I wanted a Roc's egg…. I wanted to get up feeling brisk and go out and break some lances, then pick a likely wench for my droit du seigneur–I wanted to stand up to the Baron and dare him to touch my wench! I wanted to hear the purple water chuckling against the skin of the Nancy Lee in the cool of the morning watch and not another sound, nor any movement save the slow tilting of the wings of the albatross that had been pacing us the last thousand miles….
I wanted to sail with Ulysses and with Tros of Samothrace and eat the lotus in a land that seemed always afternoon. I wanted the feeling of romance and the sense of wonder I had known as a kid. I wanted the world to be what they had promised me it was going to be–instead of the tawdry, lousy, fouled-up mess it is.
And I may have nearly found it….
It's no secret that for some time I've wanted to start learning some martial arts. I arranged to bring the Polaris Fellowship of Weapons Study to Penguicon back in 2012 to restart the track (formerly called "Mayhem", now called "Action-Adventure") of introduction to martial arts and related material. And when I learned that Polaris offers a week-long summer intensive in their style of knife and sword training, I was bound and determined to attend.
Summer Weapons Retreat 2016 (called SWRv, pronounced "swerve") ran from the 2nd through the 7th of August. Since it started at 8:00 on that Wednesday, I elected to pay the extra trivial fee and go up the night before, bunking over and being ready to start first thing in the morning. Then another minor disaster struck! My car broke down 5 days before I was supposed to leave, stranding me 90 minutes away. However, my friends Cathy and Eric Raymond were also going (as they had done for the last decade) and graciously agreed to pick me up on their way through Toledo.
So they stopped by our apartment Tuesday evening around 5, I packed my gear into their already overstuffed car, and we drove to Brighton, MI for dinner before checking in. Eric suggested I "load up on protein", as I would be doing some significant muscle-building in the next few days. (A yummy Cajun steak kebob, medium rare, and perfectly broiled sea scallops at The Stillwater Grill – yeah, I think I got enough protein.) Around 8:00, after a rather convoluted drive through the back roads south of Brighton, we arrived at the camp. I found Clint M., the lead instructor, and 'checked in' – they said, "Yeah, you've paid, and signed all the waivers and other paperwork – twice. You're good." So much for formal organization. I found my room in the bunkhouse, and met my roommates Eric M. and Steve. Last one in gets the leftovers – I got my choice of one of the upper bunk beds.
SWRv is held on the grounds of the Emrich Retreat Center, which is run by the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. It reminds me of other 'church camps' I had been to as a kid – a quiet pastoral blend of mowed lawns, woods, and rustic buildings. As other attendees arrived (all of them essentially strangers to me, although I recognized some of the instructors from their participation in Penguicon), the greetings were low-key, and it was clear that they were mostly old friends renewing those friendships. Would I fit in? Could an old duffer like me, totally inexperienced and not at all part of this company, earn a place in it?
Well, let's just see what happens tomorrow….
This entry was posted in about living, big ideas, geeky friends, martial arts. Bookmark the permalink.


Sunny. High near 100F. Winds SE at less than 5 mph, becoming WSW and increasing to 10 to 20 mph..
Clear. Low around 65F. WSW winds shifting to ESE at 10 to 15 mph.
Mountain Pointe alum Emmanuel Butler, who starred at Northern Arizona University at receiver, is used to having an underdog mentality. He impressed scouts at Arizona State's Pro Day, and hopes to get a shot in the NFL when the draft rolls around on April 25-27.
Emmanuel Butler has always thought of himself as an underdog.
Even when the wideout was lighting it up at Mountain Pointe High, he had just one school take a chance and offer him a scholarship: Northern Arizona University.
Butler did that at NAU.
The 6-foot-3, 217-pounder caught 187 passes for 3,217 yards and 33 touchdowns in four years for the Lumberjacks. His production could have been higher had he not suffered a dislocated shoulder and partially torn labrum two games into his junior season.
The injury was part of the reason Butler elected to return to NAU for his senior year. That, and the thought of helping lead the Lumberjacks to a Big Sky Conference Championship. But NAU fell short.
Butler's stock rose following a strong performance at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month. He did 11 reps on bench press, had a 36-inch vertical and 115-inch broad jump. He ran a 4.22-second 20-yard shuttle, but didn't run the 40-yard dash.
He saved that for his Pro Day on March 27.
Instead of participating in his Pro Day up in Flagstaff, Butler decided to come back to the Valley. 10.6 miles away from Mountain Pointe at Arizona State University – one of the schools who overlooked him in high school – Butler worked out in front of 27 NFL Scouts and several more from the Canadian Football League and the Alliance of American Football League.
Butler ran a reported 4.48-second 40.
Butler was joined by Chandler High standout N'Keal Harry, Hamilton High alum Casey Tucker and Higley High alum Quinn Bailey, all of whom just finished their careers at ASU.
Butler looked on as Tucker and Bailey, the only offensive lineman, concluded workouts for scouts. Then he joined Harry and other wideouts on the field. The group caught passes from ASU quarterback Manny Wilkins.
Butler's impressive showing at Arizona State is something he became accustomed to during his career at NAU.
As a sophomore in 2016, Butler had 7 receptions for 118 yards against the Sun Devils. NAU was blown out by ASU 44-13, but Butler's sensational one-handed grab is something he and Sun Devil players still talk about.
Butler's work ethic and underdog mentality has had some call him one of the biggest sleepers in the 2019 NFL Draft. He left ASU after his Pro Day workout pleased with his performance and hopeful for a team to take a chance on him just like NAU did in 2014.
No matter where he winds up when the NFL Draft kicks off on April 25-27, Butler will take any chance he gets. Even through his long journey to NAU and through the draft process, few things about Butler remain certain.
He says he will never stop trying to outwork his opponent, and he will never forget where he came from.
"When I think about Mountain Pointe, I think about all of my teammates, the close brothers I had there and those who I am still close to today," Butler said. "I want to be able to come out here and not only put on a show for myself and my family, but for the people who have supported me and who have been with me since Mountain Pointe.


At the heart of all St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) service is the "home visit," where trained volunteers, known as "Vincentians," visit those in need at their convenience to learn more about their needs.
Vincentians make thousands of in-home, person-to-person visits each year and are able to see first-hand, the exact situation in which a person is living. SVdP assistance is tailored to each person's or family's needs and may include food, clothing, furniture, rent, utility, transportation, medical, emotional or spiritual support.
When those in need are visited in their homes, they are assured that information collected will be kept in confidence. The home visit allows SVdP to offer immediate assistance and determine if those in need would benefit from other programs offered by the Society. The home visit preserves the dignity of the individual/family in need while making it convenient.
If you are in need of help – please call us at 469-607-0909 or email us at helpme@svdpdallas.org. You will receive information and referrals to the SVdP chapter in your area and/or other agencies for assistance.
© 2019 Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocesan Council of Dallas. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Coco Chanel was accused of having links with the Nazi intelligence
She was a German intelligence agent, but could not know about it.
17.Mar.16 11:52 AM
By Abigail Richards
Photo screenshot Yandex pictures
Specialists have recently declassified documents of the French secret services, in which it was stated that Madame Coco Chanel was an agent of German intelligence, but the researchers say that Madame Chanel and could not know about it.
According to experts, in the dossier on the Coco Chanel has an anonymous source in Madrid to the French resistance, which refers to the fact that Chanel, which is always considered to be "suspicious", in 1942-1943 was the mistress and agent Baron Gunther von Dinklage, who worked Attache the German Embassy and the suspect in propaganda and intelligence activities. It also became known that the German intelligence Coco Chanel has registered it as his agent. This indicates the fact that Chanel herself may not be aware of the fact that it is officially recorded in the ranks of German intelligence.
Historians say it could be a source of information or carry out some work for the Germans, which was helpful in the war. It should be said that before Coco Chanel already suspected and accused in such a rather large number of spy missions, and now it is confirmed in the documents there are a lot of interesting information on the subject.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
U.S. Joins Google, Microsoft in "Brain Race": Report
by Mark Hachman February 18, 2013 4 min read
Big DataGoogleGovernmentMappingMicrosoftObama
Decades after the space race pitted the United States against Russia, a new race has emerged: the race to map the human brain.
The New York Times reported Feb. 18 that the Obama administration is gearing up to announce the Brain Activity Map project, an effort to map an active human brain that could give new insight into how neurons interact with each other, providing new avenues of research for diseases such as Alzheimer's. The U.S. will apparently pit itself against a collection of European research agencies that have announced similar projects.
The U.S. effort, however, will apparently involve U.S. businesses, which would naturally benefit from the high-profile nature of the effort; in theory, the latter could also apply the resulting discoveries to their own computing efforts. The Times reported that representatives from Google, Microsoft, and Qualcomm met with government representatives at the California Institute of Technology to try and figure out whether or not there are sufficient computing resources to process the vast amounts of data that the experiments are expected to produce, or whether new ones would need to be built.
Those meetings also included the National Institute of Health, whose director, Francis S. Collins, apparently confirmed the plan in a subsequent tweet: "Obama mentions the #NIH Brain Activity Map in #SOTU."
In his State of the Union address, President Obama laid out the case for brain research, deploying the "space race" metaphor:
"Every dollar we invested to map the human genome returned $140 to our economy. Every dollar. Today, our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to Alzheimer's. We're developing drugs to regenerate damaged organs, devising new materials to make batteries 10 times more powerful. Now is not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation. Now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the space race. We need to make those investments."
Meanwhile, Europe has already started building its own rocket, as it were. Earlier this month, the European Commission announced the Human Brain Project, one of two EU-based projects to set aside 1 billion Euros each as part of the Future and Emerging Technologies competition. The project, which is expected to last a decade, will create the world's largest experimental facility for developing a detailed model of the brain and how it works.
The Swiss canton (or region) of Vaud is also offering the "Neuropolis," a building dedicated to "in silico life science" and centered on the Human Brain Project. The Swiss Confederation, the Rolex Group, and various third-party sponsors are backing this part of the effort. In total, scientists from 87 different institutions are involved.
The Times suggested that any cognitive-analysis project could deploy fleets of nano-sensors to monitor brain activity and store the resulting data in synthetic DNA. The problem is commercializing the process, although the benefits to data archiving could be enormous: scientists have shown that DNA can last as long as 50 years.
At this point, the EU's Human Brain Project is the only brain-mapping project on record, meaning that the "race" only has one contestant. But when—and if—the U.S. decides to participate, Big Data and supercomputing could undergo a dramatic shift. Just think: Google searches modeled around the way a brain thinks. The notion should give you chills.
Image: Jezper/Shutterstock.com
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Mark Hachman
Mark Hachman is a freelance editor at Slashdot Media. Previously, he served as the West Coast news editor for PC Magazine/PCMag.com, where he covered components, new technology, and the larger Web 2.0 companies such as Facebook and Google. Before that, he worked for eWEEK, TechWeb, and ExtremeTech, which he helped launch.


