Every second there are 20,000 people on Facebook, a larger gathering than most offline events have.
Each well-spent second on Facebook could give you greater reach than that of an offline event, and you could use it to market products, events or even conduct marketing research.
At 1.6 billion, Facebook has far more Monthly Active Users (MAU) than possibly most media out there, and beats most social media even with Whatsapp (500 mil), Instagram (200 mil) and Twitter (284) combined.
Whether you're a B2C business or B2B, Facebook is a useful social media site to market on.
Before you begin creating content for Facebook, be sure to optimize your company page (text, display images, cover photos and the lot).
Interactive content is effective in engaging buyers say 70% marketers. Use content in engaging form to inform, educate and entertain your audience to convert them into potential leads.
Unless you're part machine, creating enough original and brilliant content to hold your engagement bar high on all social platforms is impossible. Not with all the other responsibilities social media managers have.
Fortunately, there exists a simple solution.
Your audience doesn't care about who's creating the content as long as it supplies them with actionable ideas that bring them results.
But how much of your content should be curated (borrowed)? You can't survive on a 100% of curated content if you're hoping to establish a unique identity for your brand.
The general rule is to create 65%, curate another 25% and syndicate the rest. Curating can be just as much of a task as creating if you're doing it manually. You could let DrumUp do the spade work and find you relevant social media content to share. But remember, you can't simple share – organize, provide context and add a thought in the least in your post descriptions when sharing curated content.
Creating stuff for social media isn't easy; It has to be a 100% original, informative, engaging and different for each social platform. Just as all shoes don't fit you, all types of content don't flatter all social media sites. Each platform has its fun characteristics, usefulness and quirks. To befriend that platform and your audience, your content must get-along with the environment on it. For Facebook, it is essential for all of your brand's communique to follow certain patterns and norms.
Social media is built to connect people; Friends, families and businesses with their audiences.
The more distance you create with your writing, the less powerful you make social's potential to help you connect.
Always remind yourself that you're writing for your audience, and social is never about you.
Imagine that you are at a farmer's market, working to flag jam lovers to buy some jars of your homemade jam. Which of these banners do you think would buy you more attention?
When you add reference to your audience, it makes them feel cared for. Effectively what happens is, you call and they'll come. Of course you'll also require top-notch product to justify your claims, so your content (the blogs/brochures you're sharing) should contain substance and ideas relevant to your audience that they don't know of or are not using.
Of most social media platforms, Facebook has the most potential to incite emotion, with its unique engagement "emotions", you even have direct means of gauging the effect you have on your audience.
Emotion is of the most powerful forms of marketing. Being able to connect with your audience on the deepest level allows for your brand to transcend the "commercial status" and move towards the "friend status".
A huge part of most businesses is run on repeat orders and sustained relationships with customers. On social media, the sole way means of connecting with people is content – the content on your pages, posts and messages that you send.
Use it to excite, inspire and entertain your audience, communicate so they can relate to you and make best use of each post by designing it so your audience feels that you get them.
The subject matter of your content is crucial; It makes or breaks how your audience reacts to it and decides the specificity of the audience that you attract to your Facebook page.
Share a lot of irrelevant content and your following will grow, but by diluting your content marketing results (Your customer acquisitions costs will increase and your conversion rates will decrease).
To pull the right audience to your page, you have to serve them precisely what they're looking for, this is the truest way of making your content compelling (You could use Facebook's targeted ads to attract high potential buyers, but you'd still need to post relevant content to keep that audience engaged). Write blogs and posts that are useful to your audience.
Match your audience interests to your topics that concern your industry and current trends, the intersection of the 3 will give you the hottest content for social media in general.
Visuals are indispensable on all social platforms. To get noticed among the 1500 odd stories on any given person's feed, you require visuals. Kissmetrics has recorded 104% more comments, 84% more clicks and 53% more likes on posts with photographs.
Even the simplest of photographs can generate high engagement levels, given the right context and presentation.
People love content that they can relate to. The idea matters more than complexity of a visual or the text.
Visuals bring with them options – You could do posters, memes, quote overlays, gifs, infographics, bit-strips and videos (created or curated).
Tell interesting and engaging stories with your content. Stories are memorable and fundamentally a part of human communication. They can be weaved into content to entertain, inform, enlighten and even influence an involved audience. Nudge your audience into the course of action you want them to take by making them arrive at it via a persuasive story (Don't give them the answer, make them realize it).
