The county has received national recognition for its innovative open data initiatives that have benefited the community while reducing costs.
In early September, Alameda County, Calif., held its fifth hackathon, and is now sifting through more than a dozen ideas -- many of which will morph into projects over the next year. Sure, the event is one day, but for Alameda hackathons are a way of life.
"We're very lucky to be in an environment like this that gives us a chance to take risks and do something different," said Alameda County CIO Tim Dupuis.
At the wrap-up meeting for the hackathon, county staff reflected that hackathons have changed Alameda's culture, making it feel Google-like, with more free-thinking around process improvements, according to Dupuis.
Sacramento Hacker Lab Getting Gigabit BroadbandOpen Data Is Open for BusinessCan Open Data Find a Business Model?
Dupuis, who leads the county's open data initiative, puts on the events with his own team, and sees the hackathons as another way for the information technology department to proactively perform outreach, marketing and education, which are natural roles for IT staff.
"This is a new way for us to go out and learn how we can use technology to improve the service we deliver as a county," he said.
The recent hackathon -- an internal event called Rethink AC -- had 125 county employees start with 30 ideas, culminating in 13 teams presenting proposals and competing for five awards. A number of ideas included bringing apps or functions together in one place, similar to an idea for creating one portal for county contracts. Other projects from previous events have included an invoice-processing app that saves the county around $500,000 per year and an electronic vendor payment app to be implemented next year.
Alameda has learned there are other benefits from internal and external hackathon events, including an engaged work place and community, and opportunities for participants to collaborate with new people, work together and build relationships.
Alameda's hackathons began as a natural evolution of the county's open data initiative. In 2011, the county board of supervisors and County Administrator Susan Muranishi challenged Tim Dupuis and his information technology department team to make raw and intelligent data available to the community.
The county created a committee made from department decision makers to discuss opening up all public data and then partnered with Socrata, the open data platform company, to create a cloud-based, open data portal that launched in 2012 starting with 100 data sets, and now has more than 140.
Socrata's technology manages the flow of data on the open data portal, and its application programming interfaces give programmers flexibility to integrate the data and use it in powerful ways, said Safouen Rabah, vice president of product for Socrata.
Since its first external hackathon in 2012, Alameda County has had two more external hackathons or Apps Challenges and two internal hackathons or Rethink AC events. One of each is now held annually. County staff work hard putting on each event, including coordinating the logistics, that Dupuis estimates can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000, which includes all the marketing, venue, prizes and food, though sponsors offset a lot of that, he said.
Winning ideas offset the cost too. During Alameda's first internal hackathon in 2013, employees proposed an automated-invoicing app that reduces storage, paper, scanning and other costs, saving the county about $500,000 per year. The app, which was rolled out in April, also saves money by decreasing invoice-verification time by 80 percent.
Another app created by high-school-age interns who participated in the first external hackathon saved the county $65,000 because no developer had to be hired, according to Socrata.
Alameda County was an early open data innovator in government, embracing many of the aspects of the movement, Rabah said. "Their open data project is really one of the most innovative projects out there," he said.
It's interesting to ponder why organizations are choosing to make their information more accessible, said Rabah. Though it can appear that opening data up is done just because it's the right thing to do, there are key motivators, he explained, including serving as a catalyst for government, with the help of citizens, to innovate and improve how things are done.
"Increasingly one of the main consumers of that data are government employees themselves, he said.
Once the site was up, Alameda needed promote its open data. Taking a tip from private organizations, the county began to create its own hackathon events, starting with an external hackathon, or Apps Challenge.
After visiting other events, many of which were multi-day, the county settled on its own style: a one-day event structure. "It builds up a lot of energy," Dupuis said. "We get a lot done in that one day, and we've been very, very happy with the result."
The entire scope of the projects, though, takes more than one day. Alameda extends its hackathons beyond the event day by reaching out to the community and investing in the development of ideas. "There's a whole system here, it's not just the one day. The networking and community outreach and the building of relationships with the community continue on," Dupuis said.
For example, IT staff visit high school classrooms, technology hubs and coder havens to drum up participation and interest in the external hackathons, since these events move to different districts, and each reaches an entirely new crowd. The outreach has paid off, however. The first Apps Challenge attracted 120 people and the third, and most recent, attracted 170 participants.
And even the internal events are communicated widely by committee representatives, with posters using catch-phrases like "say no to the status quo," and through the county's internal newsletter.
This is what makes Alameda so special and successful, according to Rabah. "What they are absolute leaders on is the developer engagement aspect of open data," he said. "They have sustained a very engaging relationship with developers that spans both the physical and digital world."
Alameda laid the groundwork before its first hackathon in 2012 by connecting directly with the surrounding tech community and with a range of people. And each event is different: 50 percent of Alameda's latest Apps Challenge participants were high school age or younger.
"One of the things that's been very successful for us is just putting that effort into the outreach up front," Dupuis said. "We hit it from several angles -- we use social media, we use all the contacts we have, but, more importantly, we're willing to go out and send people to events."
The county looks to bring to each hackathon a mixture of talents. Alameda learned from watching privately run hackathons that it needs more than just the hard-core coder types; the person with a vision is necessary too.
With its internal or Rethink AC events, Alameda emphasizes friendly competition, the importance of the idea and for all kinds of people to participate, including those with strong presentation, collaboration and participation skills. The resulting "killer ideas," as Dupuis calls them, can provide catalysts for change.
"You don't just have to be a coder to participate and make a difference through the use of the data. We want those ideas out there so that we can hear them and so that we can get them in front of the decision-makers," Dupuis said.
After each hackathon, even the ideas that don't win prizes can win over county leaders who have the opportunity to promote them, helping promising projects to get off of the ground.
The county is now taking its successful hackathon format and applying it to other events, and has introduced condensed, two-hour hackathons to the county's leadership academies for adults and youth. Just like the longer events, participants compete and make three-minute creative presentations of their technology ideas.
Alameda has received recognition regarding its open data initiative from the California State Association of Counties, the Center for Digital Government, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and the National Association of Counties. In an article by Socrata, the company called Alameda the gold standard for making an open data initiative "phenomenally effective in a very short amount of time."
Dupuis said that from the standpoint of encouraging team-building, motivation and communication, and as a way to get people to go outside of traditional roles, he can't see any organization that wouldn't benefit from hackathons.
But he wasn't always so confident. At the beginning, there was skepticism that the community would even take interest in the hackathons. "It was more of an all right, let's start this journey and see what's going to happen," Dupuis said.
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Will they be able to find Louise in time?
Louise is in danger, Ruby gives Lola a job, and Keegan worries about Bailey in next week's EastEnders.
After Louise is bundled into a car by Midge, Keanu desperately calls Phil who rushes to help with Ben in tow.
Seeing the commotion Sharon tries to find out what's been going in but Phil orders her to keep quiet and Ben worries when Phil realises Danny must be behind everything.
As they head to the docks Phil tries to find Danny, ordering Ben to stay put. Keanu locates Louise in a shipping container but is knocked unconscious as he tries to untie her.
Phil and Ben continue to search for Louise. As Phil leaves Danny a threatening message he's whacked from behind.
Will everyone get out of this alive?
Jay meets Ruby who wants to celebrate the good news that Matt and Ross have received their sentences. Feeling guilty he admits he kissed Lola.
Ruby is shocked when he admits he wants to make things official. To his surprise she accepts.
hatches a plan to make sure Lola stays in Walford - asking Ruby to give her a job.
Things get awkward when Jay and Lola return and Ruby realises she's give Jay's ex a job.
Billy gives Lola a good luck card on her first day at work. When Ruby see's it's also from Jay she's instantly jealous and gives Lola a tough time.
During a meeting Ruby is annoyed when Lola bonds with a client and doesn't hold back putting Lola in her place. After a pep talk from Billy, Lola heads to Ruby's flat to do another task.
Stacey is delighted when Jean moves back in, but when Jean tells Stacey that she needs help contacting Sean, Stacey admits she tried to call Sean but the number didn't work.
Later Stacey tells her mum she lied to protect her, leaving Jean furious. On the Square, Jean borrows Habiba's phone and leaves Sean a message.
Jean takes her frustration out at not hearing from Sean on Stacey. Later at the hospital, Jean's constant talking about Sean becomes too much for Stacey.
She snaps and reveals she spoke to Sean and told him everything.
Kim continues to give Chantelle a hard time. After advice from Karen and Gray, Chantelle makes a peace offering.
Later, on The Square, Karen opens up to Mitch about her issues with Chantelle.
After Mitch mentions his concerns about not hearing from Bailey, Keegan offers to go check on her. He's shocked to see how frail Dinah is.
He tries to reassure Bailey that Dinah going into a home is the best thing for her.


