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In 2002, a small group of IBM colleagues met with a team from Microsoft write a document describing a phased rollout of XML security technology specifications with a vision to support a variety of security scenarios for web services. Today, most would agree that the bottom of the stack is solid. SOAP and WS-Security are recognized and implemented standards. WS-Policy and WS-Trust, have also become standards in W3C / OASIS respectively and are common features in web services security environments. WS-Privacy, WS-Federation and WS-Authorization have encountered market competition. The web services model was intended to provide SOA application developers a common set of security services to utilize independently or in a composite application, rather than having each application/service code its own security. Two other pieces of the roadmap have recently been standardized-- WS-SecureConversation and WS-Security Policies. WS-Secure Conversation describes how to establish session keys, derived keys, and per-message keys so that 2 parties can communicate securely over a long running transaction or conversation as an optimization over negotiating per message security. Secure Conversation was intended to allow a long running exchange building on WS-Security and WS-Trust. The roadmap document defined a set of scenarios that are enabled by Secure Conversation (Enabling Federation , Supporting Validation Services , Delegation , Access Control) and the work described here by the WebSphere DataPower development and field organizations is evidence of its reality.
Today, most would agree that the bottom of the stack is solid. SOAP and WS-Security are recognized and implemented standards. WS-Policy and WS-Trust, have also become standards in W3C / OASIS respectively and are the common components in most web services security environments. WS-Privacy, WS-Federation and WS-Authorization have encountered market competition from a range of initiatives related to solutions for Single Sign On, and identity centric programming models like Liberty/SAML. Also the continuing evolution of Web applications from static Web pages to REST and AJAX based access patterns with dynamic content have encouraged Web/cloud developers to explore alternative security strategies such as OAuth, OpenID. The web services model was intended to provide SOA application developers a common set of security services to utilize independently or in a composite application, rather than having each application/service code its own security via APIs. However, there are still a lot of APIs and strategies for developers and with the continuing demand for social networking Web applications, the choice of "Web application" paradigm vs "web service" paradigm continues.
Recently two other pieces of the roadmap have been standardized, WS-SecureConversation and WS-Security Policies. WS-Secure Conversation describes how to establish session keys, derived keys, and per-message keys so that 2 parties can communicate securely over a long running transaction or conversation as an optimization over negotiating per message. Secure Conversation was intended to allow web services to describe how a service can securely exchange context (some collection of claims about security attributes and related data) building on the concepts of security token issuance and exchange mechanisms defined in the basic WS-Security and WS-Trust specifications. Using these mechanisms a web service can enable a long running exchange and might layer this "conversation" on an existing http transport level protocol. This allows a long running exchange to use symmetric cryptographic operations to protect the messages during an established session. Symmetric cryptographic operations are efficient than a standard asymmetric cryptographic operations.
There are many scenarios that require the security capabilities of Secure Conversation. The roadmap document defines a set of these that are enabled by Secure Conversation:
- Enabling Federation
- Supporting Validation Services
- Delegation
- Access Control
Use case for Secure Conversation
The following use case is based on technical and business input from Rene' Kiessling, Manuel Rohmann, Matt McLarty, and Gari Singh. In this article we explore a scenario in which trust is established between the WebSphere DataPower's STS [which acts as an proxy to a Service Provider, SP] and the Microsoft Identify Provider, IdP, to facilitate a Federated Secure Conversation. For WebSphere DataPower, this is an illustration of how to implement a customer scenario using WebSphere DataPower's policy frameworks with a Microsoft client using a Microsoft's wsFederationHttpBinding. The WebSphere DataPower SOA appliance is also used to enforce the security policy of the web service that requires the secure conversation. The scenario was implemented on:
- Microsoft WCF .Net 3.5 framework
- WebSphere DataPower Firmware Release 18.104.22.168 or above
- Any Application Server for the backend, in this instance, we will use WebSphere Application Server as the backend application server
The Application expresses a requirement for a Secure Conversation (this can be implemented by attaching a security policy to the application WSDL) between the application provider and the client. In order to establish a Secure Conversation, the WebSphere DataPower SOA appliance requires:
- Ability to authenticate the client by validating a SAML 1.1 signature, for this example. Additional customized processing can occur for dealing with special scenario, see the [Other Considerations] at the end of the article.
- Ability to trust the IdP that issues the SAML token (the Microsoft IdP).
- Ability to generate a secure conversation token that WebSphere DataPower and the Microsoft WCF client can use to secure the messages exchanged.
The exchange between the parties include the following interactions:
- A Microsoft WCF .Net 3.5 Client will contact an Identity Provider, IdP to acquire a SAML 1.1 token [this is an implementation of a "federation" scenario].
- The IdP issues a SAML1.1 token to the Microsoft WCF .Net 3.5 client
- The issued token is signed by the MS IdP.
- A Microsoft WCF .Net 3.5 Client will access a web service via WebSphere DataPower.
- In the actual application message flow, WebSphere DataPower, acting as a STS, will issue a Secure Conversation Token for Microsoft WCF .Net 3.5 client.
- The traffic is protected with the Secure Conversation Token obtained from step 4.
- Once the Client has completed the application message exchange during a secure conversation session, the client will issue a Cancel operation to WebSphere DataPower to indicate the termination of the secure conversation session.
Figure 1. Message exchange during a secure conversation session
Step 1. Configuring the client
For the client [WCF], the corresponding app.config is needed:
Listing 1. app.config for configuring client
<bindings> <wsFederationHttpBinding> <binding name="EchoUserWithoutTlsNego" closeTimeout="00:05:00" openTimeout="00:05:00" receiveTimeout="00:30:00" sendTimeout="00:05:00"> <security mode="Message"> <message issuedTokenType= "http://docs.oasis-open.org/wss/ oasis-wss-saml-token-profile-1.1#SAMLV1.1" negotiateServiceCredential="false" > <issuer address="http://localhost:6000/SimpleActiveSTS" binding="wsHttpBinding" bindingConfiguration= "http://localhost:6000/SimpleActiveSTS"> <identity> <userPrincipalName value="DEMOSERVER\Administrator" /> </identity> </issuer> <issuerMetadata address="http://localhost:6000/SimpleActiveSTS/mex" /> <claimTypeRequirements> <add claimType="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/ 2005/05/identity/claims/name" /> <add claimType="http://schemas.datapower.com/E8/ 2008/09/Identities/RZUserId" /> </claimTypeRequirements> </message> </security> </binding> </wsFederationHttpBinding> <wsHttpBinding> <!-- communctaion to local STS service --> <binding name="http://localhost:6000/SimpleActiveSTS" closeTimeout="00:05:00" openTimeout="00:05:00" receiveTimeout="00:30:00" sendTimeout="00:05:00" bypassProxyOnLocal="false" transactionFlow="false" hostNameComparisonMode="StrongWildcard" maxBufferPoolSize="524288" maxReceivedMessageSize="65536" messageEncoding="Text" textEncoding="utf-8" useDefaultWebProxy="true" allowCookies="false"> <readerQuotas maxDepth="32" maxStringContentLength="8192" maxArrayLength="16384" maxBytesPerRead="4096" maxNameTableCharCount="16384" /> <reliableSession ordered="true" inactivityTimeout="00:30:00" enabled="false" /> <security mode="Message"> <transport clientCredentialType="Windows" proxyCredentialType="None" realm="" /> <message clientCredentialType="Windows" negotiateServiceCredential="true" algorithmSuite="Default" establishSecurityContext="true" /> </security> </binding> </wsHttpBinding> </bindings> <client> <!-- endpoint DNS name "datapower" configured within local hosts file [8000] --> <endpoint name="EchoUser.DataPower" address="http://datapower:8000/EchoService" binding="wsFederationHttpBinding" bindingConfiguration="EchoUserWithoutTlsNego" contract="DataPower.CC.DCWebService.Common.EchoUser"> <identity> <certificateReference storeName="TrustedPeople" storeLocation="CurrentUser" x509FindType="FindBySubjectName" findValue="datapower" /> </identity> </endpoint> </client>
Step 2. Configuring the SOA appliance
The WS-Secure Conversation spec documents there are 3 ways to establish a security context between two parties. In this scenario, the trust established between the SOA appliance follows the first of these patterns. The Microsoft IdP has issued an authentication token, and WebSphere DataPower recognizes this IdP as a trusted party. The appliance, therefore acts as an STS for a SP, and it creates a security token for the exchange between the authenticated initiator and the application.
MMC is the tool provided by Microsoft for managing key materials, it can be used to export the key material from Microsoft. After all the key materials are exported from Microsoft, they must be imported into WebSphere DataPower so that the key materials can be used to decrypt and verify the messages during initial RST/RSTR traffic between Microsoft .Net client and WebSphere DataPower.
To establish trust relationships, WebSphere DataPower supports importing certificates [or public key] into the appliance with format DER, PEM, PKCS#7, or PKCS#12. In order to import private key to the appliance, the format of the file must be DER, PEM, PKCS#8, or PKCS#12. Microsoft exports key in pfx format, and to convert the pfx format, openssl can be used. E.g. openssl pkcs12 –in cert.pfx –out cert.pem -nodes.
To configure a secure conversation on the WebSphere DataPower SOA appliance for a WSDL service, a new operation must be added to handle the RequestSecurityToken operation. This WSDL defines a wsdl:operation for "RequestSecurityToken" with soap12 namespace. The namespace should match the SOAP namespace of the wsdl:operation.
New features in WebSphere DataPower 3.7.3
There are also some new features in the 3.7.3 release that allow us to configure WebSphere DataPower to participate in this scenario.. Note: Support of Secure Conversation with WS-Security Policy in WebSphere DataPower.
- Only "enforce" mode is supported
- "Renewal" of token is not supported
- Two fields have been added to the Web Service Proxy to provide increased support for EncryptedKeySHA1 KeyIdentifier and to preserve the decrypted key material.
WSProxy > Proxy Settings > "EncryptedKeySHA1 Cache Lifetime" and "Preserve EncryptedKey Chain". The GUI is illustrated below in figure 2.
Figure 2. 3.7.3 GUI updates
EncryptedKeySHA1 Cache: Cache lifetime in second on how long to cache the decrypted "Encrypted Key" material. This is needed to generate a response with EncyrptedKeySHA1 Key Identifier, or decrypt future traffic which is protected with EncryptedKeySHA1 Key Identifier.
Preserve EncryptedKey Chain: By default, DataPower will remove the key material after decryption. Setting this to "on" will preserve the key material for future operation [e.g. when the request message is signed and encrypted by the same key material, and after the message is decrypted, the same key material is required to verify the signature of the message]
- A new policy parameter. Additional Transform Action During BootstrapPolicy, is added to allow customized transform during Bootstrap process. Any stylesheet specified in this parameter will be executed at the end of STS RST actions, and before any actions for RSTR are performed. This is illustrated in Figure 2.
Figure 3. 3.7.3 Policy parameter
- A new miscellaneous context, transaction-misc, is added to dp:aaa-set-context-info and dp:aaa-get-context-info for storing miscellaneous information associates with a context. There is a 512 bytes limit on the size of data this context can hold.
- Change in behavior on what the policy should be attached to wsdl:operation, RequestSecurity Token in 3.7.3.
- Before 3.7.3, wsdl:operation name="RequestSecurityToken" used bootstrap binding, the one associate with sp:BootstrapPolicy, in the PolicyReference element, as in the following example:
<wsdl:operation name="RequestSecurityToken"> <wsp:PolicyReference URI="local:///policy.xml#bootstrap-binding" /> <wsdl:input message="tns:RequestSecurityToken" /> <wsdl:output message="tns:RequestSecurityTokenResponse" /> </wsdl:operation>
- With 3.7.3.x, wsdl:operation name="RequestSecurityToken" must use application binding in the PolicyReference element, as in the following example:
<wsdl:operation name="RequestSecurityToken"> <wsp:PolicyReference URI="local:///policy.xml#application-binding" /> <wsdl:input message="tns:RequestSecurityToken" /> <wsdl:output message="tns:RequestSecurityTokenResponse" /> </wsdl:operation>
- Before 3.7.3, the location of the PolicyReference element in the WSDL file was flexible. In 3.7.3, it must immediately follow the operation element whose name attribute is RequestSecurityToken, as in the preceding example.
In the WebSphere DataPower 3.7.3 release, a new template is included to address this use case. The template can be found at: store:///policies/templates/dotnet/wsp-sp-1-2-wsFederationHttpBinding.xml and the process of configuring the service to use this binding is explained below.
Configure SOA appliance to handle wsFederationHttpBinding
- Upload the key materials exported from Microsoft to the WebSphere DataPower SOA appliance
Control Panel > Keys and Certicates Management > [Keys][Certificates][Crypto Profile >
Identification Credentials][Crypto Profile > Validation Credentials]
Keys : datapower
[from the key material specified in app.config -> "<client/> section"]Certificates : datapower
[from the key material specified in app.config -> "<client/> section"]Identification Credentials : datapower
[created with the key and certificate above][optional] Validation Credentials : sts
[from the key material that the Identifier Provider used to sign the SAML 1.1]
- For WS-Proxy, if the soap:Body of the input message is encrypted, WSProxy will
automatically decrypts the soap:Body before WSProxy will dispatch to the proper
wsdl:operation. There are 2 ways to specify a key for decryption :
1. WSProxy > Proxy Settings > Decrypt Key
2. Create an "Identification Credential" to relate the public and private key [this is the preferred method, and we will use this method for this use case]
Figure 4. List of crypto certificate
Figure 5. List of crypto key
Figure 6. Identification Credentials
Figure 7. Validation Credentials
- Retrieve the WSDL from the application server. In this case, with http://<server>:<port>?wsdl.
- Modify the wsdl directly to attach the input and output message policy to the wsdl:Input and wsdl:Output.
- Attaching policy to "Message Policy Subject", http://www.w3.org/TR/ws-policy-attach/, from the WebGUI is not supported.
<wsdl:binding name="EchoUser" type="i0:EchoUser"> <soap12:binding transport="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/http"/> <wsdl:operation name="getCurrentUser"> <wsp:PolicyReference URI= "store:///policies/templates/dotnet/ wsp-sp-1-2-wsFederationHttpBinding.xml#BindingPolicy"/> <soap12:operation soapAction= "http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/02/trust/RST/SCT" style="document"/> <wsdl:input name="getCurrentUserRequest"> <wsp:PolicyReference URI= "store:///policies/templates/dotnet/ wsp-sp-1-2-wsFederationHttpBinding.xml#InputPolicy"/> <soap12:body use="literal"/> </wsdl:input> <wsdl:output name="getCurrentUserResponse"> <wsp:PolicyReference URI= "store:///policies/templates/dotnet/ wsp-sp-1-2-wsFederationHttpBinding.xml#OutputPolicy"/> <soap12:body use="literal"/> </wsdl:output> </wsdl:operation> </wsdl:binding>
- Create a WSProxy with the WSDL from step 3.
- Create a WS-Policy Parameter Set, secpol-param
