text:
More than 100 years experience
The premier environmental contractor of choice in the SE
Maintaining numerous general and specialty contracting permits.
A&D is an active participant in many professional associations.
Turn-key Capabilities that Ensure True Peace of Mind.
Maximum protection and security. Minimum risk and Liability.
Safe, secure services tat add value and reduce risk.
Protecting the Environment - and Our Customers.
Reliable, Responsible, Secure
Corporate Office (800) 434-7750
(Lexington) (803) 957-9175
(864) 234-0055
(336) 229-0058
(Alpharetta) (770) 274-2428
(478) 788-8899
Our goal is the prevent the occurrence of all work-related injuries, illnesses...
All site workers are accountable for their own personal safety...
We follow all OSHA regulations for hazardous waste site operations...
Our Safety Program provides both a guiding vision and flexible procedures by which we prevent at-risk behaviors and reward safe practices.
Our diverse range of environ-mental services include:
With our network of strategically located facilities, A&D is well-positioned to provide responsible, secure environmental, industrial, and emergency response services throughout the Southeast.
Using our easy-to-complete online form, you can get a fast, accurate quote on whatever service you need from A&D, or simply request additional information on our high-value, no-worry capabilities.
A&D Environmental provides a diverse range of responsible, accountable services that reduce risk and deliver peace of mind to the customers, communities, and consultants we serve.
With our industry expertise, broad-based experience, and geographic coverage, we are a "one-stop shop" that can manage environmental and industrial issues of virtually any size and scope from start to finish.
Beyond that, we have the financial strength to bring the right technical and professional resources to every job – and to stand behind everything we do.
This blend of expertise, skill, experience, and stability has made A&D a preferred provider of confident, no-worry services that ensure maximum environmental protection while minimizing the risk and liability of our customers.


text:
NEWS- Grape compromise: Wineries eke out a distribution system
Like giant feet stomping on grapes, the wine wholesaler lobby soundly crushed last year's efforts by Virginia wineries to continue delivery of their own wine, and a bill that would have permitted small wineries to deliver didn't make it out of subcommittee in the General Assembly.
This year, the wineries returned, armed with sparkling new bills that would allow them to deliver their wine to restaurants and stores and skirt the "three-tier system" that positions a wholesaler between winery and retailer. But once again those bills seemed slated for defeat until a compromise emerged last week.
Bills carried by Senator Emmett Hanger, who represents a sliver of Albemarle, and Delegate Chris Saxman, whose 20th District includes part of Augusta, were seriously rewritten to appeases distributors and allow farm wineries the option to distribute wine through a new state-owned, nonprofit distributor.
Saxman and Hanger proposed a nonresident license for distribution of up to 3,000 cases a year, but that's where the powerful Virginia Wine Wholesalers Association balked.
The whole debate began after the Supreme Court declared Virginia's system of allowing only in-state wineries to self-distribute unconstitutional. The compromise takes advantage of another court ruling that allows Virginia ABC stores, because they're commercial entities, to discriminate against non-native wines and stock only Virginia wines.
The bills now propose that the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services set up a nonprofit, state-owned wholesaling company that would allow farm wineries to distribute up to 3,000 cases a year while preventing out-of-state wineries from skipping the wholesalers.
The "virtual wholesaler" bills go to committees January 31, after the Hook goes to press. While even the Wine Wholesalers' Hot Line foresees no obstacle to passage, some small wineries are resigned to the fact there's no going back to the good ole days.
"What we wanted to do was say wineries can flat-out self distribute," says vintner Sarah Gorman. "That's not going to happen."
Gorman, one of the owners of Cardinal Point Winery in Afton, realizes that the days of tossing a few cases in the back of a pickup truck to refill a restaurant in downtown Charlottesville are over. She thinks the fear that a North Carolina or other winery would actually self-distribute this way has been vastly overblown.
"I don't think Ernest and Julio are going to set up in Virginia," she says.
While Gorman acknowledges that Ag Department wholesaling might improve the situation, since not all wholesalers will deal with the small quantities most area vineyards produce, she doubts the bill is a panacea. "I'm not really sure about the nuts and bolts of how this works," she says.
The wholesalers' lobbyist Charles Duvall did not immediately return the Hook's phone call, but Delegate Saxman says he's pleased that Virginia farm wineries now have a guarantee they can get their product to market. "Progress is progress," says Saxman, "and you never want to sniff at progress when you could be sniffing Virginia wines."
Delegate Chris Saxman, left, and Senator Emmett Hanger negotiated the compromise bills to keep wholesalers and wineries happy.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Access to quality food sources is essential for the health of our community. EMBARK is here to support this need.
When: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday At 10 AM, 11 AM, & Noon. Saturdays will have an ADA Accessible Vehicle
Cost: Free
Providers: OU Medicine, New Union Baptist Church, Greater Zion Church, Fairview Baptist Church, EMBARK, Ebenezer Church & BEST Technologies
EMBARK also serves 12 full-service grocery stores with 18 bus routes available 7-days a week and five bus routes until midnight on weekdays.
Download custom trip plans from the former Smart Saver location to the Walmart Neighborhood Market, as well as a map of other grocery locations here:
Email Updates


text:
'Gulf' exists between owners and players on new CBA
The three-and-one-half-hour bargaining session between the players and league on Thursday surprisingly included the direct participation of the NBA's biggest stars.
"I think it's important for all of us, as the faces of the NBA, to be involved in the negotiations and what's going on," said Carmelo Anthony, one of the All-Stars who could most immediately be affected by a new collective bargaining agreement. Anthony can become a free agent next summer.
"Our future's in jeopardy if we can't come to a mutual agreement," Anthony said.
According to sources in attendance, the tone of the discussions was not as rancorous as in the previous meeting. The owners did not threaten a lockout as frequently.
At one point, David Stern proclaimed that "there's a gulf, not a gap" between the players' and owners' respective positions.
The two sides vowed to meet again before training camp opens.


