text:
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Im sitting here trying to decide about what to write.
I currently have (a pause while I do the math) six novels in work, two of which I began last week, and if you count the rest of my collective body of work gathering pixel dust on my hard drive the number jumps to a Bakers dozen give or take.
I think about the stories I want to work on and where they are in my head.
My stories all play like a continuous movie, each running simultaneously and at full blown John Williams soundtrack volume, at the same time, all the time, never stopping until I type it out and say, THE END some 120,000 words later.
For example, the movies Locked Hearts and The Lunch Box have rolled credits and did the fade to black thing.
Many of my story ideas come from dreams Ive had. And oh, how I love to dream.
Daydreaming got me in a lot of trouble as a kid because I always had my head in the clouds, if you were to listen to my first grade teacher.
Menial tasks such as times-tables or say, mowing the yard on a Saturday, would hold my attention until about 2x3=6 or right about where I had to decide if my moms herb garden was a garden, or an unruly thatch of weeds.
I love to write, but I dont label myself as a writer too pretentious, or as a journalist even more pretentious. Neither do I feel comfortable with the title of reporter as I am one that claims to never let the truth stand in the way of a good story, or even sportswriter, as visions of Grantland Rice conjuring up golden stanzas of flowing prose over a manual Royal typewriter seated in the press box at Yankee Stadium come to mind.
Too daunting.
No, Im a self-admitted and self-deprecating hack.
Im a good hack, but still a hack.
As I mentioned, two new movies started playing in my brain over the last week or so. First is a romance type titled, The Poet, the story about a young woman who is sought out by her favorite novelist, a reclusive gentleman who vanished from the public eye some 40 years ago, and has sent her a cryptic cry for help with the note, Help me Ive run out of words.
The other I started last week.
I had a dream where everybody I laid eyes on suddenly wanted to kill me, and Im running through the city streets from everybody.
It was the ultimate chase dream. Think Walking Dead, but everybodys still alive.
Im about a dozen chapters into the book I call Blink!
Its a really neat story as most my dreams turn out to be.
So, two more movies are running non-stop and at full-blown John Williams soundtrack volume in my head along with everything else Im writing.
Even this.
Think of this as any annoying flute playing the same tune over and over, or a Barney song, I love you, you love me singing over and over and over again in your head and it wont stop.
Im finished now so I can let it go.
Im about 30 years too late but I think Ive found my own signature signoff like Walter Cronkite and Dan Rooney, and what Dan Rather tried so hard to do but failed.
Heres mine.
Since this little short film of 602 words is now ending, I write
The End.
Fade to black.
Roll credits.
Hows that?
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text:
Apple iPad 4 ReviewApple iPad 4 9
Although we're still hesitant about snapping photos with tablets, we're increasingly seeing more people relying on their tablets to take some snapshots. Armed with a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera, we have to admit, the iPad 4 produces some pleasant photos that are worth saving for the memories. Handling most lighting situations with relative ease, it maintains a favorable level with its average details, neutral colors, and proper exposure. However, when it comes to low lighting conditions, it's still exhibiting a fair amount of noise and dull details. Regardless, we're certain more people aren't going to be afraid to use this one now that its quality continues to be tolerable.
Apple iPad 4 Sample images
Apple iPad 4 Sample images
In addition, its 1080p high definition video recording quality is superb, for a tablet that is. Exhibiting plenty of visual flare with its quality, like its smooth 29 frames per second capture, sharp details, and minimal artifacting, it's more than acceptable to please our eyes. Still, the only downer is the fact that it doesn't have a noise-cancellation feature, which results in it picking up heavy wind.
Apple iPad 4 Samplle Video:
Well, there's nothing out of character with the iPad 4's music player, seeing that it's donning the same layout and presentation as before. Aside from that, the audio quality of its internal speaker doesn't seem to any better than before, but nonetheless, it's powerful without exhibiting any distortion at the loudest volume setting.
Besides having to do convert high-definition videos to enable them for play on the iPad 4, there's nothing we don't like about the video watching experience – partly because of its brilliant looking Retina Display. Not only does is play high-def videos with relative ease, we're enchanted by its warmer color tones and iridescent glow.
71 Comments
1. PapaSmurf (Posts: 10456; Member since: 14 May 2012)
So the unchanging OS doesn't get listed as a con but it is when the writers make an article about it. It's "The New iPad" just with an A6 chip and Lightning, and scores a 9? Haha wow. Never trusting PA reviews ever again.
5. KParks23 (Posts: 619; Member since: 13 Oct 2010)
i love how THE PHONE htc one x + gets a negative for only 1GB of ram but the 1GB of ram in the IP4 does not even get mentioned LOL.. why dont u guys go ahead and put a I in front of the P in ur web address.. ITS the same tablet as the ipad 3 but has a new connector and they FINALLY upgraded there garbage FF cam they didnt even change the look of it.
20. Retro-touch (Posts: 273; Member since: 24 Oct 2011)
PA judges based on other phones, One X+ is a high end Android phone and for an updated phone to feature 1GB of RAM when the competition flaunts 2GB, it has to be judged according to its position on the spectrum. When iPad 4 is judged relative to iPad 3 and previous offerings (iPad2/1) its definitely a 9. iPhone is judged with other iPhone offerings so its no surprise it scores well
37. KParks23 (Posts: 619; Member since: 13 Oct 2010)
Hey dumb dumb Microsoft just released a tablet with 2gb of ram! Ooooooo apple is going to put 2gb of ram in the next ipad...the ipad 3.75 set to release next month!
42. Nathan_ingx (Posts: 3787; Member since: 07 Mar 2012)
Don't give them ideas...
Apple might release iPad 5 with 3GB ram and patent it!!
52. XPERIA-KNIGHT (unregistered)
why is the ipad only being judge with previous ipads?? there are other tablets out there dude.....PA may not know it but when they do that, it makes the Ipad look superior to other tablets and makes others feel less worthy........So please stop with trying to justify them as people can clearly smell the bias around here...
54. schecter7 (Posts: 99; Member since: 20 Apr 2012)
Dude, let me add this as an android user. I can smell serious bias towards samsung as well here at PA. Especially, if you read the ridiculous review of galaxy phones. PA bashed the One X and Xperias real hard. They even claimed GS3 camera is better than One X. I mean seriously it was ludicrous. GS3 has a horrible camera that takes terribly noisy lowlight pictures.
PA used to be a neutral site for phone reviews. I'm sad that they are skewing their reviews to score more 'clicks' - very sad.
58. XPERIA-KNIGHT (unregistered)
well im unsure if GS3's camera is better than the One X but from what i remember there were certain pictures that the Galaxy did do better and certain pictures where the One X did better......Now if im correct the Galaxy S3 has a Sony inbuilt camera and where I believe they would be obviously biased would be if they where to say the Galaxies camera is better than a Xperia camera! Unless samsung is asking sony for something special for there phone that sony isnt putting in there own phones, then it would definitely be a biased review........People here tend to go with there emotions alot and are so caught up in the sales game......and since apple and samsung are selling the best they go with there skewed logic that, if they are selling the most then they must be the best.....when thats not entirely true......If you know how to sell a broken car to a customer then that would just make you a genius salesman.......not saying somethings wrong with apple or samsung but it doesnt mean they have the best phones because they are selling well, but more so they just know how to control the media
71. nuna12 (Posts: 12; Member since: 16 Aug 2014)
The corners are slightly rounded to reduce roughness but still maintain the overall masculinity.
64. Mxyzptlk (Posts: 13068; Member since: 21 Apr 2012)
I don't think there's any other tablet that can effectively compete.
67. PapaSmurf (Posts: 10456; Member since: 14 May 2012)
Guess you've never met Nexus 10 or ASUS Infinity or Galaxy Note.
56. Nadr1212 (Posts: 741; Member since: 22 Sep 2012)
BOOO!!!!!! I want REAL upgrades to the iPad 4, not MINOR ones!!!
Stupid apple
63. Mxyzptlk (Posts: 13068; Member since: 21 Apr 2012)
Those are REAL upgrades.
69. cgreen (Posts: 1; Member since: 17 Jan 2013)
You can bash the iPad fourth-generation all you want, but one thing will always be true, The iPad fourth-generation is a gaming powerhouse! The reason the iPad fourth-generation does not need as much random access memory, is because the iPad fourth-generation has a very random access memory Efficient chip! The processor has a dual core CPU, so 2 cores handle the workload. No it may not be quad core, but why should it be. If you think about it, the CPU on this ipad is more efficient than a lot of computers. The next thing is the GPU. The GPU on this tablet is a gaming POWERHOUSE! No matter how much you bash it, I can run console- quality graphics with ease. But nobody wants to talk about that huh. Oh, and how about that easy to use OS! It may not be customizable without jailbreaking it, but as we all know, that is NOT apples goal. My baby sister is 3 years old and can operate this ipad with EASE. How many 3 year olds do you know that can even find the apps MENU on a nexus 10. Hell, how many can even unlock the damn thing. Back in 2007, when the original iPhone came out, most people at the time had flip phones, so the thought behind it was, " how can we make a device that a computer illiterate can use with little learning curve". YES IT'S OUTDATED, if your used to smartphones, but for someone who's not, it's a godsend.
11. Kronic (banned) (Posts: 321; Member since: 11 Sep 2012)
A6X chip that doubles the mighty graphics power of ipad 3 and increases CPU power to give more than twice the performance. A6X is a different chip. It's not the same as the A6. It's much faster and beats exynos 5 in most benchmarks.
