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Recently, L-com bought a competitor's Category 5e 24 AWG Ethernet cable to find out why it was cheaper than our equivalent cables. What we found out will amaze you.
Counterfeit cable is any cable sold under false pretenses. Usually this means the cable specification does not match the actual product construction. Another possibility is to imply that a cable meets a particular performance standard such as Category 5E or CMP/Plenum rated. In the case of the Category 5e 24 AWG Ethernet cable that L-com bought, the cable was actually 26 AWG copper-clad aluminum. The cable also did not meet the Category 5E specification for electrical performance. In fact, we were so concerned we paid a private, independent testing lab to double check. Click here to see the 14-page report they wrote.
Anyone can make a cheaper cable. Common methods include:
Cable assemblies have four basic ingredients: copper, oil, gold, and labor. Anyone can make any cable cheaper by substituting or reducing one of these ingredients. But what is the true cost of getting a cheaper cable?
Aluminum and steel have much higher resistance than copper, resulting in increased data loss and low transmission speeds. A different way to think of this is if an installer adds a high resistance CCA cable to an existing installation, although the cable might only be 5-10 feet in length, to the network it was as bad as adding another 100 feet of cable.
Gold flash on connectors quickly rubs off, especially for patch cables. In one competitor's cable that L-com tested, the return loss was -12 dB due to the poor connection. This can result in a measurably slower network and even dropped connectivity. An IT person's worst nightmare is intermittent connections, and sub-standard cable is often the root cause.
Often we hear people say, "But it works for my system." To that we say yes, the light indicating a connection has been made does turn on, but does that mean that communication is working properly or efficiently? Picture being in a large room, when a co-worker across the rooms yells something to you, you hear only 50% of what they said. What do you do? You'd probably ask them to repeat the request. Your network does the same thing when transmitting over sub-standard cable.
In a building, some spaces are defined as being air plenums and, as a result, require the usage of "Plenum" (UL CMP) rated or "Riser" (UL CMR) rated cables. Examples of these spaces include air ducts, vertical shafts, below raised floors and above drop ceilings. Fire in any one space can "leap" from room to room or even from floor to floor by burning along the cable lines, confounding fire prevention efforts and endangering anyone who works there. Installing counterfeit cable opens up the installer and the company to potential liability.
L-com found counterfeit cables from both big and small manufacturers, and from both domestic and oversea sources. Made in the USA means nothing if the cable is made with poor components in order to get to a cheaper price point. If price is your priority, someone can always make a cable cheaper. It doesn't matter where a cable is made, but how the cable is made.
L-com is not just an importer of cabling products, we use the right stuff. We check our cable assemblies. We insist on component cable manufacturers proving UL compliance. We also build and test our own patch cables. We insist on pure copper wire for our Ethernet patch cables. We insist on 50 micro-inches of gold on our Ethernet connectors. We send our product managers, veterans in the cabling industry, to the manufacturing site to ensure our products are made to our standards. Knowing the materials is what makes L-com the right choice for your cable needs.
When someone tells you they can make a cable cheaper, ASK WHY! What did they compromise to get you that price? What are you compromising by buying it?
Call L-com Today at 1-800-341-5266 or visit our web site at L-com.com.
L-com Global Connectivity 50 High Street North Andover, MA 01845www.L-com.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com 1-800-341-5266 www.Facebook.com/LcomGlobal


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I've been unsuccessful finding a better explanation of the algo in use, but i really invested only about a minute in researching it. According to the comments on php.net, changing the order of your operands can affect your resultsDescription
int similar_text ( string $first , string $second [, float &$percent ] )
This calculates the similarity between two strings as described in Programming Classics: Implementing the World's Best Algorithms by Oliver (ISBN 0-131-00413-1). Note that this implementation does not use a stack as in Oliver's pseudo code, but recursive calls which may or may not speed up the whole process. Note also that the complexity of this algorithm is O(N**3) where N is the length of the longest string.
similar_text() function
Ask about general coding issues or problems here.
Moderators: egami, macek, gesf
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
- php-forum GURU
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from php.net
As an alternative you can try Levenshtein Distance: http://php.net/manual/en/function.levenshtein.php
It's apparently faster than similar_text, and you can control the different parts of the algorithm...
It's apparently faster than similar_text, and you can control the different parts of the algorithm...
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1

subset: commoncrawl


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Tedjowahyudi, Olivia (2007) The English inflectional suffixes used by efl young learners in their writing. Bachelor thesis, Petra Christian University.Full text not available from this repository.
The present study was conducted to find out the English inflectional suffixes of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) young learners. This study was aimed to investigate the types of English inflectional suffixes mostly used, both correctly and incorrectly, by the students. Besides, the writer also try to find the error category involved and its frequency. The writer used the relevant theory proposed by Dulay, Burt, and Krashen (1972) as her main review of related literature. This research was a qualitative research. The writer got the data from written work of the 3rd grade-junior high students on the given test. She found that (-`s) `possessive? was the most frequent of English inflectional suffixes used correctly while (-ed2) `past participle? was the most frequent of English inflectional suffixes that is incorrectly used. Also, she found out that misformation is the error category that occurring most.
|Item Type:
|Thesis (Bachelor)
|Uncontrolled Keywords:
|inflectional suffixes, error category, morphological
|Depositing User:
|Date Deposited:
|23 Mar 2011 18:48
|Last Modified:
|31 Mar 2011 20:49
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I made a Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese in the Ramoska the other evening for supper, it was delicious, so I thought I'd share with you how this fantastic piece of equipment does the job.
A Remoska is basically a mini electric oven with the cooking element housed in the lid (It looks like a casserole pot with lid). Consisting of a Teflon lined pan and a stand and a lid mounted heating element. It originated in Czechoslovakia. The Remoska has no temperature control and it cooks in a similar manner to an oven and is stated (and we can believe it) to be very economical with electrical energy (470 watts for the Standard Remoska). Although it has no temperature control the Remoska cooks evenly and quickly. We have had no issues with it and will definitely use it at home also. I like it a lot, definitely not cheap but worth the money. You can only buy from Lakeland in the UK (or online at Amazon again through Lakeland), however we have noticed there are cheaper imports if you want to buy through Czechoslovakia.
Anyway back to food, we bought this enormous cauliflower from the market and it has accompanied Sunday lunch for 8 people and this Cauli Mac & Cheese which was for 2 (but could easily have fed 4 but we got greedy) ..
I was introduced to the Remoska at St David's by my friend who swears by it to cook her jacket potatoes, yep…. they are absolutely wonderful, the best jacket pots ever. But this Remoska does so much more… I have cooked in it most evenings if we are not BBQing. I even managed to cook a roast joint of pork (which I thought was Iberico Pork but it turned out not to be, but tasted delicious nevertheless) and a chicken enough to fed eight, yes you read correctly 8 people for Sunday lunch al fresco.
If you haven't got one, may I suggest that you look into getting one, it should be made law that every household should be given one, IMHO… what did I do all these years without one? 😂
Tapas Tuesday.. the temperature rose to an incredible 33°c during another Al Fresco lunch with the same 8 neighbours… I like this way of life, so enjoyable…. and delicious. This time it was the others that made the food, and we had a wonderful array of tapas and racciones (difference is a tapas is a single plate for one person and racciones is a plate for sharing).
The plates just kept arriving all afternoon, we had all manner of deliciousness, tostados with lots of different toppings, Sorrano ham and cheese (can't remember what it is called but it sure looked pretty), chorizo pigs in blankets, peppers, the ubiquitous bread that arrives with every meal, cheesy garlic bread, pink onions, artichokes and much much more. It was a wonderful afternoon, so thank you to all for making it so memorable.


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She pried my eye open, brilliant Venus did,
balanced just above the pine spikes, tired
of waiting for me to get on with dreaming.
Around her clear sky at last, meteor showers
done, still hours away from light. Deaf to her
message I went back to bed and snoring dogs,
to dream of love that would not hear my voice
leading me across a bog on floating stones,
until I balked, and jumped away to solid ground.
She knew this one was on its way, and did not
want it left benignly in the deepest part of sleep,
but felt vividly, and have me wake grateful for escape.


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SERPs is now a part of AuthorityLabs
Our free collection of SEO research and analysis tools for digital marketers
Are available here
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The fastest and easiest way to spot check rankings, for free!
SERPs' Keyword Rank Checker tool shows you the top 250 search results, along with CPC and search volume data, for any keyword or phrase, and allows you to tailor your results by domain, location, and device.
Keyword Research DatabaseA free, blazing fast tool for keyword research
Get keyword ideas fast and free in one spot. More robust than Ubersuggest or KewordTool.io, but with CPC and volume estimates for each suggestion.
Research thousands, even hundreds of thousands of keywords instantly.
Google Location ChangerSpot check global and local rankings.
Google no longer allowes you to manually change your location. But SERPs has your back! We created our own tool to recreate this feature.Pro Tip: Don't tell your boss about this tool. Insist that in order to get local search data, you'll need to be flown to each location to perform the search yourself.


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Decked out in the dashing Dobbs Driscoll, people will take notice wherever you go. The Driscoll breaks the mold where men's hats are concerned. It is a fedora, but there is no pinch to the stunning diamond crown. The silken soleil finish on Dobbs' top-quality Golden Coach fur emanates a lustrous sheen. It is also remarkably smooth and soft to the touch. The self band and short bound-edge brim are equally classy. This is one of those great hats you really must see and touch to fully appreciate. There is no regretting a Dobbs Driscoll. USA.
Crown: 4-inch diamond crown.
Sizes: 7 5/8


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I was told to take citalopram by my doctor, and finally after getting the nerve took my first dose. I think that I am just highly sensitive to meds like this.
I took a 10mg dose, and soon after had a horrid headache, felt sick to my stomach, dizzy, and not confused, but forgetful in the felt like I'm loosing my mind kind of way.
The headache landed me in the ER due to over the counters not really touching it.
I spoke with my doctor today and she said that these are normal side effects, and should go away in a week or two.. Has anyone else had this reaction when starting this med?


text: LOS ANGELES, Aug. 7 -- Teledyne Technologies Inc., an international provider of electronics and communications products, said that its Los Angeles-based Teledyne OptoElectronics unit has received a $1.8 million order from Corning Lasertron to manufacture fiber optic transmission laser modules for Corning Lasertron's customers. The laser modules have passed initial Bellcore specifications and production is set for this quarter, once the lasers have met all of Bellcore's requirements. The contract requires delivery before the end of 2000. This initial order supports our goal of using our experience in manufacturing sophisticated fiber optic transmitter and receiver modules for aerospace applications to support the high-volume production requirements of commercial telecommunication customers, said Robert Mehrabian, president and CEO of Teledyne Technologies.