text:
Gpredict Packaging Status
All dependencies are available. It is just a matter of creating a DEB and uploading to PPA.
- https://help.launchpad.net/Packaging
- https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PackagingGuide → https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PackagingGuide/Complete
Since Gpredict is fully GNU autotools compliant and does not require any options to be specified, we can build using CDBS.
Using CDBS for Ubuntu packages is very easy, if the software you are packaging can be configured and built using the GNU autoconf tools (the "configure-make-make install" idiom). After adding cdbs to the Build-Depends in debian/control, a basic debian/rules file using CDBS can fit in 2 lines. For a simple C/C++ application with no extra rules, such as hello, debian/rules can look like this:
#!/usr/bin/make -f include /usr/share/cdbs/1/rules/debhelper.mk include /usr/share/cdbs/1/class/autotools.mk
That is all you need to build the program! CDBS handles installing and cleaning. You can then use the .install and .info files to tune your package with the usual debhelper functions in the various sections for debian/rules.
Mac OS X
Build, Bundle, and Integrate, see http://gtk-osx.sourceforge.net/
Should be able to build as regular Gtk+-based library
- For Mac I only see it via Mac ports. See however this Mac developer site: http://www.opensource.apple.com/ – MacPorts might be an option but I don't really want X11...
http://www.gtk.org/download-windows.html - though we want cross compilation, right. Build+installer. Compatibility matrix XP, Vista, 7. Is it enough with one 32 bit binary? Fortunately, Joop has figured it out http://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/xlog/xlog/
Should be able to build once Gtk+ is set up for build.
- For windows there are pre-compiled binaries at http://curl.haxx.se/download.html
Latest hamlib is avaialble as win32 package.
Generic Linux
tgz that can be unpacked anywhere. Needs mod to compat.h for locating data files.


text:
- Will Intelli Chicago be able to keep their best employees?
- Will Stumptown's indy punk rock vibe sell in the midwest?
- Will Intelli open in Portland?
- Will Stumptown go for a beer and wine license?
- Will Intelli try to better leverage Ecco now?
- Will Stumptown be Stumptown without bike messengers?
- Who will Alinea use?
Oh... It's ON
2 comments:
- Gabe said...
I am obviously not surprised and I think it's a great move for all parties involved. It will force everyone to move beyond their comfort zone and really love and care for coffee, from relationships to roasting. Necessity is the mother of invention, so we will be seeing some beautiful things from everyone in the Chicago area. The midwest is a fantastic place, and Chicagoans should be grateful for any solid, thoughtful and sharp companies to come into their fair city and share their vision/aesthetic and product.
I'm gonna save the popcorn for some real drama though. I'm too busy working to even go to the movies anymore.
- Unknown said...
Very interesting. A long-time reader, I think Stumptown has a lot to gain to try and break into a market that Intelligentsia dominates. For the record, I'm an Intelligentsia retailer in L.A. and find that the backlash against Intelli in L.A. is just amazing (and understandable since most people in this city just don't understand coffee). Intelli pretty much dominates L.A. in the specialty coffee market (though there are some notable competitors). I'd be fascinated if an SF roaster or Stumptown opens in L.A. The city is still a huge market (perhaps even bigger than Chicago's).


text:
Each repair cafe event is unique based on the venue and the volunteers present. The types of items we'll repair depend on the skills of available volunteers.
- Details about each cafe, including the types of repairs we'll offer, are updated regularly on this site.
- Information about who is participating, time, location, and what kinds of items to bring is sent out to our email list. Join our email list using the sign up form to the right to stay in touch.
- Our events can get very busy and you may have to wait for an available repair volunteer.
What to Bring
- Broken items and any replacement parts you think you might need.
- Clothing and other garments should be clean, please!
- Curiosity, patience and a DIY attitude.
Of course, there is no guarantee you'll walk out with a workable item. We may not be staffed with the right skills; it may take some time to research and/or find repair parts, or it may just not be feasible to repair your item. But we'll give it our best shot.
Things to remember
- We are all volunteers! Please be kind and generous.
- We will do our best to fix your item in 30 mins. If it's too complex, we may not be able to complete it.
- Participants are served on a first come, first served basis.
- If you bring multiple items, we can work on one at a time. Time permitting, we can try to do another.
- We may have to turn some repairs away due to time or resources.
- We make simple repairs to garments and other textiles, such as sewing on a button or mending a tear, hole or seam. No alterations, please.
Our goal is to create an enjoyable event and assist as many people as possible. Please keep in mind that we reserve the right to turn away any repair, and we will not attempt repairs that would obviously take longer than 30 minutes.


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Performance and Interactivity
Modern Forths do not generate threaded code any more, except for very particular sets of circumstances. Modern Forths generate native code using the same techniques as compilers for other languages. When we implemented our VFX code generator 10 years ago, we found that there is only one algorithm needed specially for Forth, and even that has an analogue in some C compilers. Consequently the limits to Forth performance are the same as for any other language -- design objectives, manpower, money, and time.
The requirements of interactivity do introduce some constraints. Forth programmers expect their compilers to be fast. A client's application containing 80,347 words in 815,548 lines of source produces 15MB of binary in under a minute on an old 2.8GHz P4 box. Recompiling the application reduced compilation time from 56 seconds to 34 seconds, showing the impact of hard disk performance. Even on this old PC, we're seeing compilation speeds of nearly 25,000 lines per second generating nearly 500KB per second of binary. For an embedded application it is common to see compilation times under one second, and for small applications less than 0.1 seconds.
There are several consequences that affect the way Forth programmers can work. Compilation time is unimportant compared to testing time, which in turn means that changes in low level code can be investigated very quickly. We'll come back to this later. In most modern Forths, cross-reference and source location tools are built-in, and the compiler and symbols remain active during testing. Forth has a strong focus on debugging.
Interactivity and Debugging
We know from experience that the productivity of programmers varies over a huge range. A large part of this has nothing to do with coding, and a great deal to do with project management and the ability to debug. There's nothing magic about debugging, it's just the application of formal scientific method:
- Observation
- Hypothesis
- Experiment with a yes/no answer
- Conclusion
Figure 2 shows that debugging consists of two nested loops. How fast you can go around the inner loop determines how fast you can debug a system. Interactive debugging is the fastest route I have found. The stages of debugging are:
- Make the problem repeatable. This usually involves finding out which inputs cause the problem.
- Gather data about the problem. Observation is crucial, so take this stage slowly and carefully. I have seen people immediately dismiss exception displays and crash-dumps which contain vital clues.
- From the data, form a hypothesis as to what caused the problem.
- Design an experiment which tests the hypothesis. The important part in designing the experiment is to ensure that it gives a yes/no answer.
- Run the experiment. If the hypothesis is incorrect, go back to stage 2.
- Fix the problem.
- If you have more bugs to fix, go back to stage 1 for the next problem.
Programmers are very rarely taught how to debug. The problems they face are almost always in their source code. So why don't they read it more carefully? In particular, why don't they write a line or two describing the whats and whys of of a routine before they write the code? The poor relation who maintains your code for the next 10 years costs your employer a fortune because you could not be bothered. As a sidenote to this potential rant, my company has been using literate programming for 10 years and we believe that it has increased the quality of our code. Whenever we incorporate third-pary code into our code bases we document it to our house standards. This process nearly always reveals bugs. To produce stable software the golden rule is to fix the bugs first. A second rule is not to write clever code. Although this upsets people trying to achieve alpha-male guru status, you should remember the aphorism attibuted to Brian Kernighan:
Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it.
Forth is a wonderful tool for debugging systems and their software. Since we spend most of our time debugging and testing, it astounds me how our industry accepts mediocre tools for critical activities.
When I'm programming embedded systems that control mechanisms, I always treat the hardware specifications with as much concern as the software specification, which probably doesn't exist. A large number of things you have no control over are changing around you on a daily basis; gear ratios, airline lengths, and more. The team proudly put the prototype bomb-disposal machine together according to the ministry specifications. Then the joint services bomb-disposal team came to visit. No bs, just "No, we don't do it that way, we want it done this way". The conversation with the navy people about doing this underwater was memorable. We all admired that team for their useful directness as well as for the job they do.
Of course, the management just said we could fix it in the software and we can't change the delivery deadline. This is known in our shop as "tail-end Charlie syndrome". The software team accumulates all the upstream problems, the mechanics are delivered late, the air lines are of a length to cause resonance problems at certain motor speeds, and the control system needs a rewrite when the four-axis frame is at the bottom of a muddy trench being sprayed with abrasive grit. The fourth air motor driver was acceptable (Figure 3).
Commissioning takes far longer than anyone likes to admit unless it has been properly planned for. I'm old enough to have seen a few projects go wrong. Fred Brooks said "Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement". In the majority of cases software projects go wrong for lack of good project manangement. It is part of your resposibility as a software engineer to train management to understand your problems and to plan for them.
During development, you will not predict the problems you will actually encounter during the product life, so you cannot provide the test code for those problems. A remote console with full access to all words becomes a lifesaver. The bomb-disposal machine contained two embedded systems and a Windows panel PC, all running Forth systems linked by an RS485 network. The Forth interpreter in each system was available at all times. Some of the printable stories from this project are available in the EuroForth 2003 conference proceedings.


