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Consolidating NAS pays off
The role of network-attached storage may be changing as more and more storage managers discover the the benefits of using NAS to consolidate file servers.
|Army Reserve consolidates its storage
The U.S. Army Reserve's 108th Division consists of 3,300 soldiers dispersed over 200,000 square miles in four states and Puerto Rico, with units located in 23 cities and towns. The primary mission of the Division is to provide training. Until recently, it relied on 23 servers running Windows NT at 23 separate locations. Not surprisingly, the management of systems administration was a nightmare. Even tasks as straightforward as backup and disaster recovery were nearly impossible, says William Bailey, network manager, Ciber Inc., a consulting firm hired by the Army to develop and support the Division's network operation.
With only five system managers available to cover this sprawling set of systems, the Division decided to upgrade its servers to consolidate and centralize storage. The plan called for moving storage from the 23 distributed servers to eight data centers. This would allow for efficient storage administration and effective file backup and recovery. "We wanted to be able to back up the data at each data center, and after the first master replication, we would just back up what has changed," says Bailey.
The solution called for the installation of Inline Corp.'s FileStorm network-attached storage (NAS) appliances running Microsoft's Windows Storage Server 2003 in each data center. "We were already a Microsoft shop, so this was a very easy way to go," Bailey says. Each site has a 360GB hot-swappable disk capacity. When completely installed, the system will provide 2.9TB of storage overall (360GB at each of eight data centers). The system came loaded with capabilities, including volume shadow copy services, distributed file services, file replication features, a Web-based user interface, Terminal Services support, resource management and antivirus software.
Initially, the NAS appliances were installed at three of the data centers. Immediately, administrators began using the advanced features for quick file recovery. "We make a lot of use of shadow copy across RAID partitions," says Bailey. Using a variety of high-speed links, users can get to any file at any data center. Although the Division isn't yet replicating data between data centers, it expects to in the future. It also expects to add support for Active Directory.
Based on preliminary results from the continuing implementation, the new NAS-based system is a winner. Server upgrades that used to take five days now take half that time because of centralized file servers and snapshot copies. According to Bailey, the reduced labor has already resulted in about $70,000 in savings over the first six months. Chalk up a victory for the Army.
A select group of storage managers like Bailey are bucking the trend toward "everything on the SAN" and are finding a place for NAS in the enterprise storage infrastructure. While NAS may ultimately be more limited than a SAN, these storage managers are leveraging its well-known ease of use in combination with increased capacity and new features to drive significant consolidation projects. And with more options to converge block and file storage, storage managers now can consolidate file storage with an eye toward a unified infrastructure later.
Stephen Foskett, practice manager for storage strategy at GlassHouse Technologies Inc., Framingham, MA, says the main payoff isn't where you might think it would be--replacing multiple smaller NAS devices with fewer large NAS devices.
"There aren't big savings from replacing six old NAS boxes with two newer, bigger ones. What you are getting is more reliable storage and greater storage density, which will reduce the footprint," he says. You also gain some licensing advantages and simplify the management, although management of NAS devices hasn't to date been a large issue.
Server consolidation, however, is a different story. Here, NAS can play a significant role in eliminating the plethora of servers that sprouted in companies in the '90s when direct-attached storage (DAS) was the main game and IT departments bought new application servers each time an existing one ran out of storage. Not only can you reduce the burden of managing an out-of-control server environment, but you can leverage the host of new features that have made their way into better NAS boxes. Those advanced features include replication clustering and SMI-S management (see "NAS management on the move").
|NAS management on the move
The key to making network-attached storage (NAS) a major component in enterprise storage is storage management. "When SRM [storage resource management] products start reporting on NAS, IT will finally be able to control it," says Randy Kerns, senior partner at the Evaluator Group, Greenwood Village, CO. Although a few NAS vendors, such as Network Appliance Inc. (NetApp), have long provided storage resource management capabilities for its own products--and even exposed their APIs for use by others--multivendor NAS management has not been practical.
But NAS management is quickly changing. "The current version of SMI-S specifies information for NAS reporting," says Kerns. Most vendors have some form of SMI-S NAS reporting or will have it soon, he adds. Once NAS can be managed alongside SAN using the same tools, it will quickly assume a larger position in the enterprise storage environment.
Where NAS hasn't gained traction, at least not yet, "is for massive storage consolidation or to consolidate [block-level] enterprise application storage," says Foskett. Application consolidation remains the province of SANs. "A few companies I know are using NAS for database access, but they are just mounting it via NFS or Windows over CIFS [the Common Internet File System]," says Foskett. "It's a little like hammering a nail with a screwdriver. They do it because they can have many clients accessing the same data. They like the NAS interface, and performance isn't critical to them."
Server consolidation
Consolidation lowers costs by enabling centralized management. Chicago's Field Museum is typical: "We had multiple small servers with about 1TB of storage. It was unmanageable. So, we consolidated seven file servers on one NAS box," says Neil Young, manager of the museum's application and enterprise services group. Even large servers get maxed out and can't expand further, "but with NAS, we can just keep expanding as needed," he adds.
Except for the low end, NAS devices can consolidate many servers. "The filers can handle a lot if they are not swamped by client requests," Foskett explains. The limiting factor isn't the number of consolidated servers, but the volume of user traffic. Other storage managers report finding 10:1 file server consolidation is reasonable. With Citrix servers, the ratio is 6:1 due to greater client traffic. Dell Computer Corp. suggests a 5:1 to 8:1 consolidation ratio.
|How NAS fits into different storage environments
|Windows Storage Server 2003 and Beyond: WinFS
This past September's release of Microsoft's Windows Storage Server 2003 gave an added boost to the network-attached storage (NAS) market. Storage Server 2003 is the latest version of Windows stripped down, and is optimized for file and print serving and packed with a variety of storage goodies such as volume shadow copy services (VSS), distributed file services and file replication services. Since its release, vendors such as Iomega at the low end of the NAS market to EMC at the high end-- and many in-between--have rushed to bring out NAS products built around Windows Storage Server 2003.
"Customers have been asking for this. They want to move to NAS and consolidate their Windows file servers on the Microsoft platform. Previously, they had to use proprietary NAS operating systems like NetApp or EMC," says Nancy Marrone-Hurley, senior analyst, Enterprise Storage Group, Milford, MA. Now they can manage NAS using their Windows skills and familiar tools. Longhorn, the next generation of the Windows operation system, will include what amounts to the next generation of the Microsoft Storage Server, called WinFS. According to early Longhorn documentation, WinFS is an active storage platform for organizing, searching and sharing a variety of information. It defines a rich data model, builds on top of a relational storage engine, supports a flexible programming model and provides a set of data services for monitoring, managing and manipulating either file-based or non-file data. Microsoft describes WinFS as "more than just a new file system, because it also deals with non-file data, such as personal contacts, event calendars and e-mail messages." Essentially a programmable storage platform, WinFS will expose relational-, object-oriented- and XML-based APIs for access to the underlying data store. It will also support data access through the traditional Win32 File System API. The WinFS programming model is extensible in that user-defined schemas and data types can be incorporated to serve special-purpose needs, according to the documentation. The benefits of WinFS will result from the many ways users and applications can store and access the data. As Microsoft puts it: WinFS "enables users to organize, find and share information in a more intuitive and logical way." The big question for the rest of the storage industry is how open Microsoft will make WinFS.
Altera Corp., a programmable chip manufacturer in San Jose, CA, consolidates storage for a mix of Windows and Unix servers at a ratio of 10:1, reports Rosemary Nahrvar, senior IS manager. "We got rid of a lot of old file and print servers and departmental servers and put it all on BlueArc NAS with 8TB," she says. The company recently purchased a second BlueArc device. "It is easy and much cheaper to add space--about $25,000 for 1TB using a BlueArc ATA array," she says. Altera also runs an EMC-based SAN for its Oracle database and ERP system.
Agere Systems Inc., an integrated circuit manufacturer based in Allentown, PA, embarked on its current NAS strategy in early 2003 with the goal of consolidating about 20 Unix file servers while providing 30TB to 40TB of storage capacity. It installed Network Appliance Inc. (NetApp) filers and used tools from Rainfinity to move data from its old filers to the new NAS boxes. Today, the company is reducing the number of NAS devices by replacing older NetApp filers with a larger model as the leases for the existing devices expire. "Over time, we end up with fewer--but bigger--filers, which lowers our maintenance and support costs and gives us a better cost per megabyte," says Alan Cohen, Agere IT architect.
At Houston Energy, an independent offshore oil and gas exploration company, the plan from the start was to consolidate nine storage devices in an EMC Celerra NAS device. The goal of the consolidation is stability, scalability, manageability and data protection. "We replaced nine old SCSI disk arrays controlled by Unix servers and some other old NAS products with a new 8.6TB Celerra system," says Paul Davis, MIS network administrator.
Microsoft makes an enterprise play
Although Windows has been traditionally relegated to the low end of NAS, Microsoft is making a determined effort to move Windows up the storage food chain with Windows Storage Server 2003 (see "Windows Storage Server 2003 and beyond: WinFS"). "In big enterprises, Windows was not the first choice for NAS consolidation, but with clustering that can change," says Mike Fisch, director of storage and networking at The Clipper Group, Wellesley, MA.
Windows NAS may be suitable for midsized enterprises, "but at the high end, enterprises will still go to SAN for consolidation," says Peter Pawlak, lead analyst, Directions on Microsoft, Kirkland, WA.
Consolidation of Windows file and print servers is a natural for Windows-based NAS. Among dedicated Windows shops--especially at the low end--Windows Storage Server 2003 should be warmly welcomed. "I haven't seen it yet, but I'm looking forward to Storage Server 2003," says Tim Killion, IT director at BRE Commercial, a San Diego real estate firm that runs Microsoft systems. The 125-person firm uses NAS devices from Dell, Iomega Corp. and Quantum Corp.
Dell insists that Windows Storage Server can scale sufficiently for serious enterprise storage consolidation. It will offer the Microsoft operating system with PowerVault systems that can handle up to 16TB with SCSI and up to 40TB with Fibre Channel (FC). "Yes, it can be entry level, but it also is robust and can scale to eight-way clustering," says John Pate, Dell product marketing manager.
EMC is also supporting Windows Storage Server 2003 for its small NetWin NAS products. "It's intended to be used in a core-edge deployment model, like you find with branch offices," says Chuck Hollis, EMC's vice president of storage platform marketing. It would require a board upgrade, however, to scale from NetWin NAS to EMC's Clariion line. NetWin works for organizations that want a low-cost, cookie-cutter storage solution they can quickly deploy at multiple satellite offices.
Adding advanced features to NAS
Vendors are loading advanced features into their NAS products. Windows Storage Server 2003 includes not only volume shadow copy for fast file restoration from snapshots but multipath I/O, iSCSI support, the ability to act as a gateway to the SAN, a new Web management interface and more. Many of these features plus others, such as a multioperating system and multiprotocol support, have long been available in the non-Windows world from NAS vendors.
The most popular features include high-availability clustering and point-in-time snapshots. Winphoria Networks, a division of GTSS Motorola, recently added a multiprotocol NAS storage array from Winchester Systems and makes regular use of NAS snapshots. "We use a snapshot for online backup of the file system," says David Heafey, IT manager at Winphoria. The snapshot is stored nightly on a second NAS device, where it maintains about one week of snapshots online. Heafey expects the multiprotocol NAS device to be instrumental in any future migration from NAS to SAN.
Agere uses snapshots to provide short-term recovery for users who need to quickly restore a lost or corrupted file. "We also will run SnapMirror with specific applications for redundancy and disaster recovery," says Agere's Cohen. SnapMirror is NetApp's replication tool. For full data backup, Agere also uses Veritas' NetBackup in conjunction with the network data management protocol (NDMP)--an open protocol used to control data backup and recovery communications between primary and secondary storage in a heterogeneous network environment--to send data to a media server with tape attached.
Houston Energy mixes FC disk and low-cost ATA disk in its Clariion storage array. Network administrator Davis then uses EMC's SureSnap, a snapshot capability that comes with the EMC management console, along with basic NFS file transfer to move data between high-performance FC disk, economy FC disk and low-cost ATA disk--all within the same array.
|Next-generation NAS
What will the next generation of network-attached storage (NAS) look like?
ExaGrid Systems, Westborough, MA, thinks it knows and is calling it Grid-Protected Storage. An architected solution, Grid-Protected Storage promises to deliver distributed, shareable storage with data protection. It integrates policy-driven backup and restore, disaster recovery, on-site and off-site vaulting and compliance archiving directly into primary storage. The product, according to the company, should result in lower costs and less complex data storage.
Arun Taneja, senior analyst at the Taneja Group, Hopkinton, MA, describes Grid-Protected Storage as a "self-managing, self-healing NAS product that scales simultaneously in the dimensions of capacity and performance and offers built-in data protection." In short, it combines a NAS filer with nearline storage for backup and recovery, HSM for policy-based file migration, self-management, content-addressable storage and disaster recovery tools. But lest you think it does everything--the equivalent of a storage Swiss Army knife--it does nothing for SAN block-level storage and is unlikely to beat high-end products from NAS industry leaders in terms of high speed, Taneja says.
NAS heads
Originally, NAS products were primarily appliances that combined hardware, the filer operating system and storage arrays in a single box. These devices can still be found at the low-end and the midrange markets. But increasingly, vendors allow the NAS operating system to be separated from the storage arrays to create a NAS head. NAS heads can be used as gateways to a consolidated SAN that provides both file- and block-level storage.
It seems like a good idea, but "today's NAS customers don't want all that. They want NAS because it is simple, easy and cheap," GlassHouse's Foskett says. Should storage become a centralized utility, the NAS head would offer a way to leverage block storage for files. But the storage utility isn't a reality today.
Still, NAS heads may yet gain traction. "It gives you a nice front end to both files and blocks on the back end. And as iSCSI takes hold, there will be less of a need to differentiate file and block storage," says Scott Robinson, CTO, DataLink Corp., a storage integrator based in Chanhassen, MN. When that day comes, the NAS head would open up interesting opportunities in terms of the use of primary and secondary storage tiers and information life cycle management (ILM).
Today most companies are not taking advantage of all the capabilities vendors are packing into their NAS products, although the best products in the market can almost match SAN technology in features and capability. To them, NAS remains easy and cheap file storage--period. And despite being widely deployed in the enterprise, NAS remains a stealth technology while SANs attract the most attention.
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Next Slideshow:
New Oklahoma bison license plates
2010: Dennis Quaid played President Bill Clinton in the television movie "The Special Relationship," which also starred Michael Sheen (who played British Prime Minster Tony Blair).
Robin Williams and an all-star cast of actors portray past presidents in "The Butler." Take a look at other actors who have played the Commander in Chief.

