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Five Tips for Winning College Scholarship Money
February 21st, 2013, 2:00pm, Topics: college scholarships, scholarhip money, scholarship awards, tuition costs, need-based, local scholarships, scholarship application
Now is the time for incoming college freshmen to start applying for scholarships to help pay for growing tuition costs.
According to higher education database BrainTrack, more than $3 billion in private scholarships are awarded to college students each year, with the average award amounting to $2000 to $3000 a year.
But "free money" doesn't necessarily mean easy money--students must make it their job to put in the time and effort required to maximize their chances of winning award money, says Jon Small, vice president of College Prep at Veritas Prep.
"Preparing scholarship applications should become a part of students' 'homework,' including filling out forms, writing scholarship essays, requesting transcripts from the school registrar, asking teachers for recommendation letters, and visiting the post office to mail out applications on time," he says.
To get a leg up on the competition, here are five insider tricks for students to max out award money and find opportunities to help pay for college.
Tip No. 1: Cast a Wide, but Selective Net
Students should apply to as many scholarships as possible to increase their odds of scoring aid.
"If students apply for a few large scholarships and wait to see if they win them before applying for others, they can miss out on other scholarship opportunities," says Marianne Ragins, publisher of Scholarshipworkshop.com. "If students prepare an application package that includes two compelling essays and a student resume, they should be well-prepared to apply for every legitimate scholarship they find."
Small cautions against applying without abandon, as students can end up wasting their time working hard on an application they don't qualify for.
"Students applying for 'need-based' scholarships should make sure they truly are eligible for such awards before submitting an application," he says.
Tip No. 2: Search Local
Students should search for local organizations and businesses in their community or state that offer award money to residents to increase their probability of winning in a smaller pool.
"Even though local and regionally based scholarships may be for smaller amounts, they can add up, and ultimately wipe out a textbook bill or more," says Ragins. "Some of these scholarships may be easier to win since the number of applicants is often fewer."
The best places to find possible scholarships are online search engines, scholarship book directories, and the high school guidance counselor's office, according to Small.
Tip No. 3: Apply to the Right Opportunities
Students should thoroughly research organizations and sponsors offering scholarships as well as the previous winners to tailor their essay or interview to be more appealing, says Ragins.
"If the scholarship has an interview process, they should find out who the interviewer is, their background, and their connection to the scholarship program and/or the college or university--it may help to establish an early rapport in the interview and shows that the student cares enough to do their homework."
While students want to stand out from other applicants, they need to avoid being overzealous and pushy when it comes to contacting the scholarship committee, warns Chanel Greene, manager of financial aid at Peirce College.
"The reason why most businesses or organizations create the application is so that everyone has the same chance to express themselves in the same manner," she says. "Should the committee have questions, they will reach out to the student."
Tip No. 4: Get Creative with Responses/Essays
Students should use their essays to tell their stories in an interesting narrative way and not repeat the information already provided in their resume, suggests Small.
"Students should focus on the emotions they felt or the personal impact an experience had on them or others in order to better illustrate the meaning of those experiences and to keep the essay readers engaged," he says.
As long as the student is answering the question the scholarship application is requiring, a little creativity shouldn't hurt, Greene says.
"The student should always be mindful of his/her audience and use appropriate language when completing the application."
Tip No. 5: Go Back and Edit
Experts say many applicants automatically disqualify themselves from winning because of spelling and grammar mistakes. It's also a good idea to review responses to make sure they are concise, clear and accurate.
"I normally advise students to edit and proofread a printed copy at least three times, particularly if the application includes an essay or series of essays," says Ragins. "They should also let someone else who is proficient at reading and writing essays review their completed application as well."
Source: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/02/15/five-tips-for-winning-college-scholarship-money/


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Welcome to the CRG Discussion Forum!Forum registration problems: Make sure you enter your email correctly and you check your spam box first. *Then* email KurtS2@gmail for help.Classified ads are not allowed on the forum.
Ok, I need some help from some of the other guys here. I've tracked down more information on the Dewar Javelin. Below is a picture of it attributed to St. Jovite, the week before Watkins Glen in '69. Now, here's where your assistance comes into play, the same car can't be 2 cars at the same place at the same time. So, some better accounting than Racing Sportscars posts must be available. If it is not, then the # 47 Dewar car is the #4 Kaplan car in JNO Racing Enterprises Ltd.livery but is the 4 car. Yet separate references to the car, such as where I got the photo:http://kzmotorsports.com/911L-Race-History-Overview.html- photo 15, the car is referredto, naturally, as the #47 Dewar Javelin. Yet, when one goes here:http://www.racingsportscars.com/type/results/AMC/Javelin.html and one goes to the 1969 results the connundrum presents itself. Check out the entries for the St.Jovite race on August 3rd of 1969 and then check out the entries listed for the Watkins Glen race on August 8th. See the problem? The discrepancy needs deconfliction.
Thanks! This is some help and then some. Need to get a copy of the Friedman book. Maybe I can buy a good used copy. It looks as though starting with WG that the 10 car which used to be the 33 car now belonged to Rocky Mountain Racing and I do believe the 10 and 33 car pics have been compared and discussed before. In addition, the #3 '68 Revson car blurb on Fantasy Junction -http://fantasyjunction.com/cars/773-AMC-Javelin%20Trans-Am-V8 and in other discussions elsewhere indicate that the #3 which sold a few years back in its original '68 livery lists the # 3, Tullius, Hunter, 3 history. Russo & Steele recently auctioning the car:http://www.russoandsteele.com/collector-car/1968-AMC-Javelin-Trans-Am/1462 descrribes the 33/Tullius relation and 10/Hunter relationship. So, what remains yet is tracing the beginnings of the # 47 car. Klvnr8r or his brother may shine abeacon on that if one of them can come up with the article that apparently shows the 3 Kaplan cars in his shop pre or early '69 season. Was the 3rd car a body in white? Does it have a domed hood, or at least, signature fender bulges? Stay tuned erstwhile TA fans, let the nail biting begin... S A
Most if not all of the Trans-Am photos in the "Dave Friedman Collection" were not taken by Dave but rather by "Jack Brady & Associates". Dave bought that collection years ago and some other collections as well and put them together in what is called the "Dave Friedman Collection". Dave was primarily the photographer for Shelby American when they were still building cars in the LA area.
So all 4 1968 Javelins were at Michigan.
I'd like to know a bit more about this car! It has all the traits of an RKE javelin?http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3177576/1969-amc-javelin/