I suppose that, with only months to go before an election, it has always been beholden upon leaders of the Opposition to announce policies that at face value appear bold and progressive, but also manage to avoid all the political difficulties that come with major spending commitments.
Take, for example, your proposal to extend the number of directly elected local mayors within Britain's cities. I'm sure the argument that a elected mayor for Birmingham would provide greater leadership and identity for the city and help improve accountability seems like a rather seductive one. Who could possible object to the idea that local government should “get praise when they get it right and blame when they get it wrong”? It's a shamelessly populist idea : so shameless and so populist that your fellow member of Parliament George Galloway has described a referendum for an elected mayor in Tower Hamlets as “a mighty blow for democracy”.
If that doesn't give you at least some pause for thought, then perhaps it should.
Now admittedly, 25 of the 37 referenda to establish an elected mayor in English local authorities have been rejected and last year the people of Stoke-on-Trent voted to abolish the post of mayor in their city. But actually its not the scepticism of much of the electorate and their unwillingness so far to embrace the idea of elected mayors that is the greatest problem with your pronouncement in Birmingham, or Galloway's rhetoric in Tower Hamlets for that matter. What you both have ignored is the experience of 'greater leadership' within at least one of the 12 boroughs and cities that have actually adopted this particular method of local authority administration.
And no, for once I'm not talking about your friend Boris and the regional London government he leads. I mean a local mayor and a political opponent, a New Labour loyalist who has held power in one of the most deprived east London boroughs since 2002.
You'll remember Newham, of course. It was the first place you visited after your election as Conservative leader, for a photo opportunity with the ill-fated Ray Lewis of Eastside Young Leaders Academy. The name of the borough's mayor may be only vaguely familiar, however. You might have heard it in passing when the subject of the Olympics comes up, but by and large Sir Robin Wales is a big fish in a small and and generally neglected backwater.
If only many of us who live here in the borough had realised eight years ago what we were letting ourselves in for when only 26% of the population turned about to vote in the referendum for a directly elected mayor, there might have been some actual concerted campaigning in favour of a 'no' vote. For far from helping to improve local accountability, as you have claimed, the direct election of our local mayor has seen the council turn into something akin to a eighteenth-century monarchy.
For all intents and purposes, Mayor Sir Robin Wales is Newham council. No substantive decisions can be made without him but for an organisation the size of a local authority to function at all, many decisions must inevitably be made in his absence. The result is that every stratum of the council seeks to anticipate what the layer above might be thinking, all the way to the those closest to the brooding, ill-tempered and unpredictable ruler. Timidity crushes initiative, fear ingrains institutional inertia, culminating in a mixture of incompetence and officiousness . This isn't the product of some great conspiracy - it's just that everyone below the man at the top has the nominal trappings of power but none of the authority to make it meaningful. Those prepared to play safe and ingratiate themselves with the people immediately above them seem to survive, which probably explains the unbelievable mediocrity of some of the middle management within the council. Inventiveness and courage are just not worth risking a public sector pension for.
I'm sure you are already thinking this is an exaggeration. Not every borough or city that has adopted a directly elected mayor can possibly be like this. Perhaps that's true – I can only speak from experience. And what has happened, you might ask, to the backbench councillors providing the checks and balances of scrutiny and overview?
That would indeed be a good question. The trouble is that 93% of them are members of the same party in an area where they don't so much count the local vote as weigh it. I realise, of course, that Newham isn't alone in this respect: there are Labour and Tory councils around the country that dominate local political life and face little or no opposition. But creating a post as powerful as an elected mayor within such an environment, in Newham or anywhere else, simply makes matters worse.
With little apparent need to fight for votes, local politics loses its vibrancy and becomes little more than a struggle to secure the posts of Cabinet or executive member or 'lead councillor', which all attract a financial reward. Indeed, many of those who hold such positions in Newham are paid considerably more for representing their constituents than the average local wage. It's understandable that the last person an ambitious councillor in the majority-party wants to upset is a Mayor who controls this patronage and the same is true of those who have become accustomed to describing their full-time job as 'councillor'. Scrutiny and overview are not worth risking a demotion, political exile or the dole for.
Now I can guess what you are thinking – the people of Newham chose to have a directly elected mayor through an expression of the democratic will and that should be respected. Well, some did anyway. But one difficulty we face is that it is almost impossible for us to change the way we are governed if we decided we are no longer happy with the experiment of a directly elected mayor. Legislation isn't much help: even if a petition was raised, the council would have to give its permission for a new referendum and, as I mentioned earlier, Sir Robin Wales effectively is Newham council. Take a guess what the response would be. Moreover, all the opposition parties, including your own, promised at the last council elections to back the call for a new plebiscite but this has amounted to nothing. Even the simple question of whether there is a serious candidate to face Wales at next May's elections has been met with a deafening silence.
Let me upfront - I won't be voting Conservative at the forthcoming election. In fact, as I already know who my MP will be after May 2010, I'm not sure I'll be voting at all. But for all of the reasons I've given in this letter and because there is at least a possibility that you may become Prime Minister next year, I would urge far greater caution before calling for more directly elected mayors.
It might seem like a seductive idea, but I wouldn't wish the fate we face in this corner of east London to befall local voters in any other parts of the country.
Nice letter... you should send it. Not that it'll do much good as I've made most of these points to the Tories to no avail.
I particularly like the point you make about how Wales' method of governance stifles initiative among certain tiers of council management - I may nick that for a future letter.
The full and transparent publication of all contract and financial obligations that the administration enters into on behalf of the people of Newham.


PORTLAND, Maine � Amid differences on big issues like Iraq, health care and the economy, the latest exchanges between Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Tom Allen focus not on how they voted but how often.
In speeches and media interviews, Collins has been taking Allen to task for his missed votes in what she says is a reflection on his work ethic and his commitment to his job.
"Tom has missed 135 votes. And yes, I'm counting. That is more than the rest of the Maine delegation added together and tripled," Collins told a Lincoln Day dinner last month in Lewiston.
Allen said her claim that his missed votes represent lack of commitment runs counter to the Maine tradition of congressional delegation members working as a team on vital issues like the 2005 round of military base closings. He also said she's trying to deflect attention from her own voting record.
Not everyone is convinced that absences during roll calls make much of a difference.
"Chances are, many of the missed votes didn't affect the state and were on fairly routine and unimportant matters," said Ross Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University.
The race between Allen, a six-term congressman, and Collins, the two-term incumbent, is seen by Democrats as one of their best opportunities to oust a Republican this fall.
Collins is portraying herself as a moderate with a history of bipartisanship while Allen says she sides too often with President Bush and is out of sync with the views of most Maine voters.
It's no surprise that Collins is raising the issue of roll call votes. She prides herself on never having missed a roll call during her more than 11 years in the Senate, a Cal Ripken-like feat that recalls the record set by the late senator who inspired her political career, Margaret Chase Smith.
In 2005 Collins broke Smith's record of 2,941 votes, a 13-year streak that ended when she underwent hip surgery. Collins' record at last count stood at 3,764.
"The mere fact that she has perfect attendance is a great issue that speaks to her work ethic," Collins' campaign manager, Steve Abbott, told The Associated Press. "(Allen) has an obvious weak spot there, which is his failure to show up for work on many different occasions."
Reasons for Allen's missed votes, according to the Collins campaign, included a campaign fundraising trip and a visit to Fenway Park to attend the 1999 All-Star game.
Baker said missed votes are often cited as evidence of lack of attentiveness. "Because Margaret Chase Smith prided herself on that record, it's probably a more prominent issue in Maine than it might be in other places," he said.
"But there's always a very potent response, and that is that the person is absent because he's back in the state, doing more important things," Baker said.
During the 110th Congress, Collins is one of 10 senators � including fellow Maine Republican Olympia Snowe � with a 100 percent voting record. The Senate average is 95.2 percent, according to a database compiled by the Washington Post.
Allen's 96.8 percent attendance for the session is slightly below what he says is his 98 percent career record but still above the House average for the session of 95.6 percent. His campaign also says he has cast a total of 7,019 career votes in the House, where members vote more often than in the Senate.
Though he ranks in last place for roll call votes among Maine's delegation, Allen said 98 percent attendance is nothing to sneeze at. As for the missed votes, he said some of those occurred when his parents were dying, when he attended a relative's funeral and when his wife was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery. There also were times when he missed a flight.
"I take my voting attendance very seriously," he said. "Ninety-eight percent over 11� years is something I have a right to be proud of."


