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No Churchill for Churchill?
Posted: Jun 15, 2010 9:44am ET
Reading the news this morning I came across a disturbing piece from Mail Online, the online site of Britain's Daily Mail tabloid. Beth Hail reports that one of history's most iconic cigar smokers, Sir Winston Churchill, has been stripped of his beloved stogie.
A familiar image of good old Sir Winston, fingers of his right hand extended in a V for Victory salute, greets visitors to Winston Churchill's Britain At War Experience Museum in East London. But according to the writer, the image is not historically accurate. She says it has been airbrushed, doctored to take away Churchill's very famous cigar. A comparison of photographs placed side-by-side in the article gives merit to the claim that, indeed, Churchill's cigar has stripped away to clean up the image.
No one has confessed to the doctoring, and it's not been proven that the image has indeed been changed. But it certainly appears to have been. Each photograph shown in the article appears identical: the wrinkles on Churchill's right sleeve, the four people in the background, the shadows on Sir Winston. I'm no expert on photorgraphy, but to me the photos look precisely the same, except for the cigar (and lack of one) and the fact that the cigar-less photo has been more brightly exposed. Take a look for yourself in the story.
Cigars have fallen victim to the censor's airbrush and scissors before. In 2006, a British unit of Turner Broadcasting said it would snip away any scenes of cigars in old Hanna-Barbera cartoons, including "Tom & Jerry", and "The Flintstones." The Mail Online mentions the case of a school textbook adorned with a famous photo of cigar-smoking engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel—the cigar was deleted. In the case of this Churchill photo, if someone did make the edit, why take away the cigar? The writer suggests it was the work of someone hoping to be politically correct, and spare some visitor the sight of a lit cigar. Ironic, considering the theme of the exhibit—Britain during World War II. The museum shows "wartime bombs," has images of London in ruins, buildings destroyed by Germany's rain of rockets, scared people huddled in gas masks in fear of being poisoned by their neighboring enemy.
Sure, spare them the sight. That might be too much.
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Let the images speak for themselves, Ancestry.com.
Sad, sad, sad.
Copyright 2010, CABS for Reflections From the Fence.
This and that from my world of Family Research, Yorkies, Photography, RV's and Traveling.
Agreed....but I have found it in other areas of ancestry and have begun to add the correction...at least in the census indexing.
Yes Linda, we can add corrections now, and I have, but in this case I would have been correcting for hours, maybe days. My internet connection has been a bit "under-powered" lately, and I just did not have that kind of time to donate. I would rather spend my volunteer hours somewhere else right now.

subset: commoncrawl


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After reading Mahasi Sayadaw's The Progress of Insight, I got the impression that it is pretty easy to attain stream-entry by merely spending some time (weeks?) doing insight meditation, and that advancing further even up to arahantship is also straightforward and only involves repeating the same steps again. From chapter 19:
"When the meditator has thus become skilled in achieving the fruition attainment, he should resolutely set his mind upon the task of attaining to the higher paths and fruitions. What should now be done by one who has set himself that task? Just as before, he should carry out the practice of noticing (anything occurring) at the six sense doors."
My questions are these: (1) Is it really that straightforward? and (2) suppose one reaches enlightenment after devoting one's life to the task - then what? Is life then just happy ever after, or will the arahant seek new challenges for himself?
Many thanks,


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College hosts Academic Achievement Ceremony
From left to right: Dr. Jana Hunzicker, Dean Joan L. Sattler, Dr. Sherrie Pardieck and Dr. Kevin Randall.
April 30, 2013
The College of Education and Health Sciences held its annual Academic Achievement Ceremony and dinner on Sunday, April 28. More than 150 undergraduate and graduate students were recognized as graduating with academic honors.
Scholarships and academic awards were presented as well as annual faculty awards. Dr. Kevin Randall received the Center for Research and Service Faculty Award for Research, Dr. Sherrie Pardieck received the Center for Research and Service Faculty Award for Service and Dr. Jana Hunzicker received the Joan L. Sattler Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.