text:
Top drug suspect in DavNor killed in buy-bust operation
By Rhoda Grace Saron on March 6, 2019
The no. 1 most wanted drug dealer in Davao del Norte was killed in a buy-bust operation in Lower Arroyo compound, Matina Crossing, Barangay 74-A at 11:20 p.m. on Monday.
Antonio Rivera, director of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) XI, identified him as Freddie Sacurat.
Also arrested during the same operation were his companions, identified as Alicia Aballe, Aljon Adlawan, Karen Ngoho, Kent Sisneros, and Orland Permo.
Authorities seized 15 grams of shabu worth P180,000.
They also recovered .38 revolver from the slain suspect.
The buy-bust was conducted by joint elements of the PDEA-XI Davao Occidental Provincial Office, Davao City Police Office, Compostela Valley Provincial Police Office, Davao del Norte Provincial Police Office, Joint Task Force Haribon, Task Force Davao, National Bureau of Investigation XI, and Talomo police.
"The patrons of this suspect are from Davao del Norte, ComVal and Davao City. He had been engaged in illegal drug activity for a long time," Rivera said.
Meanwhile, a case for violation of Sec. 26 in relation to sections 5, 6, 7, 13, and 14 of RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) is being prepared against the arrested individuals.
Rhoda Grace Saron


text:
Small World that may be getting too big
Users of invitation-only networking site fear it is no longer suitably exclusive
Alexandra Topping
Sun 31 Aug 2008 19.01 EDT
It was 11.05pm and the queue outside the exclusive Embassy nightclub in Mayfair, London, was getting restless. A young man nervously adjusted his tie as a blond woman scanned the list of names on her clipboard. Two young women flounced away after being refused entry. But one phrase could guarantee immediate passage past the velvet cordon: "I'm ASW."
ASW, or A Small World to the uninitiated, is an invitation-only social networking site for the international jetset - think Facebook for Forbes list - that lets only the most elite, connected, and moneyed into its ranks.
Sipping on a mojito and looking through the window at the line of hopefuls standing miserably outside, Nicola Cavallo, an investment banker from Milan, explained the attraction. "Everyone gets access to Facebook, but only a small number are invited to join ASW," he said. "ASW is the best place to find the best people and the best parties."
Julia Hausman, an investment analyst from German, explained that she recently skipped the waiting list for a £4,000 Hermes Birkin bag thanks to her ASW membership. "I still use Facebook, but to be honest ASW is just a little more exclusive," she said.
In a world where more than 90 million people are on Facebook, ASW is part of a new wave of niche social networking sites springing up in cyberspace, said Mike Butcher, editor of technology website TechCrunch UK. "We're a few years into the social networking phenomenon now and what we are increasingly seeing are sites that attract a niche audience by meeting particular needs," he said. "There is definitely a trend towards luxury and exclusivity that hasn't been seen before."
And although the audiences of sites such as ASW may be small, they are desirable. "In normal circumstances advertisers are mainly interested in numbers, which is why Facebook is so attractive, but ASW provides access to highly influential people in an elite hothouse and that is worth a fortune," Butcher said. "It's also a very powerful platform for building a brand."
Founded four years ago, by Erik Wachtmeister, a former investment banker, ASW aims to provide a hidden corner of the internet where members - often affluent, educated and with multiple residences - can swap tips on everything from investing in Cambodia to partying in Uruguay without worrying about anything as crass as being poked, high-fived or spammed. Members have their own profile page. Free to join, its users are young, the average age is 32, with somewhere between 65% and 70% coming from Europe. Users who step out of line, by either contacting members they don't already know, aggressive marketing or celebrity-stalking (Tiger Woods and Naomi Campbell are among the glitterati) are banished.
One of the site's main features is an active forum, and a quick browse around the threads leaves the visitor in little doubt that ASW is not only a small but also a different world. "Buyer is looking to buy gold bars [bullion] by the metric ton. Must be 999.5 of fineness or better," reads one. Among the Bentleys and small hotels for sale in the high-end classifieds, a shopper looks for a "150+ft yacht for the week of the SuperBowl in Tampa, FL".
On signing up to ASW, members are reminded of the site's maxim: "We live in a small world, and we want to keep it that way." But since its inception the site has grown from 500 to about 325,000 users in more than 200 countries, and in recent months there has been growing dissent. A recent thread entitled "Death of ASW" sparked 8,600 responses. One consultant from Milan complained: "Definitely ASW was a better place when I joined in September 2004 ... now you can find personal assistants/secretaries ... is this supposed to be an exclusive site???"
But Wachtmeister is confident the site can grow comfortably to a million users. In a recent interview he said: "Our goal is to grow very, very carefully ... If we employ the right methodology, we can grow to a million people and still be as exclusive as we are today. The world is a big place."
Back at the Embassy bar, Stor Skekare, a sharply dressed Swede, was unconvinced. "I've had about four invitations but I turned them down," he says. "Exclusive? As soon as people know about it - it's dead." To push the point home he asked: "Did you manage to get into the site?" Yes, we admitted. "Exactly," he said. And turned away.


what do you do on the days when you can't find the joy?
Have you ever had someone ask you a question that made you stop in your tracks and think – "wow! I never thought of that! " A dear friend posed one of those questions to me: "What do you do on the days when you can't find the joy?" All of us have had those kind of times when you have just had it, when you want to run away, when you say "Why me, God, and No More!" Many of us have more than our fair share of hard times, of loss, of unexpected challenges and disappointments. It can become totally overwhelming, shutting us down and even paralyzing us from being productive or happy. You know - the kind of events that make some of us just want to stay under the covers and hide. At other times, it becomes self-destructive or fills us with anger and terror. Not a pretty state to be in. And when we go there, it is so hard to dig back out again.
I really had to think about her question long and hard. All of the really basic, and sometimes trite, responses come out: "One day at a time. Live in the moment. This too shall pass." While all true and important, they somehow feel too removed, or over-said, to do any good when you really need a springboard to that joy you so desperately need. So what do you do?
1. Take action – even if it is to move your body. Lift you head and look up, get off the chair, go for a walk, take a class, listen to music that moves you. Sit outside and write your little heart out. Start that journal. Meditate. Sing or dance. Do or see something new.
2. Set a time limit. I find this is a really effective way to get yourself out of your funk and find some joy. Set your alarm for 30 minutes, or 10 minutes or better yet, for 5 minutes. Let go of the drama. And when the buzzer goes off, get up and physically move yourself. Physical movement creates different chemicals and feelings in your body. Be AWARE of your feelings and how you are moving from not so good to ok to maybe even great. It is pretty amazing once you focus in on it and feel the changes taking place inside of you.
2. Find support. You CANNOT do this alone. By yourself you get stuck in the space between your ears – just you and your negative thoughts and feelings that tend to feed upon each other.
Reach out for a support team – a trusted friend, a life coach, a counselor, someone from the clergy – whomever you feel comfortable with, someone you trust who help you to laugh a little and move on.
3. Do one or ten things that make you smile.
4. Do one or ten things that make someone else smile.
4. Reach out and find someone who needs help and then help them.
5. Treat yourself to a little joy - a piece of chocolate, looking at photos that make you smile, calling an friend, watching a favorite movie, listening to wind chimes or a sea shell, smelling flowers. Use all of your senses.
6. Repeat items 1 – 5 as needed. Be committed and dedicated to being in joy very day.
By taking these simple actions, you start to get rid of your feelings and behaviors that no longer serve you and you then will build a new habit which nourishes you and others.
We all have, and will have, incredible challenges and not-so-fun times. There is always beauty in a storm. It is up to us to lift up our eyes to find it. And yes, it is not so hard when you know what to do. Joy is closer than you think – it really is inside of you.
Do you feel that you are bored or exhausted at the end of the day and need something different ? Are you not working in your best space and want to feel more alive and fulfilled in your work? Is it time to renew your spirit? If not now, what are you waiting for?
Now is the best time and let me help you on your journey to figure out what inspires you, what your unique skills and talents are, what is next. I can support you in finding answers and inspiration in our programs, career and personal coaching, and workshops developed just for you.
"Wide Awake. Every Day" Starla J. King. 2013 Little Big Bay Company LLC. Available on Amazon.
With the promise of warmer weather, I decided to get myself moving – to get out of my office and out of my house. Even though the chill and wind lingers on, I had to get back into my walking routine. The winter pounds are lingering on me as well.
I came across this tree that I had never seen before – it was old and twisted but the trunk was beautifully smooth and it still was alive and reaching for the sun.
I thought that it surely took the long way around but it was exactly where it needed to be – and it is still thriving. As strange as it looked, I also saw how fascinating it was and wondered how it got all of its' twists and turns. No one storm or hurricane could have done that. It just followed its' own path.
And so it is the same with us. The road in our lives is never a straight line. Who of us can say that the path to where we are is exactly as we planned - with no detours or curves? For almost all of us, the decisions we make lead us to unintended places, and things may happen to us that are far from what we had imagined. There is something guiding us, wanting us to be where we are now.
When we push against the winds of daily living, we spend so much energy in fighting what needs to be. We get worn out, stressed out and so unhappy. But when we allow our life to flow naturally, the result is a certain freedom and an openness to life. So stop and get out of the drama and become aware of what is important. In this stepping back, we allow life to come to us. We will get to our destination – even though it may not be the straight-forward journey we envisioned.
Allow the world to come in and let your life unfold the way it is supposed to. You will not only survive, but you will somehow flourish.
Be trusting of yourself and of the world, and you will find joy on your crooked path, and know that everything is as it should be in this moment. You will thrive throughout the storms of life on your ever-changing way, just like this tree.