What would a captive aquatic system without aquascaping? A water-filled box with at least one transparent viewing panel? Or, consider if decor possibilities were confined to "novelty" ornaments. How many burping clams/ceramic castle/plastic plant themes can you and your livestock take? Thank goodness for the abundance of natural materials available and suitable for aquascaping. These serve many useful and aesthetic purposes; breaking up the environment, providing nooks and crannies for forage, escape and other "natural" (there's that adverb again) behavior.
Unfortunately, as with other aspects of our hobby, there is a potential downside to what is offered in the trade and collecting your own aquarium embellishments. Much of what you can get is not a good idea, due to toxic interaction with your water and its inhabitants.
Ideally, what you place in a system should either do nothing deleterious to alter its chemistry and physics, or alternatively, be entirely inert (non-reactive). How many us want to understand how, what and to what extent a rock, piece of wood, et al. are contributing to hardness, pH shift, specific gravity, ad nauseum? We'd be happy to know that whatever's in "there" is either contributing to the overall health of the system, or at least not outright poisoning the inhabitants.
A counterbalancing point I want to make is that everything changes, including what goes on in captive aquatic systems; there is no null hypothesis. In the wild, some cichlids 'eat' rock material and loricariids (South American sucker-mouth catfishes) ingest large quantities of wood, reductive processes shift pH, wood decays, rocks melt. Natural systems and aquaria have buffering and counteracting influences in constant interaction, physically, chemically and biologically.
Your job as keeper of these kingdoms is to master my favored oxymoron, "dynamic equilibrium". To keep this ever-changing world balance-shifted in favor of its desired habitants.
The modern world of physical and chemical assays is amazing. There are contraptions of sophistication that can analyze a substance as to it's mixed makeup to parts per trillion and smaller. These are so far the domain of physics, physical chemistry and government-subsidized (i.e. hopelessly money-losing) laboratories, not pet-fish hobbyists.
True, there are general assays mere citizens (the ones getting robbed by the above labs) may pursue. Placing a drop of an acid or base on the subject matter to check if it's reactive in the grossest sense could grant you some relative awareness (compared with other specimens that don't react?), but, really, what's the sense? I mean, do you thereby know whether the material is safe to put in your tanks? Ah, but there is a way to be sure.
Bioassayis the name given to testing formats involving live organisms exposed to questionable matter under set regimes. This is the realm of science: testable, falsifiable hypotheses. That is, designing and executing experiments under controlled conditions in attempts to disprove a statable, somehow observable event. By such real means I can assure you that drip-tray methods of delivering water to wet-dry filters are superior to spray-bar technologies, that the vast majority of marine organisms from the Philippines are not cyanided,... Other ways of "knowing" such as faith, intuition, anecdotal evidence are valid, but are not science and of limited value to the serious aquarist.
The science of bioassay you want to engage here is simple and straightforward. By exposing some test species (singular/plural) to the proposed decor we will be able to make some decision about whether to use it in our display system. A word of caution here; there are two relative terms of degree we need to define, chronic and acute. Just how much, how fast does poisoning have to occur to be considered "acute"? Or, more meaningfully, how little does something have to act as a toxicant before we say it has no chronic poisoning effect?
For our purposes here, let's agree that acute refers to situations that result, directly or not, in losses within 24 hours, and chronic we'll give a month. Notice how arbitrary these values are, and further and more importantly that poisoning or lack thereof is not defined as any successive loss of vitality other than the threshold of death.
Useful examples of the above descriptions might involve the effects of ammoniated cleaners being used around aquaria for acute, and placement of geodes in a soft-water system for chronic poisoning.
A proposed bioassay approach for testing potential decor items is to "lightly" (about a minute) boil a sample of the material in the type of water to be used in the system, allow all to cool, place item(s) and water into a bowl or small tank, and introduce "test" organisms. What sort of "guinea-pigs" should you employ? If your intended use is for a fish, invertebrate, plant system, probably some of all these. Be wary of utilizing the (to some) lowly comet goldfish for all freshwater trials; after putting up with humans for a few hundred generations, this di-hybrid is too tolerant for all but general purposes.
If/when the test organisms have lived apparently none the worse for wear, for two or more weeks, the decor can probably be considered "safe" for use.
Separate from considerations of what rock and wood, etcetera might and will do to your water is the question of mechanical danger. Maybe that coral, shell, colored glass has been sealed up, otherwise found to be rendered chemically inert, but what about cuts and punctures? Though aquatic organisms look supremely dexterous, they and you will get gouged with sharp, piercing edges and projections if such fare is handled or placed carelessly. Keep sharp objects away from dull livestock. Enough said?
There are many. Despite the paranoia this article might seem to inspire, rock and wood material abounds that is of use in aquaria. Your local and not-so nearby wholesale and retail pet-trade contacts are apparent; but so are sand and gravel plants, masonry and landscape suppliers. And, how about collecting your own?
A note of caution about the last possibility. Be especially careful with materials brought in from the "wild", even ones collected underwater. Though you might clean, bleach, dechlorinate, and dry your heart out, these can still turn out to be more trouble than they are worth. When in doubt, leave them out. For cost and space reasons, many outlets don't carry much of what's available through the trade. There are wonderful woods (pre-cleaned and sinking) that they can order from the U.S., Far East and Africa. Ask your source to check with their suppliers and special order your show pieces. You would gasp to see a whole cargo container load.
What weighs more a pound of fish or a pound of feathers? They're the same. Now, which is more dense, as in density equals mass over volume? The fish, of course. Perhaps surprisingly, some rock and most wood needs be made more dense to be of use to us as aquarists. This can be accomplished either by fastening or adding to the material to something dense and massive enough to keep it down. Towards this ends there are silicon rubber (silastic tm), epoxies and some ceramics that are suitably inert after curing. Obviously the finished product(s) of all this improvement should be tested as to the subject decor itself.
Symmetry, as in bilateral (mirror image) penta (like starfish) -ramous or otherwise is not natural, or attractive. Take a look around you nature-wise; non-symmetry rules, and it's beautiful. Don't evenly space the elements in your environment like a robot.
Most humans "appreciate" a given view from the top left to the lower right. touching on the above 'balance' idea, you do want to capitalize on the non-equal opportunity you have to control the appearance of the system "frame". For smaller systems this translates into a small odd number (3,5,7) of highlights (vertical, horizontal, fore/background, size/shape, color, texture...) arranged to 'guide the eyes'.
3) Harmony, or better still "Telling A Story"
Is a worthy quality to pursue. Whether a biotypic slice of real habitat is your goal, or some other-worldly vision, the tanks arrangement can and should be an attempt at completing this whole; i.e. making a discernible statement.
These are only my three favorite notions of what to shoot for in the way of aquarium beauty. Judging sheets and discussions with other aquarists reveal as many different values and weighting as queries themselves. So goes another footnote on the subjectivity of reality.
Have you ever wondered just how safe the resins used to make decor are for your fishes? Do the lead weights used with aquarium plants release metal into their surrounding water? What are the effects of lower pH, temperature, softened water, et al. on the solubility and toxicity of whatever finds its way into your systems? How much should you be concerned?
Going to all the trouble and expense to provide initially "clean" water, avoiding excess nutrients through careful chemical use, conscientious feeding, adequate filtration and water change practices is easily negated by haphazardly placing soluble, toxic rock, wood and other ornament in your system. A word to the wise; don't count on your sources to ascertain whether what they offer is toxic or not; test it yourself with a simple bioassay.
Fenner, Bob, 1992. Aquatic Environments, Aquarium Ornaments: Rock & Coral. FAMA 4/92.
Fox, Timothy R., Aquarium Decorations, Hitting Rock Bottom Can Be Profitable. The Pet Dealer 8/92.
Osborne, Kevin, 1983. Esthetic Elements of the Planted Aquarium. FAMA 10/83.
6050. Have some really neat artificial coral art.


We recommend activating the Online Shield especially when you connect to public Wi-Fi networks, for example at airports, hotels or cafes.
An English version of the response would be helpful.
Translates to something like "We recommend particularly turning on Steganos Online Shield when you connect to public hotspots such as at airports, hotels or cafes."


What is rose? What is it used for?
The rose is a perennial shrub found worldwide; over 100 species of rose are known to exist. Most rose species are native to Asia, although some are native to North America, Europe and northwest Africa. The typical wild rose has five petals, while cultivated roses have multiple sets of petals. The flowers are gathered between April and June, then baked before being incorporated into herbal formulas. Although in modern times, roses are admired for their beautiful, fragrant flowers, they have a variety of medicinal and culinary uses as well.
Roses have been used in cooking and healing for thousands of years. In ancient Rome, roses were often added to meals that celebrated a great event or victory. Candied rose petals were a popular type of candy in the United States in the late 19th century; some Middle Eastern cultures include rose petals in certain types of desserts. Medicinally, rose contains a well-known volatile oil, which consists of quercitrin, tannin, and some organic acids. Rose hips are a good source of vitamin C.
According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, rose has sweet, slightly bitter and warm properties, and is associated with the Liver and Spleen meridians. Its functions are to regulate qi and reduce stagnation, remove blood stagnation, nourish the skin, and improve digestion. Among the conditions rose treats are distended stomach, epigastric pain, pain caused by external injuries, and irregular menstruation.
How much rose should I take?
The typical dose of rose is between 3 and 6 grams of dried rose hips, decocted in water for oral administration. As a food additive, rose petals can be immersed in water, dried, then added to salads or used as a garnish. Rose hips can also be added to teas.
What forms of rose are available?
Rose petals can be found primarily in flower shops and specialty stores; fresh blossoms with no signs of wilting or browning are preferred. They are usually stored in a loosely packed plastic or paper bag and kept in a refrigerator. Dried rose petals can be found at some Asian markets and herbal shops.
What can happen if I take too much rose? Are there any interactions I should be aware of? What precautions should I take?
Although rose is considered relatively safe for long-term use (it has a class 1 rating from the American Herbal Products Association), rose petals have been shown to stimulate the female reproductive system. As such, rose should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. As of this writing, there are no known drug interactions with rose hips or petals. As always, make sure to consult with a licensed health care provider before taking rose or any other herbal remedy or dietary supplement.
Blumenthal M, Busse W, Goldberg A, et al. (eds.) The Complete German Commission E Monographs. Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Boston: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1998, pp. 196-197.
Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C (eds.) PDR for Herbal Medicines. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, 2000, p. 644.
Lee SY, Kim JD, Lee YH, et al. Influence of extract of rosa rugosa roots on lipid levels in serum and liver of rats. Life Sci 1991;49(13):947-51.
Leung AY. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Foods, Drugs and Cosmetics. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1980.
McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R (eds.) American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1997, p. 99.