subset: commoncrawl


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Gifford Medical Center and the White River Valley Chamber of Commerce once again are partnering – with the help of area sponsors – to offer a summer concert series for six consecutive weeks.
Held each Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Gifford park on Route 12 south of the downtown, the 3rd Annual Community Concert Series will begin on July 8 with the South Royalton Band. The series continues on July 15 with Jeanne & The Hi-Tops performing old time rock and roll, on July 22 with Jennings & McComber offering Green Mountain indie folk and on July 29 with blues and soul from The Dave Keller Band.
In August will be The Trail Blaizers, a bluegrass band, and Two for the Show and Company singing song standards and classics.
This year's concert series features a couple of new elements. A farmers' market will be held each week with farm products, crafts, handmade goods and more. And on July 29 Stagecoach will host a barbecue fund-raiser as part of the evening's events.
All concerts are generously brought to the community for free thanks to sponsorships from Gillespie Fuels & Propane Inc., the Frankenburg Agency Inc. and the Gifford Auxiliary.
Everyone is welcome to attend. Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, picnic blankets, family and friends.
The concerts are weather dependent and may be canceled or rescheduled in the event of rain. Look for updates on Gifford's and the Chamber's Web sites and their Facebook pages. Cancellations will also be noted with signage near the park.
Call 728-2339 to learn more, including how to become a vendor. There is no vendor fee. Vendors may come when they're able or all summer long during the concerts.


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My bicycle is our second car. I love to bicycle in all weather, for all distances, and on all routes. Bicycling has brought so much joy to my life, and I want to share it with anyone who is interested. I will use my soapbox to tell you about the joys, the freedom, the benefits, and, yes, the challenges of bicycling and walking for transportation.
One of the more difficult parts of bicycling that comes as a surprise to new cyclists is harassment. I was astonished and horrified when a truck swerved toward me one day while his passenger swung his door open trying to hit me. Or the day that a truck passed me and honked, then slammed on his brakes right in front of me. I stopped an inch away from his bumper.
Those are the most extreme examples of harassment I've experienced. I have heard of other cyclists who have had things thrown at them. Almost every cyclist has been honked and yelled at, or passed by too closely.
I hate to talk about this because I don't want to dissuade anyone from bicycling. But it's better to be prepared. The thing to do in these situations is one of the most difficult things I've ever done: Do nothing.
Well, not quite nothing. Get the license plate number and report the harasser to the police and to the Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation (if you are a member—and this alone is worth the modest membership fee). You might think a little honk or yell isn't worth reporting someone to the police, and maybe it's not, but the police would rather know about it than not. You should definitely report anything more serious than a honk or a yell.
But other than that, you must do nothing and it takes considerable fortitude. It takes even more fortitude—and more than I have—if your child is the recipient of the harassment. Every time I have confronted a motorist, no matter how calm I am or think I am, I have regretted it. The motorist will instantly get defensive and hate bicyclists all the more for your efforts, and the situation can easily escalate. MoBikeFed will send an effective letter that does not include your name, which explains the rights and responsibilities of bicyclists.
As long as you and your child are unharmed, let it go.