You have free access to the various rooms in the Château and may organise your own route. To help you, a tour sheet will be given to you at the ticket office. Guided tours are also available during July and August.


text:
Iranian Top Diplomat, UN Chief Discuss Regional Issues
Shahid Behesthi, French universities sign MoU on health law
TEHRAN, Jan. 03 (Press Shia Agency) – Medical Law Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University signed a Memorandum of Understanding with University of Montpellier Center for Health Law.
Medical Ethics and Law Research Center of Shahid Behehsthi University of Medical Sciences signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the healthcare the Center for Health Law of the University of Monpellier, France, on science, education and research.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Dr. Mahmood Abbasi and Professor Francois Viala the heads of the two institutes on the sidelines of the first international congress on health law.
The Memorandum of Understanding has been signed to expand cooperation in science, education and research with a focus on bioethics and health law. The MoU facilitates the exchange of professors and students between the two universities and provides join PhD programs in health law.
Cooperation between the two centers has started since three years ago and is going to be expanded and promoted within the framework of this new Memorandum of Understanding.
BS/4190513
Tags : Health Issues , Iran-France , Medical Sciences , Scientific Cooperation


text:
Q: Row vs Columnar DB for queries with multiple OR statements I understand columnar databases are great for speed queries where you don't use many fields to lookup against, but what if you only used OR statements?
For instance, I want all the records that have (Val A, Col A) OR (Val B, Col B) OR (Val C, Col C) OR...(Val N, Col N)
I hope I'm asking that clearly.
Edit:
The query OR statement would look A = 1 OR B = 3 OR C = 6 ... OR N = 7
And the reason I'm doing this is I would have a row/record where each col/field is encrypted and I'd like all the records that have a match with any of the fields for a clustering exercise. This query could run 100s of times a second.

A: The examples in this answer are written from a SQL Server point of view. To repeat back the problem, you want fast queries when the WHERE clause is a series of OR statements. Queries will filter against 4 to 20 different columns and you don't know the columns ahead of time. The first query might look like this:
SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM #Q273599
WHERE ID1 = 1 OR ID2 = 2 OR ID4 = 4 OR ID5 = 5;

and the second query might look like this:
SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM #Q273599
WHERE ID1 = 1 OR ID2 = 2 OR ID8 = 8 OR ID9 = 9 OR ID10 = 10;

This is still a difficult problem for relational databases depending on the size of the table and the required query response times. The fastest method will likely be to define a single column index on every column and to use an RDBMS with a query optimizer that is able to find an index union plan. Creating an index on every column may be impractical from a storage, capacity limit, or DML overhead point of view.
Very generally, it is fair to say that columnar storage will be better for this type of query than row store. Microsoft lists a similar problem (end users searching by hundreds of different filters on a real estate website) as a good case study for the effectiveness of columnstore. I think it's as simple as if you're going to scan the whole table anyway, you might as well scan a smaller table due to the typically better compression that columnar storage provides compared to rowstore. Not needing all of the columns from the table will of course make columnar more attractive compared to row store.
If you're really concerned about performance I recommend mocking up some sample data and trying things out. For the table and query below, I ended up with a 4 second response time for a row store query, a 1 second response time for columnstore, and a 13 ms response time when all columns were indexed. This is just an example to illustrate the general point. Your data is an important part of the question.
CREATE TABLE #Q273599 (
    ID1 BIGINT NOT NULL,
    ID2 BIGINT NOT NULL,
    ID3 BIGINT NOT NULL,
    ID4 BIGINT NOT NULL,
    ID5 BIGINT NOT NULL,
    ID6 BIGINT NOT NULL,
    ID7 BIGINT NOT NULL,
    ID8 BIGINT NOT NULL,
    ID9 BIGINT NOT NULL,
    ID10 BIGINT NOT NULL,
    PADDING CHAR(500) NOT NULL
);

INSERT INTO #Q273599 WITH (TABLOCK)
SELECT q.RN, RN, RN, RN, RN, RN, RN, RN, RN, RN, ''
FROM
(
    SELECT TOP (25000000) ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY (SELECT NULL)) RN
    FROM master..spt_values t1
    CROSS JOIN master..spt_values t2
    CROSS JOIN master..spt_values t3
) q;

SELECT COUNT_BIG(*)
FROM #Q273599
WHERE ID1 = 1 OR ID2 = 2 OR ID4 = 4 OR ID5 = 5 OR ID6 = 6 OR ID7 = 7 OR ID9 = 9 OR ID10 = 9999999999999
OPTION (MAXDOP 1);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Set in the jungles of southern India, Mowgli, a boy raised by a pack of wolves, has a life full of adventure and conflict. Joined by his best friends Baloo and Bagheera, Mowgli must confront the notorious tiger, Shere Khan. Kipling's fantastic story teaches respect for life, both animal and human, and the idea of harmony amongst all living things.


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First, start by selecting from one of our handmade crusts, like our hand-tossed crust that's packed with buttery flavor, a pan crust featuring two colossal layers of cheese, a crunchy thin crust, or even a gluten-free pizza crust! Then, choose a sauce and pile on as many or as few pizza toppings as you want. Whether you want to combine sausage, bacon, salami and green peppers, or stick to a blend of cheddar, mozzarella, feta, and asiago cheese, you can make your dreams come true at your nearest Domino's!
When you order from your Domino's near 75287, you'll see that we're pretty serious about pizza delivery. In fact, we're so serious about it that we promise your pizza will arrive piping hot and freshly made, right from our oven to your door. Want to see how fast we can deliver? After you place your order, use our patented TrackerⓇ to stay up to date on the status of your pizza order. Follow your pie from the moment the sauce is added to the second it leaves our door for delivery... and do your best not to drool on your computer's keyboard in the meantime.
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With more than 12,000 stores in 80 plus countries, we know quality and customer service. We make it our mission to be the best pizza delivery company in Dallas, and everything we do reflects this pledge. You'll taste it in every bite of pizza we deliver and see it in every money-saving pizza coupon we offer. Order online, call your local Domino's restaurant near 75287, or use our free smartphone app for hot, fast, and delicious pizza carryout and delivery today! Trust us, we're different than other pizza restaurants. We're your go-to, hands down, favorite pizza place near 75287!


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Person holding onto handrail of escalator in public risks infected with germs, bacteria, virus.
Hand holding glass of water on table. Drink to prevent dehydration during flight journey.
Handful of lint trapped in filter of laundry dryer clothes machine, after drying.
Passenger holding mineral water bottle in aeroplane cabin. Advice to drink lots of water to keep oneself hydrated on long haul flight.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - August 20, 2018: Series of steward demonstrating safety procedure prior to commercial Airasia airline flight took off.
Stir fry dau miu, or snow pea sprout vegetable, available during winter season in Hong Kong and China.
HONG KONG, February 9, 2019: Hong Kong Coliseum, commonly known as the Hung Hom Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena, in Hung Hom Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
HONG KONG, February 9, 2019: The Central Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. 800 metres in distance. Elevation over 135 metres.
HONG KONG, February 9, 2019: The Hong Kong International Airport terminals are connected with walkalators to ease passengers mobility.
Person accidently spilled curry stain onto white shirt and reacted with frustration.
Man pointing own unhealthy big belly with visceral or subcutaneous fats. Pose health risk.
Man pinching own unhealthy big belly with visceral or subcutaneous fats. Pose health risk.