Several brands use amusing characters, mascots to endear their business to potential customers.
While writing your story, ensure that it is honest, has personality and leaves a little bit of suspense towards the end to get your reader to actually visit your website for me.
Some blogs prefer third person writing, a lot of others specifically request you to directly refer to your audience in writing.
On social media you should juggle the two as and when required. The ideal tone and style of writing to use is platform and situation specific.
Imagine you are on LinkedIn and you have to announce a news update related to your company. You wouldn't do that in first person, you would stick to third person and adopt a formal tone.
Instead of a news update, suppose you have to share information and photographs of a company outing (Bonus tip: Social media loves behind the scenes), you would choose a more relaxed tone and use first or third person as needed.
On Facebook where the atmosphere is laid back you might lose out on connecting with your audience by posting like a news update.
So keep the tone light and friendly. Try and ask questions while introducing your blog posts. Converse with your audience. Make friends out of your fans. But do this without losing sight of your marketing goals on the platform (always add a clear and compelling CTA + back-links).
Finally, always leave your conclusions (at the end of your posts) open-ended and invitational. Ask people to participate, share with you their opinions and request them to share your content if they like it. Tag people when you can (don't stalk people, only do this when you think it is called for and the tag-ee wouldn't mind it).
On a social platform where people's social lives takes precedence, you have to follow that key to have any impact at all. Interestingly, research by audience analysis firms have proved that people, in general, trust recommendations from people they know, over those from unknown third-parties.
That fact makes Facebook one of the most pertinent social media platforms to leverage Word of Mouth marketing. Setting the ball rolling with social buzz is easy, but for it to catch on, you have to be exceptionally compelling. Try these approaches to making it happen.
1. Contests are what fuel is to a burning fire. Or they could be if you implement them particularly well. A good contest should be – Clear, easy to participate in, exciting (or in the least fun) and intentional in terms of how it helps increase exposure for your brand.
Even simple "Caption this photo" contests can raise engagement levels 5 times over.
2. Surveys. Questions. Queries. The very definition of the word "question" includes an elicit of information. Ask and you will be answered. Give your social audience a voice, and they will return that effort with valuable insights for you to use. You could also create fun Q n A contests out of it.
3. Audience generated content is brilliant for brand PR. Contests and surveys are a subset of this type of content, but you could do this with a twist. Create fun social media campaigns that encourage your audience to post pictures showcasing your product/service. Like Airbnb does with their venues.
4. Ask and you shall receive. Well, not always, but apparently requesting your audience to like, share and comment increases the chances of them doing it by a substantial amount. So ask them to (if they like the content), it won't hurt.
Understanding user interaction patterns helps you refine your Facebook content to drive better strategic decisions. Facebook has multiple, useful metrics.
Of the available features, you should monitor the following on a regular basis.
If you have Facebook marketing successes please feel free to discuss them in the comments section. Also, I'd love to hear your feedback on this post so I can improve how we assist you with content @drumupio.
Note: The entire infographic and its segments are available for reprint and sharing. Please feel free to do so with a link to this blog.


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Multi-Tasking Cover Crops Improve the No-Till Bottom Line
By Angela Lovell posted on June 22, 2016 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health
Four years ago Kevin Elmy wasn't happy with the rate of return he was getting on his canola crop.
Inputs had gone through the roof to around $350 an acre when he factored in seed, fertilizer, chemicals and overhead.
At $10-per-bushel canola he needed 35 bushels an acre just to break even. He realized there were other crops he could grow without having to spend $350 an acre — and one of them was cover crops.
Elmy, owner of Friendly Acres Seed Farm near Saltcoats, Saskatchewan, had been experimenting with cover crop mixes for a few years before he decided to fully implement them as part of his long term rotation.
He started by replacing canola with a cover crop, at around $25 an acre for seed, that he harvested as green feed, and then seeded winter triticale into better-quality soil and a better seedbed with less inputs.
Reaching Goals
No-tiller Kevin Elmy has experimented with different cover-crop mixes that include radish, Japanese millet, proso millet, sugarbeet, chicory, crimson clover and sunflower, using them to replace some canola acreage. The Saltcoats, Saskatchewan grower hasn't bought nitrogen (N) fertilizer for 6 years, and his total fertilizer bill has gone from $60-$70 an acre down to $10 per acre, on average.
