difficult is it?
Patrick Townsend: Encrypting data in Enterprise SQL Server is really very easy. The first step is to install our Alliance Key Manager for VMware solution. It launches like any other virtual machine using the normal VMware applications and you can have a key management solution up and running very quickly.
The second step is to install the Key Connection for SQL Server application on the virtual machine running SQL Server in Windows. This is a normal install process with an MSI file. You answer some questions, install a certificate and private key in the Windows Certificate Store, and run a handful of commands to start SQL Server TDE encryption or Cell Level Encryption. You also restart the log file to be sure that it is encrypted as well. That's about it.
Of course, you will want to follow the instructions on how to set up a high availability key server, and point your Key Connection for SQL Server configuration to it as failover. That is a normal configuration process and also very easy to do. We find that VMware customers can deploy SQL Server encryption very quickly.
Paul and Patrick also cover which versions of SQL Server are supported, the availability of Alliance Key Manager in other platforms (hint: it's quite versatile), and our 30-day evaluation program (you can do a full proof-of-concept in your own environment at no charge). Be sure to download the podcast to hear the rest of their conversation:
VMware is hands-down the virtualization choice of large and small organizations. And it is easy to see why. Not only is it a highly reliable and scalable platform, but VMware provides a complete set of tools you need to deploy, manage, monitor, and protect virtual machines. And did I mention that it totally rocks the scalability challenge?
Let's look at how VMware customers who run Microsoft SQL Server applications can enable encryption and key management to protect sensitive data and meet compliance regulations.
We have to solve the encryption key management challenge. As we like to say around here, the hardest part of security is encryption, and the hardest part of encryption is key management. We have to store the encryption keys separate from the protected data, and use industry standard practices to protect them. With our Alliance Key Manager for VMware solution we make this problem easy to solve. Our key manager comes in a ready-to-deploy OVA format and VMware customers can just launch the key manager with standard VMware tools. Of course, there are some security best practices on how to properly deploy a security application like a key manager in VMware (see the resources section below). With Alliance Key Manager's Ready-To-Use options you can have your VMware key management problem solved in just SECONDS.
Of course, some of our VMware customers want to protect encryption keys in traditional Hardware Security Modules (HSMs). No problem, Alliance Key Manager can be deployed as a rack-mounted HSM or as a vCloud instance.
Now we want to enable encryption in SQL Server and protect the encryption keys with Alliance Key Manager. Thanks to Microsoft's Extensible Key Management (EKM) interface, this is incredibly easy. Alliance Key Manager comes with EKM Provider software that plugs right into SQL Server to enable encryption and protect your encryption keys. We call this our Key Connection for SQL Server application and it installs on your SQL Server VMware instance using a standard MSI install process. Key Connection for SQL Server runs in all SQL Server environments including VMware, hardware, vCloud, and cloud platforms so hybrid environments are fully supported. Install the credentials, select the SQL Server instances you want to protect, answer some questions, type a few commands and you have a fully protected SQL Server database using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE). Again, this takes just minutes to accomplish.
SQL Server also supports column level encryption, which Microsoft calls Cell Level Encryption. It can provide better performance for some SQL Server databases. Yes, that's also supported through the same Key Connection for SQL Server software.
The beauty of the Microsoft EKM architecture is that you don't need to modify your SQL Server applications to deploy encryption. Your DBA and security team can get your data protected very quickly without a development project. Anybody got budget for that these days?
Already encrypting SQL Server but aren't protecting your encryption key? That's easy – you can install Key Connection for SQL Server, issue a few commands, and the problem is solved!
What about high availability, business recovery, clustered configurations, and system logs? We've got all of that covered, too. Using the same Key Connection for SQL Server EKM Provider (did I mention that it's free?) you can configure one or more secondary key servers that function as high availability failover servers for business recovery? Key Connection for SQL Server will automatically failover to secondary key servers if the primary key server is unavailable.
Alliance Key Manager also fits nicely into your active monitoring strategy. You can easily enable forwarding of all key access, key management, encryption, and system activity logs to your log collection server or SIEM solution.
Alliance Key Manager protects Oracle, IBM, MySQL and other databases as well as web applications and unstructured data. You get to deploy one key management solution to protect everything. And do you know how much it will cost you to do your next project? Nothing, zilch, zed, nada! Alliance Key Manager does not force you to license and pay for client-side applications.
I'll talk more in future posts about how to protect other databases and applications in VMware environments. Stay tuned if you run SharePoint, Microsoft CRM or ERP applications, Oracle, or open source databases like MySQL and SQLite.
You can evaluate Alliance Key Manager and Key Connection for SQL Server in your own VMware environment free of charge. Just visit our Alliance Key Manager for SQL Server page and request a free 30-day evaluation.
Encryption and key management? We can get this done right!
PCI SSC Virtualization Guidelines
VMware Solution Guide for Payment Card Industry (PCI)
Securing Alliance Key Manager for VMwar
Alliance Key Manager for VMware Solution Brief
In the past, encryption has had a reputation for being difficult to do, complex, and time consuming, we hope to show you how that has changed. If you are new at protecting data in Microsoft SQL Server environments, generally compliance regulations are what drive an encryption project.
Since it wasn't thought of as something that improved the "Bottom line" by increasing revenue or decreasing expenses, encryption has historically been a project solely driven by the need to meet compliance regulations. There are a large variety of compliance regulations that most, if not all, businesses fall under. One common misconception about compliance regulations is that they don't equally apply to both private and public companies. To clarify, these regulations apply to all companies, of all sizes, whether they are privately-held or publicly-owned.