text:
This morning, the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) released its findings of the government's response to protests that occurred in February and March. The findings were expected to be critical and hold the government accountable for the abuse that took place. They did not disappoint. Placing significant emphasis on Bahrain's security services, the report documents the numerous human rights violations that took place. In his address following BICI Chair Cherif Bassiouni's remarks, King Hamad vowed that he will do everything possible to ensure that the atrocities that took place earlier this year will not be repeated. He must keep this promise.
The government's decision to submit itself to foreign experts for judgment is unprecedented in the Arab world. Knowing that the results would not be pretty, Bahrain's government determined that admitting its failures and working toward meaningful reform will not only strengthen the country, but also cleanse its international image. Whether or not the factionalized opposition movement accepts the commission's results is another story. The BICI has been widely criticized as a "charm offensive"—a disingenuous attempt by the government to placate protestors.
In many ways, Bahrain's government is fighting an uphill battle. The Shia majority has long clamored for more representation in government as well as a more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities. The government's response to these demands has been slow. Now that the government is on the brink of making real progress, it may prove too little too late. Deep sectarian divisions spurred by Iranian propaganda have fractured the country, and violence continues. While the protest movement originally started with demands for political and social reform, it was quickly hijacked by extremist elements in the Shia community, mainly al-Wefaq, whose members have called for the removal of the royal family.
Now that the BICI report has been released, the real work must begin. Bahrain's government will need to build on its pledges of transparency and reform. Although the recommendations of the commission are non-binding, they must be taken seriously. At a time when the country is so bitterly divided, the government must work toward addressing the grievances of its population and greater integration of Bahraini society. Furthermore, continued negotiations with the moderate elements in the opposition movement are needed. Some entities will never be satisfied with the government's efforts, but those who are willing to move forward and engage in the reconciliation process must be embraced. The BICI is off to a good start, but there is much work to do.
Source material can be found at this site.


text:
a new discovery at Renegade!
Hannah finds inspiration in her vintage goods and does all her printing by hand on an antique press. I love the saturated colors and distinctive freshness she gives to her classic images.
Great products wouldn't be the same without a great display; pie bird has it all!
I could stare at these colors all day.


text:
Free: Contests & Raffles
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Available ebook formats: epub mobi pdf rtf lrf pdb txt html
Alicia Ellison Grant is the daughter of Jessie and King Ellison Jr. She was born in Walterboro, South Carolina.
Alicia is a graduate of Barber-Scotia College. She majored in Business Administration with
a concentration in Marketing. She graduated cum laude. Alicia is the wife of Calvin Grant and the mother of three beautiful children and one precious grandson.
One day while Alicia was attending Barber-Scotia College she was in her communication class.
Her instructor returned her assignment in which she had received an A. He stated to her that this would make a great story. Alicia smiled, told him thank you and never really thought about it.
Upon graduating Alicia started writing again. In 2007 Alicia started freelancing. She discovered herself writing articles and poetry for different online websites. This adventure started as a hobby,but then blossomed into her first collection of short stories.
Alicia is also an ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, a gospel recording artist, songwriter and poet.


text:
- Focus on Funds
Why Hedge Funds Love the Smallcap ETF
- Order Reprints
- Print Article
Phil Mackintosh of Credit Suisse (CS) explains why a surprising number of hedge funds own exchange-traded funds: They're in some cases much better trading vehicles than the underlying markets.
It's a familiar theme this week for dismayed bond ETF investors who saw their fund shares plummet below net-asset values amid heightened fear of interest-rate increases -- so view this as the upside of having a deeply liquid investment.
Mackintosh, the keynote speaker at the Journal of Indexes board meeting at Nasdaq MarketSite on Friday, gave the numbers on iShares Russell 200 Index Fund (IWM).
The iShares fund trades with a spread about one-tenth of the underlying small-capitalization stocks, Mackintosh said. It also averages $4 billion in value traded per day -- which is about half the entire volume changing hands of the 2,000 underlying stocks ($8 billion).
Those are a few of the reasons the ETF is often "better than the underlying," Mackintosh said.


text:
This event has passed.
Happy Hour
December 26, 2018 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, repeating indefinitely
$1.50 off all house beer pints plus great $5 food specials. A great way to unwind after work or a long day! T-F 4-6.


