text:
You want a tough call? What do you do with Google (GOOG)? Here's a company that missed the last quarter. Missed badly. Seemed to have no plan for taking up the slack of a potential slowdown in advertising. Seemed to have no plan to rein in costs.
The result? A huge downdraft, a 100-point drop, frightening and devastating to the bulls.
Now look at the stock. Here it is creeping back to the levels it stood at before the disappointment, and doing so before we see any numbers that tell us it deserves to retake that ground.
So why not sell it?
Let me give you three reasons. First, the decision by the Federal Trade Commission to let Google off without as much as a real slap on the wrist, let alone restrictions and break-ups, is monumental. First, those of us who remember the dramatic showdown between the Justice Department and Microsoft (MSFT) in the late 1990s had to be fearful that the FTC would take a look at Google's remarkable market share in search, at 70%, and decide, per se, that it is a monopolist and that it was, like so many other monopolists, abusing its power.
But unlike Microsoft, which tried to hammer the government the way it hammered the competition, Google went in not with both guns blazing but with no weapons at all. The whole time that Google was in the government's crosshairs, it simply talked and reasoned. It showed that the company has simply built a better mousetrap. That unlike Microsoft, which jammed Windows and its own browser down the throats of the world, Google had no such market power. Everyone was free to go to Microsoft's Bing or Yahoo! (YHOO) for search, or a host of other companies for search. Plus, Google steered people to Google sites instead of competing travel and entertainment sites because its offerings were arguably superior.
The FTC agreed. It was convivial, helped by the fact that Apple (AAPL) boosted Google's case by trying to switch to its own maps app, and then having to switch back because of Google's superior performance.
Second, advertising, which had gotten weaker, could be getting stronger now, particularly given Google' gigantic European business. It's entirely possible that a headwind could turn out to be a tailwind this quarter.
Finally, Google hasn't even tried to monetize or even lever its tremendous smartphone operating system. That's something that could be 2013's prospect, while at the same time it managed to shed the albatross that was the hardware portion of the Motorola Mobility acquisition.
Now we don't know how well Google is doing with mobile, but we do know that the apps it is offering on mobile, the ones blessed by the FTC, could lead to better revenue streams. We also know that Facebook (FB) is blazing a path toward better mobile revenue, a path that Google could follow.
Normally, I would put Google in the penalty box for at least a quarter after that terrible miss. Now, instead, I think that the Washington-related decline may be just what you need to get back into the stock. I don't like it as much as I like Facebook, which I think is transitioning into a terrific mobile play. But these changes at Google within the time frame of the last quarterly report are too terrific to ignore, and the stock has become a buy-on-weakness, not sell-on-strength, situation.


text:
911 Center Observes National Telecommunicator's Week
Fairfax County Office of Public
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
April 15, 2005
911 Center Observes National Telecommunicator's Week
The Fairfax County Public Safety Communications Center celebrated National Telecommunicator's Week, April 11 - 15, with an open house and an awards ceremony on Friday, April 15. This week is recognized yearly for the tireless service provided by 911 call takers and dispatchers nationwide who work 24-hours a day, seven-days a week to provide emergency, as well as non-emergency assistance.
As part of the observance, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly toured the facility and greeted 911 center call takers and dispatchers. Pictured from left to right are Lorraine Fells-Danzer, Amanda Russell, Anna Curry, Chairman Connolly, Major Shawn Barrett (police), Captain Jim Charron (police) and Deputy County Executive Rob Stalzer.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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No GST.
Available for lease / rent 3 bhk Semi furnished on higher floor in Bhavya Palace at Khar West.
Fully Furnished 3 bhk flat 1865 sq. ft. area available on Sale in Samartha Sampada, Andheri West with 2 car parking.
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A Semi Furnished 3 BHK premises in Juhu
Unfurnished Warehouse Available on Lease in Andheri East.
2 BHK Flat Available on lease in Vandana, Juhu.
Sea facing Apartment with a Balcony. Ideal for a single expatriate or a couple. Building is old. 3 More Expat families ...


text:
Washington, D.C., Consumers continue to embrace an expanding array of payment choices, according to a nationwide consumer-payment preferences study conducted by the American Bankers Association (ABA) and Boston- based Dove Consulting, a division of Hitachi Consulting. ACI Worldwide, Citigroup, The Clearing House and MasterCard sponsored the research.
The 2005/2006 Study of Consumer Payment Preferences found that for the 58 individual payment choices consumers make each month—whether in stores or over the Internet, or while paying bills—consumers choose electronic payments more often. Cash and checks now account for only 45% of consumers' monthly payments—down from 57% in 2001, and 49% in 2003.
"The consumer switch to electronic payments is increasing across the board—albeit at different rates," said Jane Yao, ABA's managing director of benchmarking and survey research. "We all know that consumer use of electronic payments for in-store purchases has increased steadily for years and much of the 'easy' migration has already occurred. This year's survey results show that electronic bill pay is quickly catching up."


text:
Posted 5 years ago
(4 items)
First online Post! Picked these 3 up in a western Carolina pick today. Let me know what you think! The shell is a 30'' double sided sign which I believe is a little more rare then the others. The big"S" Standard polarine is about the best I have ever seen. Couldn't pass these up.


text:
WAYNE, N.J. — Toys"R"Us has come out with what it believes will be the hot toy trends for the 2012 holiday season.
"It's no secret that technology has had a growing influence in toy innovation, but this year we're also seeing a strong statement of traditional toys that inspire imaginative play and curiosity among kids and nostalgia among parents," said Lisa Harnisch, Senior Vice President, General Merchandising Manager, Toys"R"Us, U.S. "After reviewing the thousands of new toy introductions in our stores worldwide and analyzing data gathered by our team of merchants, we're pleased to share our unique insights into the toy themes that will excite and delight kids this holiday season."
According to Toys"R"Us, the top trends are:
Precious pre-school pals - including plush versions of such characters as Doc McStuffins and Tigger, dolls and playhouses;
Kid-friendly tablets and app-enabled fun - including tablets, such as the retailer's own Tabeo product and toys that interact with the iPad;
80s toys - including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Rubik's cube; and
Light F/X - including construction, crayons and other toys with a lighting element.


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If you're a music lover in the Seattle/Northwest region, we don't even need to tell you what next weekend is.
That's because most everyone and their mother knows that the Sasquatch! Music Festival is going on at The Gorge Amphitheatre, bringing thousands of concertgoers to the Columbia River to take in some of the best music anyone could ask for.
With headliners like Outkast, Foster the People, Kid Cudi and Cold War Kids—among others—set to perform, Sasquatch! has been the main spot to spend Memorial Day weekend since 2002.
But with partying and jamming out comes (a small bit) of responsibility.
Since we want to make sure you don't burn yourself out too early in the weekend, Caffe Vita's giving you the must-know survival guide to have the fucking time of your life—and actually live to tell about it.
8. Water
Whether it's a steamer of a weekend or nice and cool, you'll need something to keep your ass hydrated through the long days and nights—so water will be your best friend.
There are water fountains scattered through the festival, but since they can be a little bit further than you'd prefer—and usually overcrowded—having a few gallons at your campsite is a must.
7. Sunscreen
Look, you don't want to be that dude who spent the entire weekend going from Casper the Friendly Ghost to Sebastian from The Little Mermaid, so make sure you remember what your mama told you before going anywhere the sun will be beating down—wear your sunscreen.
You may want the rays hitting you to make you a little more cinnamon, but when you don't protect yourself, it can turn into a serious issue by Day Two or Three because you're so burnt.
6. A Friend
No one wants to be that guy who roams the grounds by himself, wearing the same clothes all weekend and not interacting with anyone else, so, to save yourself from being labeled that way, bring a friend.
We can appreciate your independence and love for the music, but it's not quite the experience when you roll solo to something like a music festival.
Plus, you'll want a drinking partner and someone to vouch for how you really got backstage, right?
5. Little Cash
Sasquatch! is not the W Hotel, and if you think it should be, you should probably cancel your trip now.
On top of not shelling out cash to have all the luxuries we're normally so accustomed to, don't even bother bringing much cash into the grounds, as everything you should need you should bring yourself.
Water, snacks, shelter, heat, alcohol, etc.; it should all be on the top of your list of things that you'll provide for yourself, rather than overspending at the venue.
4. Shades
All those #Selfies that you'll be posting with newfound friends have to look cool, right?
Seriously, though, wearing some cool-ass shades will not only help keep the sun out of your eyes, but, make them unique, and they'll be an instant conversation starter for meeting new folks.
3. Headphones
You're probably wondering why in the hell we would tell you to pack a pair of headphones when you're already going to be surrounded by music for three days straight, right?
No, we're not crazy, we're just thinking logically with this one.
Rather than hear the noise from the stage or confined campgrounds while you're trying to sleep/nap, give yourself the option of listening to something that will help tone that unwanted sound out by popping in some headphones.
2. Beer
Sasquatch! is all about the music—but it's also about having fun.
Do we really need to explain why packing more than a few cases—or just bringing a keg—is necessary?
Unless you're under the age of 21, we shouldn't need to tell you why alcohol is a must-have—even if it's only to get you to dance in front of strangers.
1. Coffee
Come on now, our coffee matters, so of course we're going to tell you to recommend packing some of our different varieties.
For all the boozing you'll be doing and the lack of sleeping you'll get, something needs to help cure you lack of functionality—and that's where we come in.
Plus, here's a little insider tip, Caffe Vita will be camping out at the event, so come find us to drink some coffee, beer and shoot the shit.