15. rickywinataa (Posts: 262; Member since: 05 Apr 2012)
we can't really compare the benchmark results, they are 2 different OS that has different kind of process during benchmark.
also, we can't say A6X is slower or faster than exynos 5. A6X is still an A9 processor, exynos 5 is an A15 processor
17. TROLL (banned) (Posts: 4851; Member since: 13 Apr 2012)
Very first A15 buy Samsung and Nexus
46. Kronic (banned) (Posts: 321; Member since: 11 Sep 2012)
No it's not A9. It's a a custom CPU design. But you have to agree that A6X is powerhouse.
51. PapaSmurf (Posts: 10456; Member since: 14 May 2012)
A6X is A9 and Exynos 5 is A15...
57. Izzy_V (Posts: 216; Member since: 07 Jul 2012)
applearena gives me diabetes.
We need new reviewers, most have become 100% sheepple.
59. xtremesv (Posts: 297; Member since: 21 Oct 2011)
The lighting connector must be listed as a con not commented as something good just because Apple will virtuously "unify" its devices leaving millions of current users with hundreds of dollars invested in expensive accessories.
62. Mxyzptlk (Posts: 13068; Member since: 21 Apr 2012)
A well deserved 9. The new A6 chip is actually a lot faster than many devices today. Do not assume nothing has changed.
Don't forget Google released another Nexus phone but with only 8GB of memory and no Android fan through a huge fit over it. I don't think it's fair to treat that as a con against the iPad 4.
3. prakesh (Posts: 92; Member since: 13 Sep 2012)
are you serious bout this?
super lower ppi
not a retina dislay
got 9?
7. eisenbricher (Posts: 973; Member since: 09 Aug 2012)
Don't start hating as soon as you see Apple, dude. You make us all look silly. This isn't iPad mini, but an iPad 4 which indeed has a RETINA DISPLAY. And deserved 9.
21. ZEUS.the.thunder.god (unregistered)
then how would you justify an 8.5 for surface ? I can bet that if Michael H. reviewed it, it wouldn`t even get an 8.5. Everybody knows here that PA is so biased when it comes to apple. They couldn`t find any cons with Note II but still it got a 9. Can you explain that ?
PS. - now I should be expecting a warning for stating the facts.
32. No_Nonsense (Posts: 826; Member since: 17 Aug 2012)
Surface RT deserves a 8. The Surface Pro deserves a 9+ rating. Note 2 is too big.
34. ZEUS.the.thunder.god (unregistered)
NOTE II might be too big for you but there are millions who needs a device like that. and apart from stylus its the SIZE which makes it what it is, a phablet.
38. No_Nonsense (Posts: 826; Member since: 17 Aug 2012)
Er, I was saying it seems the reason for the 9.
39. ZEUS.the.thunder.god (unregistered)
but it was not listed in the cons so technically N II should get a perfect 10.
40. Nathan_ingx (Posts: 3787; Member since: 07 Mar 2012)
Excuse moi...but there will never be a perfect 10!!
Never in PA!
41. ZEUS.the.thunder.god (unregistered)
which is fine. The only thing I wanna say is that this review is not fair and unbiased. it wouldn`t get this score if it wasn`t an apple product.
44. Nathan_ingx (Posts: 3787; Member since: 07 Mar 2012)
You mean "not fair and BIASED" right???
Cause what you wrote just killed what it meant!!
47. ZEUS.the.thunder.god (unregistered)
lol yeah you are right. was typing too fast. +1
8. prakesh (Posts: 92; Member since: 13 Sep 2012)
ooops my bad. its ipad 4 i tought its an ipad mini.
ipad4?you mean the new ipad (3)?
4. _Bone_ (Posts: 2154; Member since: 29 Oct 2012)
PhoneArena: would you kindly wait for the final version of Nexus 10 before reviewing, full SW features, updated drivers, new Chrome.
iPad4: great machine.
6. eisenbricher (Posts: 973; Member since: 09 Aug 2012)
No badmouthing about this. Even though I don't like apple, iPad 4 is a nice device for entertainment purpose.
24. ZEUS.the.thunder.god (unregistered)
No doubt about ipad being a great device for entertainment but its basically the same as the new ipad (3). For Android phones PA can list 1 GB of RAM as a con but apple can keep on producing the same stuff and its fine. So much for a fair & unbiased review. and now I know why Michael never review products. its because he is not biased.
9. TROLL (banned) (Posts: 4851; Member since: 13 Apr 2012)
All 4 of the iPad look the same!
These users will be buying the same thing over and over again, how so weird, must i feel sorry for them. How you meant to diffrenciate them, they all look the same? But i really love the powe of the CPU and GPU!
36. PAPINYC (banned) (Posts: 2315; Member since: 30 Jul 2011)
My head almost exploded looking at the comparison pics' above, I can't tell which is which; I think Apple should sue itself for badly iCopied products.
This review is a scam: "9"?????? My upcoming Galaxy Note II on Verizon has far better specs', including display, and, it too, received a "9".
One wonders if PhoneArena "Copies & Pastes" the same review every time Apple releases their 'Next Big Thing' and just changes the main title??
10. redmd (Posts: 1269; Member since: 26 Oct 2011)
the newer iPad gets 9.
12. brandonrana (Posts: 57; Member since: 04 Nov 2012)
The surface got an 8.5 and this little piece of sh*t got 9 ???????? So much for just a retina display gimmick ??
13. rickywinataa (Posts: 262; Member since: 05 Apr 2012)
well, we don't need to see the upgrade it has from previous-gen iPad. This upgrade is intended for super intense gaming
however, iPad is hands down still the best tablet in the market, its ecosystem is still second to none. IMO, iPad 4 is the real upgrade over iPad 2 in terms of processing power. third gen iPad A5X was made to COMPROMISE the retina display.
also i want to ask all fanboys who just want to mock this product to shut up. i was an android fanboy once, but even android wasn't perfect. there are options in everything, pros and cons but please appreciate it even though you don't like it.
14. brandonrana (Posts: 57; Member since: 04 Nov 2012)
Dude an unbiased review can never get acceptance or appreciation !
16. rickywinataa (Posts: 262; Member since: 05 Apr 2012)
well, i must admit that PA's rating is a bit biased towards apple. but iPad still is a great device by any means
22. brandonrana (Posts: 57; Member since: 04 Nov 2012)
You admit right? Thats what my point is ... I get it thats its realy a grt device , but still its not the best of all. so why (I)PA being biased on apple related products?
25. rickywinataa (Posts: 262; Member since: 05 Apr 2012)
yeah i'm rather curious about this one thing too. probably the reviewer is biased ? or the PA itself is biased. i saw optimus L9 review, almost all sites say it is a great mid-range device but the rating on PA is only 7.5 . WTH ?
IMO, pocketnow's rating is still the most un-biased & the reviewers are all great
26. brandonrana (Posts: 57; Member since: 04 Nov 2012)
You to got a point here. Basically you are also stating a right fact. PA should stop being biased towards apple or else give other company the similar rating
28. Reluctant_Human (Posts: 886; Member since: 28 Jun 2012)
Hate Apple. But it is a solid reliable product and accurate as a stand alone review. When you review it, you can't base it on previous versions of the product (no matter how identicle) or other ones. I'll save my bashing for the comparison tests :).
30. rickywinataa (Posts: 262; Member since: 05 Apr 2012)
bash on iPad mini ?
35. ZEUS.the.thunder.god (unregistered)
if this ipad is for "SUPER INTENSE GAMING" then what are Gaming Laptops for ?
19. bloodline (Posts: 706; Member since: 01 Dec 2011)
Heres my view.
The ipad is a great device, its well built and well powered with a great display and we all know it has the best selection of tablet optimised apps.
But IOS hasn't changed, its core function has nothing innovative, especially after how many years its been running.
Can you have multiple users - no.
Can you watch a movie whilst sending a tweet, whilst looking at facebook no.
Can you customise its so it better fits you needs? - No
Can you use it on the train and pull up at a station and it automatically gives you train times with out any input - No
That fact that this stale bit of software achieved a 9 reflects how poor phones arena reviews are when comparing against competition.
Its only ahead of the competition in build quality and apps. If you consider 10 perfection and this is a 9...what planet are you on ?
29. sudbury78 (Posts: 136; Member since: 12 Jul 2012)
Great idea: you people whining and complaining phone arena is biased towards apple---- just go away and find somewhere else to play. Problem solved.
33. brandonrana (Posts: 57; Member since: 04 Nov 2012)
Wow so you liked the new sooo innovative ipad4 right? So go and buy.. BYEEE...!!
31. Nathan_ingx (Posts: 3787; Member since: 07 Mar 2012)
For me, iPad 4 is what iPhone 5 was to iPhone 4 (S)...nothing much.
48. juwansome (Posts: 11; Member since: 24 Oct 2012)
not even as much of an upgrade because the screen ratio is still 4:3 and not 16:9 like the iphone 5
43. MorePhonesThanNeeded (Posts: 645; Member since: 23 Oct 2011)
What a review, I am at a loss for words. The amount of gushing over "retina" display was nauseating, I was half expecting the reviewer to show a photo of him about to get it on with the device. It gets a 9, whilst the mini gets an 8.5 so you expect someone to think that the mini is half a point as good as the iPad 4. So aside from processor improvement to which no one will notice since the app launcher doesn't need any extra grunt because it barely does anything to begin with. This device still gets a 9, same OS as the previous iPhone 5, no changes to speak of anywhere in that review. So same sh@t different day and iPad 4 just waltzes through with a 9.