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As most of you know, I do a lot of long range forecasting. Mostly for farmers and ranchers, but I also like to share that information with you too. Below is the amount of rain/snow we picked up during the month of October:
That is a dry map... Colorado Springs only picked up .14" of moisture in October. So far in November, we have only received .02". This has not only maintained the drought, but has worsened it in many areas of Southern Colorado. This has also kept the fire danger threat alive and well. The one saving grace is that we have not had a lot of strong wind. Lets hope it stays that way...
Here is a look at what the Climate Prediction Center thinks about the next 3 months. Temperature first:
Notice the orange/red with the big A centered over northwest New Mexico. That means the likelihood of above normal temperatures for December, January, and February is pretty high. My own research agrees, as I shared with you in a post a few weeks ago. A warm winter seems like a done deal for Colorado...
Now precipitation:
The CPC thinks that there is equal chances of above or below normal precipitation this winter for locations shaded in white or where you see EC. Above normal moisture possible in the green, and below normal for brown areas. I think this should be reexamined... We are in the midst of a major drought that extends over several states surrounding Colorado. The southern part of Colorado, is about as bad as it gets. That type of drought feeds on itself... The longer it stays dry, the easier it is for the ground to warm up the next day, which dries it out, which allows the wind to blow easier, etc. Bottomline, my thinking (consistent with previous thoughts) is that December, January, and February will be a dry time for at least the eastern half of Colorado. The mountains may do better, but I still think they will be below normal too.
The dry winter is not what scares me. As my post from a few weeks ago talked about, a dry spring would certainly mean some very bad things. Crop failure, extreme fire danger, and water shortages in general. The model below still shows a high potential for a dry March, April, May for most of eastern Colorado:
That orange shading for all of eastern Colorado indicates just that...
Is it time to panic? No. Is it time to be concerned? Absolutely. The current drought, with not much moisture this winter, would almost certainly mean a dry spring. Why? Once a weather pattern gets locked into place, with a reinforcing mechanism like a major drought, it becomes really tough to break that pattern. Granted, long range forecasting is a tough gig and is many times is not that accurate. This means it is POSSIBLE that the pattern breaks. However as of right now, you can see why I am so pessimistic about that happening.
Chief Meteorologist Brian Bledsoe


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DETROIT (AP) -- The national Democratic Party's platform committee has endorsed gay marriage for the first time.
The platform committee met Saturday in Detroit and let stand the work of a separate group that drafted the section two weeks ago in Minneapolis.
The document says Democrats support "marriage equality" and the "movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples." The platform is a broad statement of the party's priorities and next goes to the national convention next month in North Carolina.
Platform committee member Scott Dibble of Minnesota says support for gay marriage will attract young people to the Democratic Party. In May, President Barack Obama said he personally supported same-sex unions.
The platform also calls for repeal of a federal law that recognizes marriage as between a man and woman.


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Don't miss out on all the greatest garage sale listings. This week's Hesston Record includes 50 listings on our City Wide sale spadia and even more in our classifieds.
Get the skoop on where to get the goods with The Hesston Record.
You can find Hesston Records at the following locations:
The Hesston Record Office in Old Town Square Monday through Friday 8-5
Daylight Donuts rack in Old Town Square
Our Main Street Rack at the corner of Main Street and Old Highway 81
Both Casey's General Stores in Hesston
Hesston Food Market
North Newton Prime Time
Meridian Grocery


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- Optimize strength
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While San Jose's hopes for bringing the A's baseball team to a downtown ballpark remain in limbo, the city is toughening its stance toward opponents of the move from Oakland.
The San Francisco Giants have openly opposed an A's move into the lucrative Silicon Valley market they claim as their territory. But San Jose officials have argued the Giants also are chief actors behind local efforts to block an A's downtown ballpark and are moving more aggressively to expose the team's role.
Last week the city filed for a court order allowing it to examine the organizational structure -- and any Giants ties -- of Stand For San Jose, a community group whose lawsuit over the proposed ballpark has raised questions about the San Jose plan's viability.
And in June, city officials threatened to seek higher payment from the Giants' minor league affiliate for use of San Jose's Municipal Stadium if the team doesn't disclose its role in the litigation.
"I think we have a right to know who's behind Stand for San Jose," said City Attorney Rick Doyle. "The perception all along is that it's the Giants who are behind this."
Stand for San Jose's spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. Giants spokeswoman Staci Slaughter said the team is honoring Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig's request that the teams not comment on the matter.
Though Slaughter last year had said the Giants were among Stand For San Jose's supporters, a source indicated that is no longer the case.
In court responses, Stand for San Jose has argued that the city's request to learn more about the group and its members are irrelevant and a violation of their free-speech and privacy rights, calling them "harassing, burdensome and intended to chill" their "public participation."
San Jose has been seeking to become the Oakland A's new home for more than three years since the team abandoned plans for a new Fremont ballpark. The A's have argued the Giants were granted territorial rights to Santa Clara County only in the context of failed efforts to build ballparks there in the early 1990s.
Major League Baseball must resolve the territorial dispute before the A's could consider a San Jose move. But a committee Selig convened more than three years ago continues to study the matter -- including visits over the summer to San Jose and Oakland -- with no timetable for a resolution, though many sense a decision is nearing.
Stand for San Jose's Dec. 2 lawsuit alleged San Jose's environmental and traffic studies of the proposed ballpark were flawed and that the city should have let voters decide whether to allow the A's to buy some city-owned land for the project at less than its potential value. City law requires a public vote before the stadium could be built with any public money.
The suit identified Stand for San Jose as an "unincorporated coalition of entities and individuals," including "residents and taxpayers" in San Jose and Santa Clara County, and the San Jose Giants, the San Francisco ballclub's Class A-advanced affiliate. It said the group was "formed and dedicated to addressing the risks to the environment and financial issues posed by the ballpark project."
The suit named a half-dozen people as plaintiffs: Eileen Hannan, Michelle Brenot, Robert Shields and Fred and Karen Shirey, all of San Jose, and Robert Brown, a Los Gatos resident who works in San Jose.
The city's latest motion asked the court to compel Stand for San Jose to demonstrate that it has legal "standing" to sue the city over the ballpark. The city argued the plaintiffs must be city taxpayers or to have objected to the ballpark proposal on environmental grounds.
"Improper motives -- such as a desire to place hurdles before a business competitor -- may defeat standing," the city argued in court.
In bolstering its argument, the city quotes from a Mercury News article in which Hannan told a reporter she didn't know her name would be on the lawsuit and didn't want to discuss it, and the other plaintiffs did not respond or could not be located for comment.
But the group argued in court papers rejecting the city's requests that it already has demonstrated its members' standing to sue, that the threshold is low and that the city wants to engage in a "fishing expedition."
Michael Mulcahy, co-chairman of the booster group Baseball San Jose, was heartened to see the city getting tough with the San Francisco Giants.
"I think it's important to know who they're dealing with," Mulcahy said. "And if it's the Giants, they should stand up and say so and not get innocent San Jose people who happen to be Giants fans to fight their battle for them."
Contact John Woolfolk at 408-975-9346. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/johnwoolfolk1.


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Avishai Cohen Bass, Nitai Hershkovits.....Piano, Daniel Dor - drums Avishai Cohen New Trio 'As a live performer, Cohen is hard to beat' Fran Hardcastle, LondonJazz Over the last two decades Avishai Cohen has earned his reputation as... find out more Tap to see more
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Doors open 6pm, closed 3am , Music starts at 9:30 PM (£5 after 8pm, £8 after 11pm) M.U. Free entry Until recently, this weekly session was known only to the coolest of jazz heads, but has fast become the most talked about late-night hang in town. Hosted by cheeky young... find out more Tap to see more


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Men's Reebok ES22 Training Shoes
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The moving and shaking at Ballet San Jose is still going on. Just one month after the surprising news that BSJ executive director Stephanie Ziesel was stepping down, the troupe named Alan Hineline as its first chief executive officer.
Millicent Powers, chairwoman of BSJ's board of trustees, announced that Hineline--CEO at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet since 2009--will take over Sept. 1.
"Alan will be a strong leader for the next phase of the company's growth, and as our first CEO, he's an important addition to our 'dream team,' along with [artistic director] José Carreño and [associate artistic director] Raymond Rodriguez," she said in a statement.
Prior to leading CPYB, Hineline, a former dancer, had been both chief operating officer and artistic director at Ballet Philippines in Manila. He is also a renowned choreographer and ballet teacher.
Hineline brings with him a reputation as an artist of a different sort--a financial one. CPYB achieved record fiscal growth during his stewardship, increasing its operating budget by more than 60 percent. The company's debt was also erased.
Ziesel had been in charge of BSJ and its financials the past five years. No reason was given for her departure, a move that was made public the day of the finale of the troupe's 2013-14 season.


