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text: Ok 1st a little history of what the truck has: 1990 GMC C1500 5.7L, MSD HEI Distributor, Hypertech Performance Chip. Now what I just finished adding is: Shorty Headers, Water Pump, Thermostat, Radiator, all new cooling\heater hoses, O2 sensor, spark plugs and wires, Edelbrock Valve Covers and Air Cleaner. Truck was running 100% before I installed all the new stuff and now it tries to start but it won't. You crank on it for a bit and it just blub-blub-blub, dies. I didn't mess with the distributor besides unplugging the wires, I've confirmed I'm getting fuel and spark. The tricky part is that the previous owner marked the dist. with a sharpie for the cylinder #'s but it doesn't match the firing order so it can't be right. I went ahead and wired the dist. to this layout: My brother is coming by with a timing light so we can check that to confirm and we'll also determine for sure which post on the dist. is #1. Any ideas regarding this problem please let me know. I was so careful not to mess with anything electrical related but regardless it won't start.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
ARSC HPC Users' Newsletter 219, May 4, 2001
- The Scalable Modeling System: A High-Level Alternative to MPI
- Copper Mountain Multigrid Meeting
- Maintaining Multiple Kerberos Caches
- Quick Tip
The Scalable Modeling System: A High-Level Alternative to MPI
[[ Thanks to Mark Govett of NOAA for this submission. Note that SMS has been ported to the Cray T3E. ARSC users should contact firstname.lastname@example.com if they are interested in trying it. ]]
NOAA/OAR/Forecast Systems Laboratory 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80305-3328 USA Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL) has been using MPP systems to run weather and climate models since 1990. Central to FSL's success with MPPs is the development of the Scalable Modeling System (SMS). SMS is a directive-based parallelization tool that translates Fortran code into a parallel version that runs efficiently on both shared and distributed memory systems including IBM SP2, Cray T3E, SGI Origin, Fujitsu VPP, and Alpha Linux clusters. SMS was designed to reduce the time required to parallelize serial codes and to maintain them.
FSL has parallelized several weather and ocean models using SMS including the Global Forecast System (GFS) and the Typhoon Forecast System (TFS) for the Central Weather Bureau in Taiwan, the Rutgers University Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS), the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) 32 km Eta model, FSL's high resolution limited area Quasi Non-hydrostatic (QNH) model, and FSL's 40 km Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) model currently running operationally at NCEP. These models contain structured regular grids that are resolved using either finite difference approximation or Gauss-Legendre spectral methods. SMS also provides support for mesh refinement, and can transform data between grids that have been decomposed differently (eg. grid and spectral space). While the tool has been tailored toward finite difference approximation and spectral weather and climate models, the approach is sufficiently general to be applied to other structured grid codes.
SMS consists of two layers built on top of the Message Passing Interface (MPI) software. The highest layer is a component called the Parallel Pre-Processor (PPP), which is a Fortran code analysis and translation tool that translates the directives and serial code into a parallel version of the code. This parallel code relies on lower layer SMS libraries to accomplish operations including inter-process communication, process synchronization, and parallel I/O.
SMS directives are available to handle parallel operations including data decomposition, communication, local and global address translation, I/O, spectral transformations and nesting. As the development of SMS has matured, the time and effort required to parallelize codes for MPPs has been reduced significantly. Code parallelization has become simpler because SMS provides support for advanced operations including incremental parallelization and debugging.
Incremental Parallelization - Since code parallelization is easier to test and debug when it can be done in a step-wise fashion, SMS allows the user can insert directives to control when sections of code will be executed serially. This speeds parallel code development by allowing the user to test the correctness of parallelization during intermediate steps. Once assured of correct results, the user can remove these serial regions and further parallelize their code.
Debugging Support - SMS debug directives have been developed that significantly streamline model parallelization, reduce debugging time, and simplify code maintenance. These directives are used to verify that halo (ghost) region values are up to date, and to compare model variables for runs using different numbers of processors. If differences are found SMS displays the names of the variables, the array locations (e.g. the i, j, k index) and the corresponding values from each run, and then terminates execution. The ability to compare intermediate model values anywhere in the code has proven to be a powerful debugging tool during code parallelization. The effort required to debug and test a recent code parallelization was reduced from an estimated eight weeks down to two simply because the programmer did not have to spend inordinate amounts of time determining where the parallelization mistakes were made.
SMS provides a number of performance optimizations. The SMS run-time libraries have been optimized to speed inter-processor communications using techniques such as aggregation. Array aggregation permits multiple model variables to be combined into a single communication call to reduce message-passing latency. SMS also allows the user to perform computations in the halo region to reduce communications. High performance I/O is provided by SMS too. Since atmospheric models typically output forecasts several times during a model run, SMS can output these data asynchronous to model execution. This optimization can lead to significantly faster execution times.
Finally, SMS provides a variety of performance tuning options accessible at run-time via environment variables. These options can be used to configure the layout of processors to the problem domain, to designate the number of processors used to output decomposed arrays to disk, and to designate when decomposed arrays will be gathered and written to a single file, or written to separate output files by each process.
Recently, a performance comparison was done between the hand-coded MPI based version of the Eta model running operationally at NCEP on 88 processors, and the same Eta model parallelized using SMS. The MPI Eta model was considered a good candidate for fair comparison since it is an operational model used to produce daily weather forecasts for the U.S. National Weather Service and has been optimized for high performance on the IBM SP2. Fewer than 200 directives were added to the 19,000 line Eta model during SMS parallelization. Results of this study indicate nearly identical performance of these models on NCEP's IBM SP2. Additional performance comparisons are planned on other MPP systems.
The reader is encouraged to download SMS and use this freely available software. More information about SMS including software and documentation is available at:
Copper Mountain Multigrid Meeting[[ This announcement arrived recently. Note that we also ran an article on "MGnet" in issue #180 . ]]
The notes from the most recent of the Copper Mountain Multigrid meetings are now available on the web at:
The new materials available include two tutorials, one on the basics of multigrid solvers and another on cache based algorithms. Both are good introductions on how to improve your algorithms and programs to get better performance, both computationally and numerically.
Papers presented at the conference cover a broad range of topics, from theoretical consideration of the multigrid algorithm, example applications to problems, and actual implementation issues specific to particular platforms. One paper also describes "Funding Opportunities in Computational and Numerical Mathematics at the NSF."
Maintaining Multiple Kerberos Caches
Several ARSC users and staff authenticate at more than one site, perhaps at ERDC and ARSC. This creates the problem that kinit overwrites the existing kerberos ticket each time. Going back and forth with ktelnet means running kinit over and over.
One solution is to maintain separate ticket cache files for each site.
kinit checks the value of the environment variable "KRB5CCNAME" for the name of the cache to use, and thus, by switching it, you can easily maintain multiple caches.
Here's an example of shell aliases that simplify switching between two ticket caches. (These are for the korn shell, but csh users should be able to modify them.)
alias \ ccerdc='export KRB5CCNAME=/tmp/krb5_erdc' \ ccarsc='export KRB5CCNAME=/tmp/krb5cc_xdm_0' \ cclist='CCTEMP=$KRB5CCNAME;ccarsc;print "\n*****\n";klist;print "\n*****\n";ccerdc;klist;KRB5CCNAME=$CCTEMP;print "\n***** Current: $KRB5CCNAME\n"'
To use, type "ccerdc" before you kinit at ERDC, and then again before trying to ktelnet to ERDC (if there's been an intervening "ccarsc"). Similarly, type "ccarsc" before you kinit at ARSC. "cclist" reports the status of both caches and tells you which is current.
Sample Usage:
sgi$ ccerdc sgi$ kinit email@example.com sgi$ ccarsc sgi$ kinit firstname.lastname@example.com sgi$ krlogin somehost.arsc.edu sgi$ ccerdc sgi$ krlogin -l nameuser somehost.wes.hpc.mil> sgi$ ... sgi$ ... etc... sgi$ ... sgi$ cclist ***** Ticket cache: /tmp/krb5cc_xdm_0 Default principal: email@example.com Valid starting Expires Service principal 05/03/01 12:31:32 05/03/01 22:31:22 email@example.com 05/03/01 12:45:56 05/03/01 22:31:22 email@example.com ***** Ticket cache: /tmp/krb5_erdc Default principal: email@example.com Valid starting Expires Service principal 05/03/01 13:27:44 05/03/01 23:27:29 email@example.com ***** Current: /tmp/krb5_erdc
Note that if you lock your local workstation screen, you'll need to authenticate with the current site, whichever it is, to get back in.
Quick-Tip Q & A
A:[[ My Fortran code reads from an unformatted input file (originally [[ written on a Cray T3E). Now I'm attempting to run it on a Cray SV1 [[ and it stops with, [[ [[ "A READ operation tried to read past the end-of-file" [[ [[ What should I do next? What's wrong?
Unformatted files can be faster, and (often, though certainly not always) smaller than unformatted files. However, their biggest drawback is nonportability. The term "unformatted" is a bit misleading. When you specify unformatted, the values aren't "without format", they're formatted in a very specific way. You're basically telling the machine to output numbers with a minimum of alterations from their native binary images. Thus, even machines from the same vendor can have different "unformatted" formats -- as do the T3E and SV1.