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The second 40-minute race gets underway at 8:00am on Sunday (July 6) with the third and final 40-minute race set for 2:10pm, both again featuring the compulsory pit stop mid-race.
Reigning Australian GT champion Klark Quinn has claimed his first win of the 2014 season, leading series points leader Richard Muscat and Phillip Island race winner Tony Quinn across the line for the first of the 40-minute races at Townsville.
Pole-sitter Steve Richards (Interlloy Gallardo FL2 GT3) controlled the rolling start of the opening 40-minute race, and despite dropping behind fellow front-row starter Klark Quinn (Darrell Lea McLaren MP4-12C) on the run into turn one, Richards led the field through the opening corner and all the way to the compulsory pit stop [CPS].
Behind him the first contact of the event came in the battle for position mid-field as Brendan Cook (Walz Group Porsche), Ben Foessel (Motor School Porsche) and Dale Paterson (DPM Motorsport Mosler) made contact on the run into turn one, Paterson forced into retirement as a result of the contact which saw him suffer a tyre failure on the right rear and contact with the wall on the left front.
Foessel too suffered damage as a result, forcing the Phillip Island Challenge class winner into the pits to repair the left-rear tyre. There was much discussion post-race about who, where and what, but at the end of the day officials judged the contact to be a racing incident, and whilst the two Porsches were able to continue, Paterson was faced with a lengthy repair ahead of the remaining two races.
"I'm so disappointed," he shrugged post-race. "This is the best the car has ever been. It's always a risk starting mid-pack, but the car was handling brilliantly, I got a great start and passed a couple of cars, and then got wiped out by a Porsche. The contact forced me into the wall, but whilst it was a fair hit, we'll do our best to fix the car for race two."
From the second row, Muscat was quickly through on John Bowe and Klark Quinn for second, the points leader locking onto the tail of Richards, the two leaders trading times, with both of them well below the standing race lap record of Kevin Weeks set in 2011. Richards was the first to set a new benchmark with a best of 1:13.1378, with Muscat following suit a lap later, the Erebus driver though falling just 14 one thousandths shy of being the new lap record holder.
Behind the leaders Klark Quinn was holding station in third with Bowe fourth, but the Ferrari driver was quickly into the pits with a deflating left rear tyre. "I could feel something wasn't right and glanced at the tyre pressures on the display and it said 7.5psi, so I knew I had a puncture, so that was it," Bowe admitted.
His disappointment was compounded by a drive-through penalty for crossing the blend-line on the exit of pit-lane.. "That REALLY made my day..!"
With the leaders off into the distance and the Ferrari all but out of the equation, the focus shifted to the battle for the Trophy class points lead where Rod Salmon made a strong start to hold position inside the top six, with John Magro (Audi R8), Dean Koutsoumidis (Equity-One Audi) and Dan Gaunt (JJA Consulting Lamborghini) battling for position inside the top ten.
As the pit stop window opened, Jinadasa was the first to pit, the former Challenge class champion suffering a mystery suspension issue, which dramatically impacted the cars pace. The following lap Muscat dived into the pits to give himself an opportunity to rejoin ahead of McMillan once the Interlloy Lamborghini had stopped, the two teams separated by a four second margin during the stop thanks to their accrued pit stop qualifying and driver grading penalties.
The following lap that very nearly became a moot point as Steve McLaughlan spun out of podium contention on the exit of the final turn, coming to a stop tail into the wall on pit entry. It took the Trophy class front runner a short period to re-start the car, and he hit the pits shortly thereafter for his CPS with some minor damage to the rear wing.
By the 20-minute mark of the race, Richards hit the pits, handing over to McMillan, who was straight into the action on pit exit..
Rejoining the field on the run down to turn one, McMillan moved across to allow the battle between Audi team-mates McLaughlan and John Magro to continue into turn one.
With the Lamborghini to the extreme outside of the circuit, McLaughlan dived down the inside, McMillan giving him plenty of room. Magro appeared to have been caught out as McLaughlan hit his braking marker, the former F3 regular hitting the brakes hard to avoid McLaughlan, in the end electing to dive down the middle of the two cars in front of him to avoid hitting his team-mate.
Sadly the move also sent him partly sideways, and he clipped McLaughlan as a result, sending them both across in front of the Lamborghini, and hard into the outside wall.
McMillan somehow thread the needle and missed all but the carbon-fibre bodywork which broke off the two Audis, and continued.
Sadly for some of the teams that had made their compulsory stop, many would lose that advantage as the Safety Car was called onto the circuit as officials began clearing the debris. Medical staff also attended to McLaughlan who admitted some lower back pain, yet despite a compulsory visit to the medical centre, he was released shortly afterwards with no residual issues apart from discomfort.
Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the JAMEC-PEM Audi, which like its stablemate, was withdrawn from the round due to excessive front-end damage.
"Steve just caught me out," Magro admitted. "I didn't expect him to brake where he did, and I was just trying to avoid hitting him, but as I braked and went for the gap, the car stepped out and I was a passenger..!"
"I didn't know what had hit me," McLaughlan explained. "Justin [McMillan] had moved to the left to give us room, I went to the right, and then boom I was heading into the fence. My Audi has the safety cell seat, so I was well protected, but it was a hard knock in my lower back. It's just bruising, so I'll be okay, but unfortunately it will be a big rebuild for the car."
After the dust had settled and the safety car withdrew from the circuit, the two Quinn cars emerged as the front runners, Klark now leading from Tony, with seven cars separating the race leader from the Muscat Mercedes.
With two laps to go after the restart, Klark Quinn drove away from the field as the pack was held up coming to the line by the ailing Jinadasa Lamborghini who had been second in line. Once clear Muscat charged and was quickly onto Tony Quinn's tail, the points leader ultimately making his way through to second and a big points advantage over John Bowe, whilst Tony Quinn held on for third.
Fourth was James Koundouris in the ex-Klark Quinn Porsche, the former Carrera Cup regular admitting that he was becoming more comfortable with his 'new' mount, but still not 100% happy.
"We've sorted the front of the car, but it has a bit much oversteer at present, but I'm happy with my pace. It was also nice to do this event on my own and not rely so much on Steve [Owen]. He's away testing ahead of the Spa 24 Hour race, so I thought I'd go it alone. I was close to Tony [Quinn] at the end and thought about an attack, but we have two races left and a little more work to do, but we're getting there!"
Justin McMillan held on for fifth, admitting that he was happy to let Koundouris through and gain points and experience.
"That was a good race for us. Steve drove brilliantly again despite a bit of a brake issue, and put us in a great position. I almost got caught up in the Audi crash.. I could hear it all happening behind me and wondered what the hell had happened, but we survived it. We're improving every time, and with two races to go, we're on for a good points haul."
Sixth was Nathan Antunes in the first of the Trophy class cars - the Skwirk.com.au Audi of points leader Rod Salmon - with Ginetta graduate Michael Hovey a solid seventh in the Triffid/HHH Racing Porsche 997 Cup Car.
"I just kept my nose clean and the race came to me," Hovey admitted. "We had a relatively minor CPS time penalty, and I just used that and the Safety Car to my advantage.. it's nice to be second in Trophy class, I hope I can keep that momentum going across the rest of the weekend."
Phillip Island Trophy class round winner Theo Koundouris came home eighth in his Porsche Cup S ahead of Ross Lilley in the Koala Furniture Lamborghini, the Victorian making his return to Australian GT competition in the car campaigned in 2013 by Richards and McMillan.
Tenth was Dean Koutsoumidis and recent Le Mans 24 Hour star James Winslow in the Equity One Audi R8, the Sandown Trophy class round winners were strong early but sadly were one of the teams caught out by the Safety Car during their CPS.
"We were looking pretty good till then," Koutsoumidis shrugged. "That's the way it goes sometimes. At least the car is quick and straight, and we get another two chances to get back some points tomorrow."
GT Championship
1. 1. Klark Quinn (Darrel Lea McLaren MP4-12C), 2. 36. Richard Muscat (Erebus Motorsport SLS AMG GT3), 3. Tony Quinn (VIP Petfoods Aston Martin Vantage GT3
"That wasn't a bad result in the end. I had a 'long' brake pedal early which wasn't ideal, but it wasn't a huge issue. We'd planned to pit the lap the Safety Car came out anyway, and that worked to our advantage for a change, but the car was strong, so I'm pretty happy. There's more improvement to come from me, but we have two more races to go, so there's still some work to do!" - Klark Quinn (1st)
GT Trophy
1. 6. Rod Salmon/Nathan Antunes (GTT - Audi R8 LMS GT3), 2. Michael Hovey (GTT - Porsche 997 Cup Car), 3. 69. Theo Koundouris (GTT - Porsche 997 Cup-S - "I'm pretty happy with that. I had a good start and was able to hold the class lead until Magro took me on lap eight, but then he came into contact with Steve [McLaughlan] and I got caught up in the debris. It felt like I'd suffered a tyre deflation so I came into the pit earlier than I'd hoped.. we were second by then, and I stopped earlier than I'd have liked, but it worked out pretty well in the end." - Rod Salmon (1st)
GT Challenge
1. 25. Brendan Cook/Matt Kingsley (GTC - Porsche GT3 Cup), 2. 3. Ben Foessel/Michael Almond (GTC - Porsche GT3 Cup)
"That was an interesting day's work. Brendan [Cook] was caught up at the start with Foessel and Paterson, but managed to make it through. It's always tough mid-pack, especially on a tight circuit like this, but we got some more valuable championship points which is what's important." - Matt Kingsley (1st)
GT Sports
1. 54. Tony Alford (GTS - Lotus Exige Cup R), 2. Hayden Cooper (GTS - Ginetta G50 GT4), 3. 19. Mark Griffith (GTS - Ginetta G50 GT4)
The second 40-minute race gets underway at 8:00am on Sunday (July 6) with the third and final 40-minute race set for 2:10pm, both again featuring the compulsory pit stop mid-race.
Australian GT


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Back in August 2008, Paul W.S. Anderson's Death Race hit the box office. Starring Jason Statham, the film was an inventive, action-packed re-imagining of the original 1975 David Carradine and Sly Stallone cult favorite Death Race 2000. Now, fans who enjoyed Anderson's update can pick up the prequel, Death Race 2, on Blu-ray and DVD this week.
Exploring the origins of the Death Race itself as well as the race's main character and star, Frankenstein, Death Race 2 stars Luke Goss (Hellboy 2), Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible), Sean Bean, and Danny Trejo, is directed by Dutch filmmaker Roel Reiné, and is written by Tony Giglio and Paul W. S. Anderson.
Carl Lucas (Goss), a life-long criminal loyal to crime boss Markus Kane (Bean), gets caught red handed and is sentenced to life in prison at the privately run prison Terminal Island, where the Weyland International corporation runs Death Match, "pay per view" series which pits inmates against one another. Lucas soon learns his life is in danger both in and out of the tournament and must compete to survive.
Featuring fan favorites like Ving Rhames as Weyland, the president of the corporation; Sean Bean as Markus Kane, the crime boss whose criminal empire is almost as big as his ego; and Danny Trejo as Goldberg, an inmate who becomes the head of Lucas' pit crew, Death Race 2 sports a solid cast of supporting actors. Likewise, Goss is great as Lucas, the ice cold criminal with a slow, smoldering hatred boiling just below the surface. Lucas makes for a bad guy with good intention whose destiny lies on the Death Race track.
The hi-def 1080p video transfer in 1.78:1 aspect ratio is bright, colorful, and tight. Likewise, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track ensures you'll hear plenty of engines roaring and bullets impacting.
As far as special features go, Death Race 2 includes a good number which will please fans of the series. Besides a feature commentary with director Roel Reiné, the disc also includes deleted scenes, a director's montage, and a number of featurettes, including "The Race Begins: The Evolution of Death Race," "Cheating Death: The Stunts of Death Race 2," and "Fast Cars and Firearms: The Cars of Death Race 2." Each featurette gives plenty of behind-the-scenes info on the film's plot, the stunts, the cast, the directing, and the cars - which are truly the star of the film.
Considering this is a straight-to-video release, Death Race 2 is an exceptionally entertaining film with great special effects, solid acting, and a good amount of bonus material. As I said in my original review of the 2008 Death Race, I can't help but love this stuff. Cars with machine guns, missile launchers, and armored bodies make for some very exciting and entertaining cinema. Fans of the 2008 Death Race won't want to miss Death Race 2, available now wherever fine home video is sold.
- Jess C. Horsley