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The Regnum Christi Movement offers its members some guidelines of a gospel-based spirituality as an ideal of Christian life. The spiritual path that Regnum Christi members walk mainly consists in knowing, loving, imitating, and proclaiming Christ. This is the path and these are the goals.
Below, we offer some resources that can help nurture the spiritual life of Movement members and of any Christian.
Daily Prayer 2013-01-08
Listen to podcast version here.
Mark 6:34-44
When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart
was moved with pity for them, for they were like
sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach
them many things. By now it was already late
and his disciples approached him and said, "This is a
deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss
them so that they can go to the surrounding
farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
He said to them in reply, "Give them some food
yourselves." But they said to him, "Are we to
buy two hundred days´ wages worth of food and give
it to them to eat?" He asked them, "How
many loaves do you have? Go and see." And
when they had found out they said, "Five loaves and
two fish." So he gave orders to have them
sit down in groups on the green grass. The
people took their places in rows by hundreds and by
fifties. Then, taking the five loaves and the two
fish and looking up to heaven, he said the
blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples
to set before the people; he also divided the
two fish among them all. They all ate and were
satisfied. And they picked up 12 wicker baskets full
of fragments and what was left of the fish.
Those who ate of the loaves were 5,000 men.
Introductory Prayer: Lord I am nothing without you in
my mission. I believe that there is no difficulty
in deepening my union with you that cannot be
overcome. I want to know and see with greater clarity
that your hand moves mine. You make possible what
would otherwise be impossible.
Petition: Lord, increase my confidence and
dependence on you.
1. "His Heart Was Moved with Pity for
Them, for They Were like Sheep Without a Shepherd."
A heart that loves expands to meet the needs
of those it loves. None could love as perfectly as
Christ. Will I let Christ move me in this
prayer to see what he sees, suffer what he
suffers, and love what he loves? Who will teach the
vast numbers of those who are lost, especially the
young? Who will console the sorrowing who fight the
pervasive darkness of despair, and guide with fidelity the hungry
souls ready for the fullness of God's truth? Who
can make present the power of the Shepherd to
heal and stay the force of evil in so many
dark corners of the world? If I open my
heart to see what Christ sees, I will follow everyday
what he asks of me to remedy a broken
world that needs salvation.
2. Give Them Some Food Yourselves: Our
Lord insists that we be active protagonists in tackling the
most difficult problems in the world. Many only sigh
at the world's miseries as if to say, "Lord,
you have a problem. I will pray for them." Christ
looks back and says to us, "This is your
mission now. I put it in your hands." Will we
panic? Will we wonder where we will get the
time, the resources, the wisdom? Will we imagine ourselves
making it all happen? Our Lord asks us to take
responsibility, but he does not want us taking control.
There is a difference: One is the steward in
the mission—us; the other the owner—God. Taking responsibility means making
the needs of souls and the Church our own.
Not taking control means we never lose sight of
the one who controls the plan. I want to do
it his way, and not mine.
3. How Many Loaves
Do You Have? When Christ chooses us for a mission,
he does not select us because he thinks we
have what it takes, but rather because he knows he
will give us all that we need. Sometimes we
are faced with goals that are real, yet beyond our
power to accomplish. Anxiety––thinking we need to be superhuman
before a superhuman endeavor––inserts all sorts of complexes into
the human spirit: shutting down, feeling overwhelmed, uncontrolled anger,
unjustly limiting our field of action. What does Christ
ask when we face the impossible? Just give what we
have––give it all and don't hold back. Put all
our loaves and fishes on the table, and then
Christ will work. Believe in the power of our poor
nothingness united to Christ.
Conversation with Christ:
Lord, I believe in the power of my nothingness
united to your power and grace. Today I accept the
challenge of the mission before me, but only if
I take each step depending on you. With you
every burden is sweet, and every impossible task is a
new encounter with the power of your hand.
Resolution: I will stop sometime in the middle
of the day to spiritually place what I am
doing into Christ's hands.
The daily meditation is a service of Regnum Christi that offers people a Gospel reflection through e-mail. You can view the weekly meditation on this link or listen the podcast version here.
If you would like to subscribe or send a gift subscription, please fill out this form.