The important thing here, however, is that even while the "unformatted" formats are different between the machines, this won't necessarily produce a run-time error.
In many cases a read statement can happily load the strings of bits into variables, producing something entirely incorrect. Thus, if the number of records is read in from a header it could contain an absurd value, causing the loop not to terminate when it should resulting in the error message above.
In general, unformatted files are only recommended in cases where I/O is a bottleneck to performance. If large-scale I/O only occurs in a pre- or post-processing stage and portability (for the data or the code) is desired, formatted I/O should be used.
That said, the Cray "assign" statement for Fortran programs, or FFIO for C programs can be used to convert many unformatted files at run time. For more, see man assign , the article on Safer Assignment in issue 192 ( /arsc/support/news/t3enews/t3enews192/index.xml ), or man intro_ffio Q: I wanted to share one data file with my group, so I did this: chmod g+r ~/FunnelWort/19930201/data001 I know, I must also chmod all subdirectories in the path. This is a pain. I often forget this step, and the only way I know to do it is one directory at a time: chmod g+rX ~/FunnelWort/19930201/ chmod g+rX ~/FunnelWort chmod g+rX ~ (Using "chmod -R" is not an option, as I don't want to share everything.) Is there a better way to give group access to a file down the directory tree?
[[ Answers, Questions, and Tips Graciously Accepted ]]
Current Editors:
E-mail Subscriptions:
Ed Kornkven ARSC HPC Specialist ph: 907-450-8669 Kate Hedstrom ARSC Oceanographic Specialist ph: 907-450-8678 Arctic Region Supercomputing Center University of Alaska Fairbanks PO Box 756020 Fairbanks AK 99775-6020
Subscribe to (or unsubscribe from) the e-mail edition of the
ARSC HPC Users' Newsletter.
Back issues of the ASCII e-mail edition of the ARSC T3D/T3E/HPC Users' Newsletter are available by request. Please contact the editors.


text:
One Bedroom in Perfect Location
מספר אנשים מקסימלי3
חדרי שינה1
גודל30 מטר רבוע
Floor No.
- מתאים גם למשפחות/ ילדים
- מטבח
- מיזוג אוויר
- טלויזיה
- חדר הניתן לנעילה
- מגבות
- אינטרנט/ אינטרנט אלחוטי
Accommodation summary
|R. Leopoldo Miguez, 22060-020 Rio de Janeiro, ברזיל
|סוג נכס
|פרטי הזיהוי של מקום הלינה
This one bedroom apartment is only 370 meters from the sand of Copacabana beach. This is great for a couple or a small group of three people looking for have a good time in the marvelous city of Rio de Janeiro. It's perfectly located, Copacabana neighborhood has everything you may need for a perfect stay in Rio de Janeiro: beach, restaurants, stores, supermarkets, banks, cinema, travel agencies (for tours), laundry services, etc..
It's a residential building located on a quiet street with no bus traffic. The apartment is located, near bus stops and a metro station. Taxis are always nearby. Public transportation is great; you can go wherever you want.
The apartment was renovated a few months ago, with all electrical and hydraulic installations changed.
There is an equipped kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, electric skillet, hot plate, toaster etc.
The bedroom has one full-size bed, LCD TV with a package of sattelite channels including various European channels, air conditioning, and closet. Bed and bath linen included.
In the living room you are going to find a ceiling fan and a small sofa, which opens up to two single mattresses.
The optional hammock can be used in the bedroom or the living room.
Internet Wifi is available for internet access, but you need to bring your own mobile device(s).
If you are looking for a cozy, clean apartment, where you can relax and recharge your batteries after a long day of sightseeing or at the beach, this is your place.
Check-in and check-out times are flexible, if there isn't another check-in or check-out in the same day.
כללי הביתResidential building.
Check-in and check-out times are flexible, if there isn't another check-in or check-out in the same day.
If you do not inform us the approximate time of your check-in and check out, we will assume that the check-in will be after to 2PM and the check out before 11AM. In this case we will be accepting reservations at the same day of your check in/out based on this assumption.
If you need a early check-in or a late check out, let us know before, so we can do our best to attend your needs.
|מחיר ליותר מ-2 אורחים
|מקסימום לילות
|1 month
|Check-in before
|עזיבה לפני
|מדיניות ביטולים
Ich kann den anderen positiven Bewertungen nur zustimmen. Es ist bei Bob und Angelica klar zu merken, dass es eben keine Firma ist, die dieses Apt. vermietet, sondern sie beide. Ich war sehr zufrieden, werde auf jeden Fall wieder hierherkommen. Würde es 6 Sterne geben, hier wären sie angebracht!
Excelente experiência. O apartamento é muito bem localizado, muito organizado e bem cuidado. Os anfitriões tem um cuidado, cordialidade e atenção incríveis, se preocuparam com cada detalhe pra que a estadia fosse perfeita.
Wij hebben absoluut geen spijt van deze keuze en zouden de volgende keer weer hiervoor kiezen. Het appartement was tip top en erg schoon. Het is altijd afwachten of alles wel bevalt maar vanwege de eerdere positieve beoordelingen wilde wij het hier wel proberen (ipv hotel). Vooral de gastvrijheid en de hulp van Bob en Angelica maakte voor ons een groot verschil. Het appt. lag op een prima locatie en voelde ook zeer veilig aan, kan het zeker iedereen aanraden.
hier wil ik graag iets over zeggen hoe goed dat het was !!!
zeer proper en bob en angelice zijn super mensen bezord gedienstig gewoon TOP.
ik ga zeker weer alleen als ik bij hun kan .
ik reis veel dat is het beste wat ik al zag !!!!
dank je bob en angelice voor alles .
groeten carlo
Excelente experiência. Anfitriões muito simpáticos, flexíveis e prestativos. O apartamento é exatamente como anunciado, bem limpo, confortável.
Já estou recomendando aos amigos!
חוות דעת על מקומות לינה אחרים שמציע/ה מארח/ת זה/זו
The Apartment and its location are Perfect, the apartment is large with 2 nice bedrooms, Air Conditioning is available in all main rooms, The Apartment is Located on one of the main streets in Ipanema. Restaurants, Supermarket, other shops and the new Metro are just a minute away. Both Copacabana and Ipanema Beach are a few blocks away. Bob was very helpful. Thanxx
Hey guys,
I visited rio for the first time with 2 friends. Bob and angelica were simply amazing. From day one when I contacted them, they managed to answer my questions and concerns very promptly. The day I landed, bob was there in front of the building waiting to greet me in person. He went over with me about the Dos and Donts in Rio. Very clean place and EXTREMELY well located. There is a supermarket right next the bundling as well as a bank, a bus station and a metro station. I couldn't be happier about that trip, met amazing locals that made this vacation very special.
I highly recommend this place. As far as activities, I recommend of course The christ, dois irmaos hike, vidigal favela, hang gliding over rio and of course ipanema and copacabana beach ( 4 minute walk from the place ).
We were in Rio, Ipanema, the first two weeks of February,
First of all the apartment rooms were great and as good as they are stated on this page, no bull, no exaggeration, simply perfect!
The location of our apartment was perfect, we were near both Ipanema beach and Copacabana beach, which was great! Imagine you live right on the border between two great beaches, and you only have a 5 minutes walk from each.
Furthermore we lived right above an Italian bakery, which was great for our breakfast needs, simply walk down the stairs and voila, you have yourself a big variety of choices for your breakfast.
Right next to the bakery, there is a supermarket, a small one, but it sufficed our needs, also.
We have only good things to say about the owners Bob and Angelica.
When we arrived, he met us at the apartment, and right away explained which locations in Rio simply is a MUST to visit.
We were also in need of cell-phone sim cards, which Bob with no further obstacles brought us, since Brazil is a country which demands of you to register, (this takes 1-2 weeks...).
We recommend this apartment, since we only had positive experiences, while staying.
We thank you, Bob, for everything!
Also, if you are in need of a taxi driver, who charges you less than normal taxi drivers, then Helbert, he is a great and positive guy, who is very flexible when it comes to arrangements, even in the weekends.
His number and e-mail is (21) 99947-2209, firstname.lastname@example.com
(If You want to visit the favellas, then call Helbert and ask for Helios)
Bob and Angelica are very friendly and we get usefull informations about the appartment and about our stay in Rio. The appartment was very, very nice and clean. We felt well there and had a very good time. We love it!
Siham and Jamila
- הבטחת איכות מקומות הלינה
- כל מארח מאושר טלפונית
- תשלום מאובטח


text:
Next Level Lab
I know there are lots post on here about labs and how to set one up. However I want to work on a next level lab.
So at the moment I am using De-ice disk DVWA and all the other great resources on the net.
What I want to do is build lab more inline with a real system so for example building a lab based on S2ME(small to medium enterprise)
I was looking at GNS3 has anyone had experience with this ?
How are your labs setup any recommendation ?
I'm an InterN0T'er


text:
Isn't it just gonna be wonderful?
Welcome to the Quilting Board!