Constructing a quality solution for the examination timetable problem is a difficult task. This paper presents a partial exam assignment approach with great deluge algorithm as the improvement mechanism in order to generate good quality timetable. In this approach, exams are ordered based on graph heuristics and only selected exams (partial exams) are scheduled first and then improved using great deluge algorithm. The entire process continues until all of the exams have been scheduled. We implement the proposed technique on the Toronto benchmark datasets. Experimental results indicate that in all problem instances, this proposed method outperforms traditional great deluge algorithm and when comparing with the state-of-the-art approaches, our approach produces competitive solution for all instances, with some cases outperform other reported result.


Which of the following is the most appropriate unit to describe the rate at which data is transferred using the internet? A. Megabits per second, because the independent quantity is time in seconds and dependent quantity is amount of data in megabits B.
At a halftime show marching band in formation. the lead drummer started at a point with coordinates (-2, -5) and moved 3 steps up and 1 step right. A. Write a rule to describe the translation. B. What are the corrdiates of the drummer's final position? A.
Strontium-90 is a radioactive waste product from nuclear reactors. It has a half life of 29 years. How many years would it take for a quantity of strontium-90 to decay 1/16 of its original mass?
A farmer uses 11/18 of his field to grow rice and 3/7 of remaning field for growing tomatoes of the area thus left he uses 1/4 of his to grow spanich and the rest to grow sweet potatoes What fraction of field is used to grow sweet potatoes??
An ant starts at position (0, 0) and walks north, east, south or west, one unit at a time. How many di erent paths of length 8 units finish at (0, 0)?
Several students were surveyed about their favorite class. 26 students chose art 19 English 21 math 16 music 32 science. What fraction of the of the students chose music as their favorite subject.
A rectangle is removed from a right triangle to create the shaded region shown below. Find the area of the shaded region. Be sure to include the correct unit in your answer.
Two cars start at the same time from two places 330 km. apart and travel toward each other.Car A travels at 50 kph and Car B at 45 kph. If Car A rests for one hour on the way, in how many hours after they left will they meet?
Stephanie has d dollars to invest and splits the money between two accounts. If she invests $ 3100 in one account, write an algebraic expression in terms of d for the amount she invests in the second account.
A farmer wants to set up a pigpen using 40 feet of fence to enclose a rectangular area of 51 square feet. Find the dimensions of the pigpen.
Jim pays $75 per month for a cell phone plan plus $0.30 per minute be on the first thousand minutes write an equation for the cause (y) based on the number of minutes(x)after the first 1000 I have become very confused.
A Patriot in North America in the 1770s would have MOST LIKELY supported which of these? A) boycotting British-made goods B) supporting the "Coercive Acts" C) remaining a part of Great Britain D) becoming a member of the "red coats"
damon can you help with this?
Australia scored a total of X runs in 50 overs. India tied the scores in 20% less overs. If India's average run rate had been 33.33% higher the scores would have been tied 10 overs earlier. Find how many runs were scored by Australia?
Essays, articles, and speeches are all works of nonfiction. Which of the following is an accurate statement about the authors of nonfiction?
A petrol tank that is 3/4 full holds Y litres. How many litres can the tank hold when full?
Identify the main sound device employed by the poet, and discuss the effect it has by referring to 3 examples from the poem. Small Passing - Ingrid de Kok. Please tell me someone can help?
Ivana's printer prints 40 pages in 5 minutes. How many pages will the printer print in 8 minutes?
The chef has 25 pounds of strip loin. The trim loss on the strip loin is 35% and the cooking loss is 80% of the trimmed weight. How many pounds of trimmed, cooked strip loin will the chef have left to serve to his customers?
mr sato will give each pair of students 3 magnets. So far Mr sato has given 9 pairs of students their 3 magnets..How many more magnets does Mr Sato need so that each pair of students has exactly 3 magnets.There are 24 students in a science class.
the light from a helium neon laser has a wavelength of 632 nanometers in air. the same light has a wavelength of 479.2 in glass. the frequency of the light is the same in air and glass. find the speed of the laser light in glass.
This is an error in measurement that can be caused by an imperfection in the equipment being used or from mistakes the experimenter makes while taking the measurement.
A taxi charges $.75 for the first quarter mile and $.35 for each additional mile. How far did Freddie ride if he paid no more than $7.40 for his taxi?
the temperature in Alaska dropped by -5.7 degrees every hour for 3.5 hours.if the temperature started at 23 degrees f,what temperature was it at the end of the 3.5 hours?
two students are picked at random from a group of 8 girls and 6 boys,calculate the probability that the two picked atleast one is a boy.
Find the equation of the circle which is concentric with the circle x^2+y^2+3y-8y+16=0 and tangent to the line 4x+3y-12=0. Show your solution.
Assuming there are 4 weeks in a month, how many months are there in d days?
A car moves at a speed of 40km/h, It is stopped by applying brakes which produces a uniformacceleration of -0.6m/s2. How much distance will the vehicle move before coming to stop?
what are some barriers to solve the zika virus problem? What are some possible solutions for zika virus problem? According to the off the podium article about zika virus. tnx a lot .
evaluate the expression ( 94 93) please help with this! I don't know what to do! ps there is a big bracket that is around the 94 and the 93, i just couldn't enter that into the box.
Evaluate the following expression given the function. function: h(x)=12/x problem: h(x) = -2 solution: -2 = 12/x. 1/12 * -2 = 12/x *1/12 (mulitply both sides by 1/12 to get x by itself. -2/12 = 1/x -1/6 = 1/x (simplified -2/12) I don't think this is right.
I have the compound C30H62, the candle The question is: When a candle is burned, 150.0 liters of O2 (g) is used up. How many grams of oxygen react?
A popular snack food reduced the amount of sodium in one serving from 700 milligrams to 630 milligrams. What is the percent decrease in the amount of sodium in this snack?
A brand of chips has 30% of the calories of the regular brand. If the diet brand has 90 calories, how many does the regular brand have?
a body of mass 500g moving at 5m/s comes to rest after covering a distance of 5m.find the retarding force acting on it.
Give an example of population.
What are two pairs of numbers of 105 as their least common factor ?
formulas for the number of gram G in K kilogram.
Find for the an algebraic expression for the number of hours in S seconds.
Find the inverses 1) y=9/x x=9/y xy=9 y=9/x Which is wrong I believe 2) y=(2x+1)/(3-2x) How do I get rid of the ys after I replace the xs with them?
for a person who drives his car 15000 miles a year trading in a car that gets 15 miles per gallon for a car that gets 18 miles per gallon (a 20% increase) will save them how many gallons of gas each year?
can you help me understand? How do you find domain and range for y-mx+b? thank you.
Write an expression for the number of years in t months.
Find three consecutive even integers such that the sum of the smallest integer and twice the median integer is 20 more than the largest integer.
construct a formula for the number, T, of days in X weeks and Y days.
if base and corresponding altitude of a triangle is 11/2 and 7/3.find the area of the triangle.
what functions do individual cells perform that are similar to the functions of our bodies?
If 1 CM = 48 INCHES, how many CM (or MM) would 80 INCHES be?
How to Arrange multiplication and division symbol as you wish between number 1 to 9 to get a result of 1.
1. A few day ago, I went to the zoo with Chanmi and Mina. ------------------------------- Why is 'the' used before 'zoo' in this sentence? Does 'the zoo' mean the specific zoo which both girls know? Or is zoo' in generic use?
Simon swims 6 lengths of a swimming pool per day for x days . jade swim 5 more lengths per day than Simon for y days . if jade Swam for 6 days and the total lengths swam is 114, how many days did Simon swim for ?
Can someone explain to me, what exactly scientific principles are?
The opposite of -4 is 4.•• -4. -(-(-4)). -|4|. The opposite of -10 is -(-(-10)). -10. 10.•• -|10|.
The plural form of the medical term phalanx _____ i think its -x but that's the singular ending it doesn't give the plural form Im confused, help please?
Find the equation of the locus of the point which moves so that its distance from the point (2,0) is 2/3 its distance from the line y=5.
2 people 400 miles apart They both leave at the same time One drives 50 mph The other drives 100 mph How long till they meet?
Prime factorization of 88 with division and factor tree method. I am not able to do this question.
How much work is required to lift a bag of wheat (mass 50kg) to a height of 2.4m?
Explain the following statement: "life is complex on a molecular level. How is your environment different from the biosphere?
subtract 4 2/3 - 3 2/5 ?