text:
|Trad, TR, Ice, 1 pitch, 90'
|WI4 [details]
|Extended winter
|Page Views:
|Submitted By:
|Ben Mottinger on Mar 10, 2001
|Comments on Hidden Falls (main)
|Add Comment
|Show which comments —
Comments displayed oldest to newest — Skip Ahead to the Most Recent Dated Jan 26, 2015
By Mike Farris
Nov 30, 2001
We went in to Hidden Falls on 11/28 and decided, for the greater good, not to climb it. The start of the climb is only a few feet wide and 4-12 inches thick. There was a lot of water coming over the top of the cliff, soaking the upper part of the climb thoroughly. The upper WI4 pillar, if it is left alone, will be quite large and solid in a week or so.
The best thing would be to leave the climb alone for a few more days. It will only take one person with more enthusiasm than skill to ruin it for the season.
The far left side chimney was mostly rock with a little ice. There was a short steep smear off to the right that looked interesting but hard.
By Gene Ellis
Dec 21, 2001
|Hidden Falls, RMNP, 12/20/01. Main flow in center is fat, dry, brittle, and not yet hacked to pieces. Good fun. Easy gully on left is fat and wet. Thin stuff on right is not touching down. Approach is packed snow, with many bare spots.
By Ryan Farris
From: Missouri City, TX
Dec 31, 2001
|Falls pretty well formed now. Lots of traffic past few days, getting hacked out already. There is now a trail heading toward the falls due to heavy traffic.
By Aaron Shupp
Jan 23, 2002
|This is a great route (on the rare occasion that it isn't crowded). I climbed it the second week of December 2001. I decided to venture too far to the right onto some thin, brittle ice near the top. Some pieces broke off, as did my leg. Whoops, I hope I never do that again. Next time I'll stay a little closer to the center.
By Michael Komarnitsky
Founding Father
From: Seattle, WA
Jan 28, 2002
|The main flow is definitely in, though crowded, as is the easier flow to the left. The flow to the right (WI4?) has come in in just the last two weeks, from talking with people there. A little thin at the start, but after 5' it's nice. Photo to follow.
By Julian Smith
From: Colorado Springs, CO
Feb 10, 2002
|Hidden Falls is good and fat. It is very hacked up though, with nice ledges for the feet all the way up. Cold temps made it very brittle today and hard to start a screw. Both the right and left side variations are looking good.
By Rob Quinlan
Feb 11, 2002
|Trail in is packed but lots of dirt and rocks - don't use skis. Main flow is stepped out but still a challenge to lead due to difficulty placing screws in brittle ice. Julian solved problem by soloing to the top. No crowd at all on Sunday only two teams all morning. Careful climbing under others, saw several death blocks come down, one smashed my lunch. Belay from fallen tree but be alert and wear helmet at all times. Mixed line at right looks doable but thin at the start and mixed finish (M-4?) Overhanging vertical crack with drytooling and camming with adze. Top-ropeable. Has anyone climbed this on lead to the top?? Name of route??
By Tradkelly
Mar 4, 2002
|Hidden Falls is a hookfest (as anyone who would climb there is probably aware), at about straight WI4. Both sides are in (2-3 lines possible simultaneously), and it was cold and brittle on 3-3. The heavy winds probably have blown off most of the spindrift that would have melted to reform anything; it's pretty ugly right now, but the mixed left-side stuff was fun for my partner. Me, I sketched out on my 2nd lead and got a rope from the leftside anchor. Difficult pro, not much left to screw into. Have at it. :)
By Peter Holcombe
Nov 2, 2002
|I Climbed Hidden Falls In RMNP today. The Ice is thin and cauliflowered. Mostly stubby screws. The pillar on top is touching but did not seem so solid. We did the little mixed finish going left out of the cave. The river is not frozen completely. We had to walk a dead tree down stream from the normal crossing. The trail is all snow, but snowshoes aren't needed. We skied all the way in on nice snow. In a couple more weeks of COLD weather it should be in really good.
By Ben Mottinger
Founding Father
Nov 24, 2002
|The falls are climbable, but not fat by any means. The pillar at the top is barely attached so be careful.
By Jim D.
Dec 3, 2002
|We climbed it on Sunday 12/1/02. Main falls is in but still not very fat. The lower third is not as broad as usual. The middle third is comprised of a lot of icicles, and was dripping on Sunday. The WI4 upper pillar is a bit smaller than usual, and is only attached to the top lip with about one square foot of contact area. We were too nervous to lead it, but when we toproped it, it felt and sounded pretty good. A brave party after us led it fine. Small climb to left is in (short WI2?); small climb to right does not touch down the last 12 feet but can be led. We walked up to Ouzel Falls - the short cliffband 100 yards south of the falls that often ices up is bone dry.
By Kevin Craig
Dec 22, 2002
|Climbed at Hidden Falls on 12/20. Main pillar has come in nicely, but is quite wet; doubt that a screw would hold much. Fine for TR'ing, but perhaps not for leading. Weird day; never made it above freezing, but the ice was running with water all day long. Trail is well packed.
By Nate Christiansen
Jan 27, 2003
|On the left side of the main flow lies a short 15-20' problem that has been sractched up many times. The moves are dicey and steep (M6+) with a little overhanging ice at the top. Really fun way to toprope this ice is to start on the M6+ mixed problem to the WI3 ramp, then traverse right to the overhanging, mixed cauliflower (M4). It gives the climber a good pump and great technical diversity. Too bad it can't be lead safely or without bad rope drag.
By phil broscovak
Jan 30, 2003
|I know this will not be a popular opinion, but I have to speak out. I have always really loved mixed climbing considering it to be one of the finest expression of what climbing is all about. BUT... The current raging fad of dry tooling is taking a toll on the environment that is not yet being addressed. One needs only look at the left side base of "Hidden Falls" to see what I am refering to. The dry tooling start here is so scratched up by the poor technique of a multitude of well intentioned ascensionists that it has the appearance of a permanent chalk tattoo. Certainly in the long run this environmental degradation has the same potential for damage as early iron mongery did. Pin use and the subsequent scar damage has been significantly reduced by a consensus of climbers agreeing to change their practices. I am not suggesting that everyone stop dry tooling, or that only the elite few practice it. I am saying that everyone should endeavor to climb without ruining the medium of ascent. Use good technique or wait till your good enough to not flail at it. I'll crawl back to my den of obscurity now. Thanks for the soap box. Phil Broscovak
By Crusty
Jan 30, 2003
|Well said, Phil.
By M. Morley
From: Sacramento, CA
Feb 4, 2003
|Thanks for the well-needed reminder, Phil. Please tread lightly.
By Thomas Jensen
Mar 24, 2003
|Hidden Falls is still in great but is REALLY hooked out. Still had a great time. We did the thin dihedral just to the right of the flow. (It goes up to a ledge just below a steep offwidth.) Then traversed right on the ledge for about thirty feet right. Another steep, short rock pitch to the top. Don't know anything about it but it was killer. A little bit of ice at the base of the second pitch made it a legit mixed route. If anyone has done this or knows a rating let me know. firstname.lastname@example.com
By Leo Paik
From: Westminster, Colorado
Mar 1, 2004
Main Falls look steep, are very fat, & are way hooked out making it feel 3+. L is fat. Both R lines are in nicely. Trail is stomped out.
Also, S. St. Vrain is very anemic-looking.
By phil broscovak
Nov 30, 2005
|Ice is a very fragile, transitory medium. It is after all slow moving water. Icicles need to be nurtured often by being left alone till later. Climbing ice too soon is tantamount to the farmer tugging at his shoots to get his crop in sooner. Maybe soon we will see a plethora of indoor ice climbing gyms where all the hackers can dang and hangle. Till then let the ice grow! Remember there is a "special place" in hell for 'cicle sackers.
By Eric Goltz
From: Boulder, CO
Dec 16, 2005
|A bit wet today.
By Tom Walker
Jan 4, 2007
|Climbed Hidden Falls today. The ice was the best I have observed in the last couple of years. Water was running down the middle and right side.
By jbarnum
From: Denver, CO
Feb 19, 2008
|I climbed several variations today at the falls, and had an awesome time. Believe it or not, no one else was around. I was however a little concerned about the two anchors in the rock, on the upper left. Only two anchors I saw. One anchor appears to have some type of epoxy on it, and the other was loose, bolt and hanger. I am by no means an anchor expert, and I am sure they are fine for the time being. However, for as much traffic as the falls see, and the poor conditions in which these anchors live, it is only a matter of time. Any word on replacement? What is RMNP stand on such things? Just want to keep the climbing safe. Willing to help out if need be.
By Jay Eggleston
From: Denver
Dec 7, 2009
|It would be nice if everyone could have a little more patience and wait till it forms a little more before climbing it!
By Joshinator
From: Longmont, Colorado
Dec 13, 2011
|Climbed this route today. First time on ice. Main line seemed good enough to me. However, everything else seemed a bit too thin to me and my more experienced partner as well.
By Jim Davidson
From: Fort Collins, Colorado
Dec 28, 2011
|Hidden is in pretty good. There were about 12 climbers there today.
By Kevin Gillest
From: Arvada, CO
Feb 19, 2013
Great conditions considering the lack of snow.
By Evan Deis
Feb 27, 2013
|Ice is pretty beat up 2/27/13.
By Jonathan Sanford
Mar 25, 2013
|If there is any one who could give an up-to-date condition report, that would be greatly appreciated. Trying to make the trip within the next two days, and that would save me some time and money.
By GregMiller
From: Louisville, CO
Jan 26, 2015
|FYI, when I was there at the end of December 2014, we rapped from up top down in to the alcove to set a top rope, and found one of the two bolts to be loose. We didn't have a wrench, so we hand tightened it and put in a screw to back it up. If someone else gets up there before I make it back, it would be good to crank on it before hanging on it.


text:
8 posts
Ive added the first part of my pack of Theramin samples put through a Boss digital delay. If you like what you hear leave a comment and i'll be sure to upload more. Also I am about to record a toy glockenspiel and a thumb piano if anyone deems it worthwhile.
worthwhile => yes!
the theramin sounds fine!
by the way, when describing samples in a pack try to not give all of them the same tags/description... see http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36
cheerio + thx!
- bram
Sorry, im not too sure what you mean. You mean to give all 9 theramin samples a different desrciption although they are all very similair? Its im about to upload some theramin noise samples (about 20) and would find it difficult describing them other that noise!
sometimes you can describe the sound by more than that...
some of the samples have delay, some don't.
one of them was a bit noisy.
some of them are very impulsive, others not
yeah, I know, it's VERY hard sometimes
- Bram
Ok, no probs, i'll spend more time over descriptions next time. Thanks for the site and your cracking vst's by the way, think something like this is just what the audio world needs.
You can still edit them
But maybe some of the people that enjoy and download your theremin recordings can post descriptions too, id be nice if they did....
Ive spelt Theremin wrong on the sample pack title, how do I change it?
fixed. I also saw that your latest descriptions are different, thanks a lot!
- bram
8 posts


text:
Parents interested in enrolling their children in a Christ-centered educational experience for the 2013-14 school year are invited to attend the St. Gabriel School and Learning Loft Preschool Open House.
It will take place 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 27, and the school is at 9935 Johnnycake Ridge Road in Concord Township.
Attendees can enjoy the student art show and a jazz band performance, tour classrooms, visit with teachers and receive 2013-14 admissions packets. St. Gabriel School is preschool through eighth grade.
For details, call 440-352-6169.


text:
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text:
06-22-2010 02:13 PM - last edited on 06-22-2010 02:43 PM by bananaman
So I was recently presented with a T42P and told the CD rom didn't work. It didn't even show up in the hardware list. They even tried replacing the cdrom without success so I said I would take a look at it. What I have come to find is that the connection interface doesn't reach the connector on the MB. Inspecting both the connector on the MB and on the CD Rom shows they will clearly mate. The CD rom fits perfectly into the chassis but it seems the MB connector is some how to far away.
Has anyone run into this? Is there an intermediate adaptor for the T42p's? What am I missing?
I will link some pics below. Bad quality because they are from my phone but you can see there is slightly less than an inch gap from the cdrom to the MB connector.
Moderator edit: Changed images >50k to links per the Community Rules.
There may be a connector missing that attaches to the optical drive itself.
After much research I have finally answered my own question. There is a missing part called an "Interposer Card". Someone must have lost it with a prior cdrom I am guessing. I figured t out after looking at an exploded view here http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-46474.html and item #23 looked to be where I would require something to attach this cd rom device. Part number 91P7427


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International Orientation
- When:
- Location:
- Business Center
- Room:
- 143
- Description:
International Orientation
Fall 2013
All new immigrant and non-immigrant international students are expected to attend the International Orientation on August 26, 2013 . This program will enable you to meet and network with other international students, connect with important resources, and learn about living and studying in the Baltimore area.
Please email firstname.lastname@example.com by August 24, 2013 to confirm your attendance.
If you have any questions, please contact the Diversity and Culture Center at email@example.com or call 410.837.5744.
- Contact Name:
- Katherine Myers
- Contact Email:
- email@example.com
- Contact Phone:
- 410.837.5744
If you need accommodations to participate in this event, please contact the person listed above at least 10 days prior to the event.