subset: commoncrawl


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God wants us to fight injustice and WE are his plan.
That is the theme at First Christian Church this week. This past Sunday we watched a video with Gary Haugen, International Justice Mission President and CEO. What an amazing ministry! http://www.ijm.org/
So today I was thinking I've never heard so much about fighting injustice from "the pulpit" before in my life. And then I thought back to my childhood, my heritage, and my examples of Christ's Love. . .
Granddad Frank lies in the hospital today in Healdton, OK with pneumonia. I wish you could spend an hour with him and listen to the stories he has about the Love of Christ, the Call of the Lord, the miracles he's witnessed -- and injustice? I don't know that he ever called it injustice, but he fought it.
Granddad had three children in the 1940's when he received the call to preach the Gospel. Not the tri-city mega church with 20,000 members and a Jaguar, but simple towns with folks small on pocket change and big on heart. Those he was involved in converting even built the church buildings with their own hands -- farmers and other blue collar people putting their hands and hearts together to establish an extension of the body of Christ where once one did not exist.
My first memory of Granddad and Grandma is their work in Hogback, New Mexico on the Indian Reservation. The Reservation, most of them were third world-like communities right in the middle of the richest country in the world. The work was rewarding for my grandparents and their family. Teaching the children in VBS and Sunday school, studying the bible with the men and women, and raising up leaders for the next generation of rural America.
So when I think that I don't know how to fight injustice, I think of Granddad in his hospital bed. He's 91, and they say he may not walk but be in a wheelchair. I think of all those he spent time "pastor-ing", those he baptized and helped grow in the Lord. And, as I ponder the 'injustice" he fought by going beyond bible study and seeing a need and filling it --fixing peoples sinks, bringing in clothes for the kids, and listening to people's disappointments and fears-- I think I have a great, personal example of a warrior against injustice. God's warrior, Granddad Frank.
They say Frank may be wheeled out of that hospital. I say, "Ask his family and those of us that have benefited from those beautiful feet that brought the sound of good news, and the love of the King – we say: 'He's God's Warrior. He may surprise you.'"
This week as I research IJM and other local missions, I try to follow Granddad's example and fight against injustice.
Isaiah 1:17 (New International Version)
17 learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed. [a]
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.
I love you Granddad.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Word Wednesday by KM Wilsher
Posted by KM Wilsher at 8:32 PM 7 comments
Labels: Church of Christ, Gary Haugen, Granddad, injuste, International Justice Mission, New Mexico, Pastor, Truth or Consequences
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Word Wednesday by KM Welcher
What style of evangelist are you?
"So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19
I vacillate between the outspoken Christian to the quiet, loving, girl hoping her life is testement to Jesus. Always, I am hoping someone will ask, "Why are you so joyful, peaceful, kind?", and that I am ready with my answer of faith.
I have a friend Sean Kennedy, some of you know him. Back in the day, when we first started hanging out, I was in awe at his boldness for Christ. We were both pretty much rookies in the faith journey, still rough around the edges. But, Sean, he never let an opportunity pass. The grocery store, the drive thru, his neighbor, Chipotle.
It was such an exhilarating experience. I loved watching people's faces light up at this energetic, broad shouldered marine sharing a smile and a quip with them. And with the ice broken, he then shared his faith. Not once did I see anyone get angry or insulted. They always seemed grateful and honored someone would share something so deep with them, and that some stranger would invite them to Church.
I'm not as bold. In fact, it's hard for me to even sit on a plane. I heard a lesson once saying you should ALWAYS share your faith on the plane. Mmm made flying hard. I twist and turn in my seat. Talk to my neighbor and look for an opportunity. I wring my hands and pray, and then it seems like everytime, something really stupid escapes my mouth--if anything comes out at all.
One of those 'street prophets' --you know the ones that stand on the street corner and say, "The kingdom of heaven is near. Repent!"-- actually had a big impact on me turning from sin and letting Jesus in my heart. I don't know what I advocate, but there was a man outside the Denver Art Museum about 12 years ago who pointed at me and shouted words resembling the "Repent" statement. Moments later I was in tears in the bathroom stall. Days later I was in the phone book looking for Churches to visit. Christ worked through other events in my life that helped this hard, unwilling, icy heart to surrender, but I thank Jesus for the prophet standing downtown Denver, Colorado that summer day.
Do you know any outstanding witnesses for Christ? Have you ever been convicted by a modern day street prophet?
Posted by KM Wilsher at 10:39 PM 7 comments
Labels: Church, evangelist, go into all the world, Jesus, prophet, repent, street prophet, the kingdom is near, witness
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Phantasmagorical Freek Friday by KM Wilsher
Have you heard of Pandora? The free internet radio termed, "The Music Genome Project", can be found at: www.Pandora.com
Unlike the horrendous things that flew out of the box when Greek Mythology's Pandora unfastened the lid, this Pandora has opened an astounding new world for me. You enter in a song or a group, and they award you with songs that resemble your choice. At Pandora I am able to hear songs I love, and be exposed to new songs that are comparable to my favorites, thus widening my musical orbit.
It was there I first heard Plumb. Plumb is listed as Christian contemporary, but some of her songs are raw and wild and have ended up on my personal internet radio. Tiffany Lee is a solo artist now, but "Plumb" used to be a band. She kept the name when she ventured out into the world as a solo artist. I have read that Plumb crosses into many different genres of music. A few songs of hers have certainly crossed over into my music experience!
My favorite is: I can't do this
Check it out! Just click on the title.
Who/what is on your play list this week?
Posted by KM Wilsher at 7:47 PM 14 comments
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Word Wednesday - One liners posted by KM Wilsher
My little sister sent me these :)
Christian One Liners
Don't let your worries get the
best of you; remember, Moses started
out as a basket case.
It is easier to preach ten sermons
than it is to live one.
The good Lord didn't create anything
without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.
When you get to your wit's end,
you'll find God lives there.
Opportunity may knock once, but temptation
bangs on your front door forever.
Peace starts with a smile.
Coincidence is when God
chooses to remain anonymous.
God doesn't call the qualified,
He qualifies the called.
God grades on the cross, not the curve.
God loves everyone, but probably prefers
'fruit of the spirit' over a 'religious nut!'
God promises a safe landing,
not a calm passage.
He who angers you, controls you!
If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!
Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!
The task ahead of us is never as
great as the Power behind us.
The Will of God never takes you to
where the Grace of God will not protect you.
We don't change the message,
the message changes us
You can tell how big a person is
by what it takes to discourage him.
The best mathematical equation
I have ever seen:
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.
I added mine:
If He really is my Shepard, why would I want?
I must enter the forest as He clears a way for me; not enter the forest ahead of Him and say, "Clear my way Lord!"
Do you have any one liners to add?
Posted by KM Wilsher at 11:16 PM 8 comments
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Your name as a Pirate posted by KM Wilsher
Jack Sparrow. Captain Hook. Blackbeard. Henry Morgan. Oh, those famous pirates.
Have you ever desired to sail the high seas? Dreamed of peering down into Davy Jones's locker? Longed to attack Spanish galleons with Sir Francis Drake. Aye mate, the romance, the adventure! Personally, I want to be a Goonie :)
Here is a site that shows you what your name might be were it Sir Drake, or Blackbeard who hired you.
Click below:
Pirate Name Generator
Mine turned out to be:
Pirate Carmen the Well-Tanned
Oh - that is funny!
What is your pirate name?
Posted by KM Wilsher at 10:49 PM 13 comments
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Word Wednesdayby KM Wilsher
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this; that he lay down his life for his friends.
If you don't have time for anything else, click the following:
and read a brilliant article by my friend and sister in Christ, Ashley Weaver.
Here is the continuation from last week. The story of our friendship:
Last week's story ended with a train ride far from the body of Christ. Well, good news, eventually I disembarked that train! I went on a search for the Truth and found it in Denver, Colorado in the words of the man from Nazareth. I rediscovered the love and Spirit I had once thought an apparition. After a little while, I began to think, "Whatever happened to Ashley?"
It was only a few days later that I got my answer. At a Wednesday night singing service at Lakewood Church of Christ, where many different churches get together and praise the Lord, I saw a familiar face. The hair was the same but, she was not alone. There were four kids huddling around her like cubs to a mother bear. Ashley! In an absolute impossible way, God had crossed our paths once again.
A new friendship grew out of echoes from the past. Her husband happened to be the minister for the singles group at their church, and I began to attend bible studies at their house. Bible studies, sound familiar? As a singles group we met in small groups and reached out to our neighbors. We also hiked, even rock climbed and the sublime Spirit of God revealed himself to me once more. Hiking, sound familiar?
God has given me the gift of a friend, a mentor and an accountability partner -- deeper and brighter than I thought might exist. Based on the connection from that little church camp in the Delores Valley, Ashley and I developed a deep bond of sisters in Christ and of friends. And all this despite the miles between us.
Looking back to those days in the mountains of Southwestern Colorado at Four Corner's Encampment, I finally feel God's calling on the life of a troubled little girl. I feel his sweet love in my soul and know that my piece of heaven on earth was not a dream. He gave me many gifts including Ashley. Read her article. The link is above. It shows some of the Spirit that flows through her.
One day in heaven, after we've looked upon the sweet face of Jesus, met all our friends and family, and conversed with Moses, Esther, Rahab, Peter, and the other pillars of faith. In the new earth, if there is still a little place tucked away in the Rocky Mountains resembling the old Dolores Valley, Ashley and I are going to know where to find each other.
Posted by KM Wilsher at 11:52 AM 8 comments
Labels: Colorado, Doloros, Four Corners Encampment, Jesus, Rocky Mountain
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Phantasmagorical Freek Friday by KM Wilsher
I've seen some reminiscing about smashes from the past lately. 80's music, leg warmers, Young Guns, Lost Boys, big hair, and legs on your jeans as narrow as a stove pipe!
As my mind wandered down the road of memories, I started thinking of 80's metal bands. Remember that they used to call them 80's hair bands? I heard one remark that the rockers with teased hair looked like a bunch of alcoholic housewives. haha
Well, Phantasmagorical Freek Friday is all about Christian hard rock, and so you will not be surprised that while I walked the halls of mohawks, Ray-Bans, and boom boxes, I suddenly I saw "ebony and neon gold ribbons" and Stryper came to mind. Does anyone remember Stryper?
Stryper, formed by two brothers Michael and Robert Sweet, were originally components of a secular rock band, Roxx Regime. At jam sessions for Roxx Regime, their friend Kenny Metcalf, would witness to the Sweet brothers.
People Magizine told the story like this, in 1986:
"During rehearsals a friend of the Regime kept stopping by to witness about the glory of dedicating their music to God. A year later the rockers dropped to their knees for a prayer session that changed their lives."
I'm sure you remember seeing the" Yellow and Black Attack" at some moment in time in your 80's history. They were the first Christian Metal band on MTV. For that matter they were the first Contemporary Christian Band shown on MTV.
The name "Stryper" came from a passage in Isaiah 53:5:
"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
My initial encounter with those awesome bumble bees in stretch pants came one day after school at my then boyfriend Kelly's house. He was not Christian, but he put the vinyl for this song:
I lay on the couch, my pink slip on Van's with palm trees hung over the arm of the couch, and cried my eye's out.
I remember one of Kelly's friends saying, "What's a matter with her?"
Can you see it? Two guys standing there looking at the phenomena of a crying female. Sort of like onlookers at a lamenting effeminate wildlife park.
I was a little embarrassed, but Kelly's words were kinda great.
He answered, "She's really moved by that song."
"HONESTY" is Stryper's most-known song. It peaked at 23 on the Top 40 Billboard charts.
So what was your favorite Stryper song?
You can visit them at www.stryper.com
Posted by KM Wilsher at 8:41 AM 7 comments
Labels: 80's, Christian Metal, Metal, Stryper, Together as one
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Word Wednesday by KM Wilsher
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
If you don't have time for anything else, click the following:
and read a brilliant article by my friend and sister in Christ, Ashley Weaver.
Ashley's article and my story will fulfill Word Wednesday this week!
I wrote out my version of our freindship below.
Childhood memories, unforgettable times at church camp just outside Dolores, Colorado. That one week a year remains my "little glimpse of heaven", even today.
To begin with, Four Corners Encampment sits in one of the most amazing mountain valleys in Southwestern Rockies, its beauty surreal. Then top that off with hiking, volleyball and softball each sport only pausing for bible study. Real bible studies, studied in cabins built by both my grandfathers who are pillars of faith Grandad Welcher a preacher -- the other, Tom Kelly, I know him as, "Grandtom", an elder in the church since I was little. At night, around the campfire, boys and girls performed skits and imparted devotions that enlightened youth with the Love of Christ.
This is where I first met Ashley Weaver. Well, she wasn't "Weaver" yet, but she was my 'cabin counselor'. Back then, a teen on fire for Christ, she gave a fine example of how I wanted to live my life ---pure, athletic, truthful, feminine, strong, faithful, and bold when it came to sharing her faith. We spent hours in praise, fellowship that glorified Him, fun athletic competition and deep bible study. Ashley helped me through some tough pre-teen times and probably didn't even know it, she just served Jesus.
Before I could spend my last year at Four Corners and be a counselor myself -- giving away what had been given me -- my life twisted in a raw crash like many teen lives do. Instead of clinging to my faith, I took a dark train far from the loving body of Christ.
I spent next several years wondering if that divine purity, that bewitching love, that sublime Spirit of God was just a dream. Had it all been a lie, the bible studies, the fellowship, the instruction, the love full of Light? Maybe even that girl, Ashley Weaver, didn't exist.
To be continued. . .(ha ha, I'm learning from you all - the best cliff hanger writers!)
Posted by KM Wilsher at 10:20 AM
Labels: Doubting Thomas, Friends
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Imagine me without Him KM Wilsher
Okay, at the risk of sounding like I'm 'copying' BILLY COFFEY, I am deleting my comments section. Please feel free to email me, but I will not be hosting comments for a while.
I was inspired by a post that BILLY hosted (Click on his name and check out his site!) I'll let him explain why he deleted his comments field. I am compelled by a desire to ensure I use my talents to glorify Jesus and write for no other reason. I am confident you all will support me in this.
Posted by KM Wilsher at 9:02 AM 0 comments
Labels: comments