I noticed that there was absolutely no mention of upcoming competitors, including the retina busting Nexus 10, but yea Ipad 4 Retina screen is great for movies it's warmer colors are just perfect...you guys make me sick. Warmer colors are good for watching movies? No you actually want colors more neutral for movies to be represented as true to format for the best experience. I can guarantee that the Nexus 10 will have a list of cons and not get higher than 8.5.
49. NickPeters (Posts: 74; Member since: 24 Oct 2012)
If I could give u 5 likes for the comment I would. :)
50. CreeDiddy (Posts: 745; Member since: 04 Nov 2011)
Between the iPad 4 and Nexus 10 you won't notice a difference in screen quality. The apps are optimized to look good on the iPad 4's retina display. A difference of 40ppi won't be noticeable like people say.
53. robocopvn (Posts: 419; Member since: 10 Mar 2010)
above average battery is really in a pros list ??
ha ha ha !!!
55. maestro1 (Posts: 9; Member since: 29 Oct 2012)
Missing cons from the review:
-1 point for outdated and static OS
-1 point for no multi-user support
Apple iPad 4OS: iOS
view full specs
|9.7 inches, 2048 x 1536 pixels (264 ppi) IPS LCD
|5 megapixels
Apple A6X, Dual-core, 1400 MHz
|9.50 x 7.31 x 0.37 inches
(241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm)
23.35 oz (662 g)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Jean Stories (hands-down our favorite read online right now… style muses galore!) interviewed denim-loving babe Alexis Krauss from the band Sleigh Bells about her habit of wearing cut-off jean shorts on stage. She reveals her secret for not showing any butt cheek despite loving uber short shorts, the hypothetical star sign of her Levi's, and which of her own songs captures the way she feels about her denim habit. Check out the full interview here.
Images via Jean Stories.
—DT Staff
Tags: Alexis Krauss, celebrity denim, celebrity style, cut off shorts, denim muse, interview, jean stories, Sleigh Bells, style muse


text:
10-4 Episode 4: No More Parallel Development Pain
- Posted: Jan 07, 2009 at 12:34PM
- 10 comments
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Visualization Interview with Matthew Mitrik:
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NSCLC is "Major Battlefield" as Merck,...
LC-MS Gains Favor Due To the...
Developers of DTC Genetic Testing Are...
As Immunotherapy Revolutionizes the Cancer Treatment...
Recent decades have marked exciting times for biological sciences. Since the 1977 milestone publication of the first genome, that of the single-stranded bacteriophage ΦX174, new methodologies that culminated with the implementation of next- and next-next generation sequencing platforms and the advent of -omics sciences facilitated a level of scrutiny that previously seemed beyond imagination.
While techniques available in the past allowed only a limited number of genes to be examined at one time, genome-based microarray platforms opened the possibility to analyze entire cellular transcriptomes under specific sets of conditions. This global approach enables the visualization of discrete pathways or groups of genes, which can be surveyed under various conditions, such as a specific disease or treatment with a certain therapeutic agent.
"Microarrays have become a very useful and important tool for this purpose," explains Stephen Walker, Ph.D., assistant professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Since 2005, Dr. Walker has been a member of the international microarray quality control consortium (MAQC), an initiative established by the FDA with the participation of all of the leading microarray manufacturers, end users, and bioinformaticians.
MAQC emerged in the wake of several publications that had reported on cross-platform comparisons of microarray performance and revealed that microarray analyses of the same biological samples examined by different laboratories using different platforms often lead to very different results.
"This was initially shocking for the microarray community, since arriving at different sets of answers would imply that many microarray experiments are not reproducible," recalls Dr. Walker. To address this issue, the consortium compared microarray platforms from all of the major microarray providers and, in a series of papers published in Nature Biotechnology in 2006, concluded that, overall, the various platforms performed well and also comparably to each other.
"The biggest take-home message was that the genome is a moving target. When different array manufacturers used to refer to a specific target for a specific gene, they each may well have been using different sequences within the same gene, and this helps explain why different results were sometimes obtained," explains Dr. Walker.
Despite their advantages, microarrays have several limitations. "Microarrays are a great tool to start with, but to understand the biology of the system one needs to subsequently conduct more focused experiments," advises Dr. Walker. The recent push toward RNA sequencing is being driven not only by the need to learn about changes in the expression of a particular gene, but also by the opportunity to visualize the differential regulation of multiple splice variants for one specific gene.
"By sequencing the transcriptome, rather than labeling RNA and hybridizing on microarrays, there is a higher likelihood to pick up individual splice variants and get a much more comprehensive gene-expression profile," explains Dr. Walker. "This provides a more comprehensive analysis but adds, at the same time, another layer of complexity, because the size of the files is quite large, and the approach, at the present time, can be cost prohibitive," he adds.
Ultimately, whether data is obtained by microarrays or by sequencing, one of the major questions is how to examine the huge amount of information that is generated. "Once investigators obtain the dataset, it is very exciting, but the challenge is what to do with it next, and how to find the right tools for analysis. There is currently a bottleneck with the availability of appropriate software tools needed to keep up with the ever larger and more detailed datasets," notes Dr. Walker.
One of the challenges in analyzing data obtained by microarray and sequencing technologies is to integrate vast amounts of information generated by various experiments and different groups. In 2004, Philip Zimmermann, Ph.D., lecturer and group leader at ETH Zurich, and co-founder of Nebion, a spin-off company from ETH Zurich, together with several colleagues, built an online tool that became known as Genevestigator .
This application, which integrates Affymetrix' GeneChip microrray data from experiments conducted in many laboratories and deposited in the public domain, was generated by curating large amounts of public data, making it very standardized, very comparable, and developing algorithms for analysis.
A more advanced version of Genevestigator became available in 2006, and currently has over 20,000 registered users. "I believe that, for microarrays and next-generation sequencing, the added value is going to be much bigger if we look at data in context of hundreds or thousands of other experiments," explains Dr. Zimmermann. Genevestigator was validated for several experiments that sought to identify key genes involved in specific biological processes or conditions, or to identify conditions that affect a certain gene or set of genes.
Repetitive regions cannot be interrogated by existing microarray platforms and, as a result, their genome-wide profiles have remained relatively unstudied, and these regions continue to represent one of the most challenging and little-known parts of the genome.
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Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Berkeley County voters arent done yet with selecting the Republican nominee and presumptive superintendent to run the county.
Barring a successful write-in campaign in Novembers general election, whoever wins the June 24 runoff will likely be sworn-in as supervisor in January.
Incumbent Dan Davis won last weeks vote count, but was unable to gain more than 50 percent of the vote during his three-way race against Moncks Corner Mayor Bill Peagler and businessman Jerry Beckley. Beckley earned only 16 percent of the vote, and after losing his bid, endorsed Peagler.
Beckley was largely favored by members of the Goose Creek 9.12 and other conservative minorities in the county. Their total vote could swing the election in Peaglers favor.
Still, Davis faced a similar circumstance four years ago, when he successfully defeated U.S. Congressman Henry Brown in the Republican runoff.
Berkeley County is one of four counties in South Carolina that has an elected supervisor government. According to S.C. Association of Counties, in a supervisor-council form of government, administrative responsibility resides in an elected supervisor who serves as chair of council, but only votes in case of a tie.
In recent years, since the election of Ken Gunn, Davis has not had enough votes on council losing out to a majority unofficially headed by Councilman Tim Callanan.
Both sides have been accused of being divisive.
In a May event, sponsored by The Independent, Davis responded to the divide:
The split is due to politics, not decisions that are in the best interest of the county ... We think were making good recommendations in the interest of the county. I got to believe the public gets tired of those putting personal animosity over whats best for the county.
Peagler said last week, that following the primary, he met with the majority group on council.
I am a conservative Republican and, apparently, my goals and ambitions are similar to Tim (Callanan) and also with (Ken) Gunn and (Dennis) Fish and others. We all have the same goals, and that is to increase the efficiency of government and to be transparent, Peagler said. They agree with me that the taxpayer is our main concern.
He added that while hes a team player, hes not on anybodys team.
Peagler was emboldened by last weeks primary, which saw only a 700-vote gap between him and the incumbent.
Tuesdays results spoke to me that Berkeley County is ready for a change, Peagler said. He only beat me by a few hundred votes, and I think that speaks loudly.
But for Davis, hes not surprised by the results, landing into a runoff with a man hes known for over 25 years.
Overall its pretty much what we expected, Davis said on Thursday. Davis responded to Beckleys support of Peagler: Its a concern but, then again, it always works that way. In the next election the runoff it may not have the same people turnout ... Our job over the next couple weeks is to make sure we get more turnout than we did in the intitial election.
Any registered voter in Berkeley County who did not vote in the June 10 Democratic primary is eligible to vote June 24.
Both candidates are turning to their public service records to show what they can do for leading the county.
Davis points to his tutelage of sound finances, the completion of the 17-A project, and other road projects.
I think everyone ought to run on their record because thats the only thing you know for sure, Davis said. (But) theres a difference between the county and the city, so my record is a reflection of what Ive done in the county.
Davis said being mayor of Moncks Corner is not preparation enough to assume the helm of the county. Peagler, naturally, disagrees.
If voters look at what weve done in Moncks Corner ... weve given the county 11 police cars that tells you something about the way we manage our budget, Peagler said. Our budget is oriented to the taxpayer.
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Changes related to "Wicca"
← Wicca
This is a list of changes made recently to pages linked from a specified page (or to members of a specified category). Pages on your watchlist are bold.
27 September 2016
- (diff | hist) . . Module:IPA; 01:10 . . (-991) . . DTLHS (talk | contribs) (remove syllable checking- please use your own test modules for this and add it back when it works better)


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Valentine's day is Thursday. If you are a sweetheart, you should not forget it.