- Microsoft's wsFederationHttpBinding uses, WS-Security Policy 1.1, http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/07/securitypolicy, while ws2007FederationHttpBinding uses http://docs.oasis-open.org/ws-sz-ws-securitypolicy/200702. The naming implies that the security policy namespace is version 1.2; however, it is using namespace of version 1.1 and impacts in how the Security Policy Parameter is associated with the WS-Security Policy. Hence the 2 set of Policy Parameters are defined for both the 2 namespaces below, Security Policy 1.1 and Security Policy 1.2.
- 3 parameters are set, Interoperable with, WS-SecureConversation Version and Verification Valcred.
- Select "Enforce" as "WS-Policy Enforcement Mode"
- Click "Next"
Figure 8. Policy Parameters
Figure 9. Web Service Proxy WSDLs
- Add "HTTP Front Side Handler"
- Name : http8000
- Port Number : 8000
Figure 10. HTTP Front Side Handler
Figure 11. Configure HTTP Front Side Handler
Figure 12. WSDL Source Location
- Specify the Remote server IP address, port and URI of the application service. For this example, the Host's IP address is 184.108.40.206 and 8000 as the port and /EchoService as the URI.
- Add in the WSDL, ws-wssecconv.wsdl, to handle STS's RequestSecurityToken
- Make sure the correct security policy is attached to the proper Policy Subject in ws-wssecconv.wsdl
. . . . . . <wsdl:portType name="Test"> <wsdl:operation name="RequestSecurityToken"> <wsp:PolicyReference URI= "store:///policies/templates/dotnet/ wsp-sp-1-2-wsFederationHttpBinding.xml#BindingPolicy"/> <wsdl:input message="tns:RequestSecurityToken"/> <wsdl:output message="tns:RequestSecurityTokenResponse"/> </wsdl:operation> </wsdl:portType> . . . . . . <wsdl:input> <wsp:PolicyReference URI= "store:///policies/templates/dotnet/ wsp-sp-1-2-wsFederationHttpBinding.xml#InputPolicy"/> <soap12:body use="literal"/> </wsdl:input> <wsdl:output> <wsp:PolicyReference URI= "store:///policies/templates/dotnet/ wsp-sp-1-2-wsFederationHttpBinding.xml#OutputPolicy"/> <soap12:body use="literal"/> </wsdl:output>
- Use the same "Local Endpoint Handler" as in step 5.
- Use the same "URI" as in step 5.
- Enable WSProxy to support "EncryptedKeySHA1" and preserve the key material by
editing setting in "Proxy Settings"
- EncryptedKeySHA1 Cache Lifetime : 100 [any value > 0 sec]
Preserve EncryptedKey Chain : on [to preserve the key material which is needed to verify the signature inside the message]
Figure 13. Configure Web Service Proxy
- [optional] Attach policy to the application operation. In this example, we attach
the policy directly in the WSDL. Another option is to utilize the WebGUI to
attach the policy
- Select "Yes" on "Show portType and binding nodes:"
Figure 14. Show portType and binding nodes
- Select "WS-Policy" of portType to attach the policy to that given Policy Subject
- Attach store:///policies/templates/dotnet/wsp-sp-1-2-wsFederationHttpBinding.xml#BindingPolicy
Figure 15. Additional Policy Sources
- The output response is signed and encrypted. Once the message is encrypted, it will fail the schema validation if schema validation is enabled.
- STS > RequestSecurityToken
- Uncheck "Schema validate request messages" and "Schema validate response messages"
- Application > EchoServices
- Uncheck "Schema validate response messages"
Figure 16. Uncheck "Schema validate response messages"
- Add 2 user rules, request and response to EchoUserServiceWCF.wsdl to handle WS-Addressing by use "Add Rule".
- Request [Client > Server]: add a transform for getMessage.xsl, see
- This will save the necessary wsa:xxxx information in a context variable
- Direction : Client to Server
- Input : INPUT
- Output : NULL
- Response [Server > Client]: add a transform for setMessage,xsl, see
- This will create a <soap:Header/> element with the necessary WS-Addressing information from Step 10 above
- Direction : Server to Client
- Input : INPUT
- Output : PIPE
** setMessage.xsl assumes the response from the server does not contain a soap:Header. It will add a soap:Header with the necessary information. However if the backend sends a response containing a soap:Header, setMessageIdWithoutAddingSoapHeader.xsl should be used instead.
Figure 17. Action: Transform
- Click "Apply" to apply all the changes and save the configuration for the WSProxy.
Testing the connection
At this point, you should modify the Microsoft .Net WCF 3.5 client to access the WebSphere DataPower SOA appliance.
Figure 18. Established a secure conversation
You have successfully established a secure conversation with Microsoft WCF 3.5 using wsFederationHttpBinding.
To ensure the exchange is correct with the WebSphere DataPower SOA appliance, turn on the probe and monitor the traffic. If the probe is turned on, you will notice 3 sets of network traffic. The following is an example:
Tran # 41121 : STS RequestSecurityToken. This established the SecurityContextToken. Notice the outbound-url, the appliance acts as an STS, and it issued the Secure Conversation Token for the application traffic, and hence the traffic does not have a valid outbound-url.
Tran # 41409 : Application Traffic. One thing to keep in mind, on the response's application traffic, the first round of checking is for soap:Fault, and if all goes well, you will notice a failure of that check, follows by another set(s) of application traffic. This is the expected behavior. * soap:Fault can have its own Security Policy attached to it, and it does not follow the Security Policy attached to the application traffic, and hence if the application work successfully without returning a soap:Fault, you will notice a failure as a first check.
Tran # 45170 : STS RequestSecurityToken's Cancel operation, this shutdown the secure conversation session. Notice the outbound-url, the appliance acts as STS to cancel the Secure Conversation Token it issued in Tran #41121, and hence the traffic does not have a valid outbound-url.
Figure 19. Transaction List for EchoService
Other considerations
With the Microsoft's wsFederationHttpBinding, the initial RST/RSTR contains an identity token, SAML1.1 token in this case. This SAML token is used for the initial exchange, and it will not be sent in the subsequent application traffic. The following is an example to show case how one can preserve this information for future traffic. This is for demonstration purpose only.
Given SAML 1.1 is only sent in once, and it must be preserved for future application transaction. A new security policy parameter is added, Additional Transform Action During BootstrapPolicy. With this parameter, a stylesheet can be used to run after the RST is processed, but before DataPower SOA Appliance generates a RSTR. This stylesheet will keep information of this SAML1.1 information in a cache for future traffic.
Figure 20. Additional Transform Action During BootstrapPolicy
Three stylesheets are included in this article to provide an example on how to use 'Additional Transform Action During BootstrapPolicy' in conjunction with 'dp:aaa-set-context-info'. Together, they will associate the SAML token with a given secure conversation transaction.
- Create the above policy parameters for Bootstrap's RST/RSTR traffic [see
- The stylesheet saves a subset of SAML information in a context variable
- In the user's rule of the Bootstrap's RST/RSTR, call dp:aaa-set-context-info to
associate the SAML information with the Secure Conversation context. Please note
that the miscellaneous information is limited to 512 bytes long. [see
- Make sure the input of this transform is INPUT
- Make sure the output of this transform is NULL
- Result Action that follows this transform should have 'INPUT' as its input
- On the request traffic of the user's rule on the application traffic
- Use a transform action with dp:aaa-get-context-info to access the SAML information stored in 1. [see GetSAMLFromRST.xsl]
- Make sure the input of this transform is INPUT
- Make sure the output to this transform is NULL
- Result Action that follows this transform should be set accordingly, it is most likely to be INPUT
|Stylesheet examples
- Participate in the discussion forum.
- Get more information about WebSphere DataPower SOA Appliances. These purpose-built, easy-to-deploy network devices simplify, help secure, and accelerate your XML and web services deployments while extending your SOA infrastructure.
- About "WebSphere DataPower SOA Appliances firmware and documentation.
- XML security technology specifications
- WS-Secure Conversation 1.3
- WS- Trust 1.3
- Web Services Policy Attachment 1.5
- WS-Security Policy
- SAML specification
- Play in the "IBM SOA Sandbox! Increase your SOA skills through practical, hands-on experience with the IBM SOA entry points.
- The"SOA and web services zone on IBM developerWorks hosts hundreds of informative articles and introductory, intermediate, and advanced tutorials on how to develop web services applications.
Dig deeper into SOA and web services on developerWorks
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You may be exploring progressive ideas today that may make you feel that you are ahead of your time. Perhaps it is the fact that your thoughts are controversial and go against convention that is compelling you to investigate thoughts that can take you in a completely different direction. Just knowing that you are able to look outside of the box today could serve as a catalyst for you to not only dig more deeply into the new and the unknown but also to do something about it today. Maybe you can consider taking your ideas to the streets by, for example, volunteering at an organization that supports your ideals or creating your own discussion group to discuss their impact on your community. Putting your ideas into practice may be a way for you to both deepen your commitment to them and to expose others to the new insights they can bring to the world.
Our ideas are so much more meaningful when we act on them. Even though we may have a forward-thinking take on an issue or situation, unless we do something positive about it, our ideas often begin – and end – with us. Being just a little more proactive connects us with likeminded people who are also motivated by the same things that energize us. Sharing your ideas today will provides you with new perspectives on your ideas and new opportunities to try them, allowing you to bounce things off others in order to come up with something that can be truly transformative.
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World Opinion
- Africa
- Asia/Pacific
- Europe
- Latin America
- Middle East/
N. Africa
- United States/
- Global/Multi-region
- Development/Aid
- Environment
- Globalization/Trade
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Human Rights
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Comprehensive analyses that integrate polls from a wide variety of sources on numerous international issues. Includes analyses of world opinion and US opinion.
Nine-Country Poll Finds Europeans and Americans Desire Closer Relations
British and Canadians Criticize Leaders for Following U.S. Lead
Russians Support Putin's Re-Nationalization of Oil, Control of Media, But See Democratic Future
New Poll Shows French and Germans more Sympathetic toward Israel
Europeans still Positive about EU Enlargement but Anxious about Impact on Jobs
Russians Positive on Chinas Foreign Policy, Economic Model, Negative on U.S. Policies, Bush
French Public Stands Behind Protests Against New Labor Law
Publics in Western Countries Disapprove of Muhammad Cartoons
Among Key Iraq Partners, Weak Public Support for Troop Presence
Russian Public Wary of ObamaJuly 2, 2009
Questionnaire/Methodology (PDF)
When President Obama arrives in Russia for the Moscow summit he may face a cool reception. A new poll of Russians, conducted by the Levada Center as part of a larger WorldPublicOpinion.org poll finds that just 23 percent of Russians have confidence in Obama to do the right thing in international affairs, while 55 percent say they do not have confidence. This is one of the most negative ratings of Obama out of 20 nations polled around the world.
Russians views of US foreign policy are equally bad. Just 15 percent say that the United States is playing a positive role in the world, while 49 percent say it is playing a negative role.
Russians also say they feel bullied by the US. Only 12 percent say the US treats Russia fairly, while 75 percent of say that the US abuses its power to make Russia do what the US wants.
But the poll did find a few positive points. More Russians say that the United States is cooperative (47%) than say it is not (27%). And 41 percent say that the US respects human rights, while just 29 percent say it does not.
Americans' views of Russian Prime Minister Putin are about the same as Russians' views of Obama. Just 27 percent of Americans express confidence in Putin, while 69 percent do not.
However, Americans' views of Putin are more typical of world views than are Russians' views of Obama. On average across 19 nations 61 percent express confidence in Obama (31% do not), while just 34 percent express confidence in Putin (50% do not).
The poll of 800 Russians was conducted May 22-26, 2009 in face-to-face interviews, with a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent.
The poll of 805 Americans (margin of error +/-3.5 percent) was conducted May 27 to June 4, 2009 by Knowledge Networks using its nationwide panel, which is randomly selected from the entire adult population and subsequently provided Internet access. For more information about this methodology, visit http://www.knowledgenetworks.com/ganp.
WorldPublicOpinion.org is a project managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland. Funding for this research was provided by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Calvert Foundation.
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In 2013, there are not many bands where I actually get excited to hear they have a new release coming out. For a lot of reasons, the whole specter of a new release just doesn't get me anticipating things like it used to. In large part, it's because I get everything sent to me months in advance that takes away from the real excitement of a release. For a few bands though, I literally can't wait each and every time for new music. Sevendust is one such band. Without question, they are my favorite band of the modern era; a band criminally underappreciated when you consider that lesser bands like Disturbed and Korn surpassed them greatly in popularity throughout their respective runs. I'm so much of a fan that I'm traveling twice in a month to see them - once in Fort Wayne, Indiana and then a few weeks later in Columbus, Ohio. So, when BLACK OUT THE SUN was provided, you can bet your ass that it hit my iPod and stayed there for weeks.
Not much to say that really doesn't get said on every one of their releases. BLACK OUT THE SUN is standard Sevendust faire. If you loved them before, you will love them now. If not, move along. There are some subtle differences on this album from previous efforts, but ultimately this is Sevendust sounding, very much in the ANIMOSITY/SEASONS era of the band. Certainly, there are songs like the extremely heavy "Til Death" which may surprise people, but in the grand scheme, BLACK OUT THE SUN is just another fun, rhythmic metal album from a great band. The lead single "Decay" is every bit the first single they always do; a direct counterpart to songs like "Denial", "Praise" or "Enemy" from past efforts. It's a song that's certainly made for radio and features more of vocalist Lajon Witherspoon singing than screaming, but like all the others, it works for active rock radio.
As for the rest of it, there's a few differences, but not too much that would lead you thinking they are trying anything to different or crazy. Songs like "Mountain" feature a slightly thicker guitar tone from Clint Lowery and John Connolly than some of the previous efforts, and the tempo is a little more mid-tempo than Sevendust generally goes for. It works well though. As always, the band is anchored by the incredible, always unique style of drummer Morgan Rose and bassist Vince Hornsby. While Rose's playing has long defined the overall vibe of Sevendust's sound, he still continues to find creative ways to mix up the sound with his form and approach. He's simply compelling on his fills on this release's best song, "Cold As War". As for Witherspoon, he's the most underrated vocalist in all of rock music today. His ability to sing cleanly and mix it up with death metal screams has always been a reason to love the band. That continues here. In short, Sevendust are as strong as ever, and BLACK OUT THE SUN proves it.
PITRIFF RATING - 88/100 - BLACK OUT THE SUN rocks as Sevendust generally does. Sure, they have better releases in their catalog, but this one will not disappoint anyone who's been following along. Their lack of big time success is one of the true failings of modern music fans of the last two decades. Maybe though, that's the reason they've stayed so hungry and true to their own sound. BLACK OUT THE SUN is as true as it gets.