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Jun 2, 2013
6 comments:
Wow, congratulations!!! You shouldn't be keeping it hidden, you should be shouting about it! Perhaps you're still dazed. My reaction when Cat and The Dreamer was published was "what next?" Perhaps it's because you're so far away from home and you're feeling a bit detached from the real you?ReplyDelete
Oh yes, and I'm off to buy it now :-)Replies
Maybe. That's true, most of the people who helped me with it aren't here.Delete
Gwen! Come on! Shout it loud and proud - YOU ARE A PUBLISHED WRITER! I'm off to buy it. xxReplyDeleteReplies
I am a published writer, aren't I? I should make that a large sign and paste it on my door.Delete
Maybe it just hasn't hit yet. Once you start getting sales or see that first payment, then you'll be like "Wow, I'm an author."ReplyDeleteReplies
I guess, but I just I just thought it would hit me sooner.Delete


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Mogmo's competitive products and technologies have enabled it to build strong global partnerships with industry leaders. Together with its partners, Mogmo is well positioned to meet local market requirements in various countries and address the end customers integration and product needs.
Since establishment in 1971, JCTV as a broadcasting provider has been building our own history in Japanese media market with Communication Satellite (CS) broadcasting services and television production division as our two main cornerstones.
In 1984, JCTV has made exclusive broadcasting contract with CNN within Japanese Satellite Broadcasting and Cable Television area, which has enhanced CNN to grow into global network as it is known today.
As CNN's partner in Japan, JCTV has expanded the CNN network throughout major hotels in metropolitan area, governmental offices, both domestic and foreign companies, Universities, and as well as cable television companies, which has grown to be more than 6.3 millions households.
JCTV has also been playing great roll in productive area since the establishment in 1971, and has been in expertise on news documentary programs, commercial, promotional video (music, company PR, etc.) producing.
JCTV will keep pursuing the pleasure of viewer's needs, and we will keep on innovating with most up to date creativity.
Mogmo and JCTV announced a join-partnership in 2Q09 to expand the B2B business in Japan.
For additional information, you can check Japanese Mogmo web site.


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Let your car
Listing your car is simple and usually takes about 10 minutes.
Enter your vehicle's year, make, and model to discover what it could earn for you on TuroTry the Carculator
Turo will dynamically set your car's price based on market value, location, time of year, and other data sets to maximize your income and boost your listing's competitiveness. If you prefer, you can manually set your own daily price.
Turo will pay you via direct deposit within five days. You'll earn 65% to 85% of the trip price, depending on the vehicle protection package you choose. If you have commercial rental insurance to cover you, your car, and your customers and would like to waive vehicle protection provided via Turo, you earn 90% of the trip price.*
You're covered with up to $1 million in liability insurance, and your car is contractually protected against theft and physical damage, unless you have commercial rental insurance and choose to waive protection offered through Turo Insurance Agency for yourself and your customers.*
Set your minimum daily price for trips. Choose a mileage limit and get your car back re-fueled.
We screen all travelers before allowing them to book cars in our marketplace.
From our 24/7 emergency line to tips and tricks to earn more with your car, we'll be here for you every step of the way.


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KFC 14 piece family special coupon
It's that time when family reunions abound. Basketball season has just ended and everyone is gearing up for the football season too. During the interim, there are countless other sports going on that will give you the opportunity to have family time. Or, you may want to have family movie night. What are you going to eat? You know you can't have family time without something to snack on! That's where KFC comes in. You can have food for the entire family when you use this KFC 14 PIECE FAMILY SPECIAL COUPON. You can have fun while enjoying a great meal of chicken, fries and salad. If that isn't fulfilling, then I don't know what is. Having a day at the beach? This will carry you over for at least one meal. And at the price of $24.99, you cant get any better than that unless you cooked it yourself. A tried and tested product, KFC delivers. For any event, at any time of the day or night. That's the versatility of chicken, and the versatility of KFC. Don't feel like cooking? No problem. Head on down to the restaurant and pick up your dinner for the day. Office party? Impromptu picnic? Romantic occasion? You can dress that chicken and salad up in some premium containers and voila! You've got yourself a winner. Add a picnic basket and some candles and romance the night away. With their new menu selections, you may find more than that. They've added string beans, macaroni and cheese other things to make your mouth water. KFC lives up to its reputation of being finger lickin' good. And now you have selections for everyone.
KFC 14 piece family special coupon
- Includes 14 pieces of chicken, large fries and 2 salads
- Good in Ontario and BC only
- One coupon per customer
- Canada


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According to the latest report, 251 dengue, 193 malaria and 174 chikungunya cases have been reported till August 12 — the highest count for the same period since 2013.
Delhi witnessed a massive outbreak of dengue and chikungunya in September and October of 2015 and 2016. In August 2015, 778 cases of dengue were reported and, just a month later, 6,775 cases. A similar pattern was seen in 2016, when 652 cases were reported in August, 1,362 in September and 1,517 in October.
The cases are growing at an alarming rate this year too despite the civic bodies claiming to have undertaken an aggressive drive to check mosquito breeding. In July, the city had recorded the highest number of such cases in the past five years.
"The corporations have employed domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) but they are not well paid and lack the enthusiasm as they are not paid regularly," said former councillor Jagdish Mamgani.
Lack of cooperation from common people is also a reason, a north corporation official said. Many government instituions next to residential areas are also found to be major breeding grounds for mosquitoes. "Many of them have been issued challans," he said.
The checkers often complain many households do not allow them to enter and they end up checking just coolers placed outside.
The corporations, however, claimed they were cracking down on mosquito breeding. "Most cases have been reported from outside the corporations' areas," said north corporation mayor Preeti Agrawal. "I have requested senior officers and the public health department to monitor it better."


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The GC-2 (also the GC2) North Highway in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands). Connects Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with the north little port and village of Agaete. The eastern portion for about 20 km is a superhighway with interchange numbers; the western part is like a freeway (because it has exit numbers) but the rest of the highway only has two lanes.
The superhighway begins by the beach area of the island or the Canary Islands' co-capital with the highway GC1. The highway runs through the downtown area and links with a roundabout interchange with GC31. The freeway runs within the beaches and the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean for the half part but at around the 20th km, it becomes a highway after the unidirectional parclo interchanges and runs within the coastline, it later has several interchanges and several towns as it passes to the northwest and finally, it ends in Agaete.
The superhighway was first opened in the late-1970s when tourism arrived, it first opened within Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, it later extended to the western part and with the GC31. The superhighway later extended to the coastline and the highway later bypasses towns in the 1980s and the 1990s to Agaete with several towns, that section within Agaete added interchange numbers and exit numbers but it not classifies as a superhighway.


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Salads which can be made with cheese, eggs, fish, or meat may be classed as High Protein Salads, for, as has already been learned, these foods are characterised by the protein they comprise. 28. Cheesy Spinach Salad: Whisk 1 half pink wine vinegar with three elements walnut oil, shallots, salt and pepper. You may add a number of extras into the fruit salad combine too, like sprinkles of coconut, whipped cream toppings, marshmallows and nuts. 46. Roast Beef Salad: Whisk 2 tablespoons every apple cider vinegar and honey mustard with salt, pepper and 1 cup hazelnut oil.
Refreshing salad leaves is the process of dipping them in chilly water, then drying. The mix of cilantro-lime dressed romaine hearts with cotija cheese acts as a pleasant foil to skin-on chile-rubbed chicken, which is about as tasty as any of the really good rotisserie chickens out there at a neighborhood Gristedes for a lot much less.
Whisk the vinegar and mustard along with the garlic, slowly add the olive oil whereas whisking and season with salt and pepper to style. Add the garlic and oregano and season well with salt and pepper. 24. Japanese Radish Salad: High a layer of watermelon radish slices with scallions and baby greens.
Extra moisture dilutes the salad dressing when you're serving salad greens straight away, and can speed deterioration should you're storing them. Caesar salad , Chef salad , Cobb salad , Chinese language rooster salad and Michigan salad are dinner salads. Gown with olive oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
Start with sturdier greens: gentle lettuces tend to get squashed in an enormous salad. Our salads are freshly made utilizing The Salad Farm mesclun mix (like a luxury cruise nothing ruins a salad more than working into a bunch of icebergs). Utilizing the canned chicken, add the water from the can.