My work is now being exhibited at Gallery 55 in Hampshire. If you are in the area, come and visit!
This exhibition runs from October 6th to the end of January.
Previous PostPrevious Craft in Focus.
Next PostNext Chaldon Show: 7-8 Dec '12 – Welcome!


This is a single uprated exhaust hanger. Please select the quantity that you require.
A worthwhile upgrade on any aftermarket exhaust system. They will help the eliminate excessive play which could possibly cause the exhaust to hit the car body, the road, and even contribute towards cracking your exhaust manifold.
These hangers measure 75mm long in total and the distance between mounting points is 45mm.
Very robust and stiff hanger bushing. Tested them on a s14a and a subaru. Fits perfectly, obviously because they are universal.


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On 23 October 2016 the applicant made an FOI request to the Department for certain records relating to a work-place investigation. On 23 November 2016, the Department granted access to certain information and refused access to the remaining records, on the basis that they were exempt under sections 30(1), 36(1)(b) and 37(1) of the FOI Act. On 23 November 2016, the applicant applied for an internal review. On 23 December 2016, the Department issued its internal review decision, in which it varied its original decision by altering the exemption relied on in respect of one record and granting access to an additional record. On 5 January 2017 the applicant applied to this Office for a review of part of the Department's decision.
In conducting this review I have had regard to the Department's decision; the Department's communications with the applicant and with this Office; the applicant's communications with the Department and with this Office; the content of the withheld records, provided to this Office by the Department for the purposes of this review and to the provisions of the FOI Act.
During the review, the Investigator obtained confirmation from the applicant that the scope of his request for review is confined to the following records: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The question for this review is therefore whether the Department is justified in withholding access to these records under section 30(1)(a) of the FOI Act.
First, section 22(12)(b) of the FOI Act provides that when I review a decision to refuse a request, there is a presumption that the refusal is not justified unless the public body "shows to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that the decision was justified". Therefore, in this case, the onus is on the Department to satisfy me that its decision is justified.
Secondly, my jurisdiction under section 22 of the FOI Act is to make a new decision, in light of the facts and circumstances as they apply on the date of the review. This approach has been endorsed by the Courts.
Thirdly, with certain limited exceptions, the FOI Act does not provide for the limiting of access to records to particular individuals only. When a record is released under the FOI Act, it effectively amounts to disclosure to "the world at large" (H.(E.) v Information Commissioner  IEHC 58). The FOI Act places no restrictions on the type or extent of disclosure or the subsequent use to which the record may be put.
Finally, the Department did not give proper reasons for its decisions; neither did it address matters relating to the public interest in either its original or internal review decision. I would remind FOI bodies that section 13(2) of the FOI Act requires them to give reasons for refusing access to records, including matters relating to the public interest. I would urge FOI bodies to make use of the FOI resources available on www.foi.gov.ie (the website of the Central Policy Unit of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) and this Office's website at www.oic.ie.
The Department refused access to Record 3 under section 30(1) of the FOI Act. Record 3 is an excerpt from the Civil Service Disciplinary Code, which is available publicly.
Accordingly, I find that the Department is justified in refusing access to this information on the ground that it is already in the public domain, under section 15(1)(d) of the FOI Act. In making this finding, I would ask the Department to point the applicant to this information, to ensure that he is aware that it is in the public domain.
I will consider section 30(1)(a) of the FOI Act in relation to Records 1 (copied at 4), 2 (copied at 5) 6 (copied at 8) and 7, which I will refer to as "the records". Section 30(1)(a) allows an FOI body to refuse to grant an FOI request if access to the record could reasonably be expected to prejudice the effectiveness of tests, examinations, investigations, inquiries or audits conducted by or on behalf of an FOI body or the procedures or methods employed for the conduct thereof. It is subject to a public interest balancing test in section 30(2).
The Department submits that being allowed to investigate the matters concerned justly, fairly and securely is extremely important. It says that releasing any gathered evidence or investigatory proceedings prior to concluding the process and issuing the report would prejudice the methods and effectiveness of this and future investigations. It submits that investigations into wrongdoings need confidentiality to be effective. In that regard, the Department queries whether those involved in the investigation would be content to give evidence or contribute to the investigation if the information were released. In relation to the public interest, the Department submits that there is a public interest in good decision-making by public bodies, in upholding standards of integrity, in ensuring justice and fair treatment for all.
The applicant submits that a person has the right to be fully aware of allegations made against them and to have any information available to them in order to refute the allegations, as he believes that the information contains details that may enable him to challenge the allegations concerned.
The records concern an investigation into alleged wrongdoings in the work-place. I accept that they relate to an investigation for the purposes of section 30(1)(a) of the FOI Act.
The records disclose details of certain allegations, the individual staff members involved and steps which were taken in order to investigate those allegations. Having regard to the particular content of the records and the nature of the investigation, I accept that the staff involved would have raised their concerns and/or participated in the investigation on an understanding of confidentiality. I further accept that it is reasonable to expect that releasing the records could prejudice the effectiveness of this and future such investigations, on the ground that confidentiality supports the effectiveness of this kind of an investigation. I therefore find that section 30(1)(a) applies to the records.
On the one hand, section 30(1)(a) itself reflects the public interest in FOI bodies conducting investigations effectively. On the other hand, there is a public interest in transparency around the way in which the Department carries out its functions. Section 11(3) of the FOI Act requires FOI bodies to have regard to the need to achieve greater openness in their activities and to strengthen their accountability and improve the quality of their decision-making.
The applicant submits that there is a public interest in his right to be aware of allegations against him, as he says that the records contain information by which he could challenge the allegations. However, I believe that this is more properly viewed as a private interest. I consider that I am supported in this opinion by the High Court decision of FP v The Information Commissioner  IEHC 771. There, the Court found that the public interest in granting access to information was not to be determined on the basis of the appellant's personal circumstances and the fact that access to records might assist the applicant in determining whether he had a cause of action did not qualify as a matter of public interest.
I must also bear in mind that release under the FOI Act is tantamount to release to the world at large. Accordingly, this is not a question of whether to disclose the records to the applicant for the purpose of defending himself in a workplace investigation. It is a question of whether to disclose the records to the world at large. I have also had regard to the fact that the Department's investigation is ongoing.
In the circumstances of this case, I consider that the public interest in ensuring an effective workplace investigation outweighs any public interest in transparency around the way in which the Department carries out its functions. I therefore find that on balance, the public interest would not be better served by granting access to the records.
I therefore find that the Department is justified in withholding access to the records under section 30(1)(a) of the FOI Act.
Having carried out a review under section 22(2) of the FOI Act, I hereby affirm the Department's decision to withhold access to the records, under section 15(1)(d) and section 30(1)(a) of the FOI Act.


text:
/**
 * Created by 28848160 on 7/14/14.
 */
var config = require("../../config").values;
var util = require("./util");

var gScores = {};
var gHistory = [];
var gHallOfFame = [];

function setScores(scores){
    gScores = scores;
}
exports.setScores = setScores;

function getScores(){
    return gScores;
}
exports.getScores = getScores;

function resetScores(){
    gScores = {};
}
exports.resetScores = resetScores;

function formatScores (scores){
   var arr = [];
   for(var key in scores){
      arr.push({player: key, score : scores[key]});
   }
   return arr;
}
exports.formatScores = formatScores;

function setHistory(timestamp, name, scores){
    gHistory.push({
        timestamp: timestamp,
        name: name,
        scores: scores
    });
    util.sort(gHistory, 'timestamp', true);
    gHistory = gHistory.slice(0, config.game.show_history_games);
}
exports.setHistory = setHistory;

function getHistory(){
    return gHistory;
}
exports.getHistory = getHistory;

function resetHistory(){
    gHistory = [];
}
exports.resetHistory = resetHistory;

function setHallOfFame(timestamp, scores){
    for (var i = 0, l = scores.length; i < l ;  i++) {
        var score = scores[i];
        score.timestamp = timestamp;
        gHallOfFame.push(score); //add all scores
    }
    util.sort(gHallOfFame, 'score', true);
    gHallOfFame.slice(0, config.game.show_hall_of_fame);
}
exports.setHallOfFame = setHallOfFame;

function getHallOfFame(){
    return gHallOfFame;
}
exports.getHallOfFame = getHallOfFame;

function resetHallOfFame(){
    gHallOfFame = [];
}
exports.resetHallOfFame = resetHallOfFame;

function getRandomInt (min, max) {
    return Math.floor(Math.random() * (max - min + 1)) + min;
}

function setOperation () {
    var self = this;
    var member1 = getRandomInt(0,20);
    var member2 = getRandomInt(0,20);

    var operation_type = getRandomInt(0,1) ? '+' : '-'; //build the match challenge.
    self.quest =  member1 + operation_type + member2;
    self.solution = eval (self.quest);
}