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Three women faculty from Hope College have been selected from an outstanding pool of applicants to participate in the National Science Foundation ADVANCE project "Advancing the Careers of Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics at Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions through Professional Networks" (ASAP).
The faculty are Dr. Stephanie Edwards, associate professor of mathematics; Dr. Vicki-Lynn Holmes, assistant professor of mathematics and education; and Dr. Catherine Mader, professor of physics.
The five-year, $600,000 project, based out of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., involves the creation of a mentoring network comprised of 70 women STEM faculty from undergraduate schools nationwide. The network will provide faculty peer-mentorship and cross-disciplinary support to help women faculty in STEM fields succeed and advance in their careers. Ultimately, the network is expected to encourage the entry of more women into STEM disciplines. As outlined by the program, by reducing the isolation of the participants and building leadership skills, the project will positively influence the 70 participants who potentially may influence thousands of undergraduates at the participating institutions.
The project is an academic study, so the results will uncover some of the reasons for the historic underrepresentation of women in math-, science-, and engineering-based disciplines and will illustrate institutional practices that support women in STEM disciplines. The project also is expected to increase research opportunities for the participants, secure more recognition for their work, help advance their careers, and improve their student mentoring capabilities. Involving more women more deeply in STEM challenges is expected to yield greater synergy in problem-solving and innovation, widely viewed as critical to the nation's ability to compete in the national and global economies.
In addition to Gonzaga University and Hope, the higher-education network spanning the continental United States initially involves Willamette University in Salem, Ore.; Western Oregon University in Monmouth; Southern Oregon University in Ashland; the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas; Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo.; Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind.; the University of Detroit Mercy; John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio; the University of Scranton in New York; and Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore.
An advisory board consisting of women leaders from the national organizations involved in the project – including the Council on Undergraduate Research, the Association of American Colleges and Universities and Project Kaleidoscope – will help develop and maintain the network structure.


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Two years ago, e-commerce executives salivated like puppies in a pile of pork chops at the potential for agricultural business on the Internet.
Who could blame them? Farmers had rapidly bought personal computers. Why wouldn't they go one step further and buy major inputs, such as chemicals and seeds, online?
"A lot of folks in agriculture went out of the gate thinking direct business to farmers existed because it worked for eBay and Amazon.com," says Bill Belzer, e-business manager for Pioneer Hi-Bred International. "They figured that it would be a slam dunk."
Not exactly.
Farmers have not flocked to the Internet as expected. Although some farmers use the Internet, their adoption of it lags behind that of the general population. A survey conducted by the Gallup Organization in 2000 revealed that just 41% of farmers used the Internet in a one-month span, compared to the U.S. average of 63%.
Nor are most farmers ready to click their way to purchases of major inputs, says Jon Setala, a marketing communications consultant from River Falls, WI.
"They may go online for items with relatively low risk and monetary savings like airline tickets," Setala says. "But farmers tend not to buy items that don't meet those criteria."
Why not? At first glance, high-dollar Internet purchases make sense. Farmers may garner 10 to 40% discounts by buying major inputs such as seed and chemicals off the Internet. Over many acres, farmers may save tens of thousands of dollars.
"I think there is still a sizable segment of the farm population that is price-focused," says Mike Boehlje, a Purdue University agricultural economist. "Service, information and attributes that are put into the product aren't as important as the best price."
Yet price is just one component of the buying equation. "Farmers see risks associated with buying chemicals, seed and machinery over the Internet," Setala says. "When your livelihood is at stake, you want to know you'll have the right product arriving in the right place at the right time."
This hasn't always been the case, Boehlje says. Farmers who buy seed and chemicals online may want to exchange product if weather delays occur.
"Some Web sites will argue, 'That's not what we do,'" Boehlje says. "If the product didn't work, returns are also sometimes questionable.
"Local retailers still hold a delivery advantage," he adds. "In many cases, good rapport built up over years with the customer has strong value. Farmers cannot only count on local retailers to deliver, but also to exchange goods."
Nor have many farmers used the Internet to negotiate better buys with dealers. "The thinking was that if farmers could get that kind of price information, they could use it as leverage," Setala says. "Dealers told farmers they couldn't match that price. And farmers still bought from them. They valued their relationships with dealers."
The security that these relationships bring is one reason why Jon Brower, a Claremont, MN, farmer, has not yet purchased chemicals online.
"I've obtained quotes on chemicals, which I haven't used yet," he says. "I've shied away from that because I'm concerned about not getting product guarantees. On the other hand, I need to get involved more because I think you can get some good buys and information online."
Baby steps. To tap this interest, Internet companies have adapted their sales strategies. "The greatest use we see by our [business owner] customers are electronic tools that enhance their relationship to growers," says Mike Etzel, national sales manager for Rooster.com. "They want to use tools like more effective communication and targeted marketing as opposed to the actual completion of the sale. We offer 10-minute-delay quotes, weather, news feeds and other services, depending on what the business owner wants to deliver to the customer."
For example, a feed company could supply information online that its customers might want, such as how to manage livestock through hot weather. Although this service does not close the sale online, it is a tool the company can use to eventually make the sale.
"Ag retailers use it more as a tool to enhance the relationship, and they're very much comfortable with letting the grower migrate there at their own pace," Etzel says. "I believe that in four to five years down the road, there will be more chance to do business online. But for now, we're taking baby steps toward that direction."
Some Web sites also combine price discounts with service to alleviate farmer apprehension about online purchases. "When we had the first sale on the Internet in August of 1999, everyone was really excited," recalls Bill Gass, vice president of sales and marketing for Landec Ag, a Monticello, IN, firm that sells a share of its Fielder's Choice brand seed online. "But when we called the customer back, we found that he had picked three wrong hybrids for his farm."
That's why the firm's 30 agronomists track all Internet sales. "We make sure farmers know what they are ordering," Gass says. "You can have the best hybrids, but if you plant them in the wrong area, they won't perform."
Other Internet firms have exited direct sales of major inputs. Farms.com has branched out from livestock exchanges to include news, weather and decision-making software. Meanwhile, the firm severed its strategic alliance a year ago with Agchemical.com, an online chemical business.
"We wanted to refocus into information software and marketplace exchange activities," says Joe Dales, Farms.com vice president. "It was easier for us to differentiate our product in that market because there were fewer players. Chemical and seed companies are pretty concentrated, and they dictate how to distribute their products. It's hard for us to add value to a jug of Roundup."
Yet some firms still manage to tap online sales. For example, XSAg.com links buyers and sellers of chemicals, parts and animal health supplies. Approximately 80% of the sellers are dealers, and the remaining 20% are manufacturers and distributors. About 60% of the buyers are farmers, and the other 40% are dealers and distributors.
"Farmers who use XSAg.com may be buying from their local dealer without even knowing it," says Fulton Breen, XSAg.com founder. "Of the two million farms in the U.S., about 350,000 consume 90% of inputs. It's these farmers who are very connected and use the Internet to buy online. Between 5 to 15% of all chemical sales will eventually go through an exchange."
Shakeup strategy. Even if you don't currently purchase products online, you may still use the Internet to be a better buyer. Suppose that you wish to find out if your fertilizer dealer is competitive on price. "It used to be if I wanted to see what other dealers were charging for fertilizer, it would take some effort," Boehlje says. "Rather than drive around in the car or get on the phone, you can just get on the Web and quickly find quotes. Maybe only one out of those 30 is substantially different. But that's all you need to find out."
Farmers who use the Internet also are better informed about prices, services, features, attributes, characteristics and performance, Boehlje says.
"You could go into your dealer and say, 'I've been thinking about doing this and this, what do you think?'" he says. "You may also find out that you're better informed than your dealer and use the Internet to find another dealer who is more knowledgeable. One farmer told me, 'I don't want to buy fertilizer from someone who knows less about fertilizer than I do. I want someone who will help me improve my business.'"
You may use the Internet to scout for Web sites that have good relationships with local dealerships.
"Some Internet companies understand fulfillment strategy," Boehlje says. "They now build strategic alliances with a local dealer who can provide those services and get compensated for them."
Familiarizing yourself with the Internet now may also help you capitalize on future developments that may increase profits.
"I think the real advantage for the farmer in this whole shakeup is new technology and new capabilities that will allow companies to deliver more timely information based on site-specific information," Belzer says. "The technology will be based on a centimeter, as opposed to the entire northern half of Iowa."
Remember Henry Ford. The Internet also will be easier to use as computers, Web sites and connection speeds improve, Dales says. "Just because farmers didn't use the Internet overnight the way the stock market thought they would doesn't mean this trend will slow down," he says. "When it comes to adding value to rough knowledge, the Internet will influence the decision-making process.
"We had very unrealistic expectations," Dales continues. "But I'm sure Henry Ford heard things like there are no gas stations, they're noisy and I want to stay with my horse with his invention. The Internet is a fabulous enabler and tool, but you still have to be good at business and educate your customer."
Put it in my office
Farmers would use the Internet more often if they could use it in their offices — their real offices, says Jon Setala, a River Falls, WI, marketing consultant.
"Research that was done over 10 years ago revealed how farmers feel about their tractors and combines," Setala says. "It wasn't what people expected. Instead of vehicles, farmers saw their tractors and combines as their offices where they went to work. One farmer told me, 'If you want me to visit your Web site, put it in my tractor! That's where I have the most time.'"
Setala is confident wireless technology will enable farmers to one day use the Internet in their machinery cabs. "I believe use of the Internet among farmers will remain limited until some type of affordable, high-speed wireless technology is put in place for them," he says.