text:
Two Apple-inspired documentaries, Welcome to Macintosh and MacHEADS, are scheduled to be shown during the first week of the new year on CNBC. Save the date and set your DVRs to
stun record, you won't want to miss either.
Welcome to Macintosh is a great documentary about the technology and products that have come from Apple over the years. Sure, we all know Apple changed the game in 1984 with the introduction of the Macintosh, but not all of us know the whole story. And that's fine, because Welcome to Macintosh would love to show you. And even if you do know everything, the nostalgia is enough to keep it very interesting.
MacHEADS takes a very different look at the Apple community. This doc is all about the Apple fanboys we love and the rest of the tech community loves to hate. We're a strange bunch, and this documentary doesn't try to hide it.
Welcome to Macintosh is scheduled to premiere on Monday, January 4th at 9:30PM ET, and MacHEADS is scheduled to premiere on Tuesday, January 5th at 10:00PM ET. Check both of these out, I'm sure you'll enjoy them. I know I did.
Read [CNBC]


text:
BLACKMAN TOWNSHIP — In all this talk about "right to work," the only point coming out is unions are bad.
The more I read, it appears that this is a denial of First Amendment rights. The right of peaceful (consenting) assembly for redress of grievances, be it to government or management, is guaranteed by the Constitution. Any other thought would be against the Constitution.
— William Shaw