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I am just getting started with duathlons, I am looking at doing a long course duathlon in September (5k run, 56 mi bike, 13.1 mi run), I am wondering if anybody has a good training plan they can suggest for that length?
Duathlon training
Hey Bro still looking for a training plan for Ultra Duathlon. I might be able to constructively help out????
I do still need a plan, I am doing a sprint this weekend and a couple more through the summer, I am confident in my training for that. I don't know where to start for the longer distance
Thanks for the reply
let me know your email and I'll email you something that I found useful . I am also preparing for a half iron distance duathlon this September. I opt not to attend the du events here since they are short distances and it would only help me get familiar with transitions. I am also
saving my funds for the bigger events. Sadly there's no long distance Du in Texas. I would probably do one event just to make sure I am not missing anything.
Right now the training i found helped me do a weekly brick training of 1mi/40mi/10mi Which right now i am at 10min/mi,17 mph , 12min./mi. i am not looking for a podium finish just a decent finish. the training plan is very straightforward less the complications of needing a power meter to get your lactate threashold HR or going to a sports clinic to find out your VO2max.
Let me know your email and good luck to your training.
I am currently training for a full distance duathlon (4k run / 180k bike / 42.2k run) and spent about a month or two reading books this past november and december before making my own training plan. You will not find a lot of duathlon plans, but can use the run and bike from a triathlon plan very well. I currently do the following:
Sunday: Bike 60-90 minutes (mostly intervals ranging from 3x20 to 5x7 minute intervals)
Monday: One week tempo run/next week intervals ranging from 800 to 2400m in distance. 30-45 minutes of weight training.
Tuesday: Bike 60-90 minutes with intervals. Starting May 28th I will do an every other week 40k time trial series sponsored by a local bike shop.
Wednesday: Long run ranging from 60 minutes to 180 minutes. Have one 180 minute run, two 150 minute runs and quite a few 120 minute runs on the schedule.
Thursday: Total rest day.
Friday: Long bike ranging from 2 hours to 6 hours. Every other week I follow this ride by a 20-60 minute brick run off the bike. Stretch for 30 minutes.
Saturday: Alternate between running hills for 45-60 minutes one week to an easy run the other weeks of 45-60 minutes.
I had a half marathon last weekend, a few sprint and olympic du's in between and a 100 mile charity bike ride that I will use as my long ride that week. I made a 23 week training schedule with a 6 week build before that where I usually build my distance for three weeks and then back off for one week. I have all of my races built into the schedule so that I back off and taper anywhere from 1 day to a week before any B races. I use trainerroad.com for all my indoor bike rides on sundays and tuesdays (best 10 dollars per month I have spent ever). For my running paces I use the free version of the mcmillancalculator.com. I do make slight changes to the schedule when work changes or there are other factors, but for the most part I just stick to the plan. I have liked it thus far as I get a total rest day after my long run and the day after my long bike I either do an easy run or I do hills at an easy pace. I get adequate rest and the schedule seems to give me the freedom to fulfill all my other responsibilities.
@Joe Dumas
What Full Iron distance iron Du are you planning on doing?
there's barely half iron distance.
there's not too much out there. I know there's tri-freaks.com and "American Zofringen"
Let me know too
It's in Ottawa, ON on August 31st. Downside is that the bike is 12 laps and marathon is 8 laps. On the plus side my wife will probably enjoy it more since she gets to see me 20 times!
@Joe Dumas
Can you give me a review of Somersault ultra duathlon?
I might be able to constructively help out????


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Recommended for vaccination against canine distemper, adenovirus cough, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus, and four types of leptospirosis. The parvovirus portion is modified live canine cell origin. Canine adenovirus-2 (CAV-2) helps provide protection against both canine infectious hepatitis and tracheobronchitis (kennel cough). Give subcutaneously or intramuscularly. Please note: The term "9-way vaccine" refers to a 7-way vaccine that provides protection against four types of Leptospirosis rather than two.
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Apple's WWDC 2012 keynote on Monday was full of new announcements from the Cupertino company. Much of what was announced had been rumored for some time already, such as a new, thinner MacBook Pro with a Retina Display, a MacBook Air update, and iOS 6 with new maps and many other enhancements.
Here's what's new in the world of Apple.
MacBook Air Update
The MacBook Air still has the same exterior design, but the inside has received an overhaul.
The 11-inch Air starts at $999 and $1,099. The flash storage didn't get a bump--it remains at 64GB and 128GB, respectively. The change here is in the processor, which is now a 1.7-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5. It's loaded with 4GB of memory, Intel HD Graphics 4000, and a 720p FaceTime camera.
The 15-inch MacBook Air will come with 128GB of storage, upgradable to 256GB. The processor is a 1.8-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5. Like the 11-inch Air, it also has 4GB of memory, an Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics card, and a 720p FaceTime camera.
New MacBook Pro Models
The 13-inch MacBook Pro comes in two flavors. Both have a 1280 x 800 display.
The specs for the base model are as follows: 2.5GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4000, 500GB hard drive, seven-hour battery life, .95 inches thick, 4.5 pounds. It starts at $1,199.
For those who want a slight spec bump, the 13-inch MacBook Pro can be had with a 2.9-GHz dual-core i7 processor and a 750GB hard drive instead, for $1,499.
The 15-inch model starts at $1,799 for the base model. A step up from that will run you $2,199.
Here's what $1,800 will get you: a 2.3-GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB of 1600MHz DDR3 memory, and a 500GB hard drive. The 15-inch model is just as slim--.95 inches thick--as the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Opting for a $2,200 MacBook Pro will score you a 2.6-GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 memory, and a 750GB hard drive.
MacBook Pro with Retina Display
This is the first major MacBook Pro redesign in several years. The new laptop is now thinner, at .71 inches, and equipped with a Retina Display that has an 2880 x 1880 resolution, giving it a pixel density of 220ppi. Both models have a 720p FaceTime HD camera. They add USB 3 and a newer, thinner MagSafe 2 connector.
The base model starts at $2,199, and has a 2.3-GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor. It has 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L memory, 256GB of flash memory, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Nvidia GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory, and automatic graphics switching.
The $2,799 model features a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, and 512GB of flash storage.
All the Apple laptops begin shipping today.
Mountain Lion
Game Center
Mountain Lion is getting Game Center. This will allow users to play games with each other across multiple platforms, such as iOS and Mac OS.
Messages, which has been in beta for a few months now, lets users send messages to iPhone users and iPad users the way they would SMS. This will work across all Apple devices.
The new notification center will work much like the OS X app Growl. It brings pop-up notifications to the top-right corner of the screen. If you ignore it, it just goes away. However, you can check all your notifications quickly through the app.
This brings Apple's dictation software to the Mac. It's similar to what's on the new iPad. This is not to be confused with Siri, which is more of a personal assistant.
Search in Launchpad
Users can now search through Apple's Launchpad.
No release date was announced for Mountain Lion, but the pricing will entice buyers at $19. That's a $10 drop from last year's Lion OS.


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THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
We've been seeing a lot of interest in optimizing SQL Server for virtualization private cloud deployment lately. Below is an attempt to put useful links to recent SQL Server virtualizaiton, consolidation and private cloud resources in one place, divided into a range of topics such as benefits, comparisons, products and tools, planning and what to consider. These originally appeared in the TechEd breakout session: Microsoft SQL Server in Virtualization in Private Cloud:
Benefits on SQL Server consolidation/virtualization
SQL Server 2008 R2 Consolidation Datasheet
SQL Server 2008 Consolidation Whitepaper
SQL Server 2008 R2 Virtualization Datasheet
SQL Server 2008 R2 Licensing and website
Support policy for SQL Server virtualizationSQL Server Consolidation Guidance
Cost Comparison Calculator
Hyper-V Calculator
Why Hyper-V for existing VMware customers?
Hyper-V vs. VMware operational cost comparison
Hyper-V vs. VMware cost comparison white paper
Hyper-V vs. VMware cost comparison video
Hyper-V vs. VMware ongoing cost comparison
Debunk VMware cost calculator from Taneja Group
Hyper-V is the best virtualization for SQL Server
Windows Server Virtualization Guide
Hyper-V VM Processor Compatibility
Partner resources
SQL Server Consolidation on IBM x3850 servers
NetApp SQL Server Consolidation/Virtualization
Consolidation Planning Tool for SQL Server
MAP Toolkit
Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.1
Plan and deploy
Consolidation using SQL Server 2008
SQL Server Virtualization with Hyper-V
Managing SQL Server Virtual Appliances
Analysis Services Consolidation Guidance
Onboarding SQL Server Private Cloud Environment
Hyper-V Security Guide
Hyper-V Live Migration Architecture
Resource management
Server Memory Options
Affinity mask Option
Resource Governor Whitepaper
Managing SQL Server with Resource Governor
Support Statement for Dynamic Memory in SQL Server Virtualization
System Center VMM Self-Service Portal 2.0
P2V in System Center VMM
Virtualization with Hyper-V
How to: Extract a DAC
Storage requirements
Data Compression Strategy for SQL Server 2008
SQL Server Compression Datasheet
SQL Server Compression Whitepaper
Unicode compression in SQL Server 2008 R2
Pre-deployment I/O Best Practices
Disk Alignment Best Practices for SQL Server
Performance and scalability
SQL Server in Hyper-V Best Practice
High Performance SQL Server on Hyper-V
Virtual Hard Disk Performance White Paper
Hyper-V R2 Performance By ESG
Hyper-V R2 SP1 Workload Performance By ESG
Any recommendations? Let me know.
- Guy
Perfect and timely, I just wrote about SQL Server Private Cloud with Denali, pingback: http://mssqldude.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/sql-server-maximum-availability-denali-private-cloud/
Thanks for the pingback Mark, very interesting post on Denali and private cloud.