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"Once it was thought to be something of a science project but it's not," said Kristin Zimmerman, manager of advanced vehicle infrastructure for the Chevrolet Volt. "It's very real."
That was the message GM, Ford and power companies across the state had for customers about plug-in hybrids Monday.
"Ford believes its time to revolutionize the industry with electrics today," said Charles Gray, chief engineer of hybrid programs with Ford.
Chevrolet's Volt and Nissan's Leaf are launching before the end of the year in Michigan. Both cars use plug-in hybrid technology. Unlike popular hybrids such as Toyota's Prius, which run on a combination of gasoline and electricity most times, plug-in hybrids can run on only electricity for a set amount before switching to gasoline. The Chevy Volt, for example, can run approximately 40 miles on a full charge before reverting to a typical hybrid system.
"About 80% of Americans drive less than 40 miles every day," said Dave Joos, chairman of CMS Energy. "But if you don't plug them in at all they can run on gasoline like any other vehicle can."
Most single-family Michigan homes should be ready for plug-in hybrids. The Volt only requires the power of a typical wall-outlet to charge the battery, a process that takes about 8 hours for a full charge. With speed chargers or charging stations, that time can be cut down significantly.
Consumers Energy, DTE Energy and the Lansing Board of Water & Light are all offering significant incentives for customers to switch over to plug-in hybrids. The first 25 Lansing Board of Water & Light customers who make the switch will get a check for $7,500 and a quick-charging station installed at their home and at work. Consumers and DTE are both offering significant discounts on electric vehicle charging rates for the first 2,500 customers. DTE says they will only charge 7 cents per killowatt hour versus the typical 11 to 12 cents usual.
"At that rate it's under a dollar per gallon equivalent to charge these electric vehicles," said Anthony Earley, Chairman and CEO of DTE Energy. "We need to make sure that when a customer buys an electric car it's as convenient as pulling up to your local gas station."
DTE and Consumers are also offering a $2,500 tariff towards installing power charging infrastructure in their home to the first 2,500 customers, an amount utilities say is generally more than enough to cover those costs.
Those incentives and collaboration with the state and utilities have GM saying Michigan is best prepared for the new wave of plug-in hybrids.
"I would have to say that Michigan is in a leadership position right now," said Zimmerman.


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I have just come across something interesting when using the Divide Tool (DI) in QCAD 3.4.4 Pro .
When using this tool, once I've selected an entity to divide - lets say a line or an arc, I now find that this tool not only allows me to divide my selection but now allows me to extend a line or an arc to a full circle.. . Now most of the time I just want to divide my selection and that's it, but now it seems that this tool has a mind of its own and wants to take over my drawing and draw in a full cirle instead of a line or indeed offer me the chance to extend lines.
What's going on? is this intended purpose here or am I missing something, or maybe because it's nearly Christmas the QCAD faries have given my Divide tool hidden powers that I'm not aware of
No seriously, is this normal or a bug that's happening here?
My center line can be extended.
My Construction line can be extened if I wish ?
My arc can transform into a circle -which I don't want ?


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LAS VEGAS -- Once more, the Saint Mary's College basketball team labored to generate enough offense against West Coast Conference powerhouse Gonzaga.
This time, the Gaels' failings sent them home from the WCC tournament after a 70-54 loss in the semifinals Monday night at the Orleans Arena.
The top-seeded Bulldogs (27-6) advanced to their 17th consecutive WCC championship game, where they will play BYU on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Cougars defeated USF 79-77 in overtime in Monday's late game.
Just nine days removed from a 28-point home loss to the Bulldogs -- the worst defeat in coach Randy Bennett's 13 seasons -- the Gaels competed better but still couldn't solve the Gonzaga defense.
"Against these guys, you've got to play hard and play well," Bennett said. "We played harder, but we didn't play well."
The Gaels made just three baskets in the opening 12 minutes, trailed 31-20 at halftime and were down by 18 midway through the second half.
Gone is their bid for a third straight NCAA tournament berth -- unprecedented in school history. At 22-11 with an RPI computer rating of No. 60, the Gaels will await an NIT bid. The 11 losses are their most since going 17-15 in the 2006-07 season.
"We're going to be excited for our next opportunity," senior point guard Stephen Holt said.
Saint Mary's beat Gonzaga four times from 2010 through 2012, but the Zags have swept six meetings the past two seasons.
The margin was decisive three times this season, thanks mostly to the Gaels' inability to score. They shot a combined 27 percent in two regular-season losses, and converted just 37.3 percent on Monday to go with 17 turnovers and 11 missed free throws.
Saint Mary's scored at a 74.2-point clip against everyone else this season but averaged just 50.7 in three tries vs. Gonzaga.
"They're the best team in our league defensively," Bennett said. "They definitely give us problems."
At least All-WCC center Brad Waldow was able to get on track. After shooting 4 for 16 in the two previous meetings, Waldow scored 14 points on 5-for-7 accuracy.
But Holt, the Gaels' all-conference senior, had no room to operate against the aggressive Gonzaga defense. He scored just four of his 13 points in the game's first 36 minutes, and in three games vs. the Zags shot 5 for 20.
"He's the head of the snake," said Gonzaga guard David Stockton, son of Hall of Famer John Stockton. "We want to have him see a lot of eyes."
Two nights after making the winning layup vs. Santa Clara, Stockton had another big game, scoring 21 points -- triple his season average.
Gary Bell Jr. added 14 points and Sam Dower had 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Gaels battled within 33-27 after a 3-pointer by Kerry Carter with 17:19 left in the game. But that was their last gasp. Kevin Pangos answered with a 3-pointer for the Bulldogs, sparking a seven-point burst that stretched their lead back to 40-27.
BYU 79, USF 77: The Dons' dreams of their first NCAA tournament appearance in 16 seasons died with an overtime loss to the Cougars.
USF's Avry Holmes missed a tough fall-away shot from the right corner, and Tim Derksen couldn't convert a tip-in try as the buzzer sounded.
"I thought we gave a winning effort. I'm absolutely proud of my guys," USF coach Rex Walters said.
Tyler Haws scored eight points in overtime for the Cougars (23-10), who failed to score in the final 6:10 of regulation. USF (21-11) rallied from eight points down to force overtime.
Haws led all scorers with 24 points. Cole Dickerson had 20 points and 10 rebounds for USF.
Gonzaga 68, Saint Mary's 60: The Gaels (22-9) are seemingly headed to the Women's NIT for the fifth straight season after succumbing to the 10-time regular-season champion Bulldogs (28-4) in the WCC semifinals. Jackie Nared led the Gaels with 29 points.


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Mark Twain Lake will be the site of the 4x4 Mud Run Truck and Car Show on Saturday, Aug. 3.
Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., the Tri-County 4X4 Club will be having a show in the M.W. Boudreaux Visitor Center parking lot.
The M.W. Boudreaux Memorial Visitor Center is located south of the Clarence Cannon Dam on Route J. For information, e-mail email@example.com or call (573) 735-4097.
Location, ST | website.com