For example, if you take credit cards for any reason, you fall under Payment Card Industry - Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS). Other common regulations are:
More than 45 states also have their own privacy rules, in addition to the ones listed above, that strongly recommend encryption of any personally identifiable information (PII).
So, beyond compliance with regulations, why should you care about encryption… and what is it anyways? First of all, your customers, clients, and suppliers all expect you to protect their sensitive data. Hackers and data thieves are targeting mid-sized companies because, as larger companies get better at securing sensitive information, the hackers see smaller companies as better targets. Financial fraud and data breaches become more common in those businesses that might not be as prepared without the resources to have an internal security team. Data loss can have a big impact on a company's reputation as well as their financial health.
AES encryption is a mathematical formula for protecting data. It is based on a proven, well-known algorithm and standards published by NIST. Since that formula is a open and vetted standard use, it is not the mathematical algorithm that is the big secret. It is what happens with the "Key" that locks and unlocks the data that all the fuss is about.
Key management is so important because the encryption keys are THE secret that must be protected. Without access to the key, a hacker that accesses encrypted data has no way to read it. Industry standards and best practices for encryption key management, as well as compliance regulations that require proper encryption key management, all state that storing encryption keys on the server with the protected data is a poor security practice. Encryption keys are unique and cryptographically secure, and once created, protecting the key is the core practice that will protect the sensitive data. It will not be defensible in the event of a data breach if the keys were stored in the same server as the data. This would be like leaving the key to your house in the door lock and being surprised that someone entered uninvited!
Our solutions help Microsoft SQL Server customers really protect their data. Alliance Key Manager, our encryption key management solution, is NIST FIPS 140-2 compliant. This means it meets Federal standards that private enterprises expect around key management. We provide encryption key management solutions for every version and edition of SQL Server starting with SQL Server 2005. In addition, you can choose between a hardware security module (HSM), Cloud HSM, VMware virtual appliance, or a cloud instance in AWS or Azure. Easy. Efficient. Cost-Effective.
Please join our founder and data security expert, Patrick Townsend, in this 30-minute webinar that will cover encryption and key management best practices with Microsoft SQL Server!
As always, your comments and feedback are appreciated!
From Developers to Database Administrators, we have met another amazing group of people at the PASS Summit 2014. Over 5,000 members of the Professional Association for SQL Server converged on Seattle, WA and we got to talk about security with people from all over North America and from as far away as Norway, Spain, Australia, Colombia, Germany, and even Iceland.
We spent most of our time talking about the importance of encrypting sensitive data, and about using an encryption key management solution to protect encryption keys away from the database. There is a huge need to meet compliance regulations, and with all the options now available (Hardware appliance, Cloud HSM, VMware virtual environment, and cloud instances in AWS or Azure) there is a solution for each scenario we encountered.
If you are working with SQL Server, we hope you are familiar with the SQL Server Worldwide User Group (SSWUG). If you don't know about them, please allow me a moment to introduce you to Stephen Wynkoop who is the founder and editor for SSWUG.org. This website is a wealth of information about everything you would want to know about SQL Server (and they are even branching out to other database systems like Oracle and IBM DB2). The emphasis at SSWUG has been on SQL Server and you will find a large number of articles, blogs, videos and other content on wide variety of topics related to it. Stephen features weekly video programs about the database and IT world, webcasts, articles, online virtual community events and virtual conferences several times a year. He is a Microsoft SQL Server MVP and the author of more than 10 books, translated into at least 7 languages. Stephen has been working with SQL Server since the very first version, with a prior experience in database platforms that included dBase and Btrieve.
SSWUG has dedicated a section of their web site to the SSWUGtv Security Edition "Townsend Security Series" where they present videos of Stephen and our own industry expert, Patrick Townsend, discussing security topics ranging from securing data with encryption and key management on SQL Server (not just with EKM) to protecting data in the cloud. Additionally, they post a new security segment just about every week on their homepage, so there is always something fresh. A few of the sessions include topics such as What top industries do Hackers focus on and why? and Cross-platform security: How do you have a hybrid environment and keep it secure?
Check out this one on: PCI Compliance and Security in the Cloud - (11 minutes)
Stephen and Patrick have a great time recording these videos, and if you haven't seen any yet, I urge you to check them out. In addition to all the great content on the SSWUG website, SSWUG also holds virtual conferences and Summer Camps that are great online resources for developers.
You are also invited to download this latest white paper, authored by Stephen Wynkoop, on understanding options and responsibilities for managing encryption in the Microsoft Azure Cloud.
It used to be said that "encryption is the hardest part of data security, and key management is the hardest part of encryption". While that may have been true a few years ago, we are constantly working to make affordable, easy-to-use, defensible solutions that meet security best practices and industry compliance regulations. Separating and managing the encryption keys from the data they protect is still one of the biggest challenges in terms of doing an encryption project right, so let's take a look at what encryption & key management options are available for SQL Server users.
If you are running the Enterprise Edition of SQL Server, version 2008 or newer, you have access to Microsoft's architecture for encryption called Extensible Key Management (EKM). This provider interface allows for third-party key management systems to be easily incorporated in order to separate encryption keys from the encrypted data they protect. A key management solution should provide Windows client libraries, guidance, and sample code within the solution.