The mixes Elmy has experimented with have included radish, Japanese millet, proso millet, sugarbeet, chicory, crimson clover and sunflower. Elmy uses cover crops to achieve a number of goals, besides just saving input costs — which he has definitely done.
He hasn't bought nitrogen (N) fertilizer for 6 years, and his total fertilizer bill has gone from $60-$70 an acre down to $10 per acre, on average. At the same time, he's improved the health of his soils and created a dynamic, holistic system that is self-supporting.
"I'm building up organic forms of plant nutrients that are staying in the soil longer, and I don't have to worry about it gassing off or leaching out because it's in a plant-available form," Elmy says.
Elmy grows cover crops for green feed and grazing for his neighbour's cattle, and also as a weed suppressant and nutrient builder for subsequent cereal and pulse crops, including soybeans, winter triticale, corn, alfalfa and sainfoin.
He's also improved the water-holding capacity of his land by increasing soil organic matter (SOM), which is vitally important to a farmer living in dry southern Saskatchewan.
"We've had wetter-than-average conditions over the past 5 years, but we're undoubtedly going to get back to drought at some point," Elmy says. "Every percentage of soil organic matter in the top 6 inches of soil holds an extra 27,000 gallons of water per acre.
"As I build quality soil organic matter, everything returns to a homeostasis state and is more resilient to stress."
Long-Term Rotation
At a recent cover-crop workshop in Brandon, Manitoba, last spring, Elmy explained he manages annual cover crops and perennials to help him maintain the health of his soils, but that requires a well-planned, long-term rotation over his 1,500 acres.
"This is a long-term process, not a quick-fix pill," says Elmy, who went on to give an example. "If someone seeded a blend of annuals and perennials — timothy, orchardgrass, tall fescue, birdsfoot trefoil, red clover, sweet clover and winter triticale — in the fall, it acts as a snow trap that keeps the ground temperature warm so the triticale overwinters.
"Next year they can take a cut of green feed and come back to graze it later in the season. Within 3 years, the perennials are established and will take over the stand. You can graze and hay it for a couple of years and then terminate it and grow a cash crop to capture all the free nutrients that have built up, and then go back to a cover crop again. It's a 5- or 6-year rotation in total."
No Fancy Equipment
Another great thing about cover crops, says Elmy, is that fancy, high-cost equipment isn't needed for seeding.
He uses a Bourgault 8800 air seeder from 1986, with packers attached, and either a 1¾-inch hoe opener or 2-inch spike, depending on what his goals are and how much residue he's seeding into.
He says 2015 was another unusually wet year in Saskatchewan, so Elmy experimented with aerial seeding some radish into a standing winter triticale crop in early August, partly as a demonstration for growers attending a field tour at the farm, and partly to see how it would work out.
An airplane with a drop-tube seeder calibrated to corn was used to seed radish at 5 pounds an acre with a 75-foot spread and seeded a lot of acres in a short period of time at a cost of only $9 an acre, he says.
When Elmy harvested the cereal crop in late August, the radish had established well and was doing its job of improving the soil by scavenging nutrients and building soil quality. Once frost killed off the aboveground green vegetation, it rotted back into the ground to feed soil microbes.
Cheap Weed Control
Elmy says radish is also one of Elmy's best weapons against weeds.
"When the radish leaves grow larger they droop and touch the soil surface, and as they rot they give off an organic acid which kills anything trying to grow underneath it," he says. "I can get 100% ground cover if I seed at the right rate.
"When I go in and direct seed next year's crop, the seeding shank or knife moves the soil and leaves away so the cereal seed comes up with no problems And the weeds in between, under those rotting leaves, will all be dead by the end of the fall."
Elmy has found that 4 pounds an of radish gives about 60% ground cover, 6 pounds provides 80% ground cover and 8 pounds provides 100% ground cover if it's seeded around August 1. When seeding earlier growers can decrease seeding rates, and increase them if seeding later or into very dry conditions.
Cover crops have also helped Elmy control volunteer canola, which was a persistent problem in his Roundup Ready soybeans.
"The easiest way to get rid of Roundup Ready volunteer canola is to grow a cover crop, and when it's almost at full flower cut it for green feed, which decreases the weed seed bank," Elmy says.
To seed covers, Kevin Elmy uses a Bourgault 8800 air seeder from 1986, with packers attached and either a 1¾-inch hoe opener or 2-inch spike, depending on what his goals are and how much residue he's seeding into. He's also doing some aerial seeding.