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Index of content:
Volume 86, Issue 11, 14 March 2005
We have developed fully integrated nanotubecomposite materials through the functionalization of multiwall carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs) by covalently attaching ferritin protein molecules onto the surface of MWCNTs. The investigation of the thermomechanical behavior was performed by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. Results demonstrated dramatic enhancement in the mechanical properties of PVA, for example a 100%–110% increase in the modulus with the addition of 1.5 wt % of ferritin functionalized MWCNTs. Samples containing functionalized nanotubes showed a stronger influence on glass transition temperature in comparison to composites containing the same amount of nonfunctionalized nanotubes.
Polarization anisotropy in the electroluminescence of -plane multiple-quantum-well light-emitting diodes86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1875765View Description Hide Description
multiple-quantum-well light-emitting diodes were fabricated on plane films grown on plane substrates. The [0001] axis of the epitaxial film is parallel to the [0001] axis of the substrate. The surface is striated, with features running perpendicular to the axis and a maximum surface height difference of . Electroluminescence shows strong polarizationanisotropy, with more light emitted with polarization perpendicular to the axis compared to parallel to the axis. An Ahrrenius fit of the polarization ratio indicates that there is a difference in the energy gap between the two polarization states. This suggests that a high polarization ratio can be maintained at the high temperatures and drive current densities required for high-power light-emitting diode applications.
Experimental demonstration of the slow group velocity of light in two-dimensional coupled photonic crystal microcavity arrays86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1882755View Description Hide Description
We recently proposed two-dimensional coupled photonic crystalmicrocavity arrays as a route to achieve a slow-group velocity of light (flat band) in all crystal directions. In this letter we present the experimental demonstration of such structures with a measured group velocity below and discuss the feasibility of applications such as low-threshold photonic crystal lasers with increased output powers, optical delay components, and sensors.
Quantum cascade lasers with lateral double-sided distributed feedback grating86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1883332View Description Hide Description
Midinfrared single mode emission, up to , for a distributed feedback structure consisting of lateral index variation on both sides of a rib waveguide is achieved on a quantum cascade laser. Fabrication was made possible by a high density plasma process developed for high aspect ratio etching of structures. A lateral grating considerably enhances design freedom by decoupling the vertical waveguide structure from the grating strength. The grating coupling, now being mainly determined by waveguide width, can then be exploited for device applications.
Continuous-wave laser oscillation on the transition of atomic iodine pumped by produced in an electric discharge86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1883317View Description Hide Description
Laser action at on the transition of atomic iodine is conventionally obtained by a near-resonant energy transfer from which is produced using wet-solution chemistry. The difficulties in chemically producing has motivated investigations into purely gas phase methods to produce using low-pressure electric discharges. In this letter, we report on the demonstration of a continuous-wave laser on the transition of atomic iodine where the used to pump the iodine was produced by a radio-frequency-excited electric discharge. The electric discharge was sustained in a gas mixture upstream of a supersonic cavity which is employed to lower the temperature of the continuous gas flow and shift the equilibrium of atomic iodine in favor of the state. The laser output power was in a stable cavity composed of two 99.99% reflective mirrors.
Semiconductor quantum dot microcavity pillars with high-quality factors and enlarged dot dimensions86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1880446View Description Hide Description
Vertical-emitting microcavity pillars with a type of GaInAs quantum dots within a one cavity have been realized based on high reflectivitydistributed Bragg reflectors. High-quality factors were achieved due to an improved fabrication technology with a maximum quality factor of 27 700 for a micropillar with a diameter of . The dot dimensions could be enlarged by one order of magnitude using a low strain nucleation layer.
Obtaining super resolution light spot using surface plasmon assisted sharp ridge nanoaperture86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1875747View Description Hide Description
Finite difference time domain computations is used to study surface plasmon (SP) excitation around - and -shaped ridge nanoapertures made in silverfilm. The SP enhances optical transmission, in addition to the transmission mechanism of the waveguide propagation mode and Fabry-Pérot-like resonance. However, the near-field collimation of ridge aperture is found completely destroyed. On the other hand, using a bowtie-shaped aperture with sharp ridges made in silver, the loss of near-field collimation can be recovered. A super resolution optical spot with full width half magnitude as small as is achieved due to the resonant SP excitation localized at the tips of bowtie. Much higher field enhancement is also obtained compared to the bowtie aperture made in chromium.
Dynamic behaviors in coupled self-electro-optic effect devices86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1875760View Description Hide Description
Dynamic behaviors of two coupled bistable elements optically connected in a series are theoretically predicted and discussed based on a phenomenological model with respect to photocarrier densities, where each bistable element is a self-electro-optic effect device (SEED). Feedback from one of the two SEEDs to the power of an incident light beam was introduced, which resulted in various types of oscillatory solutions and bifurcation structures depending on incident light power and choices of parameter values included in our model.
Enhanced performance of bipolar cascade light-emitting diodes by doping the aluminum oxide apertures86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1885168View Description Hide Description
Performance improvements in multiple-stage, single-cavity bipolar cascade light-emitting diodes including reduced operating voltages, enhanced light generation, and reduced device heating are obtained by doping intracavity aluminum oxide apertures with silicon. This doping results in a reduced electron energy barrier and, therefore, a reduced series resistance which leads to better power and heating characteristics. Nearly 50% reductions in operating voltages, 200% increases in light power, and increased operating range are demonstrated. We discuss the direct implications of these results for the design of bipolar cascade vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers.
Evidence for charge-carrier mediated magnetic-field modulation of electroluminescence in organic light-emitting diodes86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1883322View Description Hide Description
Electroluminescence(EL) from organic light-emitting diodes can be surprisingly sensitive to modest magnetic fields . The origin of this magnetic-field effect has not been clearly identified, although the magnetic-field effect in some devices resembles that of delayed fluorescence in anthracene, which originates from magnetic-field-dependent singlet-exciton production via triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA). Here, we test the role of TTA at low magnetic fields by measuring transient EL and by employing dc drive levels so low that the bimolecular rate of TTA is unimportant. Under these conditions, we find enhancements of EL exceeding 14% at the lowest drives, which excludes TTA-mediated magnetic-field effects and indicates a role for charge-carrier pair states.
Excitation and direct imaging of surface plasmon polariton modes in a two-dimensional grating86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1883334View Description Hide Description
We describe the simultaneous excitation and direct far-field imaging of the scattering from surface plasmonpolariton modes in a two-dimensional metallic hole array grating. Conditions for the coupling and imaging are discussed, where the coupling is shown to be consistent with both measured and calculated dispersion relations. Excitation is accomplished at several different wavelengths (from 1.31 to ), incidence angles, and grating periods, enabling the observation of a number of distinct modes with various in-plane wave vectors.
Propagation loss measurements and Fabry–Pérot mode analysis using out-of-plane light scattering in photonic crystal waveguides86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1880447View Description Hide Description
An experimental technique is presented for the measurements of propagation losses in planar photonic crystal waveguides (PhC-WGs). When the guided light interacts with the air holes, it is partially scattered out of the propagation plane. The intensity of this diffracted light is measured along the PhC-WG and the propagation losses are deduced from its attenuation. To illustrate this, the Fabry–Pérot-type mode of a single-line defect PhC-WG is investigated. The propagation loss values obtained experimentally agree well with theoretical predictions. Finally, a study of single-line defect 60° bends shows that this technique also provides an efficient method to obtain modal information along PhC structures.
External-cavity tunable mid-infrared laser using off-band surface-emitting Bragg grating coupler86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1885188View Description Hide Description
An external-cavity laser using an integrated two-segment design allows broad and continuous wavelength tuning with independent control of power and wavelength. The laser has a gain segment and a surface-emitting Bragg grating segment that was designed to be off-band for zero reflection inside the cavity, and with a strong free-space coupling to an external mirror to form a linear cavity. Wavelength control was achieved with a combination of coarse and broad wavelength tuning with the external mirror, and continuous, fine wavelength tuning via current-induced phase shift in the Bragg grating. Separate controls of the two segments allowed wavelength fine tuning without power variation and vice versa. The concept was applied to a laser, and is applicable to other wavelength.
Phase-shift effect on a two-dimensional surface-emitting photonic-crystal laser86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1885182View Description Hide Description
Theoretical analysis was performed by means of the finite-difference time-domain method to examine the mode properties of two-dimensional surface-emitting photonic-crystal lasers with elliptical air holes. It was found that a single-lobed beam pattern could be obtained from the device surface by introducing a phase shift to the center of the crystal. The effects of the shift on the polarization mode and on two-dimensional optical coupling (which is needed for single-mode lasing over a large area) were also investigated. It was shown that the phase shift emphasized the linear polarization of the emitted beam due to symmetry reversal. On the other hand, it was also found that the shift did not spoil the two-dimensional optical coupling.
Topology optimization of a photonic crystal waveguide termination to maximize directional emission86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1885170View Description Hide Description
Topologyoptimization based on nonlinear programming techniques and design sensitivity analysis are used to maximize directional emission from a waveguide termination in a two-dimensional square lattice rods-in-air photonic crystal. Maximizing directional emission from a photonic crystal waveguide termination is desirable since a horn antenna style termination of comparable functionality is very large, while small simple terminations show strong angular spread. The optimized waveguide termination designed here is compact and exhibits a fivefold increase in power incident upon the target area over the simple termination. This improvement is achieved by creating surface modes that interfere to produce highly directional emission.
Measurement of subband electronic temperatures and population inversion in THz quantum-cascade lasers86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1886266View Description Hide Description
We compare the electronic temperatures and the population inversion both below and above the lasing threshold in three quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs) operating at , , and using microprobe band-to-band photoluminescence. In the lasing range, while the ground-statetemperature remains close to the lattice one , the upper radiative state heats up to . From the measured thermal resistance and the power dependence of the ground-state electronic temperature, we get a value of the electron-lattice energy relaxation rate comparable with that typical of midinfrared QCLs.
Generation of sub-10-fs, 5-mJ-optical pulses using a hollow fiber with a pressure gradient86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1883706View Description Hide Description
We propose and demonstrate a pulse compression technique using a hollow fiber with a pressure gradient. This technique improves the spatial and spectral qualities of femtosecond laser pulses spectrally broadened by self-phase modulation, and allows an increase of the pulse energy for pulse compression. Using chirped mirrors for dispersion compensation, we have successfully compressed the pulse to less than 10 fs with an energy as high as 5 mJ.
Efficient coupling of -doped silicon-rich oxide to microdisk whispering gallery modes86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1883331View Description Hide Description
We report room-temperature light emission from erbium-doped silicon-rich oxide integrated in a silica microdisk. Silica disks are fabricated by standard optical lithography and etching techniques. Erbium-doped silicon-rich oxide is then deposited by coevaporation of silicon and erbium under oxygen flux. A spatially resolved photoluminescence experiment highlights the efficient coupling of the signal to whispering gallery modes when the excitation beam is focused near the edge of the disk. Quality factors as high as 3000 are measured, limited by the setup's spectral resolution.
Transparent Nd and (Nd, Yb)-doped ceramics as potential new laser materials86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1886897View Description Hide Description
Highly transparent ceramics with uniform doping up to Nd and with (Nd, Yb) codoping are reported. The spectroscopic and emission decay properties of ceramics are similar to those of single crystals. Highly efficient Nd-to-Yb energy transfer is observed in the codoped ceramics. It is inferred that these materials have potential for construction of Nd or Nd-sensitised-Yb lasers.
Multiphoton discrimination at telecom wavelength with charge integration photon detector86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1886903View Description Hide Description
We present a charge integration photondetector (CIPD) that enables the efficient measurement of photon number states at the telecom-fiber wavelengths with a quantum efficiency of 80% and a resolution less than 0.5 electrons at sampling. The CIPD consists of an InGaAs pin photodiode and a GaAs JFET in a charge integration amplifier, which is cooled to to reduce thermal noise and leakage current. The charge integration amplifier exhibits a low noise level of . The dark count is as low as .
Large-area traveling-wave photonic mixers for increased continuous terahertz power86(2005); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1884262View Description Hide Description
A large-aperture design for terahertz traveling-wave photomixers, continuously pumped free space by two detuned diode lasers, is proposed and experimentally verified for devices based on low-temperature-grown GaAs (LT-GaAs). It combines the advantages of conventional interdigitated small-area structures and traveling-wave devices. An output power of 1 μW at the mixing frequency of 1 THz was measured in initial testing, which meets local oscillator power requirements for superconducting heterodyne mixer devices.