The SQL Server EKM architecture supports:
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) With TDE, the entire database table (including the logs you are collecting) is encrypted. It is a very easy mechanism to use for encryption and since it is transparent, no application level changes are needed, it only takes a few commands to implement. TDE protects data at rest, including backups and log files.
Cell Level Encryption Also known as column-level encryption, this allows for you to selectively encrypt certain columns of information in your database. This option makes sense if you have large databases of information, and only access encrypted columns periodically.
If you are running older versions of SQL Server (pre-2008), or using non-enterprise editions such as standard, web, or express; you do not have access to TDE or EKM. You still have good options for protecting your data with encryption, just remember the encryption key needs to be separated from the encrypted data it protects.
When you don't have the EKM architecture, another option for encrypting data in your SQL Server database is to perform encryption and decryption at the application layer using .NET-based encryption. All editions of SQL Server support the ability to perform encryption from within the .NET framework with very straightforward code functions.
C# and VB.NET Application EncryptionIf you are developing in .NET you only need to plug in the client side application and implement a few lines of code for your encryption and decryption calls.
Column Level EncryptionAnother approach would be to combine User Described Functions (UDFs) with triggers and views to help automate the encryption and decryption at the column level.
Moving SQL Server Data to the Cloud
As more companies migrate their applications and data to the cloud, there are security issues to consider before making that move. Microsoft Azure SQL Database (MASD) -which has also been called SQL Azure, SQL Server Data Services, SQL Services, Windows Azure SQL Database- is a cloud-based service from Microsoft offering database capabilities as a part of the Azure Services Platform. The service is easy to use and readily available, just know that there are some constraints and some features of EKM that are not available when using MASD.
Most businesses migrating to the cloud will choose to run virtual machines that contain the Windows OS and a full implementation of the SQL Server database. By using a virtual machine, encryption and key management, including EKM with TDE, can be fully supported and provide the level of security you expect and compliance regulations require!
You have many options still available for your key management solution when your data has been moved to the cloud. Our NIST validated, FIPS 140-2 compliant Alliance Key Manager solutions are available as:
To learn more about encrypting data on SQL Server, managing encryption keys, and how we are helping companies protect their data with Alliance Key Manager, download the podcast on Encryption Options on SQL Server.
In this latest white paper, authored by Stephen Wynkoop (SQL Server MVP, Founder & Editor at SSWUG.ORG), Stephen will address how "data at rest is data at risk", specifically looking at the Microsoft Azure Cloud as a selected platform. The author covers a wide array of information, and discusses in detail how critical it is to do the important work of protecting information in a way that works both with your applications and with the compliance regulations & requirements that impact your company and industry.
Each of the key topic areas below are addressed in detail in the white paper:
Architecture Decisions Drive Technology Approach
The options range from fully-managed data storage and access (Windows Azure SQL Database, WASD) to setting up a SQL Server with a Virtual Machine instance. Each certainly has its place, but there are big differences in options they support.
Impact of Encryption
Encryption, and the impact of encryption on your systems, is a big area of concern for those deploying it. Three different areas are important to consider when impact on systems is considered.
Key Management Fundamentals
There are core best practices to consider while you're deploying your selected solution. Some are procedural while others are software/hardware implementations. Keep in mind that the key is to protect your most important secret: the encryption keys. You must provide for protection of the encryption keys, while still providing for access, updates and rotation (key management) of those encryption keys throughout their lifecycle.
The author also covers how Townsend Security's Alliance Key Manager provides answers to these challenges of working with the Microsoft Azure Cloud, securing information with encryption, and the critical need to manage the keys. For more information on Alliance Key Manager for Windows Azure, download our solution brief or get started with a complimentary 30-day evaluation
Author Bio: Stephen Wynkoop
Stephen Wynkoop is the founder and editor for SSWUG. ORG – the SQL Server Worldwide User's Group where he writes a column and maintains the site overall. SSWUG features a weekly video programs about the database and IT world, webcasts, articles, online virtual community events and virtual conferences several times a year. Stephen is a Microsoft SQL Server MVP and the author of more than 10 books, translated into at least 7 languages. Stephen has been working with SQL Server since the very first version, with a prior experience in database platforms that included dBase and Btrieve. Stephen can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com.
After our latest webinar "Encryption & Key Management with Microsoft SQL Server" there were a number of great questions asked by attendees and answered by security expert Patrick Townsend.
Here is an informative recap of that Q&A session:
Q: Are there any special considerations when deploying an encryption key manager in the cloud?
A: The cloud always presents some additional security challenges related to encryption and security in general and has the impression of being less secure and having some new challenges around security. In the cloud, the encryption key manager itself is only one component to consider, and you need a good FIPS 140-2 compliant solution like our Alliance Key Manager for SQL Server. You also need client side applications and libraries, so when you're thinking about moving to the cloud, paying attention to that particular issue is very important. Also know that not all libraries can easily migrate to cloud. We develop ours from the ground up with the cloud in mind, so all of our components that talk back to our key manager for encryption keys or encryption services are cloud-enabled and can be deployed there.
From a compliance point of view, it is very important to take a look at the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA.org) document on cloud security - version 3.
We also provide a compliance brief about domain 11 which talks about encryption key management and issues around the security in the cloud.
Q: Can you go a little more in-depth about what gets installed on SQL Server?