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Trading Fairly in Ghana: Nuts, Butter And Sustainable Living
Jobomax co-founder Robert Hornsby reflects on his travels to Fair Trade shea butter cooperatives in Ghana
You may remember our recent Q&A with Robert Hornsby, co-founder of Jobomax, who shared with us his insight on West African shea butter production. After visiting Fair Trade producers in Ghana last week, Robert wrote this post about his experience there and the potential for impact Fair Trade certification has for African farming communities.
What does it mean to trade fairly? How does it really affect the lives of the farmers and laborers we want to help? And beyond paying a premium for fairly traded merchandise, what can American consumers do to move toward a world in which we know that the things we spend our time and money on are developed in a sustainable manner?
Reading The Economist on the airplane on the way to Ghana this week for the Global Shea 2011 conference, I came across a piece on the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Civil War. That conflict killed 620,000 soldiers and it pitted an industrial north against an agricultural south. After the war, income per person in the south "dropped to 40 percent of that in the North, and stayed there for the rest of the century." The 11 former Confederate states are now finally catching up, with income levels now at nearly 90 percent of the national average. A shift to more manufacturing and services investment and jobs has carried that income growth along; many of the poorest states such as Mississippi, West Virginia and Idaho "have relatively uneducated populations, and rely heavily on mining and agriculture."
Economies with relatively uneducated populations that rely on mining and agriculture ... sounds a lot like West Africa, doesn't it? The world still has an industrial north beating an agricultural south, and the cost in lives far outpaces that of even the Civil War: UNICEF estimates in 2006 and 2007 suggest that between 5 and 6 million children die each year in developing countries due to malnutrition and hunger related diseases. Nearly 10 times the casualties of the entire Civil War, every year - and that is just children under 5.
The Global Shea Alliance
I have been in Ghana this week at a fascinating conference sponsored by the USAID-funded West Africa Trade Hub, working with a broad spectrum of people involved in the shea industry, from women's groups that traveled across the continent from the brand new country of South Sudan, to major global agribusinesses, and everyone in between. This year the Global Shea Alliance was formally launched, with more than 200 member entities from around the world and an Executive Committee representing women-owned shea processors from African countries, international shea oil refiners, and global cosmetics brands. The Alliance faces an ambitious agenda in the coming year, having been challenged by the conference panelists and participants to: ensure the health of the bees that pollinate shea trees; protect shea parklands from the charcoal industry, monoculture plantations, and housing development; increase global awareness of the benefits of traditionally produced shea butter; foster more research on the health-promoting activity of bioactive flavonoids in the shea presscake; tap into carbon finance mechanisms to enable broader tree protection programs; increase investment in local capacity for improved shea nut production and shea butter refining; and much more.
The History of Shea
The shea tree grows across the African Sahel region from Guinea and Senegal in the west to Uganda and Southern Sudan in the east. For millennia it has served as an important food product and natural cosmeceutical for the populations in shea growing regions, and has in the past half century become an increasingly important ingredient in the global food and cosmetics industries. Most American consumers know of shea butter as a skin care ingredient in a variety of soaps, lotions, balms and butters. Few know that the majority of African shea exports end up in chocolate and other confections in Europe and Asia, or that most of the vegetable fat promoted as shea in the majority of cosmetic products on U.S. grocery, pharmacy and beauty shop shelves is simply another variety of highly refined food grade oil pumped out of industrial plants. The layers of traders, intermediaries, transportation and logistics expenses, capital equipment investments and profit takers between the shea nut gatherers (almost always women and children) and the U.S. consumer is so thick that not even one penny of a dollar spent on a typical shea-labeled product on US shelves will go to the primary producer in Africa.
Take Action
So what can American consumers do to promote Fair Trade in the shea industry? The same things you can do to promote Fair Trade in general: make an effort to learn about the sourcing policies of the brands from which you buy and demand change where you find sourcing that does not create sustainable livelihoods for primary producers and laborers. Understand Fair Trade standards and take part in the ongoing conversation in the U.S. and around the world about how to improve and expand upon those standards for ever-broader categories of products. Before you take your next sip of coffee, nibble your next bite of chocolate, or dip your fingers in another cosmetic product, take a moment to find out where the ingredients come from and what the manufacturer is doing to improve living standards in the developing world. If you are on a budget, as many of us are, you can still always buy a little less and pay a little more. One penny out of every dollar you spend might not sound like much, but one additional penny would more than double the income of the primary shea nut gatherers and shea butter producers in Africa. Fair Trade is one area where a little can really go a long way.
* Jobomax provides linkages for sustainable trade and investment in Africa, and engages in development and capacity building for local supplier communities. The company specializes in equitable sourcing arrangements with cooperatives and women-owned businesses.


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Corn prices proved vulnerable in response to the July WASDE. In that report, USDA revised the 2013/14 ending stocks up to 1.246 billion bushels from 1.146 billion last month. The new-crop ending stocks are now forecast at 1.801 billion compared to 1.726 billion last month. Favorable weather outlooks for corn pollination also weighed on the market. USDA maintained the yield forecast at 165.3 bu/a. USDA increased its forecast for global corn ending stocks for 2014/15 to 188.0 mmt from 182.65 mmt last month. September corn lost 8.00 cents lower to $3.7825/bushel and December descended 8.0 cents to $3.8475.
Soybean prices turned decisively lower following the release of the July WASDE. The nearby August contract fell to the lowest level of 11.595 per bushels during the session as USDA revised the 2013/14 ending stocks up to 140 million bushels from last month at 125 million. For the new crop, the ending stocks forecast was also increased from 325 million to 415 million due to the record production forecast at 3.8 billion bushels. August futures closed 37.00 cents lower to $11.9575 and November futures traded down 18 cents to$10.75. August soyoil fell 0.71 cents to 36.77 cents/pound, while August soymeal tumbled $11.5 to $387.8/ton.
Wheat futures traded sharply lower after the monthly WASDE report was released. CBOT front-month SRW futures posted the largest weekly decline since June 2012 and dropped 9.3% on the week. KC hard red winter wheat also fell 6%. Surging supplies and reduction in demand added pressure to the markets. USDA raised 2014 US by 50 million to 1.992 billion bushels. Exports are forecast down to 900 million from 1182 million last year. Accordingly, 2014/15 ending stocks rose to 660 million bushels, up 70 million from 2013/14. September CBOT wheat plunged 22.5 cents to $5.26/bushel, while September MGE wheat dove 11.0 cents to $6.3625/bushel and September KC wheat dropped 13.0 cents to $6.28/bushel.
Cattle futures experienced a choppy trading session on Friday. Prices began mixed, turned lower at midday and then rallied in the last hour to close higher. The rebound ended the sharp price decline the previous three days. Even so, August futures ended down nearly 6 cents/pound for the week. A wave a profit-taking from trading funds and speculative sectors hit the market hard. Cash cattle traded at $156 in Nebraska, down $1 to $2 from Wednesday and down $2 from last week. In Kansas, fed cattle traded at $156, down $2 from last week while Texas cattle were $2 to $3 lower to $155 to $156. Beef prices were mixed at midday. The Choice cutout fell $0.88 to $251.29/cwt while Select was $1.14 higher to $244.66 another new high. The cattle market stabilized and began to recover following USDA's supply demand update. USDA raised the fed steer price forecast for Q3 and Q4. August live cattle settled 1.20 cents higher to 149.12 cents/pound while December closed 0.72 cents higher to 153.00 cents. Meanwhile, August feeder cattle were 0.47 cents higher to 211.07 cents/pound.
Hog futures ended the week with mostly higher quotes. Although wholesale losses caused the sustained slippage in Chicago prices during the mid-session, steady cash quotes seemingly provided the support. Estimated daily slaughter number at 275000 was much lower than a year ago. August hog futures gained 0.73 cents at 128.67 cents/pound and December rose 0.4 cents to 104.35 cents.