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The Australian branch of Roadrunner Records has posted the fifth clip in a six-part series featuring MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn, aptly titled "Robb Flynn's Rants."The special edition of "The Blackening", MACHINE HEAD's Grammy-nominated masterwork, recently landed on the chart of the Australian electronics and music retailer JB Hi-Fi at position No. 20. The original version of the album entered the official Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) chart at position No. 14 back in March 2007. MACHINE HEAD spent the summer headlining the second stage of the first annual Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival and the band will cap off two extremely successful years as direct support on METALLICA's U.S. headline tour in December 2008 and January 2009. METALLICA frontman James Hetfield was quoted in Revolver as saying, "'The Blackening' [is] unbelievable. Unbelievable sound and power. It sounds like a band on fire. They have really turned it on again for me."
MACHINE HEAD Frontman's 'Rants'; Fifth Clip Posted Online
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via Personal Recipe 1716945:
very punk rock that pj...not...lol hope my husband doesn't see this or he'll want one like that...hahahhahahahahha
I love your pyjama ♥ I want one just like it!
Nice pj's BJ....
hahaha you piyjamas its so funny ;)
ehehe I love your Pyjama ♥
"Well when you're sitting back, in your rose pink cadillac
Makin' bets on Kentucky Derby day..."
Been there. This too shall pass.
Can't wait to see you on December 1st... :)
i love your pyjama, it's very beautiful :)))
Whos bringing back P.Js? THIS GUY
pretty hot dude!!
You Go Rock Icon!!!! My rock & roll idol!!
owwww beautiful ♥
i want them pajamas sooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad. wats on them
ok..... where did you buy this pyjiama? :P
Nice pyjama
omgomg thats cute!!
what a beautifull pyjama!!!
Pyjama party?
:) and cozy jammies to boot! :) happy bday to adie. she and i were born 2 days apart - libras born in '69 rule!! so good to see u posting. take good care. p.s. Uno is off the hook!!


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Toggle: English / Spanish
Milk-alkali syndrome is a condition in which there is a high level of calcium in the body (hypercalcemia). This causes a shift in the body's acid/base balance toward alkaline (metabolic alkalosis). As a result, there can be a loss of kidney function.
Calcium-alkali syndrome; Cope syndrome; Burnett syndrome; Hypercalcemia
Milk-alkali syndrome is almost always caused by taking too many calcium supplements, usually in the form of calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is a common calcium supplement. It is often taken to prevent or treat bone loss (osteoporosis). Calcium carbonate is also an ingredient found in antacids (such as Tums).
A high level of vitamin D in the body, such as from taking supplements, can worsen milk-alkali syndrome.
Calcium deposits in the kidneys and in other tissues can occur in milk-alkali syndrome.
In the beginning, the condition usually has no symptoms (asymptomatic). When symptoms do occur, they can include:
Calcium deposits within the tissue of the kidney (nephrocalcinosis) may be seen on:
Other tests used to make a diagnosis:
Treatment involves reducing or eliminating calcium supplements and antacids that contain calcium. Vitamin D supplements also need to be reduced or stopped.
This condition is often reversible if kidney function remains normal. Severe prolonged cases may lead to permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis.
The most common complications include:
Contact your health care provider if:
If you use calcium-containing antacids often, tell your doctor about digestive problems. If you are trying to prevent osteoporosis, do not take more than 1.5 grams of calcium per day unless instructed by your medical provider.
Felsenfeld AJ, Levine BS. Milk alkalis syndrome and the dynamics of calcium homeostasis. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 1006;1:641– 654.
Grubb M, Gaurav K, Panda M. Milk-alkali syndrome in a middle-aged woman after ingesting large doses of calcium carbonate: a case report. Cases Journal. 2009;2:8198.
Patel AM, Goldfarb S. Got calcium? Welcome to the calcium-alkali syndrome. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2010;21:1440-1443.
Yoshizawa H, Morishita Y, Kusan E. Renal injury in calcium-alkali syndrome. J Nephrol Therapeutic. 2012. dx.doi.org/10.4172/2161-0959.S3-006.
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Tottenham Hotspur Message Board
Redknapp Jnr, Neville & Dempsey
Did anyone else find it a bit strange that ex players were advocating a player going down in the box?
After all the accusations about players diving for no reason, why did Red Nev think it acceptable for Demsey to have gone down? Surely if a player can stay on their feet, they should? If they don't stay on their feet when they can - isn't that a dive, no matter how you may want to present it?
I know Jamie fought the 'stay on your feet' side, but it seemed to me that he was arguing that side, not from the moralistic standpoint, but with the view that Dempsey had a good chance to score if he continued.Sort: Newest | Oldest | Most Replied Expand all replies
Spot on John.
But did not Nev add,that if Dempsey had gone down that we would have been awarded a pen and that a red card would have to be given,hence,pnalty being scored and with man u down to 10 men, would have been a significant advantage for Spurs.
Maybe these are some of the things being taught to players behind closed doors but no one would ever admit to.
Anyway, we thoroughly deserved our point, if not all 3,and i'm sure had the equaliser had come earlier that manu would have stepped it up a gear and we could have found ourselves with a bit more defending to do.
On the whole i think we played well,though i'm still not sure about Caulker and sadly Dempsey is way off the mark for a first team shirt.
atb .......jeffall..............COYS
- 1 Reply to JEFFALL
That was the frustrating thing Jeff wasn't it? Nev seemed happy that if he had gone down, then not only would he have got a penalty but also a player would have marched. Appalling if that is what is now accepted - or even being 'coached'. What I didn't follow is coming out with stuff like that, and on other ocassions slamming players for diving.
I also thought that about Dempsey at first, as he just never seemed to be involved when he played, but he seems to have picked up his game over the past few weeks and at least is getting on the ball more. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for a bit longer.


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Autism Speaks U Joins Forces With California State University-Northridge
California State University-Northridge's volunteer program called Unified We Serve is partnering with Autism Speaks U for their campus-wide challenge to support those affected by autism. Their challenge, which is called Unified4Autism, is aiming to get 50 different school teams (both students and faculty) to participate in fundraising or awareness events throughout the year. They will also be forming a college Walk team at their local Walk Now For Autism Speaks event.
California State University-Northridge's (CSUN) events range from loose change campaigns, to hot dog fundraisers to jewelry parties. One of their most recent events had the poplar band LMFAO perform where they had a booth selling glow sticks to benefit Autism Speaks. In addition to spreading autism awareness, the event raised $1,693. Phillip Hain, the LA Walk Director, attended the check presentation on campus. To read more, click here.
CSUN's United Sorority and Fraternity Council (USFC) organized an "Art for Change" event, which was a puzzle piece art campaign that raised $400 by having students donate pocket change. Marielos Renderos, activities director for the USFC, helped organize this event and coordinate with each organization within the USFC to submit a piece of art, for a total of 12 pieces. Click here to read more about students bringing autism awareness through art.
Autism Speaks U is a program designed to engage college students across the country in autism awareness, advocacy and fundraising efforts. Its new website offers a wide range of tools to empower students to establish Autism Speaks U chapters, organize events, and encourage their peers to get involved. College students, faculty and alumni can get involved with Autism Speaks U by visiting www.autismspeaks.org/u.


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Sony Console Hype Amped on YouTube, Ads and Twitter
Sony has been working hard to build interest in its event in New York today, during which the company is expected to unveil a next-generation videogame console.
The first step was on January 31, when Sony announced the PlayStation meeting in an email to the press, along with a website and a Tweet enticing fans to "see the future" at the event. The website included a video the company posted on YouTube featuring thumping music playing as animations of the PlayStation's signature button icons floated in space.
Sony followed up with documentary-style videos chronicling its rapid rise as a major player in the videogame industry. The first video, about the launch of the original PlayStation in 1994, garnered roughly 130,000 views, but subsequent videos have been more popular as gamers have become more aware of Wednesday's event. The video about the launch of the PlayStation 3, for example, has nearly 400,000 views.
Game blogs have also caught wind of various advertisements pointing at Sony's event. One of the ads circulating around game blogs said "'Oh, Yay, Another Mario Game.' Step Up To PlayStation 2/20," a dig at Nintendo iconic plumber-mascot.
A Sony spokesman didn't immediately respond to questions about whether the ads were created by the electronics giant. A Nintendo spokeswoman declined to comment.
American Express tried to capitalize on the growing interest in Sony's event, taking out an ad under the #PlayStation2013 hashtag that Sony's been promoting to hawk a rival machine. The ad? A promoted tweet from Microsoft Xbox account about a sale on its game console for AmEx owners. (An AmEx spokesman said the ad was part of a promotion program it has running for the Xbox console).
Sony's event will start at 6pm ET, and we'll be covering it live at the Digits blog.