Deciding on Plants
An ideal cover-crop mix contains the three main plant groups – grasses, broadleafs and legumes — and has at least one warm- and one cool-season variety of each throughout the rotation, Elmy says.
As a base, growers should have an idea of what plant species from each of these groups grow best in their area.
Determining the right blend of cover crops depends on what the goal is. Different plants can do different things, so the starting point is deciding what the grower wants to achieve and what crops are going to follow in the rotation.
Cover crops provide a lot of options. They can provide animal feed, and soil cover to feed microbes and earthworms – both essential soil builders. They can address physical issues such as soil compaction or erosion, or chemical issues like salinity or low N, phosphorus (P) or potassium (K). They can replace summer or chemical fallow, provide a cover for winter cereals or smother weeds.
Understanding Soil Biology
"If you're harvesting winter wheat the first part of August, you have 6 weeks to get something growing…"
— Kevin Elmy
Once a grower decides what his goals are, then it's a question of understanding the above- and belowground biology, and how each plant plays a role to help reach those goals in each situation, Elmy says.
Grasses build soil organic matter and produce lots of biomass and are good for green feed or grazing, and to provide soil armour against erosion and weather extremes.
Broadleaf plants scavenge nutrients, help improve soil quality and increase populations of bacteria and fungi. Legumes are N fixers that also help build soil quality.
Bacteria recycle nutrients fast and feed on the carbon and proteins provided by green material. Fungi feed on straw and humus in the soil that breaks down more slowly.
Fungi have fine filaments — hyphae — that reach places plant roots can't and access micronutrients in the soil. They are the preferred food source for other soil life such as earthworms, which are another important indicator of soil health.
As a rule of thumb soil is healthy if there are at least five earthworms present in a shovelful of soil taken from the top 6 inches during warm, moist conditions.
Earthworms recycle nutrients that provide food for bacteria and fungi, which keep the system in balance. Tillage practices, growing brassicas such as canola in the rotation, and fungicides can all have an adverse effect on earthworm populations, some experts say.
Mycorrhizae are a type of fungi that is one of the most important microbes for healthy soils. Legumes and grasses are both dependent on the mycorrhizae, which will link the roots of these two types of plants and exchange N and phosphates between them. In exchange, the mycorrhizae receive sugars from both plants.
One of the quickest ways to build mycorrhizae in the soil is through zero-till and legumes such as alfalfa, Elmy says.
"Alfalfa plants will bring nutrients up from down deep, break up hardpan, build soil organic matter, fix N and increase mycorrhizae populations," he says. "As part of my rotation I take a first cut of alfalfa as hay, then I do a second mow down, and then the third cut I let it stand.
"The rule of thumb is for every cut of alfalfa you take you remove 30 pounds of phosphate. So with my first cut I take 30 pounds out, and with the second cut I replace that 30 pounds I took off by leaving the residue on the land.
"The third cut is adding another 20 to 25 pounds because it's not a full cut. After one year I'm up 20-25 lbs of P, and the second year I'm up 50 pounds and the third year 75 pounds. After 4 years the N fixation starts dropping off, and instead of fixing N it starts using N. But when I break up the alfalfa in year four my mycorrhizae is high, soil organic matter has increased, the soil isn't burnt out and the microbes are still alive."
More Efficiency
Elmy believes a lot more growers could be exploring opportunities to reduce their costs and improve their existing land with cover crops.
"If you're harvesting winter wheat the first part of August, you have 6 weeks to get something growing. In that 6 weeks you could be fixing 50-60 pounds of N, or bringing up phosphate, breaking up hardpan or addressing salinity issues," Elmy says.
"If you're growing wheat and canola and you harvest in September, maybe that's when you look at some aerial seeding in July to add some diversity under that crop."
He adds, "If you can get to the point where everything is pulling its own weight or more, you can take 5-10% of your acres out of production, put them into a cover crop to make them more productive, and then get those acres back into the rotation. Then you're way ahead financially."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Ikebukuro is one of Tokyo's several city centers, located in the north-western part of the city. In the eastern part of Ikebukuro there are several department stores, fashion industry buildings and Sunshine City with its aquarium, planetarium, hotel, shopping mall and convention center. In the western part you will find the main shopping area and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space. The east side is more of an entertainment area, while the west side is a cultural and educational district with the Station as "Ikebukero's Berlin Wall", as it is popularly known. At the center of Ikebukuro is the train and subway station, a huge urban gathering shared by the JR East lines, the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and the Tōbu Tōjō Line. It is one of the main commuter hubs in the western Yamanote area of Tokyo. Ikebukuro Station is the third-busiest station in Japan, and the world. We offer several Apartments and Guesthouse in this area within 2 – 10 minutes walking distance to the nearest station.