There are $14 ski deals to be had. So, plan to call in to work that day and say you are heartsick.
It is easy to believe on days like this, with the snow falling. The season for love is upon us.
Instead of going to see the doctor, go out the door with your boards and your sweetie to North Conway.
Cranmore is offering a $14 Valentine's Day E-Coupon which must be purchased online by Feb. 13 at midnight at cranmore.com.
Or, you can go a little closer if you live in southern New Hampshire to Ragged Montain in Danbury.
It is also offering a $14 deal on Valentine's Day and it too must be purchased online at raggedmountainresort.com.


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on July 24, 2013 - 9:55 PM
, updated July 25, 2013 at 9:59 AM
Some Buffalo high schools are set up to succeed.
Others just aren't.
Last month, the state Education Department highlighted the dramatic decline in Buffalo Public Schools graduation rates, which fell to 47 percent last year. The state this month slapped Lafayette and East high schools, two of the lowest performing schools, with unprecedented mandates because of the district's inability to submit improvement plans that met state requirements.
Buffalo has the second worst on-time graduation record among the five major urban school districts in New York State; Rochester has the worst. Six of the district's 16 high schools registered graduation rates lower than 40 percent.
So why do these schools graduate so few?
The Buffalo News evaluated demographic and graduation data for the six poorest performing schools and interviewed nearly a dozen administrators, principals, teachers and parents.
That data and analysis point to the placement of students with the highest special needs, the most language barriers and the greatest dropout indicators in six "failing schools."
What's more, those same students are barred from attending higher performing schools, which have minimum admission requirements.
"We're segregating our students based on academic performance," said parent activist Samuel Radford III, who likened Buffalo's placement policies to a "caste system" and "stacked deck."
Bennett, Burgard, East, International Prep, Lafayette and Riverside high schools graduated fewer than half of their students last year. Take a close look at the students who were supposed to graduate on time, and more common threads appear:
• Four of the six failing high schools – Lafayette, International Prep, Riverside and Burgard – had the highest concentration of non-English language speakers, mostly immigrants and refugees. In 2012, nearly half of Lafayette's senior enrollment was composed of students with limited English proficiency.
• Two high schools, Burgard and Riverside, had the highest percentage of students with disabilities. They account for one out of every three students at Burgard and more than one out of every four students at Riverside. Lafayette, Bennett and East also had high disability percentages.
• At four schools – Bennett, Lafayette, Burgard and East – more than 80 percent of students live in poverty. East had the most, 86 percent.
• Five of the high schools (all but International Prep) have consistently had some of the worst attendance rates among of the district's 16 high schools over the last four years.
"You have zero consequences, zero accountability for the parents and the students," said Riverside teacher Marc Bruno. He and many other teachers also faulted the lack of parent involvement.
The other common factors all six of these high schools share?
They have all seen alarming drops in their graduation rates from 2010 to 2012 while their populations of special education, immigrant and impoverished students have swelled over the same period.
And they don't have admissions requirements that prevent kids with serious academic problems from walking through their front doors.
The stacked deck
The best performing high schools in the district keep out the worst performing students.
Of the 10 district high schools that graduated half or more of their students on time, seven have special admissions criteria, The News found.
That means students either had to test in, hold a minimum grade point average or otherwise meet special criteria for school acceptance.
Compare the demographics of the six worst-performing schools against a public school like City Honors, which had the highest 2012 graduation rate in the district – 96 percent.
That school also had the lowest poverty rate at 33 percent, no students with limited English proficiency and a student disability percentage of 4 percent. It was also the least racially diverse.
The district's complex school admissions protocol puts parents who are the least capable of safeguarding their children's education at a disadvantage, Radford said.
"You couldn't have a City Honors in a suburban school district," he said. "You're not going to have taxpayers allow their money to be used to provide some children with an outstanding education while the rest of the children get a mediocre education."
Lafayette High School Principal Naomi Cerre said it is painful for her and her staff to work 20 times harder to mitigate the extreme disparities that exist from school to school without the resources her school needs.
"The community really needs to look at why we have a two-tiered system," she said, "why the region would support a two-tiered system and how that sets up schools for failure."
Patrick Foster, a 12-year teacher at Lafayette, said Lafayette had higher graduation numbers several years ago when it had two magnet programs and a lower immigrant population.
But when the school was threatened with closure and faced leadership changes and lost its magnet programs, the district placement office started sending Lafayette a "hodgepodge" of students who were at greater risk for failure.
East High School Principal Casey Young said his school routinely takes in students kicked out of charter schools and other city high schools.
"You've got some 16- and 17-year-old freshmen coming in four years behind in reading and writing," he said, adding that some come into their sophomore year with only two credits to their name, requiring teachers to cram four years of study into two years.
In addition, "phantom students" can affect these schools' graduation rates. Phantom students are students who don't attend the school but are administratively assigned to the building for bookkeeping purposes.
Last year, Young said, his school's graduation rate plummeted because roughly 75 troubled alternative school students and unwanted charter school students were assigned to East even though his school never taught them. Burgard faced a similar situation, he said.
"No matter how hard we work," he said, "if we don't get a kid to graduate in four years, we're considered a failure."
Schools of last resort
The Buffalo Public Schools' motto is: a world-class education for every child. But the reality is that for many students, schools like Bennett, Burgard, East, International Prep, Lafayette and Riverside are the last stop on the dropout train.
Principals and teachers said the overwhelming majority of students attending these schools are scoring 1's and 2's on eighth-grade state assessment tests, on a scale of 4, a major indicator of a student's unlikeliness to graduate.
Bruno, a Riverside teacher for 12 years, said his entire building had only one student who scored a 3 this past year. More than 60 percent of students at his school are now non-native English speakers. Many others are kids whose parents aren't invested in their child's education.
"You know how many parents I get on parent-teacher night?" he said. "One or two out of 135 students."
Burgard High School teacher Thomas Fenton said many of the students at his school were dropped by other high schools. Burgard doesn't dump its kids.
"What do we do?" he said. "Kick them out of Burgard and send them where?"
Many teachers and parents The News interviewed repeated the refrain that certain schools in the Buffalo district are "set up to fail."
"Is it really the Da Vinci Code why kids are failing?" Riverside's Bruno asked. "These kids can't even write three sentences when they come to me, then they're expected to pass all these Regents exams. There's an old saying, a good solution is nice, but there's nothing like a scapegoat."
He added: "The teachers in my building are busting their humps, staying after on their own time. I feel like we were being blamed for what's going on there, and it couldn't be further from the truth."
Cerre said Lafayette enrolls students speaking more than 40 languages. It is in desperate need of more resources from the district, but the only source of support she has received came from the preliminary work that Johns Hopkins University trainers provided this past year. But now, that professional development is also at risk because of the state education commissioner's latest directive, she said.
"I've gotten to the point after this debacle that I just can't have people thinking Lafayette is a failing school," she said. "I feel someone has failed Lafayette."
She pointed to the 45 schools out of 57 in Buffalo that are not considered to be in good standing with the state.
"You didn't get 45 schools that got to be Priority and Focus schools just because they're all bad schools and all bad teachers," she said. "That's crazy."
Other factors
David Mauricio, the former Bennett High School principal who served this past year as the district's community superintendent for high schools, offered several other factors for why the district's graduation rates have been on the decline.
The federal government changed the rules for how high school students are counted in calculating a school's graduation rate, he said. As of 2011, any student enrolled even one day at a high school must be counted as part of a school's graduation rate data.
That would logically mean that schools with high transiency rates would have suffered because of a change in the rules.
However, while this might explain why the six poorest performing high schools suffered a drop in graduation rates from 2010 to 2011 (a time when the district saw a rise in graduation rates overall), it would not account for the continued decline from 2011 to 2012.
Mauricio also provided a graduation breakdown showing that in 2011, students who had been at one of the six "failing" high schools for all four years had graduation rates 6 to 11 percentage points higher than students who transferred in later. But that difference largely evaporated in 2012.
Mauricio acknowledged that these factors don't provide a complete explanation for Buffalo's problems.
"It's not changing the fact that these graduation rates and achievement rates are unsettling to me and the other administrators here," he said. "These are just variables. The reality is we have a lot of work to do."
The work ahead
Stacked deck or not, principals aren't absolved of the responsibility to design an academic program that reaches every child. The state has made that clear.
Principals Cerre and Young said they have been doing that hard work. They have raised their attendance rates, in some cases driving kids to school themselves.
Margarita Calderon, a Johns Hopkins specialist on non-English speaking students, said Lafayette teachers still need help improving their instructional skills with immigrant students.
Until now, she said, "teachers have not been provided the appropriate professional development that is necessary for them to change their practice."
At the district level, Mauricio said, administrators have revamped their vocational and career program admissions guidelines to enroll more students. They are also opening a new STAR Academy, which will offer credit-recovery courses for high-risk, overage students and English language learners.
At East High School, which had an on-time graduation rate of 27 percent last year, the graduation rate has climbed to 47 percent as of June. By the time summer school is completed, Young said, more than half of his seniors will hold diplomas.
In his two years, he said, at least 10 community organizations have signed on to assist the students at his school. He offers field trips every six weeks to kids who work hard and keep their noses clean. He started a ski club that attracts more students than basketball and football. And he makes 20 home visits a week.
More kids at Lafayette know there are adults in the building who care about them, Young said. That's a start.
"We're going to make our mark," he said. "We just need the time to get there."