A: For the SQL Server platform (the client side software) Microsoft allows for Extensible Key Management (EKM) which allows vendors like Townsend Security to plug into their environment. Our Key Connection for SQL Server is an EKM provider and it is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) install, so you load it on your own SQL Server platform and it walks you through some questions:
Side Note: We do not charge based on the number of endpoints that talk to our Alliance Key Manager. This is something that is unique to us as a vendor. We believe the encryption should be easy to do and affordable, so no additional license fees are required to actually use it. We want our customers to deploy encryption and use it to protect data.
Q: What are the minimum requirements for the key server?
A: The Alliance Key Manager product is available as either a hardware security module (HSM) device or virtual appliance. As an HSM it has a 1U server footprint, so it looks like any normal 1U server in your data center. However if you use our Alliance Key Manager Cloud HSM implementation, the encryption key manager is installed for you in a secure data center. It is also our philosophy that these are customer install processes, so we don't have consulting fees because it is a user deployed device. The server administration is done through a secure web browser session with our Townsend Security technical experts. The encryption key management security functions are done through a specific Windows application that talks to one or more key servers to actually create and deploy encryption keys whether they're for Oracle or SQL Server EKM.
Also, we do provide our encryption key manager as a VMware virtual appliance, which allows you to deploy a key manager within your VMware infrastructure and we give you guidance on that process. With this option you don't have to purchase a hardware appliance, you can run it in your VM infrastructure or within a vCloud architecture. We strongly recommend that a review of the PCI Security Council's - Cloud Computing Guidelines as well as their guidance around virtualization when deploying a virtual encryption key manager.
Q: Does your key manager handle encryption and decryption or just key management?
A: Our encryption key management appliance itself does support on-board encryption and decryption.
Q: Can the same EKM module be used to encrypt servers in both data centers and cloud environments?
A: Yes. You can mix and match these anyway you want. You can use the same encryption key management solution for applications running in either environment, and they can talk to each other. You should be aware of a good security practice guidance around using different encryption keys for different kinds of applications, or different user communities, even in a high-availability data center or disaster recovery centers.
Q: What are the performance impacts on encryption?
A: Encryption always has performance impacts. Generally it can impose a penalty somewhere between 2% and 4% in terms of computing resources. Guidance from Microsoft regarding very large SQL Server databases show that performance can become an issue with certain operations. For example, encrypted indexes may require the entire index to be decrypted in order to be processed. Very large SQL Server databases can impose a bigger performance penalty than 4%. Sometimes, cell level encryption has been a better performing implementation than transparent data encryption. We support both TDE and cell level encryption, allowing our customers to use our product as needed.
We strongly recommend to our customers, especially those with larger more complex SQL Server applications, that they contact us and ask for a complimentary evaluation of our encryption key manager. The complimentary product trial is fully functional and allows an opportunity to do analysis of the performance impacts. We want you to give it a try and make sure you understand the impacts personally.
Q: Is there any limit to the number of servers that you can hook up to the key manager?
A: No. There's no license limit. If you're considering putting up multiple servers we recommend you engage our pre-sales support team and get some guidance on your project. You will never come to us for additional licensing fees around adding a new platform, new SQL Server, or any other application that talks to the encryption key management server. We are unique in the industry that way and is part of our philosophy; we believe encryption needs to go everywhere, data needs protection wherever it lives, and we should lower the barriers -not raise them- when it comes to getting data protection in place. You can connect as many client-side applications to the key server as you wish.
Q: How do you keep system administrators from getting at the data and the keys at the same time.
A: Tasks such as the management of the server, putting it on the network, establishing system logging options, setting the timeservers - all network administration processes - are segmented from the actual management of the encryption keys. Good security practice says that those should be different people engaging in those activities. We provide completely different interfaces to simplify separation of duties.
If you are using our Cloud HSM environment, it is not administered, managed, or accessed by the cloud provider nor by Townsend Security. You have exclusive access and control over your encryption key managers. We even provide a path if you wish to take the encryption key manager out of the cloud environment and install it in your own data center. We believe strongly that a security device should be exclusively under your control, not under the control or management of the cloud provider.
I encourage you to download the recording of the entire webinar and Q&A session:
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About The Goods Dept•
THE GOODS DEPT• is a curated department store based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Developed in 2010 by the founders of Brightspot Market, the unique and multidimensional retail environment quickly became the hub for alternative fashion and lifestyle products from young, independent Indonesian designers and a selection of international brands. Our stores features rotating events such as art exhibitions and film screenings, and also houses The Goods Café•
Our stores :
Pacific Place
Our brick and mortar store occupies a 750 square meter space, centered in the heart of Jakarta.
Pondok Indah Mall 2
Our second physical store is in a 1,000 square meter in Pondok Indah Mall, South Jakarta. The store is decorated with mezzanine, it is a two-story store with a capacity of 1000 square meters and it houses a To-Go cake corner
Lotte Shopping Avenue
THE GOODS DEPT• in Lotte Shopping Avenue features wide selection of products from both local and international brands that are exclusive to this location. Almost half of the space is dedicated to THE GOODS CAFE•, making it their biggest one yet, occupy nearly 1000 square meters of space.