function instanceOperation(){
    var operation = new setOperation();
    return operation;
}
exports.instanceOperation = instanceOperation;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Pointer is a shoe brand that focuses on creating simple and well-designed shoes with high quality-materials. With a playful fascination for colour and shape their shoes are timeless and modern. Life, in all its diversity is a key inspiration, from music and art, right down to your everyday life. By mixing materials, geometric shapes and patterns, Pointer is a brand that creates footwear that the people behind the company would like to wear themselves. Their collections are for both men and women and celebrate the individual. This shoe brand is offering something truly different.
Pointer was founded in 2004 in London, Great Britain. The employees are a group of people that are inspired from artists to interns, friends, distributors and agents from all around the world. Pointer makes high quality footwear with a meticulous attention to detail and the shoes can be worn either to work or in your spare time. Pointer makes shoes for every season and occasion. Whether you are going to a pool party in the summer or attending a work meeting in the fall. With their wide assortment of shoes from sneakers to boots, and let's not forget their popular loafers, Pointer will have something that suits you and your outfit just perfectly.
We all know that taking good care of your shoes will make them last longer. This goes for your Pointer shoes as well. With the right shoe care products and some TLC, they will both look good and last for a long time. Always make sure you have the right shoe care products for the material of your shoes. As they are made with high quality materials they deserve some good treatment and care from their owner. This way you will have your Pointer shoes for many seasons to come and they will become a reliable friend in your wardrobe.
Why bother with the hassle of getting out of the house and maybe be stuck in a traffic jam to get your new shoes from Pointer. Just go online and order them on Footway today. With fast deliveries and excellent customer service, we promise you that you will be happy with your shopping experience on Footway. This way you can try your Pointer shoes on at home with your complete outfit and avoid any stress. Make life a little easier and buy your new shoes from Pointer at Footway today.


Computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) is an increasingly common survey methodology in the public health arena. CATI methodology has been applied both in highly specific areas of health behaviours research and broad-scale national health surveys. In recent years, the CATI Technical Reference Group -a subcommittee of the National Public Health Information Working Group-have been developing topic-specific question modules for population health surveys in conjunction with key informants.