Isn't it just gonna be wonderful?
My initials are BB, so dublb is double B.
Your quilt is going to be very pretty.
I mostly work on individual blocks and put them together but this limits pattern selection a little.
I'm starting to tackle patterns that need to be put together as a complete top to see the pattern (if that makes sense) so these get quilted in rows then put together ..... kind of like "flip and sew". I think Jenniky shared one of these methods previously.
Enjoy the learning process of QAYG. Once you master it, you'll love it !!
Life's More Fun with a Doxie !!
Have a Great Day !
Vicki G
Looking forward to learning a new technique Jenniky. Love your latest design.
Life's More Fun with a Doxie !!
Have a Great Day !
Vicki G
Happy Easter everyone. Enjoying Easter weekend... back to work on Quilting next week. Taking me a lot longer to prep this tutorial than the others I've done so bare with me.
Have an awesome day!
Just and update. Im still working on piecing the top for the tut. I ran out of materials to make the quilt top design I had planned so Im working on shifting the pieces now to make a one row smaller quilt using what I have available. Definitely need a cheering section as I move along on this project. Definitely not as fun as the first QAYG tutorial. Guess I best get to it this morning..
Have an awesome day!
Oh Jenni! It is so frustrating when you have a plan and things don't work out the way you want. We are looking forward to what you have for us to learn. When you are ready to post, we will be waiting!
Go Jenni, go jenni, gojenni, gojennigojennigojenni! Ya can do it.
My initials are BB, so dublb is double B.
Jenni, you can do it. Slow and steady wins the race.


text:
Here I am. at last I can attend to my first PDC. I'm in L.A. since friday night and it's been only action here… Tim huckaby's party was so cool, met with almost all the attending RD fellows… A little bit far from LA (Carlsbad, CA) but really worth it!!. To finish the night, my friends Reymarx and Christian took me into a very nice electronic party, wich included "Sasha", one of the most relevant D.J. today.. Yesterday we had our RD private side meeting, covering many important issues, currently under NDA but let me tell you that there are many new amazing things coming from Microsoft in different areas. I'm just waitting the related official announcements..
Last night the party was @ Figeroa hotel, a very nice morrocan style hotel, we enjoyed a nice meal and a Very nice belly dancing performed by two lovely ladies :D.
Right now @ PDC keynote we've just received the official name of the new family of Windows Cloud Services: Windows Azure, providing the foundation infrastructure and services for SAS and S+S apps. This PDC looks very interesting and exciting.
Ricardo Gonzalez Vargas
Senior Software Development Consultant
Microsoft Most Valuable Professional
BLOG: http://www.msmvps.com/rgonzalez


text: In a recent U.S News and World Report article,Alice Rivlin, former founding director of the Congressional Budget Office and the former director of Pres. Clinton's Office of Management and Budget warned that the rising federal debt is going to be "a real tsunami if we don't get ahead of it." Putting the federal budget back in balance without stalling a still-fragile economy, she notes, is a huge challenge. We can start, Rivlin says, by trimming outmoded federal programs and increasing revenue over the long term by raising the retirement age for Social Security and means-testing Medicare benefits. As she and others have noted, however, we can't get out of this problem without doing both spending cuts, especially slowing the growth of entitlement, and tax increases. In short, reducing the federal debt will require the political courage to cut spending and increase taxes. Recently, Janet Ryan, a member of the Fresno Unified School District Board and a member of the Concord Coalition sat down with Robert Bixby, Executive Director of the Concord Coalition; and Stefan Bryd-Krueger, Youth Outreach Coordinator for the Concord Coalition to discuss the strategies and options to reduce the federal deficit. What are our options—and do we have the political courage to do what it takes to do what it will take to reduce the federal deficit?


text:
Why I failed OSCP...
I finished my Bachelor Degree in Computer Science in 1999. Since then, I have spent most of my time has a web application developer to eventually became a Java application architect. I have also been a database administrator on Oracle SQL-Server and MySQL. Finally, I have been a business analyst (I hate this job), a team lead, a project manager and even an assistant director (4 month replacement)!
After school, I never stop studying. I started a Master in Computer Science (Distributed Algorithms) that I didn't finish (2 babies arrived in the middle of it...). I own 3 certifications: Project Management Professional (PMP), GSEC and CEH.
I started my own company more than 3 years ago. I now do consulting as a Java system architect.
All that to say that I am not 17 years old (I am 34!) and I am very serious when I start something.
IT Security path
After 10 years as a web apps developer, I needed another challenge. I was hesitating between 3 things: 1) IT Sec, 2) Developing my own application and 3) become a full time woodworker and build kitchen cabinets! (I am currently building mine...). I gave myself a full year to investigate these three options. But after 6 months, it became clear to me that: 1) I L-O-V-E It Sec!!, 2) After 3 prototypes of applications (2 XBox 360 games and a web app scanner) --> postpone in the future, 3) Woodworking will be my hobby. So go for IT Sec!
Although I always was interested in IT Security, I really started to study this topic in February 2009. And up to August 2009, I was more "poking" around to find out if I really wanted to do that. Defcon 17 (July/August 2009) was a revelation to me! So since then, I have spent an enormous amount of time studying. And by that, I mean an average of 2 hours a day for a full year! To me, this isn't work, it is a game! I love it!
I studied for CEH and GSEC more or less at the same time. I wrote both exams with only 8 days between the two (January 2010). After that, I started Penetration testing With Backtrack (PWB) in March of this year.
Penetration testing With Backtrack (PWB)
What a great course! Nothing compares to this. Really, this is the best way for me to learn. Period. This forum is full of reviews about this course and my post is becoming quite long, so I will keep it short. I would give a 95% mark to this great and excellent course.
Preparation for the OSCP exam
I have been through the PWBv3 videos 3 times.
The first time, I just sat down, relaxed and enjoy all the information coming at me. My goal was to get an overview of all the material.
Then, I did all the "normal" exercises. I went in the lab and hack my way into something like 8 machines. Things were becoming tougher, so I decided to go through the videos again.
The third time I watched the videos, I did all the "Extra Mile" exercises, read the 400 page long PDF (many things aren't in the videos!) and hack a total of 18 machines, including pivoting into other subnets. I also took a total of 120 days of lab time!!!
I this point, I had learned a gigantic amount of stuff. I became good I writing Python scripts and I developed my own pen testing methodology. At the end, I was randomly choosing a machine in the lab and I could hack it in about 2 hours (my last 6 targets took me about 2 hours each). So I figured it was time for me to challenge the OSCP exam.
OSCP: First attempt
I cannot say anything regarding the exam, but my own vision of it is that it is much tougher than the machines in the lab. In the lab, the Offensive Security team says that there is always at least 2 different ways of pawning a box. Maybe it is not the case for the exam? I can't tell. Also, I never spent more than 5 or 6 hours strait in the lab. In the exam, after 20 hours, you start to make stupid mistakes... But anyway, I got a mark of 60% (you need 70% to pass!).
OSCP: Second attempt
I then realize that I needed more tools in my toolbox. So right after this exam, I focused big time on what I had missed. By far the biggest thing was privilege escalation. So I spent a lot of time on this. Than a little bit more than 2 weeks after the first attempt, I tried it again.
After 45 minutes into this second exam, I already had 60 points (I let you make the relation with the first attempt...). So first, I was a bit disappointed to get a "similar" exam. Than I though that I would go for 100%. But after 24 intense hours of hard work, I failed it again... Mark: 60%.
My first failure was tough to take, but this one was very difficult. Other than OSCP, I failed 2 exams in my entire life (1 at the university, and CEH because I studied the wrong material...)! I spent 16 hours trying to convert a shell into root/admin and couldn't do it! At this point, I was ready to give up on OSCP...
OSCP: Third attempt
Two months and a half after the second attempt, I gave it a third try. After three times, even if you get a 100% mark, you would still have a bitter taste in your mouth. So between the second and the third attempt, I read my scans 20 times, installed new VMs in my lab and added more tools in my toolbox. Believe me, you can ask me any questions related to the course material and I would know the answer. In addition, I have practice them all many times.
So I got my exam yesterday morning and it was tougher! Only one of my previous tricks worked and after 9 hours, I only had 10 points. So I stopped and call it a day.
My personal opinion
• PWBv3 is an excellent course, close to being perfect. But the certification exam requires you to know (and master!) way more than what is in the course. I would say the course, including the lab and the exercises covert about 60% of the exam. Again, this is my personal subjective opinion!
• I don't think the exam is faithful representation of a real pen test for many reasons: 1) You can't use a vulnerability scanner; 2) You can only use Metasploit once and can't use Core Impact, etc; 3) You cannot do reconnaissance; 4) Many old and vulnerable services are installed but hardened in the backend. This creates many dead-ends; 5) No firewalls/IDS/IPS blocks you (good for students but not real-life...); 6) You have to do everything in 24 hours
• Also, if I was doing a real pen test, I am pretty sure I would have done a very good job! I mean when you have a shell or you are able the dump the backend database, crash an application or even just show exploits for vulnerable services, you have already done a lot! In real life, you don't get half the points for "only" having a shell...