In an incident that has since spawned massive bouts of anxiety from worried fans, Lana Del Rey was almost kidnapped Friday night, Feb. 2. Orlando Police reported via their Twitter account that 43-year-old Florida native Michael Hunt was arrested on charges of alleged aggravated stalking and alleged attempted kidnapping with a weapon; the police department stated: "After receiving a tip we deemed a credible threat, OPD got to him before he could get near singer Lana Del Rey last night at her show at Amway Center."
The Orlando Police Department broke the news of Hunt's arrest via Twitter Saturday, Feb. 3 and also tweeted a lengthy statement with further information on Hunt's arrest. The Orlando Police Department tweeted an official press release, which chronicled an account of Hunt's arrest. And, perhaps even more importantly — the events leading up to it. According to the press release, at the time of Hunt's arrest, he was reportedly equipped with two possessions on his physical person: tickets to Del Rey's concert and, allegedly, a knife. But, the tweet ensured, law enforcement arrested Hunt before he had the opportunity to make use of either. "Working off a tip, OPD Officers were able to stop Hunt, who was armed with a knife, before he could get to the Amway Center," the tweet's caption reads.
"On Friday, Feb. 2, Orlando Police received a tip about a possible kidnapping threat to singer Lana Del Rey (Elizabeth Woolridge Grant), who was scheduled to perform at the Amway Center that night. The threats were reportedly made by Michael Hunt, 43, of Riverview, Florida. OPD Detectives considered the information a credible threat, and took investigative measures to locate Hunt."
"OPD officers came into contact with Hunt at Hughey Avenue and Central Boulevard on Friday evening, one block from the Amway Center. When he was taken into custody, Hunt was in possession of tickets to the Lana Del Rey performance and a knife. At no time was he able to make contact with Ms. Grant. Hunt is currently being held at the Orange County Jail on no bond."
Del Rey confirmed that, despite the incident, the show must go on. On Sunday afternoon, Feb. 4, Del Rey tweeted a video clip of herself performing, accompanied by a comforting message to anxious fans who've been reeling in the aftermath of the almost-kidnapping news. "Hey kiddos," she wrote, "I'm doing fine thanks for the messages." Cinching the reassuring tweet, Del Rey continued, "Tomorrow we'll be in Hotlanta can't wait to see everyone. Yachty that means u."
According to a Feb. 3 report by the Orlando Sentinel, Hunt had reportedly used his Facebook page as a place to express his obsession with Del Rey. The various Del Rey-centric posts and videos range from unnerving to threatening, and Orlando Police thought they proved Hunt an alleged danger to Del Rey's safety.
As the Orlando Sentinel reported, on Jan. 30, Hunt reportedly posted to Facebook, "I want to see my queen on Friday and from that day forward our decisions will be as one." The following day, amid a frenzied 17-minute Facebook video, Hunt reportedly said of Del Rey, "I'm going to probably finish out her tour with her, obviously, and dance and talk and figure out what we're going to do."
Despite that scary incident, it sounds like Del Rey is doing OK considering and is ready to get back on stage.


The SpaceX CEO admitted that cost prompted him to scale back the new rocket system's physical size in favor of a new system known as the BFR.
MELBOURNE, Fla. — Industrial superstar and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took the stage during a conference in Australia early Friday to expand on his vision of humanity as a "multiplanetary species," introducing a new, multi-role rocket in the process.
Musk's speech at the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide built on his presentation last year in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he detailed plans that envisioned a self-sustaining civilization on Mars in the not-too-distant future.
Spearheaded by a massive new rocket system, Musk on Friday admitted that cost was a major concern, prompting him to scale back its physical size — but not his ambitions — in favor of a new system known as the BFR.
During the 2016 IAC conference, Musk introduced the Interplanetary Transport System, a proposed 400-foot-tall rocket and attached vehicle that would take up to 100 people to the red planet. Citing cost concerns, Musk on Friday said SpaceX is seriously working on the development of BFR, a new two-stage rocket with a smaller diameter — 9 meters, or about 30 feet — and a height of nearly 350 feet.
For comparison, the storied Saturn V rocket of the Apollo era stood about 360 feet tall, but SpaceX's BFR would be more powerful, allowing it to take more to orbit and beyond.
"It's really quite a big vehicle," Musk said. "The booster is lifted by 31 Raptor engines."
Atop BFR would be a second spacecraft capable of being crewed by up to 100 people or filled with cargo. Much like first stages of the company's existing Falcon 9 rocket, the BFR would be fully reusable.
Musk said the first iteration could be ready as soon as 2022, which aligns with an Earth-Mars synchronization, or point at which the two planets are closest. The next wouldn't occur until two years later in 2024.
Even compared to the previously planned ITS, the BFR is still a massive vehicle — but Musk thinks using it for all of SpaceX's needs will help reduce costs and eventually transport humans to Mars.
The BFR system, he said, would replace SpaceX's entire fleet of vehicles and perform tasks ranging from International Space Station resupply to lunar missions to Mars, streamlining production and development for the company. Thanks to its much wider second stage, the spacecraft would be capable of taking larger, heavier payloads to orbit.
"It'll be capable of doing what Dragon does today in terms of transporting cargo and what Dragon 2 will do in terms of transporting crew and cargo," he said. "It can also go much farther than that — for example, the moon."
The BFR system would play a role in and monetarily bolster SpaceX's ambitions in four ways: The launching of satellites, trips to the space station under NASA contracts, missions to the moon and, finally, the transportation of people to Mars.
Musk did not mention SpaceX's plans to build a constellation of thousands of satellites that would beam broadband Internet down to Earth, which could provide a major source of revenue if successful.
Be it ITS or BFR, plans for SpaceX's eventual vehicle for Mars colonization may have been slightly reduced in size, but long-term dreams are still out in full force.
Ideally, Musk said 2024 would be the year to fly four BFR ships to the red planet: two crewed, two loaded with cargo. This mission would enable the construction of a propellant depot to fuel return trips to Earth, as well as the establishment of a base that could see further expansion.
If the BFR is ready, an earlier uncrewed mission in 2022 would help set the stage for travelers by identifying hazards and delivering some infrastructure.
The colonization of Mars by hundreds and possibly even thousands of people is still very much an objective for Musk, who presented renderings of a slowly growing city on Mars. First, just ships and a few scattered outposts appeared; then, the development of a futuristic settlement primarily powered by solar panels, which meshes well with his experience as CEO of energy company Tesla.
"Over time, terraforming Mars and making it a really nice place to be," he said. "I think that's quite a beautiful picture."
"It's 2017," a slightly frustrated Musk said during the conference. "I mean, we should have a lunar base by now. What the hell's going on?
Describing it as "pretty captivating," the billionaire CEO described how cargo would be handled on the moon, but didn't detail many other operations that would happen there, such as the size of the base or what its primary function would be.
The advantages of the BFR's capacity, however, means propellant production wouldn't be necessary on the moon, possibly freeing up more energy and time for other activities.
Musk referred to the settlement, which could serve as an effective launching point for trips to Mars, as "Moon Base Alpha."
Finally, Musk teased a not-so-new idea in the industry — using spacecraft to significantly reduce travel times around the globe.
SpaceX could, for example, transport passengers to any destination on Earth in under an hour using the BFR. Most trips between popular destinations would take fewer than 30 minutes, not counting time spent traveling to and from the rockets.
An animation released by the company shows passengers in New York City taking a boat to an offshore barge topped with a BFR and flying at 17,000 mph before landing vertically in Shanghai 39 minutes later.


With talk that Apple will introduce the long rumored 4-inch Apple iPhone 5se on March 15th and launch the device three days later, there is a question that most Wall Street analysts need to compute: How much money will come into Apple's coffers thanks to the new phone? UBS analyst Steve Milunovich has been covering Apple back before it became known as a smartphone manufacturer, and he has put together an analysis of what the new iPhone model means to Apple in dollars and cents.
Milunovich sees the iPhone 5se selling 30 million units during its first 12-months on the market. This would be about two-thirds of the number of Apple iPhone 5s and Apple iPhone 5c units he estimates were sold in fiscal 2015. Priced at $500, he expects the new phone to cannibalize 5 million Apple iPhone 6 sales which would wipe out $3 billion in revenue. This would allow the iPhone 5se to generate a net $7.8 billion in revenue for Apple. Figuring a 25% operating margin on the device (the entire company had a 30.5% operating margin in fiscal 2015), Apple would receive $1.95 billion in operating earnings.
At a 25% tax rate, that would leave $1.5 billion in net income for Apple to add to its bottom line. That works out to an additional 26 cents per share for the company. This is all just an estimate from a Wall Street analyst of course, and it doesn't count the additional benefits to Apple such as more Apple Pay-driven revenue (the iPhone 5se is rumored to support the mobile payment service), accessory sales and app sales.
For Apple, releasing a new 4-inch iPhone is a good way to get those not comfortable with a larger 4.7-inch display, to upgrade their handset. Will it work out like Milunovich predicts? We will find out 13 months from now. Stay tuned.
It is a possibility but i highly doubt it. Due to the price people in developing countries will go for other options. It might sell well in america and europe but in other places i doubt it.
This will sell like hot cakes! Personally I'm looking forward to the air 3 being every bit as good as the pro if not better.
I'm curious about the little beast, but the Air 3 even more.
Look more a low end phone for expensive price.
All you needn't do, is buy one. Trust me, no one that's interested in this device cares about your whiny trolling opinion.
Sorry my friend but tell the truth about the Apple product is not trolling. If this phone was not the bottom line, Apple would call the mini iphone 6 not the 5se.
It may keep good specs and just offer a smaller, lower resolution screen. If so, Antutu benchmarks would be through the roof considering a small amount of pixels to push. But I have a feeling the will downgrade it some, considering Apple tends to keep their profit margins quite higher than other manufacturers. If the $500 price tag is to be believed.
Antutu uses off screen rendering I think, everyone gets 1080p so it's more fair.
I just couldn't go back to a 4 inch phone. Or even 5 inches at this point. Couldn't go much bigger than the Note 5, either.