text:
[Photo by Jimmi Campkin]
We'd convinced the girl behind the screen to let us climb the church tower. We were both stoned beyond human comprehension – only nature could understand us now – but with her bored expression and indigo hair, we could see a kindred spirit. Arms over shoulders we talked about the coming of the Lord, and how we needed to get really high, because we wanted to run our fingers through the clouds, and you kept spitting on the glass every time you tried to pronounce a hard 'th'. Never mind. Our tickets were punched, and I swear I caught a smile as a lock of dark purple hair curled over an ear pockmarked with empty piercings.
Up the narrow stone steps we wound, tripping over each others ankles, inhaling all the smells of history – damp, dust and decay. Emerging on a ledge, supported by one thousand year old masonry, we stared up at the same sun from all those ages ago, and ran our fingers through the grooves left by people long since lost. No tombs, no bones, no names, just the gashes in the rock. I carved our initials into the soft stone to continue the journey.
Your lapdance around the spire was bizarre. Uncordinated. You stripped like a propeller rather than a dancer, flinging clothes and limbs everywhere. Quoting The Dane, you screamed into the air; I have of late, wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth…
I sat down, watching you self destruct, what a piece of work…
Jimmi Campkin
[Born in November 1983, I have been writing in some form or another for most of my life, but I began to take it seriously as a career around 2003/2004. Since then I have produced a novel, a novella and a series of short stories some of which are loosely linked into an overarching anthology.
Most of my stories come under the wide umbrella of 'general fiction', but I have experimented with genre pieces. My short stories tend to be bittersweet, nostalgic, sometimes melancholic and (on occasion) examine the darker side of human nature and obsessions.
I also enjoy art and photography. Clicking on the photography link will direct you to a few examples of my pictures, or if you prefer you can look at my artwork. Most of my pictures, art and snippets from my stories also end up on my Instagram account (@jcampkin)
I welcome you to this site, and I hope you find something here to please you. If not, below you'll find a big picture of me to scream obscenities at.]


text:
On the Fourth Day…
We have come to the fourth day in this mini-series. So far I have laid down some under-carriage maintenance for one of our favorite databases. That database being the msdb database. The maintenance discussed so far has covered a few different tables and processes to try and keep things tidy (at a base level).
Today I want to discuss some under-carriage work for the database of id 4. Yep, that's right, we will talk some more about the msdb database today. What we discuss today, though, may be applicable beyond just the msdb database. First, let's recap the previous three days.
- Backup, Job and Mail History Cleanup – 3rd Day
- Service Broker Out of Control – 2nd Day
- Maint Plan Logs – 1st Day
On the Fourth Day of pre-Christmas…
My DBA gave to me an exercise program to help me trim the fat!!
Somehow, that seems like it would be more appealing on bacon. But the amount of fat shown here is just nasty. And that is what I think a table using multiple gigabytes in a database is when it holds 0 records.
Just deleting the records we have spoken of over the past three days is not the end of the road with the maintenance of the msdb database. Often times the pages allocated to these tables don't deallocate right away. Sometimes, the pages don't deallocate for quite some time.
When these pages are cleaned up depends in large part on the ghost cleanup process. Of course, the ghost cleanup is not going to do anything on the tables where records were removed unless it knows that there are some ghost records (records that have been deleted) in the first place. This doesn't happen until a scan operation occurs. You can read a much more detailed explanation on the ghost cleanup process from Paul Randal, here.
Because of this, you can try running a query against the table to help move the process along. But what if you can't get a scan operation to occur against the table?
Could you try updating statistics? Maybe try running updateusage? How about forcing a rebuild of the Clustered Index? Or even running Index Rebuilds with LOB_Compaction on? Or even creating a Clustered Index where one doesn't exist? Maybe you could try DBCC CLEANTABLE and see if that works. Or you could try running DBCC CheckDb on the msdb database and try to get all of the pages read.
While working to reduce the table size for the tables in the following image, I tried several different things to try and force a scan of the pages so I could reduce the table sizes (0 records really should not consume several GB of space).
Even letting things simmer for a few days to see if backup operations could help, I still see the following.
This is better than it was, but still seems a bit over the top. Something that both of these tables have in common is that they have BLOB columns. To find that for the sysxmitqueue table, you would need to connect to the server using a DAC connection. If you were to use a DAC connection, you would find that the msgbody column is a varbinary(max).
What I found to work for this particular case was to use DBCC Shrinkfile. As a one time (hopefully) maintenance task, it should be ok. I would never recommend this as a regular maintenance task. The used space for these tables does not decrease until DBCC Shrinkfile reaches the DbccFilesCompact stage. This is the second phase of ShrinkFile and may take some time to complete. You can read more on Shrinkfile here.
Is it necessary to go to these lengths to reclaim space in your msdb database from tables that are excessively large with very few records? That is up to you and your environment. In many cases, I would say it is a nice to have but not a necessity.
If you do go to these lengths to reduce space in msdb, then you need to understand that there are costs associated with it. There will be additional IO as well as index fragmentation that you should be prepared to handle as a consequence of shrinking.
Stay tuned for the next installment. We will be taking a look into some internals related to Compression.
Related Posts:
- Defaults In msdb Database January 28, 2019
- Maintenance Plan Owner - Back to Basics December 13, 2018
- Ghosts in your Database November 26, 2018
- 12 Days Of Christmas and SQL December 26, 2017
- Changing Default Logs Directory - Back to Basics January 4, 2018
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text:
Welcome to the L.A. Sky Boutique Hotel
Westside swank meets stylishly cool at the L.A. Sky Boutique Hotel in Westwood
The luxurious L.A. Sky Boutique Hotel graces Los Angeles' Westside with modern style and panache.
Offering peace and tranquility while close to the excitement of Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Century City.
The L.A. Sky Boutique Hotel's rich furnishings and quiet surroundings provide the perfect retreat for exploring LA's hotspots.
|Contemporary. Cosmopolitan. Serene. The Sky has no limit.
Located right on Westwood Blvd, guests are just footsteps away from shopping, dining, entertainment and Los Angeles' premier attractions.
Specialty coffee/tea bar, cookies, WiFi and Hardwired High Speed internet access all complimentary.