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PLEASANTON -- Rick Pickering boosted attendance, expanded business and tamped down gang violence at the Alameda County Fair that he has managed for nearly 14 years. Now he is moving on to run a bigger show -- the California State Fair in Sacramento.
Pickering begins Dec. 28 at CalExpo after being credited with improving the popularity and financial performance for the 100-year-old county fair just west of downtown Pleasanton.
The Alameda County Fair, the largest in the Bay Area, drew its largest crowd during its 17-day run in June and July this year, when 534,574 people attended. Total attendance grew 44 percent over the last four years, making it the 33rd busiest fair in North America.
Fair officials credit the hardworking and detail-oriented Pickering with helping make the gains at the fair, a blend of traditional livestock shows and commercial exhibits with horse racing, modern carnival rides and popular music concerts.
"We have greatly appreciated Rick's wise insight and business leadership over the years," Janet Lockhart, the current Alameda County Fair Board president and a former Dublin city councilwoman, said a written statement. "We know that he will be able to further strengthen California's fair industry from his new position."
Pickering credited the fair's success to his staff's hard work, building relationships with the community, and willingness to try new things to supplement the traditional attractions such as livestock shows and pie making contests. In 2011, the fair gained international attention in social media when two people at the fair cooked a 777 pound hamburger to set a world record.
"That hamburger went viral," Pickering said Wednesday night. "You have to keep offerings for your tried and true customers, while expanding to new customers.
Pickering will be inducted next month into the Western Fair Association's Hall of Fame
Pickering, 54, will make about $155,000 per year as the CalExpo general manager.
When he was hired as Alameda County fair general manager in January 1999, the fair was in financial turmoil and struggling to contain gang violence that had spread to the popular family event.
In July 1998, a 23-year-old Richmond man involved in a gang dispute opened fire on the fair midway, hitting five gang rivals and five bystanders.
In response, the fair started using metal detectors to screen fair visitors at entrance gates, preventing further shootings.
To improve the fairground's finances and prominence, Pickering brought in more events; the Bernal Avenue fairgrounds now hosts more than 300 various events annually, attracting some 2.5 million visitors a year.
During his tenure, fairgrounds operators have made several improvements, including installation of $5 million worth of solar panels on the horse barns and a recycling program to use manure and used straw from fairgrounds barns as fertilizer on mushroom farms in Monterey County.
Fair operators last summer also succeeded in booking more widely known musical acts by switching to one concert per night, dropping the two-concert format that musicians disliked.
To offset the loss of the second concert, the fairgrounds added a big screen to show the concert to an overflow audience.
The change enabled the fair last summer to attract -- among others -- Rick Springfield, who sang the hit "Jessie's Girl." Pickering had been trying to book Springfield since the singer-guitarist's popular performance at the Pleasanton fair in 1999.
Contact Denis Cuff at 925-943-8267. Follow him at Twitter.com/deniscuff


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The Jackson Gore Village includes a variety of residences; from the Jackson Gore Inn to the adjacent Adams House and Bixby House for larger more spacious units. This is an ideal mountain side setting for ski in-out access. Room options include executive rooms and studios up to three-bedroom Penthouse accommodations. Most units have a jetted tub and all will have a TV & DVD player. The larger condos will have a full kitchen, fireplace, and washer-dryer. For après ski you will find an on-site heated pool and hot tubs as well as having access to the new Spring House Fitness & Aquatic Center. There you will find an indoor pool, hot tub, water slide, fitness classes, extensive exercise room and more!
Kettle Brook's two- and three-bedroom units with split-level design combine great mountain views with wooded privacy. Spacious one-bedroom units provide a cozy setting. These are equipped with full kitchens and most have a fireplace. Guests of Kettle Brook can also enjoy an outdoor tennis court in summer and complimentary access to the new Spring House Fitness and Aquatic center at Jackson Gore Village.
This ski in/ski out lodge is located at the base of Okemo's original base area, by the signature Clock Tower. Each condo includes a fully equipped kitchen, fireplace and deck. Your lodging includes complimentary access to the new Spring House Fitness & Aquatic Center at Jackson Gore Village.
Okemo Mountain Lodge makes a great a location for couples and young families.
Great for large families and groups, Okemo Village is located at the base of Okemo and offers 4 bedrooms and 4 baths for up to 12 guests. Okemo Village is located close to the dining and après ski scene. These spacious multi-level Okemo ski vacation homes are furnished with king, queen and twin beds. Other features and amenities include Wi-Fi, daily towel service, shuttle service, wood-burning fireplace and full kitchen. Guests have access to the Spring House Pool and Fitness Center, which offers a hot tub, swimming pool, sauna, massage and spa services and exercise equipment and classes. A fun place for kids, Spring House has a children's pool with slide and other play features.
Located at the summit of Okemo's South Ridge and beginner ski area, this is a great mountainside property to access the resort. Panoramic mountain views, a recreation center with a heated indoor pool and two 5 person jacuzzis are the signatures of Winterplace. Accommodations range from 2 to 3 bedrooms, some with a sleeping loft, great for up to 10 guest in comfort and style.


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SAN JOSE -- San Jose State quarterback David Fales earned the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week award for his performance in the Spartans' 42-13 win over Idaho.
Fales, a junior, threw for 328 yards and matched a season-high with four touchdown passes. He completed 27 of 39 passes and is the nation's leader in completion percentage at 72.7 percent.
The win made SJSU (7-2, 3-1 WAC) bowl eligible for the first time since 2008. The Spartans are looking to receive their first bowl invitation since 2006.
Despite the impressive offensive numbers from the Spartans this season, Fales is the first SJSU player to win this award. Four teammates (Travis Johnson, Vince Buhagiar, Bene Benwikere and Cullen Newsome) have previously won the defensive player of the week honor and Tyler Ervin earned the special teams award earlier this year.
Fales has thrown for 2,850 yards and 21 touchdowns this season and he's well on pace to break several school records.
Fales is 410 yards away from Mike Perez's passing yards record of 3,260 and four touchdowns shy of Steve Clarkson's passing touchdown mark. Both players are members of SJSU's Sports Hall of Fame.
He's also on pace to set records for completions, completion percentage, passing efficiency and total offense.
Follow Jimmy Durkin on Twitter at Twitter.com/Jimmy_Durkin


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Jimmy Wales
Mirror mirror on the wall, what's the most important open source project of them all?
I'll bet you know a natural leader. Maybe you are one. Maybe you're a mom who started a support group for the parents of children with special needs. Maybe you're a concerned citizen who mobilized a group of preservation-minded neighbors to halt the destruction of a venerable old building. Maybe... Read more


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Start Here!
Hackety Hack will teach you the absolute basics of programming from the ground up. No previous programming experience is needed!
With Hackety Hack, you'll learn the Ruby programming language. Ruby is used for all kinds of programs, including desktop applications and websites.
Version 1.0.1
Learn and Explore
Hackety Hack uses the Shoes toolkit to make it really easy and fun to build graphical interfaces. Several lessons and example programs are provided, showing you how to make all kinds of fun things!
Check out what other people are doing with Hackety Hack! The Programs section is chock full of fun projects from other Hackety users. You can even upload your own! Put your account information into the Hackety Hack app, and you'll be able to share all the programs you create.


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Skeeters Girls Softball Club
Open Tryouts!!!!
The Skeeters Girls Softball Club is a 10U through 18U select girls softball club sanctioned by the Rose Rich Girls Softball Association based in Richmond, Texas.
We are coached by ACE certified coaches with over a combined 30+ years of coaching experience and play in tournaments throughout the great state of Texas as well as National.
Our Mission Statement:
The Skeeters primary mission is to create opportunities for girls to play softball together at an age where they can learn essential skills
and life lessons that have value beyond the playing field in ways that are consistent with best practices in youth athletics.
The Skeeters Girls Softball Club will be hosting "Open Tryouts" the month of August 2013.
Tryouts will be held Tuesday August 13th 6:30- 8:30 pm, Sunday August 18th 4 – 6 pm, and Wednesday August 21st 6:30-8:30pm at the Rose-Rich Softball fields at George Park.
If you are a pitcher or catcher please plan on pitching/catching from 8:15 – 8:45 pm. If you are interested in attending our tryouts you may contact your appropriate age groups contact listed below.
We would like to try and get an accurate headcount of who will be attending, so that we can plan/staff the tryouts accordingly.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the Skeeters Club, please feel free to contact any of the coaches below at any time.
18U : Ron Otto email: email@example.com
16U : Jay Klingenberg email: email@example.com
14U : Jay Klingenberg email: firstname.lastname@example.com
12U : Scott Ames email: email@example.com
10U : Scott Ames email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Skeeters Club!!
Go Skeeters !!!
Go Skeeters !!!
Go Skeeters !!!
Go Skeetrs!!!!
Go Skeeters !!!
Go Skeeters !!!
Go Skeeters !!!
Go Skeeters !!!
Go Skeeters!!!!!!!
Go Skeeters!!!!
Go Skeeters !!!
Go Skeeters !!!
ACTIVE is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators.