For additional insights on these schools' graduation rate numbers, go online to the School Zone blog at http://blogs.buffalonews.com/school_zone/2013/07/good-stuff-that-didnt-make-the-story.html
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Reese Witherspoon through the years
POSTED: 04:46 PM MDT Mar 21, 2012 UPDATED: 10:13 AM MDT Apr 01, 2015
Reese Witherspoon is nominated for Best Actress for her role in "Wild." Take a look back at her career.
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The internal research grant program's objectives are to promote research, outreach, and creative activities in all branches of learning that will improve competitiveness for external funding, which will result in publications, patents, or exhibitions/performances appropriate to the PI's discipline. The purpose of the program is to provide seed funding to support the establishment of a scholarly program or the transition into a new scholarly area, discipline, or interdisciplinary area.
If the principal investigator (PI) receives funding for the proposed research from another source after an internal grant has been awarded, unspent funds from the internal award will revert back to the Dean's office, College of Pharmacy. The applicant should notify COP Research Committee.
One electronic version of each proposal, organized as shown below, must be received by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 1.
Use single spacing, one‐inch margins from all sides, and a font size of 12pt New Times Roman. Do not include extra materials; these will be removed from your proposal before it is reviewed. Figures and tables may be used but must fall within the appropriate margins. Proposals that do not follow these guidelines will be returned without review. Because this is an internal grant program, it is not necessary to route through the USF Office of Sponsored Research.
Cover Sheet (1 Page): The cover sheet should include your name and contact information, department, brief description of purpose and outcome of the proposal. Be sure to include signatures of PI(s) and Departmental Chair.
Abstract: Provide a brief (limited to 200 words), non‐technical description of the project, work to be performed and expected outcome.
Narrative (no more than 5 pages): PIs are encouraged to follow the structure below.
Bibliography: This will be the NIH style. References must be included within the 5 pages.
Budget Form: The budget must be delineated and justified. The resources needed to complete the project should be described. This may include resources already available (e.g., laboratory equipment, computational resources, performance space, etc.) and resources to be funded by the seed grant. Early faculty (5 years of employment at USF) should describe how their start‐up funds contributed (or will contribute) to the proposed project.
Allowable expenses include, for example, expendable supplies, capital outlay (e.g., software, computer, equipment, etc.), travel to conduct research and to meetings to present data. Funds may be used for partial support of undergraduate or graduate students, but are not sufficient to be used as a research assistantship. Travel to professional meetings is limited to $3,000 and must be justified as related to the project's outcomes. Applicants may request funding of $2500-$15,000 over one year. The number of awards funded in a particular award cycle will depend on the available resources approved by COP dean. Budgets that exceed the maximum amount will be returned without review.
Other Information: (up to 3 Pages): Do not include a full CV or resume. Please include:
Ownership of any and all intellectual property created through the use of these funds shall be determined as defined in USF Statement of Policy and Procedures for Inventions and Work, (http://generalcounsel.usf.edu/policies-and-procedures/pdfs/policy-0-300.pdf). Additional information may be obtained from the USF Division of Patents & Licensing (813-974-0994; http://www.research.usf.edu/pl/).
If the proposed project will involve Human Subjects or Animals, the PI will need to obtain the appropriate assurances i.e., IRB, IACUC, or IBC before a grant is awarded. At mid-point of the 1-year funding period, the PI must submit a brief (1-2 pages, single spaced) progress report outlining accomplishments to date, current and planned activities and, if applicable changes in the scope of work. A final project report will be required within two months after the completion of the 1-year funding period, and submitted to the COP Research Committee. The report should summarize the project and work completed. It should also detail "next steps" in terms of external grant submission and the dissemination of findings. The final report should be no longer than three single-spaced pages and should include copies of relevant draft manuscripts and grant as appendices.
Each proposal will be evaluated by 3‐5 reviewers consisting of faculty representatives from College of Pharmacy's Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacotherapeutics & Clinical Research and Dean office. External reviewers may also be included as needed. Applicants are strongly encouraged include sufficient detail, write clearly, and concisely to allow complete understanding of the proposal for a non-expert audience.
Proposers should read the USF College of Pharmacy Internal Research Seed Grant Evaluation Sheet (below) to make sure that their proposal addresses all of the criteria.
The following rankings will be used to evaluate each of the 5 the criteria below: Excellent (5), Very Good (4), Good (3), Fair (2), Poor (1).
Significance of the research question
Soundness and innovation of the experimental plan
Likelihood that the project will lead to external funding
Qualifications of the research team
Appropriateness of budget
All applicants (whether funded or not) will receive summary comments from the review committee. Applications that are not funded will receive a recommendation of (1) Revise and resubmit, or (2) Revision not recommended. Those applications receiving a "Revise and resubmit" recommendation must be resubmitted within 12 months of the initial submission date. Only one re-submission will be allowed. Subsequent submissions must comprise of new proposed scholarly or creative activity.
The reviewers will convene as a panel to discuss proposals and make funding recommendations. The Research Council makes final funding decisions and may require modifications in the budget as a condition of funding.


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Stars who started on soap operas
POSTED: 07:36 PM PDT Jul 02, 2013 UPDATED: 11:00 PM PDT Apr 10, 2016
More than a few TV and movie stars got their start in daytime drama. Click on to find out which stars started on soap operas.
The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms Of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms.blog comments powered by Disqus


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Monday, July 29, 2013
Former Wando and Pinewood Prep basketball player Ryan Bogdan is progressing toward playing professionally. Bogdan, a 6-foot-4-inch shooting guard, graduated from Limestone College after three years with the program. And now, he can add "all-star" to his growing resume.
Bogdan was named one of 10 all-stars to the Eurobasket Summer League in Las Vegas, Nev. held July 18-20.
"It was great to go against other players who are pursuing professional opportunities overseas, and it was a great chance to meet players from various countries," said Bogdan in a news release on the Limestone athletics website. "I am glad I played well, and I have been approached by several agents and scouts who are interested in assisting me with opportunities at the next level."
Sixty players are invited to the annual three-day showcase tournament, including Division I, overseas and NAIA athletes. The Eurobasket Summer League noted, "Ryan Bogdan is another guy here in ESL Vegas II that just shot the lights out. Ryan is an extremely gifted shooter who can run a team or play the two spot. If you are looking for a great combo guard, Ryan is your man. We look for Ryan to have a good mid-level job in Europe this year and be very productive."
Bogdan finished his Limestone career sixth all-time in three-point field goals made in program history. He helped the Saints make two NCAA Division II tournament appearances and finished with a .403 shooting percentage from behind the arc.
Track & field
The Mount Pleasant Track Club left the United States of America Track and Field (USATF) Junior Olympic Nationals this past weekend with more than they came.
Eleven different members were awarded as All-Americans in Greensboro, N.C. Ginger Arnold, competing in the 7-8 age divisions for throwing events, won two All-American nods in javelin and shot put.
In order to be an All-American, athletes must place in the top eight of the event. Arnold placed second in javelin and seventh in shot put. Troy Cocco, also in the 7-8 division, placed fourth in javelin.
Javelin proved to be a strong event for the Mount Pleasant Track Club. In addition to Cocco and Arnold, Georgia Arnold (9-10 division) and Liam Christensen (15-16 division) also won All-American statuses in javelin.
Morgan Arent (9-10 division) placed fifth in high jump, Zaire Coker (9-10 long jump) placed seventh in long jump, Taylor Arent (13-14 division) placed seventh in pole vault, Worth Burnette (13-14 division) placed fifth in pole vault, Kendall Mercer (15-16 division) placed eighth in pole vault, Kristin Fairey (15-16 division) placed third in the 2k steeple and Sarah Lee (17-18 division) placed fifth in pole vault.
Ansley Vaughan, of Mount Pleasant, came in third place during the fifth Nike Cup Golf Series this past week in Newnan, Ga. It was played at Canongate on White Oak. Vaughan emerged from a pack of more than 90 players to win third in the girls 15-18 age division.
The event was put on in conjunction with the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour and Canongate Golf. There are eight events per year with the leaders of every tournament accumulating Nike Cup points. After eight events, the points leaders play in a Ryder-Cup-style match with the Southeastern Junior Tour. Top 10 player earn points.
Vaughan turned in a 16-over-par scoreboard after two rounds, shooting 81 and 79. She had four birdies to tie for the division lead.
© 2016 Moultrie News an Evening Post Industries company. All Rights Reserved.
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Alert Logic State of Cloud Security Report Spring 2012
Alert Logic State of Cloud Security Report
Spring 2012
Executive Summary
While there is clearly a heightened perception of risk in the cloud, are these fears supported by empirical data? The customers and partners of Alert Logic demand an answer to this question. This report is the first in a series of twice-yearly, data-driven analyses in which Alert Logic examines security trends across traditional on-premise and service-provider-managed environments. Alert Logic utilizes real-world security findings to understand the foundational differences between the classes of threats encountered in traditional on-premise deployments versus those found in service provider environments where cloud and hosted infrastructures are managed.
In analyzing the state of security, Alert Logic draws on security data from real end-user environments, both on-premise and managed by service providers, from its base of over 1,500 customers. In this report, the Alert Logic Security Research Team utilized twelve months of security event data captured from July 2010 through June 2011. Security incidents were identified through a combination of automated correlation and validation by certified security analysts. It should be noted that the sample is composed of data from customers who are making an active investment in security. As a result, the findings of this report may represent security-aware organizations and any conclusions drawn based on the data should be understood in that context.
Gartner surveyed more than 300 cloud computing users, asking them to rank their top three concerns. Nearly 50% of respondents identified service provider security as their primary issue.1
Tier1 research's 2011 report on the hosting market indicates that the majority of enterprises consider securing infrastructure as the most problematic aspect of the cloud.2
Findings from this study show that while there are differences between the classes and pervasiveness of incidents experienced in the on-premise and service provider environments, those differences may not necessarily line up with general perceptions about security:
• When compared to traditional in-house managed IT environments, service provider environments show lower occurrence rates for every class of incident examined.