text:
Caroline Kennedy Warns China Over Aggression
In her first official speech as U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy issues a stern warning to China. The WSJ's Yuka Hayashi reports on why the timing of her speech was perfect for Japan.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the ... the actions like those taken by China with their announcement of the East China Sea air defense identification zone ... undermine security ... and constitute an attempt to change the status quo in East China Sea ... this only serves to increase tensions in the region ... and that Caroline Kennedy the new US ambassador to Japan are responding to the latest move by China ... to in force and air defences and over disputed islands in the East China Sea ... I'm Deborah con joining me to talk about this is a reporter ... Yuka high as seen from ten pm ... so I knew that I'm talking about it starting the political now what was then messaged ... of Caroline Kennedy's speech today ... well um piece of humanity ... time for these can teach she just got here on this team says she's only half the week and a half ... um and sometimes she's obviously it's a mess and the Japanese Allegheny thrilled to have her ... up as America's ambassador ... she came with the deal expediency and diplomacy ... aam and to come but rather than then easing into her new role I she was stoked to last into into the spotlight ... on and to prove that eating her first policy speech see ... what she had to do with the boring I China Esther and ... that one out of fear that the he just did it would undermine Sea Treaty anyone or any of these tensions ... this is Caroline Kennedy's first officials be sad to have the ambassador to Japan ... what Alex did she have to say and were there any at other strong messages ... you will receive a spend a good chunk of her time now and use each ... and talking about security issues ... of focused on ... the U S Japan ... alliance of Misty ... icy get the job ... by ... bringing the issues close to her experience with top is the isthe Bintan ... she talked about her and is it ... too I'm Eric and encased ally in Tokyo ... last week ... ain't she talked about Nano of ... the U S detainee ... what do they close the aisle with the Japanese imports ... of whom of which now has its main command ... a weed in the U S states ... that was that they the link to a nice way to get the message ... ok and she also I was on a visit to outside to the tsunami region ... I'm ... who exactly did she mean and what was her message that ... um ... it's an eye on Monday and Tuesday's CEO dizzy Tohoku umbrage to stay in the analysts I'm going to stand ... up like a tsunami and the creaking twenty eleven ... um no there ... Chile's of unfair location ... for the chance and that I mean action the surprise of many people in Japan because U S so any incorrect senior ... I in Japan and is actually the of these a lot of Japanese ... um see yet ... the twelve days of traveling Tohoku ... PCB went to ISBC is ... a she visited in elementary school ... it can be Griffey with the children end up that book to them ... she also visited ... temporary housing ... for people ... who have been grueling displays of buying high tsunami ... um ... sounds Joseph had exchanges with Allco kitchens ... ok and you know what has been the overall reaction in Japan to ... Obama as of late and sad that Caroline Kennedy to I as us ambassador ... the dentist action is enthusiastic ... um how did this piece to the ... GOP just Hakim who is the primary Japanese ambassador to Washington ... ID but the ... market and ice he compared her rifle ... unto us at Thanksgiving to get and Christmas guests arriving together he said it's a great guest teacher and from the U S government ... and cake thanks Fran that's Yuka hideout she joining us from Tokyo ... for more on Caroline Kennedy added Avista dot com under for ...


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Welcome to my new series called "What's New For Dinner?" This is going to be a weekly posting sharing a new recipe that I have tried throughout the week. This is my way of keeping our meals from getting boring and attempting to try new foods. I'm doing this fun challenge with my friend, Jenn from Super Jenn. So check her site for what she's tried this week, too!
The whole reason for me wanting to start this series was to push me to make the things I've been wanting to make for awhile. Awhile back, I ordered some Tahini and Organic Garbanzo Beans on Amazon when I found a good deal on them. I didn't realize how long it had been until I went to create the links and saw it say, "Jaycie, you ordered these on September 20, 2010." Wow. Talk about procrastination, right? This is just one of the many things I've bought last year with hopes of trying to create them. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has done this. (and if so, please lie and tell me I'm not alone….)
The original recipe I found was for a Roasted Red Pepper Hummus but when I was at the store and saw the price of them right now, I cringed and debated making a plain hummus. I caved and bought one and I'm glad I did. Not only did the red pepper add a nice additional flavoring but it gave the hummus this amazingly beautiful red/orange coloring, making the dish all the more appealing. So, I did follow the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus recipe this week but first, I had to find out How to Roast a Red Pepper. These instructions were really great and actually fairly easy to do. While it was roasting, I was putting together other ingredients so it didn't add much time to the process. The skin peeled off so easily and I've now found something to add to our sandwiches and such during the week. (when peppers are in season!)
I also wanted to try my hand at making my own Homemade Pita Chips. These are just made from store-bought Pita Pockets so they are only slightly homemade. Here's how everything looked mid-stream:
Chips coated and ready to bake. This was just batch #1 and I only used half the pockets, overall.
This is my roasted red pepper split up. I am still shocked how easily the skin peeled off and how easily the seeds and stem came off, too.
This is the hummus right before I blended in the red peppers and basil.
And this is our delicious little afternoon snack! The kids got a kick out of how I displayed it on the plate. The side bowl is what I saved for later in the week.
As I mentioned, I only used half of the pita pockets. The other half, I kept to make chicken pizza pockets for supper. I just threw in some leftover chicken from earlier in the week, along with some black olives, pepperoni, tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. I baked them at 400 degrees just until they were heated and the cheese melted. Not much more than 5 minutes. I added some fruit for a side dish and we were all set!
I thought that the hummus might have had a little bit too much Tahini in it. On my next batch, I'll think I'll dial it back just a touch. I also liked my pita chips super crispy. So I flipped them over on the other side for just an extra minute and I liked how they turned out. My kids loved this little snack and I thought it tasted a lot fresher than the store bought stuff, which I loved.If you buy garbanzo beans with no salt added like I did, you may have to add a little salt for flavoring later. But I'd wait until everything's blended in your food processor just to be sure you need it.
This was my "What's New for Dinner" for this week. Did any of you attempt to make anything new this week? If so, how did it turn out? Don't forget to check out Jenn's adventure this week. She made some Slow Cooker Southwestern Chicken Chili this week for her family.


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When it comes to custom drapery with grommets there are dozens of options to choose from. The most important thing to consider what the drapery application will be, meaning, are you going to be opening and closing the drapes often? Are they going going to be custom outdoor drapes? The answers to these questions will help you determine which is the right choice is grommets for your drapes. Of course, you style will also play a large role in your decision making process.
If your drapes are going to be opened and closed often you will want to be sure that the size of your grommets are large enough to easily slide over your pole. You will also want to get a drapery wand so that you are not having to "pull" on the drapery fabric, especially if that fabric is silk or linen.
If your drapes are going to be used outdoors you will want to be sure that the grommets are made of 100% Brass which will resist decay from the environment. You will also want to be sure that the grommets are weatherized and powder-coated vs. painted. If your grommets are painted they will chip and peel in a short amount of time.
Grommets are a great option for almost all fabrics for drapery including Sheers, Linen, Silk and Cottons. When selecting silk you will want to be sure that the grommets are "hand-set" using a manual press, an automated press will generally make the fabric pucker and warp.
Custom Striped Silk Drapes with Grommets
Custom Sheer Drapes with Grommets
Custom Grommet Drapes in Linen
Setting Grommets at DrapeStyle