The Goods Café• & The Goods Diner•
THE GOODS CAFÉ• is a casual eatery attached to our retail locations. Chef Erlene Susanto set out to bring the relaxed vibe of the American west coast to our tables. She has created an eclectic menu inspired by California's melting-pot-style comfort food, with influences from Western, Asian and Mexican staples. In January 2012, we opened The Goods Diner•, a standalone restaurant and bar in the legendary Fairgrounds building (former Bengkel Night Park).
Brightspot Market
Brightspot Market was founded in early 2009 with the goal of showcasing young, independent fashion and product designers along side unique retailers and international streetwear brands. The four-day market is held twice a year in different locations around Jakarta. Started in a time when interest in local (Indonesian) brands was nearly non-existent, Brightspot has now become THE platform for creative entrepreneurs to launch their brands.
Our first event drew an audience of just over 5000 visitors, and has now grown to 57,000 at our last event in June 2012. In the span of a few years, Brightspot has gone from being a market of all things cool to a full-blown cultural phenomenon. People in the know have come to trust Brightspot Market and The Goods Dept• as the front-runner for new fashion and style in Indonesia. For more information, please visit http://brightspotmarket.com
Stay tuned to our twitter @theGOODSdept to find out more information on events and product features
THE GOODS DEPT• Pondok Indah Mall 2
021 75920997
THE GOODS CAFE• Pondok Indah Mall 2
021 75920996
THE GOODS DEPT• Pacific Place
021 57973644
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021 57973143
THE GOODS DEPT• Lotte Shopping Avenue
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THE GOODS CAFE• Lotte Shopping Avenue
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Sunday, July 14, 2013
Ya know, The Usual...
1 comment:
Yay for a new re-covered platen! How are you liking JJ Short's results? I've been pretty pleased with the 3 I've had done. (:ReplyDelete
Good luck slimming down the herd. I'd suggest seeing if Tom Furrier would do some sort of consignment arrangement and dropping off the whole batch of culls at once. I've done this a few times with my local typewriter guy, and if he doesn't have to do anything to them (IE: clean and working well), he might be amenable to increasing his salable inventory that way. You don't make as much, but you're also supporting your local typewriter guy in a tangible way.
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There was once an old King who had two daughters, of whom the younger possessed the greater beauty and vivaciousness. She captured the admiration of those around her from an early age, and when she came of an age to be courted the older princess found that she was passed over in favour of her younger sisters charms. Many powerful men approached the King for the younger princesss hand in marriage, and in time he arranged for her to become betrothed to a young King from the east.
The young princess, however, had no wish to wed and she coined excuses to avoid departing on the traditional visit to her intended husbands lands until eventually she could not put off the visit any longer. The night before the visit she went to her sisters bedroom with a troubled countenance. Sister, said she. I do not want to go to the east. What if the King is horrible?
That is the purpose of your visit, the older princess explained. If you dislike him, you can refuse to wed him.
You are so sensible why dont you go in my place and tell me what he is like?
The older princess laughed at this impulsive suggestion. I would love to, she smiled, shaking her head. But we look nothing alike, and Father sent a portrait of you to this King. Unless he is blind, and all his courtiers blind, there would be no way to fool him.
Not as we are now, the younger agreed, a gleam in her eyes. But I know a spell that will let us take on the appearance of another. Take the hairs from your brush and braid them to form a small circlet that you can place around your wrist. I will do the same with my hairs. Then I will give you mine, and take yours, and in the morning we shall put on the circlets and speak the spell. As long as we wear the circlets, we will look like each other! She laughed at her sisters astonishment. And you can go in my place, and find out what this King is like. I will stay here, and I might even be able to secure you a suitor!
Though she was stung by the careless words, the older princess was curious. She wanted to see the eastern lands, and surely it would be nice to be beautiful and admired for a while? So she agreed, and in the morning they exchanged circlets. Just as her sister had said, when they spoke the spell with the circlets on their wrists, one became the other in face, form, and voice. Thus, it was the older princess who left to travel east, disguised as her younger sister.
The moment she laid eyes on the young King, she envied her sister. He was tall and handsome, and as time went on she could no find fault with him for he was also kind, clever, cheerful and devoted to fulfilling her needs and wishes. She tried to be happy for her sister, because she would be able to tell the younger princess that she was betrothed to a good man, but her heart grew heavier as each day passed. Her sister had admirers a-plenty, and now this King who had never met her would wed her and make her happy, and yet she had none of that.
Her melancholy grew until it began to cloud her eyes behind her smiles, and the King noticed. You seem sad, my lady, he observed one evening, leading her on a walk through the gardens. Your eyes dont laugh as they did do you miss your home and family?
A little, she said softly, knowing she couldnt tell the truth and feeling worse for it.
Have you not enjoyed your time here? I fear it may have been a duty rather than a pleasure.
Oh, no! Ive had a wonderful time, your Majesty, she protested at once. Ive been made to feel so welcome here.
You are welcomed, he said, stopping and looking down at her. This will be your home. He bent to kiss her, but she turned her face away so that his lips met her cheek. Why did you turn away? he asked.
She blushed nervously. She couldnt kiss her sisters betrothed! Forgive me, she said, shaking her head. I have not
Ah. The King smiled and touched her cheek. Do not worry my dear. He kissed her forehead. I understand.