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Weekend Sports In Brief
The purported comments by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling urging his girlfriend to not bring black people to his team's games drew protests on Sunday, ranging from his players wearing their jerseys inside out to Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan saying "I'm completely outraged."
The Clippers went through their pregame routine with their red Clippers' shirts on inside out to hide the team's logo.
Players also wore black wristbands or armbands during the game, which they lost 118-97, and donned black socks with their normal jerseys.
Jordan released a statement Sunday addressing the matter, saying that as an owner, "I'm completely disgusted that a fellow team owner could hold such sickening and offensive views."
Magic Johnson had some of the strongest condemnation.
"He shouldn't own a team anymore," Johnson said.
Even President Barack Obama weighed in on the issue at a news conference in Malaysia.
"When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't really have to do anything, you just let them talk," Obama said.
The recording of Sterling was first released by TMZ, and there still has been no official confirmation that Sterling is on the tape. Another tape was released Sunday by Deadspin.
NEW YORK (AP) Steve Kerr said Sunday he spoke with Phil Jackson twice over the weekend and that they will continue discussing the possibility of him becoming coach of the New York Knicks.
Kerr said he had dinner with Jackson, his former coach with Chicago and the new Knicks team president, on Friday night and they talked again Saturday. Kerr is in New York to work the game between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors for TNT.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Michael Heisley, the billionaire businessman who bought the Vancouver Grizzlies and moved the NBA team to Memphis, died Saturday. He was 77.
The Grizzlies said Saturday night that a family member confirmed Heisley's death. The Commercial Appeal reported that Heisley died in Illinois of complications from a massive stroke he suffered nearly 15 months ago.
Heisley sold the team to Robert Pera before the start of the 2012-13 season.
NEW YORK (AP) – Washington Wizards forward Nene was suspended by the NBA for Game 4 of the team's first-round series against the Chicago Bulls for head-butting and grabbing Jimmy Butler around the neck with both hands and attempting to throw him down.
The Wizards won anyway, beating the Bulls to take a 2-1 series lead.
RENO, Nev. (AP) – A Nevada man who claims an illegal ticket policy kept him from attending San Francisco's NFL playoff game at Seattle in January is suing the league and others for $50 million for alleged "economic discrimination."
John E. Williams III of Las Vegas says in a federal lawsuit against the NFL, the Seahawks, Ticketmaster and others that he was denied a chance to buy tickets to the NFC Championship Game under a sales policy that made them available only in selected markets.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – The Southeastern Conference decided to stick with its current football scheduling format of eight league games and a permanent non-division rival.
The conference's presidents and chancellors approved the so-called 6-1-1 format Sunday at a special meeting in Atlanta. SEC teams will continue to play each of their six division rivals, plus one permanent crossover rivalry game and another non-divisional opponent that will rotate.
The one change to format will affect nonconference scheduling. Starting in 2016, all SEC teams will be required to play at least one game against a team from one of the other Big 5 conferences – the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12. But even that rule shouldn't change much. SEC schools routinely play at least one team from those conferences per season.
CHICAGO (AP) – White Sox slugger Jose Abreu set a major league rookie record for RBIs through the end of April.
Abreu drove in four runs Sunday, giving him 31 RBIs this season. He homered and singled against Tampa Bay. He began the day tied for the record with Albert Pujols, who had 27 RBIs in early 2001 for St. Louis.
Abreu's 10th homer extended his own record for home runs by a rookie through April.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Star outfielder Bryce Harper was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Washington Nationals on Sunday with a sprained left thumb. The move is retroactive to Saturday.
TORONTO (AP) – The Toronto Blue Jays have set a major league record by fielding a starting lineup with six players from the Dominican Republic.
The Blue Jays did it Sunday at home against the Boston Red Sox.
AVONDALE, La. (AP) – Seung-Yul Noh overcame windy conditions and his nerves, shooting a 1-under 71 on Sunday to win the Zurich Classic by two shots for his first PGA Tour victory.
The seventh first-time PGA Tour winner in the last 10 years in the event, Noh finished at 19-under 269 and earned $1,224,000. Andrew Svoboda and Robert Streb tied for second. Svoboda had a 69, and Streb shot 70.
DALY CITY, Calif. (AP) – Lydia Ko birdied the final hole for her third LPGA Tour victory and first as a professional, holding off Stacy Lewis and Jenny Shin in the inaugural Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic.
It went down to the final shots, and the teen made a 6-foot birdie putt moments before Lewis knocked in a 4-footer of her own to finish one stroke back.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Joey Logano took advantage of a three-car duel by sneaking below the trio to take the lead Saturday night, outrunning former champions Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski to win at Richmond International Raceway.
Logano's first career victory on the 0.75-mile oval came seemingly from nowhere after a restart with nine laps to go. He sat fourth and on the outside with Kenseth leading, Dale Earnhardt Jr. alongside in second and Gordon on the inside in third, in prime position to move underneath the leader and grab the victory.
Instead, when Gordon, Kenseth and Keselowski raced in a triangle jockeying for position, Logano went underneath all three with three laps to go and then held off Gordon for his fifth career NASCAR Sprint Cup victory.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – Ryan Hunter-Reay coasted to his second straight victory at Barber Motorsports Park when the rain-shortened IndyCar race finished under caution.
A full-course caution came out for the final seven minutes of the timed race after rookie Mikhail Aleshin lost control and went off the track. That left Hunter-Reay unchallenged, with Andretti Autosport teammate Marco Andretti finishing second.
Scott Dixon was third, followed by Simon Pagenaud and pole-sitter Will Power, a two-time winner at Barber who was among the drivers dealing with a slippery track in spots.
LONDON (AP) – Manchester City took charge of the Premier League title race as Edin Dzeko and Yaya Toure scored first-half goals for a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday.
After leader Liverpool lost 2-0 against Chelsea at home, City cut its deficit to three points with one game in hand. If it wins the three remaining matches and keeps a superior goal difference, Man City will be crowned champions.
VILLARREAL, Spain (AP) – Barcelona defender Dani Alves responded to a racist taunt Sunday in a game at Villarreal by picking up a banana that landed at his feet, peeling and then eating it before proceeding to take a corner kick.
Alves said after the match that humor is the best way to combat racism in sports.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) – Kei Nishikori of Japan beat Colombia's Santiago Giraldo 6-2, 6-2 to win the Barcelona Open on Sunday for his first career title on clay.
STUTTGART, Germany (AP) – Maria Sharapova won her third straight Porsche Grand Prix title on Sunday by coming from behind to defeat Ana Ivanovic 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the final.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) – Top-seeded Grigor Dimitrov defeated defending champion Lukas Rosol 7-6 (2), 6-1 Sunday to win the Nastase Tiriac Trophy for his third ATP title.
FUZHOU, China (AP) – Three-time Olympic champion Kerri Walsh won her record 47th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour title Sunday, teaming with April Ross to beat Brazil's Juliana Felisberta Silva and Maria Antonelli 21-11, 21-18 in the Fuzhou Open final.
Walsh broke a tie with Brazil's Larissa Franca for the record. The American teamed with Ross in September after longtime partner Misty May-Treanor retired following the London Olympics.


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Leverage Decades of Experience
A tower is a valuable asset. Day Wireless has the connections and know-how to help you maximize its value.
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Whether you own one rooftop or dozens of towers, Day Wireless can help. We offer a wide range of management designed to grow your revenue and maximize your profits.
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You need site tenants to make money. Day Wireless deploys an industry-focused marketing plan that puts your site on the map in every relevant publication, database and website.
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Do your existing lease agreements reflect your site's value? Day Wireless Systems has negotiated thousands of leases over the years and will put that expertise to work for you.
Our full menu of site services includes billing, customer services, accounts receivable and collections. If your site demands a service, we can provide it.
Health and Safety
Day Wireless has the resources and experience to keep your site compliant in all aspects of:
- FCC and FAA Regulations
- EME Requirements
- OSHA Regulations, Including Fall Protection and Lighting Procedures
These rules and regulations can change on a regular basis. Day Wireless stays on top of them, so you do not have to worry if your site is compliant.


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The bumper that started it all. Guaranteed to survive anything you or your scout can put it through.
Standard features;
Additional options include a selection of lights, d-rings or clevis mounts.
*Current lead time on bumpers is around 2 months.
*Bumpers are custom built for each order. All bumpers are sent with raw steel finish for quality and shipping reasons.


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We understand you may not have had time to drop by and check out our site to see what's new, so here are few things you might have missed.
November –
12 Years A Slave (2013) – Powerfully Brutal
by Bill Tucker
There's nothing more satisfying than when indie directors hit it big. Previously known in art circles as an experimental filmmaker, McQueen first hit the feature scene with Hunger and made his second appearance with 2011's Shame. Although I had some harsh criticisms of the later, there was something unmistakable about McQueen's skill and technique…[CONTINUE READING]
The Wallis Tree | Blaine |Part Four
by Jason Lairamore
Blaine Gentry could see fine in the black of night and enjoyed the wet rolling waves against the ship. But, he couldn't abide the cold. He missed his summer runs down in Africa. Now there were people with fire in their souls. And, of course, he could never forget the Indians of Latin America. They could pry the heat from the earth with vehement skill and serve it up on a twist of beat corn. They'd smile as people choked and burned from the peppered goodness.
Gaia: Shadow & Breath
Special Call for Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, & Magical Realism
We're happy to announce the first of two annual anthologies. The first, entitled "Gaia: Shadow & Breath", will feature stories of fantasy, dark fantasy, and magical realism. Dark fantasy with horror elements OK. For more information, including guidelines, please read our special call post. You can find it HERE.
Staff Update # 2
Welcome to our two new Fiction Readers, Sarah Read and Michael Riser!
One of the perks of running a magazine, aside from publishing talented authors, is working with great people. A few days ago we added two members to the Pantheon team, who will be helping by reading through submissions and adding fresh perspectives to the fiction we publish.So with that said, welcome Sarah Read and Michael Riser to the growing Pantheon Magazine team!
And please send them your fiction. They're just dying to read it.