text:
PC Performance Clinic Blog
Technical Articles, Optimization Tips, …
Posts Tagged 'Microsoft'
IE8 just launched and immediately hacked
The final code for the Internet Explorer 8 by Microsoft was introduced recently. This was hacked by a researcher from Germany in the PWN2OWN contest eventually winning $5000 and a Sony VIAO laptop. Nils is a student of computer science from Germany. He ruined into Sony in just a few minutes by taking benefit of an undisclosed weakness in the new Internet Explorer 8. Tipping point was the sponsor of this hacking contest. The laptop used by the researcher was running on the Microsoft internal build for the Windows 7. IE8 is the final version of Microsoft which can be used for Windows Vista, XP, as well as Server 2003 and 2008. It has been tagged as the final edition to their Windows 7. The version has not yet been unconfined to the public.
Microsoft conducted the hacking contest to find out the bug and deal with it. This has helped them to build a more secure and safe Internet Explorer which is hacker free. There are situations when some vulnerability arises during the product development which will obstruct the release of the product. Microsoft wanted to evaluate any vulnerability which existed in the new Internet Explorer 8. Tipping point has bought these vulnerabilities and its rights and has awarded a cash prize to the hacker who cracked IE8. This helps in knowing about the low points of the browser and makes the necessary changes. Microsoft was brought down to ground zero by the hacker who hacked through the product even before its release. Microsoft just watched how a researcher from Germany hacked through their system and went away winning a cash prize and a laptop. Nils only took five minutes to hack through the all new IE8. Tipping Point has handed over all the codes and details to the operation manager Mike Reavey of Microsoft Security Research Center. Reavey was at CanSecWest where the security conference of PWN2OWN was being held.
The code was taken back to the company and it has been filed as a bug. It is said to be a real winner story for Tipping Point as well as Microsoft who had the chance to interact with Nils and know more about the problem. The bug has been reproduced in the labs of Microsoft and they are working to make IE8 more foolproof. The vulnerability has not yet been confirmed by Microsoft. After the vulnerability will be confirmed, Microsoft has claimed to take necessary action to protect all its customers. It is said that the build which was used in the contest is not original RTW build that was released. Nils after successfully hacking the IE8 has moved to the Safari browser by Apple Inc and the Mozilla Firefox. He has successfully attacked both these codes which he created earlier. Nils gathered total prize money of $15,000 by hacking some of the popular internet browsers. The contest opened up new avenues for Microsoft, Mozilla and Apple to make their internet browsers foolproof.
Tags: CanSecWest, hacking, IE8, Microsoft, Security, Tipping Point
Posted in browser, Microsoft, Security | 25 Comments »
First post-Gates Windows release: 7
CEO Steve Ballmer said, Windows 7 would be the 1st operating system by Microsoft that is built without much knowledge from Bill Gates, where the technical manager of the company who had lead this development process had to change to things without the co-founder of the company and the previous chief software engineer. He continued that they have a lot of people who have stepped ahead and grown in different new ways. There is no question about that as he too is growing in some say. Ballmer said when speaking at McGraw-Hill Media Summit 2009 at New York.
Microsoft Windows 7 is estimated to make its entrance later during this year as it is a product that included some changes that were done since Bill Gates had retired from Microsoft and the company officials are really proud of its results, said Ballmer during the on stage interview held by Steve Adler the BusinessWeek editor. Ballmer further said that it is an excellent piece of work in the upcoming operating system and it is the work driven by an enthusiastic team independent of the leadership of Bill gates and according to Ballmer he feels that they are all feeling good about their product. They have got to finish the project sand they think it to be a big deal.
A beta version release of Windows 7 was already made available early during January which has until now received several positive reviews over its predecessors like Windows Vista that had taken nearly 5 years for the company to develop which had been criticized by several consumers and business users. However without saying so clearly Steve Ballmer implied that he and his executives were restricted in their capability to make firm technical decision at Microsoft after the retirement of Gates. Bill Gates was retired from his work at Microsoft at Last July and started working at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which is a Philanthropic organization. Some of his past duties at Microsoft would be now passed on to Ray Ozzie who had replaced Bill Gates as the chief software architect.
Steve Ballmer said that the first thing that should be changed at Microsoft is the way Craig Mundie and Ozzie interact as one team to make all the technology decisions. He added, the way all of three of them accomplish or their job at the technology leadership center is certainly different in the way Bill gates accomplished. According to Ballmer, Bill Gates had more in his final say in technical decisions, as he was also the founder. He added that Bill Gates did not give much orders but in case he thought something should is to be done then you clearly knew work would be intense if you did not agree. Additionally Steve Ballmer also said that if given the change then his team and he would be pleased to have back Bill Gates back. He said that they really miss Bill gates and he support for their work.
Tags: Bill Gates, Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, Windows 7
Posted in Microsoft, Windows 7 | 32 Comments »
windows 7 vs. Linux
Saturday, March 21st, 2009
With the release of first public beta version of Windows 7, there was a feeling that Microsoft had finally created the Windows they were promising from long time. However they have got few choices the professional and public reaction to Vista and the mounting pressure from low cost Linux over the low cost computer devices, which mean they have to act fast. There is a debate about what 7 means for both Linux and Windows as it is Linux's fearsome new enemy or Microsoft's last gasp. However some closer inspections show that it is not either of it. Linux has made steps for itself on the desktop by making it possible to build netbooks at lower costs while Windows 7 would surely enjoy the market positions and impress their existing Windows users even more.
You can just find out how Windows 7 and the desktop breeds of Linux shape up against themselves while knowing what is coming before from both sides. This is however not in an intention to downgrade either Linux or Windows 7 but only an exercise to find out what each does in particular categories.
Firstly, as most people generally purchase computers preloaded with Windows is because they don't have to deal with the entire process of installing the OS and the same goes to machines that come preloaded with Linux. However people trying the new Windows 7 and those installing Linux on their existing computer have to go through entire installation process in some way. The installation process of Windows 7 can be familiar to those who have already installed and used vista as it requires a few setup choices and is much faster than XP. Windows 7 however insists to be the first OS on the system. Therefore if you need a dual boot system you will still require installing varieties of Windows and then Linux or else you will have to repair one to get the other boot.
One thing that Windows has incrementally added over time is their better pre-booth support environment. You can actually boot the installation DVD to bring up command consoles to perform a small division of admin of admin functions while also performing a full system image recovery. However installing Linux will be half the struggle and the process has also become much easier. Ubuntu also gives you the option to run straight from an existing Windows partition with just a few performance hit. There is also another positive change on how the hit rate for hardware detection has increased with each successive release. Additionally the other great thing that Linux still continues to offer in this regards and which Windows still seems unable to offer because of their architectural limitations is the live USB or the live CD drive. When you boot it you would have a full blown copy of the operating system along with the biggest hindrance being in the transfer speed of boot media. This is only possible in Windows with its great deal of acrobatics but in Linux it is a natural thing.
Tags: install OS, Linux, Microsoft, operating systems, Windows7
Posted in Linux, Windows 7 | 51 Comments »
You can uninstall IE8 in Windows7, says Microsoft
Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 7 users would be able to remove IE 8 or Internet Explorer 8 including other applications from the OS. This ability of removing IE8 is revealed by some bloggers after they worked around the Windows 7 Built 7048, which is a post beta version which was leaked to file sharing sites on the internet. Mike Nash the vice president of Windows product management had declined to comment over the bloggers' report and said that it is unfortunate that builds leak off thorough the web. However Jack Mayo, the group program manager from Windows team had acknowledged that the new OS would includes a wide list of applications and features that can actually be switched off.
Therefore in the Engineering Windows 7 blog entry Jack Mayo has listed the applications which can be switched off. These applications include Internet Explorer 8, Windows DVD maker, scan and fax, Windows Gadget platform, handwriting recognition, Windows Media player, Windows search, Windows Media Center and XPS Viewer services. He also explained that the files linked to these features and applications are not really deleted from the hard drive. When a features or application is deselected, it would also not be available for use. This means that the data and binary files are not loaded by the OS and so are not available to the user on the PC. These files are dramatic so that they can be back to the OS without wanting any extra media. The staging is important feedbacks received form the users who surely are not satisfied with the long process in DVD installation.
Jack Mayo also said that the APIs related to these applications are still supported by Windows 7 even when these features ore applications are disabled. However Jack Mayo did not provide any examples of what APIs would still be support when users switch off IE8, but most probably windows update which mainly relies on the web browser would stay functional. He also did not mention about the new antitrust charges of the European Union against Microsoft which the bloggers Bryant Zadegan and Chris Holmes quoted as the possible reason why the company had added the IE8 option.
The EU regulators had earlier claimed that Microsoft safeguards IE from its competition by bundling it with the Windows OS. The competition commission of EU said that among the possible solutions it might make the company cripple Internet Explorer if the user installs a rival browser like Chrome from Google or Firefox from Mozilla. Jonathan Todd the EU spokesman said that Microsoft can also be told to technically let users to disable Internet Explorer code in case the user chooses to install a competitive browser. Microsoft has declined to reply on whether the decision to let users remove IE8 is anyway linked to the EU case. However the option to remove IE8 is only available in the post beta builds and is also restricted to just a small group of people.
Tags: , Chrome, Google, IE7, IE8, Microsoft, Windows 7
Posted in Internet Explorer, Microsoft | No Comments »
Future of Microsoft Windows Server
The future versions in Windows Server would allow companies to resourcefully manage and offer virtualized applications with the help of the web just like the upcoming platform Windows Azure of Microsoft Corp. as a service. Steven Martin the senior director of developer platform product management at Microsoft said that the innovative advancement in Azure and the future version of windows server would be shared and that the code base would carry on the cross pollinate. He further said that the corporate data center would sometime look like a mini cloud which would be divided by the application workload.
The Windows Azure was first previewed during last fall and it is the foray of Microsoft that would bring windows server online as a cloud computing platform. The developers would be able to port or eve write applications using the popular .net tool and the web tool standard interface of Microsoft like the Atom, SOAP and REST and host them to Azure. The Windows Azure is expected to be launched later during this year. The detailed pricing list is however yet to e released. Microsoft is also expected to talk about their new Windows Azure at their MIX web development conference which is to be held in Las Vegas.
The conservative hosting includes companies leasing or buying a server from data center operators and run a set number of applications off them. This can actually be complicated to manage and also entail several upfront costs and it can also be difficult to scale quickly on demands. Windows Azure just like other new generation cloud platforms also enables fast setup with easier scaling which lets users pay for the usage thereby avoiding upfront investment. Martin said that their main goal is to completely hide the difficulty of hardware from the developers. He further said that preferably a product does not get recalled and it also does not need to activate their services, but in case it does they will be prepared to scale it very fast.
Epicor Software Corp., an independent software vendor is writing about the next version of their ERP software which could be hosted through Azure while the Micro Focus Ltd is also taking their COBOL application off the mainframe and would host them on Windows Azure. The Azure basically runs well with windows server 2008 installed in data centers of Microsoft. Martin said that the fact that Microsoft is offering both their Azure services and windows server software as part of their services and software strategy is a plus point for several companies who are unsure about committing totally to a cloud infrastructure. This is probably because they think they can run it with more agility or cheaper or just because regulations need them to do it. Martin said that they can make it easier for you to transition back to the on premises without the need to entirely rewrite the application. Apart from bigger corporations several web hosting companies would also be interested in hosting Windows Azure to make their communications more efficient and nimble.
Tags: , cloud computing, Microsoft, virtualization, Windows Azure, Windows Server
Posted in Microsoft, Windows Server | No Comments »
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Peters will say anything that will win him votes and popularity, There is zero chance that Rugby will ever be FTA in NZ. The government has better things to spend millions on than sport and it is just going to get more expensive, because without broadcast money professional sport as we know it will cease to exist.
I agree that the government have better things to spend money on, and if Peters plan is to give money to FTA networks to bid for sports that isn't going to happen. After all it is our money that is being used to pay for it, so it'll kinda like we are all paying for it anyway. However, the alternate option is to create an anti-siphoning list that means FTA networks can bid on certain events to the exclusion of pay tv. This works well in Australia, where AFL, NRL, cricket, rugby union and a whole list of other sports are required to be shown live on FTA tv. That model could work in New Zealand too, and not cost the taxpayers any money.
Sport is only exclusive once someone has bought the rights. FTA is free to bid for the rights. But they can't recover those costs as its free to air.
- All games involving national teams are FTA but other country's games require a subscription anyway.
- Certain events in a calendar end up on FTA but you still need a sub to see the rest of a championship.
- FTA channels can't show a full weekend event e.g. F1 so you end up with just getting the races and no prac/wualy and end up with a far poorer product.
- FTA sport in NZ has often been bumped to the wee small hours if it clashed with the newshour (less of an issue with Freeview, but would mean less full HD sport if on Duke etc).
Consolidation of sports with Sky works well in a small market because it's easier for fans to get value. If I get Warriors games FTA but the rest of the NRL is behind a pay sub, then all you've done is take money away from actual core services that Govts should be running. Plus I'll end up paying multiple providers for different sports and it all adds up quickly.
I sort of agree with Trackside being FTA given that the TAB is effectively a statutory body, however. I suspect Winston (and his voters) would be happy with that.
I believe Winston is right. In a small country like NZ, main sport should be available to all, not just those that can afford Sky.
The FTA bill has been voted down already in Parliament. It's going to cost around $125 million.
Even if it doesn't cost $125 mill it's going to cost an awful lot of money that could be spent on other stuff. The money for FTA sports is going to have to come from somewhere.
As someone who couldn't care less about sport, I would be quite annoyed to see my taxpayer dollars being wasted (in my view) on sport, whereas it could be better spent on healthcare or fighting child poverty.
the AFL just sold their broadcast rights for 2.5 billion dollars. Channel 9 pays 100 million a year for Cricket and is losing 40 million a year on broadcasting sports because they can only make money selling advertising which is dropping . It's serious money to get the rights to sport and in NZ only Sky has the money to do it.
Whilst I agree with the comment about Peters, I don't actually see the point of paying money to Sky to pay to the IRB to pay to the NZRU. Sky & IRB clip the ticket and the profits go overseas.
Make international games involving NZ's national teams FTA in NZ, and instead give the money (I'd happily pay in taxes some of the money I now pay to Sky) directly to the sports involved. Sky and the rest can still bid for rights to broadcast the games to Australia, SA, UK, etc. and via live streaming.
You realise that global sports bodies own the rights and Sky just has the NZ rights? Like Sky can't broadcast ABs games into other countries.
Watching the great race then bye bye Sky, and no Mr Fellet I am not a pirate I have never illegally downloaded content.
Sky still spending money on lawyers, rather than content.
In Trump's words: "Sad, really"
"Sky Television claims win in piracy fight securing interim injunction"
"Sky Television says it has secured an interim injunction against a Christchurch company which it accuses of selling devices that help people access television programming without paying.
The win comes on the same day that a separate, wider war of words has broken out over a plan by Sky to force the country's top internet providers to block access to websites hosting pirated television content.
Sky TV launched legal action earlier this year against two companies – Hamilton-based My Box and Christchurch company FibreTV NZ – which it said were selling devices designed to help people illegally watch programmes, including those for which Sky has the New Zealand broadcasting rights.
Both companies sell Android media players, commonly referred to as Kodi boxes, which cost upwards of $70 and often come pre-loaded with software that points to foreign television streams."
kingdragonfly: Sky still spending money on lawyers, rather than content.
I see no issue with Sky (or anybody else for that means - just look what's happening globally with Kodi itself and boxes) taking the action they have.
In this situation I'd almost go as far as saying Sky are doing the entire world a favour by preventing scammers from taking money off people by charging heavily inflated prices for something that's not worth what they're charging for it. Nobody sells $70 boxes - they sell them for hundreds, but they're only worth $70 tops.
Share price in 2014 nearly $7.00 now at $2.47. In last three years fibre has really taken off. The only subscriber Sky can absolutely rely on is a sports lover who lives in rural area that can't now & probably never will get fibre internet. City dwellers who really love their sports will prob. keep them afloat.