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Strong winds sending the toxic algae bloom toward Charlotte County.
The noxious air and sporadic fish kills brought by a large red tide bloom off the Southwest Florida coast should subside for most of Sarasota County, as strong northwesterly winds push the bloom toward Charlotte County.
Strong gusts from the south triggered a resurgence of nasty tides and pungent air at Sarasota County beaches — especially Venice Beach — Tuesday and Wednesday.
In January, the red tide bloom killed large numbers of fish as far north as Anna Maria in Manatee County, and south through Sarasota County, irritating beachgoers at the height of tourism season.
But Sarasota beachgoers enjoyed a relatively nice beach day Thursday — many of them swimming and playing beach games — as 12-16 mph winds reversed to push the bloom southward.
Although signs warned of red tide, dozens of people enjoyed Venice Beach on Thursday — even though the sound of them coughing was prevalent.
"I'm coughing like crazy, and I don't smoke," said Carol Perry, who came from Fort Myers because she said red tide conditions there are worse.
Yet Perry and her visiting friend, Peg Newbold of Ann Arbor, Mich., said they had no intention of leaving.
"I'm coughing a lot, too," Newbold said. "But I'm from Michigan and out of the snow. I'm not going anywhere until I get some sun."
Perry, who said sips of cola briefly relieved her of her cough, and Newbold said that, though they had seen many people strolling the beach, they had not seen anyone go swimming.
The bloom is expected to continue southward through the end of the week, according to the latest forecast models.
"It's turning around and going back south," said Jason Lenes, an expert with the Center for Prediction of Red Tide at the University of South Florida.
"It will probably move down to Charlotte County, down to Lee County or possibly off the coast," he added.
The red tide, which first appeared last fall, has been the largest and most persistent to affect the area since 2007.
Staff Writer Dale White contributed to this report.


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Browsing by Author "Kagal, Lalana"
Now showing items 1-1 of 1
Policy conformance in the corporate blog space. McArthur, Robert; Bruza, Peter D.; Song, Dawei (PM4W http://www.cs.umbc.edu/pm4w/proceedings.pdf, 2005-05)MCARTHUR, R., BRUZA, P. D. and SONG, D., 2005. Policy conformance in the corporate blog space. In: L. KAGAL, T. FININ and J. HENDLER, eds. Policy Management for the Web : a workshop held at the 14th International World Wide Conference, Tuesday 10 May 2005, Chiba, Japan. pp. 21-28.This paper describes part of a solution to the interpretation of human-readable policy documents into semi-automatic conformance checking. Using a socio-cognitively motivated representation of shared knowledge, and applying ...


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Electricity is vital to modern life. It powers our lights and appliances at home. It powers many industry processes. It is used to power trains and to charge electric vehicles.
Globally, electricity use is rising rapidly as new major economies develop in places such as China and India. This need for electricity drives a growing demand for electricity generation, with thousands of new power plants needed across the world over the coming decades.
Every form of electricity generation has its strengths and weakness and future electricity generation will need a range of options, although they must be low carbon if greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced. Nuclear generation provides reliable supplies of electricity, with very low carbon emissions and relatively small amounts of waste that can be safely stored and eventually disposed of.
For many decades almost all the electricity consumed in the world has been generated from three different forms of power plant - fossil, hydro and nuclear. Renewables currently generate a relatively small share of the world's electricity, although that share is growing fast.
Fossil fuel power plants burn carbon fuels such coal, oil or gas to generate steam that drives large turbines that produce electricity. These plants can generate electricity reliably over long periods of time. However, by burning carbon fuels they produce large amounts carbon dioxide, which causes climate change. They can also produce other pollutants, such as sulphurous oxides, which cause acid rain.
The Cottam power plant in the UK has coal and gas burners on the same site (EDF Energy)
Fossil fuel plants require huge quantities of coal, oil or gas. These fuels may need to be transported over long distances. The price of fuels can rise sharply at times of shortage, leading to unstable generation costs.
Large hydro power plants generate electricity by storing water in vast reservoirs behind massive dams. Water from the dams flows through turbines to generate electricity, and then goes on to flow through rivers below the dam.
Hydro dams can generate large amounts of electricity. However, dry periods can drain the reservoirs. The flooding of reservoirs behind dams and slowing of the flow of the river below the dam can have a serious impact on the ecology around the dam. The number of sites suitable for new dams is limited.
Nuclear power plants use the heat produced by nuclear fission to generate steam that drives turbines, like in fossil fuel plants. However, no greenhouse gases are produced in this fission process, and only small amounts are produced across the whole fuel cycle.
Point Beach nuclear power plant in the USA (NextEra)
Nuclear fuel can be used in a reactor for several years. The used fuel that remains after this time must be stored and then either recycled to make new fuel or carefully disposed of. However, because the amount of fuel used to generate electricity is so much less than that used in fossil fuel plants it is much more practical to do this with used nuclear fuel than with the wastes and emissions from fossil fuels.
Nuclear power plants can run for many months without interruption, providing reliable and predictable supplies of electricity.
Nuclear power plants can generate electricity "24/7" for many months at a time, without interruption. Nuclear generation is one of the safest and least environmentally damaging forms of electricity generation
Renewables such as wind, solar and small scale hydro produce electricity with no greenhouse gas emissions at the point of generation and very low amounts of greenhouse gas emissions across their entire lifecycle.
The cost of electricity generation from many renewables tends to be higher than other forms of generation, often requiring subsidies to compete with other forms of generation, although these costs are coming down.
Wind turbines in Norway (IEV-Ltd)
Many renewables do not produce electricity predictably or consistently. Electricity generation from wind turbines varies with the wind speed, and if that wind is too weak or too strong no electricity is produced at all. The output of solar panels is reliant on the strength of the sunshine, which depends on the time of day and the amount of cloud cover. This means that renewables have to be backed up by other forms of electricity generation, often fossil fuel generation with their resultant greenhouse gas emissions.


text: Throughout the entire transportation process, shipments can be tracked with an unique indentification number. The new IT system for air and ocean freight has been already rolled-out in 18 countries (Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, Taiwan, Netherlands, Denmark, Korea, USA, France, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Mexico). Over the next few years, the system will be implemented in all DACHSER locations around the world.


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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Are You Looking?
About Wendy Irene
Wendy Irene is a Reiki Master, Meditation Guide, Yoga Teacher, Tree Hugger and Foodie with a passion for holistic wellness. She helps people awaken their joy and tap into their intuition. Wendy is the Founder of GiveLoveCreateHappiness.com


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Photo Credit: Derek Wong
I haven't really been posting in the past week and I probably won't post for a long time either, unless if I find more of these backup looks that I've taken a while back. Why you ask? Because I have spent two nights in the past week in and out of the ER. I was bitten by the frivolous jumping spider! Yes no joke! A spider that jumps and bites! Well actually we're still unsure of what's happened, but point is. My face is now cut up and swollen. I'm so thankful Bethany Struble made me go to the hospital before anything worse happened. So I'll continually still post, but most of my posts will not be look posts, or maybe they will...who knows.........HAVE A GOOD DAY!