text:
Rice crop loans available now
The Farm Service Agency (FSA), acting on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), has rice loans available to farmers and landowners who produced a 2008 crop and still has beneficial interest in the crop.
According to Robert Helmer, county executive director in the Evangeline Parish Farm Service Agency (FSA) Office, the rice may be stored on the farm or in a CCC-approved warehouse that issues warehouse receipts.
The 2008 rice farm stored loan rates by Class, Rough Basis, per hundredweight (cwt) for Louisiana is as follows: The long grain rate is $6.51; the medium grain and short grain rate is $6.48. This represents a 38 cent decrease in long grain, a 56 cent increase in medium and a 20 cent increase in short grain from the 2007 rates.
Helmer went on to explain 2008 Milled Rice Loan Rates as follows: For rice stored in commercial warehouses, the whole kernel milled rice loan rates are $10.00 per cwt for long grain and $9.78 per cwt for medium and short grain. The broken kernel loan rate for all classes is $6.67 per cwt. This represents a 12 cent per cwt decrease in the whole kernel long grain loan rate, a 38 cent per cwt increase in whole kernel medium and short grain, and a 14 cent per cwt decrease in the broken kernel loan rate. Milled rice loan rates are computed using average milling yields and production percentages by class, thus ensuring that the production-weighted national average rough rice loan rate equals the statutory $6.50 per cwt.
The 2008 Rice Loan Rate Discounts are as follows: The loan rate discounts for grades (per cwt of rough rice) lower than Grade #2 are unchanged from the 2007 crop. The discounts are $0.30 for Grade #3, $0.60 for Grade #4, $1.00 for Grade #5, $2.00 for Grade #6, and $5.50 for Sample Grade.
According to Helmer, discounts for smut content (per cwt of rough rice) are also unchanged at 5 cents for 0.1 to 1 percent smut; 10 cents for 1.1 to 2 percent smut; and 15 cents for 2.1 to 3 percent smut. Rice containing more than 3 percent smut is termed "smutty" and is eligible for loan as low quality rice. Smutty rice is considered Sample Grade. Low quality or smutty rice is eligible for loan at 20 percent of the grade-discounted loan value.
Anyone seeking further program information about 2008 Rice Loan Rates or CCC commodity loans may contact their local Farm Service Agency Office.


text: Welcome to Whitman's Digital Library. Our most popular publications are available in many different formats. Registered Whitman Members with an active subscription to The Official Red Book Online® may click Read Now to read online. Non subscribers will be able to see a preview of the book or download one of the alternate formats.


text:
Hey Senate President pro tem Darrell Steinberg, instead of worrying about how Arizona handles it immigration problems, shouldn't you worry about the illegal immigrants in this state, how to keep them from coming here and how to get rid of them instead telling another state how to run itsefl?
Why not boycott Mexico itself, for letting and encouraging illegal immigrants to come to the United States because it cannot provide jobs and education for its own citizens.
Mind your own business and you won't have time to mind Arizona's.


text:
Use latex or Mylar football balloons to brighten up your football decorations. Create bouquets of balloons in your team colors and add mylar football balloons to create fun centerpieces or focal points. One of our favorites: the football-shaped football mylar balloon!
Use football balloons such as our football value Mylar balloon to dress up your tailgating party. Attach balloons to your antenna or gate for simple, bright football decorations. Choose football balloons to match your football tableware. Bouquets of balloons add a festive accent to your buffet table or centerpieces. Use football balloons as part of your float decorations. Tie football mylar balloons to the corners of your football float or have the team members or cheerleaders walking with the float carry balloon bouquets. Shop all of our football party supplies for more decorations, favors, and other must-haves for your football season.


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March - April 2016
Faith is safety. Faith is about security and confidence. Safety is a multifaceted condition, ranging from one's inner peace to the wider societal security, which is establi...
Faith for Peace
- Muslims, We Have to Critically Review Our Understanding of Islam
- Quasars and Our Location in the Universe
- Self-Education: What To Do with the Naughty Child Inside?
- The Adaptive Immune System and Its Molecular Details
- Max Kerner: "Holy Wisdom Needed to Create a Shared Culture in Europe"
- Misconceptions about Calories
- The Spiritual Heart in the Thought of Fethullah Gulen


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Your Bod
My feet are so stinky. Help!
This is so embarrassing, but my feet always stink. I can't take my shoes off in front of anyone because they smell so bad. What can I do?
No one's feet smell fabulous. Why? Blame bacteria. Sweaty and damp conditions make these icky organisms multiply, causing that not-so-swell odor to come creeping out of your shoes. And depending on the kind of bacteria found on your feet, some people's tootsies stink extra bad.
To minimize foot funk, always wear cotton socks and try alternating among different shoes each day, giving each pair time to dry out (cleaning them regularly helps as well). And when you're just hanging around at home, go barefoot. That includes skipping socks when you're sleeping. Bacteria are eliminated when your feet have a chance to breathe—and that way, others around you can breathe easy, too.
POSTED IN weird body Q, sweat, body odor, Your Bodjump to comments


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I journal here regularly. Make sure I eat before going to a movie (I indulge my butter craving, so I don't need the popcorn!) Plan my "treats" in advance. Don't buy anything that isn't Primal to eat at home.
I have problems mentally with Fridays. I take it as a break day, and I lose motivation to eat healthy foods in healthy portions. I know I have the willpower to control myself, I just lack the want-to, just for this one day. Maybe it's not a huge deal, but I'm trying to lose another 10-15 pounds or so, and these days bring me back. There's always an excuse. Yesterday I was doing great, until I got to the movie. Then my love of popcorn made itself apparent. And I ate quite a bit. Not a big deal, but that mentally does a lot, especially when you go home after that and eat two pieces of pizza. The Superman feeling is gone!
So I guess my question is, what do you guys do to stay motivated?
I journal here regularly. Make sure I eat before going to a movie (I indulge my butter craving, so I don't need the popcorn!) Plan my "treats" in advance. Don't buy anything that isn't Primal to eat at home.
Primal eating in a nutshell: If you are hungry, eat Primal food until you are satisfied (not stuffed). Then stop. Wait until you're hungry again. Repeat.
Looking for my Cholesterol Primer? Here it is: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum...mer-(Attempt-2)
Ditch the scale!: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread33283.html
My Success Story: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread30615.html
I hear you on popcorn. The only time my diet is out of line is when me and the fiance go to the movies normally on Friday or Saturday. We share a small popcorn. I have to make sure we only order a small because if its a large I will surely finish it off no problem. This is pretty much the only thing I cheat on all week. Normally its enough to make me feel guilty for a full week until the next weekends movie. It is probably a savior for me since everyone else around me eats junk food and without releasing a little steam with the popcorn I may just lose it. Remember the 80/20 rule. For me its more like 90/10 to keep me in check.
As for motivation that is an easy one. I want to live a long healthy life free of any auto-immune diseases. Just like Griff I have serious gluten and dairy allergies. When I used to eat those regularly I would have the worst allergies and IBS. Being healthy and allergy free is more than enough motivation than junk food that will make me feel like crap almost instantly. Getting totally ripped from this diet is iceing on top of the primal cake, but eating this way/exercising and sleeping enough will get you to your body composition goals.
Last edited by Balance; 12-11-2010 at 10:11 PM.
if i want something not primally approved, i have some and then take note that it doesn't taste as good as it used to and after some time i don't want it as much. if you want it, have it. no one's gonna spat your hand for it, just realize you may not get the physical results you want as quickly as you'd want
I know that feeling! Keep in mind that the desire to eat off plan on Fridays is mainly psychological (end of work week, etc.), and you can control your eating if you control your thoughts.
You might consider planning a special treat for Fridays that is totally on plan. For example, I have a real weakness for almond butter, so I restrict it to Saturdays only (which is my Friday:-). Or you can plan to have lobster or filet mignon--anything that you consider a luxury (and can afford). If you focus on the 'treat' aspect of some really good, primal food, it might satisfy your Friday urges.
Have you thought about sneaking in your own treats to the movie? I do it all the time. I sneak in baggies of carrot sticks. All I need is that munching - doesn't have to be popcorn.
I try not to think about this way of eating as "eating healthy." It's just....the way I eat. There are times I eat things that aren't primal because they provide other benefits - social interaction or mental satisfaction. I just don't over-indulge...something I really try to avoid even with primal eating. For example, last night I drove 2 hours with my hubby to Atlanta for a comedy show. We went to a "gourmet" burger place (owned by Richard Blais from Top Chef). Anyhoo...not something we normally do and it's a chef I've admired for a while, so I ordered a pretty primal burger with a fancy beet/goat cheese side salad (instead of fries). Took a bite of the burger w/the bun to have "the experience"as intended by the chef, then removed the bun (it wasn't the star of the meal anyway). I also had a nutella and burnt marshmellow milkshake since their N2 milkshake bar is kinda "their thing". Delightful and tasty! Not something I'd do every day or even every time we go there, but it was worth it last night.
Bottom line - ditch excuses. Own your eating decisions. Recognize that one "splurge" doesn't mean you have to set the wagon on fire after falling off of it. A "splurge" can be in the context of a bigger primal meal. You are right about one thing - there WILL always be an excuse if you want to look for one or manufacture one. You have to live your life. Remember the 80/20 rule and as long as your 20% isn't making making you sick (ie, eating gluten if you have known sensitivity to it), then accept that it may even be good for you (mentally) to have what you want and not feel "deprived."
Heather and the hounds - Make a Fast Friend, Adopt a Greyhound!
How could I forget? Mark did a blog post along these lines recently: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-t...od/#more-18116
Heather and the hounds - Make a Fast Friend, Adopt a Greyhound!