The princess wept in her room that night, seeing her sisters face in the mirror. She took off the circlet of golden hair and watched her true appearance return, and grieved because she had grown to love the King and knew that he loved her beautiful sister without knowing that he was being cruelly deceived. She hid the circlet under her pillow while she slept, as she had done every night. Unbeknownst to her, the King had been told by a servant that a strange young woman had been sleeping in the princesss suite. On this night, in the company of that same servant, he entered her room and frowned at the stranger for she was clearly not his betrothed. Her hair was copper, rather than gold, and though her features were fine and well-bred they lacked the glowing beauty of the princess he knew.
He said nothing of it, swearing his servant to silence on the matter, but he pondered the problem for most of the night. When he took leave of the princess, he also ascertained that the mysterious young woman was not among the servants who had accompanied her to his lands. The young King promised to visit the princess in her Fathers realms, and she relayed this promise to her younger sister when she arrived home. You are lucky, the older princess added. He is a good, kind, handsome man. He will certainly love you and treat you well. I wish we had not deceived him. He will be hurt when he finds out.
He will not find out, then, the younger said confidently, taking off the circlet. Her sister copied her, reluctantly. I am looking forward to meeting him now.
When the young Kings visit began, the younger princess greeted him eagerly. The older princesss heart beat quickly when she was introduced to him, but he simply bowed over her hand and turned his attention back to her sister. Secretly, however, he was astonished to find that the mysterious young woman was actually the princesss older sister. The unknown ladys face had haunted him in the weeks between visits, and when he began to observe the older princess he saw that the unhappiness hadnt left her eyes. By contrast, his bride-to-be sparkled, and it puzzled him that she was so vivacious. The more he compared the sisters, the more certain he became that somehow a switch had been made and that the quieter, elder, princess was the one who had come to his palace.
He was walking alone in the gardens, pondering the problem of how to explain the switch, when he glimpsed a shadow slipping past. It was the elder princess, and she was crying as she made her way through the gardens. Unseen, he followed her to a small garden with a fountain and watched from the shadows. She was weeping as if broken-hearted, looking down at her reflection in the water. He stared when she wrapped something around her wrist and changed before his eyes into the likeness of her sister. Her tears fell faster as she stared down at her changed face, and then she broke up the reflection and tore off the circlet. He doesnt love you, she said to the shifting water. He loves this! She flung the bracelet away, hating it for the heartache it had caused her.
The King picked up the circlet, and found that it was made of braided golden hairs. He smiled faintly, and slipped away without the princess knowing he had ever been there, and decided to request an audience with the old King. The next day, he told the King a story from his lands. At certain times of the year, it was believed that spirits would take on the appearance of men to try and steal the souls of their wives. Thus, men of the east would only wed a woman who would not be fooled in this way. So he asked for the princess to take a simple test to pick him out of a group of men who looked like him.
The old King was amused by the superstition, and agreed to this. The younger princess was also amused, and told her sister, but the older princess cautioned her. Be careful, she urged. He did not mention this before I think he may have guessed our trick.
You worry too much, the younger laughed. There cannot be another man as handsome as him in this kingdom! Imagine her dismay, then, when the next morning saw five identical young Kings enter the throne room! The young King had consulted an old and wily advisor, who knew a thing or two of magic, and had recruited four of his servants to help him. The princess hesitated over the choice, for the men all looked and spoke the same, and finally chose the man standing in the middle of the line. He smiled and bowed, and removed a token holding a lock of the Kings hair revealing that he was really the Kings valet. The princess was furious at being tricked, and unguardedly protested that using magic was unfair.
Is that so? another of the Kings frowned. Yet you used magic, my lady! Where is the bracelet of your sisters hair that you used to take on her appearance?
What is this? the old King demanded.
Forgive me, your Majesty, but your younger daughter was not the one who visited the east. I believe the elder came, disguised as her sister though why the switch was made, I do not know, a third murmured, frowning slightly.
It is true. The older princess was standing by the door, pale and resolute. I am sorry for what I did I took my sisters place to find out what her betrothed was like, for she didnt want to go. I should have stayed here, she added sadly. I have only brought myself unhappiness.
Who are you addressing? one of the four remaining Kings asked, smiling faintly. Can you tell which one of us is real?
She smiled shyly and chose the one who hadnt spoken at all after greeting her sister. He gave a shout of laughter and the others removed their tokens she had chosen truly. The young King took her hands. I do not want a bride who hasnt the courage to visit the unknown, or the insight to recognise her husband, he said. Will you be my bride?
Her answer, of course, led to their happy ever after.
A Princess With A Secret by randomoniaWatch
©2006-2016 randomonia
I wrote this short fairy-tale styled story to go with my contest entry for 's competition entitled 'Princess with a Secret'. The picture can be found here: [link]
Be gentle - I've never 'published' any of my stories before. In fact, I nearly ripped my brother and his friend apart for reading one years ago (okay, it was rubbish, but I was protective! Still am...). Still, my brother proof read it so I wouldn't make anyone's eyes bleed too much.
Be gentle - I've never 'published' any of my stories before. In fact, I nearly ripped my brother and his friend apart for reading one years ago (okay, it was rubbish, but I was protective! Still am...). Still, my brother proof read it so I wouldn't make anyone's eyes bleed too much.
I love this!!! Great job!!!!
You're welcome! If you can produce stories like this, I think you should definitely keep them coming!
This is AWESOME!
Wow! This is a great fairytale! I wanted the older sister to get the king... ;D
I love it!
I love it!
I'm very fond of Fairy Tales, and your story here calls to mind all the things I love about them.