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Taillon has great time in first spring start
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Jameson Taillon's experience in his first big league camp reached a new peak on Thursday, with his start for the Pirates in the 16-6 Grapefruit League loss to Boston.
The right-hander, the Bucs' No. 1 choice in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft and their No. 2 pitching prospect behind Gerrit Cole, had little to do with that ugly score and the ugliness that forged it. In his two innings, he allowed only the first of the 15 walks by Pirates pitchers, and one hit along with one unearned run, while fanning three.
He had a far better time than the pitchers who followed.
"I was a little amped up at the beginning, like any normal person would be, since it was my first big league camp start," Taillon said. "But once I threw that first pitch and settled in, I had a really great time out there."
It very likely was Taillon's only Grapefruit League exposure. On Sunday, he will leave to hook up with Team Canada for the World Baseball Classic, and is due to pitch only a bullpen prior to that. And even if Canada is not one of the two countries to survive Pool D play in Phoenix, when Taillon returns he could be re-assigned to the Minor League camp.
The Florida-born and Texas-raised right-hander is looking forward to his Classic adventure. "Turncoat" Taillon is due to face the United States on March 10.
"I'm really excited. It'll be a cool deal for me and my family," Taillon said. "The whole family is going out there, including some siblings I don't always get to see, and my brother (Jordan, 30) will be having his birthday while we're there. But from a baseball standpoint it'll be really exciting, too."


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You can use this code to get a free rental at any Redbox location: D9P24G. Good until midnight tonight. Using this Redbox deal is simple:
- Find your nearest location. I know there are ones in Strack's, Jewel, some Walgreens, some Walmart stores, and Ultra.
- Go and pick a movie.
- Swipe your credit card and voila, a movie appears from the vending machine!
Remember, regular rentals are a mere buck


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You are here:
Related Information
- Epidermolysis Bullosa, Q&A
- ¿Qué es la epidermólisis ampollosa? (Esenciales: hojas informativas de fácil lectura)
- Connective Tissue, Q&A
- Order a NIAMS publication to be mailed
Health Information
Epidermolysis Bullosa
- PDF Version Size: 122 KB
- Audio Version Time: 09:19 Size: 8.7 MB
November 2014
What Is Epidermolysis Bullosa?
Fast Facts: An Easy-to-Read Series of Publications for the Public
Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) is an illness that causes the skin to be fragile. Because the skin is so fragile, it can be easily injured, causing painful blisters to form. These blisters can cause serious problems if they become infected.
Some people with EB have a mild form of the disease with few blisters. For others, there may be many blisters on the skin. Some people develop blisters inside the body—in places such as the mouth, stomach, esophagus (the tube that allows food to move between the throat and stomach), bladder, and elsewhere.
- Who Gets Epidermolysis Bullosa?
- What Causes Epidermolysis Bullosa?
- How Is Epidermolysis Bullosa Diagnosed?
- What Are the Symptoms of Epidermolysis Bullosa?
- How Is Epidemolysis Bullosa Treated?
- What Is the Value of Genetic Counseling?
- What Research Is Being Conducted on Epidermolysis Bullosa?
- For More Information About Epidermolysis Bullosa and Other Related Conditions
Who Gets Epidermolysis Bullosa?
Anyone can have EB. Generally, the symptoms first appear in babies or toddlers.
What Causes Epidermolysis Bullosa?
Most cases of EB are hereditary (runs in families).
How Is Epidermolysis Bullosa Diagnosed?
A doctor can identify EB by taking a small sample of skin and looking at it under a microscope.
What Are the Symptoms of Epidermolysis Bullosa?
Skin blisters are the major symptom of EB.
How Is Epidemolysis Bullosa Treated?
If you, your child, or another relative has EB, coping with the symptoms can be difficult. You do not have to handle EB alone. There are doctors, nurses, social workers, clergy members, psychologists, dietitians (people who study food and nutrition), and patient and parent support groups that can help.
Preventing Blisters
To protect the skin from forming blisters, you can:
- Avoid getting too hot by keeping rooms at an even temperature
- Apply lotion to the skin to reduce friction and keep the skin moist
- Wear soft clothing
- Use sheepskin on car seats and other hard surfaces
- Wear mittens at bedtime to help prevent scratching.
Treating Blisters
When blisters appear, the goal of care is to:
- Reduce pain or discomfort
- Prevent loss of body fluid
- Promote healing
- Prevent infection.
Your doctor may treat the blisters by:
- Explaining how to safely break a blister in its early stages
- Prescribing a mild painkiller so that changing bandages won't hurt as much
- Recommending special bandages that will help the blisters to heal, lessen the pain, and prevent infection.
Signs of Infection
Even when blisters are treated properly, infections may develop. Signs of infection are:
- Redness and heat around an open area of skin
- Pus or a yellow discharge
- Crusting on the wound surface
- A red line or streak under the skin that spreads away from the blistered area
- A wound that does not heal
- Fever or chills.
Treating Infection
If you get an infection, your doctor may treat it with:
- A soaking solution
- An antibiotic ointment
- An oral antibiotic to reduce the growth of bacteria
- A special wound covering (for sores that don't heal).
Preventing Nutritional Problems
In some people with EB, blisters may appear in the mouth and esophagus, making it hard to chew and swallow. Over time, this may lead to nutritional problems. Because nutrition is so important for proper growth and development, it is important that children with EB eat well.
Steps you can take to help prevent nutritional problems in children with EB include:
- Feed infants using a bottle with a special nipple, an eyedropper, or a syringe.
- When the baby is old enough to take in food, add extra liquid to finely mashed food to make it easier to swallow.
- Give your children soups, milk drinks, mashed potatoes, custards, and puddings.
- Never serve food that is too hot.
Dietitians can help anyone with EB by:
- Providing recipes for food that is nutritious and easy to eat
- Suggesting nutritional supplements
- Recommending diet changes to prevent stomach or intestinal problems.
Surgical treatment may be necessary in some forms of EB.
- If your esophagus has narrowed because of scarring, your doctor may suggest surgery to enlarge the esophagus so that food can travel from your mouth to your stomach.
- If you are unable to eat, your doctor may suggest a feeding tube so that food can be delivered directly to your stomach.
- If blisters have caused your fingers or toes to fuse together, your doctor may suggest surgery to separate them.
What Is the Value of Genetic Counseling?
Genetic counseling can be helpful for people with EB and their families. A genetic counselor can:
- Explain how genes cause EB
- Provide information on the likelihood of passing the genes for EB to children.
What Research Is Being Conducted on Epidermolysis Bullosa?
Current research on EB focuses on:
- Genes involved in EB
- Ways to correct genes related to EB
- Better ways to heal blister wounds
- Improved bandages for blister wounds.
For Your Information
This publication contains information about medications used to treat the health condition discussed here. When this publication was developed, we included the most up-to-date (accurate) information available. Occasionally, new information on medication is released.
For updates and for any questions about any medications you are taking, please contact
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Toll Free: 888–INFO–FDA (888–463–6332)
Website: https://www.fda.gov
For additional information on specific medications, visit Drugs@FDA at www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda. Drugs@FDA is a searchable catalog of FDA-approved drug products.
For More Information About Epidermolysis Bullosa and Other Related Conditions:
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Information Clearinghouse
National Institutes of Health
1 AMS Circle
Bethesda, MD 20892-3675
Phone: 301-495-4484
Toll free: 877-22-NIAMS (877-226-4267)
Fax: 301-718-6366
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: https://www.niams.nih.gov
If you need more information about available resources in your language or another language, please visit our website or contact the NIAMS Information Clearinghouse at firstname.lastname@example.com.
The information in this publication was summarized in easy-to-read format from information in a more detailed NIAMS publication. To order the Epidermolysis Bullosa Q&A full-text version, please contact NIAMS using the contact information above. To view the complete text or to order online, visit www.niams.nih.gov.