text:
I want to find a point has coordinates are integer numbers and write the equation of tangent line to a given circle, knowing that, the points of tangent has also integer coordinates. For example, the circle has centre M(-1,-5) and radius R=5. I tried
eqS:=Equation(circle(S,(a-HorizontalCoord(M))^2 + (b-VerticalCoord(M))^2 -R^2=0,[a,b],'centername'=T)):
for a from -50 to 50 do
for b from -50 to 50 do
if a <>HorizontalCoord(M) and b<>VerticalCoord(M) and eqS then
L:=[op(L), [a,b]] fi;
od: od:
eqS:=Equation(circle(S,(x-HorizontalCoord(M))^2 + (y-VerticalCoord(M))^2 -R^2=0,[x,y],'centername'=T));
k:=[seq](sort(Equation(TangentLine(P, S, point(A, pt[])), [x,y])), pt in L):
> with(combinat):
for i from 1 to nops(d) do
end do;
If I want to the point of intersection of two lines which are not perpendicular line, for example
[[-3*x-4*y-48 = 0, 4*x+3*y-6 = 0], [[x = 24, y = -30]]]
How can I select?
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Two-toed sloth
Choloepus is a genus of mammals of Central and South America, within the family Megalonychidae consisting of two-toed sloths.[2] There are only two species of Choloepus (which name means "lame foot"[3]): Linnaeus's two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) and Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni). These two species are the only surviving members of the family Megalonychidae.[4]
Although similar to the somewhat smaller and generally slower moving three-toed sloths (Bradypus), there is not a close relationship between the two genera. Recent phylogenetic analyses[5] support analysis of morphological data from the 1970s and 1980s, suggesting that the two genera are not closely related and that each adopted their arboreal lifestyles independently. It is unclear what, if any, ground-dwelling sloth taxa the three-toed sloths evolved from; the two-toed sloths appear to nest phylogenetically within one of the divisions of Caribbean megalonychids,[6] and thus probably either descended from them or are part of a clade that invaded the Caribbean multiple times. Both types tend to occupy the same forests: in most areas, a particular single species of three-toed sloth and a single species of the larger two-toed type will jointly predominate.
As the name implies, they have only two toes on their forefeet, although, like other sloths, they have three toes on the hindfeet. They are also larger than three-toed sloths, having a body length of between 58 and 70 centimetres, and weighing 4-8 kilograms. Other distinguishing features include a more prominent snout, longer fur, and the absence of a tail.[7]
Two-toed sloths have a gestation period of between six months and a year, depending on the exact species. The mother gives birth to a single young, while hanging up-side down. The young are born with claws, and are weaned after about a month, although they will remain with the mother for several more months, and do not reach sexual maturity until the age of 3 years, in the case of females, or 4–5 years, in the case of males.
Two-toed sloths spend most of their life hanging upside down from trees. They cannot walk so they pull hand over hand to move around, which is at an extremely slow rate. Being predominately nocturnal, their fur, which grows a greenish algae to blend in, is their main source of protection.[8] Their body temperature depends at least partially on the ambient temperature; they cannot shiver to keep warm, as other mammals do, because of their unusually low metabolic rates and reduced musculature.[7] Two-toed sloths also differ from three-toed in their climbing behaviors, preferring to descend head first.
They eat primarily leaves, but also shoots, fruits, nuts, berries, bark, some native flowers, and even some small rodents.[4] In addition, when they cannot find food they have been known to eat the algae that grows on their fur for nutrients.[9] They have large stomachs, with multiple chambers, which help to ferment the large amount of plant matter that they eat. Food can take up to a month to digest due to their slow metabolism.[7] Depending on when in the excretion cycle a sloth is weighed, urine and feces may account for up to 30 percent of the animal's body weight, which averages about 6 kilograms (about 13 pounds).[10] They have a reduced, ever growing dentition, with no incisors or true canines, and which overall lacks homology with the dental formula of other mammals. Their first tooth is very canine-like in shape and is referred to as a caniniform. It is separated from the other teeth, or molariforms, by a diastema. The molariforms are used specifically for grinding and are mortar and pestel-like in appearance and function. Thus, they can grind food for easier digestability, which takes majority of their energy. The dental formula of two-toed sloths is: (unau)
|Wikispecies has information related to: Choloepus
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Choloepus hoffmanni
- ^ Gardner, A. L. (2005). "Order Pilosa". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 101–102. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=11800017.
- ^ http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Choloepus
- ^ http://www.sloth-world.org/Chloepus.html
- ^ a b Myers, Phil (2001). "Family Megalonychidae: two-toed sloths". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Megalonychidae.html. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
- ^ Hoss, Matthias; Dilling, Amrei; Currant, Andrew; Paabo, Svante (9 Jan 1996). "Molecular phylogeny of the extinct ground sloth Mylodon darwinii". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 93 (1): 181–185. doi:10.1006/mpev.2000.0860. PMID 11161746. http://www.pnas.org/content/93/1/181.abstract. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
- ^ White, J. L.; MacPhee, R. D. E. (2001). "The sloths of the West Indies: a systematic and phylogenetic review". In Woods, C. A.; Sergile, F. E.. Biogeography of the West Indies: Patterns and Perspectives. CRC Press. pp. 201–235. ISBN 978-0-8493-2001-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=kDchYICxSDsC&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201&dq=The+sloths+of+the+West+Indies:+A+systematic+and+phylogenetic+review&source=bl&ots=nE1h0uppfJ&sig=4-pNcNeA5p17LC33-Zq38BeB0iY&hl=en&ei=OgwbS625CYLOsQOy27yRBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=The_sloths_of_the_West_Indies%3A_A_systematic_and_phylogenetic_review
- ^ a b c Dickman, Christopher R. (1984). Macdonald, D.. ed. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 776–779. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.
- ^ "sloth." Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 17 September 2012.
- ^ Nowak, Ronald M. Walkers Mammals of the World. Sixth Edition. Vol. 1. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999. 149-150. Print.
- ^ 30% body weight
Linnaeus (1758): Systema naturae perregna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species cum characteribus, differentiis, syonymis, locis. Laurentii :) Salvi, 824pp.


text:
Dog found in Lake County trash pile
Published 1:46 PM EST Dec 03, 2012
Officials are investigating a dog found locked in a crate and placed in a trash pile near DeLand.
Authorities said they were called to a home on Forest View Road in which a neighbor found an older, dark gray Chihuahua dumped in the garbage.
The neighbor who found the dog took the female dog to her home to give it a bath and something to eat, according to a report.
Investigators said no one in the neighborhood recognized the dog and the animal did not have a microchip.
The dog was taken to Lake County Animal Services.
Anyone with information as to how the dog came to be put in the trash is asked to call 352-343-2101.
Copyright 2012 by WESH.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Danny Woodhead on D&H: 'Everyone wants to win so badly'
|10.18.10 at 12:52 pm ET
Patriots running back Danny Woodhead visited with Dale & Holley at Gillette Stadium as pat of WEEI's Patriots Monday. To hear the interview, go to the Dale & Holley audio on demand page.
The Jets castoff said he wasn't sure what to expect when he was signed by New England before Week 2, but he didn't think it would be only to help the Patriots learn more about New York's offense.
"I was thinking it was a great opportunity," he said. "I'm going to go in and work hard just like I've worked every single day of my professional career."
Asked how he was able to pick up the offense so quickly, he said: "Coming to work and working. It does come down to working. I've been able to pick things up, and I'm very thankful for that. But it does come down to working. I mean, it is my job. I take it very seriously. Whether it's a week or three weeks to get to learn a playbook, I feel like that's something I need to do. I need to know that playbook, because if I do get an opportunity that first week, I need to be ready in case my number is called."
Woodhead said despite the Jets-Patriots rivalry, the transition was easy. "Yeah, the Patriots were a rival when I was with the New York Jets, but you can quickly change hats when you get picked up by the other team," he said. "The thing I've really enjoyed seeing about this team is the commitment to winning. Everyone wants to win so badly, and I think it shows in the effort, in the preparation and everything that comes with it, week in and week out."
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- Despite Injuries, Patriots Already September's Biggest Winners in the NFL