• Service provider customers experienced lower threat diversity (i.e., the number of unique incident classes experienced by a customer) than on-premise customers.
• On-premise environments were twelve times more likely than service provider environments to have common configuration issues, opening the door to compromise.
• While conventional wisdom suggests a higher rate of Web application attacks in the service provider environment, Alert Logic found a higher frequency of these incidents in on-premise environments.
Part of the difference in risk level observed in these two environments can be explained by relevant IT surface area. While service providers often manage tens of thousands of servers and applications across multiple data centers, they are composed of vast numbers of individual customer or tenant environments. Each individual customer environment tends to have fewer application types residing on server-based operating systems (OSs) with tightly controlled network access, resulting in a relatively small relevant surface area for attack. In contrast, on-premise enterprise IT deployments tend to have a larger surface area due to their more diverse environments characterized by a broad array of OSs and applications, along with desktops, mobile devices and more network entry points.
What does this mean for security management decisions, especially in the context of migrating infrastructure to hosted and cloud deployments?
• Security fears should not prevent organizations from taking advantage of hosting and cloud services. While security management is a critical issue when choosing a service provider, the decision should be based on a review of actual risks, not perceptions that are not supported by data.
• Service providers, who tend to have detailed, repeatable management processes and infrastructure configurations, provide a good model for enterprises committed to maintaining on-premise infrastructure.
• Service providers should focus their security management efforts on the threats most prevalent in their environment, while continuing to manage to best practices to create secure, highly available environments.
• IT decision-makers should consider the benefits and risks of each model when deciding which workloads and applications to deploy in service provider environments and which to keep on-premise. In turn, internal resources can focus on the security posture of the area for which they maintain management responsibility.
METHODOLOGY: Analyzing Real-World Data
This report provides a comparative quantitative analysis of the classes and frequencies of incidents encountered in on-premise environments vs. service provider environments.
The analysis for both the service provider and on-premise cohorts is based on incident data detected in actual customer environments secured by Alert Logic, not from surveys, lab environments, or honeypots. Alert Logic captures security events in these environments through network-based, signature-driven intrusion detection systems (IDS). To correct for noise and false positives, Alert Logic utilizes a patented expert system that evaluates seven factors in determining if one or more network-based events elevate to the level of an authentic security incident (See Fig. D). Further, a team of GIAC-certified security analysts reviews each incident to ensure validity and to confirm the threat or compromise, providing an additional layer of scrutiny to minimize false positives.
The service provider cohort is composed of hosted and cloud environments managed by one of the Alert Logic service provider partners. These providers include more than half of the top 30 service providers headquartered in North America and are listed in the appendix.
The on-premise cohort represents environments deployed on the customer's premises. Alert Logic on-premise customers come from a broad range of organizations, cutting across all verticals, with a concentration of enterprises in highly regulated industries such as health care, finance, energy and retail/e-commerce. As expected, on-premise deployments were typically larger than service provider deployments, featuring a broader set of applications and operating systems. The majority of both cohorts are located in North America and Western Europe.
PERCEPTION VS. DATA: Is the Cloud Really Insecure?
Improved agility and financial benefits have driven the growth of the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) model. However, a perception remains that IaaS offerings from service providers pose greater security risks than traditional on-premise deployments.
While there is clearly a heightened perception of risk, do managed and cloud environments hosted by service providers actually experience different classes of threats, or different frequencies of incidents?
As providers of Security-as-a-Service to over 1,500 organizations with IT infrastructure housed either in on-premise environments or with managed operations providers, Alert Logic draws on an extensive warehouse of security event data to examine this assumption and is uniquely poised to assess the validity of popular beliefs regarding the relative security of service provider environments.
How Alert Logic Categorized Its Customer Data
For its analysis, Alert Logic has categorized security data into two environments: on-premise and service provider. On-premise customers own and manage their own IT infrastructure. Service provider customers are an aggregation of all customers utilizing Infrastructure-as-a- Service solutions from a service provider, spanning from the elastic cloud to managed or dedicated hosted environments.
Incident Identification
2.2 billion security events observed during the study period were automatically evaluated and correlated through Alert Logic's expert system and reviewed by Alert Logic's security analysts.
More than 62,000 incidents were verified and classified into seven incident categories.
Event vs. Incident
Event: Evidence of suspicious behavior detected via an IDS signature.
Incident: Validated threat deemed to require a response, identified by correlating one or more events.

Example: A single port scan is an event. A series of port scans over time from a host recognized as an attack source is an incident.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS: Just the Facts
To assess whether on-premise and service provider environments experience different levels of risk, Alert Logic evaluated three factors:
Occurrence: The percentage of customers in each cohort experiencing each class of incident defined in the Security Incident Categories chart. Customers are included if they experienced a specific class of incident at least once during the study period.
Frequency: The average frequency of incidents, by class, for impacted customers, indicating how often customers experience an incident of a particular category.
Threat Diversity: The threat diversity in each group, i.e., the number of unique incident classes (of the seven categories reviewed) encountered by the customers in each cohort.
These measures, in combination, help define the critical elements of a security program. The class and frequency of events help determine the core elements of a program; higher threat diversity requires a more complex and involved security program to adequately protect assets.
Analysis of these three factors shows that even in security-conscious environments, virtually every environment will encounter meaningful threats. Further, service-provider managed-environments encountered more favorable results in all three of the criteria analyzed in this report. It should be noted that some of this could be explained by the differences in size and platform diversity of cloud vs. on-premise environments.
The rate of occurrence in an on-premise environment is more likely to be greater than the occurrence rate for service provider customers. This observation is true for all threat categories.
The frequency of experienced incidents is higher for on-premise environments across most of the threat categories.
The threat diversity for on-premise environments is greater than the threat diversity for service provider environments.
STATISTICS: Incident Occurrence and Frequency Rates
While service-provider-managed environments encountered lower rates and frequency of security incidents across all categories, there are notable differences in the data. Alert Logic observeda far greater percentage of misconfiguration-based incidents in the on-premise environment.
The average number of misconfiguration-related incidents per impacted customers are roughly equivalent: 3.0 instances in hosted/cloud, 4.0 on-premise. However, 12% of on-premise customers experienced a misconfiguration incident while only 1% of service provider customers did.
The most significant spread was found in malware/botnet incidents. On-premise environments were overwhelmingly more likely to encounter such incidents in their environments when compared to service-provider-managed environments, with 43% of on-premise environments versus 2% of service- provider-managed environments.
Both on-premise (71%) and service provider (65 %) customers are highly likely to have experienced Web application attacks, and impacted customers in both environments were likely to have experienced a high number of such attacks over the period of study (on-premise 46.6, service provider 32.4).

Brute force incidents are even more commonly experienced in an on-premise environment than Web application attacks, with 83% of customers receiving an average of 47.3 such attacks. While brute force incidents in the service provider realm are significant (44% of customers experienced them), the difference between the two environments is surprising. With more public-facing targets (websites) in the service provider environment, the reverse might have been expected.
Vulnerability scans are observed among 37% of service provider customers and 54% of on-premise customers.
Threat Diversity
Threat diversity is the third element that Alert Logic analyzed. While a lower threat diversity by itself does not mean an inherently less risky environment, a higher threat diversity indicates that a broader set of attack vectors are at play.
Alert Logic found lower threat diversity in service provider environments than in on-premise environments. During the period of this study, service provider customers averaged threats in 2.1 categories (out of the seven categories analyzed), while on-premise customers experienced 3.0.
CONCLUSIONS: The Alert Logic Perspective
A belief persists that service provider environments are less secure than on-premise environments, but this is simply not supported by Alert Logic data.
Alert Logic analysis indicates that service provider environments tend to be less prone to a broad range of security incidents than on-premise environments. Further, service provider environments tend to experience a narrower range of attack vectors. Possible explanations include the presence of more standardized system configurations in the service provider world, a narrower range of use cases among service provider customers, and the relative maturity of the IaaS industry.
It's not that the cloud is inherently secure or insecure. It's really about the quality of management applied to any IT environment.
While this data certainly casts doubt on conventional wisdom and concerns about security in the service provider environment, Alert Logic does not believe that it leads to a simple "service provider vs. on-premise" conclusion. While we observed differences between the two environments, we believe that there are several factors that help explain these variances:
• The typical size of a customer/user in each environment
• The types of workloads found in each environment
• The diversity of each environment
• The presence of user endpoints in the on-premise environments
All of these differences speak to the relationship between risk level and IT surface area in any environment.
Fig. I represents a conceptual framework for thinking about these differences. While service providers manage vast networks with tens of thousands of servers and applications, the relevant surface area a prospective buyer of IaaS solutions should consider is that of the individual customer environment. In Alert Logic's experience, those individual customer environments skew to a smaller and simpler footprint as measured by a number of nodes and applications, and breadth of operating systems. In contrast, on-premise environments managed by the typical enterprise span a much broader array of endpoints, applications and operating systems.
Service provider environments, with smaller deployments, inherently avoid some of that risk and therefore are a good choice for appropriate workloads.
Organizations making decisions about cloud and hosted infrastructure can exploit these differences to improve their security posture and make the most effective use of IT resources.
Smart enterprises should take advantage of the service provider model for certain workloads.
Those workloads can take advantage of the service provider's highly repeatable configurations and processes and demonstrated ability to manage to best practices (evident in the far lower misconfiguration rates observed). These characteristics allow service providers to very effectively manage security for a focused set of threats.