text:
|For this one I used a security envelope I'd decorated with swirls, each hand-drawn
and colored with markers, and wrote the message by hand in a gel pen I got at Target.
Lastly, I used up a few scraps making little paper hearts and Valentine's ephemera for the next big holiday. I love cutting hearts out and using up as much of my scrap paper as possible. Here are the hearts:
Those are just a few of the things I made, you can also check out some of the little paper scraps I decorated with small drawings on my other blog, Mes Petites Creations. Going through my scraps helped me to find more bits of paper to share with pen pals, make some extra stationery/cards, and see what supplies I have to use and also helped me see what else I needed to acquire.
This New Year 2012 promises to be a very creative one for me! I can't wait to share more of these times with you!
Happy New Year 2012!
Nadia Marie


text:
Article Title
Henri Michaux (1899-1984). One of the early geniuses of the prose poem, whose intellectual and playful sensibility continues to inspire a new generation of prose poets. ["Contributor Note" from original publication, 1999.]
Recommended Citation
Michaux, Henri
"Plume On The Ceiling,"
The Prose Poem: An International Journal: Vol. 8
, Article 41.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/prosepoem/vol8/iss1/41


text:
"Justin Bieber hopes [Anne Frank] would have been his devoted fan [ ] "Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber," he wrote." CNN
January 22, 1943
One of the happiest days I can remember this morning Jane brought us fresh fruit and bread. Jane also brought me a present a record album called "My World 2.0" by someone named Justin Bieber. I don't know who Justin Bieber is but Papa says he's a kid like me and that I can listen to it when there is no one below in the house.
January 23, 1943
I can't stop singing the music of Justin Bieber! What joy his music brings me! My favorite song is definitely "Baby." I love it when Justin says "Baby, baby, baby, oh, baby, baby, baby, oh." It makes me think a lot about the world, like all humans started out as babies, so we're all the same, really.
Papa and I put on shows for Mama (I am Justin and Papa is Ludacris) and he makes me laugh so hard when he tries to rap really fast. Our whole family shares in such laughter, all thanks to the music of this wonderful Justin Bieber.
February 17, 1943
Using a transmitter radio I heard Justin's new single, "Boyfriend." It feels like he's singing directly to me! My favorite part is when he says, "Swag, swag, swag on you, Chillin' by the fire while we eatin' fondue."
I wonder what "swag" is. Maybe swag is the feeling I get when I listen to the music of Justin Bieber the feeling that anything is possible if we try in our hearts.
I asked Mama what fondue is and she looked out the window without answering.
February 26, 1943
I heard on the radio that Justin is very excited about his nineteenth birthday next week (he is only three years older than me!). Papa says that people who like Justin Bieber are called Beliebers, and that makes me happy I think about other beliebers out there, like me, who wish Justin were their boyfriend and would never let them go.
February 28, 1943
I'm so upset I just heard on the radio that Justin Bieber's monkey was seized by customs officials! They said it was because he was too young a monkey to be someone's pet. Even though Justin was taking good care of him!
I really hope Justin is O.K. and maybe if I swag really hard he can feel it.
March 2, 1943
More terrible news today. Justin Bieber said he had the "worst birthday ever." Papa told me Justin got kicked out of a club in London. That's all we even know so far! Papa tried to cheer me up by rapping like Ludacris but it only made me sadder.
What if what Justin says in "U Smile" isn't true? What if you smile, you smile, you smile, but then the person you like actually doesn't smile?
March 6, 1943
This is is the last straw. The drummer from the Black Keys is feuding with Justin Bieber. I could barely breathe when Papa told me. It was bad enough that Justin got snubbed at the Grammys (after the most amazing record album ever), but now this silly drummer makes fun of him for it? Hasn't Justin suffered enough? Who will comfort Justin now that they took away his monkey?
If Justin is feeling down I hope he can remember his own words that have helped me so much "Baby, baby, baby, oh, baby, baby, baby, oh." I sing it to myself sometimes to remind me that Justin Bieber is going to be O.K.
I asked Papa, since Justin Bieber has given the whole world so much joy and hope from his music, why can't he just do and say whatever he wants all the time? Papa said some things in life are simply not fair, but that it's important to have faith. I have faith that Justin Bieber will be happy again.
I really beliebe it.


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Reviews point out that Alexa is more efficient than Apple's Siri. However, iOS and Mac users who want to test drive Alexa have to purchase Echo or Dot. Reverb however can let you try out Alexa without purchasing any of these devices.
According to Apple Insider, in an article titled Updated Reverb App Tries to Bring Alexa to the IPhone and Mac, the author says:
The prevailing wisdom is that Alexa is superior to Siri —but your mileage may vary and so might your need for privacy. But, if you wait to hear about Amazon's sales figures you're going to wait a long time.
Alexa in Reverb has extremely limited capabilities. Even to wake-up Alexa, the mic button needs to be activated and a command can be given only then. Reverb also cannot identify your precise location, thus it will keep on telling you whether reports of some other city. And lastly, you cannot order anything over Alexa. As stated in the article, Reverb can let you get the taste of Alexa in a very limited way. To truly explore the full potential, you need a proper Alexa powered device.
Vishal Ingole, March 17, 2017


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The Daily Meal reports that ICC Founder & CEO Dorothy Cann Hamilton is "Only the Fourth American Culinary Figure to Receive the French Legion of Honor."
Dorothy Hamilton, James Beard award-winning culinary figure and CEO of the International Culinary Center, has been selected as a 2015 recipient of the French Legion of Honor for her work in promoting French cuisine in America. She joins the ranks of only three other American chefs and culinary legends, Thomas Keller, Julia Child, and Alice Waters for helping to bring French cuisine to America through culinary education.
CLICK HERE to read the full article in The Daily Meal.
ICC CEO Awarded Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor


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Surpass: The Assessment Platform is a leading independent item banking solution that powers the secure authoring of many of the world's high-profile and innovative exams.
The Surpass Community includes members such as Prometric and NBME, who, in collaboration with others, guide the agile product roadmap of Surpass.
Using customizable workflows and permissions within an intuitive and scalable platform, SMEs can create, edit and review items, with the ability to add rich media and interactive source materials. Surpass supports fixed, LOFT and CAT test types which can then be delivered, scored and reported on using the highly resilient and secure Surpass test driver, or alternatively, exported and delivered via your preferred third-party test driver.
Events Sponsored by btlSurpass
Upcoming events


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Quick Chocolate Sauce
Hi Friends,
If you are a dessert person or having a very bad sweet tooth then this recipe is a keeper for you and if your sweet tooth is not that much active then still this is useful for you.It takes hardly 10 min to make this sauce. As you know you i have a very bad sweet tooth. I crave for sweet stuff almost daily and want something quick.So for this reason or so i made my own chocolate sauce which can be used in any cake, cupcake,dessert like i can drizzle it on Caramelized or Grilled fruits, fill sweet sandwiches,sewaiyan,use as dip for fruits,to coat biscuits, frost or make cakes or cupcakes, wooooow lots of uses of a simple and quick sauce.I usually make it and store in fridge. I kept it as longer as one month in the fridge and there was no difference in the taste.Usually i store them in a steel airtight container and keep in fridge so that i can slightly heat it up and sauce is ready within minutes. You can use your microwave bowl to store and warm it up as required.
Any chocolate - 100 gm
Milk - 2-3 tbsp or as needed
Take milk and chocolate
(break or crush chocolate in pieces)
Heat milk in a pan
Add chopped or crushed chocolate
(i did mistake by not breaking the chocolate so it took long to melt it, don't be like me)
It will start melting
switch off the gas and mix it vigorously
Use it as per your requirement
Drizzle on fruits
make sewaiyan
fill sandwiches
on cakes
- Use milk accordingly, like if you want runny consistency then add 1 tsp milk and mix again and if it become more runny then required then add more chopped chocolate.
- After cooling down the sauce become thick so adjust milk accordingly.
- You can add 1 tsp honey for different.
- Store in airtight container in fridge.


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The practice of T'ai Chi and Qi Gong is thousands of years old and informed much of the knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine as it stands today. There are many different styles practiced throughout the world, namely Li, Yang, Chen, Wu, Hao and Sun. Each of these, if taught correctly, will adhere to the basic principles of T'ai Chi and students will learn what seperates this Ancient form of movement from other forms of exercise.
David has been practicing the Li Style of T'ai Chi, Qi Gong plus associated Feng Shou Kung Fu and throwing art Chi Shu since 1979 and is a Senior Instructor within the Taoist Arts Organisation.
Until a class uniform is obtained each class is practiced in loose clothes, e.g. t-shirt, sweatshirt, jogging trousers and trainers and every class also covers other aspects of the Li Family Style – tao yin, k'ai men, qi gong, push hands, etc.
Malvern Class
The Quaker's Friends Meeting Hall is the setting for the Malvern class.
1 Orchard Road
The class runs every Tuesday evening, between 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Beginners always welcome. Please note that this class is now taught weekly by my colleague Jane Frew.
Garway Class
The new Garway Village Hall is the setting for the Garway class.
Garway Village Hall is located in the village of Garway. To find us turn off the B4521 at Broad Oak continue through village, the new Hall is on the right just past the school. From Pontrilas turn off the B4347 just before Kentchurch Bridge continue 4 1/2 miles to Garway. As you enter the village the Hall is on the left just before the school. Beginners are always welcome.
The class runs every Monday between 9:00 and 10:30 a.m.
Swansea Class
The Ynysmeudwy Community Hall is the setting for the Swansea class.
Old Rd
The class runs every Thursday from 7:00pm until 8:30pm and beginners are always welcome.