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Share |
|Craig Roberts
Courtesy: Ball State Athletics
Release: 02/03/2010
Craig Roberts, who completed his sixth season as the Ball State soccer head coach in 2015, has overseen consistent growth in the program since coming to Muncie in 2010.
He has returned the Cardinals to prominence in the Mid-American Conference, highlighted by a league regular season championship in 2015.
Roberts also serves as an assistant coach with the Haiti Women's National Team, having been appointed to that position in the spring of 2014. In that role, he has coached against national teams from countries such as the United States, Mexico and Canada. He has coached against some of the world's best players, including Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan and Hope Solo.
As part of his work with the Haiti program, Roberts serves as head coach of the U-17 women's national team.
The 2015 season was the best yet for Ball State under Roberts' direction. The Cardinals finished one shy of the school record for wins at 14-3-3 and claimed their first MAC regular season title since 2007 with a 10-1 league mark. The 10 conference wins were the most ever for a Ball State team.
The Cardinals reached as high as No. 68 in the RPI and finished the year at No. 75. They set school records with an eight-game winning streak and a nine-game unbeaten streak.
For all their success, they were rewarded with a record-tying five players on the All-MAC First Team, including the program's first ever MAC Defensive Player of the Year (Lorina White) and Freshman of the Year (Abbie Boswell). Boswell set the Ball State freshman scoring record with 10 goals. She and White were joined on the first team by teammates Chelsy Swackhamer, Leah Mattingly and Alyssa Heintschel.
The Cardinals are a combined 36-17-9 over the past three seasons, including a pair of 11-win campaigns in 2013 and 2014. Both of those teams reached at least the semifinals of the MAC Tournament, with the 2013 squad becoming the first Ball State team to reach the championship game. The Cardinals came up just short against a Western Michigan team that went on to defeat Marquette in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 2014 squad led the MAC in scoring with 32 goals and finished second in the league's West Division, marking Ball State's best finish since the league implemented divisions for soccer in 2010. The 2015 team topped that by bringing home both the West Division and overall conference titles.
Roberts owns an overall record of 60-43-19 in his six years at Ball State. The Cardinals were 4-13-1 in the year prior to his arrival but have demonstrated steady improvement ever since. For his nine-year head coaching career, including the first four at UT Martin, Roberts is 94-70-31.
Strong defense has been a hallmark of the Ball State program under Roberts. The Cardinals have recorded 42 shutouts during his tenure, including nine in each of the past three seasons (the school record is 10). The 2015 team ranked 21st in the country with a .623 goals against average.
Twice in Roberts' six years, the Cardinals have spoiled an opponent's perfect MAC record in the final game of the regular season. The 2010 team defeated a Toledo squad that was previously unbeaten and untied in league play, and the 2012 team played Miami University to a draw to end its perfect MAC season.
A native of Kidderminster, England, Roberts has also coached 11 All-MAC selections at Ball State, including two-time selections Leah Mattingly (2014, 2015) and Madison Oyer (2013, 2014). A total of six players have been named to the MAC All-Freshman Team under his watch.
Roberts has coached two players at Ball State who have competed at the national team level. Pavla Benyrova played for the Czech Republic National Team, while Lauren Hall was a member of the Honduran U-20 National Team. Brigit Reder, who finished her Ball State career in 2012, went on to play for the Seattle Sounders Women of the W-League.
The Cardinals have also excelled in the classroom under Roberts, earning an NSCAA Team Academic Award in each of his years with the program. Roberts has coached six Capital One Academic All-District selections, including Skylar Chew three times. In 2012, Chew became the first Ball State soccer player to be named a first-team Academic All-American. The Cardinals have also had 30 Academic All-MAC selections and six NSCAA Scholar All-Region honorees during his time at Ball State.
Before coming to Ball State, Roberts spent four seasons at UT Martin as the most successful coach in the program's history. His 2009 team won the Skyhawks' first-ever Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship. Over his final three seasons at UT Martin, his team tallied 29 wins, matching the combined number of victories for the program's previous seven seasons. He left with the school's top three marks for wins in a season, including the program's first ever 10-win campaigns (2007 & 2008).
Under Roberts' guidance in 2009, UT Martin picked up its first OVC title with a 9-7-0 overall record and a 6-2-0 mark in league play, marking the program's most conference wins in a single season. The Skyhawks finished the season 39th in NCAA Division I in shutout percentage as they posted eight on the season and only allowed 13 goals in 16 games.
In 2008, Roberts posted his second straight 10-win season as UTM finished the year 10-5-4 overall and advanced to the program's first ever OVC Tournament championship game. His team finished 21st in NCAA Division I in goals against average at 0.65. In 2007, Roberts led the 16th-most improved team in country as the Skyhawks posted a 10-6-3 record, doubling their win total in just his second season.
During his time at UT Martin, Roberts compiled a 34-27-12 record, including a 19-3-1 home mark over his final three seasons. Under his tutelage, the Skyhawks had five first-team All-OVC players, five All-OVC Newcomer players, nine OVC All-Tournament players, 16 OVC Players of the Week, 41 players on the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll and three players who received an OVC Medal of Honor (4.0 GPA).
Prior to UT Martin, Roberts spent two seasons as an associate head men's coach at Virginia Military Institute. He helped VMI to the 16th-most improved Division I record in the nation in 2005 as it earned its first winning season in 16 years. He was nominated for the prestigious National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) assistant coach of the year award for his work with the Keydets.
Prior to VMI, Roberts was an assistant at Saint Mary's College of California where he helped the Gaels to a No. 24 ranking in the nation during his time. He began his collegiate coaching career at Park University (Mo.) where he was an assistant men's and women's coach for both teams ranked in the top 10 nationally in NAIA.
Roberts was a four-year starter and captain at Park for the nationally ranked Pirates. He received all-region accolades for his performance in the 1992 season. He received his bachelor's degree in education with a concentration in athletic training and biology from Park in 1997 and his master's degree in education from Park in 2003. He is currently pursuing a master's of kinesiology from Saint Mary's.
Roberts participated in national schoolboy team tryouts in England at an early age and went on to obtain semi-professional and professional playing experiences with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Oxford United, Kidderminster Harriers and Worcester City.
Roberts holds his United States Soccer Federation (USSF) 'A' License, NSCAA Premier License, NSCAA Goalkeeper Diploma, USSF Youth Specialist License and his English Football Association Coaching License.


text:
Top Definition
Hybrid creature developed at Captian Cook Univesity Queensland Australia for the fast food industry eg KFC Red Rooster. Cross between squid octopus type marine creature and a chicken resulting in a 8-10 legged boneless animal that tastes like chicken
My KFC tastes a bit fishy.
Boy that squicken can run fast
Boy that squicken can run fast
dodane przez hamish low luty 27, 2008
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
Half chicken, half squirrel creature that steals teeth from South Park
The squicken stole the tooth from under the pillow
dodane przez fuzbre październik 21, 2006
a half chicken half squirrel that really stoned people laugh at
bwakchatterchatter squicken
dodane przez masterchief 2117 styczeń 15, 2011
Squid stuffed with chicken.
My wife made squicken the other night, it was quite good.
dodane przez Michael Webb styczeń 23, 2004


text:
"Young takes the first-place prize of $3,000 and receives an invitation to the 2012 U.S. Chess Championship to take place at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis on a date yet to be set." By Ken West ...Read More
By Allen Kaufman June 23, 2011 Contact: Allen Kaufman (718) 544-5036 firstname.lastname@example.com On July 1, 2011 International Master John Donaldson will become the new secretary of the Samford Fellowship Committee, replacing Allen Kaufman who has held the position since 1987. ...Read More
The 2nd Annual Rentschler Foundation High School Chess Championship to be held at the Holiday Inn in Cherry Hill, NJ on June 25 – 26 offers more than $21,000 in prizes. Repeat, $21,000! This is a FREE (no entry fee) ...Read More


text:
------Bernina 790, 635E, Juki 2010
Babylock Evolve Babylock Sashiko2
------Janome serger 634D, Brother PC6000, Singer 500A, Kenmore Mini-Ultra, vintage Bernina 600, White Rotary treadle, New Homestead A VS treadle
------it doesn't matter what type of sewing you do. you are sewing, and sewing is good.
------Bernina 630, Bernina embroidery module, Pfaff 2036, Bernina 1200DA serger, Unique Sewing Cabinet 450L
------Bernina B330
Feet: 1,2,3,3A,4,5,7,8,10,13,16,18,20, 29,32,35,37,50,64,70,71,82,85,86, 92
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text: So I've been getting posts from this guy who added me on Google+ awhile back. I never added him back, but I was getting his posts anyway. I finally figured out the only way I was going to be able to mute him or block him was to add him to my circles. That really sucks! Anyone know another way?