For example, a Web-based server application and related databases containing sensitive customer data may be a good fit for migrating to a hosted or cloud environment. The segregation of server-based applications and assets from a diverse and porous on-premise network with numerous mobile clients and desktops, which are often targets of highly prevalent malware and botnet infection, can create an inherently more secure environment for that application. At the same time, in-house IT resources can focus on the unique challenges in their environment.
Service-provider-managed environments are not magic bullets and not all are created equal.
Alert Logic data and experience suggest that much of the improvement in risk profile in the service provider customer data comes from a lower complexity and diversity and better management of the basics, most notably configuration management. The primary decision an enterprise must make is whether they wish to replicate those best practices or if they wish to let someone else handle them. Selection of a service provider should include careful evaluation of the security policies and solutions that are available from the providers under consideration.
Service providers must be aware that while they benefit structurally from more limited and well-defined workloads, enterprise security concerns will not disappear.
Lower threat diversity today doesn't mean that service providers will not face increasing threat diversity in the future. To protect against leading threat vectors, service providers are best served by focusing time and energy on the most pervasive risks in their customer environments: Web application attacks, brute force and reconnaissance. In addition, service providers should continue to build on their demonstrated competence in managing to best practices around fundamental security hygiene, such as configuration management and operating system hardening.
By utilizing strong product management disciplines to determine which IaaS solutions are offered and supported, service providers can play a role in minimizing the threat diversity in cloud environments by limiting the IT surface area for potential attacks. Managing security programs requires service providers to maintain continued visibility into the threats encountered by customers and continuous improvement in identifying and defending against those threats.
Security management is not a discrete goal to be achieved and considered complete; it is an ongoing process that is fundamental to providing IT infrastructure management as a service.
WRAPPING UP: The Data Tells The Story
With security visibility into both on-premise and service provider environments, Alert Logic findings offer a unique perspective on managing IT security. Whether in the cloud or an on-premise environment, effectively securing IT infrastructure is largely about the quality of management:
• Focusing on basic hygiene, Web application security and configuration issues
• Strategically isolating workloads in the most appropriate environment
• Building and maintaining security expertise for workloads retained on-premise
Despite the widespread perception that the cloud presents an increased security risk, fears that the cloud is inherently insecure are not supported by the data.
Download the whitepaper for complete data tables.
1Gartner Global IT Council for Cloud Services report (2010)
2 Tier1 Research Global Managed Hosting Market Overview (2011)
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Stetson softball junior pitcher Meredith Owen (Jackson, Miss.) earned three postseason awards Tuesday and was one of five Hatters recognized by the Atlantic Sun Conference for their achievements during the 2013 season.
Owen, one of nine players in the country to have recorded 20 wins and 10 home runs this season, was named Second Team All-Conference both as a pitcher and as a utility player, and she was also named to the A-Sun Academic All-Conference team.
Junior center fielder Chrissy Morello (Ormond Beach, Fla.) joined Owen on the Academic All-Conference team, while Kayla Drury (DeLand, Fla.), Jessica Griffin (Port St. John, Fla.), and Brittany Hawn (Kaneohe, Hawaii) were each selected to the A-Sun All-Freshman team.
Owen is 21-8 with a 1.82 ERA in the circle for the Hatters this season. She has struck out 144 batters in 188.2 innings, and she leads the nation in fewest walks allowed per seven innings (0.70). Owen has won nine of her last 10 decisions and was named the league's Pitcher of the Week three times during the year.
At the plate, Owen leads the team in all three triple crown categories as she is batting .321 with 10 home runs and 32 RBI. She became the first Hatter since Andrea Migliori in 2009 to reach double digits in home runs. Against conference opponents Owen hit .333 with seven home runs and 16 RBI.
A Marketing major with a 3.53 cumulative GPA, Owen was selected to the academic all-conference team for the second straight year.
Morello, a first-time academic all-conference team selection, batted .292 with one home run and 15 RBI during the regular season. She leads the team with 47 hits and 18 stolen bases, and she maintains a 3.72 GPA while majoring in Elementary Education.
The Hatters put three members on the All-Freshman team for the first time since 2006. Drury has started all 50 games at second base, and is batting .289 with six doubles and 11 RBI. Hawn has also started all 50 games, including the final 45 at third base. She is batting .286 with one home run, 10 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. Griffin, meanwhile, has made 47 starts behind the plate, and is batting .296 with three home runs and 24 RBI. She was named the league's Player of the Week on April 15.
Drury, Hawn, and Griffin were all unanimous selections to the All-Freshman team.
The Hatters (30-20) will face Florida Gulf Coast in the first round of the A-Sun tournament at 4 p.m. Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.


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on March 1, 2013 - 8:50 PM
, updated March 2, 2013 at 3:04 PM
Two popular downtown events will overlap this afternoon, possibly creating traffic and parking issues around First Niagara Center.
But Buffalo Sabres and police officials predict fans will have a relatively smooth ride in for the 3 p.m. hockey game despite encountering the end of the largest Shamrock Run in history.
"We don't see this being an inconvenience to the fans at all," said Sabres spokesman Michael Gilbert.
Multiple roads will be closed to traffic starting at 11 a.m. as more than 5,000 runners make their way through the industrial areas of the Old First Ward.
Major arterials such as Seneca Street, South Park Avenue, Michigan Avenue and surrounding side streets will be closed to vehicles and teeming with runners for the nearly five-mile run, which begins at noon.
"I think it's going to be crazy," said Maryann Schuta, who has helped organize more than 30 of the road races. "Early, it's going to be worse."
Race officials have received permits to close the roads to traffic until 4 p.m., but they plan to open them earlier because of the hockey game.
Michigan Avenue should be opened to traffic by 1 p.m. after the initial pack of runners clears that stretch, officials said.
That would make commutes to the game much easier – depending on when people leave their homes to come downtown.
"As long as people don't come too early, it shouldn't be a problem," said Laura Kelly, director of the Old First Ward Community Center. "As the runners go by, we don't let the roads sit idle. We should be in pretty good shape."
Motorists coming into downtown from the Niagara Thruway should avoid the Louisiana Street, Hamburg Street and Seneca Street exits, race organizers say.
The Elm Street exit should be passable, and Washington Street or Pearl Street could serve as alternative routes to the arena.
Buffalo police will have additional traffic officers on detail because of the concerns, said police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge.
DeGeorge said motorists coming to the game from South Buffalo should leave some extra time for traveling, and those coming from the north could use parking ramps near the Main Place Mall or take Metro Rail.
Runners also are expected to linger in the bars and restaurants surrounding the Shamrock Run for hours after the race ends, taking some of the parking spaces on city streets typically used by Sabres fans.
The former parking lot on the Webster Block development site also will be closed, DeGeorge noted.
But Gilbert said that "parking is not an issue down here," noting that the Sabres' parking ramp for season-ticket holders will be open, as well as multiple surface lots.
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Average Ratings
6 out of 7 people recommended this car.
Consumer Reviews
monster gti
by starrdog from new jersey | May 30, 2010
great performance, decent fuel, very comfortable, handling is good, interior is great, styling is great. fun car to drive, great car to drive, reliable and powerful with the vr6 engine.
Purchased a new car
Uses car for Having fun
Does recommend this car
Awesome engine, but lots of problems
by Kickdown-169 from Germany | May 13, 2010
We purchased it with 46.000 miles on it and sold it with 61.000 miles. The engine is a awesone, 1.8 turbo with only 150hp, but it´s so fast and has a good gas mileage too (manual transmission). But we have lots of problems with it, the sunroof was not water-proof, the transmission sometimes makes strange noises and we had several problems with the engine oil pressure. The car is a bit small for long trips.
Purchased a new car
Uses car for Just getting around
Does not recommend this car
by Mk4 from Northern VA | November 2, 2009
Does the 2001 1.8T only really have 150hp?? I find that hard to believe. My car takes off like a rocket. I have driven several sports cars and this is by far my favorite. It is very quick, handles great, and responds very well to modifications. I would recommend a VW to any skeptical car enthusiast out there. You won't be disappointed. As long as the car is maintained and driven nicely, it will last for years and years to come!
Purchased a new car
Uses car for Commuting
Does recommend this car
VR6 has amazing stock power
by Scott from PA | October 19, 2008
I got the GTI VR6 a few months ago and I love it. I took it to the drag track and it did great for a bone stock vehicle. The only thing is that the VR6 is expensive to get a turbo and some aftermarket parts for, but the 2.8L almost doesnt need the turbo for a short track.
Purchased a new car
Uses car for N/A
Does recommend this car
by Nitto from NH | March 28, 2008
I just bought a 2001 GTi VR6, its a great car, has a ton of power for its size, handles great, but I dont recommened the GTi VR6 or the 1.8T to a teen's first car. They have TO MUCH POWER for them. I would get them a 2.0. All are great.
Purchased a new car
Uses car for N/A
Does recommend this car
awsome car
by Eazy from somewhere | January 2, 2007
this vehicle is very durable and dependable. i would recomend this car more for teenagers and adults in there early 20's
Purchased a new car
Uses car for N/A
Does recommend this car
Greatest value car around!!!
by Top Gear from New York | December 28, 2006
I bought a GTI GLS over three years ago. It so far has never had anything go wrong which is amazing. It has everything you could want from rear cup holders to great surround system. But by far the best thing about this car is the performance. It is like a pocket rocket on speed. It handles so well and feels really sturdy when you try to push it to the limits. I have had many cars and this is by far my favourite.