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Triathlons Raglan T-shirts are an Idakoos specialtiy! Idakoos has many things to offer. Whether you want to get a Triathlons Raglan T-shirt for a special occasion, give a Triathlons T-Shirt as a present or need to represent with a funny Triathlons Raglan Tee during Holidays or Family and Friends get-togethers, Idakoos is sure to have the right Triathlons Raglan T-shirt for you! Even if it turns out you can't find the right Triathlons Raglan Shirt with the perfect design for your mother, father or children (or friends!); Idakoos offers all of its men's women's and children's Triathlons Raglan T-shirts as Custom Triathlons T-Shirts. Personalize any Triathlons Raglan T-shirt the way you want to ensure the perfect gift.
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Known for its festivals, castles and haunted tales, Edinburgh is one of the most welcoming cities in the world. Wandering around its cobbled streets, dropping into traditional pubs and meeting locals, you'll soon see it isn't hard finding things to do. If you are not sure where to start then check out our guide to Edinburgh for some ideas and download our mobile-app to help make your stay in Edinburgh amazing. If you are a Traveller on a budget thankfully, there are lots of free things to do and Hostelworld have put together '15 things to do for free in Edinburgh' for you, read on…
1. Climb Arthur's Seat
Looming over the Scottish capital is Arthur's Seat, the main peak of a group of hills just east of the Old Town. Formed by an extinct volcano, you can get there easily from the Royal Mile (the Old Town's main thoroughfare) – just take a right once you get to the bottom and walk towards the hill that you literally cannnot miss. Depending on your fitness levels, the walk to the top takes approximately one hour. The views from the top are worth it though.
2. Go on a free walking tour
Yes, you read right – a free walking tour. I know what you're thinking…what's the catch? Well, the good news is that there isn't a catch. Sandeman's Free Walking Tour is exactly that – totally free. The tours last around 3 hours and depart from the Starbucks on the Royal Mile at 11am and 1pm. They take in sights such as Edinburgh Castle, St Giles Cathedral, the Grassmarket, the original 'Hogwarts' and more. Once the tour is finished your guide will ask you for a tip. You simply tip what you feel is deserved.
3. Go museum-hopping on the Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is dotted with four free museums. One of these is the Edinburgh Writers Museum (Lady Stair's Close, off Royal Mile) which celebrates the lives of three of Scotland's most famous writers – Robert Burns (poet – writer of New Year's Eve poem/song Auld Lang Syne), Sir Walter Scott (author or Rob Roy) and Robert Luis Stevenson (author or Treasure Island). The others are the Museum of Childhood (42 High Street, Royal Mile) which was the first museum in the world to specialise in the history of childhood, the Museum of Edinburgh (142 Canongate, Royal Mile) which is a maze of historic rooms crammed full of iconic objects from the capital's past, and The People's Story (Canongate Tolbooth, Royal Mile) which is dedicated to telling the history of Scotland's capital, and it's people.
4. Stroll along the Royal Mile
By this stage you might be wondering what the 'Royal Mile' is. It's four streets that connect to make one long stretch that lasts for approximately (you guessed it) one mile. It begins Castlehill at Edinburgh Castle which is a small section of the mile. After this is Lawnmarket which is a part of the road riddled with touristy shops selling all things Scotland. Next is the main part of the Royal Mile – High Street. This is the heart and soul of it and where you'll find St Giles Cathedral and the Tron Kirk among other things. Then at the bottom is Canongate which is where you'll find free museums, some good pubs and the city's royal palace, the Palace of Holyrood House.
5. Catch free live music in Whistle Binkies
Located at the junction of High Street (Royal Mile) and The Bridges, Whistlebinkies is arguably the best place to catch live music of up and coming bands in Edinburgh. What's great about it is that it's free entry, seven nights a week. From Sunday to Thursday it's free in for the entire night, while on Fridays and Saturdays it's free in before midnight. To find out more details about who's playing, promotions and more visit the Whistlebinkies website.
6. Catch free entertainment everywhere (in August)
Ok – so this tip is time sensitive, but if you're reading this and you're looking for somewhere to go in August we have one suggestion…Edinburgh. This is the official festival capital of the world and in August no fewer than six festivals take place. These include the Military Tattoo, the Edinburgh Book Festival and the best known of all – the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the world. While most of the shows staged are ticketed events, there's non-stop free events taking place too. For more information visit the official Edinburgh festivals website as well as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival website.
7. Visit St Giles Cathedral
Also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, St Giles' Cathedral dates back to the 1120s. Within the cathedral there are over two hundred memorials honouring different Scots along with a notable collection of stained glass windows. You can't miss this imposing building on the Royal Mile and, as you'd expect from a place of worship, it's free to enter.
8. Explore the Old Town
This might be a cliche when it comes to free things to do in cities, but Edinburgh is easily one of the most intriguing cities when it comes to exploring on foot, particularly in the Old Town. You can easily spend hours walking through lanes and alleys, exploring neighbourhoods like Cowgate and Grassmarket and imagining what this city was like centuries ago. Make sure to put by a few hours for nothing else other than exploring.
9. See the statue of 'Greyfriar's Bobby' and walk through Greyfriars Kirkyard
One of Edinburgh's most famous tales surrounds 'Greyfriar's Bobby', a small Skye Terrier who became famous in the 19th-century Edinburgh for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray. Today there's a statue of Greyfriar's Bobby at the corner of Candlemaker's Row and St George's Bridge. Due to the story, you should definitely pay a visit and get your photo taken beside it. Just across the road from it is Greyfriar's Kirkyard, a graveyard where you'll find large tombs and graves of notable Scots like Allan Ramsay (poet) and Henry Mackenzie (author).
10. Visit the National Museum of Scotland
Found on Chalmers Street directly across the road from the aforementioned Greyfriar's Bobby is one of Scotland's most fascinating museums, the National Museum of Scotland. This enormous museum has everything from fossils showing evidence of earliest forms of life to rich artefact collections representing diverse cultures across the globe. Some of the highlights include the first cloned living being 'Dolly the sheep' and exhibitions focusing on the country's first settlers. There's also a great view of the Old Town from it's roof terrace (pictured).
11. Tour the Scottish Parliament for free
Located at the bottom of the city's historic Royal Mile is the award-winning building for the Scottish Royal Parliament. As well as being the centre of Scottish politics, it is also a visitor attraction, where you can learn about Scotland's political history, watch live debates as well as marvel at it's unique architecture. Tours of the building are free, you just need to book in advance. You can do this via the Scottish Parliament website.
12. Go to a comedy improvisation show
Edinburgh's best known comedy show is called The Stand and is found on York Place (No. 5 to be precise). Every Sunday afternoon a free improvisation show called "Whose Lunch Is It Anyway?" is staged. Hosted by Stu and Garry, it's the perfect way to nurse a horrible hangover.
13. Chill out in Princes Street Gardens
There are many parks in the world that make relaxing in the sunshine an extremely memorable experience, but few boast the views that Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens do. Chill out on the greens here and on one side you'll have Edinburgh Castle looming over you, while on the other is the skyline of the city's Old Town. Pure bliss on a sunny afternoon.
14. Climb Calton Hill
If you're not feeling energetic enough to climb Arthur's Seat, there's another hill in the Scottish capital boasting impressive views – Calton Hill. To get there simply walk east on Princes Street Gardens until you see a laneway on your left. Walk up and within 5 minutes you'll be enjoying an aerial view of one of the world's most beautiful cities.
15. Visit the city's art galleries
Just like Edinburgh is filled with free museums, it's got three free art galleries too. The best known is the National Gallery on The Mound, smack bang in the middle of the city. The other two are the National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street in the New Town and the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art on the outskirts of the city on Bedford Road.
Can't wait to begin your Edinburgh adventure with Hostelworld? Book your hostels in Edinburgh now don't forget to download our awesome app on Android and iOS to help make your travels easy.
Thanks to absentmindedprof, Dey, Vincentq and kusito for images.


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Ludic Aprons are an Idakoos specialtiy! Idakoos has many things to offer. Whether you want to get a Ludic Apron for a special occasion, give a Ludic Canvas Apron as a present or need to represent with a funny Ludic Apron during Holidays or Family and Friends get-togethers, Idakoos is sure to have the right Ludic Apron for you! Even if it turns out you can't find the right Ludic Canvas Apron with the perfect design for your mother, father or children (or friends!); Idakoos offers all of its Ludic Aprons as Custom Ludic Aprons. Personalize any Ludic Apron the way you want to ensure the perfect gift.
Showing 1 - 24 of 44 Apron


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Home > What's New with the GRC? > Government Records Council Makes Changes to Meeting Process
Government Records Council Makes Changes to Meeting Process
The Government Records Council (GRC) has made changes to the way in which it conducts its council meetings as part of a commitment to transparency and openness in government.
The changes are as follows:
- All parties whose cases are scheduled for adjudication at a public Council meeting will be informed of this by e-mail, telephone or regular mail before the meeting.
- A summary of the recommended conclusion for each case on the agenda will be provided in hard copy at the meeting, along with the meeting agenda.
- The case conclusion summaries will be published on the Web site on the morning of the Council meeting.
- The Chairperson will announce at the beginning of the meeting that copies of the case summary document are available for all attendees.
- The manner in which cases are called will also be changed. The Chairperson will call the cases thusly: "(Complainant's name) vs. (Agency), GRC Complaint No. XXXX-YY. Is there any discussion regarding this matter?" If there is discussion, it will take place at this time. If there is no discussion, the Chairperson will state "Hearing none, is there a motion to accept the proposed Findings and Recommendations of the Executive Director?" The motion will then proceed. The motion will be made and seconded and the roll call taken on each case.
The GRC is committed to making the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) work for the citizens of New Jersey. Since the law's inception, the GRC has worked hard to make government records more easily accessible to the public. The GRC is committed to being the facilitator of open government in New Jersey and is delighted to make these changes in furtherance of that objective.