• The course lacks two things: 1) Privilege escalation techniques and 2) Penetration testing methodology. Otherwise, great course!
• The lab machines are easier to hack then the one in the exam. Again, my humble opinion.
• This great certification should maybe be separated from the course. So anyone could go straight to the exam if they are already experts. This way, if the course doesn't teach you everything you need to know, then it is ok.
• People with a server admin background are definitively starting way ahead of network and developers...
Bottom line
Although failing exams is never a good feeling, I am not frustrated at all. I have learned so much. I don't have the certification, but I got knowledge now, which will help me continue in this field. After all, my ultimate goal is not doing a pen test of networks, but to pen test web applications. So I will probably continue on my learning path and move on from OSCP. I may give it a try in a few years, but for now, I need to move on.
Thanks for reading this rather long post!
(aka H1t.M0nk3y)


text:
Sweet Potato Zucchini Loaf
Sweet Potato Zucchini Loaf
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
tsp baking powder
tsp salt
1 cup sugar
cp vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tblp. vanilla
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated sweet potato
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat convection oven to 325 degrees
Butter and flour a 9X5 loaf pan
Sift flours, cinnamon, baking soda and powder, and salt together 3 times and reserve in separate bowl
Combine in another bowl the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla.
Combine grated zucchini and sweet potato into sugar egg mixture
Add sifted flour mixture and pecans to wet ingredients
Pour batter into greased loaf pan
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and test with toothpick
Cook for another 15 minutes if necessary and retest
Cool bread in pan for 20 minutes
Invert onto cooling rack and let cool to room temp
Wrap in foil and serve next day


text:
Young Hillary tried to enlist in the Marines
posted at 11:31 am on March 26, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Turns out this is old — really old — news, but it was new to me when I saw it at Politico.
I'm surprised they didn't take her. She certainly looked the part.
Anyone out there a subscriber to TNR? I'm intrigued by the claims of her hawkishness during the Clinton administration, but alas the article is behind a firewall. If you've got a copy, I'd be grateful if you sent it along.
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Breaking on Hot Air
Students demand UCLA allow conservative communications professor to keep teaching
Mayor of Paris condemns 'non-mixed' festival for black women only
R. Lee Ermey would've ran her into the ground. Hell, he still could (and IMHO, should).
News to me, too. Thanks for the chuckle.
AtomicAmish on March 26, 2007 at 11:40 AM
I dunno. Sounds like more of the "I always had a dream of being an Olympic athlete" and "I was named for Sir Edmund Percival Hillary" crap she delivers from time to time. She was speaking at a luncheon to honor women in the military. She just re-packages herself to try to fit into whatever crowd is in front of her. I would have to see documentation before I would even believe a word of it. I think it's a load of hooey.
lan astaslem on March 26, 2007 at 11:43 AM
I blogged about it, a while back, but this is more information than I'd ever seen about it.
amerpundit on March 26, 2007 at 11:45 AM
Way back when Bill was running for President or maybe right after he got elected when some disparging things about his draft dodging came up this story came out. It was debunked back then also since Madame Hillary seems to be a bit fuzzy on the details and couldn't even remember where the supposed recruiting station was that she went to talk to a recruiter. It is a phony story like so much of what makes up the Clintons. It never happened and if you go back to some news stories circa 1990 give or take a year or two, but it was the early 90's I believe. you will probably find some mention of it. I lived through it and I don't care how "hawkish" or proe military she tries to appear the only role she has found for the military is to be her servants.
LakeRuins on March 26, 2007 at 11:46 AM
The ACLU was looking to plant a mole! That is the ONLY explainantion that makes any sense.
dallas94 on March 26, 2007 at 11:49 AM
And I'm the great great great great great great great grandson of Jesus.
tomk59 on March 26, 2007 at 11:51 AM
Aww I should have read the article you linked to. Yes it appears that the purpose of the Marine story was to A) Use the military as the villian and B) Promote a feminist viewpoint.
1994 huh, I thought it was earlier then that oh well that's what happens when you get older.
LakeRuins on March 26, 2007 at 11:55 AM
I'm skeptical of this whole story and it reminds me of her Olympic athlete tale, but her line about the conversation with the Marine recruiter not being an "encouraging" one is good for a laugh. It's so like a liberal's way of thinking. If you stop by a Marine's office looking for encouragement, you've stopped by the wrong office.
Bryan, I couldn't agree with you more.
Catie96706 on March 26, 2007 at 12:03 PM
Bryan on March 26, 2007 at 12:00 PM
In my beloved Corps, it is often said that "sympathy" can only be found in the dictionary; somewhere in-between "$h!+" and "syphilis". Ooo-raaaahhhh!!!
Kid from Brooklyn on March 26, 2007 at 12:04 PM
lt. watada.
jummy on March 26, 2007 at 12:05 PM
Don't completely discount the story. I've heard that- believe it or not- she actually worked in the 1964 Goldwater campaign. If so, it is the only thing she and I have in common. She 'cut and ran' then, for sure; probably- like now- being on the winning side is all that mattered to her.
Mike O on March 26, 2007 at 12:11 PM
Lot's of folks aspire to be Marines, few try, fewer more make it. I'm glad she isn't one of us.
End Note: She was born that way.
Alden Pyle on March 26, 2007 at 12:16 PM
She might have been a great Marine. Not because of any skills she has or the work it takes, but simply because of that face Allah always attaches to the Hillary! posts… I see that thing landing on a beach near me, and I retreat for higher ground. Of course, other Marines would run too. So you would have a Sauron effect… a circle of no man's land around her, people running out of the way, and every so often some men flying in the air (why, I don't know, but it completes the effect).
Wineaholic on March 26, 2007 at 12:21 PM
I see that thing landing on a beach near me, and I retreat for higher ground. Of course, other Marines would run too. So you would have a Sauron effect… a circle of no man's land around her, people running out of the way, and every so often some men flying in the air (why, I don't know, but it completes the effect).
budorob on March 26, 2007 at 12:23 PM
Damn, Wineaholic beat me to it. I was coming in to make say about the same.
Well played…
Bad Candy on March 26, 2007 at 12:32 PM
Being a member of the military is a lot like being a virgin. Either you are or you aren't. No one cares to hear the particulars of you situation. By the way I was almost a (insert occupation here), just couldn't (insert excuse here).
SPIFF1669 on March 26, 2007 at 12:32 PM
So what happened to the thick glasses or were they just a prop to make her more like her idols in the Weathermen?
Now that is a research project. Glasses in 1974 and then they disappear and apparentely long before laser eye surgery was available.
LakeRuins on March 26, 2007 at 12:33 PM
Hillary didn't try to join the Marines… she smeared the Marines with an anecdotal lecture about how they wouldn't take her because she was a woman.
Hillary didn't try to join the Marines… she smeared the Marines with an anecdotal lecture about how they wouldn't take her because she was a woman.
Well they do try to discourage lesbians from joining the Corps.
Maybe that is what she is refering to.
1sttofight on March 26, 2007 at 12:47 PM
Hillary, tried to join the Marines, a move prompted by the former first couple's "love" of the military, the duo claimed in 1994.
"Gee, now it was probably 19 years ago – 1975," Hillary told a network TV interviewer in June 1994, according to a transcript of her comments as they were rebroadcast on the old Rush Limbaugh TV show.
"I decided that I was very interested in having some experience in serving in some capacity in the military," she explained.
Her husband then interjected helpfully, "Because we all love the military so much."
Mrs. Clinton proceeded to detail the story of the day she tried to enlist:
"So I walked into our local recruiting office, and I think it was just my bad luck that the person who happened to be there on duty could not have been older than 21, was in perfect physical shape.
"So I sat down and I said, you know, I wanted to explore. I didn't know whether I thought active duty would be a good idea, reserve – you know, maybe National Guard, something along those lines.
"I was already a lawyer. I thought there were some roles I could perform, and I was going on and on, you know, trying to justify my existence. And this young man looked at me and he said, 'How old are you?'
"I said, Well, 27."
Hillary then described his reaction:
"He looked at me, and in those days that was before I learned how to wear contact lenses. I had these really thick glasses on.
"He said, 'How bad's your eyesight?' I said, 'It's pretty bad'. … And he said, 'How bad?' So I told him. He said, 'That's pretty bad.'
"And he finally said to me – he said, 'You're too old. You can't see. And you're a woman.' And then he went on – and since this is the birthday of the Army, I will tell you what the rest that he said was – this man – young man was a Marine. He said, 'But maybe the dogs would take you.'"
The former first lady says she then thought, "This is not a very encouraging conversation, so maybe I'll look for another way to serve my country."
Yeah, I'm agreeing with DANEgerus. I'll bet it was a political stunt… sort of like a gay couple applying for a wedding license in a state where it is known to be illegal.
DaveS on March 26, 2007 at 12:49 PM
Can Der Hilderbeast open her mouth without lying?
No, I mean this seriously.
She couldn't pick the Navy or the Air Force, especially not the Coast Guard, all three being services where a serious woman in the postion depicted would have a serious chance of serving her country, no, she picke the US Marine Corps.