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Talk:Mexico City
This is such a great page. A great example of what Wikitravel can be; nice job. -- Evan 09:43, 11 Aug 2003 (PDT)
Ditto! This looks, and reads, great! Really well done. Majnoona
I have been to Mexico City and its environs several times in the past year -- '07 and '08 -- and will be adding things (including photos I have taken) as I have the time. Tangulo 14:17, 19 January 2008 (EST)
Restaurant reorganization[edit]
I will start the Restaurant section reorganization today. The restaurants will be moved to their respective districts. If anyone has any comment or suggestion please shout. Fabz 03 Jul 2007
Additions 2007[edit]
During the past few months I have been adding significant content to this page, since the city has a lot to offer. I intend to reorganize the restaurants section into the districts in the coming weeks since the page looks too big nowadays. Fabz 12:34, 14 April 2007 (EDT)
The last few months have seen some serious changes in how Wikitravel deals with huge cities like Mexico City (see Wikitravel:huge city article template for details. I took the liberty of trying to bring this article in line with those changes. The page doesn't flow as well as it used to, but that can be fixed. I think the big thing is to make sure that the districts of Mexico City are organized correctly (I don't think we can handle 250 of them!), and to keep moving stuff out to the district pages. And, of course, to keep adding info! -- Evan 09:37, 27 Nov 2003 (PST)
No worries about having 250 districts, most of the areas you've split things up into now consist of more than one Colonia anyway, and a lot of the Colonias have absolutely zero interesting things in them, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'm guessing we can end up with between 10-25 district pages for Mexico City, and have pretty much everything covered. I don't mind the changes you've done, really, although I want to go over everything and edit for that structuring scheme. JZ 18:39, 28 Nov 2003 (CST)
I largely want to commend you for this extensive work. I spent more or less 6 years out of 9 (from 93 to 02) in Mexico City. Near the end of this time I found myself going frequently to the parks( Los Dinamos, Desierto de Los Leones, and the big park that covers the area around "Pico de Aguila" Summit) that are up in the moutains to escape the city. These are wonderful places for rejuvenating from the caos of Mexico City. There is peace and quite, and a natural beauty that makes one curious to have known Mexico City maybe as recently as 40 years ago( before the largely uncontrolled urbanization). I would also like to recommend the towns of San Bartolo ?Xicomulco and San Pedro in the Delegation of Milpa Alta( extreme southeast, beyond Xochimilco); especially if you have a car. These are in my opinion the best examples of conserving that small-town feel near Mexico City. San Bartolo and the surrounding countryside are a little Jewel.
I want to put in a vote for the subway system( Metro) in Mexico City. It is absolutely wonderful. You raise the spector of crime( pick-pocketing) on the Metro. I´m sure it happens, but in all of my years of using the system, cero problemas. And as you stated, if something is not within easy walking distance of a Metro Station, there are taxis. I would on occasion, as an indulgence, just hail a taxi and go to my destination; slightly more of a concern for problems( use taxis that have a fixed base if you are preoccupied with this) then in the Metro but a certain luxury at a relatively low price. Before I left Mexico City, I came to HATE "peseros". Peseros serve their purpose, but I would caution people to look to other alternatives before taking them. They take off, they stop, they jostle from side to side. Sometimes on occasion they have drivers that look like adolescents, sometimes they have to yell out an obscenity at someone who is parked three lanes out into a four-lane street( ? triple parked). All the while, the people are packed in like sardines. I have experienced worse transportation in other parts, but I don´t actively search it out.
In nightlife, you mention dancing, but you fail to mention Cumbia and Norteñas. These two styles are predominant among average Mexicans. Any "popular" dance is going to be dominated by any of the various styles of music( Tex-mex, Columbian, Andean) that employs cumbia rythems with a healthy dose of Norteñas sprinkled in. Even the dance clubs that feature "Tropical" are going to play ALOT of Cumbia.
This discussion is for the now-deleted Mexico City Restaurants page:
I like how this /Restaurants is looking. One suggestion-- add links back to the main article at the top, but otherwise I think this is what we should suggest for other content-heavy cities like Prague.
Is there a wiki-language way to add anchors to individual restaurants (or any other piece of text, for that matter)? I'd like to link to the restaurants here from external websites. -- Federico 2003/09/08
So, we've kinda decided to break up huge cities by district rather than by restaurants, sights, etc. I moved some of the restaurants on this page to the appropriate district page, when I could figure it out. A lot of these are still on here, though. Folks familiar with them should start moving them to the district pages, if possible. Eventually I'd like to delete this page. -- Evan 09:43, 27 Nov 2003 (PST)
"Rich French Past"[edit]
Outside of the battle of Puebla, between Mexican and French forces, what exactly constitutes Puebla's "Rich french past"?--18.104.22.168 23:35, 6 November 2006 (EST)
If nobody can explain this "rich french past" to me in a few days, I intend to remove it. It's plain ridiculous.--188.8.131.52 20:16, 13 November 2006 (EST)
The CIty has no rich french past, it was invaded by the french. It has certain architectural influences brought by France by President Porfirio Diaz in the late XIX and XX century. This text has been deleted.Fabz 12:32, 14 April 2007 (EDT)
I just did several reverts to deal with vandalism in this article, but am not sure I got it all. Some of the nonsense seems to have been there a while so that a straight revert/rollback wasn't catching it. Please let me know if I missed something. -- Bill-on-the-Hill 21:08, 23 May 2006 (EDT)
Mexico City/Polanco[edit]
I found that article on the list of orphaned pages; it exists but nothing links to it. Checking the Mexico City article, I find it lists Polanco as a district, and gives a link to an article with quite a different title, but containing a description of Polanco. Can someone who knows the area\please sort this out? Pashley 08:33, 8 January 2008 (EST)
Night Clubs and recent changes[edit]
Hello. I am visiting Mexico at the moment and have done so many times, and I believe this article is very well written and informative. There's some things missing though. First of all, the top rated night clubs at the moment in the city other than the Bulldog Cafe are the Night, the Txhai (both in the San Angel zone) the Velvet (in South Insurgentes avenue) and the Mansion (Colonia Juarez). Also, it mentions that only brown dressed policemen can pull a car over. This is no longer true as a recent law reform now enables any police car to pull you over.
CheersVicious 02:36, 26 March 2008 (EDT)!
Unsure of proper template[edit]
Hi. I'm working on Mexico City, and this appears underneath Buy- Mexico City is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles. Please help sort them out if you are familiar with this city.
I'm assuming that it is appearing in the article because the tag is wrong, but I'm unsure how to fix it. Can someone please fix it so that it only appears within the edits? Many thanks. --MarinaK 16:31, 17 September 2008 (EDT)MarinaK.
Flu in Mexico City[edit]
According to major news services, there have been fears of an outbreak of a serious strain of flu in Mexico City. I recommend a warning box be place on the main Mexico City article. See this page for details.
126.96.36.199 13:14, 26 April 2009 (EDT)
Is Tepito really that dangerous in the daytime?[edit]
I went there in the afternoon and it seemed fine. Cops walking around, no drugs out in the open. Kids running around, a normal market... people just buying and selling stuff. Despite Tepito's reputation, I can't imagine you would be in very much danger as long as you're not messing with drugs and as long as you aren't being stupid.
Mexico City has the biggest bullring in the world and it has one of the best bullfighting season where top matadors from spain, france, portugal, colombia and mexico fight every year, please include an article about it
This page and its links are really excellent. However, until now, there were no details regarding the Basílica de Guadalupe, which happens to be one of Mexico City's greatest tourist draws. If a page cannot be dedicated to it, at least a section would be good. I've just added a slew of information under the Basílica bullet point found under the "See" section, but I think this info ought to be moved to a more appropriate space, if said space cannot be created. I needed this information a couple of days ago and could not find it on here; after travelling there, I decided to add it. Thanks!
Gryphon922 00:34, 27 July 2010 (EDT)
Reorganizing, Colonia San Rafaeil[edit]
It has been a long time since I did some ordering to the page. Will relocate thew wording of the San Rafael neighborhood to the Centro to maintain a main structure of the page. Will remove the bird deads in the pollution section, is irrelevant, will do more cleaning and add a few new things.
Embassy policy[edit]
Please see Travellers'_pub#Embassy_policyLawe (talk) 20:29, 10 February 2015 (EST)