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Dec. 19, 2005
Middle-Schooler Sets New State Fly Fishing Record for Snook
AUSTIN, Texas — He broke a six-year-old state record with a 25-yard cast on a rod he built himself. And he's just 13.
Sugarland, Texas, eighth-grader Nick Rizopoulos topped the existing state fly fishing record for common snook with a 29-inch, 6.5 pound fish he caught in the Brownsville Ship Channel Nov. 25.
It wasn't the first of the 10 snook he caught during a two-day fishing trip with South Padre Island fishing guide Capt. Eric Glass, but it was the biggest.
"On that cast I got a big old hit and the snook just took off," Rizopoulos said. "I hadn't really grasped the size of the fish until we got it back to the boat. I was just really happy — it's one of the best fish I've caught in my life."
Rizopoulos measured the fish and then weighed it on a hand-held scale before releasing it. The scale has since been certified by the International Game Fish Association, making the catch eligible for both a junior division and all-ages state fly fishing record.
Because snook are a semi-tropical species with a tenuous, if growing, toehold in Texas, current regulations allow only one fish per day between 24 and 28 inches.
"We had a big discussion before we went and said: 'If we catch a fish that's in the slot, what do we do?'" said John Rizopoulos, Nick's father.
His son's answer? Let it go, whether it's in the slot or not.
"I would have hated to kill that fish; it was so beautiful," Nick said. "It's so much better if you have the option to put the fish back in the water so it can live."
The relatively warm waters of the Lower Laguna Madre offer Texans the best shot at a snook, and fish that nudge the scales into double digits are not unheard of. But the hard-hitting gamefish are elusive and are rarely caught by accident.
"I personally have caught or watched people catch probably a thousand snook on flies," said Glass, who has guided anglers in the area for more than a decade. "I'd say they average maybe 17 to 25 inches. You probably have to catch 15 or 20 to get a 29-incher. It's not an average-size snook. I think it's an accomplishment for a 13-year-old to catch one that size on a fly."
Rizopoulos caught the fish on a gray and white mullet imitation tied by Glass
The snook isn't the angler's first record. In fact, Rizopoulos now holds six of the nine junior division fly fishing records currently listed on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Web site.
Rizopoulos said he realized more than a year ago that a number of the fly fishing records in the junior division were either wide-open or beatable. During a 2004 Thanksgiving trip to the southern tip of Texas he set records for red drum, ladyfish, jack crevalle and gray snapper.
The day before catching his record snook, he broke the existing spotted seatrout record with a respectable 22.5-inch, 3 lb., 6 oz. fish. And he's nowhere close to being done.
Rizopoulos said he is looking forward to coming out of the junior division at age 17 with a lot of experience and — as he put it — more money for better gear.
"This is just the beginning," he said. "It's going to get much crazier."
Glass said Rizopoulos is probably the most proficient young long-rodder he's ever fished with.
"He's a precocious kid," he said. "I've fished with him since he was 9. He's just one of those kids who's good at everything he tries to do. He's a great guitar player and an honor student. He decided he was going to become a really good fly caster and he has."
Rizopoulos' father, John, bought his son his first fly rod half a decade ago and watched him practice on ponds near their home. He credits his son's success in part to Glass' patient coaching, but also to Nick's dedication and determination.
"When he puts his mind to something, he likes to do really well," the elder Rizopoulos said. "He sets objectives and then he works really, really hard to achieve them."
Nick said that, while the records pursuit is fun, it's not the reason he fishes.
"If I didn't love it, I wouldn't be out there," he said. "The records are nice, but I can tell you: the best sound in the world is a screaming fly reel. Holding a fish that you've caught — maybe after you've had a 'skunk' day — it's the best feeling in the world."
Rizopoulos ties many of the flies he uses — "Nick's purple crab" has proved surprisingly effective on red drum — and he built his 9-weight rod from a Sage blank.
The only thing he said he doesn't like about the sport is the lack of friendly competition: "I think more kids should get into fly fishing because I'm kind of lonely here."
Not that the lack of company is likely to slow him down much. His next goal: a Texas tarpon. The fly fishing category for that species is currently wide-open, for both kids and adults.
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Transfer Students
Click here to review the cost of attendance for the 2016-2017 academic year.
We want to make you aware of several upcoming changes to the financial aid application process and some actions you can take now to make the process smoother and easier for next year.
On September 13, 2015, President Obama signed an executive order that will allow families to complete the 2017-18 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) using income information from the 2015 federal tax return, the same income information that you and your parent(s) reported when filing the 2016-17 FAFSA. As result, the 2017-18 FAFSA may be filed as early as October 1, 2016. This new feature will allow students and parents to report final, accurate income information on the FAFSA as the vast majority of families will have already completed their 2015 taxes by October 2016.
Now that the 2015 federal tax return filing deadline has passed, it is time to update your 2016-17 FAFSA information with final 2015 income data. In order to avoid any discrepancies between the 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years, we strongly encourage you to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to update your 2016-17 FAFSA income information. The IRS DRT is available through the FAFSA website and saves time and effort in the following ways:
- No need to locate your tax return records;
- No need worry about making mistakes entering your tax return information on your FAFSA;
- If you use the IRS DRT and do not change any of the retrieved information in your FAFSA, you won't need to provide tax transcripts to the financial aid office if you're selected for federal verification.
- If you use the IRS DRT for both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years, it will reduce the chances of questions from the financial aid office or the Department of Education regarding conflicting information from your FAFSA records.
If you need help with using the IRS DRT, here is a helpful video tutorial that clearly explains the process. Or as always, stop by or contact the financial aid office. Also, for more information about the 2017-18 FAFSA check out this short video.
Thank you for updating your 2016-17 FAFSA information and don't forget to file your 2017-18 FAFSA beginning October 1st! Florida Atlantic University's first 2017-18 financial aid application filing priority deadline is January 1st, and the second priority deadline is March 1 st .
Step 1: Apply for Financial Aid early by submitting the FAFSA!
Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step in the financial aid process. Use it to apply for federal student financial aid, such as the Pell Grant, student loans, and college work-study. If you are transferring in the SPRING or SUMMER terms, make sure you go back to your FAFSA and add FAU as one of the schools to your school choices (Under 'School Information'). Our school codes are:
001481 - Boca Campus
E00584 - Davie Campus
- E00830 - Jupiter Campus/Honors College
Complete the FAFSA online beginning October 1st for the upcoming academic year to be eligible for most forms of aid. The first FAU priority deadline is January 1 st , the second priority deadline is March 1st . All applications received after March 1st will be reviewed in order of receipt. NOTE: When filling out the application, make sure to complete the planned housing code (on Step 6, Housing Plan, on your FAFSA form) with your appropriate housing status, since leaving this section blank could result in underfunding. If you are unable to complete the FAFSA due to extenuating circumstances please contact the financial aid office. View "Contact" link at the top of this page.
NOTE: Students must be admitted to Florida Atlantic University into a degree-seeking program in order to be eligible to receive most forms of financial aid (such as grants, loans and work-study).
Step 2: Apply for Scholarships
There are a host of available scholarships that will assist students in paying for their college education. It just takes time and patience to read through each scholarship; Apply for those scholarships in which you are meeting the criteria. Be sure to keep in mind the application deadline date of each scholarship when applying.
Click here for a list of scholarships by category that may be helpful to you in funding your college education. In addition, please access the scholarship database to review available scholarships at Florida Atlantic University.
In addition, there is no need to pay a search service to find scholarships for you because there is a wealth of information available free of charge on numerous websites.
FAU Scholarships are awarded before the FALL semester begins for the FALL/SPRING semesters. Make sure that you submit your scholarship application and other documents by each scholarships deadline date. Most scholarships are not available during SUMMER semesters.
Step 3: Estimating Your Costs
Review the Net Price Calculator to estimate your cost of attendance – including tuition and required fees, books and supplies, room and board (meals) and other related expenses.
For those students who have been accepted to FAU and have been awarded financial aid, the Financial Aid Disbursement Estimator tool gives you an estimate of what financial aid may disburse based on your FAU enrollment and award status at that time. This tool is available on FAU Self-Service under Financial Aid.
There are various Award Projection Estimators that will give an estimate on college costs.
Step 4: Complete All Student Requirements
Students will not receive a financial aid award offer until all required documents have been submitted and satisfied. Students will receive an email at their FAU email account to view these requirements or students may review student requirements online via FAU Self-Service to make sure that you do not have any unsatisfied requirements:
- Log in to MyFAU
- Click on the Money Matters tab.
- Click on "View My Financial Aid Information".
- Click on the "Financial Aid Status" tile box.
- Select "Aid Year", if prompted.
- Click on the "Student Requirements" link.
If you have been selected for Verification by the U.S. Department of Education or the FAU Office of Student Financial Aid, you will need to submit the Verification Worksheet and/or other documents ASAP, to avoid further delays in the awarding process. Learn more about the Verification process by clicking here.
Step 5: Accepting your Award
Students will receive an email at their FAU email account to review/accept/decline their award offer online via FAU Self-Service. The financial aid office will begin the awarding process as follows for the upcoming academic year (dates are subject to change) :
- March 15th - Incoming (FTIC) Students
- April 15th - Returning FAU Students
- April 15th - Transfer Students
The award offer package will be based on full-time enrollment (Undergraduate = 12+ credit hours, Graduate = 9+ credit hours). Awards will be prorated down if you are enrolled less than full-time. Most awards require a student to be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours.
Pell Grant,the Bright Futures Scholarship and some other scholarships will be accepted for you automatically; however, you must accept or decline student loans, other grants and/or work study. Private loans require application to the lender of your choice. Click on each fund name to read messages regarding each fund. To accept your financial aid award offer:
- Log in to MyFAU
- Click on the Money Matters tab.
- Click on "View My Financial Aid Information".
- Click on the "Financial Aid Status" tile box.
- Select "Aid Year", if prompted.
- Click on the "here" link to accept/decline awards.
Click here for more information on accepting your awards.
Step 6: Complete Entrance Counseling
(Only complete if student is accepting a Direct Loan for the first time)
If you accepted or requested a loan, you will receive an email to your FAU email account directing you to complete the 20-30 minute online tutorial that serves to educate you on your rights and responsibilities as a loan borrower. Upon completion, print the confirmation page for your records. If you are first time borrower, your student loans will not disburse until the Entrance Counseling is complete. Log on to Studentloans.gov to complete and satisfy this requirement. After completing the Entrance Counseling, FAU will receive your submission electronically within in 3-5 business days and update this requirement as
on your financial aid account.
Step 7: E-Sign your MPN
(Only complete if student is accepting a Direct Loan at FAU for the first time)
If you accepted or requested a Federal William D. Ford
Direct Loan or PLUS Loan
, you will receive an email via your FAU email instructing you to sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN). This serves as your loan agreement contract. Visit Studentloans.gov to complete and electronically sign your MPN. After completing the MPN, FAU will receive your submission electronically within in 3-5 business days and update this requirement as
on your financial aid account.
If you have requested a
private loan
with a private lender you will need to sign an MPN with your chosen lender. Contact the lender or visit their website for more information.
Step 8: Sign up for Direct Deposit Online!
Direct deposit is a fast, safe and convenient way to receive your financial aid refunds. It's easy! Students, sign up online with your existing bank account! For more information regarding the direct deposit online form and FAQs click here. To view Disbursement Information click here.
Step 9: Need Money to Buy Books!
There are two options in which students can purchase textbooks before the disbursement of financial aid:
- Short Term Advance
- FAU Bookstore Line of Credit
Click here for more information regarding these two programs.
Step 10: Submit the Mandatory Course Entry Survey !
Students will be required to complete the Mandatory Course Entry Survey for ALL classes enrolled. According to Federal Regulations, a student is considered not to have begun attendance if a school is unable to document the student's attendance in each class. The survey must be completed for each course in order for financial aid to disburse.
In addition to completing the Mandatory Course Entry Survey, students are required to maintain eligibility for Title IV funding by displaying documented academic activity in the course. Examples of valid forms of documented activity include faculty attendance rosters, graded assignments, quizzes, or exams. Students should be aware that they may be required to repay any aid disbursed for a course for which they have no documented academic activity, even if the Mandatory Course Entry Survey was completed.
Click here for more information regarding the Mandatory Course Entry Survey.
Step 11: Stay informed!
Make sure that you have read the Terms & Conditions of Awards. These terms are outlined for you to understand how financial aid may impact the amount of money you are eligible to receive.
Email notifications will be the primary method of communication between students and the Office of Student Financial Aid. It is the student's responsibility to frequently monitor their FAU email account for notifications sent from this Office. It's to your benefit to regularly check your status, student requirements and awards. Awards may be modified if this Office receives updated information.
Students must adhere to policies and rules/regulations set forth by the Office of Student Financial Aid. Click here for more information on these policies.
Keep your information up-to-date with the Registrar's Office (i.e. phone numbers, mailing address…etc.)
Step 12: Other Important Information
- Not all financial aid is transferable to FAU. Eligibility for some programs is determined by the FAU Financial Aid Office.
- Contact any scholarship donors if receiving outside scholarships so that they may be transferred to FAU.
- CANCEL ALL FINANCIAL AID AT PREVIOUS SCHOOLS ASAP. Failure to cancel your awards at previous schools will DELAY all of your financial aid disbursements at FAU. Click here for more information and to view the Terms and Conditions.