text:
The one-stop legal & compliance shop for businesses with up to 20 employees. With our packaged service you can:
- Create legal documents easily
- Send them for lawyer review
- Get 24/7 expert advice
- Get cover for legal fees and awards
Now you can also buy business legal documents on a 'pay as you go' basis.
How compliant is your business? Take our free legal healthcheck.
Keep up to date with our free monthly bulletin
Find out how NatWest offers top quality legal services online


text:
Local Employees
Total Employees
Hello, we're Signpost
Signpost is a smart CRM that helps businesses to know, grow, and strengthen their local customer base. Mia automatically collects and analyzes consumer data from every touchpoint, including email, calls and transactions. Armed with this data on new and existing customers, she intelligently manages customer relationships.
Why Work with Us?
Super fun sales floors with a ton of sales games to keep you on your toes! Base salary plus uncapped commission structure, incredible benefits and start-up equity, with a fast promotional track! 90% of our Sales Managers were promoted from the SMB Sales role here at Signpost, so they know what it's like to be in the trenches with you!
We are
Collaborative &
An Insider's view of Signpost
What's the vibe like in the office?
Positive vibes in our office are palpable. Each employee brings something different to the table which adds to the fun & fast paced work environment. Our sales floor brings a TON of
energy- sometimes I just step down there to get a second wind! The people here & how cohesive each department is, is what makes Signpost's atmosphere, can't beat it!
energy- sometimes I just step down there to get a second wind! The people here & how cohesive each department is, is what makes Signpost's atmosphere, can't beat it!
Franchise Account Manager
What does your typical day look like?
I start my work day around 7:20 am and filling up a cup of coffee. The Denver office starts with a huddle between all teams and talk about the sales we made the day before & goals for the day to focus on. Then around 8 we hit the phones. At Signpost, you have complete liberty on how the day spent is best for you. Come in every day ready to hustle!
Sr. Franchise Relationship Manager
How does the company support your career growth?
What I love most about Signpost, is you are constantly learning and getting better at your craft. In training you get all of the tools to be successful and build a strong foundation. Once you're on the sales floor your leader takes you to the next level. With constant feedback and a collaborative work environment, growth is everywhere at Signpost!
Sales Representative
What is your vision for the company?
I want to help people take their careers to the next level, whether it's your first job or third leadership role, and make sure you have the tools and support to do it. All I ask is that you work hard and focus on getting better every day. When everyone does that, you end up with an office full of pure talent, driven to the same goal.
Director of Sales
How do your team's ideas influence the company's direction?
I work in Customer Success where we hear a wide-range of feedback from merchants on a daily basis. We keep a VERY open channel of communication between both our sales and product team so we can all contribute to improve Signpost.
Without a doubt, our team immensely influences the company's direction-- it's pretty cool to be a part of!
Without a doubt, our team immensely influences the company's direction-- it's pretty cool to be a part of!
Account Manager II
We're Hiring
Where we are
Our office is located on the Lodo/Rhino border. We're 2 blocks from Coors Field & walking distance to tons of bars & restaurants. Bike riders welcome!
Perks + Benefits
Documented equal pay policy
Dedicated Diversity/Inclusion Staff
Health Insurance & Wellness
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Disability Insurance
Dental Benefits
Vision Benefits
Retirement & Stock Options
Company Equity
Performance Bonus
Child Care & Parental Leave
Generous Parental Leave
Remote Work Program
Family Medical Leave
Return-to-work program post parental leave
- Signpost gave me a great opportunity learn about sales, marketing, and CRM software. I learned from my mentors and peers and met a lot of great people along the way, everyone wants to see you succeed!Signpost DenverSales Executive
- I never realized how fun & challenging working in a start-up could be. The perfect place for someone outgoing and competitive. If you're passionate about helping small businesses, this place is ideal.Signpost DenverSales Represenative
- Promo track is quick & easy. Most companies require a year before there is any salary increase. At Signpost, it's not uncommon to see 2-3 promos within the first year for an additional $10-15K base.Signpost DenverSenior Sales Executive
Jobs at Signpost4 open jobs
All Jobs
Technology we use
- Engineering
- Sales & Marketing
- JavascriptLanguages
- jQuery UILibraries
- ReactLibraries
- Node.jsFrameworks
- MySQLDatabases
- RedisDatabases
- ElasticSearchDatabases
- SalesforceCRM
- MarketoLead Gen
Articles we're in26 articles
Our funding history
$1.3M in FundingInvestors: Spark Capital, Google Ventures
$3.8M in FundingInvestors: Spark Capital, Google Ventures, Scout Ventures
$10M in FundingInvestors: OpenView Ventures Partners, Spark Capital, Scout Ventures
$20.5M in FundingInvestors: Georgian Partners
Is this your company? Claim profile.


text:
|Oracle FAQ
|Your Portal to the Oracle Knowledge Grid
Home -> Community -> Mailing Lists -> Oracle-L -> RE: Optimizer Mode......how to choose the right one?
I by
no means say CBO doesn't make mistakes. It by far does, but the original statement stays accurate, order of tables only matters with RBO (if comes up with tie) and ordered hint.
<FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
is nothing wrong with getting it in a good order, I just wanted to stress that it only truely matters during those two conditions. That's all, not trying to be adversary.
<FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
CNA is
Novell Admin, I haven't done it in a while, I originally started as a Novell Admin.
is a firewall product I spent about 4 years working with.
<FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
"Do not criticize someone until you walked a mile in their shoes, that way when you criticize them, you are a mile a way and have their shoes."
Christopher R. Spence OCP MCSE MCP A+ RAPTOR CNA Oracle DBA Phone: (978) 322-5744 Fax: (707) 885-2275
face="Comic Sans MS" size=2>73 Princeton Street North, Chelmsford 01863
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----From: Koivu, Lisa [mailto:lisa.koivu_at_efairfield.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2001 11:08 AMTo: 'ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com';
'cspence_at_FuelSpot.com'Subject: RE: Optimizer Mode......how to choose the right one?
Ahh, but Christopher, therein lies
the problem. The CBO makes mistakes and sometimes needs the gentle nudging of the ORDERED hint. I've seen a query go from hours to 2 seconds after some analysis of the execution plan that was failing miserably.
Love the sig. You are a
CNA? A Raptor? Am I missing something? Lisa Koivu Vikings Fan (and DBA) Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
-----Original Message----- From: Christopher Spence [SMTP:cspence_at_FuelSpot.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2001 10:27 AM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L Subject: RE: Optimizer Mode......how to choose the rightone?
AIX 4.2.1, Oracle 7.3.4, 30 GB Database, 1 GB
Real Memory, 500 MB SGA, 70 concurrent
users, mostly OLTP transactions.
I have tunned init parameters the best I can we the resources I have:
db_files = 70 db_writers = 4 db_file_multiblock_read_count = 16 db_block_buffers = 57600 db_block_size = 8192 shared_pool_size = 157286400 processes = 200 dml_locks =
face=Arial size=2>sequence_cache_entries = 800 sequence_cache_hash_buckets = 89 log_checkpoint_interval = 80000 optimizer_mode=CHOOSE session_cached_cursors = 300 sort_area_size=1048576 hash_area_size=262144 hash_multiblock_io_count=4 hash_join_enabled=TRUE always_anti_join=HASH job_queue_processes=8
Original text of this message


text:
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text:
Hotels & Accommodation in Zinacantan
Search for accommodation in Zinacantan
Save more with Secret Prices
Get instant savings with Secret Prices
Book hotel rooms & other accommodation in Zinacantan
What's Zinacantán like?
If you're looking for a place to get away, look no further than Zinacantán. Whether you're planning to stay for a night or for the week, the area around Zinacantán has accommodations to fit every need. Search for hotels in Zinacantán with Hotels.com by checking our online map. Our map displays the areas and neighborhoods around all Zinacantán hotels so you can see how close you are from landmarks and attractions, and then refine your search within the larger area. The best Zinacantán hotel deals are here with our lowest price guarantee.
What types of hotels are available in Zinacantán?
We have Zinacantán accommodations with prices starting at ZAR 99. Choose one of our 253 deals and get discounts of up to 46%.
Below are the number of accommodations by star rating in Zinacantán and the surrounding area:
- • 36 4-star accommodations from ZAR 576 per night
- • 110 3-star accommodations from ZAR 311 per night
- • 23 2-star accommodations from ZAR 99 per night
How to Get to Zinacantán
What is the closest airport to Zinacantán?
- • Tuxtla Gutierrez (TGZ-Angel Albino Corzo Intl), 24.1 mi (38.8 km) from central Zinacantán
Things to See and Do in Zinacantán
What is there to see near Zinacantán:
- • San Cristobal de las Casas Cathedral (5.6 mi/9 km from the city center)
- • Guadalupe Church (6.4 mi/10.3 km from the city center)
- • Huitepec Ecological Reserve (5.1 mi/8.3 km from the city center)
- • Ex-Convent of Santo Domingo (5.6 mi/9 km from the city center)
- • Arches of Carmen (5.7 mi/9.1 km from the city center)
What is there to do near Zinacantán:
- • Na Bolom Cultural Museum (6.1 mi/9.7 km from the city center)
- • Amber Museum of Chiapas (5.4 mi/8.7 km from the city center)
- • Mesoamerican Museum of Jade (5.5 mi/8.9 km from the city center)
- • Santo Domingo Handicraft Market (5.8 mi/9.3 km from the city center)
- • Mayan Medicine Museum (5.4 mi/8.6 km from the city center)
When is the best time to visit Zinacantán?
- • Hottest months: April, May, March, June (average 94°F)
- • Coldest months: January, February, December, March (average 62°F)
- • Rainiest months: June, September, August, and July (average 6.10 inches of rainfall)