RTL (like lib$spawn) routines in java on openvms? and which packages need to be imported to use them?
You can write native C functions which will be a wraper to lib rtl routines.
There is a package called J2VMS which has all the VMS system services and LIB$ routines.
I have only tried some examples so I cant say you how it works.
The link to http://www.j2vms.co.uk/ now seems to be a travel agent. Would anyone know where I can find this package, or perhaps email a copy to me?
Like Bojan saud: make C toutines that to the interfacing, and call them from Java code. The user guide ( http://h18012.www1.hp.com/java/documentation/1.4.2/ovms/docs/user_guide.html ) tells you how to do that (Chapter on Interfacing with non-Java Code).
But first ask yourself WHY you would use Java at all. Since you plan to use VMS-specific code, you make your code non-transportable to other platforms. Consider to use a native language (C++, but there are other object oriented langiages ported to VMS (Modula2, Ruby (i think)) that are outrun Java by far in terms of overall performance. Using Java for a VMS-only application is like shooting a midget - with a cannon.
I can write the system services calls in C, then use JNI to call the C routines, but I wanted to see the J2VMS package, as it speeds up the learning process, and I possibly won't have to re-invent too many wheels.


From time to time I travel from Turkey to the Schengen countries (Germany, Netherlands, Italy etc.). Not all the time, but sometimes I see that our passports are controlled one more time as soon as we get off the plane. This practice was the same even 4-5 years ago.
I wonder the point of the additional control.
Since it is done more careless than the regular passport control, what is the benefit of it?
I have had that happen to me once at Schiphol, coming from Hong Kong (haven't noticed any special attention coming from Turkey earlier this year). I don't have any direct evidence that it is the only reason but I do have an explanation. The thing is that ditching your passport is not unheard of as a strategy to make yourself more difficult to remove and pretending to have another citizenship can even give you a fighting chance at getting into the asylum system without being a bona fide refugee (protection officers are not dumb and language and other details can betray you but I have personally encountered people who did this, successfully or not).
Removing someone who does not have a passport typically requires the cooperation of the country of origin and that country must be deemed safe. So if you manage to pass yourself as coming from an uncooperative or dangerous country, you might be able to fend off a quick removal process and hope to ride out detention or find some way to remain in the country legally or illegally. By contrast, if you are refused entry with a passport in hand, you will probably never leave the airport grounds and can be sent back in a matter of days, if not hours (in the EU, you have a right to appeal the decision to refuse entry and can also try to apply for asylum, but there are expedited procedures for blatantly unfounded applications and/or appeals).
By checking people's passports straight out of the airplane, you know where each traveller comes from and it's therefore easier to send them back and to know which airline to hold responsible, if it turns out that a passenger doesn't have the necessary visa (including a transit visa) or tries something like lying about where they come from. This becomes much more difficult once the passengers mix with each other in the arrival hall before approaching the main passport control area. Some countries are also thinking about using cameras for the same purpose (i.e. matching an uncooperative person to an incoming flight and, implicitly, country of origin).
Also, as noted in several comments, citizens from some countries (not Hong Kong or Turkey, though) require a visa even if they only want to transit in the Schengen area (or some specific countries in the Schengen area). This obligation is mostly meant to be enforced by airlines but double-checking might be a way to put pressure on them to check their passengers properly.
Finally, both Germany and the Netherlands are known to require “Advanced Passenger Information” for incoming flights so the police might have a “hit” for one of the names on the flight manifest and be looking for a specific person (could be someone with an open warrant but there are also alerts for missing persons, etc.).
check for those nationalities, citizens of which need a transit visa even if they do not go outside the transit zone.
I've met such check in FRA, and asked about the reason, and they explained about the transit rules. I've shown them tockets and visas, and that was ok. I wouldn't say that that check was less strict comparing to general check on border, it just being done without background checks in security databases.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged schengen airports safety passport-control or ask your own question.


Filipino Style Recipe:This is a very healthy dish that will surely fill up your tummy. The spice from the tuna and freshness of pesto and basil is a very nice contrast.
1. Cook fusilli according to package instruction. Drain and reserve water. Set aside.
2. Using then water from the pasta, boil again and blanch broccoli for 1 minute or until the color green becomes bright. Drain and dip into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
1. In a big pan, heat olive oil and saute garlic and onion until translucent. Add sliced black olives and tuna and cook for 3 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes and cook again until it is slightly softened.
2. Add the pasta on the pan then pour the pesto sauce. Mix until the pesto is evenly combined with the pasta.Add the broccoli.
3. Season with fish sauce according to taste.
4. Remove from heat. Top with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy.
Filipino Style Recipe: baked pesto cream dory is another simple and easy dish. This dish is consists of dory fillets baked in a blend of pesto sauce, oyster sauce, and cayenne pepper.
1. In a bowl, combine oyster sauce, cayenne pepper, rosemary, pesto sauce, salt and pepper then mix until well blended.
2. In a baking pan, lined with aluminum foil then grease with olive oil.
3. Arrange fish fillet then spread pesto mixture until well coated.
4. Bake in a preheat oven over 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.
5. Transfer to serving plate then serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Filipino Style Recipe: Penne Arrabiata is another tomato-based pasta dish popular in Italy. This dish is made of Penne pasta cooked in olive oil, tomatoes, chili, parsley and other herbs. Penne Arrabiata is usually served in any special occassions or party.
1. In a sauce pan, heat olive oil then saute garlic, onion and chili flakes.
2. Add chopped tomatoes then simmer for 3 minutes.
3. add oregano, parsley, sugar, salt and pepper then simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add precooked pasta then carefully stir until pasta is well coated.
5. Transfer to serving plate then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with garlic bread.
Filipino Style Recipe: pesto pasta is an easy and healthy Italian pasta dish. Pesto is made of processed basil, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper then usually served with pasta or bread.
3. Prepare pasta on pasta tray, pour the pesto sauce on top then add chicken flakes, tomatoes and grated cheese. Toss together then Serve!
1. You may also used peeled and deveined shrimps instead of chicken.
2. You may also used pesto pasta sauce mix which is available in grocery stores instead of doing the pesto sauce by yourself.
Filipino Style Recipe: marinated chicken pesto is another healthy chicken dish. First, we blend basil, pine nuts and olive oil to make a pesto. We marinate the chicken and then baked until tender. Lastly, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and then serve hot.
1. In a blender, place basil, malunggay leaves, toasted pine nut and olive oil. Blend until well combined and smooth.
2. Season chicken fillet with salt and pepper then marinate with blended mixture.
3. In a baking pan, place the mixture and marinated chicken. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is done.
5. Remove foil and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese on top.
6. Bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese turns to lightly browned.
1. You may also broiled chicken instead of baking.


A family member that may have been eligible recently passed away. What can I do?
Yes, you can file on behalf of a family member who has passed away.


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Mentions? soldes Mike Conley, Dirk Nowitzki, Nicolas Batum, David Lee, DeAndre Jordan, Rudy Gay, DeMarcus Cousins.
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JOSE MOURINHO says he has never been friends with Roman Abramovich.
Reuters6He looks destined to leave in JanuaryI know the public image is always influenced by some de.
But Guardiola wishes he could be calmer as he reckons players struggle to grasp what he is telling them.
"We were on top of them, we played attacking football and only? missed goals today.
"Maybe his head has been turned by the money, but Roman Abramovich is no skinflint either rememberThis January Costa isnt going to be taken away by anyone, trust me.
I think he had completely the wrong impression of me and it affected me deeply that he had such a negative opinion.
o be out for over a month as he limped off in the win against the Hornets with what is believed to be knee ligament damage.
"Initially our defending was a problem, now its scoring goals.
Getty Images4Jurgen Klopp is unlikely to make any late deals for his faltering Liverpool side on deadline dayAnd any business at Anfield will only concern the exit door.
It is too easy to use these arrest and banning order figures to suggest that our supporters are wors.
"e also offered ?7m for Sunderland full back Patrick van Aanholt, but that was rejected so the Palace boss turned his attention to Schlupp who has been keen to leave the East Midlands after starting just one league game for the champions this season."
"That is why, when we speak about our defence problems, I already knew this."
gether for most of our lives - Im happy to be sharing the same club with him again and Im happy hes been given the opportunity.
It’s only taken them 70 minutes to get goingsunsportonline18th September 20161:35 pmAll hail the boy wonder.
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ll as two karaoke essentials – a pack of lozenges to clear your through and a shot glass to clear your nerves.