Amazing your a talented writer Oo. I always wanted to do some storys but i lack the grammer and punuation skills plus i cant spell (at times its so bad spell check malfuncions and the computer blows up) Do you plan on doing more when you get the time?
More like when I get the inspiration to finish one! I have about fifty or more unfinished stories and plots lurking on my computer. If I die mysteriously tomorrow and they go through my computer for clues they are going to freak.
this is wonderfull!!! it goes perfectly along with the picture
This is gorgeous (:. Very sweet, and very well written <3!
nice i like happy endings...
even tho u say it is ur first *published* writing.. it's great keep up the awsum work!
even tho u say it is ur first *published* writing.. it's great keep up the awsum work!
Thank you very much! I've been writing on my computer for a long time, but never got up the guts to actually show it off before.
Wow. This is amazing. Really. It's cliche, yes, but in a good way, y'know what I mean? Anyway... I just thought I'd let you know that I really really liked it!! You probably don't care, but anyway, it is really good!!! My favorite line: "Her answer, of course, led to their 'happily ever after.'" That is what makes a good story, a great last line. Ok, I'll stop rambling to you now and let you get back to whatever it is you do!
A touch of Terry Pratchett I think - I stared at that last line for a long time and changed it about twenty times because I wanted to finish up on one line and close the story fully. I have an awful habit of trailing out my stories.
My brother pointed out that it's hard to avoid cliche when writing a fairy tale. :3 Bless him.
My brother pointed out that it's hard to avoid cliche when writing a fairy tale. :3 Bless him.
It is rather difficult... And I do that a lot, too, it's one reason I think so highly of last lines. They tend to run away from me...
My brother (he's my literature guru!) suggested practicing short stories, where you write TO the ending. I think I'll take him up on that one. It'd be good practice for chapters at any rate.
He sounds like a literature guru. Good luck with that!! It would be good practice, you're right there...
He's a newly qualified English teacher, and a fiend when it comes to writing stories. I've laughed myself sick over some of them. But we'll see if I can manage to put it into practice!


text:
Frederick Lewis Provo
Position: HB
Height: 5-9 Weight: 185 lbs.
Born: April 17, 1922 in Seattle, WA
Died: June 6, 1999
High School: Vancouver
College: Washington (school history)
Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 14th round (121st overall) of the 1948 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 0 (15060th overall since 1950)
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text:
Winter Dreams
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Winter Dreams Questions
Bring on the tough stuff - there's not just one right answer.
- Fitzgerald spends a lot of "Winter Dreams" looking at Judy Jones. We get tons of descriptions of her physical appearance and her manners. But we never get much of a sense of what she is like on the inside. Can you imagine "Winter Dreams" from Judy Jones' perspective? How might her point of view change the overall tone of the story? How do you think Judy might describe Dexter Green?
- How would "Winter Dreams" be different if it maintained the exact same rags-to-riches plot line, but with a woman protagonist instead of a man? Would such a plot be possible for a short story written in 1922? What would Fitzgerald have to change to make "Winter Dreams" work with a female main character?
- Fitzgerald has said that "Winter Dreams" was the beginning of his idea for his most famous novel, The Great Gatsby (1925): ambitious guy from the Midwest tries to make it in East Coast high society, and all for love of a (rather cruel) girl. But The Great Gatsby's plot departs from "Winter Dreams" in a couple of key ways. How does the introduction of Nick Carraway as the frame narrator affect The Great Gatsby's tone? What are the similarities and differences between Dexter Green and Jay Gatsby? Why might Fitzgerald have made these changes in revising "Winter Dreams" into a much longer novel?
- "Winter Dreams" is technically a third-person story. Dexter is described as "he," rather than speaking as "I." But the story very much focuses on Dexter's personal experiences and feelings. How much would "Winter Dreams" change if it were told directly from Dexter's point of view? How would the tone of the story be different if it appeared from a truly objective third-person perspective? Do you think this style of narration generates more or less sympathy in the reader for Dexter?
- "Winter Dreams" portrays Dexter's disappointment with East Coast high society by showing us his heartbreak at the fall of his ideal woman, Judy Jones. But there are other ways that Fitzgerald could choose to depict Dexter's disappointment: for example, he could lose all his money or face social discrimination for his lower class origins. How would the message of "Winter Dreams" change if there were no love plot in the story? Why might Fitzgerald choose to tell a story about social class using romance?
- How would "Winter Dreams" be different if Dexter had married Irene Scheerer after all? Would he have been able to achieve his life's ambitions with Irene by his side? Why or why not? What might Fitzgerald be saying about the relationship between a happy family life and ambition?
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text:
"He Sends us the Right People at the Right Time"
Submitted by sjessel on Wed, 10/17/2012 - 14:17
Oct. 17th, 2012
Broadcasting rock-n-roll as a former disc jockey before attending and becoming a graduate of Trinity School for Ministry, The Very Rev. John Burwell relates his experiences and encounters with the providence of God in ministry, calling/sending, and vocation from the multi-site Church of the Holy Cross located on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina.
- About Trinity
- Vision, Purpose and Values
- Trinity's History
- Trinity's Covenant
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text:
Township police shot and killed a man after he fired a round at officers from an apartment building window on Cook Avenue Wednesday evening, according to Chief Jack Nichols.
Police went to the scene around 10 p.m. after receiving a report that the man had threatened his neighbors with a gun.