text:
Affluent Millennial Investing Survey
How to Invest with Confidence
Financial Technology & Automated Investing
Investing Investing Essentials
Updated Jul 7, 2019
What Is Discounting?
Discounting is the process of determining the present value of a payment or a stream of payments that is to be received in the future. Given the time value of money, a dollar is worth more today than it would be worth tomorrow. Discounting is the primary factor used in pricing a stream of tomorrow's cash flows.
Discounting With The Discount Rate
How Discounting Works
For example, the coupon payments found in a regular bond are discounted by a certain interest rate and added together with the discounted par value to determine the bond's current value.
From a business perspective, an asset has no value unless it can produce cash flows in the future. Stocks pay dividends. Bonds pay interest, and projects provide investors with incremental future cash flows. The value of those future cash flows in today's terms is calculated by applying a discount factor to future cash flows.
Discounting is the process of determining the present value of a future payment or stream of payments.
A dollar is always worth more today than it would be worth tomorrow, according to the concept of the time value of money.
A higher discount indicates a greater the level of risk associated with an investment and its future cash flows.
Time Value of Money and Discounting
When a car is on sale for 10% off, it represents a discount to the price of the car. The same concept of discounting is used to value and price financial assets. For example, the discounted, or present value, is the value of the bond today. The future value is the value of the bond at some time in the future. The difference in value between the future and the present is created by discounting the future back to the present using a discount factor, which is a function of time and interest rates.
For example, a bond can have a par value of $1,000 and be priced at a 20% discount, which is $800. In other words, the investor can purchase the bond today for a discount and receive the full face value of the bond at maturity. The difference is the investor's return.
A larger discount results in a greater return, which is a function of risk.
Discounting and Risk
In general, a higher the discount means that there is a greater the level of risk associated with an investment and its future cash flows. Discounting is the primary factor used in pricing a stream of tomorrow's cash flows. For example, the cash flows of company earnings are discounted back at the cost of capital in the discounted cash flows model. In other words, future cash flows are discounted back at a rate equal to the cost of obtaining the funds required to finance the cash flows. A higher interest rate paid on debt also equates with a higher level of risk, which generates a higher discount and lowers the present value of the bond. Indeed, junk bonds are sold at a deep discount. Likewise, a higher the level of risk associated with a particular stock, represented as beta in the capital asset pricing model, means a higher discount, which lowers the present value of the stock.
Yield to Maturity (YTM)
Yield to maturity (YTM) is the total return expected on a bond if the bond is held until maturity.
Bond Valuation: What's the Fair Value of a Bond?
Bond valuation is a technique for determining the theoretical fair value of a particular bond.
The future value of an annuity is the total value of a series of recurring payments at a specified date in the future.
Dividend Discount Model – DDM
The dividend discount model (DDM) is a system for evaluating a stock by using predicted dividends and discounting them back to present value.
Bond Floor Definition
Bond floor refers to the minimum value a specific bond should trade for and is derived from the discounted value of its coupons plus redemption value.
Present Value of an Annuity
The present value of an annuity is the current value of future payments from that annuity, given a specified rate of return or discount rate.
Fixed Income Essentials
Learn to Calculate Yield to Maturity in MS Excel
Calculating Present and Future Value of Annuities
Annuity Derivation Vs. Perpetuity Derivation: What's the Difference?
Yield to Maturity – YTM vs. Spot Rate: What's the Difference?
Understanding Bond Prices and Yields
Calculate PV of a Different Bond Type With Excel


text:
Baylor HC Rhule: 'Rice is a good football team'
Posted: Mon 10:44 PM, Sep 16, 2019
WACO, Texas (KWTX) In their 48-13 loss to the Texas Longhorns Saturday night, the Rice Owls surrendered 509 yards of offense -- 171 rushing and 338 passing.
Rice (0-3) trailed 38-0 after three quarters before finally adding a touchdown with less than eight minutes left in the fourth.
"Rice is a good football team," Baylor head coach Matt Rhule said. "Rice is going to present challenges to us in many ways, both physically, they're a tough, rugged group. You watch their effort on special teams, you watch their punt return, you watch their kick return, you watch their run defense versus a really good Texas team, versus a really good Army team that took Michigan to overtime, versus a really good Wake Forest team."
The Owls' opponents' combined record is 7-2, with Texas' only loss coming to No. 4 LSU, and Army's lone loss to No. 11 Michigan.
Rice has given up an average of 45 points per game over the past two weekends. Considering Baylor is the highest-scoring team in the nation (59.5 ppg), the Owls are a 26-point underdog.
While the Bears have been able to move the ball at will, the same can't be said for Rice, which enters Saturday with a bottom-five scoring offense.
"One of our challenges coming out of the last few years is really two-fold, winning after a bye, which we have not yet done, and then winning on the road," Rhule said. "Winning on the road is its own entity, has its own process, it requires maturity, it requires the toughness to go into someone else's building and we're going to work hard at that this week."
No. 2 Baylor wins 13th in a row 68-55 over Iowa State
Lady Bears use big 1st half to cruise to win over Kansas
Baylor set to interview Fuente: report
LSU defeats Clemson to win first national championship since 2007
Baylor looking for first win at Kansas in top-five matchup
Video: Sean's Friday Morning Fastcast
Video: WAFB's Craig Loper joins KWTX to discuss new Baylor head coach Dave Aranda
Video: Miss Texas visits Central Texas
Arrest warrant issued for Odell Beckham Jr. after he slapped officer's butt in LSU locker room


"One of the company's longtime clients, David Kotok of Sarasota's Cumberland Advisors, says the research his firm purchases from Davis helps his investment decision-making. "We manage hundreds of millions; Ned Davis is one of the research services we use. They're high-class, first rate," Kotok says. 'They offer guidance that enables investors to stay in trends longer than human nature would allow. It helps me extend positions to greater maturity, to cut losses and take smaller losses.'"


text:
The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward- Kehoe
Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Licence
Giulia, Staff Writer (Middle School)
When I first started reading this book I couldn't understand what was going on; the blurb
suggested it would be about a girl having to choose between two boys while dealing with
two 'impossible parents'- sounds familiar, right? I thought I was going to find the usual
romance content: teen angst, mood swings, Hollywood ending… my expectations were
modest, but after a couple of pages and some thought, I realised that the book was a lot
deeper than I thought it would be…
The story's protagonist is a girl named Daisy, she's 17 years old and lives with an autistic
13-year- old brother, who is very violent. She has a huge crush on her old kindergarten,
best friend Dave. The book's blurb also mentions that Daisy has to choose between Dave
and Cal, but, to be honest, I don't see anything in the book that suggests that she 'has' to
choose between them. It sounds more like she is in love with Dave and not Cal, the Irish
exchange student.
Life is a big story. Music is just one way to tell it, to realize how many tales all kinds of people share"
— Stasia Ward-Kehoe
We find-out that Daisy has been living with her parents and her violent, autistic brother for
17 years, but when her parents take a drastic decision, concerning her brother, they ask
her opinion. Daisy begins to feel that she is being treated as a third parent and she is not
OK with that. Now, to me this sounded kind of childish and self-centered because this
decision that the parents wanted to take was very important and they wanted to know if
Daisy was down with it. Unfortunately, the effects are disastrous; she starts missing
lessons and skipping band practice to try to 'prove' that she is only a 17-year- old girl. I
couldn't understand why she didn't want to be part of such big decision, which clearly
required the whole family's consent. Also, her parents have a strange relationship, they
are, sadly, not really in love anymore and thus struggle to reach the right decision. For the
parents, Daisy is not a third parent, she is the only thing that keeps them together (as well
as her brother) and the only one that can make the decision with a clear and lucid mind.
They only want to make her happy, but Daisy is not getting the message.
"Thank God there are places with sounds that make me cry from beauty, not from
pain…" Stasia Ward-Kehoe
In the book, music is a really important theme; it saves Daisy in her moments of need.
Playing the trumpet is the one thing that she believes she's good at. Honestly, I cannot
understand her decision of not going to band practice, for some time, as if playing the
trumpet made her weak, when that was the only thing that truly kept her happy all those
years. Daisy can, in my opinion, be influenced very easily. Her character is quite weak and
very plain. In many ways, the reader grows frustrated with Daisy and begins to find holes
in her personality, but maybe this is why this is such a good read.
The way this book was written then, affects the way in which we view the characters. I
quite enjoyed the book for its realistic sense of life and how it portrays a lot of 17 year olds
who only want to please their families, but can't because of certain obstacles. Girls and boys, who have been treated differently from their siblings because the same siblings need
more attention will definitely identify with certain characters. I think many people need to
understand what hard times look like and I think this is the best book to show how some
people are affected by issues in life, which we all face from time to time. After all, the story
is very intriguing and its meaning is quite powerful. I don't recommend it to small children, I
mainly think that young adults should read this book because of certain themes in it.
Although this book may sound very disorientating, its story is quite straightforward, once
you become wrapped-up in it. It took me a while to understand the true message, but once
you get to it the climax it becomes a lot clearer and you begin to understand why Daisy is
the way she is. During the time I spent with the book, I felt a rollercoaster of emotions;
sometimes I was very sad and sometimes really happy for the protagonist, her life going
from a terrible disaster to the most amazing experience anyone could ever wish for.
Readability: 9/10
Accessibility: 7/10
My Verdict: 8/10
spirit of st louis
iPhone X-tortion?
Colours that tell a story – a review of 'Loving Vincent'
Burn, baby burn – Disco Inferno
…Ready for it?
This is XANADU