Why is inflation low? The best argument is that independent central banks (run by economists) are good at their job. Over the last 25 years, more central banks have become politically independent. Over the past 25 years, inflation has been brought under control.
Independent central banks are a better reason for low inflation than globalization. Countries that import more do not have lower inflation than countries that import less. Prices of imported goods are not lower than prices of domestic goods. Independent central banks are a better reason for low inflation than technology. Technology changes relative prices, not overall price levels. If online shopping caused low inflation, the UK would have far lower inflation than it does.
Inflation in the US and Europe is close to long-term averages. However, average inflation is a little below 2%, creating a problem for inflation forecasters. At these levels, a large part of overall inflation is not driven by markets. Tax policy, controlled prices, administrative changes and made-up prices play a relatively larger role in inflation calculation. Such prices are not driven by supply and demand. They are more difficult to forecast.
Recently, non-market prices lowered inflation. There is no guarantee that non-market prices will lower inflation in the future.


Is one allowed to attend a wake for a Jew?
As far as I understand, Jews are not allowed to have a wake for a Jewish person. But, let's say for some reason, they do it, anyway. Is a Jew allowed to attend this event if s/he doesn't view the deceased? In other words, is there a problem with going to the funeral home where the wake is and standing by the coffin and just offering condolences to the deceased's family, etc. but just not viewing the dead body? Any problem of marit ayin, conveying a message of consent / approval (similar to someone attending an intermarriage), or anything else, perhaps?
Question: Can [a Jew] attend a wake where the body is laid out in an open casket?
Answer: Certainly. In Jewish burials, the body is buried without the casket, although it is usually coverered over in respect for the deceased. There is no prohibition, however, in attending a funeral where the body is not covered over.
Sources: See Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah 362.
I am not 100% sure they understood the question, possibly because their rabbanim are based in Israel where wakes don't exist. But it clarifies the issue is not with the opened casket. Although I heard from two rabbanim one shouldn't uncover a body or watch it because it is in a state where it cannot defend itself from mazikin (would be interested if anyone has a source).
However, as the SA quoted above mentions, there is a halacha to bury the dead and our practice is to do so as quickly as practical. As such practices that unnecessarily delay the burial are frowned upon.
I thought that maybe a wake has idolatrous connotations (e.g., a source in worshipping the dead) and should be forbidden because of hukot hagoyim. But interestingly, it is possible the wake has its origins in the Jewish practice to guard the dead (shemira) before burial.
The closest I found to forbidding a wake is SA YD 343:1 which places a ban on someone who sees an unburied Jewish corpse and does not attend to its burial needs.
So ultimately this might depend on circumstances. Maybe in some cases going to a wake and participating in a voluntary delay on the funeral will be forbidden. If the funeral is delayed to wait for a close parent, maybe going there and saying tehilim is part of guarding the deceased.
As always, ask your rav before trying anything you read here in the real world.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged halacha mourning-aveilus dead .
Is one allowed to listen to music during Pesach?
Is one allowed to have a non-Jew cook for him on Shabbos?
Is a Jew allowed to visit a Christian cemetery?
Is one allowed to change the torn shirt during shiva?
Is one allowed to listen to music for therapeutic purposes during sefira and the three weeks?
Are non-Jews allowed / invited to attend orthodox weddings?
Can a mourner attend a Torah lesson on Shabbat?
Egg shell and pottery for a dead person?


Does anyone else remember Alphas? A show about normal people trying to cope with their superhero powers, it ended with one of the worst cliffhangers possible -- wait, no, that was Heroes.
Before I bring up The Lost Room, let's discuss Alphas, a superhero miniatures game that has nothing to do with Alphas the show. It does, however, have "graphic novels, a progressive story, objective skirmishes, and highly detailed miniatures," and it's presented by the makers of Tabula Rasa.
The Deck of Many things isn't a game, it's a method of prototyping a game. Creator Zack Hiwiller has put together 110 tarot-sized cards that are intended to make it easier to quickly prototype and play card-based games. This includes "cards that track values, cards used as randomizers, cards used as roles, and so forth."
Set in a crime ridden, corrupt city, Dicetopia is a strategic dice-based game in which 2 to 4 players enhance their power, complete missions, and play through a total of 10 different scenarios. This game has already exceeded its funding at $10,000 pledged of its $5,000 goal. It's the first created project by All or None Games.
Achieve the ultimate state of chill in Da Share Z0ne. It looks like a trainwreck, but funds like a dream: Da Share Z0ne is a collaboration including Internet personalities such as dril and KC Green. Da Share Z0ne's Kickstarter page looks like a joke, and it is a joke, but on everyone, ranging from those who fund it to those who dismiss it. And hey, at $27, it's pretty low risk.
Everyone's riding the cryptocurrency wave, but this one might not necessarily be a bad sell. Just like stock trading, the very nature of cryptocurrency makes it an interesting premise for a game -- and BLOCKCHAIN doesn't exactly look like a rushed cash-in. In BLOCKCHAIN, players mine, trade, and store coins, while managing their own processing power and potentially sabotaging the other players.
I often find myself looking for unique games, and for that reason this Kickstarter game called to me. 42 Days: The Journey Out of Homelessness is a game about, well, escaping homelessness. More specifically it's a game about how "homelessness is deal with" in the United States. The game appears to include a board, over six decks, player pieces, and tracking chips. Now, before I go any further this game is not going to fund. But it's worth a look.
In August the first DinoGenics Kickstarter project was pulled from Kickstarter. At $19,000 pledged by 266 backers of a $43,000 goal, DinoGenics was not likely to fully fund. A worker placement game about managing a Jurassic Park style park, it was selling for $65 -- a reasonable price point for a fairly large box game. But the campaign itself didn't appear to be on track to finish -- one issue being that it started with 3 to 5 players.
Four different factions compete in Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right. This unique game features assymmetric gameplay, and comes complete with illustrated cards, faction boards, maps, dice, and tokens. As of this writing, Root has accomplished over twice of its $24,000 goal, sitting at $55,440. However, stretch goals extend to $125,000 and add features such as an organizer and screen printed meeples.
With creatures and cunning, you'll rule a fantastic forest kingdom in the ultimate asymmetric game of adventure and war.


A positive review of Mark Seymour at the Athenaeum Theatre during the Roll Back the Stone tour.
Mark Seymour sports an all-black ensemble tonight, complete with snazzy waistcoat. In fact every member of Mark Seymour & The Undertow got the all-black threads memo and this evening’s setlist mainly comprises songs from the band’s latest Roll Back The Stone 1985 – 2016 album, but not in tracklisted order. Seymour’s daughter Hannah scores BV duty tonight and the band leave the stage leaving Seymour to perform Holy Grail solo. At this song’s conclusion, Seymour puts forward Holy Grail as an example of when you realise your songs no longer belong to you, they belong to everyone, and we must admit that footage of sporting achievements does filter through our imaginations when we listen to this song these days. He actually acknowledges said song has turned into “a football anthem”, which makes the audience crack up.
Stripped down and given different treatments, Seymour’s songs are reinvented, living entities. The Undertow return to the stage and Seymour points out that although Master Of Spin came out about ten years ago, the song “has a strange kind of relevancy” today (Trump, perhaps?). Cameron McKenzie’s guitar work and Seymour’s daughter’s backing vocals perfectly accentuate this song. Say Goodbye is introduced with Seymour acknowledging that “something whispered to somebody else” (“You don’t make me feel like I’m a woman anymore”) inspired this irate classic and drummer Peter Maslen absolutely lets rip on the cymbals in this furious version (although we do miss the Horns Of Contempt’s brass stabs).
Seymour’s banter always makes you sit forward and take note – he’s poetically eloquent even in speech. He tell us that even though he begged Molly Meldrum, Countdown were hesitant to play Everything’s On Fire due to the song’s lyrical content “alluding to arson”. Before Seymour’s ode to his late mother, Classrooms And Kitchens, he observes, “It’s interesting how there’s no language, nothing’s spoken,” in reference to visiting his mother and sitting by her bedside as she gradually slipped away from this mortal coil.
Seymour complains about being plagued by technical difficulties throughout his career, adding that he used to think he was somehow responsible. He then mentions he’s experiencing some technical difficulties again this evening (although these largely go unnoticed from an audience perspective). And Seymour certainly does give withering side-eye when he feels one of his bandmates is stuffing up.
After intermission, True Tears Of Joy raises punters from their seats and down the side aisles for a boogie. “Good news for beautiful people” – When The River Runs Dry is a set highlight and the harmonies this evening are top-notch, with Hannah and two members of The Undertow perfectly complementing Seymour’s gravitas-steeped timbre. Seymour’s songwriting often navigates harrowing subject matter (see: Courtroom 32 and What’s A Few Men?) and his plaintive delivery drums home these messages with sensitivity. “I worked out how to write a three-chord pop song,” he admits before Throw Your Arms Around Me and there’s an appropriately enthusiastic crowd singalong (even though it’s a tad strange watching this song performed by a father/daughter combo). Seymour bigs up Dave Dobbyn, singing one of his songs, Beside You, after pointing out he has a connection with New Zealand (“the country across the ditch”).
Do You See What I See? finally breaks us and we decide to join what Seymour labels the “little community” of side-aisle dancers. As we politely excuse ourselves and attempt to exit our row, a lady huffs and puffs, even claiming she has a broken foot. We apologise but make a mental note to clock her gait later (update: there’s zero evidence of limping or moonboot when we spy this grumpster leaving, post-show).
After 30 years writing songs Seymour has amassed an impressive catalogue. Another stunning performance by one of our country’s finest singer-songwriters.