text:
FRank Micelotta / FOX
HOMETOWN: Nashville
WHY SHE'LL WIN: One of the most consistent singers, Harrison delivers an old-soul country sound that had judge Keith Urban predicting she'll be in the Grand Ole Opry. Though her talent seems effortless, this struggling musician has lived through tough times, including the death of both her parents by the time she was 16.
WHY SHE MAY NOT: Her sound is more reminiscent of her favorite singer Patsy Cline than current country artists like Carrie Underwood. With tough competition, Harrison may need to make songs like her haunting version of "Crying" and "Don't Play that Song" sound more contemporary.
FRank Micelotta / FOX
HOMETOWN: St. Helena Island, S.C.
WHY SHE'LL WIN: She has one of the most powerful and skillful voices this season. Her headline-grabbing performance of The Cure's "Lovesong" was nothing short of amazing. The crowd loves her, and she spends a lot of time in the Top 3.
WHY SHE MAY NOT: The strongest singers are often eliminated early because voters assume they're safe (hello, Chris Daughtry and Pia Toscano!). Glover's strong vocals often make up for her uninspired song choices: "I Heard it Through The Grapevine" isn't exactly an Idol original.
Frank Micelotta / FOX
HOMETOWN: Houston
WHY SHE'LL WIN: She's energetic, talented and cute. Nicki Minaj said she has "legs that go on for days" and "pretty little dimples." But beneath her adorable exterior comes a fierce competitor: After being cut last season, she got a makeover and "stepped into [my] confidence." And if her performance of "What About Love" is any indication, she has the chops to back it up.
WHY SHE MAY NOT: Holcomb may not have the fan base to propel her to the top. She has been near the bottom twice. Her vocals are strong, but she hasn't yet had a show-stopping performance that people talk about the next day.
Frank Micelotta / FOX
HOMETOWN: Oliver Springs, Tenn.
WHY SHE'LL WIN: Arthur has been singing all her life: When she was 8, she performed as a young Dolly Parton at Dollywood and became a regular performer there. She's got a cute country-girl personality – her version of "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" was as sweet as the singer herself.
WHY SHE MAY NOT: Of all the Top 5 finalists, Arthur is the shakiest in unfamiliar genres: Her version of Billy Joel's "You May Be Right" landed her in the bottom two. In another season, she might win handily, but against the likes of Harrison and Glover, her chances are diminished.
Frank Micelotta / FOX
HOMETOWN: Beverly, Mass.
WHY SHE'LL WIN: She is a versatile performer who has taken on songs by Queen, Evanescence and Celine Dion – and repeatedly placed in the Top 3. After performing Kari Jobe's "Love Came Down" at the piano she received a standing ovation that brought her to tears. "That piano and you ... never lose," Mariah Carey said of her performance.
WHY SHE MAY NOT: Versatility is a double-edged sword. Of the Top 5, her sound is the least identifiable. A decisive singer like Glover may end up being more memorable. Miller's also been advised to immerse herself in song lyrics and to show more passion.


text:
ST Engineering
|Traded as
|Aerospace, Defense
|1967 (as Chartered Industries of Singapore)
Key people
|Seah Lim Huat
Tan Pheng Hock
(President, Executive Director, CEO)
Vincent Chong Sy Feng
(President & CEO (Designate))[1]
|Civil and military aerospace
Defence electronics
Naval and commercial shipbuilding
Land warfare systems
|$5.548 Billion SGD (2009)
|$0.547 Billion SGD (2009)
|$0.444 Billion SGD (2009)
|Total assets
|$6.89 Billion SGD (2009)
|Temasek Holdings(94.4995%)
Number of employees
|21,508 (2011)
|VT Systems
|ST Kinetics
ST Aerospace
ST Marine
ST Electronics
ST Dynamics
ST Engineering Ltd (Singapore Technologies Engineering) is an integrated engineering group in the aerospace, electronics, military contracting and marine sectors. Headquartered in Singapore, the group reported revenues of $5.05b in FY2007. With a market capitalisation of about $10b, it ranks among the largest companies listed on the Singapore Exchange. ST Engineering has more than 18,000 employees worldwide, and over 100 subsidiaries and associated companies in 21 countries and 35 cities.[2]
Its United States headquarters is VT Systems, formerly known as Vision Technologies Systems (VTS), set up in 2001 in Virginia, near Washington, D.C. VTS oversees subsidiaries and affiliates throughout the continental US and in Canada.
China is also an important market for the Singapore Technologies Engineering group, where it has presence in the aerospace, electronics and land systems sectors and plans to further expand its businesses there, including the marine sector. The group's key operations in China comprise an aircraft MRO facility in Shanghai; an IT software development in Shenzhen and R&D centre in Shanghai; automotive maintenance centres in Guangzhou and Hangzhou; and factories in Beijing and Guiyang to produce specialty vehicles for the construction and mining industries. The group also has representative offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu. The group also has representative offices in India and Kazakhstan.
ST Engineering was one of the sponsors of the 2006 Shangri-La Dialogue.
In Mar 2007, ST Engineering has been ranked 19th in the aerospace & defence industry and 1661th of 2,000 of the world's largest public companies by Forbes.[3]
As of March 3, 2014, Capital Group Companies has a 5.5166% shares in ST Engineering.[4]
Manufacture of anti-personnel mines[edit]
Originally set up as a weapons supplier for the Singapore Armed Forces, ST Engineering was one of the few companies in the world that continued to manufacture anti-personnel land mines[5] and has been excluded from the Norway State Pension Fund, the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, and the Netherlands' ABP for the "production of weapons that through their normal use may violate fundamental humanitarian principles".[6] As of 2015, ST Engineering is no longer in the business of designing, producing and selling of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions or any related key components.
See also[edit]
- ^ "ST Engineering names Vincent Chong as CEO-designate". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- ^ "Press Release". ST Engineering. 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ "The World's 2,000 Largest Public Companies". Forbes. 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
- ^ http://www.stengg.com/investor-relations/shareholding-statistics
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.the-monitor.org/index.php/publications/display?url=lm/2007/singapore.html
External links[edit]
|This technology article about a corporation or company is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


text:
3 opinions as the debt-ceiling debate crawls along
July 23, 2011 - Mike Maneval
Negotiations on a deal to raise the debt ceiling saw a major setback Friday, as the Obama administration and House Speaker John Boehner pointed fingers at each other over the collapse of discussions.
In the week leading up to Friday's developments, opinion on the debt ceiling was varied. Conservative columnist David Brooks warning Republicans they should "seize the chance to usher in the largest cut in the size of government in American history" by accepting a deal that would cut spending by $3 trillion over a decade and suggesting GOP relunctance stems from conservative media "blowhards" and permanent campaigners disinterested in actually governing. David Boaz of the Libertarian think tank the Cato Institute saying the debt ceiling itself is a failed rule to impose fiscal discipline, and that the national government needs rules that work for "politicians who never said no to spending," as the Washington Post headlined his commentary. Boaz says federal spending has doubled since Clinton's administration. "Republicans and Democrats alike should be able to find wasteful, extravagant, and unnecessary programs to cut back or eliminate," Boaz says.
Michael Pento, blogging for Forbes.com, takes both Republicans and Democrats to task for spreading misinformation about the debt ceiling and spending. Pento claims tax increases sought by Democrats can not close the spending gap by more than an insignificant ammount and warns Republican spending cuts will hinder growth in U.S. gross domestic product in the short term. Pento also says the U.S. credit rating should be lowered if a debt ceiling deal is reached, explaining "To lower the rating because the limit is NOT raised is like cutting the FICO score of a homeless person because he is denied a home equity loan."
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text:
Ray Rice Says He's Healthy, Confident
Source: Josh Alper, NBC Sports Pro Football Talk
Ravens running back Ray Rice is averaging just 2.7 yards per carry this season, well below his established level of play and well below what?s an acceptable number for a lead running back regardless of what they?ve done in the past.
Rice has maintained for the last couple of weeks that he?s totally healthy after injuring his hip flexor earlier this season, an injury that some pointed to as a potential reason for the sharp downturn in Rice?s play this season. Others have pointed to an ineffective offensive line, although coach John Harbaugh said this week that he thought that unit was taking too much blame for the offensive struggles.
?My level of confidence is where it was in Week One,? Rice said, via the Baltimore Sun. ?I still believe we?ll get the run game going. We have the guys. It?s never going to be an effort thing. We?ve just seen some pretty good fronts, and I?ve battled through stuff this year. I don?t have to hesitate to do anything. I just want to go out there and let it fly. The next eight games, I?m just trying to go out there and be the best Ray Rice I can be for the next half of the season.?


text:
New images of Halo Wars
More imagery has surfaced of Halo Wars — the latest game in a line of blockbusters started by the massively popular Halo on the original Xbox. The real-time strategy game will feature human and Covenant forces and is set 20 years before the original Halo game. There's no release date set yet, so sate your hunger with these latest shots!