Well, when she wasn't marching with Dr. Martin Luther King, who was not exactly a supporter of our military.
The fact that there are so many who cannot see through this obvious and blatant pathological liar is the worrisome part of the equation.
The Machine on March 26, 2007 at 12:52 PM
"Hungering for greatness, nourished only by the gruel of mediocrity…"
The Machine on March 26, 2007 at 12:54 PM
Maybe a Marine can answer this for me. Doesn't every recruit have to be expert at the range? Therefore if her eyes were "that bad", then that recruiter did her a favor by telling her to take a hike. On the other hand if did she become a Marine, then maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't be the weasel and liar she is today.
JohnnyD on March 26, 2007 at 1:02 PM
Albany Times Union reported
Police unit was spit at and called names as they carried flags at Democratic convention
Members of the Albany Police Department Honor Guard were harassed and spit on by a few people as they carried flags into Tuesday's Democratic state convention at Pepsi Arena, officials said.
President Bill Clinton attended the ceremony as state Democrats unanimously nominated Hillary Rodham Clinton as their U.S. Senate candidate.
The five-member honor guard, which is made up of Albany police officers, told authorities that some people in the crowd of 11,500 Democratic supporters called them "Nazis" and "members of (New York City Mayor Rudolph) Giuliani's 'Third Reich.' "
The incidents allegedly took place on the floor of the arena, where only delegates carrying passes were allowed access, officials said.
Yeah… Hillary wanted to be a Marine… just like she wanted to be an Astronaut
Newsday reported "Politics wasn't first on list of NY Sen. Clinton's career picks"
"So I wrote to NASA and said, 'How do I sign up to be an astronaut?"' she said. "And they wrote back very politely and said, 'We don't take girls."
Different institution… same lie.
Oh yeah, and Allah…that is one hideous picture. Thanks.
JohnnyD on March 26, 2007 at 1:05 PM
The other point is since she was already a lawyer a lot of the other requirements required of an average Joe walking in off the street is waived. Doctors and lawyers are handled differently by the services. One big difference I know is the height and weight requirement. Her eye sight would have been no issue for somebody who wanted to practice law in the military.
LakeRuins on March 26, 2007 at 1:06 PM
Okay, big guy, that's enough of your bullsh*t, UGLY stereotypes. MOST of my fellow WM's ('Women Marines', for the uninitiated) were pretty damn fine lookin' Jarheads in addition to being pretty damn smart. (one needs to hit an elevated intelligence score to even qualify for Marine Corps aviation electronics training) Tim Blair was even kind enough to nickname me 'Military Spice' (I *heart* Tim) when he posted this pic of me and major dad on the tarmac at El Toro. (loading CH-53E's into C-5's headed to Saudi for Gulf War I)
So back off the bulldog mugshot analogies, or I'll kick your ass. And then let all my girlfriends know what you said.
tree hugging sister on March 26, 2007 at 1:10 PM
Hillary had considered joining the Marines back in high school, but a quick focus group showed it wouldn't help her one day be elected President.
saint kansas on March 26, 2007 at 1:11 PM
This woman is so full of it.
I saw this story years ago and didn't believe it for a second.
She also claimed she was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who scaled Mount Everest about eight years after she was born.
JammieWearingFool on March 26, 2007 at 1:16 PM
Do we have any evidence of this incident actually happening besides Hillary and Bill saying that it did? Because you'd have a hard time coming up with two less credible witnesses. I call bullsh*t.
ReubenJCogburn on March 26, 2007 at 1:19 PM
Amen,TreeHuggingSister. During my time in the Corps, I myself dated many "fine lookin'WM's "– although we were just as likely to refer to them as BAM's,heh,heh .Besides being good-looking, they had the added advantage of having character and brains.
By the way, checked out your picture.You look pretty fine yourself, Sister. Semper Fi.
tomk59 on March 26, 2007 at 1:29 PM
Hillary tried to join the armed forces. (She was in China at the time.)
Picture of it here.
Was she wearing pant suits at that time also?
Were they even invented?
You are a gentleman and a scholar, tomk9. Thanks! (But that cheesecake pic comes with a disclaimer: many years and many cheesecakes ago {8^P)
Semper fi, Leatherneck!
tree hugging sister on March 26, 2007 at 2:08 PM
By the way I was almost a (insert occupation here), just couldn't (insert excuse here).
SPIFF1669 on March 26, 2007 at 12:32 PM
I was almost Morgan Fairchilds husband I just couldn't get her to answer any of my lettes.
She's probably lying, but then again recruiters are trained to weed out commies trying to infiltrate my beloved Corps.
Aldo on March 26, 2007 at 2:33 PM
By the way I was almost a (insert occupation here), just couldn't (insert excuse here).
SPIFF1669 on March 26, 2007 at 12:32 PM
By the way, I was almost a Bond girl, but just couldn't stand the thought of touching a man.
thomashton on March 26, 2007 at 2:53 PM
And I'm the great great great great great great great grandson of Jesus.
tomk59 on March 26, 2007 at 11:51 AM
You too?!?! WoW! We are related.
Tim Burton on March 26, 2007 at 3:37 PM
I was *this close* to marrying Kelly Hu and playing 3rd base for the Red Sox. I for one, believe her!
Malpaso on March 26, 2007 at 4:27 PM
The Military and the CIA were never more neutered and less respected than under the 'two for one' presidency in the 90s. The consequences were/are obvious, for those not blind/blinded.
She was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, has Jewish heritage, is a Yankee fan, wanted to be an astronaut, a Marine, can speak with a Black accent, heck, she is Black…What's next is that she'll claim to have had eco-therapy in Santa Fe.
Though, her shrilly voice might have had applications in the Marines, who'll ever know…
Her eye sight would have been no issue for somebody who wanted to practice law in the military.
LakeRuins on March 26, 2007 at 1:06 PM
Incontestable. Don't let the media know.
Entelechy on March 26, 2007 at 4:36 PM
Heh, forgot…I wanted to file to run for president of the U.S.A. and they told me that I'm a naturalized citizen, a woman, and waaaaay too blunt. I'm calling the ACLU and NOW, now :)
Entelechy on March 26, 2007 at 4:39 PM
Though, her shrilly voice might have had applications in the Marines, who'll ever know…
Entelechy on March 26, 2007 at 4:36 PM
Using it to disperse crowds and jam enemy radar seems pretty feasible.
ReubenJCogburn on March 26, 2007 at 4:42 PM
I love this thread!
georgej on March 26, 2007 at 5:49 PM
Entelechy,you are a women???I thought you were too blunt for that. Heh.
tomk59 on March 26, 2007 at 9:55 PM
tomk59, only when provoked. I have a very sensitive side too (blunt from dad, softie/can blush from mom :)
Just read on Drudge that "Hillary, in effect, has been practicing her salute".
The image of that makes me laugh uncontrollably. That it's all in vain, is even sweeter.
Entelechy on March 26, 2007 at 10:05 PM
Hey Entelechy. Good to see someone besides me cruisin' in the waters close to shore at this hour.I enjoy your posts, keep 'em coming. And Hillary always makes me laugh — except when she pisses me off.
tomk59 on March 26, 2007 at 10:49 PM
tomk59, thank you. I'm in North San Diego and most of HA sleeps when the evening is new here – evenings are best mostly for video-viewing, in-depth reading/analyzing…often the only time to hotair :)
Is there any time when she doesn't "piss" you off? The lady might be smart but her aloofness will 'kill' her chances.
2008 will be an incredibly interesting year. I'm actually very excited and optimistic. I even think the 2006 loss was not a bad thing at all – it exposes the Left for the nothingness and emptiness of ideas that they are. Leadership? The joke of this new century. The righties have much work ahead of them too. They need to regroup and fight really hard.
This fight is very much worth fighting for because very much is at stake, way beyond the desk/carpet in the Oval Office and who sleeps upstairs…and with whom/what, I might add.
Entelechy on March 26, 2007 at 11:33 PM
More on the young Hillary that I stumbled across at HuffPo: Hillary's First Encounter with a U.S. Black Senator — She Came Out Swinging and Strident in 1969.
I've heard about her angry commencement speech, but didn't know the details. She spoke after Mass Republican Senator Edward W. Brooke and unleashed on him. Brooke has just come out with a biography in which he retells the tale, and not to Hillary's advantage.
I guess what goes around, really does come around, even if it does take almost 40 years.
INC on March 26, 2007 at 11:37 PM
Entelechy-sorry it took so long to get back to this thread to see your reply, but someone on the "McConnell won't filibuster" thread decided to take some unwarranted and unnecessary shots at me,which alwayspisses me off .
While I agree with you that 2008 will be interesting,I don't know that I share your optimism. A nation whose people face as many challenges as we do, yet can't get 40% to show up to the polls, and those who do put the Democrats in, well, hard to get too excited about them.
Been to San Diego from my early days in the Corps –ITS at Camp Pendleton — and loved it. Beautiful place.