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Dealing with a new, powerful intruder attack
Steve is CTO of Sanctum and participates in several working groups of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and Web Application Security Consortium (WASC). He can be contacted at sorrinsanctuminc.com. Amit is Director of Security and Research for Sanctum. He can be contacted at aklein sanctuminc.com.
In the process of developing AppScan (a security testing tool from Sanctum, the company we work for), we discovered a new attack technique called "HTTP response splitting." This powerful and elegant technique has an impact on various web environments. HTTP response splitting enables various attacks, such as web-cache poisoning, cross-user defacement, page hijacking of user information, and cross-site scripting (XSS). HTTP response splittingand the attacks derived from itis relevant to most web environments and is the result of an application's failure to reject illegal user input; in this case, input containing malicious or unexpected charactersthe CR and LF characters.
An HTTP response-splitting attack always involves at least three parties:
- The web server, which has a security hole enabling HTTP response splitting.
- The target, which interacts with the web server perhaps on behalf of attackers. Typically, this is a cache server (forward/reverse proxy) or browser (possibly with a browser cache).
- The attacker who initiates the attack.
At the heart of HTTP response splitting is the attacker's ability to send a single HTTP request that forces the web server to form an output stream, which is then interpreted by the target as two HTTP responses instead of the normal single response. The first response may be partially controlled by attackers, but this is less important. What is material is that attackers completely control the form of the second response from the HTTP status line to the last byte of the HTTP response body. Once this is possible, attackers realize the attack by sending two requests through the target. The first one invokes two responses from the web server, and the second request typically is to some "innocent" resource on the web server. However, the second request is matched by the target to the second HTTP response, which is fully controlled by attackers. Attackers, therefore, trick the target into believing that a particular resource on the web server (designated by the second request) is the server's HTTP response (server content) while, in fact, it is some data that is forged by attackers through the web serverthis is the second response.
HTTP response-splitting attacks occur where the server script embeds user data in HTTP response headers. This typically happens when the script embeds user data in the redirection URL of a redirection response (HTTP status code 3xx), or when the script embeds user data in a cookie value or name when the response sets a cookie. In the first case, the redirection URL is part of the Location HTTP response header, and in the second cookie setting case, the cookie name/value is part of the Set-Cookie HTTP response header.
For instance, consider the JSP page (located in /redir_lang.jsp) in Example 1(a). When invoking /redir_lang.jsp with a parameter lang=English, it redirects to /by_lang.jsp?lang=English. Example 1(b) is a typical response (the web server is BEA WebLogic 8.1 SP1). As you can see, the lang parameter is embedded in the Location response header. In terms of mounting an HTTP response-splitting attack, instead of sending the value English, we send a value that makes use of URL-encoded CRLF sequences to terminate the current response and shape an additional one. Example 2(a) illustrates how this is done. This results in the output stream in Example 2(b), sent by the web server over the TCP connection. This TCP stream is parsed by the target as follows:
- A first HTTP response, a 302 (redirection) response.
- A second HTTP response, a 200 response with content comprising of 19 bytes of HTML.
- Superfluous data. Everything beyond the end of the second response is superfluous and does not conform to the HTTP standard. So when attackers feed the target with two requests, the first being to the URL in Example 3(a) and the second to the URL in Example 3(b), then the target would believe that the first request is matched to the first response; see Example 3(c). And by this, the attacker manages to fool the target.
Admittedly, this example is naive. For instance, it doesn't take into account problems with how targets parse the TCP stream, issues with the superfluous data, problems with the data injection, and how to force caching.
Security Impact
With HTTP response splitting, it is possible to mount various kinds of attacks:
- Cross-site scripting (XSS). Until now, it has been impossible to mount XSS attacks on sites through a redirection script when the clients use IE unless the Location header can be fully controlled. With HTTP response splitting, it is possible to mount XSS attacks even if the Location header is only partially controlled by the attacker.
- Web-cache poisoning (defacement). This is a new attack. Attackers force the target (a cache server of some sort, for instance) to cache the second response in response to the second request. An example is to send a second request to "http://web.site/index.html" and force the target (cache server) to cache the second response, which is fully controlled by attackers. This is effectively a defacement of the web site, at least as experienced by other clients who use the same cache server. Of course, in addition to defacement, attackers can steal session cookies, or "fix" them to a predetermined value.
- Cross-user attacks (single user, single page, temporary defacement). As a variant of the attack, attackers don't send the second request. This seems odd at first, but the idea is that, in some cases, the target may share the same TCP connection with the server, among several users (this is the case with some cache servers). The next user to send a request to the web server through the target is served by the target with the second response, which the attackers generated. The net result is having a client of the web site being served with a resource crafted by attackers. This enables attackers to deface the site for a single page requested by a single user (a local, temporary defacement). In addition to defacement, attackers can steal session cookies and/or set them.
- Hijacking pages with user-specific information. With this attack, attackers can receive the server response to user requests instead of the user. Therefore, attackers gain access to user-specific information that may be sensitive and confidential.
- Browser-cache poisoning. This is a special case of web-cache poisoning. It is similar to XSS in that the attacker needs to target individual clients. However, unlike XSS, it has a long-lasting effect because the spoofed resource remains in the browser's cache.
A Step Toward the "Perfect Hack"
One of the unique properties of HTTP response-splitting's web-cache poisoning attack is its forensics and incident-response hampering qualities. Typically, when a site is defaced or hacked, site administrators are notified by unhappy users. In classic examples of web-site defacement where a file on the web server itself has been altered or replaced, a quick look at the site by the administrator is all that is necessary to validate that the attack has occurred. With web-cache poisoning, the altered or replaced page will not show up on the web server and may be invisible to internal employees accessing the site directly as opposed to accessing it from the external Internet (where the cache server typically provides its service). Further, in the instance of an intermediate web-cache server attack, such as an online service or ISP's cache servers, administrators will be unable to verify the attack unless they are accessing the site via the ISP or online service. Web-cache poisoning can also result in insufficient logs. Due to the transient nature of the data held in cache servers, pages cached and the time of cache refresh or update are rarely logged, and even if the time of update is logged, the page content is not. This also impedes incident response and forensics.
Finally, HTTP response splitting is reversible by attackers, who have the ability to undo the web-cache poisoning attack by submitting the injection with a payload constructed to reverse the effects. This is important on two key levels:
- Standard forensics and incident-response procedures hinge on capturing attack evidence; in this case, the modified HTML page. By removing the malicious page prior to the site administrator or law enforcement obtaining a copy, attackers can cover their tracks and hamper (if not disable) forensics procedures. Thus, attackers can implement the attack and quickly reverse it, leaving site administrators and law enforcement with nothing to establish that an attack even occurred.
- Some web-cache servers are scheduled to automatically refresh cached pages from the web site at regular intervals. With past web-site defacement attacks, covering one's tracks typically required hacking back into the site and deleting the manipulated files. Only very skilled intruders could change or manipulate the web-server logs to mask the break-ins. An HTTP response-splitting web-cache poisoning attack lets even novice crackers hack with a level of impunity once reserved for the very skilled.
It is critical that web-application developers validate input. You need to remove CRs and LFs (and all other hazardous characters) before embedding data into any HTTP response headers, particularly when setting cookies and redirecting. Another option is to reject requests that contain these characters in data that is embedded into HTTP headers, as such requests are attack attempts. It is possible to use third-party products (like Sanctum's AppShield, for example) to prevent CR/LF injection.
Consider the (vulnerable) J2EE script example from Example 1(a), in which the code was shown to be vulnerable (at least, in BEA WebLogic 8.1 SP1 and in IBM WebSphere 5.1 servers). It can be easily fixed by making sure that no CR/LF is present in the parameter; see Example 4. This logic ensures that the lang parameter does not contain any CR or LF by searching for each and ascertaining that neither is found in the parameter value.
In ASP.NET, making sure that controls do not contain specific characters amounts to using (correctly) the regular expression field validator. For example:
"lang " ValidationExpression="^[^\r\n]*$"
runat="server" id="..." />
This ASP.NET field validator is bound to the user-input control lang, and validates this input field by ensuring that it does not contain the CR/LF characters. This is done via matching the input field to a regular expression that does not allow any CR or LF in its pattern. Of course, it is also necessary to test explicitly for the state of the validator (by checking lang.IsValid or by checking the global page state Page.IsValid).
Furthermore, you should make sure to use the most up-to-date application engine and ensure that your application is accessed through a unique IP address (that is, that the same IP address is not used for another application as it is with virtual hosting).
Lastly, we advise that you scan the application (before deployment, using a tool such as Sanctum's AppScan, http://www.sanctuminc.com/) to ensure that the application is not vulnerable to HTTP response-splitting (and other) attacks.
HTTP response splitting is a new technique that enables several new and interesting attacks. This technique only applies to applications that do not validate their input before embedding it into HTTP response headers. Avoiding this vulnerability is a simple matter of adding a short If test (or, in ASP.NET, using a field validator control). Application programmers are encouraged to understand the new threat and to apply the simple security measures in their applications and, in general, to implement security (via input validation) in their code.


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Firefighters are currently tackling a lorry blaze on the A272 near Ansty which has closed the road in both directions.
The vehicle is reported to be 'well alight' after five of the portable gas cylinders it was carrying exploded and the area has been cordoned off as a precaution with fire crews expecting the final two cylinders to go off. No one is believed to have been injured.
Crews from Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath are currently attending the blaze and the road has been closed with emergency services encouraging drivers to avoid the area.
A spokesperson for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said the road was likely to be shut for a while due to the damage caused to the surface.
They added the incident was around half a mile away from the A23 so those using the road should not be affected.
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Skip Headers
Oracle Workflow Developer's Guide
Release 2.6.3
Part Number B10284-02
What Is NOT Supported
The following types of customizations are not supported:
1. Modifying a workflow object that has a protection level that is less than 100.
2. Altering a workflow object's protection level if its original protection level is less than 100.
3. Modifying your access level to an unauthorized level of less than 100 for the purpose of modifying workflow objects that are protected at levels less than 100.
4. Customizations that are explicitly documented as being UNSUPPORTED in the seeded workflow's product-specific User's Guide or documentation update notes. This includes modifying processes, attributes, function activities, event activities, notifications, lookup types, messages, events, or subscriptions that are specifically documented as not to be modified.
5. Manual modifications of Workflow tables with a prefix of WF_ or FND_ unless it is documented in the Oracle Workflow Guide or is required by Oracle Support Services.
6. Customizations to any predefined Oracle Workflow directory service view definitions, including any of the predefined implementations of the WF_USERS, WF_ROLES, and WF_USER_ROLES views, as well as the bulk synchronization views provided by originating systems within Oracle Applications.
7. Customizations to any predefined versions of the Oracle Workflow PL/SQL security package, WFA_SEC.
Copyright © 2003 Oracle Corporation.
All rights reserved.