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Figure Bundled With Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes...
Square Enix shows off an exclusive Play Arts Kai Snake action figure. This variant metallic color Snake will come bundled with Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes priced at a $129.99.
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, AlterEgoComics.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and MonkeyDepot.com.
For hobby miniatures and all your gaming needs, visit MinatureMarket.com.


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If you aren't tracking returnable and refillable containers, you should, and not just because the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation require it. In fact, government regulations on containers may have unintended benefits, including improved quality control, inventory management and customer convenience. Although the regulations were issued in 2011, enforcement has been delayed. When it does begin, full-service ag retailers may find benefits outweigh costs.
"Every retailer will benefit if they embrace and move toward container tracking, and the sooner the better," said Gary Halvorson, general manager, CHS Ag Services, Warren, Minn. "When the DOT walks in and asks for documentation, you better have it. However, it's important simply from a management perspective as well. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it."
Halvorson knows about measuring and managing. He works with 20 CHS agronomy locations serving 1,300 growers in 16 counties in western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota and a fleet of 4,400 containers varying from 15 gallons to 275 gallons in size. The CHS tracking system was adapted for the company's needs by Agris. It gives Halvorson and other employees ready access to complete records on each container, including who has it and how long, what was in it and when it is expected back. If one is recovered after being lost or stolen, the barcode ID quickly accounts for its history.
"It is essential for asset utilization. We can track how many times a container has been turned in a given season and where it is at the end of the season. If a container isn't returned, we can call and arrange a pickup," said Halvorson.
"Tracking containers also lets you track accessory equipment like pumps and valves," noted Logan Kahler, Kahler Automation that offers its own tracking system. "With a tracking system, you know what's been in the unit, was it rinsed, when it was last inspected, what tests were run and where it is."
Container Systems Evolving
Aqumix Vegetation Management Services' customers have been enjoying tracking benefits since the late 1990s. What began in 1994 as a 15-gallon, closed-loop container system has evolved with chemical and container management software, a variety of container sizes and two regional blending/fill plants. Recently acquired by Crop Production Services (CPS), Aqumix now services CPS Timberland Division customers. Aqumix containers are proprietary units, designed specifically for its system, but the system can also utilize standard commercial containers.
"We currently have 22,000 15-gallon returnable containers in service and in our chain of custody," explained Dave Schoonover, Aqumix founder and current services manager, CPS/Timberland Chemical and Container Management System. "We offer cradle to grave container tracking of 15-gallon and larger returnables to the non-ag sector. With our tracking software, we tied the entire supply chain into one system supplying pertinent information to each entity. The barcode on the container has all of the information related to the container and the product. All the collected information can be retrieved in various reports via our secure website or with a smartphone application."
Having seen the benefits to customers, Schoonover is confident he will see interest in the system by CPS Ag in the near future.
Thanks to a customer request for a way to fill shuttles and mini-bulks and track them with barcode technology, Kahler is already offering its tracking system to its agricultural customers. Commercial barcode scanners and printers were integrated with existing automated systems and software. With a number of systems now in place in Kansas, Iowa and Minnesota, Kahler expects demand to build rapidly once federal enforcement begins.
"We worked closely with the EPA as we designed the system to address regulations that were going into place and what kind of information our customers would have to be able to track for regulatory purposes," said Kahler. "We also included management features that allow the software to monitor the unit at a refill point. The operator can input information, get the initial weight and the weight of material added and account for the sale so it can be billed direct to the customer."
Records and Container History Available
Kahler's web-based system is set up to be self-policing as well as customer friendly. If a container is close to its required inspection date, the operator receives a notification. If the container needs to be inspected, refilling is prevented until inspection occurs. The key to the system is the barcode applied to each container and periodically scanned thereafter. A record is kept of every action involving the container. Records can be accessed via the customer's computer system or a wireless handheld computer with a barcode scanner.
"We have iPhone and iPad apps that can scan the barcode and pull up the container's history," said Kahler. "Once the retailer installs the web-based system on their computer or device, they can pull up the container's record using their browser. We can send information on the product in the container directly to them."
Although the system Halvorson uses does not allow for customer review of container history, it does provide a complete history of the container usage and servicing, including rinsing. "Customers have the comfort of knowing a Roundup container has only been used for Roundup," said Halvorson.
With sealed units, the tracking system can also resolve return issues. Kahler noted that if, the retailer chooses to, unused product could be returned and accounted for automatically. Once the unit is placed on the scale and the barcode has been read, the software simply subtracts returning weight from filled weight.
Halvorson said ease of crediting customers for unused product is a big plus. He noted that bulk containers are seldom returned empty. "If 1/4 of a gallon is returned, the customer gets credit for it."
Added Benefits to Container Tracking
Schoonover suggested that container tracking could have even greater benefits as application equipment moves to direct in-line injection systems and truly customized product delivery. He predicted refillable containers with accurate tracking could have as big an impact on agricultural chemical distribution as it has on the industrial market.
Two CPS distribution centers currently handle more than 600,000 gallons of straight or blended products for the non-crop markets, going mostly into utility right of way markets. In the case of some popular products, they are the sole packager, with product coming in bulk from the manufacturing plant to the Aqumix center. Distributors or their customers can order products custom blended as needed for a particular use in exact amounts for the area to be treated.
Aqumix currently offers 15-gallon, 30-gallon and larger, up to 270-gallon, poly containers in a cage and 330-gallon stainless steel containers. Over time, Schoonover has seen the industrial herbicide market shift to the smaller container. "The 15-gallon container is easy to handle," he said. "Fifteen years ago, 70 percent of the containers we handled were 30-gallon units, but today 80 percent are 15-gallon units."
Schoonover believes the container handling system developed for CPS, which recently opened in Oregon, will make the closed cycle container system even more attractive to agricultural retailers. "It is a completely different type of bulk facility without cement dikes and fixed pipes," he said. "The three modules are the dike system, bulk tanks and metering and elecronic skid. All that is needed is warehouse floor space. Add air pressure and electricity and you are ready to go. Unlike a fixed bulk facility, this equipment is designed to be moved to another location with relative ease."


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By Tim Hennagir
ECM Publishers/Monticello Times
Rep. Michele Bachmann won't face a recount challenge from former DFL opponent Jim Graves. The Sixth District race officially ended Wednesday morning after Graves issued a concession statement and both candidates spoke briefly via telephone.
"It's hovering right now around a 4,000-vote difference, and that's too much," said campaign manager Adam Graves, referring to the vote differential.
Unofficial results posted to the Minnesota Secretary of State's website shortly before noon Wednesday showed Bachmann with 181,131 votes (50.45 percent) and Graves with 175,924 votes (49.27 percent) with all 280 precincts reporting.
"Once we got some degree of assurance that lead was significant enough, and that no canvassing movement would change things, we got Jim on the phone with Michele. They spoke briefly on the phone. We then sent out our concession statement."
Chase Kroll, Bachmann's campaign manager, confirmed in a telephone interview both candidates had spoken Wednesday.
"Our news release went out at 5 a.m. this morning after Associated Press, Fox, and MSNBC called the race," Kroll said. "Mr. Graves called and graciously conceded."
The Bachmann campaign also sent a 10 a.m. tweet containing a similar statement.
Adam Graves said when his father woke up this morning, he wanted to make sure all the votes had been counted before making a statement.
"It's a clear victory [for Bachmann]," Graves said. "We had a good run. The people of the Sixth District have spoken."
Bachmann released the following statement after winning re-election to her fourth term in Congress in Tuesday's election:
"It has truly been an honor and a privilege to represent the people of Minnesota's Sixth District in Congress, and I am humbled that they have placed their trust in me for another term. I am extremely grateful to my dedicated volunteers for spending countless hours knocking on doors and making phone calls," said Bachmann. "I pledge to continue to work everyday to create jobs and do everything I can to make life more affordable for Minnesota's families. Our children and grandchildren deserve a future filled with opportunity in a country that is safe and secure, and that's what I'm fighting for in Washington."