text:
Date Centers: Wyden, Facebook in Prineville Power Push
By Kim Tobin and Barney Lerten for KTVZ.COM
PRINEVILLE, Ore. — With the large amount of social networkers comes the need for a large amount of electric power, which is why the new Facebook data center in Prineville needs more space and power supply.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., believes the expansion will not only help the Crook County community, but Central Oregon as a whole.
"I made the case for how important this is to grow the Central Oregon Ecomony," Wyden said Friday during a stop in Bend.
Wyden is pushing phase two of the expansion, which requires an upgrade of the area's power grid. But Bonneville Power Administration and Pacific Power have said the upgrade might not be ready in time.
"To me, this is certain to be a big boost for jobs at Facebook," Wyden said. "But I think it will also make it possible to trigger some other investments that would be a real plus for the Central Oregon economy."
Facebook Vice President of Operations Johnathon Heiliger seems to be in agreement.
"I think Central Oregon seems like a great place to start a company," Heiliger said. "There's lots of resources here."
Heiliger spoke to a crowd at the Bend Venture Conference Friday, and said the expansion of the Prineville facility is part of growing a high-tech community in Central Oregon.
"The reason we decided to double to size of the data center was really our plan from the very beginning," Heiliger said. "It's really just representative of our growth in the business and the growth of the users of Facebook."
Facebook plans to build a second server building at the site by 2012, and there are reports they are planning to build a third building by 2013. Officials believe the Facebook data center could bring more jobs to the area, precisely why Wyden says is so important.
"This is a top priority for me," Wyden said. "We're going to stay at it until all the parties reach an agreement."
There's the rapidly growing power of social networking, the large amounts of electric power needed by a huge data center like the one Facebook is building near Prineville, and the political power of a U.S. senator (seeking reelection, as it so happens) to grease the skids, help clear hurdles and get things done.
All three are converging in an effort to make sure Facebook can expand its new data center, where the first phase is on track for a grand opening next April.
As it turns out, Sen. Ron Wyden's office also indicated Thursday that an already announced Phase 2 expansion of the facility next year is likely to be followed by a third big server building at the location – if the area's power grid can be upgraded to handle the need in time.
In a bid to make that happen, the Oregon Democrat put on his deal-maker hat Thursday and called Bonneville Power Administrator Stephen Wright and Pacific Power President Pat Rieten.
The reason for the phone call: the need to upgrade BPA's Ponderosa Substation south of Prineville as soon as possible, to coincide with Facebook's expansion plans.
According to the senator's office, Facebook not only has plans to build a second server building at the site in 2012, but hopes to build a third one by 2013.
Facebook officials are tight-lipped on specifics, but Wyden's news release claimed that three 40-megawatt requests for power supply have been made by Facebook — a 120-megawatt total that's beyond the substation's current capacity.
The problem, according to Wyden's office: At present, BPA doesn't expect to upgrade the Ponderosa substation to meet Facebook's needs until 2014 — a year after the third phase could be ready and in need of that added power.
Wyden called Facebook's arrival in Prineville as "one of the bright spots in the Central Oregon economy, and a harbinger of more construction and high-tech jobs to come."
"Now," the senator said, "Facebook's effort to triple its commitment to the region is facing a lack of capacity at a local BPA substation."
"I don't want to see the need for a new substation or other infrastructure stand in the way of bringing jobs and economic development to Central Oregon," Wyden said.
"If successful, fast-growing companies are going to locate here, then the region needs to keep pace, or risk losing these high-paying, family-wage jobs to other parts of the country," the senator added.
Along with another year or more of 200 construction jobs at the site, an even bigger Facebook presence could mean more jobs. How many is unclear.
Facebook spokesman Bob Applegate said the firm cannot confirm any more than the 35 full-time jobs announced last year. He called the senator's claim Thursday of nearly 150 permanent jobs down the road, if all three buildings are built, was inaccurate. (Wyden Oregon spokesman Tom Towslee said he stood by the information as provided.)
Whatever the job picture ends up being it's clear all involved want to move heaven, earth and electrons to keep Facebook growing in Prineville, even before it moves in the row after row of computers that feed all those Facebook pages.
"There's no firm plans" for a third server building, Applegate said. On the other hand, he added, "I think we've said all along about this site that one of the great attributes is the ability to expand. The only thing we're committed to is finishing this building and starting the shell of the second."
Applegate said Facebook representatives in Central Oregon this week met with Wyden's staff Thursday "to bring them up to speed" on the project and the power issue.
"Clearly, bringing in power is an issue that will always mean a lot of work," Applegate said. "To the extent the senator is ready to help us any problems," it's very much appreciated.
It's apparently not a matter of available power supply, or of money, either.
"The power is there," said Jason Carr, Prineville-Crook County economic development manager. "It's the infrastructure that needs to be in place to deliver the power by a certain time frame."
BPA spokesman Doug Johnson noted that "Facebook is actually picking up the bill for the additional costs" of an accelerated upgrade at a Redmond substation, for the first phase of the project.
"At this point, we're looking into technical issues, operational issues," for the 80 more megawatts requested, Johnson said. "We have to make sure everything's reliable."
"We're optimistic," he said. "There's sufficient time to look at that (need) and figure out how might that be done."
Pacific Power spokesman Tom Gauntt echoed the view that if it can be done, it will be done.
"Even though 2012, 2013 are pretty close, they are not dropping from the sky," Gauntt said. On the other hand, he said, "We don't want to say that we'll build out (the grid) right now to handle 20 years of growth. Technology can change, and that means we can build better and more efficient" systems.
There's a carrot-and-stick to the discussions, beyond the job creation and the feather in the cap Facebook in Prineville provides for the state. Carr said everyone involved knows what's at stake, if the amount of power Facebook needs can't be guaranteed.
If the substation upgrade takes an extra year, Carr said, Facebook could well say "that's too long a timeframe for us — we're going to take any expansion opportunities we have in the future elsewhere."
Also, Towslee said it's a bigger issue for Central Oregon's and the state's economic future.
"This is not just a Facebook issue — it's a regional power issue," he said. "We hear stories about other companies looking at Central Oregon" — also in need of large amounts of power — "and if the power is not there, they are not going to come."
There's more than a bit of irony that the issue of power is so key to Facebook's future plans in Prineville. The international environmental group Greenpeace has been making waves with its "Unfriend Coal" campaign, urging Facebook to use only renewable power, and reject any Pacific Power supplies from coal-fired sources.
The company has steadfastly touted that its data center will be the most energy-efficient ever built. And Pacific Power's Gauntt said markets are buying renewable energy credits, so apparently there's room for discussion on where Facebook will draw its power from (and for how much).
"Obviously, it's a customer's decision to do that," he said.


text:
Because of the burrowing nature of your gerbil, the bedding that lines your gerbil's cage plays an important role. The best types of lining to use are aspen, Carefresh or corncob. Aspen has been known to cause allergies in gerbils, though, so discontinue use if you notice your gerbil's nose is irritated. Shredded paper also works, but it will start to smell more quickly.
Be sure to avoid soft wood shavings such as pine or cedar because these can cause respiratory problems and liver damage, especially in pups. Commercial nesting material made from cotton or loose fibers is also not recommended because the gerbil can ingest it or get caught in it and break an appendage.
Fill the cage about a third full with the bedding material. This will allow plenty of room for your gerbil to burrow and play. However, if breeding, the cage only needs about 2 inches of material.
Another thing to keep in mind is that by providing more bedding you are recreating your gerbil's natural environment. Sometimes too much bedding will cause it to go wild. If this occurs, adjust the level of the bedding to encourage more tame behavior.
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text:
Middle Tennessee Medical Center has implemented a Bar Code Med Administration system – barcode technology that allows nurses to scan patients' armbands and medication to ensure accuracy in dosage, delivery and timing.
According to a hospital press release, barcodes provide a valuable verification of medication administration by assuring that the "five rights" are confirmed — right patient, right medication, right dose, right time and right route of administration. Now, nurses can scan a patient's armband and then the medication to validate it is the correct product.
Many hospitals are just beginning to use this technology, which has shown when used at the patient's bedside it dramatically reduces medication administration errors, according to the Institute of Medicine.
Recent estimates indicate that only 2 to 4 percent of hospitals are currently using barcodes to reduce medication administration errors, according to the Center for Business Innovation.
"We are always looking for new ways to utilize technology to improve patient safety," said Kelly Miles, chief nursing officer at MTMC. "The barcode technology has been used in hospitals for quite some time, but not necessarily to address patient safety. We're confident our use of the system will result in better outcomes for our patients."
Retailer celebrates anniversary
Altar'd State, the self-dubbed "next big thing in retail," celebrated its one-year anniversary in Murfreesboro this weekend.
"We are so excited to be celebrating our first birthday in Murfreesboro," said Brian Mason, president of Altar'd State. "It is because of the support of the community that we have reached this significant mark."
Altar'd State is a unique retail concept that offers a distinctive shopping experience for women interested in the latest fashions, the most anticipated accessories and that next great gift.
Aside from providing all the latest trends, Altar'd State distinguishes itself by supporting charitable causes in the community. Through what is known as Mission Mondays, the company donates 10 percent of net proceeds to various local charities every Monday. Altar'd State also supports its communities by funding monthly employee volunteer hours and seeking vendor partners that share the company's philosophy of giving back.
State Farm presents grant to nonprofit
State Farm Insurance will present a $25,000 grant to local nonprofit Special Kids for its summer day camp, Camp Ability, on Wednesday, June 27, at the Special Kids Investor Luncheon held at North Boulevard Church of Christ in Murfreesboro.
Camp Ability of Special Kids won the grant in an online voting contest on Facebook through the State Farm Youth Advisory Board Cause An Effect program. More than 3,000 applications were submitted to the board that narrowed the list to 100 finalists. Camp Ability received more than 16,000 votes to secure a spot in the Top 40 organizations that received the $25,000 grant.
"We are so thankful to State Farm for this wonderful opportunity," said Brandon Deal, Camp Ability director. "These funds will help us to grow our much-needed program in Rutherford County and the surrounding areas."
State Farm Agency Field Executive Geralyn McQuary will present the grant at the Special Kids Investor Luncheon held during a typical day of Camp Ability. The community is invited to join McQuary and State Farm at 11:30 a.m. for lunch provided by Jim 'N Nicks Bar-B-Q and for a tour of the summer camp.
Camp Ability of Special Kids is a summer day camp for people from 6 years old to 25 years old with special needs.
The program provides children with special needs an opportunity to be physically active and gain self confidence, social skills, and independence while bonding with others who share in their same challenges.
The State Farm grant will allow Camp Ability to expand its life skills program for older campers to volunteer and work at different businesses and nonprofits during camp hours and will allow the organization to add recreation equipment for campers to be more physically active.
The Cause An Effect program is a State Farm crowd-sourced philanthropic initiative, which lets communities determine where grant funding is awarded, exclusively through Facebook, according to a press release.
"Cause An Effect empowers consumers to identify problems in their community, connects local nonprofits to problems they can help solve and provides an opportunity for communities to receive funding to help solve the problems," according to the press release. "The program has been inspired by the incredible number of neighborhoods that are coming together to solve a problem or improve their community."
Contact Melinda Hudgins at firstname.lastname@example.com.