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Controlling the commands executed with xp_cmdshell on SQL Server 2005
SQL Server has a special extended stored procedure called xp_cmdshell. This procedure has a lot of power: it allows to execute any command line code on the machine hosting the SQL Server.
Imagine you want to list all the files on C: on the SQL Server Windows host: you could write a T-SQL statement like this one:
EXECUTE master..xp_cmdshell 'dir c:'
This stored procedure, however, is a very dangerous one, as it would allow to execute harmful code. This is the reason why it's disabled by default. Even when enabled, only users on the sysadmin role can use it.
If you ever need some users the ability to run only some specific commands with xp_cmdshell, you can use the method I'll explain below, making use of the EXECUTE AS modifier of the stored procedure definitions in T-SQL.
The proposed solution involves five steps:
- Enabling the xp_cmdshell extended procedure.
- Adding a procedure on the database with the EXECUTE AS modifier as an administrator, controlling which commands are allowed to be executed.
- Modifying or creating the xp_cmdshell_proxy_account, associating it to a user with sysadmin privileges.
- Giving the user(s) you want the EXECUTE privileges to the procedure.
- Grant the proxy account user the privilege to log on as a batch in the Windows server.
The execution of xp_cmdshell must be enabled on the SQL Server. This can be done through the SQL Surface Area Configuration utility or by code. Refer to Figure below on how to activate xp_cmdshell through the SQL Surface Area Configuration.
To enable xp_cmdshell using SQL code, use the sentences below:
EXEC master.dbo.sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1 RECONFIGURE EXEC master.dbo.sp_configure 'xp_cmdshell', 1 RECONFIGURE
This will allow users of the sysadmin role, and no one else, to execute xp_cmdshell.
Now we have to create a special stored procedure that will control the actions used as parameters to xp_cmdshell. This will allow the administrators of the database to have control over which commands they allow to be executed on their servers. The most important part of this procedure is the EXECUTE AS OWNER modifier. By using this modifier, everyone that runs that procedure will be able to run it as if it was the owner of the database, thus having execute permissions to xp_cmdshell (we're assuming the procedure will be created in the master schema. By granting execute permissions on that procedure, you will allow specific users an indirect way to call the xp_cmdshell.
Using this method, only the users of the sysadmin role will be able to execute xp_cmdshell, and only the users you grant EXECUTE permissions on the stored procedure will be able to execute the specific commands that you allow.
To insert the store procedure, log in as a sysadmin on the database and create it with the EXECUTE AS OWNER modifier on it.
For the above procedure to work on non sysadmin accounts there is another step that has to be done. By default, even if you have permissions on the store procedure, you won't be able to execute it if you're not on the sysadmin role. This is because those users need a proxy account that is used as the account in which the xp_cmdshell is executed.
So, for this procedure to work, you must create or modify the xp_cmdshell_proxy_account with a user within the sysadmin role. To setup this account, proceed with the code below:
EXEC sp_xp_cmdshell_proxy_account 'MyDomain\MyUserName', 'myDomainPassword'
If the above code does not work, try this one:
CREATE credential ##xp_cmdshell_proxy_account## WITH IDENTITY = 'Domain\DomainUser', secret = password'
After the procedure and the proxy account have been set, the users we want to be able to execute the procedure must be granted EXECUTE permission on it. To do so, execute this statement for every user you want to grant permissions:
GRANT EXECUTE ON Tango_xp_cmdshell TO <username>; GO
To grant this permission, use the Local Security Settings on the Administrative Tools interface of the Windows Control Panel. Once there locate the property shown on the screenshot and add the user you gave permissions to the user list.
Note that enabling the xp_cmdshell command may still have some security implications, so try to avoid it when possible.
C# and the StringBuilder class Full view of ComboBox drop-down list components in C# 3.0


text:
Dr F Macchia
Professor of Systematic Theology, Vanguard University, CA
BA, MA, PhD (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London)
Reader in Religion and Politics and Director of the Centre for Religion and History and of the Holy Land Research Project, St Mary's University College (University of Surrey)
Formerly: Senior lecturer, School of Theology, Philosophy and History
Areas: Religion and conflict; Peace Studies, especially Middle East and Palestine/Israel
Research: Religion, politics and the peace process in the Middle East; Holy Land (Palestine/Israel) Studies, ancient, medieval and modern; Islamic Revivalism since 1967
Regions: Middle East, particularly Palestine/Israel
Publications: Dr Masalha publishes in English, Spanish and Arabic. Recent publications include: The Bible and Zionism: Invented Traditions, Archaeology and Post-Colonialism in Israel-Palestine, London: Zed Books (2007). Expulsion of the Palestinians, Buenos Aires, editorial Canaán, (2007) Catastrophe Remembered: Essays in Memory of Edward W. Said, London: Zed Books, (editor, 2005). Politicas De La Negación: Israel Y Los Refugiados Palestininos, Barcelona: Edicions Bellaterra (2005). The Nakba, Memory and Identity, Ramallah: Madar-Palestinian Centre for Israeli Studies (editor, 2007). The Politics of Denial: Israel and the Palestinian Refugee Problem, London: Pluto Press (2003). Imperial Israel and the Palestinians: The Politics of Expansion, 1967-2000, London: Pluto Press (2000)


text:
This section provides links to current wildlife health information and resources using a number of different categories and areas of interest. News, resources and information focus on Australia but also include information from overseas. We hope this assists everyone finding out more about wildlife health topics of interest.
Search for a Resource
You can also search our Bibliography for unpublished and published citations.
WHA also produces a number of disease Fact Sheets of relevance to Australia.
Wildlife Health Australia sends out a weekly electronic digest via e-mail summarising wildlife disease related news occurring both in Australia and internationally, including media stories, research news, upcoming events and recent publications. Selected posts from the Digest are posted in this Resource Section.
To find out more about the Digest (here >>) and how to subscribe, click here >>
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A note about archived postings: Wildlife Health Australia migrated all of the postings from the "Bulletin Board" on our previous website into this new "Resources" web page. Please note these posting are in the process of being removed or updated by WHA staff, postings dated prior to 2010 may be out of date and have expired URLs.
28/10/2014 Eureka Alert Article: "Scientists call for controls on imports to check deadly fungus' spread. A deadly disease that is wiping out salamanders in parts of Europe will inevitably reach the U.S. through the international wildlife trade unless steps are taken to halt its spread, says University of Maryland amphibian expert Karen Lips. The recently described fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, has caused a crash in wild populations of fire salamanders in the Netherlands. After the fungus was discovered in Europe last year, Lips joined an international team of experts that tested more than 5,000 amphibians from four continents. Their results, published Oct. 31 in the journal Science, show the fungus probably originated in Southeast Asia 30 million years ago and reached Europe through the international trade in Asian newts, which are popular with amphibian fanciers.
Cited Journal Article: Martel, A et al (2014) Recent introduction of a chytrid fungus endangers Western Palearctic salamanders. Science. 346 (6209), 630-631. DOI: 10.1126/science.1258268
29/9/2014 USGS Newsroom: "Amphibians, including threatened and endangered species like the Oregon Spotted Frog, may benefit from a recent study that highlights the use of promising tools that can assess the risk of disease exposure….. For this study, scientists coupled sophisticated molecular tools with advanced statistics to evaluate whether the amphibian chytrid fungus occupied ponds and wetlands. First, they used DNA extracted from water samples to test for the presence and abundance of the amphibian chytrid fungus. Then they used an occupancy modeling method to estimate the chance of a false-negative result, or the likelihood of not detecting the pathogen when it was actually present. The study found chytrid fungus in approximately 61 percent of sampled ponds and wetlands. The fungus was present year round at the long-term monitoring site, but its density was highest in the spring. Beside seasonal variability, elevation also played a role in the presence of the fungus. Chytrid fungus was more common in amphibian breeding habitats at lower elevations than those habitats at higher elevations……"
Cited Journal Article: Chestnut T et al. (2014) Heterogeneous Occupancy and Density Estimates of the Pathogenic Fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Waters of North America. PLoS ONE 9(9): e106790. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106790.
This is the final report for the project Experimental research to obtain a better understanding of the epidemiology, transmission and dispersal of amphibian chytrid fungus in Australian ecosystems.
The researchers found that frog social behaviour, use of microenvironments and aspects of their innate immune system have strong effects on the probability of infection with this serious amphibian pathogen. The rediscovery of the armoured mist frog (Litoria lorica) is examined in relation to these factors. This species had previously been thought to be extinct.
(Bd) is an emerging infectious disease which has proved widely destructive to global amphibian biodiversity. RACE is a pan-European project to assess the risk that Bd poses to European amphibians. The project is developing tools and protocols to enable surveillance of Bd across Europe. RACE will further approaches to understanding where in situ mitigation and captive-breeding conservation efforts are most necessary to reduce the effects of chytridiomycosis, to halt the further spread of the pathogen and to preserve European amphibian biodiversity. Our findings will be formalised into a European Threat Abatement Plan (ETAP).' Follow link to RACE website >>
WHA also produces a number of disease fact sheets of relevance to Australia. Follow link to WHA Factsheets
18/12/2012 Smithsonian.com "Around the world, the decline of hundreds of amphibian species has been linked to the mysterious and deadly chytrid fungus Batrachochytriumdendrobatidis... Until now, researchers thought the fungus occurred only in amphibians, since no studies demonstrated that the fungus can grow on live non-amphibian hosts.... New research refutes the assumption that only amphibians can carry the disease, however. Field collections in Louisiana and Colorado found that up to 29 percent of the live crayfish recovered were harboring the fungus. The team also found that crayfish presence was a strong predictor of amphibian infection with the fungus...." Read the full article >>
Further news articles:
PUBLICATION: McMahon,TA, et al. (2013) Chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has nonamphibian hosts and releases chemicals that cause pathology in the absence of infection. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 110(1), 210-215 View the abstract >>
The overarching aim of Bd-Maps is to provide a community-focussed resource. All data is presented in a geographical context facilitating identification of areas of potential spread and temporal analysis allows previous spread to be modelled and used to identify areas of concern. Such analyses will be directed towards policy makers, resource managers, the general public and the scientific community. Visit the website >> for more information and to access the map.
The aim of this web page >> site is to provide high quality information on diseases of amphibians, with a focus on diseases of significance in wild populations. It aim to collate global amphibian disease resources and up-to-date information, particularly related to chytridiomycosis and amphibian declines. The site includes scientific publications, management plans and applied protocols useful to researchers, managers, students and the public.
The Amphibian Disease Home Page was originally created and maintained by Dr Rick Speare at James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. In Dr Speare's retirement, and at his request, the Australian Registry of Wildlife Health (the Registry >>) has endeavoured to update and maintain this page.
The page includes information under the following topics:


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(edited Tuesday, April 29)
A few food-related things worth noting, from the last few days in Atlanta:
— When you go to YEAH! Burger, go to the one in the Virginia-Highlands because after you eat your grass-fed burger with figs, goat cheese and caramelized onions and your house-made veggie burger with a side of kale salad, you can walk through streets of historic homes and hipsters and see things like a free library housing Flannery O'Connor stories and a cookbook from the 1980s. (Or maybe go to Farm Burger instead, which comes highly recommended from our buddy Hannah.)
— If you're willing to spend $6 on a bar of chocolate, may we recommend the dried cherries with crushed almonds at Cacao? The Virginia-Highlands location is walking distance from Yeah! Burger and it's as pretty as it is filled with French macarons and handmade chocolate, from the charcoal walls to the white marble countertops.
— The only thing better than a bowl of Thai curry is a bowl of Thai curry in a restaurant with 85% to 90% organic ingredients: L'Thai Organic Cuisine & Wine Bar, set in the middle of a planned community in Smyrna. On a Sunday afternoon in April, there were only two other full tables, and the weather was in the high 70s, so we sat alone on the outdoor patio with bamboo placements and blooming flower pots.
— Neapolitan-pizza lovers, you have lots of options in Atlanta. We tried Ammazza, a seat-yourself pizzeria that sources most of its ingredients locally and soaks its dough 3 days. Beyond our spinach salad with toasted pine nuts and dried fruit, we split a large Margherita pizza with added artichokes, garlic and olives, which, if nothing else, is proof that everything (even olives!) is better on thin, chewy dough slathered with sauce and melted mozzarella.
and, also, a few non-food-related things, worth nothing if only to help my heart tuck them away:
— That time we were sure we scratched a car in the hotel parking lot, drove to an adjacent parking lot to calm down, called our insurance company to start a claim and then drove back, all sweaty and bothered, only to realize (!!!) that there wasn't a scratch to be found.
— Sitting through a lecture at the Alive! Expo, sampling essential oils, starting to feel my mind wander, only to realize that Tim was drinking it all up. (That guy! Such a learner!)
— Fellowshipping with a body of Believers in Roswell and hearing this 4/27 message on the Lord's prayer, minutes after I had weakly, timidly asked God to help me pray. Praying with Tim in the parking lot, wanting nothing more than for my life to reflect His kingdom on earth. "The more mature you are as a Believer, the more dependent you are on Him." (Crawford Lorrits) Oh, Jesus! I need that dependence. I need you.
— Celebrating my Tim's birthday and his 33 (!!) years on this earth, especially this last one and its shocks and joys, feeling freshly thankful and stunned that our lives have intersected and that the man waking up next to me every morning is him. Being married has made me more aware of my flaws and weaknesses than I ever was before; it has also pictured the Father's love for me, over and over again, as my husband steadfastly likes, cares for, and chooses me. Tim! I can't believe you're real! I love you and like you and want you, and there's nobody else I'd rather suffer and celebrate and live with day by day.
+ bonus field notes! (added 4/29)
— IKEA! What Nashvillian drives to Atlanta without stopping to see you? (ps, thanks The Kitchn, for assuring me I did indeed want those napkins I now love.)
— We ate here, right alongside neon lights and beaded curtains. And we liked it, from the kefir smoothie ("banana boy toy" official name) to the killllller banana layer cake I have to try to make at home soon. There's no hope of being mainstream for us anymore, it's surer every day.
— Dekalb Farmers Market, you do not disappoint. If I lived in Atlanta, I would visit you every week. Floor-to-ceiling warehouse shelves of every food ingredient I could dream of (but, sadly, not einkorn, what gives?), from organic blueberry jam to organic cacao nibs to three bars of dark chocolate we just had to squirrel away.
— Atlanta Scoutmob, even though you were the reason we drove out of our way to a tea shop that ended up being closed on Monday, we will forever love you for sending us to Cardamom Hill, a restaurant where Kerala (the state where my dad is from in India) meets the American South. Three words: Kerala Fried Chicken. It's as good as it sounds.
— Oh, and Decatur! We came for Farm Burger, but we would have stayed for your historic architecture and cute downtown and little shop with Indian street food, if only we'd had more time.


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Two people are dead and another is in critical condition after a news helicopter crashed in downtown Seattle Tuesday morning.
An A-Star helicopter that was used in a joint partnership between KOMO and KING 5 news stations crashed on top of several vehicles while trying to land near the Space Needle at about 7:45 a.m. PT.
Seattle Police are advising people to stay away from the area:
All traffic approaching the Seattle
Center is blocked at current time, 5th Ave N, Broad St, Denny Way, Mercer St.
Please avoid the area.
— seattledot (@seattledot) March 18, 2014
This investigation will continue for many hours. Please stay away from area. We will update with information as we learn more.
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) March 18, 2014
Here are some more tweets and video from the scene:
Medics transporting an approx 37 yo male to HMC in critical condition self extricated from car pic.twitter.com/hhVAX0qmbs
— Seattle Fire Dept (@SeattleFire) March 18, 2014
Wreckage of news chopper, 2 cars still exploding right now @komonews pic.twitter.com/YM9vVhoGOa
— Kelly Koopmans (@KellyKOMO4) March 18, 2014
This was the KOMO TV Helicopter that crashed today in Downtown Seattle WA: http://t.co/FrCMBNK91r Via @Flickr
— Carol Alfonso (@caa1000) March 18, 2014
I'm fine. But we're all in disbelief. pic.twitter.com/qoMHUJhr0c
— Seth Wayne (@SethonKOMO) March 18, 2014
Watched as the helicopter fell right past my window. Horrifying. pic.twitter.com/Nwpf3pqaTY
— Michael Harthorne (@MikeHarthorne) March 18, 2014
Story developing…
Update, 8:50 a.m.
KOMO is reporting that the helicopter was attempting to take off just before it crashed. KING5 also just spoke to an eyewitness, who said that the helicopter had landed on top of a building, hovered for a few minutes and then lost control as it crashed.
Witnesses say KOMO news helicopter took off, rotated once, nose dipped and crashed to street below, landing on two cars below.
— Dan Catchpole (@dcatchpole) March 18, 2014
Update, 9:05 a.m.
Kyle Moore, spokesperson for the Seattle Fire Department, said that the area near Fisher Plaza will be shut down for "quite a while" as the NTSB conducts an investigation.
The two people in the helicopter were pronounced dead at the scene. Another male in his car — the one in critical condition —was transported to the hospital with burns on 50 percent of his body.
There were two others in vehicles at the crash. Moore said that one female made it to a nearby police department, but another male ran away from the scene and it's unclear where he is.
Moore noted that the only visible part of the helicopter left is the tail end, as the rest is burned.
Update, 9:35 a.m.
The Space Needle will be closed today:
The Space Needle and SkyCity will be closed today out of respect for those impacted.
— Space Needle (@space_needle) March 18, 2014


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Summer in Vienna – no, not in Austria… in Virginia!
I'm not one to usually brag, but I think it's fair enough to say I have the best summer internship of everyone I know (Tough crowd: there's several Congressional interns on Capitol Hill, a National Geographic grantee spending her summer scuba diving, a financial intern in Singapore, an oil industry intern in the U.A.E., a NASCAR intern, and an entrepreneur in Texas…) Within ten seconds on any social media site, I can glimpse familiar faces with international monuments, celebrities, or life-changing experiences. I only wish they knew what I was up to, interning at the Wolf Trap Foundation, America's only National Park for the Performing Arts, just outside of Washington D.C. in Vienna, VA.
Every intern considers themself – if only momentarily – honored to be doing the most mundane work; coffee runs, hours at the copier, answering phones and checking mail are seemingly more glamorous when you've jumped from "volunteer" to "intern" status. Sure, my job has its routine activities. And what is among the less routine, you might ask? Watching the next generation of opera stars in rehearsal, getting caught in the rain at a Temptations Concert, running into Steve Martin in the office lobby. Not to mention being able to snag front row Ke$ha tickets and meet power players in the entertainment industry.
I've had some cool jobs (note to my new readers: I interned last spring at the Kennedy Center, where I watched ABT rehearsals, wrote regular emails to the office of Renee Fleming, partied with a Supreme Court Justice [RBG] and ate more cupcakes than humanly feasible), but this one blows it out of the water.
The staff, "my team" – basement opera dwellers of the Wolf Trap Foundation, is kind and caring and gentle. They've delicately plucked the finest singers, stage directors, opera craftsmen (and interns!) from all over the country, potted us and watered us, and are finally kicking back to watch it all bloom and blossom before their very eyes. We don't work normal office hours – 6 day weeks are regular, and being home before 7 is a blessing. We don't work regular jobs either, though; while there's emails and meetings and discussions, there's also practice rooms and artistic tax lectures and a library chock full of DVDs and CDs and scores and books for music lovers (cough cough to a friend who is interning in a legal library this summer). There's rehearsals where you can be mesmerized, lost in 1920s Paris, and there's birthday cake for every single birthday (with a company of 90+, we're having two or three birthdays a week!). Cast parties always beat out happy hour.
My summer has flown by and it's hard to believe that it's already July. We've got no less than a dozen shows upcoming in the next few weeks, and it's all hands on deck to keep sailing smooth. It's not over until the fat lady (actually, pretty skinny, attractive college grads) sings and the red curtain falls.
Until next time!
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Song 6 REM
REM - It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine), 1987
You knew this was coming! In fact the song nearly made it into Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World, but I was caught by a vigilant copy-editor who pointed out, quite rightly, that there was no way it would be playing at a party in June 1987 when Document was only released in the fall of the same year. Curses. But the change turned out to be a good thing - around the time of the Mayan Apocalypse I heard a lot more of this song than I ever wanted to, in fact I was almost sick of it. Too bad. I have such great memories of yelling 'Leo-nard Bern-stein!' at the top of my voice on crowded dance floors in the late 80s. I hope you do too. Watch out for Russian meteorites, and please accept my apologies for not running the original video. REM's recording company has this funny trick of blocking views from other countries, and we can't have that.
Get your copy of Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World here
...in Ireland and the UK
In the U.S.A.
In Canada...or try here. Or go independent.
"...astonishingly good....a juicy coming-of-age story...also an important read." The Globe and Mail
"...poignant...heart-wrenching. This stunning debut will surely appeal to both teenage readers and adults." Quill & Quire, starred review
"Witty, devastating, with a melancholy humour..." Sunday Business Post
"...page-turning, top drawer stuff..." BGE Book Club
"...warm, witty, heartfelt and utterly engaging..." The Irish News
"A stunning debut. I loved it." The Irish Examiner