Spectrum is airwaves which carry sound on a given frequency or band. It is scarce because there is limited bandwidth and a major chunk of airwaves is controlled by defense forces in India. There is only a finite spectrum and it is limited – cannot be created. (just like real-estate, which is a limited commodity and is not being created).
For those who want to get very technical: Spectrum is the collection of all frequencies available for the transmission of light, not sound. When the frequency is very high, you get ultraviolet rays. When the frequency is lower, you get optical light, and when the frequency is lower than that you get infra-red light (which also transmits heat and the information between TV remotes and TV sets). Still lower frequencies carry light in the form of radio waves. Cell phones function through the transmissionand reception of radio waves.
DoT has earmarked 100 Mhz on 900 and 1800 Mhz band frequencies for 2G services (GSM/CDMA). It basically means that at 900Mhz to 1000 MhZ and from 1800Mhz to 1900Mhz (assuming total of 200 MhZ) has been allocated for carrying wireless traffic. Each operator gets part of the frequency in geographic locations.
2G basically constitutes of GSM [Global System for Mobile] and CDMA [Code Division Multiple Access] operators. Every GSM player was allocated 6.2 MHz on the 900 and 1800 MHz band frequencies and CDMA players got 5 Mhz in the 900 MHz frequency.
Each Hz can carry "x" number of calls. If the telco wants to take more calls, then, the telco needs additional spectrum. Each operator is asking for additional spectrum in metros so that they can offer more services. More bandwidth requires more Hz as well. Currently, telecom outfits have access to 37 Mhz. This means out of 100MHz, only 37 MHz has been auctioned. The remaining ones are being auctioned. Government is looking at allocating an additional 60-65 MHz to telcos which they will obtain from the defense forces. But the govt wants to allocate additional spectrum provided the telcos invests in setting up additional towers. Currently with 37 MHz India has over 250 million subscribers. The govt plans to raise Rs 25,000 crore [$625 m as of Nov 2007] by auctioning spectrum for 3G.
(b) signals transmitted at higher frequencies inherently have more bandwidth around them.
The reason for the delay in 3G phone systems is that it takes a while to develop electronics at 3000Mhz or 5000Mhz, and also because international standards for the higher freq applications are not yet established.
To understand (b), think of it this way: if you have a 900MHz signal with a 10MHz band around it, this signal therefore spans from 895MHz to 905MHz. Therefore, the next higher signal has to be centered around 910Mhz, and will span the range 905Mhz to 915MHz. Therefore if you look at a +/-10% range around 900MHz, the total span will be from 810MHz to 990MHz. In this band, you can fit 18 "channels," each of which is 10MHz wide. If you move the story to the 3G freq of ~3000MHz, you can see that there is a lot more room between, say, 2700MHz and 3300MHz. In fact you can fit in 60 channels, each of which are 10MHz-wide.
The globally used band for WiMAX is 2.5 GHz – 2.7 GHZ, but in India this band is locked for satellite based mobile and broadcast applications such as national emergencies and natural disasters. What is available is the 2.3 GHz- 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz that has been allocated to several IPS's. According to the ISP's, these bands are good for trials only, but not for city wide and commercial deployment. The key players of WiMAX and even 3G have asked the Indian government to release higher band frequencies so that deployment can be made.
Special thanks to my classmates Shekhar Kirani and Sudhama Shastri for clarifying my doubts.
Hi , this is a great article and it was really helpful for me to understand the concept.
Thanks a lot for sharing your work..
Truly its a gr8 article in enabling me to understand the concept of spectrum and its allocation.
I was searching for a mechanism for testing a 3G embedded device and found this nice article. Unfortunately we cannot have 3G in India and enjoy the high end capabilities, which ultimately pointing an axe to the development.
I heard a lot about 3G and spectrum allocation but didn\'t what actually was it………this is a great article,it really helped me understand the spectrum allocation in our country…………THANKS a lot …..
Hi ,great article to to understaand the spectrum allowcation, nowdays telco operator fighting for increase the specrum, but we dont why this dealay, i think we have adopt the 3G service as soon as possible , becase customer is now days more demanding.
got clear idea about 2G & 3G spectrum. I am looking into Mobile TV in INDIA . If possible pls give more detail regarding this..
it's is a good work.
I would like to take your opinion if you wish for my article. I am a journalist.
Excellent article. Very informative to those who want to know about the spectrum allocation.
this article has helped me a lot understand d basics of frequency distributiion and thereby in my post graduate research on telecom & media regulatory & legal environment.
I was struggling to understand what actually this 3G auction meant. I am so glad I came across this article. I am much more clear about it. Good work.
It was a good article. Your effort's appreciated to elucidate this aspect of spectrum allocation.
Its Really a good Article For telecom Beginers.
In my opinion every beginer should go For it.
Hi.This is very good article… im having many doubts now cleared…..thank you.
this is one of the very rare acticals which exactly describes as to why we are not provided with 3g. thankyou so much for sharing this info.


Scribble Scrabble, ages 3-5, Fridays, 1:10-1:55pm, Sept 29-Dec 15. Young learners develop fine motor skills while using imagination to create drawings, paintings, collages & prints. $200.
Cartooning, ages 7-12, Mondays, 4:10-5:10pm, Sept 25-Jan 8. Students design their own characters & use them in one-panel cartoons and three-panel comic strips. Study facial expressions & body language as it relates to cartooning & the human figure. TV storyboards & caricature included. $280.
Elementary Art Studio, ages 6-11, Wednesdays, 3:40–4:40pm, Sept 27-Jan 17. Developmentally appropriate projects will originate from art principles such as line, color, texture & form. A variety of media includes pastels, watercolors, acrylics & ink. Develop techniques & originality. $280.
Drawing/Painting, ages 10-15, Wednesdays, 4:45-6:15pm, Oct 4-Dec 20. All levels welcome. Students will use traditional and experimental materials to draw figures, landscapes, portraits. still life, and images from imagination. Technical drawing skills developed and creativity encouraged. $300.
Click! Digital Photography, ages 9-12, Fridays, 4:40-5:40pm, Sept 29-Jan 26. Learn to use a digital camera or iPod Touch to take great photos with the rule of thirds, filling the frame, negative space, color, texture and scales. $280.
Make-A-Monster Workshop, ages 8-12, Saturdays, 2:00-4:00pm, Oct 21 and Oct 28. Create a cuddly monster from imagination - draw a sweet, scary or funny monster and use that to design a pattern & use new sewing skills to bring it to life. Learn to cut a pattern, & sew a backstitch. $80.
New! Watercolor and Acrylic Painting for Adults, Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30am, Oct. 10–Dec 19. For all levels. Focus will be on improving in each medium and understanding the fundamentals of creating an effective painting, such as composition, color, tone and scale. $280.
New! Still Life Process Workshop for Adults, Thursdays, 9:30am–12:30pm, Oct. 5-Oct. 26. Work with a simple still life drawing and later with a finished painting. The importance of composition, tonal value and a simple range of color will be emphasized. All skill levels are welcome and students may use oil or acrylic paints as a medium. $165.
Dramatics, ages 3-5, Fridays, 2:45-3:30pm, Oct. 6-Dec. 15. Introduces young children to theatre by focusing on their natural sense of play. Children learn to use their bodies, voices & imagination with games, rhymes, costumes, puppets and more to discover the magic of performing. $200.
Beginning Acting, grades K-2, Tuesdays, 3:50-4:50pm, Oct. 3-Dec. 12. A lightly structured class where play and story are joined and the beginning of stage sense begins. An increasing awareness of self and of working with a group is developed in a non-stressful, encouraging atmosphere. $200.
New! Kids' Improv, grades 3-5, Thursdays 4:30-5:30pm, Oct. 5-Dec. 14. Explores the basic themes of improv and scene building through games, familiar scripts, and a loose interpretation of reality. $200.
New! Improv for Middle School, grades 6-8, Thursdays, 5:40-7:20pm, Oct. 5-Dec.14. Students explore what makes a scene and learn fun new games to hone improv skills and build other skills like teamwork, adaptability, and discovering the obvious or absurd.
New! Improv for Adults, Mondays, 6:50-8:20pm, Oct. 2-Dec. 4. For all levels. Includes games and improv exercises to explore what makes an improv scene and how to tell a story with a group on stage. Themes include space work, character building, scene setting and advancement techniques. $300.
New! Mindful Acting for Adults, Tuesdays, 7:30-9:30pm, Oct. 3-Nov. 21. Focused on the renewed interest in the idea of mindfulness and being present in the moment. Students will explore the idea of mindful acting to discover the difference between showing and doing, between the truth and the lie, and overcoming natural self-consciousness. $250.


Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has now become one of the highest tax payers of the Hindi Film Industry. The actor has paid a whopping Rs 70 Crores as tax for the financial year 2018-2019.
Big B has also paid off the loans of not one or 100 but 2084 farmers from Mujjafarpur in Bihar.
He has also donated Rs 10 lakh to the family members of each victim of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack. The senior Bachchan reportedly donated Rs 10 lakh each to the families.
Amitabh was last seen in the murder mystery Badla directed by Sujoy Ghosh.
He is currently gearing up for Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt starrer 'Brahmastra', which is scheduled to release on Christmas this year. Besides this, he is also set to make his Tamil film debut with Sye Raa.
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