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Translation Disclaimer
APRIL 27: NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE-BACK DAYDrop off old medications, safely and anonymously
Berkeley, California (Monday, April 15, 2013) - The public is invited to participate in the first nationwide prescription drug take-back program and bring any unneeded and expired prescription medications to the Heart 2 Heart Neighborhood Celebration to dispose of it safely and anonymously. This event is part of the National Take Back Initiative, a Drug Enforcement Administration program designed to reduce the amount of expired, unwanted, or unused controlled substance in the community.
Many medications are not accepted back by pharmacies, and Drug Take Back days have become an effective way to safely dispose of them. By turning in old medication, residents reduce the risk of accidental poisoning, overdose, theft and abuse, and keep poisons out of the environment.
WHAT: National Prescription Drug Take-Back DayWHEN: Saturday, April 27, 2013 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.WHERE: Corner of Sacramento and Oregon Streets in BerkeleyCost: Free
How It Works
For more information regarding types of medication and collection sites check www.dea.gov or call the Berkeley Police Department at (510) 981-5806.
Keep up with City of Berkeley news via our News page, email or Follow @CityofBerkeley


text: Search the most up to date list of tax lien certificates and tax deed investments in the state of Nevada. Click an area on the map above and see all the latest Nevada tax liens. Get well-informed on your investment by receiving detailed information which includes address, tax year delinquent, tax amount owed, as well as a report on the community and schools in the area. Start searching now!


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Missouri House Representative Diane Franklin (R) has introduced House Bill No. 157, calling for a 1-percent sales tax placed on all violent video games sold in the Show-Me state. The bill states that anything rated T for Teen and up by the ESRB would be considered violent. This is a pretty liberal definition of what a 'violent' video game is as games like The Sims 3, Dance Centeral 3 and You Don't Know Jack are rated Teen and would be taxed higher due to that rating. Don't get too upset though as this bill won't likely pass as the United States Supreme Court ruled that video games are protected speech, no different than books, paintings, or films, when it ruled on Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association in 2011. Legit Reviews has e-mailed Diane Franklin with some questions and will post them up if she would like to respond on the record!
The term "violent video game" means a video or computer game that has received a rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board of Teen, Mature, or Adult Only. In addition to any other sales tax provided for by law, there is hereby
levied upon sales of all violent video games an excise tax based on the gross receipts or gross proceeds of each sale at a rate of one percent.
Comments are closed.