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Tipster Nick wrote in to share some inside information about the time last month when he met, and took pictures of, San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson. Or so he says.
These were from his 29th B-Day party here in Scottsdale, before the Giants broke camp. I got stories too, but seeing as he's about the coolest motherfucker (read: athlete) I've met, I'll pass.
If wanting the good life is such a crime, Lord, then put them away.


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The news media is fascinated with anniversaries, especially those ending in round numbers. Therefore, it came as no surprise that the 50th anniversary of the Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins was celebrated this week. On February 1, 1960, four students from North Carolina A&T University - Ezell A. Blair, Jr., David L. Richmond, Joseph A. McNeil and Franklin E. McCain - initiated a successful effort to desegregate the lunch counter at the downtown Woolworth`s store.
Although the four college students are hailed for taking a seat in order to stand up for their rights, it is important to remember that they were not alone. In fact, after they were refused service, they returned the following day with more than two dozen students. The numbers continued to swell, reaching 300 on February 5, four days after the initial protest. Among the protesters were students from Bennett College, the all-female Black college in Greensboro, and Dudley High, the school that African American students attended under segregation.
Coming six years after the Supreme Court`s landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision outlawing segregated public schools and five years after the tragic murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till near Money, Miss., the Greensboro sit-in movement sparked similar movements in other cities, including Durham, Nashville, Atlanta, Little Rock and Miami.
This was three years before the March on Washington, five years before the Selma-to-Montgomery March in Alabama, four years before passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and five years before the Voting Rights Act.
Today, we don`t think twice about whether we`ll be served if we enter any downtown restaurant. But that hasn`t always been so. In the case of Greensboro, African-American shoppers were encouraged to spend their money at such stores as Woolworth`s, a five-and-dime discount retail chain. However, they weren`t allowed to try on clothes before taking them home, were relegated to separate toilets and certainly weren`t allowed to sit next to whites at lunch counters. In Greensboro, as was the case in other cities across the South, Blacks were not allowed to sit at all. The Woolworth`s store in Greensboro had four counter seats for Whites. African Americans, at least prior to the protest, had to eat while standing on their feet.
As we begin our annual celebration of Black History Month, it is important to celebrate the thousands of nameless and faceless brave men, women and children who formed the nucleus of the modern civil rights movement yet never received the acclaim of the four students who led the Greensboro protest. Their names are not in the history books, they gave no speeches about their dreams and their graves are not enshrined with markers listing their brave accomplishments. Yet, they are at least as important as Dr. Martin Luther King, Roy Wilkins, John Lewis or Whitney Young.
It`s great to celebrate the epic moments of the civil rights movement, but it is even greater to realize that Blacks have always struggled against oppression in this country. Many of the protests that are among the most celebrated were predated by similar protests that, for some reason, did not capture the national imagination of later movements.
For example, before there was a Greensboro sit-in protest in 1960, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) had organized sit-ins in Chicago (1942), St. Louis (1949) and Baltimore (1952). Greensboro wasn`t the first sit-in site in North Carolina. On June 23, 1957, seven students were arrested in Durham at the Royal Ice Cream Shop for staging a sit-in, in the "Whites Only" section. They were convicted and the U.S. Supreme Court later refused to take up their appeal.
The 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott launched the career of a young Baptist minister named Martin Luther King and made Rosa Parks a household name. Two years earlier, Rev. T.J. Jemison, pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, La., had organized a successful bus boycott that served as the template for Montgomery. Volunteer drivers, traveling on routes normally traversed by city buses, picked up passengers and drove to their normal bus stop. To avoid being prosecuted for operating as an unlicensed taxi or bus, drivers did not charge riders.
The boycott ended June 25, 1953 with Jemison and other Black leaders reaching a compromise with city officials. The settlement called for the first two front seats being reserved for Whites, the long seat in the back of buses reserved for African Americans and all sets in between offered on a first-come-first-served basis.
There are many other instances of early Black protests, including a 1939 sit-in at the Alexandria, Va. library, organized by attorney Samuel Wilbert Tucker, and a successful 1958 drugstore lunch counter sit-in in Oklahoma City.
Perhaps the lesson we should emphasize this Black History Month is that African-American protesters have always made history, even when their efforts were ignored by the media and went unrecognized by their own people. We to need worry less today about whether our work is covered by network television crews and daily newspapers and care more about whether we are being true to the dedicated souls who came before us. George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA News Service, is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. He can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge.


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NEW HAVEN — On June 15, as Beeman Elementary kids unwrap their last-day-of-school popsicles and scatter for the summer, longtime teacher Robin Shalline will join her colleagues on the front steps of the New Haven school and wave goodbye to her students for the very last time.
After teaching for 36 years at Beeman, Shalline is retiring.
Through it all, she's never forgotten what it's like to be a little kid.
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MONTPELIER — Each year the Vermont Council of Special Education Administrators (VCSEA) recognizes and celebrates the achievements of a Vermont Special Education Administrator through the presentation of the Gail Lynk Administrator of the Year Award. This year's recipient is Dr. Vicki Wells of the Addison Central School District (ACSD).
ORWELL — Orwell and the five other Addison-Rutland Supervisory Union (ARSU) communities will decide on April 12 whether to consolidate their school governance system into a single board that will oversee one education budget for its five elementary schools and Fair Haven Union High School.
This week's writer is Jack Hoffman, a policy analyst for Public Assets Institute (www.publicassets.org), a non-partisan, nonprofit organization based in Montpelier.
Exhibit A among current critics of Vermont's education funding system is some version of a chart showing annual education expenditures going up over time and school enrollment going down. Why are we spending more and more money to educate fewer and fewer kids?
MIDDLEBURY — An event this week will help draw closer connections between local farms and the school children they feed.
On March 27, the central Champlain Valley's school community will come together for a day of inspiration, celebration and networking at the fifth annual Stone Soup Summit. Students, teachers, parents, administrators, farmers, food service managers, nurses and community volunteers will share stories of challenge and triumph and work in diverse groups to address the issues facing farm-to-school programs and school nutrition in our region.
If you are a member of a school board, the chances are fair that you would like a moment or two of Gov. Peter Shumlin's time, just enough to have him understand you don't spend countless hours tweaking the numbers just to devise a budget that is beyond the taxpayers' ability to pay.
As if you don't have enough to do…
BRISTOL — Gov. Peter Shumlin on Monday at a legislative luncheon in Bristol urged Addison County residents and their legislative delegation to support his public education reform agenda in the next two legislative sessions.
He said that maintaining the status quo will leave future generations of Vermonters unable to compete in the regional or global economies.
LINCOLN — Students, parents and staff of the Lincoln Community School gathered in the building's recently renovated gymnasium last Friday to celebrate a special month learning about the culture of India. The "India Festival" featured a shadow puppet show, a presentation of student artwork in traditional Indian styles, yoga, delicious Indian food and a magic show by local magician Tom Verner.
MIDDLEBURY — Susan Borg and Richard Nessen have already made an impact on education in the Middlebury area. Borg founded the Quarry Hill School in 1974, while Nessen helped establish the Bridge School in 1980. Both have placed a premium on teaching to individual students rather than trying to tailor subject matter to a large class.
It is a successful technique they would like to see passed on. But change in the education field rarely comes overnight.
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Warranty Terms and Conditions
All items must be taken to the store of purchase for warranty claims. Items purchased online must be taken into our Constellation Drive store in Albany.
All faulty items will be booked in for assessment by our service department. When items are booked in for assessment we require a deposit at the time of booking in. This deposit will be refunded in full should the fault be deemed a warranty issue. If an item has been deemed non-warranty or the warranty has been voided for any reason, this deposit is kept as an assessment fee. This assessment fee is deducted from any repair costs (E.g. A phone is booked in, $45 deposit taken, Quotation of $80 for repair is taken, you only pay $35 extra.)
Warranties only cover manufacturing defects. Any equipment deemed liquid/sand/dust contaminated or otherwise dropped, misused or neglected may, at the discretion of the repairer, be excluded from being repaired under warranty.
The customer is responsible for all data stored on their devices. Please backup your data prior to bringing your device in for repair.
Equipment not claimed within 3 months of repair will become the property of the repairer.
For security reasons no goods shall be released without proof of ownership, the service docket MUST be retained as proof of ownership and identity.
Unless otherwise specified, all repairs carry a 60 day parts and labour warranty from the date of collection. Service warranty is given on the repair performed to address a specific fault. Any previously undiagnosed or subsequent faults are not covered by this warranty, and will be handled as seperate repairs. Where the product has a balance of a new warranty remaining, the greater of 60 days or the balance of the new warranty remains.
Proof of Purchase
You are required to retain your sales receipt as proof of purchase. You will be required to present this for any warranty claims. If the item was purchased less than 3 months before todays current date we may be able to reprint your receipt; for us to do this we will need a bank statement or credit card statement, showing the amount and date of purchase. Outside of this timeframe we will be unable to find and reprint the receipt.
Without the receipt the warranty becomes null and void.
Additional Information
|Storage Size
Please allow us up to 5 working days to process all non-fragrance orders that are showing as in stock. If the order is urgent, please follow up the order with a free phone call to our online team 0800 20 20 91.
Fragrances ordered before 1:00pm will go out the same day intended for next day delivery nationwide*. T&C's apply.Please refer to our full Terms and Conditions page for full details around free overnight delivery.
Hot Deal orders: All 'Hot Deal' items (The product name is followed by (HD)) require 7 to 12 working days for delivery as these are back ordered items and subject to availability. If the product is not available it can take longer than 12 working days and you are eligible for a full refund thereafter, prior to this, a 10% charge will be applied to the refund as these products are ordered in specifically for you. You will receive weekly emails to update you on your purchase indicating the next expected delivery date. We may not be in touch straight away as we will only email you once we have updated information to share.
Back ordered products: These items will say 'Order Now' on our website and will not say 'In Stock' or have an "HD" in the title. These orders require 7 to 12 working days for delivery and are subject to availability. You may cancel at any time for a full refund. You will receive weekly emails to update you on the progress of your order. We may not be in touch straight away as we will only email you once we have updated information to share.
Please do contact us at email@example.com if you have any queries regarding your order.
* Please refer to delivery page for full information.
General Returns Please choose carefully as we are not obliged to refund or exchange due to a change of mind as per the Consumer Guarantees Act.
For Online Purchases: You can return an item for a full refund within 7 working days providing the item is in the same condition it was in when purchased i.e. Brand New. Once an item has been used* it cannot be returned for a refund. Items must be returned with all included accessories and packaging. You MUST have the original receipt for a refund, without this receipt we will not refund the item or accept it into service. If an item is faulty, it will fall under our Warranty Policy as described below and will not be eligible for a refund. We do not sell used items and will not accept any item with any indication that it was used. In such cases, the item will be returned to the purchaser.
Please Note: All returns are subject to inspection by ourselves and/or our service department. Returned products must be in the same condition as received including all packaging and accessories, items must be completely unused. Faulty items will be covered under our Warranty Policy. Refunds will be performed using the same method as original payment. However, if paid by cash, we may need an EFTPOS card to refund to, as we may not have sufficient cash to perform the refund. Refunds will not be issued if it has been more than 7 days since the date of purchase.
Online orders and the 7 day return policy. The 7 day return period for online orders begins on the date of shipment and only includes working days as the online store is not open over weekends. For our full Returns Policy, please view here.
* Mobile Phones - A mobile phone is considered to be used if a SIM card has been inserted into the phone.