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LaGuardia Community College offers a variety of programs and services to help you set and achieve academic and personal goals. Because we want you to have the best college experience possible, we work to connect you with campus resources and provide academic tutoring through the Student Government Association Study Hall Tutoring Lab.
We open doors to new opportunities through programs such as the Black Male Empowerment Cooperative (BMEC), Peer Programs and through our International Student Services Office. We also provide social and personal support services for students in need, including The Hunger and Homelessness Project and Personal Guidance Services.


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E-Cookbooks: Now We're E-Cookin'?
First there was the music business, which shifted radically when people learned to download music digitally. Movies are up next, and like music, the challenge for the movie studios is to figure out how to get people to pay for movies that they're downloading digitally. And the next frontier is print media: newspapers, magazines, and books.
A few of my friends are traditional journalists, the kind of that get paid to write for newspapers and magazines. Whenever people say that blogs are going to take over the news, I'm not so sure. Food bloggers can easily go into the kitchen and whip up a batch of brownies, but until political bloggers start paying their own way and going to the front lines of the war in Iraq, there is still an argument for conventional journalism. But still, in order to make it work, there needs to be a way to pay for it.
The publishing industry went into a tailspin the past few years, and is trying to find its footing. Books have rebounded but many magazines and newspapers are barely hanging on, and few good ones disappeared. Those that remain reduced their staff and payroll, and with the media asking bloggers and others to work for free, it doesn't seem to me like a sustainable business model if you're relying on free labor to keep afloat.
Thankfully, cookbooks have been a bright spot in publishing and few people want crack open a computer terminal and get cookin'. Cooking is a visceral activity and while a lot of cooking is following a recipe, the popularity of food television and blogs shows that somewhere in the mix, technology does intersect with the act of doing what we do to fulfill the most basic of our needs: To cook and to eat.
As an author who publishes books and maintains a blog with recipes, I'm happy I get to do both because I think they both fulfill different needs. (For example, no editor is going to let me publish a potato soup recipe with S&M overtones.) But I'm interested in the future of cookbooks and publishing am rather intrigued by some of the modern, and more efficient ways to reach and interact with cooks and bakers. The publishing industry isn't quite there yet when it comes to "thinking outside of the box", because their model has been entrenched for so long. But the time has come for new possibilities and some of the new e-readers and touch screen tablets that are on the horizon offer them.
Here are some of the options that are currently either in operation, or about to be launched in the near future.
Introduced by an amazing video on their website that blazes across your screen, Qooq is the French entry is a tactile touch screen device, which costs €349 (and includes 500 recipes), and for a non-recurring monthly fee of €12.95 you can access to thousands of other recipes as well as chef videos and wine pairings. The touch screen allows cooks and readers to scan recipes and move elements around the pages.
The downside to this device is that you have to pay quite a bit for it, a machine that has limited capabilities. You can't use it to surf the internet, and if it's not in the Qooq library, you can't have it. And how good are those recipes? Are they tested? But still, imagine if a publisher or television network was to offer a device like this to consumers at a discount, with the offer of downloading books and videos, as well as special "subscriber-only" presentations from their proprietary chefs and authors, they might have a hit on their hands.
I hadn't heard of the Vook a concept of a video-book, but during a recent conversation with Jaden, she brought it to my attention and I found it intriguing.
Right now there's only a handful of books, but cookbook author Eric Gower has hopped on. His 'cookvook' costs $3.99 and contains 16 professionally-shot videos of him shopping in ethnic markets for ingredients, then making the dishes and demonstrating cooking techniques.
The advantage to these video cookbooks is that one don't need to buy anything else; you can use your computer or iPhone, and the price is within reach. You can also take them with you to the market or when traveling. I found this interesting, personally, because I could imagine it'd be fun to take readers to where I buy chocolate, virtually, showing them how it's made, then head to the kitchen to make a chocolate cake with it. Or head to the market and shop for berries, which might get churned up into Strawberry Ice Cream, using cream from my fromagerie, that we've visited together.
The most well-known is the Kindle, Amazon's hand-held device, which is also available for the iPhone or your PC. And soon, the Mac. Other companies also have their own e-readers, most notably the Nook and the Sony Reader. These are all in the $250-$300 range.
At first met with skepticism, people of all ages are flocking to e-readers now that they've become sleeker and sexier. And Amazon has made them incredibly easy to use. A friend told me his elderly dad loves his Kindle! I was one of those people, initially thinking, "I don't want to read a book on a screen." But like the other devices mentioned, if they had the capability of adding a video and color element, the possibilities increase dramatically. Imagine a textbook of world history, accompanied by videos of moments in time like elections and wars? Or in the food realm, a recipe for Pad Thai, accompanied by a trip to the Asian supermarket where the guide shows you what the ingredients are, with snippets of how they're made and used.
I think these will change as the technology evolves and predict the next generation will include video and touch screen commands. The great thing is that they've made it very simple and fairly economical to access a wide library of books. For cookbooks, I can see downloading recipes and books, but as they stand now, I'm not sure bringing a black-and-white electronic tablet into the kitchen is how people want to cook.
iPhone Applications
iPhone applications like the one for Simply Recipes, Ratio, and 101Cookbooks, allow you to bring the recipes in to the store with you, when you're doing your shopping and access recipes. The cost is free, or nominal, and a big advantage is portability.
You can access recipes and tips from your favorite food blogs and magazines in a snap with the touch screen and connectivity to the internet. There are also recipe applications where you can download thousands of recipes for just a few bucks. Like other downloadable recipe sources, one needs to be mindful of where are the recipes coming from, and are they tested? With a trusted food magazine or website behind them, with apps like the ones above, you at least you know there is a real person behind them who likely tried and tested the recipe numerous times before publishing it.
The biggest advantage to the iPhone is that with an estimated nearly 50 million people owning the device, who've made it an integral part of their lives, meaning there's enormous potential for a great many cooks and authors to connect.
Tablets and the iPad
Th hottest of these is the iPad, a tablet-like device from Apple. But others, like JooJoo, have gotten a bit of a jump-start on them. They're only taking pre-orders on the JooJoo, but this tablet is full of interactive elements and features a touch screen as well as video capabilities. Another interesting device is the Courier from Microsoft, which looks like a book. And interestingly, you can write notes in it like a paper notebook.
The iPad is similar to the JooJoo and doesn't rely on proprietary information, as in, pre-loaded recipes like the Qooq. So conceivably you could download a video recipe file from a number of sources; magazines, websites, and blogs, and use them with these devices.
The good news about all these devices is they mean that there are many forward-thinking folks out there, looking for alternative ways of disseminating information. And usually once these technologies take hold, their cost reduces significantly and makes them more accessible to the masses. (My €5 USB key holds four times the information of my first computer.) And just as self-publishing options offer the opportunity for anyone to get exposure, these devices might open the door for some of the new voices out there.
On the flip side, information has to come from somewhere and the people that provide content, from musicians to writers and journalists, need to be compensated for their efforts. Variety means choice, but quality content is an important consideration, too.
So what are your thoughts. Do you own one of these devices and use it as a cooking reference? Will subscription-based capabilities in these machines save the newspaper and magazine industry? Would you subscribe if it was a fee-based model, or do you prefer an advertiser-driven that might be free?
Or are you holding out, waiting for the next big thing? And if so, what kind of features would you like to see in a device or application? Or are you simply one of those people that will never let share their kitchen with anything but a regular printed cookbook? I'd love to hear your thoughts…