The man barricaded himself in an apartment, police lobbed tear gas into the apartment building and made 69 calls to the cellular phone of the man they ended up killing, the chief said.
No one was injured beside the deceased, Nichols said.
Detectives and the Mahoning County Coroner's office were investigating the scene where the man lay dead in an apartment.
The chief did not have the name of the deceased.
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text:
Unique Melody Miracle
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Unique Melody Merlin
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Unique Melody Mentor acrylic universal/custom
"Unfinished brilliance Okay, well let me just start off by saying I'm big fan of Unique Melody, it was actually the UM Miracle that I got a chance to demo which helped me understand how great an earphone can actually sound. This coming from a pair of Skullcandy's (forgive me Head fi) but we all started somewhere. Getting back to the topic at hand I'm going to typically..." --dnun8086
Unique Melody Miracle V2 Universal six driver in-ear monitor
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Unique Melody Aero
" http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/510802/review-unique-melody-aero-custom-triple-driver-iem That's a link to my extensive review. In summary: The Aero has the Unique Melody house sound, which will appeal to some but not all. Lovers of AKG K701, Etymotic ER4S, Sennheiser HD800, AKG K1000, or Electrostatic headphones in general will likely find these to be almost perfect. Fans of..." --project86
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"This is the first review i am going to do on head fi . Firstly i am just a junior teenage audiophile so ya my review might be slightly inaccurate , just slightly. These Unique Melody mages have 4 balanced armature drivers in them, 2 lows 1 high and 1 mid. Now i will start of with build quality. Build quality: The build quality is superb i can say! When i compared it with my friend's jh 16..." --JuzModa
Unique Melody SE530x6
" If you are a fan of the Shure sound and have a broken pair of Shure SE530, or would like to try custom IEM but stay with a familiar sound signature and not spend 1000$ right away, the SE530x6 is the way to go. I am having a hard time finding anything wrong with them as I do not have better customs, but they challenge the best headphones I have (ATH ES10). These IEMs are quite easy to drive,..." --Mimouille
Unique Melody 3X Hybrid IEM
"Big thanks to djvkool for generously lending me his personal unit for reviewing. *I listen at relatively high volume, so my impressions will be based on this. Please be aware that there are differences in impressions at high volume and lower volume as noted by several members. Setup: Samsung Note 3 (Neutron app) > Meier Corda PCStep. No EQ applied. ..." --fnkcow
Apple iPod Nano 3rd Generation Premium Noise-Canceling Ear Buds from Radius (Black)
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text:
does anybody still play this, and if so what server do you use now that the zone has closed?
I only play singleplayer, I would be amazed if anyone was playing...This game is not as old as Starcraft, but it is old...
probably gamespy?
hmm havnt tried gamespy, thats a good idea. i just kno from playing age of empires: conquerors theres not much custom scenario community there, and i figure that it would be simlar result for swgb. im very much for playing it again tho if theres a way to do it online. if anybody is up for an ip match, feel free to hit me up.
I still play, but it's more of a local server ran by my friend.
There's about 20 of us that play from our school, we still love it.
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Tyjuan Cedric Hagler
Position: LB
Height: 6-0 Weight: 236 lbs.
Born: December 3, 1981 in Kankakee, IL
High School: Bishop McNamara
College: Cincinnati (school history) (Hagler college stats)
Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the 5th round (173rd overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 12 (6581st overall since 1950)
Other SR Links: College Football at Sports-Reference.com
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Now Playing
Day 1 Didn't Tell Us Too Much About Day 2 Of Same-Sex Marriage Cases
Although gay marriage is again on the docket, Wednesday's legal issue is different. Tuesday was about California's attempt to ban same-sex marriage. On Wednesday, the focus is whether the federal government can deny benefits to legally married same-sex couples.


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A recent article by Maxim Lott on Fox News claims that scientists can determine who people are thinking about by using brain scanners to create the images of their faces.
Their conclusion is based on a study in the journal NeuroImage entitled Neural portraits of perception: Reconstructing face images from evoked brain activity. The study was conducted by New York University professors, Brice A. Kuhl and Marvin M. Chun and Alan Cowen, a University of California Berkeley graduate student.
With participants hooked up to an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scanner, scientists could detect brain activity by measuring a person's blood flow. They then used the brain scans to create the faces that participants were seeing in their mind. In other words, the faces were reconstructed from each person's thoughts.
Although the faces appear blurry, they closely resemble actual pictures. As well, most of the images revealed whether the person was smiling or not and detected the person's skin color. However, there was difficulty showing a person's hair color (only 50 percent right) and only about two-thirds got the gender correct.
Cowen noted, "There's definitely room for improvement." He added that the resulting study was recently published even though the experiments took place two years prior. Meanwhile, work in this area has been ongoing with "more sophisticated mathematical models so the results should get better," he noted.
Also the images were created from the thoughts of six different volunteers.
The resulting images, he said, reflect what a subject's brain perceives and this can differ from person to person.
However, he hopes that eventually, new brain imaging technology can lead to the use of the scans to not only reflect what people see in dreams and further understand mental disorders but also to solve crimes.
Those possibilities "could be 10, 20 years away," Cowen said.
Source: We know what you're thinking. Scientists find a way to read minds (The site also shows some of the images)
Other News:
New maps may hold clues to brain mysteries


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Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable
Promoting Pollution Prevention Through Information Exchange
GLRPPR Contacts: Catherine Galligan
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Catherine Galligan
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