Back to your earlier point; you're absolutely right, it is worth the fight. Keep pluggin'.
tomk59 on March 27, 2007 at 12:09 AM
P.S. Entelechy — if after all this time people can't see how vacuous Hillary is, and if the Republicans needed to lose an election for everybody to figure out how out of touch the Democrats are, then there wasn't much point trying to explain it to them to begin with, was there?
tomk59 on March 27, 2007 at 12:25 AM
tomk59, my flight instructor was an officer from Camp Pendleton and his name was also Tom. I work just a bit South of there and drive by a lot, going to LA for work.
I'm not happy that the election was lost in Nov. but it turns out that I don't feel bad about it. The conservatives need to wake up, the voters and those who run. I believe the spectacle being put on by the children in power now will wake the public at large up too. Self-preservation/survival are strong instincts.
Fred Thompson inspires strength, looks/acts/speaks presidential and I think the independents will vote for him in droves (self being one of them). Nice chatting with you and thank you for your service. Regards,
Entelechy on March 27, 2007 at 1:42 AM
First time………….
"I'd put some ice on that……….."
PinkyBigglesworth on March 27, 2007 at 2:44 AM


text:
I distribute and sell hydroponic and homebrew supplies right now. I have reoccuring customers. Homebrew customers, typically monthly. Hydroponic customers, bi-weekly.
A guy who comes in bi-weekly for the hydro side always wears his 49er jacket. We got talking about the game, and I'm not being a ******. I'm at work. I'm trying to sell this guy stuff, and he ALWAYS makes a big order. Because he's a ****ing criminal, already.
I told him I wasn't surprised to see the game come down to special teams, but was surprised that the niners botched it on special teams. That it wasn't one guys mistake, but the eleven on the field at that time.
Luckily, my regional manager was in house at the time. The marine, who always carries a pistol on him. Because this same customer had a pistol on him, as well, and he drew it on me for simply making analysis of the game with him. All year long, I had been speaking about niners games, and how well they have been playing.
It's too bad that I won't be making 6,000 dollars worth of orders for him per month anymore. But it's also kind of good that I'm not dead. Especially since I have a super bowl to celebrate in another couple of weeks.
There are some pretty terrible fans out there.


text:
Life on the Farm in the Czech Republic
Trip Start Apr 25, 2007
17Trip End Oct 03, 2007
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The Czech Republic changes every year I visit. In 1990, I remember standing in line with my mother at a tiny shop that sold whatever it happened to have (a battery, a box of tissues, ten potatoes) because we heard they had bananas. After an hour and by the time we got up to the counter, the bananas were, of course, gone. Now we go grocery shopping by car to our choice of supermarkets, from Tesco to Aldi to Kaufland to Norma and buy almost anything we could want
My father came here to teach languages at the Economic University in Cheb, in the western part of the country near the German border. He bought a flat with his wife in the town of Karlovy Vary, or Karlsbad as the Germans call it. Karlovy Vary is one of those old spa towns that Europeans would flock to at the turn of the twentieth century to drink the waters and walk the forests. They still do, only now there are more Russians than anyone else. In the center of town there is a Communist era building housing a geyser of hot, stinky water, and all along the river people walk with cups in hand, filling them at the different fountains and sipping the supposedly curative liquids. He retired two years ago and bought a lovely old farm farther east, near Pilsen, in the little town of Brody.
Here in the villages you can still experience life as it once was. My father's house sits on ten acres directly adjacent to a 250 acre park
So, life here is the opposite of Spain: quiet, industrious (always something to do on the farm), and private. The remnants of a society that lived through Communism still remain, especially with the older generation in the villages. So although we trade clover for potatos and strawberries for walnuts, village neighbors don't come over for dinner or the spontaneous bottle of wine. A few years ago we built a brick barbeque and pizza oven, and one night we took the neighbors across the road a few of the pizzas. I think they didn't quite know how to respond, and although they are courteous and watch out for us, there won't be any rousing parties any time soon. Life takes on a different rhythm out here, and one of my favorite things to do is to walk up the road for a view of Brody in the evenings. All I can see for miles beyond the red tiled roofs are fields, forests, and the occasional large hare jumping over the road. My days are filled with cleaning out the barn, sanding benches, moving bricks, watching baby birds grow until they leave the nest, building bonfires and roasting sausages. Life on a farm in the Czech Republic........


text:
Inside Pitch: Playboy.com's Baseball Preview Part V
With spring training coming to close, we look at the final five teams looking to claw their way into the postseason.
In the finale of our baseball preview, we run down the teams who look to be more or less in the same place they were in 2011: somewhere near the top, fighting for a playoff spot.
Atlanta Braves
Sports have been unkind to the good people of Atlanta in recent years. Above average teams have made a habit of falling apart. It's the worst kind of thing to happen because it's unclear which pieces of the puzzle need to be replaced when the talent seems fine. The Braves' collapse late last September happened for no discernible reason other than bad luck, bad breaks and an untimely stretch of bad play. This is a good team, but they're on the cusp; their veterans are getting old but their youth are coming into their own. 2012 offers a small window when both can work and they'll need to take advantage of that.
Best Asset: A deep though largely untested rotation. Look out for: RF Jason Heyward/SP Julio Teheran. Strategy: Their lineup can still produce at a high level. They need to use that starting pitching depth wisely. If one piece isn't working, replace it; they'll need all the wins their starters can get. Projected Finish: 3rd in the NL East.
Minnesota Twins
To say the Twins had a down year in 2011 would be a bit of understatement; they finished last in a division that had but one team cross the finish line over .500. The problem the Twins face is the same one they've been facing for years; Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, their supposed power hitters, cannot stay healthy. When Mauer's on, he's on but Morneau's injuries appear to have gotten the best of him and it's unclear whether he'll ever be the player he was in 2008. The rest of the club is in decent shape, with a surprising sharp rotation in spite of a lack of name recognition. They can get on base and hypothetically score runs if they had some power guys to get them in.
Best Asset: A healthy Joe Mauer. Look out for: LF Josh Willingham. Strategy: Hold the line. This club is not as bad as it looks. If they get another solid year from Carl Pavano, an average year from Francisco Liriano and an exit visa for the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona, they could take advantage of a temporarily weak division. Projected Finish: 2nd in the AL Central.
San Francisco Giants
The injury to catcher Buster Posey really got in the Giants' heads last year. Their pitching fell apart, their lineup couldn't produce, the whole season came to standstill. Well he's back at 100 per cent and the two headed monster he creates alongside Pablo Sandoval could make problems for opposing pitchers. On the whole, this is a team built for National League small ball; their lineup is lightning fast with enough power to explode when necessary and their pitching staff won't surrender many runs. With the exception of Arizona, the rest of the West is retooling so this should be an easy division title.
Best Asset: Experienced, talented youth. Look out for: C Buster Posey/SP Ryan Vogelsong. Strategy: With all their speed, the Giants need to be aggressive on the base paths and play sound defensively. They'll need to keep scores close; if a game gets out of hand, they likely won't have enough going for them to catch up. Projected Finish: 1st in the NL West.
St. Louis Cardinals
We can talk about the Phillies big three being the best in the business but one through five the defending World Series champs have this pitching thing down pat. With Adam Wainwright coming back from injury and throwing like we know he can, the Cards should have no trouble keeping runs off the board. At the plate, they lost their most obvious asset in Albert Pujols and it's unlikely a 36 year old Lance Berkman will have a repeat of his outstanding 2012. But with David Freese showing his chops and Carlos Beltran on board, the Cards should still be able to produce runs albeit in not quite as showy a fashion as in years' past.
Best Asset: An all-around complete, even-keeled team. Look out for: 3B David Freese. Strategy: The NL Central has some stiff competition at the top but the Cards are a nice blend of youth and experience and coming off a World Series so they know the ropes and what it takes to get there. They'll have to work a little harder for runs in the absence of Pujols but it really shouldn't be a problem with rookies coming along and a few parts added. A Wild Card spot is the very least they can expect. Projected Finish: 2nd the NL Central.
Tampa Bay Rays
Pundits of the salary cap lose points every time the Rays win a game. The core of this team has been in place for a while and they've been able to win ball games and kick the tires on the postseason despite a baseline budget. As far as raw talent goes, their rotation just churns it out and they should benefit from the experience of catcher Jose Molina calling the games. They reenlisted Carlos Pena and Luke Scott to add some pop to a lineup that sometimes lacked it last season, so they should be in the thick of things again come October.
Best Asset: Any one of their starters. Look out for: SP Jeremy Hellickson/Matt Moore. Strategy: Don't be fooled by lack of big time contracts, this a fast, defensively sound team that will eat you up on errors and miscues. They can capitalize on weak pitching matchups (almost every team will be outmatched over a three game series) and score runs in a handful of different ways. No win will come cheap against Tampa. Projected Finish: 2nd in the AL East.


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Discover Honest Proven Secrets to Growing Your Hair From the Nape of Your Neck to the Center of Your Back in a Few Short Months
Have you been searching for a formula on how to grow african american hair long? Perhaps you have found many products which claim to be a miracle growth serum, but after giving it a try nothing really happened. You were still stuck and frustrated.
You see there is actually a formula to growing the hair longer, healthier and stronger. Not only is there a formula there are also special proven ingredients which actually dramatically increase the growth rate of the hair.