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G'day mates,
Im new to CAD. I have designed some products on QCAD and would like to know if someone will kindly tell me how to create stitch holes. It seems that I can make little dots but I don't want to have to do each dot one by one on each patterns as that will take ages. Is there a short cut? And how can I make the stitch holes the same spacing/distance from each other, say if I needed to make five stitches per inch throughout, how would I do this? I SO very much appreciate any help.
Many kind regards,


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Welcome to Friendly Electric: a Somerset Electrician
Friendly Electric Heating & Air is a full service New Jersey electrician, that provides electrical, heating and air conditioning services to homeowners throughout Somerset, NJ.
With our many years of experience in electrical service, you can rest assured that we can help you with whatever electrical project or emergency electrical repairs that you encounter. We have an outstanding safety record, and retain long-time employees by maintaining an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation. So if you are looking for a reliable Somerset Electrician that can provide quality services and products for all your electrical service and repair needs, look no further than Friendly Electric Heating & Air of New Jersey!
Friendly Electric Heating & Air - Somerset Air Conditioning
Not sure if you should repair or replace your Somerset air conditioner? Well, consider this: if you're operating an inefficient air conditioning system that breaks down a lot, it's likely that it's going to break down again. That means more expensive emergency repair services calls to a professional Somerset air conditioning contractor, as well as possible damage to the other components of your heating and cooling system.
You should also consider the ongoing cost factor: you could save up to 60% on your energy bills with new high-efficiency air conditioning equipment. Even if your Somerset air conditioner is only a few years old, it could be terribly inefficient by today's energy efficiency standards. Installing a new, high-efficiency air Somerset conditioning system can actually pay for itself in energy savings within a relatively short time.
At Friendly Electric Heating & Air, our professional Somerset air conditioning contractors have the air conditioners and the skills to provide you with quality home cooling and heating solutions. Call today for an estimate, and start saving money on your energy bills!
Somerset Electrical Repairs
At Friendly Electric Heating & Air, our professional electricians provide homeowners throughout Somerset, NJ with Somerset electrical repairs. Our number one goal is to deliver superior quality, dependable and efficient electrical service at competitive rates.
We are completely licensed and insured to service all of Somerset, NJ. Whether you have a faulty outlet, or need a complete upgrade to your electrical wiring, we can fulfill your Somerset electrical repair needs. When you hire Friendly Electric for your Somerset electrical repairs, our electricians will take the time to explain what needs to be done before we recommend your next course of action. We listen to your concerns, and we answer all your questions - no matter what time you call us! Our Somerset electricians are available 24/7 to take care of all your emergency electrical repairs.
We use first class quality electrical products and people and support that with a strong customer service-oriented philosophy. We respect your home and treat it as if it were our own. We understand how important your home is to you. We put on shoe covers and lay down floor protectors to ensure everything is kept safe. We won't leave until your Somerset home is as clean as or cleaner than it was when we arrived. That is our dedication to you!
- Somerset Electrician
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- Electrical Repairs
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Somerset Heating
Many Somerset homeowners spend a lot of money on heating costs during the cold winter months. Some Somerset residents are even spending up to 50% of their monthly budget on heating!
It's no wonder, too, since heating costs have gone up rapidly in the past two years. You may find that you are paying twice as much to heat your home now than you did prior years. What can you do to save some of this money?
Start by walking through your Somerset home and identifying the areas where heated air is leaking out. Check around your doors, windows, fireplaces and any drafty areas. There are many ways to close off leaks. You can caulk, weather strip and use plastic to seal off drafts. Put door sweeps on all of your outside doors. If your Somerset home is poorly insulated, the additional money spent to insulate it will pay for itself in reduced heating costs. The more you prevent heated air from leaking out, the more you will save on your Somerset heating costs.
Most people never think of this, but you should minimize the usage of ventilation fans and kitchen hood fans during the winter. Bathroom fan can actually pull all of the warm air out of an average sized house in a little over an hour. This could increase your Somerset heating costs by a surprising amount.
It's also a good idea to have quality HVAC maintenance done on a regular basis by a professional Somerset heating contractor to ensure your system is working properly. Somerset Heating maintenance services can increase the efficiency of your heating system, saving you money on your heating bills. A general guideline is to have your Somerset heating system serviced at least once per year.
The Services We Provide in Somerset, NJ
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What Our Somerset Customers Are Saying About Us
Friendly Electric Heating & Air is Rated: 5 / 5
based on this 1 happy customer review.
"All the electricians who came to my home were extremely professional, courteous, and knowledgeable.
I would like to commend the following electricians:
Unfortunatley, I do not know the names of the two electricians who came on October 22,2012.
Bruney, who came in November.
Matt, who completed the electrical work for the sump pumps on December 12, 2012"
- Freda B. Somerset, NJ | Rated: 3 / 3
Recent Articles
- Why Should You Call for a New Jersey Electrical Contractor? - When the lights go down, whom do you call? No, not Superman, silly. When electricity fails you, it's not a man in cape that you'd call but him – the New Jersey electrical contractor. The switch won't work? Fuses have blown up again? Your house had turned into some kind of [...]
- Why New Jersey Electrical Repairs Should Always Be Done By Professionals - Most New Jersey households and buildings regularly require electrical repairs. This is logical as electricity is always used for operating appliances, equipment, and other machines. Short-circuits and small electrical shocks are normal and are quite usual. However, it is surprising that services of professional New Jersey electricians are hardly sought. No one could blame home and building [...]


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Shiana Smith was last seen at the Lansing Mall Cinema two weeks ago. She was watching a movie with her mom when she left to go to the restroom and never returned.
Two weeks later and there are still no solid leads on where she may be. Mom Laurie Smith is worried what may have started as a runaway could've turned to something worse.
"I have no idea what the scenario is, of course there are a lot of scenarios that go through my head. I try not to follow the real scary ones," Smith said.
According to Laurie Smith, Shiana is a straight "A" student but has shown signs that there were issues. In fact, Smith said her daughter ran away once in September, but didn't make it far before getting picked up by police.
"I adopted her at 3 [years old] from China. My guess is it may have more to do with not feeling real connected to her adopted family and as I read, it's pretty common," Smith said.
Investigators believe the 15 year old left on her own will, but they're not ruling out the possibility that she may be in danger.
"We don't think she was taken against her will but obviously she's been missing, she's on her own, she could've run into some trouble that she wasn't able to deal with and that's what we're worried about," said Lt. Jeff Campbell from the Eaton County Sheriff's Office.
Meanwhile, Laurie Smith is keeping the word out there about her missing daughter, determined to bring Shiana back.


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Virtual Pressroom 2010
James Riordon, APS
Jason Socrates Bardi, AIP
Phillip Schewe, AIP
April Meeting Information
February 13-17, 2010
Secret military projects, powerful collisions at the LHC, future international physics projects, and lots of new data from around the universe will be featured in talks at this year's spring meeting of The American Physical Society (APS), the largest professional society of physicists in the world.
This year, APS is joining with the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the world's largest society of physics teachers, for a joint meeting at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The APS portion of the meeting includes particle physics, astrophysics, nuclear physics, plasma physics and other physics disciplines that impact society. The AAPT portion of the meeting will showcase the latest trends in national and international physics education (should physics in high school be taught before biology?) as well as talks about the physics of hobbies, such as running, crossword puzzles, and high-altitude ballooning.
Press Releases


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Bath Linens
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Shop Our Family Of Brands
Bath Linens, Furniture and Bathroom Accessories
Bathroom furniture and accessories set a soothing tone that makes your bath area a retreat from daily life. Browse our selection of sink consoles, cabinetry and bathtubs to create the foundation for a great bathroom, then accessorize with bathroom decor that gives your bath a bit of personality. Choose organic bath linens to imbue your bath time experience with a sense of luxury and purpose, or choose new bath lighting to ensure your bathroom has varied lighting for morning and night. Get inspired to create your own relaxing retreat with our exclusive designer tips on how to choose bathroom furniture.


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pc specs:
Win Xp sp2
3ghz proc
1 gig ram
wired connection
When trying to watch movies/shows on my ps3, almost always is the audio out of sync.
I've tried many of the already posted solutions (alternate a/v sync method ect ect) all with zero effect. It seems to happen with just about any file type, but mostly with .mkv .
I've also tried converting files into different types but it does not seem to help.
Any help will be appreciated.


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My Peeples
Hello Peeples :-)
I sure hope you are planning on going out and supporting Peeples. The movie is in theaters right now.
This is a movie that was written by a first time director, Tina Gordon Chism. I'm very proud of her. She is the first writer/director that I'm presenting. I'm hoping to find many more and help usher them into their dreams. Kerry Washington, Craig Robinson and David Alan Grier all star in this really fun and funny movie. Hope you enjoy it.
And happy Mother's Day.