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Google is fighting child porn by tagging images, creating a new database for child protection agencies and making a $2 million fund for developers who can produce new software to fight the dissemination of these images.
The new database, which will be up and running within the year, can wipe the tagged images from the Internet, according to The Telegraph (U.K.). Google reported spending $5 million on the database and is offering $2 million in a Child Protection Technology Fund for developers willing to create software to battle child porn online.
Google also reported that it has been "fighting child exploitation since as early as 2006," in an effort to gain credibility in the fight against child pornography -- likely springing from leaders demanding Google and other Internet companies do something to stem the proliferation.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Google did not place child pornography on the Internet, but it can lead users to place where it can be seen.
Because of this, the search titan has a responsibility to the public and children everywhere by tracking and reporting it to the authorities in a more efficient and expedient way.


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Celebrating The Diva Complex
[Runway Talk]
The diva in American history was originally used to describe an operatic vocalist, who was almost always a soprano.
Nowadays, it is used to describe singers, mostly African Americans with a certain level of success, and an extreme amount of talent.
Aretha Franklin, and Mary J. Blige, are just a few who epitomize the term, and wear the title proudly. Before them, Josephine Baker, and Eartha Kitt, took the title before it was a title, and wore it as their crown and glory. Their success and legacy left an impact on fashion and the industry as a whole. If you do not believe me, look at someone the couture collections on the runway, and then observe old Josephine Baker costumes. The similarities are unbelievable.
With this being said, many urban fashionistas have taken the looks and attitudes from these ground-breaking divas, and tried to incorporate them into their own personal wardrobes. This is certainly an inspired idea, however with everything, moderation and consciousness is important.
When you combine music videos with clips of ready to wear shows, what's produced is a contemporary diva's wardrobe, and every diva wannabe, and fashion recluse, will want to attach themselves to the lifestyle of the divas they admire. Every good wardrobe should have a diva element to it. I call this element, the Diva Complex.
The wardrobe is a splendid creation with colors, shapes, and cuts that we love with a passion that makes our spouse question the vows we may have taken. Despite this, the elaboration is what makes the wardrobe an amazing thing to have, and every wardrobe should have a diva element.
Later in history, the word diva took on a negative definition, implying that the diva is a manipulative and high maintenance performer. However, it is the attitude of the diva that people buy. When purchasing clothing for a wardrobe, it is the attitude that must be envisioned with every piece.
If you cannot be the best person you can be in that blouse, I suggest putting it back on the rack; anything else would be a violation of a fashion deadly sin. For what does it profit a person to gain the wardrobe and lose their style? Wardrobe with no style is something that should not be allowed.
When looking for the diva element in fashion, look for the attitude. They call me crazy, but I am able to feel every emotion and perspective in every piece that I see on the runways. This perspective is not hard to find, as long as you look for the right thing and attitude is always at the top of the list. If you find yourself in a clothing store, especially a high end clothing store, look for the perspective in each piece. Even the plainest piece, like a simple pencil skirt, can be the quintessential diva piece for your wardrobe. Remember, it is not the piece but the attitude inside of the piece that sells.
Personality is important to a wardrobe. Since a majority of urban women have a diva element to their lives, their attitudes should be what people first notice when they are seen. If this is done correctly, the clothing along with everything else will be noticed.
Real divas move with grace. Being over the top is not something that is not necessary for them. Even in their fashionably plain-state, they naturally reach diva status in the way that they carry themselves in their clothing.
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I think you have "Filtered HTML" turned on here. If you switch to "Full HTML," it will probably...


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If you've been reading these blurbs every Wednesday and have been tempted to try your hand at a DraftKings game, then today would be a good day to take advantage of the 100% Deposit Bonus (up to $600). And if you need some pointers on how to pick your team, buddy, do I have a pillowcase full of doorknobs to smack your brain with (where doorknobs = hints and tips). So jump on in for the $15,000 Big Wednesday Challenge and heed my words, for I have written them:
Over the past week, Kyle Korver ($4,400) is averaging 5 threes, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block. Meanwhile, his team is going up against Toronto, a team which has allowed 105 points per game over the past 10 games. Sounds like a great choice to roll with, don't you agree? His teammate Jeff Teague ($6,200) has been producing 20 points, 2 threes, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals recently, and would be a solid pick as well. Of course, no team has allowed more points against this month than Sacramento, and Boston rolls into town sans Rondo. Avery Bradley ($3,000) has been going for 9/2.5/0.5 with 1.5 threes in 7 days and is a good gamble for minutes. If you need a forward, Amar'e Stoudemire ($6,400) has been shooting for 18 points with 7 rebounds and a block, but he is also going up against a weak Orlando defense.
Ersan Ilyasova ($7,000) has been in beast mode this past week, going for 25 points (3 threes), 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block. The catch is he will be up against the Bulls, who have defended the shot very well. Likewise, Deron Williams ($8,100) has been a star with 19 points, 3 threes, 4.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, a steal and a block, but Miami has been able to keep opponents down and has been a top 5 defense over the past couple of weeks. While it is tempting to run with them, I might avoid. Definitely avoid Chris Paul ($8,900 – still day to day) and Rajon Rondo ($8,800 – out for season). I could see ducking Monta Ellis ($6,900) despite his current delicious hot steak, I mean streak, as he is up against that stingy Chicago team.
If you're looking for some good values, Metta World Peace ($4,400) has been creating sparks with 16 points, 6 rebounds, an assist, a steal, a block and nearly 4 threes over the past week, and Amir Johnson ($4,500) has been earning 16 points, 8 rebounds, a steal, an assist, and 1.5 blocks. Good luck, folks.