Everything you will read here will completely dispel the myths you have grown up believing. More importantly you will learn the real proven secrets to speeding up your hair growth while retaining the length.
It does not matter what texture of hair you have, you will learn what has been damaging your hair and what really promotes it. You will learn just why the black hair care industry is making a fortune keeping you in the dark about the real secrets to healthy long hair.
The Secret of how to grow african american hair will finally be unlocked. The information in this book will work for any hair type but its really written for women with very tightly coiled hair who have had allot of difficulty retaining length.
For years I wanted to grow my hair out. I wanted to see what longer hair would look like on me. Lets face it longer hair is always seen as more sexy, more versatile and just plain feminine. I really wanted that look. I did everything I thought was right. I weaved it, braided it, visited the stylist every single week and I conditioned it till it was limp. Yet nothing I did seemed to work. I even read many hair care books and even those did not give me the information that I needed.
Have you ever noticed that most hair care guides tell you allot about how to style your hair? There are chapters and chapters of information about the history of our hair and how to style it so it looks a particular way. In the end all you end up learning is about the new products on the market and how to use them to get a particular artificial look but few if any of them tell you what you really want to know. How to grow african american hair long?!
I don't promote any products. However I will teach you the real secret ingredients that took my short life less hair to long, full healthy hair.
The information that I really wanted to learn was how to grow my tightly coiled hair very long and I wanted the growth to be fast. I did not want to wait years and years to see results. Neither did I want to be in hot pursuit of the next miracle product. Whatever it was, it would soon be sitting in a basket under my bathroom sink; right along with all the other products that promised to grow my hair longer.
At times I wanted to give up and believe the myth that black hair does not grow long, until I saw a woman going by with full long healthy hair. The sort of hair that most people would say could not grow. I stopped her and we began to speak about hair. That conversation got me thinking, is it all just a sad myth? It has to be, because her hair was rich and long dispute her texture.
That one meeting got me thinking about the myth about black hair. I began to stop everyone I met with long healthy hair to find out what they knew but women are so secretive. So, I began to make it my duty to learn secrets to growing longer hair. Then I met an older woman with a long single silver braid down her back. I knew she had to have a few secrets and oh boy did she ever.
* I LOVED this hair book. I live in a town where there are few places to buy products for my hair. It's been a frustrating ordeal caring for my hair. When I read your hair book I immediately thought that I would need to buy some expensive product. It was easy to find the ingredients to the oil mix that you recommended. I loved it! It's been six weeks and everyone at work is asking me what I did to my hair. My hair has been at the same length for years. Now I have gained over an inch of new growth in just six weeks. I will soon try to send you a before and after picture of my hair.
Rita Garvy
Calgary, Canada
* Thank you, for all the good information. I read the e-book twice now. Thank you so much for all the help. I know now what I need to do to grow my hair long and keep it healthy. Thank you, Thank you. Thank you so much!! ---
Robbin Harris
* Hi Donna,
I am really interested in the part where you are about to talk about this oil regimen. I have increased my xxxx and i am taking everything you suggested. Its been a few days and already my hair is so very very soft. What you recommended is Amazing!
Thanks for your help,
* Hi Donna,
I have a few questions but before I ask you anything I want to tell you how much my hair is growing. I feel so optimistic about my goal. It's been a few weeks since I bought your book and already my hair is better than it has ever been. I read other books but your information is more solid....
Stephanie Davis
Experience Faster Healthier Growth
Did you know that the average hair growth is half an inch a month? Yes, this is the standard for all hair types, no matter what race you are or what hair type you have. If your hair grows half an inch a month then every year you should have at least six inches of growth. If your hair is growing six inches every year then in two years you should have twelve inches and in three years your hair should be eighteen inches long.
Is your hair growing six inches every year? If you answer no to this question then you are not alone. Like most black women you are probably clueless as to retain your growth.
There is a secret ingredient you can take which will sky rocket your hair growth. Forget about the standard half an inch. You can increase your growth rate by 3/4 to even one inch of growth a month. Even better you can get this sort of growth month after month when you learn this one little secret.
Get a secret oil mix that grew my hair extremely fast and also cured a bald spot and thinning hair line. You won't find it in your local beauty supply store, but I will show you where to get it. The results of this oil have been miraculous and I continue to use it and see results.
Get Softer more manageable hair that's easy to handle no matter what texture hair you have.
Discover why most beauticians will never want you to know these secrets to growing longer hair. Most of them don't even know the secrets themselves and some would go out of business if you learned these secrets and began to use them.
I discovered an amazing product many celebrities are taking to boost their hair growth really fast. I got excited by the rave reviews and the before and after pictures. It's very, very effective. Its been written about in top magazines and many people can attest to really seeing unusually faster growth. It also enhances the texture of the hair. However it can easily be sold for over one hundred dollars. I will show you the ingredients and teach you an alternative method that is just as effective. You will love this!
Learn the one myth about water that may be badly stunting your growth. You can't afford not to know this secret. It's affecting your hair growth now and it will continue until you learn the truth.
Extend your time between relaxers while softening and protecting your new growth; Using this wonderful powdered conditioner found in the Asian market. It has helped me in stopping the 'grow break cycle' that is so common to black hair, and now my hair is fuller and continues to grow longer than it ever has.
There is something you frequently use which is slowly eating away at your hair. Its extremely caustic especially to black hair. It's not the relaxer but it makes the harsh effects of the relaxer even worst. If you can get rid of it you will start to see an immediate change in your hair growth. It was one of the best secrets I ever discovered.
Discover the real reason that Black Hair Does not Grow. Its a reason that is more exclusive to us and no it has nothing to do with " good or bad hair". You may be surprise to know that although this is a key reason most people do not know it. It does not matter if your hair is natural or relaxed, knowing this secret will increase your ability to grow longer hair.
Still Wearing the Weave
and Feeling Less than Attractive?
Most women who wear a weave have no idea just how horrible and fake it appears to other people. Neither do they know that most men would prefer your own long healthy hair any day to a weave.
Wouldn't it be a great feeling to know that you can grow your hair out and feel confident and sexy knowing that its all yours and you don't have to worry about getting caught between the time when you have taken it out and when you will get it done?
Let's face it your man will always be more attracted to someone who takes the time to learn about her own hair rather than choose someone who must rely on a weave to feel beautiful. Its a given, men prefer long natural hair whether its relaxed or natural . The appeal is that its all yours.
No matter how you choose to wear your hair. I can show you how to grow it full and healthy. You can't afford not knowing this information.
Learn How to Emphasize
Your Natural Curl Pattern
Just imagine for a minute:
None of this has to be a fantasy. All that's needed is to simply learn these easy secrets to growing longer hair fast and you are on your way to realizing length that you previously only dreamed about.
Not only will you learn the secrets that I learned, you will also once and for all see the results that you have always wanted. Your search on how to grow african american hair stops now. Your hair will finally begin to grow longer, stronger and in a shorter space of time than it has ever done before.
You can learn how to dispel the myth that black hair does not grow long. This is the biggest lie ever. The secret of how to grow african american hair is in this guide with so many wonderful ingredients that so few people have ever heard of but quite easy to find.
You Get Even More...
Scientific Study & Audio
When I thought I knew all I needed to about growing my hair, I discovered something absolutely amazing! I participated in a scientific study group that revolutionized my whole understanding of my body and how certain things stimulate the growth process. The information transformed hair, my hair began to grow differently, in really nice ways. Now not only was my hair growing longer but the texture was easier to manage and grow even faster.
I saw dramatic changes in the texture of my hair. My hair became looser, easier to manage and fuller from root to tip.
Take your hair to the next level by applying these scientific principles to your own head of hair and watch the outstanding transformation. The results will surprise you!
Bonus eBook:
You also get a guide with special recipes that boost your hair growth to support the maximum growth. Can you imagine how armed you now are to maximize your hair's full potential? Your hair can grow long and healthy for once..
I am completely confident that you will find this E-book very helpful in assisting you in growing longer hair. It took me many years and time to learn these secrets and put them into successful practice. Now you get to have all the knowledge to apply immediately.
Hey I don't have to share these secrets. I could keep them all to myself but women are always coming up to me on the street to know what I am taking. When I try to tell them I realize that although its easy it's all to much to explain in one shot. So it got me thinking why not write a guide that will explain it all and let it reach as many people. Hopefully african american and all women with coily hair will make the change and begin to apply these hair secrets.
If you really want to make a difference and begin to grow your hair longer than it has ever been start by downloading this eBook
This is a pdf downloadable file which will appear directly on your computer for easy immediate access. It does not matter if its 3 A.M. in the morning you will get access to these files.
Please ladies this is not hype! These are real ingredients and solid methods that will transform your hair indefinitely. No HYPE or Marketing of other products. You can find everything easily at most you may need to take a trip to the Asian or Indian market to get some ingredients but that's all.
You get loads of information. Step by step regimes and lots of secret recipes. All for the price of $24.97
This is a 60 day risk free money back guarantee. You have absolutely everything to gain and I am super confident that you will be satisfied.