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Milaap creates sustainability by blending crowdfunding and micro lending
Target audience: Nonprofits, cause organizations, foundations, NGOs, social enterprises, educators, journalists, general public.
Icould begin this post by regurgitating any number of statistics on the sensory and information overload we all experience these days, but I won't. We all know that that's the world we live in. Technology has really broken down barriers to information and while that's mostly a good thing, it can be really overwhelming as well.
As a result, breaking through the digital clutter these days is tough. So what do you do when your cause depends on you doing just that? How do you make sustainable giving a reality, so that both your cause and supporters benefit? Continue reading


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Chicken Pita Pockets
From: National Chicken Council
Quick Facts
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 15 min.
Total: 30 min.
Ranch dressing adds tangy zip to these simple, chicken pita sandwiches.
- 4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
- 3/4 cup ranch salad dressing
- 1 Tbs dried dill weed
- 2 Tbs vegetable oil
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup lettuce, shredded
- 8 large pita bread halves
- Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to flatten.
- To make sauce, combine ranch dressing and dill; set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add mushrooms and onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in pan; add chicken. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until internal juices run clear. Slice into strips.
- Stuff pita bread halves with lettuce, chicken strips, and mushroom mixture. Top with dill sauce. Serve with carrot sticks.
Recipe courtesy of the National Chicken Council
Nutrition Facts
Calories 760
Calories from Fat 301 (40%)
(52%) Total Fat 33g
(24%) Saturated Fat 5g
Polyunsaturated Fat 15g
Monounsaturated Fat 10g
(30%) Cholesterol 90mg
(47%) Sodium 1132mg
(22%) Potassium 767mg
Total Carbohydrate 75g
(16%) Dietary Fiber 4g
Sugars 5g
Sugar Alcohols 0g
(75%) Protein 38g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Nutrition facts are calculated by a food expert using nutritional values provided by the USDA for common products used as recipe ingredients. Actual nutritional values may differ depending on the amounts or products used and can be affected by cooking methods.
Copyright © 2019 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. www.healthnotes.com
Read our healthy recipe definitions.
Learn more about Healthnotes, the company.
The information presented here is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2019.


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Ford Fiesta ST
The ST is confirmed for Europe in 2013, but no word was given about a model for North America.
The Fiesta ST is powered by a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine making 177 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. That results in a 0-to-62-mph time of less than seven seconds and a top speed of more than 136 mph. At the same time, Ford says, the Fiesta ST delivers a 20 percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared with the previous Fiesta ST.


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The one that started it all. After almost 30 years of sneaker excellence, Men's Air Jordan Retro 1 Basketball Shoe is taking it back to the basics with the original Air Jordan sneaker. Making its debut alongside his royal Airness back in 1985, this shoe has attained a legendary status comparable to its namesake. Initially being banned by the NBA upon its introduction, the Air Jordan I enjoyed instant popularity and notoriety, becoming a must-have for all fans of Michael Jordan. Dress like his Airness in this timeless classic that isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Jordan Brand is kicking off the new year by bringing back its original Air Jordan I in rare form and sporting the original colorway from 1985. Featuring a full leather upper consisting of a white toe box, black Nike Swoosh, and red side panels, this shoe was conceived to match #23's Chicago Bulls jerseys. A white midsole and red outsole complete the shoe and complement the upper.