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- This event has passed.
Sunday , 9th December ,2018 -2nd Service
December 9, 2018 @ 7:30 am - 9:00 am WAT
Theme : Enjoying The Help Of God
It's time to take charge over your world and that can't be done in the energy of the flesh. Get ready to soar in His Presence ! Worship with us on Sunday @ Salvation Ministries Plot 17 Birabi Street, GRA, Port Harcourt or in any of our Satellite Churches World wide.
An experience of a lifetime you can't afford to miss
God Bless You.
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Tennis fans are being greeted by clear weather and world class match ups, as the U.S. Open gets underway today in Queens.
Swiss Superstar Roger Federer, 28, will be going for his sixth straight U.S. Open title; no man has won six consecutive singles titles since William Tilden dominated the courts from 1920-25.
Federer's first match was an easy win against 18-year-old American Devin Britton from Jackson, Miss. Britton is playing in his first U.S. Open.
On the women's side, Serena Williams begins the defense of her 2008 Open crown against fellow American Alexa Glatch, 19. She took a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Glatch.
Fan favorite Andy Roddick and Serena's sister Venus are on tap for their first matches later tonight.
Today's first round winners included eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka, 12th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska and 26th-seeded Francesca Schiavone.
Another American, Sam Querrey, will debut later this week, bringing with him some lofty expectations -- like he might be the next great tennis star America is looking for.
"Everyone is doing what they can," said Querrey, who is seeded 22nd. "A lot of times, even if you go back 100 years, you'll have a period of 10 years where you'll have four or five guys in the top 10, and then years where you might just have one guy. It's kind of like a rolling wave."
As much as anywhere else, the search for America's next great player resonates at Arthur Ashe Stadium, inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of America's Grand Slam.
It's the place where Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, Chris Evert and Tracy Austin, ruled during a golden era that feels more like ancient history with each passing year.
Patrick McEnroe is in charge of putting together the program that will keep the pipeline filled, with hopes of producing multiple stars in the future.
"I think it's going in the right direction," Roddick said. "I think even with younger kids going back to 14, 15, 16 years old in Florida, from what I hear, it's a lot more organized."
That's the future.
The present belongs -- could belong, that is -- to guys like John Isner (ranked 55th), Donald Young (185) and Jesse Levine (135). No. 25 seed Mardy Fish is on this list, too, but the 27-year-old withdrew Sunday with a rib injury.
And Querrey.
He stands 6-foot-6 and ranks third on tour with 696 aces this year, a stat that is allowing him to become more aggressive in his return game, as well, because he's more confident about holding serve.
He is 21-6 since Wimbledon and has played in four finals, including a victory in Los Angeles. He won the U.S. Open Series, a grouping of hard-court tournaments leading to this week. That pushed his ranking from barely inside the top 50 to a career-best 22nd. It also earned him a chance for a $1 million bonus if he wins the Open.
His biggest win this summer was a 7-6 (11), 7-6 (3) victory over Roddick, one that may not signal Querrey is ready to rise all the way to the top, but certainly serves as a confidence builder.
"It also helps if you play Federer or Nadal," Querrey said. "Andy's beaten those guys. Hey, he did it, I beat him, why can't I beat those guys? So it kind of gives you that extra edge against them, too."


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Simon Gerrans Claims Second National Road TitleSun 12 Jan 2014
Simon Gerrans is the new Australian National Road Champion after taking a convincing victory in the elite men's road race ahead of Cadel Evans (BMC) and Richie Porte (Sky). Gerrans sealed the third consecutive title for the ORICA-GreenEDGE team, winning a sprint finish from the final group of four. Cameron Meyer led the group to the line and ultimately finished fourth, after working hard to set Gerrans up for the win.
ORICA-GreenEDGE looked in control and comfortable throughout the 183.6 kilometre Buninyong circuit, putting each of their ten riders to use. It was defending champion Luke Durbridge who launched the first attack of the day, just moments after the start. The main breakaway of 17 riders quickly formed with Simon Clarke and Mitch Docker joining Durbridge up the road.
"Our plan today was to put the right guys in the break," said Sport Director Matt Wilson. "That put us in the box seat behind. The break was very strong, but things didn't really pan out the way we had hoped and we didn't feel like the situation in front was guaranteed for us. "
Simon Clarke animated the action in the break, making repeated attempts to solo away over the Mount Buninyong climb. After four hours of fast and aggressive racing, time ran out for Clarke and the break began to disintegrate.
"Clarkey was one of the best in that front group, but there were faster sprinters in the break, so we weren't willing to go to the line with those blokes still there," said Sport Director Matt White. "To have a chance at the win, Durbridge and Clarke knew that they had to go solo with two or three laps to go. It didn't happen, so we decided to go with the safer option and bring things back for Gerro. Simon Gerrans is very very reliable."
With four laps left to race, ORICA-GreenEDGE began to reel in the break. An ominously fresh-looking Gerrans was tucked safely in the group, with Evans on his wheel. Of the 139 riders that took the start, the chasing peloton had whittled down to 32 ahead of the final two laps.
On the long sloping lead-in to the final ascent of Mount Buninyong, Meyer launched an attack. Gerrans quickly followed, with Evans and Porte in pursuit.
"I wanted the guys to set a fast pace and keep it together into the bottom section of the climb, so that I could attack towards the top," explained Gerrans. "There was already a select group left by the time we got to the last ramp of the climb. Cam had slipped off the front a little bit, and then I attacked in the final few hundred metres of the climb to try to get rid of the other contenders. We got over one by one: myself,then Cadel, then Cam, then Richie. Over the top, the four of us came together again, and that's how it stayed until the finish. "
With a two-man advantage over the final group of four heading into the finish, Gerrans and Meyer played on their strength in numbers to keep the group together for the sprint.
"The guys did exactly what they had to do today," said Gerrans. "I stuck to my guns in the finish- I knew I had good legs and as long as that little group stayed together I was confident I could finish it off. Cam fully committed. He really rode his guts out for me today. I'm sure he would have liked the chance to win himself, but the plan was to work for me and he did that 100 percent. The whole team gave it everything for me and I'm really grateful for that."
Having repeatedly won from similar scenarios over the past two years, Gerrans enjoyed the full support of his team on Sunday. With his proven ability to deliver wins when the team needs them most, Gerrans is an obvious choice as team leader for the races he states as his objectives.
"Simon is a class act," said White. "He picks big targets, and he always gets them, especially during the past two years with us. The Nationals were a big goal, and now we move onto targeting Tour Down Under."
"We were very confident in Gerro," added Wilson. "Today was very similar to how he won this race in 2012- and we'd bank on him beating basically anyone in a finish like that. The whole team rode a strong and tactically smart race today and really stuck to the plan. It's of crucial importance to us to take this jersey back to Europe, so we're very happy."
Gerrans will head to Europe in the green and gold jersey for the second time in his career. His first win came at the beginning of the 2012 season, and set in motion one of the best years of the Victorian's career, in which he took a memorable victory at Milan-San Remo.
"It's such an honour to take the jersey again," said Gerrans. "It was a class field today and it means a lot to me to take this jersey to Europe for another season. It started a really good year for me in 2012, so I'll try to keep this momentum going and get some big wins coming in Europe this year too."