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by James Murty, creator of the JetS3t Java S3 library and author of Programming Amazon Web Services: S3, EC2, SQS, FPS, and SimpleDB (O'Reilly, 2008)
Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides a set of infrastructure services that can replace or augment the physical infrastructure you normally need to run online applications. You can use these services to build applications that scale massively and cheaply, while minimizing the burden of buying and maintaining your own IT infrastructure. Each AWS service offers different capabilities that you can mix-and-match according to your application's requirements.
This article introduces the PAWS Marketplace, a proof-of-concept Ruby on Rails web application that runs entirely on Amazon Web Services. The application's web site allows anyone with an Amazon Payments account to buy or sell digital products, while the marketplace's owner earns commissions for the sales it performs. In addition to serving as an example marketplace implementation, this application is interesting because it uses the SimpleDB service to store its data, instead of a traditional relational database.
The PAWS Marketplace application uses four AWS infrastructure services:
Flexible Payments Service (FPS) to transfer funds between the marketplace participants. The application runs in the FPS Sandbox environment so no real money is involved.
SimpleDB to store, query, and retrieve application data. The PAWS Marketplace code includes tools that make SimpleDB items accessible through an ActiveResource-like interface.
Simple Storage Service (S3) to store and distribute the files sold by vendors in the marketplace. Because the application keeps files in S3, it has virtually unlimited storage space and bandwidth.
Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) to provide a virtual server instance that will run the application on the Ruby on Rails framework.
In this article I will show you how to obtain the PAWS Marketplace application and run it yourself. I will also briefly highlight the application's more interesting features, and indicate where they are implemented in the code so you can see how they work.
This article is too brief to describe the application in detail, so I have created a PAWS Marketplace Screencast video that demonstrates how to use the marketplace web site.
The PAWS Marketplace is a proof-of-concept application intended for demonstration purposes only. The code is not suitable for use in a real live application. Feel free to examine, adapt, and improve the example code, but do not rely on it.
To run the PAWS Marketplace application, you will need to have an AWS developer account and to be signed up for the FPS, S3, EC2, and SimpleDB services. You can sign up for an AWS developer account and the required services at the Amazon Web Services home page. There may be a waiting period when you sign up for the SimpleDB service because it is still under limited beta release.
The PAWS Marketplace code is available as a zipped archive from my web site: http://s3.jamesmurty.com/PAWS_Marketplace_Demo.zip. The archive includes the web site application and a Rails vendor plugin module. The plugin provides tools to interact with AWS services, and to use SimpleDB as the application's database. The code is designed to work with Ruby version 1.8.6 and Rails version 2.0.2.
Start an EC2 Server Instance
To run the application, you will need an EC2 instance that has the Ruby on Rails framework properly installed and configured. Rather than installing all the required software from scratch, we will launch an instance based on a public Amazon Machine Image (AMI) that is pre-prepared with almost everything we need: Fedora Core 8 i386 with Ruby on Rails 2, Mongrel, Nginx, MySQL (
Launch a new instance from this AMI using your favorite EC2 client tool. Make sure you launch the instance within a security group that allows secure shell connections on TCP port 22, and remember to provide the name of your own EC2 key pair so the instance can authenticate you.
ec2-run-instances ami-a93adfc0 --group default --key my-key -n 1
Once the instance has started, use ssh or a similar secure shell client program to log in. In this article, I will use the port forwarding feature of ssh to securely relay traffic to TCP port 3000 on the EC2 instance. Port forwarding allows you to access the PAWS Marketplace web site without the risk of making it publicly accessible over the Internet. Alternately, you could configure an EC2 security group to allow direct connections to port 3000 on your instance, but be very careful not to make the application publicly accessible because this would pose a massive security risk.
Here is the ssh command to connect to an EC2 instance with the public DNS address ec2-75-101-208-112.compute-1.amazonaws.com, and to securely forward traffic to the instance's TCP port 3000:
ssh -i my-key.pem -L3000:127.0.0.1:3000 firstname.lastname@example.com
Once you have logged in to your instance, confirm that it contains the required versions of Ruby and Rails:
[~]: ruby -v
ruby 1.8.6 (2007-09-24 patchlevel 111) [i386-linux]
[~]: rails -v
Rails 2.0.2
Install and Configure the Marketplace Application
The PAWS Marketplace application requires a non-standard Ruby library to generate Universally Unique IDentifiers (UUIDs). You will need to manually install the
uuid gem library:
[~]: gem install uuid
To install the PAWS Marketplace application, download and unzip the archive file:
[~]: wget http://s3.jamesmurty.com/PAWS_Marketplace_Demo.zip
[~]: unzip PAWS_Marketplace_Demo.zip
To configure the application, edit the settings in the
development section of the configuration file PAWS_Marketplace_Demo/config/paws_config.yml. You can configure the following settings:
aws_access_key- Your AWS Access Key
aws_secret_key- Your AWS Secret Key
s3_bucket- The name of the S3 bucket that will store the files sold through the marketplace, for example:
marketplace-bucket. You do not need to create this bucket in advance, but you must choose a bucket name that is unique in S3.
domain- The name of the SimpleDB domain in which the application's data will be stored, for example:
marketplace-domain. You do not need to create this domain in advance.
memcached_servers(Optional) - A list of one or more hosts running the memcached caching server, for example:
127.0.0.1:11211. Using memcached servers can improve the performance of SimpleDB requests, but you will need to install the memcached daemon and the Ruby MemCache client library — tasks that are beyond the scope of this article.
Ignore this setting unless you have experience using memcached.
Once you have edited the configuration file, you can perform commands in the Rails console to test your settings and experiment with the SimpleDB tools included with the PAWS Marketplace application. Run the Rails console by changing to the PAWS_Marketplace_Demo directory and running the script/console command:
[~]: cd PAWS_Marketplace_Demo
[~]: script/console
Loading development environment (Rails 2.0.2)
The PawsHelper Module
To begin with, let's examine the
PawsHelper module that is included with the application in the paws vendor plugin (vendor/plugins/paws/lib/PawsHelper.rb). This module contains a full set of AWS service clients, and provides an easy way to access the APIs of Amazon's EC2, S3, SQS, FPS and SimpleDB (SDB) services.
To list the buckets in your S3 account, you can use the module's S3 client:
>> PawsHelper::S3.list_buckets
Similarly, you can use the EC2 client to list your virtual machine instances:
>> PawsHelper::EC2.describe_instances
I'm sure you get the idea. The code for these service client implementations is discussed in detail in the book Programming Amazon Web Services.
SimpleDbResource: An ActiveResource Implementation for SimpleDB
Ruby on Rails applications use model objects to represent information stored in a database. These model objects include features that make it easy to create, update, store, and find your data, without you being forced to interact directly with the database.
Because Rails applications generally use relational databases to store information, the Rails framework includes fantastic support for these databases in the form of the ActiveRecord model class. However, Amazon's SimpleDB behaves very differently from a relational database and the standard ActiveRecord class will not work with the service. To my knowledge there are not yet any ActiveRecord implementations designed specifically for SimpleDB.
To allow the PAWS Marketplace to store information in SimpleDB, the application includes an ActiveResource implementation called
SimpleDbResource (vendor/paws/lib/SimpleDbResource.rb) with enough basic data management features to do everything the application needs. The SimpleDbResource model class is nowhere near as powerful as the Rails ActiveRecord class and it lacks the more sophisticated features, such as support for relationship macros and inheritance, but it does understand most validation macros and serves as a workable substitute.
The SimpleDbResource class is not the only ActiveResource implementation available for SimpleDB. I am aware of two projects that provide tools to help integrate SimpleDB into Rails applications: AWS SDB Proxy plugin and RightScale AWS gems. SimpleDbResource was inspired and informed by these other projects, so I am indebted to their creators.
Introducing the Example Model
The best way to find out how to use model objects based on SimpleDbResource is to experiment with them. For this purpose the PAWS Marketplace application includes an
Example model class (app/model/example.rb) that is never used by the web site. You can play with this model to your heart's content without affecting the real application.
Before you experiment with the Example model, return to the Rails console and make sure that the SimpleDB domain name you entered in the paws_config.yml file actually exists:
>> PawsHelper::SDB.list_domains.include?(SimpleDbResource::DOMAIN) # => false
>> PawsHelper::SDB.create_domain(SimpleDbResource::DOMAIN)
Now you can create a new Example model to store information in SimpleDB.
>> tim = Example.create(:name => 'Timothy')
=> #<Example:0x256c424
"_created_timestamp"=>Fri Apr 24 03:58:05 UTC 2008,
"_updated_timestamp"=>Fri Apr 24 03:58:05 UTC 2008,
@errors=#<ActiveRecord::Errors:0x256c3ac @errors={} ...>>>
In the output above, you can see three key variables that are present in all SimpleDbResource model objects:
current- A boolean flag that indicates whether the object's data is up-to-date in SimpleDB.
attributes- A hash of attribute names and values that are saved to a unique item in SimpleDB.
errors- An
ActiveRecord::Errorsobject that keeps track of data validation errors, so the web site can provide feedback when a user enters invalid information.
attributes variable contains the information that is actually stored in the SimpleDB service. In addition to any custom data included in a model object, all SimpleDbResource objects include four special attributes which are used for record-keeping:
id- A unique identifier for the item. The PAWS Marketplace application uses UUIDs as identifiers because SimpleDB cannot provide identifier values that are guaranteed to be unique.
_resource- The name of the model class represented by the SimpleDB item. By including the class name in the SimpleDB item's attributes, it is possible to store multiple model types in a single domain.
_created_timestamp- The UTC time when the data item was first saved in SimpleDB.
_updated_timestamp- The UTC time when the data item was last updated in SimpleDB.
Saving and Updating Model Data
The SimpleDB service does not enforce any predefined data schema. This means that you can add to, remove, or update a model's attributes whenever you like, provided your attribute names and values are no longer than the service's 1,024 byte limit.
You can set the model's attributes using hash syntax or dynamic method names:
>> tim[:FavoriteFoods] = 'pizza'
>> tim.age = 14
>> tim['name'] = 'Tim'
To read data from the model, you can use hash lookups or dynamic method names. You can also obtain a cloned copy of all the attributes as a hash:
>> tim.FavoriteFoods # => "pizza"
>> tim['age'] # => 14
>> tim[:name] # => "Tim"
>> tim.attributes
=> {"_resource"=>"example", "id"=>"411b4e90-e429-012a-83c4-0016cb9d98ec",
"name"=>"Tim", "age"=>14, "FavoriteFoods"=>"pizza",
. . .
Because we have changed the attribute values in our
tim model object since we first created it, the object will no longer be in synch with the SimpleDB service and its
current variable will be set to false. The
save method updates an item in SimpleDB when its attributes have changed.
>> tim.current # => false
>> tim.save # => true
# The save method does nothing if the model is current.
>> tim.current # => true
>> tim.save # => false
One of the advantages of SimpleDB, compared to a standard relational database, is the service's ability to store multiple values for a single attribute. To store multiple attribute values, you specify the values as an array:
>> tim.FavoriteFoods = ['pizza', 'ice cream']
>> tim.save
To delete an attribute from a model, you set the attribute's value to
>> tim.test = 'SomeValue'
>> tim.attributes.has_key? 'test' # => true
>> tim.test = nil
>> tim.attributes.has_key? 'test' # => false
Performing Queries
The SimpleDbResource class includes features that make it easy to search for information in SimpleDB. Create a second Example item so you have more than one item to query.
>> Example.create(:name => 'James', :age => 30,
:FavoriteFoods => ['pizza','pancakes'])
You can search for and retrieve items from SimpleDB using the
find class method. To find all the Example model items currently stored in SimpleDB, use the find method with the
:all parameter and no constraints:
>> Example.find(:all).size # => 2
To find all the items with attributes matching a given value, include the attribute's name and value as constraints:
>> Example.find(:all, :name => 'Tim').size # => 1
When you perform searches for a given attribute value, the service also searches multi-value attributes for a match. The following queries use the multi-value attribute
FavoriteFoods to show that both Tim and James like pizza, but only Tim likes ice cream:
>> Example.find(:all, :FavoriteFoods => 'pizza').size # => 2
>> Example.find(:all, :FavoriteFoods => 'ice cream').size # => 1
To search using comparison operators other that equals (=), you provide an array with two entries as the attribute value. The first entry in the array is a SimpleDB operator, while the second entry is the query's constraint value:
>> Example.find(:all, :age => ['>=', 10]).size # => 2
>> Example.find(:all, :age => ['<', 20]).size # => 1
Notice that the queries above use integer comparisons to search within SimpleDB, despite the fact the service only stores textual data and is not able to perform integer comparisons itself. The SimpleDbResource class uses the SimpleDB.rb client to interact with the service, and takes advantage of this implementation's data encoding and decoding features. This means that Float, Integer, Time, and boolean values are automatically encoded before they are stored in SimpleDB, in such a way that the natural and lexicographical ordering will be the same.
Although this feature is very convenient, it does not solve all data conversion problems because it only allows you to compare values of the same type. For example, you cannot compare integer and float values even though they are both numeric types:
>> Example.find(:all, :age => 14).size # => 1
>> Example.find(:all, :age => 14.0).size # => 0
>> Example.find(:all, :age => ['<', 20.0]).size # => 0
If you are familiar with SimpleDB and its query language, you can provide your own query statements to the
find method as a string parameter. Your query statement will be sent directly to the service, once a prefix constraint has been added to identify the model class. For example, the following command will perform the query:
['_resource' = 'example'] intersection ['name' starts-with 'J' and 'name' != 'James'].
>> Example.find(:all, "['name' starts-with 'J' and 'name' != 'James']")
To retrieve only a single item from SimpleDB, you can use the symbols
:one or
:first as the first argument to the
find method. If your query constraints give multiple results, the method will only return the first one. Be careful though, as the "first" result will not be based on any particular ordering.
>> Example.find(:first, :age => ['>', 10])
=> #<Example:0x125f818
@attributes={"name"=>"James", "age"=>30,
. . .
Deleting Items
To delete an item from SimpleDB, you use the model's
delete method. You can invoke this method on a class, in which case it will delete an item with the given identifier:
>> Example.delete(tim.id) # => true
>> Example.exists(tim.id) # => false
Alternately, you can call the
delete method on a particular model object:
>> example = Example.find(:first)
>> example.delete # => true
Running the PAWS Marketplace
Once you have configured the PAWS Marketplace application and tested your settings in the Rails console, you are ready to run the actual marketplace web site. Quit the Rails console on your EC2 instance by pressing Control-D, then run the Rails server script script/server to start the web site.
[~]: script/server
=> Booting Mongrel (use 'script/server webrick' to force WEBrick)
=> Rails application starting on http://0.0.0.0:3000
=> Ctrl-C to shutdown server
If you used ssh port forwarding as discussed above, you should now be able to load the web site from the local URL http://localhost:3000/. If you did not use port forwarding, you will need to point your web browser to port 3000 on your instance's public address, for example: http://ec2-75-101-208-112.compute-1.amazonaws.com:3000.
The first thing you will see when you visit the web site is a set of error messages, because the application needs to create a number of AWS resources to do its work. Simply click on the link below each error message and follow the instructions to create the required resources.
Watch the PAWS Marketplace Screencast video to see a walk-though of the whole process, from launching an EC2 instance and installing the application, to running the web site and using the marketplace to buy and sell files.
Behind the Scenes
In this section I will discuss how the PAWS Marketplace application works behind the scenes.
User Roles
The PAWS Marketplace application allows web site visitors to assume one of three different roles: marketeer, vendor or customer. Visitors log in to the marketplace as a specific user by providing username and password credentials, and may then perform tasks appropriate to that user role. Visitors can switch between roles by logging out of one user account and logging in as a different user.
The Marketeer user is the administrator of the marketplace. This user can:
- Manage user accounts by adding, editing or deleting User model items in SimpleDB.
- View all financial transactions that have occurred in the marketplace, including product sales, refunds, and vendor commission payments.
- Perform refunds on behalf of vendors.
Vendor users sell products through the marketplace, and pay the marketplace owner a 10% commission fee for each sale. Any web site visitor can create a vendor account, and after installing the required FPS tokens the visitor will be able to add his own products to the marketplace. Vendors can:
- Create, edit, and delete Product model items to describe a product and set its price in the marketplace.
- Sell digital artifacts by uploading a file to S3 and linking the uploaded file to a product.
- View their financial transactions, including the sales they have made, refunds they have performed, and the commission fees they have paid to the marketplace.
- Perform refunds.
Customer users buy products through the marketplace. Any web site visitor can create a customer account which will allow him or her to:
- Buy products that vendors have made available in the marketplace.
- View their financial transactions, including their purchases and any refunds they have received.
FPS Tokens and Transactions
The PAWS Marketplace application performs financial transactions in the sandbox environment of the Flexible Payments Service (FPS). The application uses the Transaction model class to store detailed information about each transaction in SimpleDB. For money to be transferred from one marketplace user to another, each user must have his or her own Amazon Payments account, and must install FPS tokens to authorize the transaction.
As the owner of the marketplace application, you need to install Caller and Recipient tokens in your own Amazon Payments developer account. The Caller token permits the application to transfer funds between the marketplace participants, and the Recipient token permits the application to receive commission payments from vendors. These tokens are created by the methods
install_caller_token and
install_caller_recipient_token in app/controllers/home_controller.rb.
Vendor users must have an Amazon Payments Business account to receive payments through the marketplace, and must install Recipient/Refund and Sender tokens in their account. The combined Recipient and Refund tokens allow a vendor to receive payments from customers and to refund these payments. The Sender token is a multi-use authorization that allows the marketplace to extract sale commission fees from a vendor up to a total of $500.
Marketplace customer users need only a standard Amazon Payments account and are not required to install any FPS tokens in advance. When a customer clicks the "Buy" link for a product, he will be directed to approve a single-use Sender token to authorize the payment.
Third-party web site visitors, such as vendors and customers, will be directed to the FPS Co-Branded UI pipeline (CBUI) to install FPS tokens in their Amazon Payments accounts. These users are sent to the CBUI pipeline using specially crafted links generated by the methods
uri_for_multi_use_sender_token, and
uri_for_single_use_sender in app/helpers/application_helper.rb. When a user completes the pipeline, he or she is redirected back to the marketplace web site with a Result URL that describes the outcome of the pipeline process. The pipeline result for vendor users is interpreted by the
interpret_installed_tokens method in app/controllers/products_controller.rb, while the result for customers is interpreted by the
pay method in app/controllers/transaction_controller.rb.
When the PAWS Marketplace application performs a transaction to transfer funds from one user to another, the bulk of the work is handled by the
perform_purchase or
refund methods in app/controllers/transaction_controller.rb.
File Storage and Distribution with S3
Vendors make a product available in the marketplace by defining a name, description, and price for the product, and then uploading the file that will be sold. A vendor can optionally include a preview image for each product.
The PAWS Marketplace stores all product files as private objects in your S3 bucket, and it also distributes these files directly from the S3 service. The application uses two mechanisms to allow vendors and customers to interact with your S3 account: authorized HTML upload forms, and signed download URLs.
The application generates S3 POST HTML forms that allow vendors to upload files directly into your S3 account. Uploaded files can be up to 5MB in size, and each file is saved to a virtual "subdirectory" specific to that vendor. The POST forms are generated by the
s3_upload_form_for_vendor method in app/helpers/products_helper.rb, and the result URLs are interpreted by the
upload method in app/controllers/products_controller.rb.
When a customer purchases a product, the application generates a signed URL that will allow the customer to download the file as often as he or she likes for one week. This signed URL is provided as a "Download" link on the customer's transactions page. The application also generates signed URLs for product preview images so they can be displayed on the web site. The signed URLs are generated by the
uri_for_download method in app/helpers/application_helper.rb.
Application Data Model
The data model used by the PAWS Marketplace application is fairly simple, but at the same time it demonstrates some interesting differences from the data model you would employ if the application was based on a relational database instead of SimpleDB.
The main difference is that the PAWS Marketplace crams as much information as possible into each item stored in SimpleDB, rather than normalizing information into multiple tables as you would in an SQL-based database. This approach minimizes the number of HTTP requests necessary to retrieve information, and reduces the number of data relationships the application needs to manage. The schema-less nature of SimpleDB makes this approach feasible as it is easy to add or change item attributes as needed. However, for real applications I would recommend a more considered approach, because it can be very risky to make ad-hoc changes to your data model.
The marketplace application uses three model classes from the app/models directory: User, Product, and Transaction. It is worth looking at these class files because they demonstrate how to use the macros supported by the SimpleDbResource class, such as validation macros.
The PAWS Marketplace example shows that you can build fairly sophisticated applications based entirely on Amazon's infrastructure services. I hope that it will serve as an interesting demonstration of just how far you can push your use of Amazon Web Services, as well as providing sample code to help you build your own applications.
Additional Resources
- PAWS Marketplace Screencast video: http://s3.jamesmurty.com/PAWS_Marketplace_Screencast/index.html
- Amazon Web Services home page: http://aws.amazon.com
- Ruby on Rails: http://www.rubyonrails.org/
- Programming Amazon Web Services: S3, EC2, SQS, FPS, and SimpleDB (O'Reilly, 2008) http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596515812/