Construction Inspector - How is Construction Inspector abbreviated?
Mike Ford, HSE construction inspector for Warwickshire, said: "Construction sites are inherently dangerous places, with risks at height and on the ground.
After the case, HSE Construction Inspector John McGill, said: "Mr Lincoln has suffered long-term injuries as a result of this serious incident.
David Brassington, HSE construction inspector in the West Midlands, said: "Before closing the site for the holiday, contractors should carry out checks to ensure loose material is secure and scaffolding is properly supported.
HSE Construction Inspector Debbie John said: "Earlier this year, HSE carried out spot checks on sites where refurbishment was being carried out, and the main issue identified was failure to manage the risks from working at height.
HSE principal construction inspector Anna Bliss said: "Tragically, on average, one construction worker is killed every week in the UK.
HSE construction inspector Nic Rigby said: "Steven Burke's death.
Gregg Mohler, construction inspector for the engineering division of Fort Benning's Directorate of Public Works, said the safest and most cost-effective way to control mosquitoes is to eliminate their breeding sites.
HSE construction inspector Bruno Porter said, "We have enormous sympathy for Mr and Mrs Crimmins, who have had to wait a very long time indeed for the case to proceed.
By far the worst job I ever had was as a highway construction inspector for the then Department of Highways.
They did an excellent job," said Construction Inspector Amin.
This article describes two possible assignments--that of project engineer and construction inspector.
Executive chief construction inspector Kevin Myers said: 'This level of fatalities is shocking and clearly unacceptable.


Well, I've got at least a flavor of my three choices for my next phone's OS. So, let's break this down list-style!
Availability: bad Were I in a perfect world and I could get my hands on a US Pre3, I would do that. However, that doesn't seem to be an option unless HP has a developer program for them (hmm, this hadn't occurred to me...need to check into). One option is to buy a Pre3 from Europe and use it on AT&T, but according to Engadget I will get very little 3G coverage due to frequency differences. Another option is to use the developer Pre 2 I have with AT&T (or get one on Verizon), but the phone isn't that exciting and I'm not sure the status on OS updates, etc.
Phone quality: very good if I can get a Pre3, OK with a Pre 2.
Development environment: very good At least, once the phones get Enyo. Which I still think is going to happen but is kinda risky to plan around.
App catalog opportunities: good Obviously I'm established here, and I have ideas for more apps.
Availability: very good Everyone and their dog has Android phones, including Sprint.
Phone quality: OK The UI is acceptable, but not very exciting to me. Plus there's the fact that phones seem to get OS updates in the "late to never" timeframe.
App catalog opportunities: OK Android is probably the second-biggest app catalog, but there doesn't seem to be a FlightCaster app, which is surprising to say the least. Anecdotally, I've heard that Android users are less likely to pay for apps, but I don't know if that's true.
Availability: good There's a good selection of phones, although I'd likely wait until the Mango OS update is out (next weekish?) and see if Sprint has any new good phones.
Phone quality: good I really like the Metro interface (it was inspired by airport/subway signage...how could I not like it? :-) ), and the live tiles stuff is kinda neat. I am kinda surprised that copy-paste isn't available yet (coming in Mango) and background tasks (coming in Mango) have pretty draconian limitations on memory usage, etc.
Development environment: good Visual Studio, as always, is a nice environment to work in, and I'm already familiar with the basics of C# and Silverlight. Not only did I get set up and get a list working in one night, I also finished a port of PasswordHash. (not pretty, but it works) It is annoying that I'd have to use my Windows laptop to do it, though.
App Catalog opportunities: OK Irritatingly, there's already a FlightCaster client for Windows Phone, although I think the additions I've made plus updating in the background would make my app better. But that is a bit of a downer.
Quick note: I really like having the Nexus One because it tends to get really fast updates from the Google team (at least compared to other phones). Up until Gingerbread, it was getting the first release of all upgrades and GB was (as I recall) about 8 weeks from the original Nexus S release.
So, you might consider the Nexus S even though it's slightly behind the times from a hardware standpoint now.


I really love the detail of marble but have been told it is a bad idea for kitchens because it's soft and damages with acid juices and even water. Would it really be that bad? How much worse would it be than granite? Would it just be terrible in 5 years?
Yes marble is softer than granite, and yes marble stains easier than granite. Is marble worse than granite? I don't think one is any worse than the other, I just think that marble represents a working surface that is going to require more vigilance than granite. If marble is properly cared for, it will last a lifetime. The real question here, is how much care and maintenance do you want to deal with, marble will represent more work that other options.


Let's step back into conference, shall we? Following a hard-fought loss in Waco to Baylor, Alabama (12-7, 3-3) will seek to get back on track on Tuesday night when they host Mississippi State (AP: 22; KenPom: 29; NET: 29). The Bulldogs enter this game with a 15-4 (3-3) record. Game time is 7:30 P.M. CT. The game will be televised on SEC Network. Due to inclement weather, there is a possibility that the game will be rescheduled so please keep that in mind if you are planning to attend. And if you do decide to brave the weather, please use caution.
My Two Cents: I don't have much to say about the Baylor game. It was a road game vs a tough, well-coached Big 12 team. Our guys had chances to swing the game in their favor, but both teams played hard and only one team can win. I didn't come out of that game feeling any less different about Alabama than I felt going in. I still believe this team is trending in a positive direction.
Mississippi State enters this game winners in three of their last four games. The Bulldogs are rated high at KenPom on the offensive end, ranking top 50 in three categories: Effective FG % (35), Offensive Rebound % (24) and 3-point % (43); and top 100 in another three: 2-point % (79), Free Throw % (53), and steal % (54). Their total adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom ranks them in the top 20.
Defensively, the Bulldogs are not as highly rated, but their numbers are still solid. Where they really shine on the defensive end is using their length to be disruptive in the paint and in the passing lanes. Opponents are only making 47.5% of their 2-point attempts, and the Bulldogs rate very high in block % (14.3) and steal % (11.2). Alabama had a field day scoring in the paint against a smaller Baylor team, but will have to add more of a perimeter punch in this one. Opponents are shooting the 3-point shot well against the Bulldogs (35.4%) so hopefully our guys can have a better than average (34.4) day.
It seems like a broken record, but keep an eye on the rebounding stats and free throw attempts. Alabama's greatest strength this season has been rebounding, and limiting their opponents second chance opportunities. They failed in that regard this past Saturday, and it was a key reason why they lost the game. As good of an offensive team as Mississippi State has been, if Alabama allows them second chances at the basket I don't think they have a chance to win this game.
State doesn't get to the free throw line much (ranked 263 in free throw rate), while Alabama is top 50 in free throw rate (32). If that type of discrepancy is reflected in Tuesday night's box score, Alabama's chances of winning should be good (assuming they can make their free throws). As I mentioned earlier, Alabama needs to have a good night from the 3-point line because State does a good job of limiting easy looks in the paint.
Players to Watch: Riley Norris must like Texas. His best two games came in the state vs Baylor and Stephen F. Austin. Can he put together a great performance outside of the Lonestar State? And, yes, I understand that Riley does a lot of things that aren't always reflected in the box score. However, with no clear cut star, and with the team in need of a more consistent performer on the perimeter, the senior from Albertville is more than capable of filling a more substantial role for this team as his college career nears its conclusion.
This will be one of the bigger teams that Alabama has faced. State has three players in their rotation that are 6-10 or bigger. Aric Holman is a 6'10, 225 lb senior. Currently projected as a first round draft pick, Holman is an inside/outside threat. While his 6'10 frame allows him the option to score around the rim, he's also second on the team in 3-pt pct at 42.1%. He could be a matchup problem on Tuesday night. He's averaging 11.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.3 bpg, and 1.1 spg.
Reggie Perry is a 6'10, 245 lb freshman forward with a tremendous upside. A very physical player, he's gotten better as the season has progressed. He's currently averaging 7.3 ppg and 5.9 rpg. I don't know what Perry's plans are beyond this season, but if he returns to Starkville next season, expect him to be a breakout candidate. The third big man for this team is Abdul Ado, a 6'11, 255 lb sophomore. Like Perry, Ado is a very physical player. He's averaging 5.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 1.8 bpg. Ado has made strides in his two seasons so far, and I suspect he will continue to develop over the course of the next two seasons. He's more of a role player right now, but capable of impacting a game with his size and physicality.
Prediction: I don't like this matchup for Alabama. The struggles on defense have improved, but the team did have a lull on Saturday where Baylor got too many easy looks in the paint. Bama did a better job guarding the dribble drive, but I think it could be argued that Baylor's guards are not elite athletes. That obviously won't be the case on Tuesday with guys like Lamar Peters and the Weatherspoon brothers. For Alabama to win this game, they're going to need to out-rebound a bigger, more physical team, I believe they're going to need to shoot the 3 very well, and I believe they'll need to get to the free throw line often and make their shots there. They're capable of doing that, but I just don't like the matchup in this one.