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Avengers, Doctor Strange, Hulk, Iron Man and more take center stage...
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Marvel Animation has finally done it -- they've puts their recent efforts into one big bundle which, for those of us who didn't pick up the individual DVDs, makes for quite an appealing set.
The 6 film set includes The Invincible Iron Man, The Ultimate Avengers 1 & 2, Hulk Vs, Doctor Strange, and Next Avengers. Each disc includes the regular edition of each film, along with all of the special features.
The Ultimate Avengers 1 & 2
Inspired by The Ultimates comic series, The Ultimate Avengers 1 & 2 delivers two very impressive and entertaining films, both rated PG-13. The first follows the storyline from the first comic (in which the Hulk goes on a rampage and must be stopped by The Ultimates) while the second draws inspiration from an alien invasion of the mysterious African country of Wakanda and introduces the Black Panther.
Both DVDs include the regular edition of the discs, which each include special features, including numerous featurettes ("Avengers Assemble" and "The Ultimates") as well as voice actors search, a trivia track, a gag reel, and "first looks" at Iron Man and Doctor Strange (which you'll obviously be watching in full if you've purchased this set!)
Avenger fans won't want to miss these two films as they not only provide a way to introduce non-fans to the Ultimate Avengers, but also provide plenty of action, excitement and fun!
The Invincible Iron Man
Retelling the origin tale of the armored Avenger in an animated fashion and introducing one of the most interesting villains from the comic's 40+ year history, The Invincible Iron Man keeps things rolling with a cool new story available only on home video.
For those who enjoyed the live-action film and are looking for more Iron Man or for those who enjoy the comic and want to see more of The Mandarin as well as his henchmen the Elementals, this PG-13 film does a great job presenting an entertaining story.
The DVD also includes an alternate opening sequence, a "The Origin of Iron Man" featurette, the "Hall of Iron Man Armor," a gallery of concept art, and a "first look" at Doctor Strange.
For those looking for a great way to expand the story of Iron Man to non-comic readers, this is one way to do it. For those simply looking for good entertainment, look no further!
Doctor Strange
An under-rated character looking for an audience, Doctor Strange may finally have found it in this PG-13 animated feature with plenty of action, adventure and excitement (as well as some scares!) The mystical and magic-filled world of Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme comes to life in this 95 minute film which finds Dr. Stephen Strange traveling to Tibet to awaken his magical abilities at the hands of the Ancient One. Facing off against both his own worst fears as well as the magical horrors and monsters of various dimensions in this exciting and fun film.
Like previous discs, Doctor Strange features a number of bonus features including the "Best of Marvel Video Game Cinematics," a "Who is Doctor Strange?" featurette which introduces non-fans to this cool Marvel character, a concept art gallery, and a first look at the "Avengers Reborn" (renamed to "Next Avengers") film.
For those who like the darker, more mysterious side of comics, Doctor Strange is where it's at; there's sorcery, monsters, magic and the supernatural...all wrapped up in a cool film with plenty of action for any fan!
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
While this is my least favorite film in the set, it's still entertaining. A great way to introduce younger fans to the animated world of Marvel (as it's rated PG), Next Avengers tells the story of the children of the Avengers who, in this story, have paid the ultimate price in their battle to stop Ultron the robot. Now, thanks to Tony Stark (Iron Man), the children of the original Avengers must join forces with one another to defeat the foe who killed their parents!
Featuring a cool cast of new young heroes - including the son of Captain America and Black Widow, Thor's daughter, the Black Panther's son, and the son of the Wasp and Giant Man, no doubt this film - which features youth in the starring roles - is made more specifically for youth, making it - as I said - a great way to introduce younger viewers to the Marvel U.
Next Avengers features a good number of special features, including "Legacy: Making of Next Avengers," a cool featurette kids will enjoy called "Kid Power: Next-Gen Marvel," and a "first look" at "Hulk vs Wolverine" (renamed "Hulk Vs").
For those adults with children who want to introduce - slowly and with less violence, scary imagery, language, and sensuality - Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow is a great way to do that and will no doubt entertain both kids and adults alike.
Hulk Vs
Probably my favorite of the Marvel Animation features, Hulk Vs introduces the Hulk we all know and love - one with hate, fear, and anger pent up inside...and a desire to take it out on anything and everyone in sight. Enter Wolverine, the toughest, most viscous mutant around, and Thor, questionably the most powerful superhero in the Marvel U, and you've got yourself a battle for the ages.
Featuring both films, die-hard Hulk fans probably already own this. A number of cool Marvel U characters make an appearance, including the previously mentioned Wolverine as well as other X-Men favorites like Deadpool, Omega Red, Lady Deathstrike, and Sabretooth. Likewise, a number of Asgard favorites, including Thor, Loki, the Warriors Three, Hela, Sif and even Odin. For those looking for a cool cast of Marvel favorites, this is where it's at...
Special features include audio commentary on both films with writers Craig Kyle and Chris Yost, a "first look" at Wolverine and the X-Men series, a "first look" at Thor: Tales of Asgard feature and a trailer gallery.
Rated PG-13 for "action violence" and "bloody animated violence," fans - and non-fans alike - won't want to miss this battle royale!
Again, for those who didn't pick up these films individually, now's the time to get them all in one slipcase set. With a suggested price of $49.98, fans should be able to find this for around $35 or less, making this a steal for all 6 movies (essentially $6 each or less!)
Marvel fans unite and get this set today!
- Jess C. Horsley