Purchased a new car
Uses car for N/A
Does recommend this car
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« Back to Media Releases
City of Little Rock Public Relations
Office (501) 371-4421
Contact(s):Meg Matthews371-4421
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Contact Information
Meg Matthews
Public Relations Manager
(501) 371-4421
Press Release
(Little Rock – August 6, 2012)
The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department is taking advantage of the lack of rainfall this summer in order to perform some much needed repairs to the pond in Conner Park located at 13000 Cantrell Road.
When the pond was built as a private lake years ago, a drain pipe was installed and an overflow pipe put in place in order to regulate the level of the water. Over the years, this overflow pipe has deteriorated and as a result the water level has been affected.
The City's plans are to partially drain the pond and repair or replace the overflow pipe which would re-establish the original intended level of the pond. Staff from the Arkansas Department of Game and Fish will help with the project and if need be, will help relocate the Conner Park fish to other park lakes around the city. The majority of the work will be performed by City of Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department staff. The duration of the project will depend on what is found after the lake is drawn down and the original piping is exposed.
Once the pipe has been repaired, it will be up to Mother Nature to fill it up – restoring the pond to previous levels will depend entirely on the amount of rainfall received in the next few months. After water in the pond reaches the appropriate level, the Arkansas Department of Game and Fish will restock the pond and the City of Little Rock will notify residents that fishing at Conner Park is back on track.
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Tiffin reports
A 400-block North Washington Street caller reported Friday afternoon a neighbor came onto his property and cut down his bushes.
A 100-block South Washington Street caller reported Friday afternoon she was threatened.
A caller in the 500 block of East Perry Street reported Friday afternoon a house was broken into.
A first-block Gross Street caller reported Friday afternoon a screen door was cut, but no entry had been made.
A first-block Main Street caller reported Friday evening a garage had been spray painted.
A caller in the 700 block of West Market Street reported Friday evening a pig was running in the lot.
Ashley Matthews, 24, of Tiffin, was charged Friday night with operating a vehicle under the influence, endangering children, and assured clear distance ahead.
A caller in the 200 block of Coe Street reported early Saturday morning a subject was seen attempting to enter a back door. According to the report, two males were seen running from the yard, and there were pry marks on the back door.
A caller in the 100 block of Sycamore Street reported early Saturday morning a garage was entered and a rifle was taken.
A 16-year-old Tiffin juvenile was charged Saturday morning with juvenile delinquency, underage possession/consumption, and obstructing official business. A 17-year-old Tiffin juvenile also was charged with juvenile delinquency and underage possession/consumption, as well as drug possession/abuse.
Fostoria reports
A 400-block West Jackson caller reported Friday afternoon an unwanted female was on the porch threatening her.
A caller reported Friday afternoon a piece of his property was at Cashland, 1227 N. Countyline St.
A caller in the 200 block of Brickner reported Friday evening her father's cell phone might have been stolen.
A caller in the 200 block of East Fremont reported Friday evening she let a friend use her kitchen table, and when she asked for it back, the friend said she had cut it up and burned it.
A 1500-block North Countyline caller reported Friday night his wife was hitting him.
A caller reported Saturday morning that a woman in the 200 block of West Tiffin was walking with her child and yelling at cars.
County reports
A first-block Railroad Street caller reported Friday morning a subject was calling and harassing them.
A caller reported Friday evening being bitten by a dog in the 500 block of East SR 18. According to the report, the caller believed the dog to be a stray pit bull.
A caller in the 400 block of Harley Street reported early Saturday morning a male subject had been assaulted.
A 300-block East TR 149 caller reported Saturday morning crop damage to his field.
The theft of money was reported Saturday afternoon in the 11000 block of West SR 18.
Fostoria accidents
An accident with injuries was reported Friday night at West Lytle and Findlay Street.
State Patrol
An accident was reported Friday morning on East US 224. Details were not available Saturday evening.
Fostoria fire
Firefighters responded to West Lytle and Findlay Street Friday night for a car accident.
A son, River Lee Crow Shreiner, was born Thursday, June 28, 2012, to Denise Marks and Matt Shreiner of Oxford, Mass. River weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces.
Maternal grandparents are Ed and Cynthia Marks of Plymouth, Mass. Paternal grandparents are Robert and Gail Shreiner of Tiffin. Paternal great-grandmother is Bonnie Fredericks of Worthington.
A son, Dedrik Eugene Kaser, was born Tuesday, Aug., 7, 2012, to Brittany Walton and Steven Kaser of Upper Sandusky. Dedrik weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces, and measured 20 inches long.
Maternal grandparents are Tammy and Eric Stansbery and Aaron and Stacey Walton, all of Upper Sandusky. Paternal grandparents are Toni and Darryl Kaser of Gibsonburg.
A daughter, Madison Lee Cochran, was born Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, to Penelope and Joseph Cochran of Bloomville. Madison weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and measured 20 inches long.
Maternal grandparents are Ray and Carol Kopp of Tiffin. Paternal grandparents are Bill and Kristy Cochran of Tiffin.
A son, Isaias Calep Lopez, was born Thursday, Aug. 9. 2012, to Nicole Fitch and Calep Lopez Hernandez of Sycamore. Isaias weighed 10 pounds, 2 ounces, and measured 19 inches long.
Maternal grandparents are Lorrie Kirby of Sycamore and Garland Fitch Jr. of Tiffin. Paternal grandparents are Lidia Hernandez of Perez, Mexico, and Jaime Lopez of Toala, Mexico.


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on November 16, 2012 - 9:50 AM
, updated November 16, 2012 at 6:41 PM
Buffalo firefighters Jeff Kane and Bob Carnevale work on opposite sides of the city, but their paths crossed Friday on the second floor of a burning Amherst Street apartment building on a day they were not even working.
Dozens of apartment dwellers are alive and well because of it.
The two off-duty firefighters each happened to be driving by a raging fire at the Amherst Street apartments Friday that forced the residents, some still in their pajamas, to flee for their lives.
The residents watched in horror as one woman jumped from a second-floor window to escape encroaching flames that lapped from the windows just moments after she threw herself out.
Meanwhile, Kane, Carnevale and an off-duty special agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration rushed into the building, none realizing the others were there. They crawled on their hands and knees and evacuated dozens of residents who were trapped inside.
Amazingly, there were no fatalities, but four people were reported injured, including the woman who leaped from the window and a fire chief who suffered a minor knee injury.
Fire investigators have not determined the cause of the blaze, which displaced about 50 people, but officials believe it started in the apartment from which the woman jumped.
"This could have been a tragic scenario," said Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield, who credited firefighters, including the two off-duty firefighters, as well as the DEA agent, who happened to be driving by as dark smoke billowed out of the three-story brick building.
The dramatic two-alarm fire was reported at 9:36 a.m.
Tammy Gee, who lives on the second floor, had just put on some face cream and was getting ready to hop into her shower when she heard a fire alarm ringing.
"We hear alarms go off all the time," she said. "So I didn't think anything of it."
But then she heard someone running down the hall screaming: "It's a real fire."
Gee said she ran out of the building, knocking on neighbors' doors on her way out.
Adrianus Rivethos, who lives on the third floor with his cat Bubi, recounted opening the door to hear what the commotion was all about.
"Smoke just billowed in," he said.
Unable to make his way through the smoke, he went back inside his apartment and opened a window.
"I was hanging out the window waiting for someone to get me," he said.
At the same time, the two off-duty firefighters and DEA special agent Joseph Bongiovanni were driving by.
Kane, of Engine 19, was driving on Amherst on his way to Pittsburgh.
Carnevale, of Engine 37, had just left work at his fire station on the West Side and was driving up Delaware.
Kane saw the woman who had just jumped from the window and helped her across the street.
Then, wearing only their street clothes and without any firefighting gear, both men raced separately into the apartment building, not realizing the other was there.
They both made their way to the second floor. Thick smoke filled the hallway as they crawled through it looking for people in need of assistance.
Kane described how he pounded on the floor to alert any trapped residents.
"If you can hear me, come this way," he yelled.
He recounted seeing a dazed woman wandering in the hallway. "I just got up and grabbed her," he said.
He pulled her over to a man in the stairway who helped her out.
Then he saw Carnevale.
"Bobby?" Kane asked.
"Jeff?" Carnevale replied.
"You're a lot happier when you've got one of your brothers with you," Kane said later.
By that time, fire crews had arrived and were battling the fire from ladders.
After the smoke cleared, firefighters helped Rivethos and his cat down the stairs along with other residents who had been trapped on the third floor.
After the fire, the two off-duty firefighters relaxed in a parking lot across the street. They said running into the fire was second nature to them.
"You don't really think about it," he said. "Your adrenaline just takes over," Kane said.
Carnevale agreed. "You almost forget you're not working. When you see smoke, you go in."
Bongiovanni of the DEA said he saw the thick smoke and quickly pulled his truck onto a grassy area near the apartment building.
"I saw it billowing out of the building, and there was no one there, and then the girl falls," he said.
The young woman, who neighbors reported to be about 30 years old, was carried across the street before Bongiovanni followed the firefighters into the building.
"It was just panic," Bongiovanni said, "just people everywhere. I got as many people out as I could. The smoke was so bad on the third floor it was impossible to pass."
The quick reactions of Kane and Carnevale, he said, helped get confused residents out of the building fast.
"They knew what they were doing," Bongiovanni said. "Thank God they came."
Two police officers, Todd Saffron and Thomas Cino, also assisted on the call.
Damage to the building was estimated at $225,000.
The fire chief, as well as one of the three injured residents, were treated at Erie County Medical Center and released.
The other two residents, who police did not name, remained at the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
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