text:
LOTTERY multi-millionaire Les Scadding has joined the board at Newport County AFC and has urged people to follow his lead in order to help the Exiles complete their march back to the Football League.
Scadding made headline news across the world in November 2009 when he scooped the £45 million Euro Millions jackpot.
Scadding at the time made clear his realistic and modest plans for his cash and only made promises to buy a new car and spoil his three children.
A big football fan and at the time of their win based in Caerleon, Scadding has been a regular visitor to Newport County for the past year.
He was a regular face in the directors' box at Spytty Park last term and also frequently travelled with then chairman Chris Blight to away games.
Director Howard Greenhaf and Blight made no secret of their desire to have Scadding join the club but opted for a softly, softly approach that has now paid off.
There is no prospect of Scadding acting as a sugar daddy and pouring lavish sums into the club, but his arrival will still be greeted with great enthusiasm by the County faithful following their move to Rodney Parade.
Scadding joins Greenhaf and interim chairman David Hando on the board, with three more members to be announced in the near future.
However, Scadding is hopeful his public involvement can lead to even more businessmen following his lead in backing the Exiles. He also confirmed that the "regrettable," resignation of Blight made him feel now was the time to publicly show his support for the club.
"I have been involved since last season, but I've been on the outside. However, because of the regrettable situation with Chris and the fact the club has been left with one director, it seems right to come on now officially.
"H (Howard Greenhaf) is a good friend and I have enormous faith in his ability to take the club forward. But the time is right to come on officially, helping him is my main objective and I'm looking forward to being known as a director rather than a guy acting as such but in an unofficial capacity."
Scadding was hugely impressed with the first friendlies at Rodney Parade and is hopeful the feelgood factor at the club can convince other businessmen to join the club.
"Tuesday's game with Bristol Rovers couldn't have gone better and that's the sort of thing that makes it all worth while, I just hope the fans will give us the support," he explained. "We need 1,800 every week and if we can take 10,000 to Wembley that shouldn't be a problem."
Scadding is under no illusions about the job lot of a non-league football director.
"I've tried to help in the past financially and will do so going forward, as does Howard and as did Chris Blight. I don't think people realise just how much money these guys and others have put in over the last ten years and that money doesn't come back.
"But we know what we are getting in for, us contributing financially gives the club stability and my message to anyone interested in the club is 'come and join us'. I'm trying to get some other people on the board of directors and a few in the corporate boxes on a Saturday as well.
"There is a good feel about the club, the Supporters' Trust gives us great support and I want to do my bit"