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The Creepy Old Guy by Lady A (c)2000 A creepy old guy comes down our street He pretends to smile at the people he'd meet Behind his smile there's a sinister sneer A glint in his eye is something quite queer If you should see the creepy old guy Cross over the street, don't catch his eye Beware that smile, there's something within If you look quite close, it's a wicked grin So next time you're out, look around everywhere In case the creepy old guy is standing there Don't go to the woods, he might follow you Or take a friend, it's safer with two If you hear a cackle in the middle of night Your blood runs cold, you quiver with fright It's the creepy old guy, he's somewhere about So stay in your house... Don't venture out!!
WITCH GOES SHOPPING by Lilian Moore Witch rides off Upon her broom, Finds a space To park it. Takes a shiny shopping cart Into the supermarket. Smacks her lips and reads The list of things she needs: 'Six bats' wings, Worms in brine, Ears of toads, Eight or nine. Slugs and bugs, Snake skins dried, Buzzard innards, Pickled, fried.' Witch takes herself From shelf to shelf, Cackling all the while, Up and down and up and down and In and out each aisle. Out come cans and cartons Tumbling to the floor. 'This,' says Witch, now all a-twitch 'Is a crazy store. I CAN'T FIND A SINGLE THING I AM LOOKING FOR!'


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Tagged News for Anja Knapp
Photo Competition: Week Five Results
14/12/13 - Well, folks, mooove on over because we have one heifer of a winning photo this week. Too corny? Probably. But that didn't keep two beef cakes from making the most liked photo from the World Triathlon... |Full Story
Germany win thrilling race in Hamburg to become Mixed Relay world champions for the first time
21/07/13 - Germany won a thrilling race on home soil in Hamburg to become Mixed Relay world champions for the first time. The winning German team of Anja Knapp, Jan Frodeno, Anne Haug and Franz Loeschke came home in... |Full Story
Hamburg Press Conference
18/07/13 - The world's biggest triathlon is just days away. The weekend boasts full start lists in the elite races and Mixed Relay World Championships. And all of that without mention of 10,000 age groupers... |Full Story
Germany wins European Championship Mixed Relay title
16/06/13 - The juggernaut that is the German Mixed Relay team added another European Championship relay gold medal to their collection with victory in Alanya. The 2011 winners, and 2012 runners up, claimed another... |Full Story


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The bulk of the improvements are in the ACBC component. We also added a few features that improve the capabilities of CBC and MaxDiff.
ACBC Improvements
Alternative-Specific Designs
Until this software version, ACBC users have been limited to traditional experimental designs, where the attribute list is a common list applicable to all product alternatives. In v8.3, users can specify that certain attributes (with all their levels) are only applicable to certain levels (e.g. brands, styles, etc.) of a primary attribute. This will open up new possibilities for the application of ACBC. For example, if comparing desktops to laptop computers, the laptop has a battery whereas desktops do not. There may be a conditional attribute upon the presence of battery, such as three levels of battery life. With alternative-specific designs, the attribute Battery Life (with its three levels) would only occur with laptop computers.
Merged Rows
Especially with Alternative-Specific designs, it is possible that two or more attributes actually refer to the same topic. For example, two separate attributes involving processor speed could be associated with either desktops or laptops (the desktops tend to be faster). Rather than show these as two separate rows in the choice task display (e.g. with blanks when the desktop speed attribute doesn't apply to the laptop), you could merge these two attributes to be displayed on just one row with a generic attribute label in first column, making the display appear more clean and compact. For more information, please see Merged Rows.
Ability to Skip the Screener Section
Starting in v8.3, it is possible to skip the Screener section, meaning that the respondent can jump straight from the BYO question to the Choice Tournament, or right into the Choice Tournament (skipping both the BYO and Screener sections). Note: no "None" utility will be available if you skip the Screener section, unless you estimate the None utility using the optional Calibration section.
Improved Design Efficiency
V8.3 ACBC designs are significantly more efficient than before. Previous versions of ACBC have done a reasonably good job of achieving independence of the attributes (orthogonality), but v8.3 goes much further to increase the orthogonality of the experiments at the individual-level. Orthogonality is directly related to D-efficiency. V8.3 features a level relabeling/swapping routine that oversamples BYO levels at the same rate as before, but creates near-neighbor cards that have significantly higher within-respondent D-efficiency. Our tests suggest that v8.3 improves the D-efficiency (at the respondent level) by about 5%-40%, depending on the attribute list and questionnaire setup.
Test Design Routine
The previous ACBC software did not have a test design functionality, so it was not easy to test the adequacy of designs for individuals or to assess the damage from prohibitions prior to fielding a study, for example. V8.3 includes a test design routine that generates a few or hundreds of "robotic" respondents (where the respondents answer randomly) and provides key statistics regarding the quality of the designs: level frequency, balance, d-efficiency, and standard errors (precision) of the utility parameters. It reports how often each level was shown to each respondent, so it is easier to adjust the questionnaire settings to target the "show each level at least twice and preferably three times per respondent" rule.
Avoiding Dominated Concepts
A dominated concept is a product alternative that is logically inferior to another concept (based on the Preference Order settings the researcher specifies). Researchers have found that avoiding dominated concepts in conjoint designs adds only a very little to the quality of the final utility results. However, it avoids the situation which sometimes bothers clients and respondents, where an obvious question is asked that might make that person doubt the logic behind the questionnaire. V8.3 allows the researcher to specify whether to avoid dominated concepts. Some degree of level balance and orthogonality is typically lost when avoiding dominated concepts (since it is just another form of prohibition that hinders the experimental design). Depending on the study setup, it could be a relatively minor or a major effect upon the design quality. The new Test Design routine can help you assess the impact of avoiding dominated concepts on the precision of utility estimates.
Ability to Customize the "At Most" and "At Least" Text by Attribute
In the "Must Have" questions, for attributes with a researcher-specified order ( best to worst or worst to best ) we often ask respondents if they must have "At Least" or "At Most" some level of an attribute. In previous versions of the software, the same global text for these phrases needed to apply to all attribute levels. Some researchers requested the ability to customize the text by different attributes and v8.3 supports this.
Interaction Search Tool
For v8.3 a new aggregate logit utility estimation procedure is available to help researchers investigate which interaction effects are potentially most significant. This routine automatically estimates utilities for main effects only, then runs main effects plus each possible two-way interaction effect (examined one at a time). It summarizes the results by listing the interaction terms in order from most to least significant in terms of the p-value as computed from a 2-log likelihood test. In our experience, most ACBC researchers ignore interaction effects and use main effects only (since adaptive ACBC designs don't support a convenient Counting Analysis report for 2-way interaction effects like CBC does). Yet, ACBC designs are well suited for estimating interaction effects. This automated routine should take away excuses for not investigating potential interaction effects. The most significant interaction effects found by this automated tool under aggregate logit are probably good candidates for inclusion in the final HB modeling.
Option to Take BYO Concept Forward to Choice Tournament
With v8.3, the researcher can specify that the respondent's BYO-selected "ideal" product should be carried forward into the Choice Tournament. For situations involving Summed Price or when not all attributes are shown in the BYO question, this can make a lot of sense (and lead to a richer Choice Tournament). But, for cases in which all attributes are shown in the BYO question and summed pricing is not involved, the BYO concept should dominate any other concept that the experimental designer could generate, so it may not be advisable to carry the BYO concept forward to the choice tournament.
Ability to Exclude Certain Attributes from "Must Have/Unacceptable" Probes
Some researchers have asked us to make it possible to exclude certain attributes from the Must Have/Unacceptable probes. Prior to v8.3, Price was the only attribute that the researcher could exclude from these probes. With v8.3, the researcher has full flexibility, by attribute, regarding the probes. However, we caution the user that excluding an attribute from Must Have/Unacceptable probes may potentially affect the utilities in undesirable ways. For example, an attribute involving levels allowed to be marked as Must Have or Unacceptable can get larger extremes in utility than attributes excluded from these probes.
Covariates in ACBC/HB Utility Estimation
We've extended the same capabilities that CBC/HB has regarding the use of covariates into the HB routine for ACBC. Covariates are typically profiling or usage-based data on respondents. For example, respondent income could be used as a covariate in HB estimation. If income were applied as a covariate, then when respondents are "smoothed" toward the mean via Bayesian shrinkage, they are mainly smoothed toward the mean utilities of respondents who are like them on the value of the covariates. So, for example, low income respondents would mainly be influenced by other low income respondents with respect to the data borrowing mechanism.
More Flexible Utility Constraints
During utility estimation, the researcher can specify that certain levels must be preferred to other levels within an attribute. This can make a lot of sense if the attribute truly has a logical preference order that all respondents would agree upon. Previously, there were limitations in the way that utility constraints could be specified. For example, you could not specify that level 1 > level 2; and level 3 > level 4 (without also indicating how levels 1 and 2 related to levels 3 and 4). With v8.3, the new dialog lets the researcher specify multiple independent chains of ordinal constraints within an attribute.
Record and Export Tournament Concept Order
In previous versions of ACBC, if you examined the way the data were stored for the Choice Tournament, it would appear that the respondents always picked the first concept from each set. That's just due to a shortcut we took in programming where we rearranged the concept order that was actually shown to respondents and recorded the chosen concept always in the first position. This bothered some ACBC users, because they wanted to be able to examine the original order of the concepts as shown to respondents. So, starting in v8.3, we are now saving the concept order as was seen by respondents.
Not Applicable (Missing) Levels in Conditional Display
If you have an Alternative-Specific design in ACBC then it is possible for you to need to specify in a conditional display table what is displayed when a missing level occurs. The 0 level in the table represents the not applicable level.