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And yes, the book has many more stories to keep you entertained.
So please check this book page for reviews, book related giveaway etc.and order your own copy.
Most of you have heard about the strict taboos placed on the eating habits of Bengali Hindu Widows until the mid 20th century. They were prohibited from eating non-vegetarian food like fish, meat, eggs, certain lentils like masoor and vegetables like onion and garlic. These were regarded as tamasik food, food that could induce passion and thus were a strict non-no for Bengali widows.The rules of course were set by a patriarchal society where men who had lost their wives were free to gallivant around with kept women, eat anything they wanted and drink to drown their sorrow. The females alas had no such choices.
By the time it was the 1970's, society had opened up but the rules laid down long back still ran deep. A fall out of these strict rules was the excellent culinary skills achieved by most Bengali widows of that time, in their vegetarian cooking.Within their limitation, they created magic.
Amongst the family and relatives I knew, no one really enforced such strict rules, at least not openly but some of the women themselves embraced the taboos of their own volition. One of them was my father's grandmother. We called her "Baro Ma". I had known her for only that one year, that our life intersected and to me she was the stern lady in the sepia toned framed picture that hung above the dresser in my grandparent's room. To my father and uncle however she was the doting grandmother, one whom they loved more than their own mother. She was also the greatest cook and till this date my father tries to conjure up the taste of her paayesh and mohonbhog in his own memory.
"Baro Ma" had lost her husband when she was in her mid or late sixties. She was a woman of strong determination and steely grit and if I believe stories told by my Baba, there was no society who could force her to do anything. It is only natural that in the stories retold by my father, I see "Baro Ma", not as a deprived woman, but one of immense self-control who ate only one full meal a day and that too a meal that was strictly vegetarian. It could have been that it was easier for her to give up the non-vegetarian food she was used to eating because she was already at an age when lust and passion for food was not foremost on her mind.
Now, though she ate only once a day, her meals were very elaborate. That she loved to cook and was an expert at it, only helped. Baba says, her meals would always follow six courses starting with bitter neem leaves when they were in season or some fritters/bora made with the bitter leaves of polta pata or some dish made with uchhe. This would always be followed by some shaak or greens. Palong, Paat, Note, Pui, the variety was endless. Protein would come in the form of dals. Lentils would not only be simmered into Dals but also ground and spiced to make different boras which were fried and added to many dish. This would be followed with other vegetable preparations depending on season. The meal would always end with a milk based dessert, usually a bowl of milk which had simmered for long on the low flames of the coal unoon and had a thick layer of fat or shor on its surface. Vegetarianism only made her hone her culinary skills and with the aid of fresh vegetables, dollops of ghee, variety of spices and creamy whole milk from their own cows, she conjured meals so good that my father and uncle preferred sharing her meal than their own fish or meat options.
While I have only heard about her meals, the next story is about my father's aunt who lost her husband, when I was around 9-10 years old. N Dida, was also in her sixties, a cheerful soul who lived by herself in a house with a sprawling verandah, not very far from our own home. After the passing away of her husband, she too was sucked into folds of vegetarianism with a strong force. Again, no one had asked her to do so, she lived by herself and there was no one to judge what she did in the confines of her own home either.I was a budding feminist and I thought it was extremely unfair that N Dida had to give up fish and meat. When she came to visit us, I would insist that she eat the Britannia cake that everyone knew had eggs in it. She never agreed.Now, that I think of it, while no one asked her to give up meat and fish, none of the elders insisted that she eat them either.
The times that we visited her though, the food was so good that I never missed our non-veg options. Soft pillow like chanar dalna soaked in a sweetish gravy, dhoka--the squares of spiced lentils in a reddish looking curry, aloo posto, daal er bora, it was an endless feast. She loved my Mother's cooking and Ma always took great pains to serve elaborate vegetarian meals when N dida came to visit.
Though many Bengalis think that a meal without fish or meat is hardly a meal to live life by and many non-Bengalis cannot imagine a Bengali eating anything other than sweet and fish, the truth is there exists a whole array of rich and flavorful Bengali vegetarian dishes and many of them owe their existence to these enterprising women of the early 20th century who were forced to give up their largely fish diet.
Also there are many Bengali vegetarian dishes that can transcend the fine line from veg to non-veg simply by adding a few shrimp or prawns. It was this trick that the Bengali jester "Gopal BhaNr" applied to extort money from his widowed Pishi. There is a very old story about how the aunt being a widow was not allowed to touch non-veg and had cooked a niramish lau ghonto for Gopal. Gopal did a mean trick of adding some fried shrimp to the dish while eating and declaring that it was the best "Lau-Chingri" -- bottlegourd with shrimp he had eaten. The aunt afraid at what the society would say if they heard of this had agreed to give Gopal money to keep his mouth shut. Now that I try to retell the story, which celebrated Gopa BhaNr's cunning and which we lapped up as kids, I realize how mean it was. Goes to show how conditioned we are to set rules.
Today's Alu Phulkopir Dalna -- potato and cauliflower curry, is a similar dish where addition of some succulent prawns transfers it from a vegetarian delight to a non-vegetarian dream of Chingri Aloo Phulkopi'r Dalna. You take your pick.
The nuances of the dalna is explained in the Alu Potol er Dalna here. I make this potato cauliflower dish along similar lines. Some families add onion to this dish but my Mother, a sparse user of onion did not and I too abide by that.
Chingri Aloo Phulkopir Dalna -- Potato-Cauliflower curry with prawns
If you are going to add prawns there are two options.
If using the headless ones, cleaning is easy. Remove the shell, keeping tail intact. Devein shrimp. Rinse.
For the head-on shrimp carefully remove the whiskers and sharp points on the head along with the eyes. Do not remove the entire head though because it adds to the taste of the gravy. Carefully devein and remove the shell from the body keeping the tail intact. Rinse thoroughly.
Now toss the cleaned prawns with turmeric powder and salt.
Chop 1 medium sized cauliflower in medium sized florets. Soak in warm water with salt for 10 minutes.
Start Cooking
Heat Oil in a wok and fry the cauliflower florets with 1/4 tsp of turmeric till they are golden with brown spots. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
Heat some more Oil in the same wok.
Fry the prawns till they turn pink. Remove and keep aside.The oil flavored with the head-on prawns adds a beautiful taste to the dish
Temper the same Oil with
1&1/2" thin stick of cinnamon
1 small Bay Leaf
1 big black cardamom and 3 small green cardamom
4 clove
few cumin seeds
When the spices sizzle add 2-3 peeled whole tomatoes from a can or 1 big juicy tomato pureed or finely chopped. Fry the tomato for couple of minutes till the raw smell is gone. If you are not the smelling type, check to see if the oil is separating from the masala.If you don't like bits and pieces of tomato in the gravy, I suggest puree and then add it.
Add 1 heaped tsp of Ginger paste/minced Ginger, couple of slit green chillies and continue frying till tomato is cooked and mushed up
Add 2 medium sized potato, peeled and quartered. Add 1/4 tsp of Turmeric and saute the potatoes till they take on a gold hue.
Next throw in 1/3 cup of fresh or frozen peas. Keep sauteing/frying for the next 3-4 minutes. When using shrimp no need to add peas.
Time for the masala.
Mix the following spices in water and add the paste
1/2 tsp of fresh ground Coriander Powder +
1/2 tsp of Roasted Cumin Powder +
1/2 tsp of Red Chili Powder
Note: I roast coriander/cumin seeds and grind them to a fine powder. I also use Deggi Mirch so use Red Chili Powder according to taste.
Add a little of the tomato juice or a little water and fry the spices + potatoes + peas for 2 more minutes
Add the fried cauliflower florets and gently mix everything together
Add 2 cups of water. Add salt to taste. Cover and cook till potatoes are done. Cauliflower should be done by now. Remove the cover and reduce the gravy to your desired thickness
Adjust for seasoning and add about 1/2 tsp of sugar.
If you are using prawns, add the fried prawns to the gravy at this point and simmer for 3-4minutes at medium heat.
Finish with a little ghee and 1/4th tsp garam masala powder. Serve with rice or chapati


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Usually I don't share my War Thunder videos here... However, I believe this game was quite interesting.. my Tiger tank was pretty immune to the Russian 85mm guns; wish you enjoy the commentary
War Thunder Replay.
Use only if your topic doesn't fit into one of the categories above.
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A few days back I posted on improving query times in Pub3D by going from a monolithic database (17M rows), to a partitioned version (~ 3M rows in 6 separate databases) and then performing queries in parallel. I also noted that we were improving query times by making use of an R-tree spatial index.
Andrew Dalke posted a comment:
I've wondered about this quote from the ANN page at http://www.cs.umd.edu/~mount/ANN/ .
"Computing exact nearest neighbors in dimensions much higher than 8 seems to be a very difficult task. Few methods seem to be significantly better than a brute-force computation of all distances."
Since you're in 12-D space, this suggests that a linear search would be faster. The times I've done searches for near neighbors in higher dimensional property space have been with a few thousand molecules at most, so I've never worried about more complicated data structures.
This is a very good point. The problem with high dimensional spaces is that the points tend to be located in the corners and the bulk of the space is empty. What this means for a spatial index is that the database will end up looking at big chunks of the table. What makes this worse is that the entire index will have to be scanned, likely followed by a scan over a large portion of the table. So, why use the index in the first place?
When we started of with the monolithic database of 17M rows, it turned out that index scans were generally faster than a linear scan. However, since the machine was shared with other processes and did not have particularly fast disks, it's not entirely clear whether the time advantage was derived purely from the index. After we went to the partitioned database, I did not do any performance comparisons. Based on Andrews comment I took a look at the performance on our latest database.
Firstly, the partitioned version consists of 6 databases, each with about 3M rows. Each machine has a relatively low load average and also has 10K RPM disks. I performed my queries on just one of the partitions, using a 100 random molecules with a query radius of 2 (which gives a result set of about 99K rows). First I ran the query with a linear scan, followed by an indexed scan. The summary of the timings are
|Min (ms)
|1st Quartile (ms)
|Median (ms)
|Mean (ms)
|3rd Quartile (ms)
|Max (ms)
It's clear that the linear scan beats the indexed version. The variance in the timings is also understandable, since the indexed scan is very dependent on the distribution of points in the space. The nice thing about the linear scan is that whatever the query molecule, the time is bounded above by the time required to scan the whole database, which seems to be about 3s for 3M rows. However, will the performance advantage of the linear scan be retained if we were to with 17M rows on these machines? Can't say till we test it.
One of the lessons I learnt from this is that benchmarking performance is always better than assuming performance! Furthermore, while brute force is inelegant, it can be useful. Thanks to Andrew, Pub3D now uses linear scan queries rather than indexed queries.
I should also note that R-tree indexes are generally useful for 2D datasets (such as in GIS applications). My use of it for 12D data is certainly not the best use of this type of index. We had initially investigated the M-tree index, which is supposed to be better suited for high dimensional (10D to 20D) data than the R-tree. Our initial tests on the monolithic database indicated that it outperformed R-tree and linear scans. But we haven't tested it's performance on the partitioned databases.
Another optimization that might help a spatial indexing scheme is a clustered version of the database rather than a partitioned. That is, the partitioned database is simply a chunked form of the 17M rows, without regard to locality of the points. Clustering should maintain locality to some extent – the downside is that updates to the database will require reclustering on some sort of schedule.
Finally, one could also consider approximate nearest neighbor methods. Andrew already pointed out ANN. I had investigated locality sensitive hashing sometime back which seemed to be useful – since these are not available as Postgres GiST indexes, one would have to forgo the advantages of the database infrastructure.


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Contact Us About Filing Quarterly Reports
Help Desk
For help with filing the Employer's Quarterly Report online, please contact the following.
|To look up your account number, UBI number, or Account Manager contact information
|Search at Verify Workers' Comp Premium Status
|To get help with your User ID or Password (it's not working or you forgot it)
|Go to My Secure L&I and click on 'Forgot your user ID?' or 'Forgot your password?' links directly under the Login button for assistance.
|Have questions about how to report or other account specific questions?
|Call your account manager weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
|Can't get into the Claim and Account Center due to system outages or other reasons?
|Web Customer Support is available weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. by email: firstname.lastname@example.com (fastest during peak filing periods) or phone: at 360‑902‑5999.
Mailing addresses
Payment vouchers
Department of Labor & Industries
PO Box 24106
Seattle WA 98124-6524
Premium payments and reports
Department of Labor & Industries
PO Box 34022
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Address change
Address changes can be submitted online when filing your quarterly report. Just check the box that says 'business changes' and provide the information requested. You can also submit your address change by phone, fax, or mail.
Call your account manager or 360‑902‑4817.
Fax your address change to 360‑902‑4988. Always include your account number and UBI number on every page.
Write your address change on the back of your quarterly report form and mail to the address listed above, or mail a letter with your address change, account number and UBI number to:
Employer Services
Department of Labor & Industries
P.O. Box 44140
Olympia, WA 98504 4140