Best Regards,
Donna Hanover
P.S. If you are still considering if you should get this report then you are probably quite satisfied with your present routine. However if you really want to see your hair take off in growth then get this eBook and have it downloaded directly unto your computer and begin applying the knowledge immediately.
P.S.S. It could take you years to put all this information together. Yet still much of it is unheard of ancient ingredients not easily found else where. However this guide puts it all in your hands so you can get started immediately.
For Questions, Comments & Contact Please Click Here


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Follow these pro tips for faster and better lawn tractor maintenance and tubeless tire repair. Good maintenance will prevent expensive repairs in the future.
The kit includes everything you need for basic maintenance. A tube for a tubeless tire repair is extra.
Following the lawn tractor maintenance advice in your tractor's manual is the best way to keep it humming along smoothly. But owner's manuals usually only tell you basically what to do and when to do it—they seldom include the tips and real-world wisdom gained through experience. So we asked veteran mechanics which steps are the most important and how to make lawn tractor maintenance and tubeless tire repair faster and easier.
You'll save too. Dealers typically charge more than $200 for routine maintenance that includes an oil change and new spark plugs and filters. But you can do all these things—and more—in just a few hours. A lawn tractor maintenance kit from your dealer (less than $75) might cost a few bucks more than buying parts separately but ensures that you get all the right stuff. And new tubes for a tubeless tire repair cost from $5 - $15.
Remove the belt guards and blow off the debris that wrecks belts and pulleys. Scrape away any debris buildup under the pulleys with a screwdriver.
Belt guards trap grass and debris that wears on the belts and pulleys.
You might think that the belt guards on top of a mower deck protect the belts and pulleys from grass clippings, dirt and other debris. But just the opposite is true. The spinning belts and pulleys suck in debris and the guards trap it inside. Then it swirls around, grinding away at the pulley surfaces and tearing up your belts. Once a pulley wears, it will quickly chew up every new belt you put on. Avoiding expensive belt and pulley replacements is easy; just blow the deck off with an air compressor or leaf blower after every third or fourth mowing.
Spark plugs are the most important but least expensive components in the engine. Change them regularly for easy starting and fuel economy.
Worn spark plugs cause a variety of problems, from hard starting and poor fuel economy to misfires and even engine damage. So replace them at the manufacturer's recommended intervals. Changing plugs is a simple matter of unscrewing the old ones and screwing in new ones. But there are a few things to keep in mind:
Replace the fuel filter without making a mess. Pinch off the fuel line with a clamp to stop any gas flow. As you remove the old filter, plug the openings with your fingers.
An old fuel filter can cause hard starting, poor fuel economy, maybe even an expensive carburetor rebuild. Check your owner's manual to find out how often to replace the filter.
Replacing the fuel filter is easy. But there's a trick to doing it without getting drenched in gasoline. First, pinch the fuel line leading from the tank with a clamp. Then move the spring clamps away from the filter with pliers. Slip on a pair of nitrile gloves, tilt the inlet side of the filter up and remove the inlet hose. Drain the small amount of fuel from the fuel line into a drain pan. Then, plug the filter inlet with your thumb, tilt the entire filter down, and pull it out of the outlet hose. This technique keeps most of the fuel inside the filter, reducing spillage. Place the old fuel filter in the drain pan and install the new filter. Pay attention to the fuel flow direction arrows—the arrow must point toward the engine. Move the fuel line clamps back into place and remove the "pinch-off" clamp from the fuel line.
Tip: Get a smaller gas can. Old gas (stored for more than 30 days) is the most common cause of starting problems.
We show a John Deere tractor in this story, but the maintenance is similar for other brands. Just be sure to follow the procedures, service intervals, and lubricant and torque specifications shown in your owner's manual.
Zero-turn mowers
"ZTR" mowers have a hydraulic steering system, requiring you to change the hydraulic fluid and filter occasionally (typically every 300 hours). It's a quick, simple job, a lot like changing the motor oil.
Service schedules
Every manufacturer recommends different "service intervals" for things like oil, filter and spark plug changes. These intervals can vary a lot. Many manufacturers recommend greasing moving parts every 50 hours, but some call for it every 25 hours. So don't follow general guidelines—follow your manual.
Screw on the new oil filter until the rubber gasket touches the seat. Then give the filter another half turn. Spread a light coat of oil on the gasket so it doesn't bind against the seat.
Check the "donut" on the back of the container and be sure to buy oil with an "SM" rating.
Just like your car, your tractor needs regular oil changes. If your owner's manual suggests a brand of oil, you can ignore that advice. But do pay attention to the recommended viscosity (such as 10W- 30). If you use your tractor for snow removal, check the manual for a "winter weight" oil recommendation. Never, ever change the oil without also changing the oil filter. To prevent a buildup of gunk on the engine, wipe up any spilled oil. Bottle the old oil and take it to your nearest oil recycling center for disposal.
Loosen stubborn blade bolts with a long breaker bar. Hold back the blade with wood blocks and a C-clamp. A clamp on the rear wheel stops the deck from rolling as you flip it over.
Position the new blades in a "U" pattern for better balance and less vibration. Tighten blade bolts with a torque wrench to avoid breaking them.
Dull blades make the engine and belts work harder. They're bad for your grass, too. Instead of slicing off the grass cleanly, they leave a torn edge that takes longer to heal.
Tip: Cutting tall grass is very hard on belts. If you've let the grass go too long between cuttings, mow in half swaths to reduce the load and extend belt life.
Wash the foam prefilter and blow off the filter at least once a month during the dusty mowing season.
You already know that it's important to change the air filter as often as the owner's manual recommends. But it's also a good idea to clean the filter between changes. If your tractor has a foam prefilter, wash it with soap and water; never use a solvent or other cleaner. Blow out the pleated paper filter with a light blast from an air compressor. Keep in mind that this is not a substitute for regular filter changes. Even if the filter looks clean, replace it with a new one at recommended intervals.
Before your tractor hibernates for the winter, take a few minutes to prevent springtime troubles.
Pump grease into the fitting until all the dark old grease is purged and fresh new grease oozes out.
It isn't exactly rocket science, but many tractor owners goof up greasing. The biggest mistake is using the wrong grease. The brand doesn't matter, but use the type recommended by the manufacturer, whether it's plain lithium, lithium with molybdenum disulfide, or poly urea. Grease every fitting every time you change the oil. Check your owner's manual to locate them all. There may be grease fittings on your mower deck and other attachments too. A flexible hose makes reaching the fittings a lot easier. Pick up a grease gun and hose at any home center or auto parts store (about $25 for both).
Cut a 45-degree angle on a short piece of 2x2. Place the angled edge right where the tire meets the steel wheel. Then smack it with a maul to break the tire bead away from the wheel. Move the 2x2 around the entire edge until the bead is completely detached. Flip over the wheel and break the bead on the opposite side.
Pry the tire bead up with a large screwdriver. Hold that part of the tire away from the wheel and use a second screwdriver to pry up another section. Repeat until the entire bead is off.
Once the inner tube is in place, hold the valve stem with a spring clamp. Then slide the round handle ends of two large adjustable wrenches (a screwdriver will puncture the tube) under the bead and pry it up and then back onto the wheel.
Got a garden tractor tire that's always low and you can't find a puncture? Chances are you've got a bead leak caused by a rusting wheel. You can yank the tire, remove the corrosion from the wheel with a wire wheel and then paint it, but my guess is that the tire will still leak air. That's way too much trouble to wind up back where you started. Just install an inner tube and put an end to deflated tires. Write down the tire size and buy the same size tube.
Start by cutting off the old valve stem with a side cutters or utility knife. Next, break the bead (Photo 1). Slide a large screwdriver or pry bar down the center of the wheel and clamp it in a vise. Then pry the bead off the wheel (Photo 2).
Rotate the inner tube so the valve stem lines up with the valve stem hole in the wheel. Tuck the inner tube inside the tire and pull the valve stem through the hole. Secure the valve stem with a spring clamp. Then pry the tire bead back onto the wheel and reinflate (Photo 3).
Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you'll save time and frustration.
You'll also need nitrile (plastic) gloves and a spark plug gap gauge.
Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here's a list.


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Gull Lake Sandblasting receives loan with help from DEED
The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) recently announced that Gull Lake Sandblasting of Brainerd received a loan from the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund in the amount of $127,597 to be used for the purchase of real estate, equipment and additional working capital.
As a result of this project, one job was created and two more were retained.
"This is great news for our communities," said state Rep. John Ward, DFL-Baxter. "Our area is still dealing with higher than average unemployment and every job counts. Every job, public sector or private sector, counts. I want to extend my congratulations and thanks to all who made this possible."
DEED was able to help secure this funding with dollars from the State Small Business Credit Initiative Emerging Entrepreneurs Fund. The Emerging Entrepreneurs Fund primarily supports micro-enterprises and small businesses with fewer than 50 employees, targeting minority- and women-owned businesses and those located in economically distressed areas.
"Grants and guaranteed loans from programs like this one help Minnesota stay competitive with other states, help us attract new businesses to Minnesota, and grow the great businesses we already have like Gull Lake Sandblasting," Ward said.