The high-tech lifestyle has made it easy to manage smart appliances to make life easier; however, it brings with it the worry of hacking threats.
Once a hacker finds his way into the home, everything will be for grabs. Fortunately, there are some simple IT security solutions that can protect your network from attacks.
Each solution including CUJO, Bit Defender Box, and Norton Core has the backing of their cloud computing technology that analyzes the threat in the cloud and incorporates it into the overall system.
Most security devices are the same at face value, most of the offer protection from hackers and other threats. However, each of the devices offers a different level of protection to the user.
Below are a quick comparison and review of the most popular internet security devices: CUJO, Bit Defender Box and Norton Core.
CUJO AI Smart Internet Security Firewall: This is a device designed for plugging into your router using an Ethernet cable. Cujo then monitors all the data flow into and out of the home network to stop cyber-attacks and stop sensitive data from leaving your network.
Bitdefender Box 2 – Next Generation Smart Home Cybersecurity Hub: You can set up the device with your current router or use Box 2 as a Wi-Fi router. Whichever way you choose to use it, this device will still protect the connected devices.
Norton Core Secure WiFi Router: This technology works partly like that of Cujo. The device then inspects the metadata packets and uses advanced machine learning, intrusion detection, and the Symantec's global network to provide an excellent defense to your home.
It supports a speed of up to 2.5Gbps, has parental controls, and supports unlimited smart home devices.
Cujo provides a firewall together with antivirus and anti-malware protection. It protects the user from hackers, scammers, and phishing. When placed on the router, it can monitor everything coming and going through the network gateway.
It stops you from accessing any site it thinks is not trustworthy depending on the rules you set. Cujo can avert your devices from sending any private information to the internet. The detected threat is automatically eliminated. Its database is frequently updated with newly encountered threats keeping up with the ever-changing cyber threats.
Bitdefender Box 2, is very versatile since it can work with any home network setup. It works with a router-modem, standalone router or even without a router. It does not just stand guard at the network gateway; it creates a virtual Wi-Fi router.
This design protects everything connected to the device router through this setup may slow down the internet speed. However, if you are using anything from 1Gbps, you will not experience the slowdown.
It uses behavioral and machine learning to identify possible attacks. The wide database automatically detects and eliminates the threats. The subscription gives you access to a regularly updated antivirus that can be installed on any number of smartphones and computers.
Norton Core is considered a high performance and the best in the market home security router. Its first line of defense comes from the automatic background updates.
When it detects any threat, it automatically updates every router to enable it to protect itself from this threat. This means you are protected from the current threats and those that are yet to be created.
The Norton Core is more of a hardware virus scanner for the home with a huge database of the current threats. It scans every device and provides you a security score that provides you with information on how to secure all the devices. It even notifies you and gives direction on fixing the weak points.
Internet security is just as a great an investment as your traditional home security. It is essential that you deliberate on the long-term cost of the internet security devices and services.
Cujo doesn't require users to pay a subscription for continued use of their security network. It offers a One-time payment of $249 which includes an unlimited service plan.
BitDefender Box 2 retails for $249, a price that includes one-year's subscription to their internet security services. After the first year, you can renew this security service at $99 per year.
Norton Core costs $279.99 and works as a router. When you purchase it, you get the Norton Core Security Plus antivirus free with a limitless number of licenses for mobile devices and computers in your network. It also comes with 25GB of cloud backup. However, after the first year, it will cost you $9.90 per month to continue getting the protection.
Each of the internet security solutions above has their advantages, unique selling points and their disadvantages to each user.
If you want an all-in-one high-performance WiFi router that is easy to install, then the Norton Core is your device even though it may cost more than the others.
BitDefender Box 2 also offers robust security features packed into a great looking box that worth considering.
Cujo has a sweet offer of lifetime access at an affordable one-time payment. However, only purchase it if you have a technical understanding of your network since setup can be a bit challenging at times.


Hi. My name is Serge Söntjens. This is my personal website, focusing both on my professional life and my leisure time. I have a broad range of interests, so you'll find some science here, including the things I have been working on for the past few years, but also some homemade food, some photographs and perhaps something on some other interests of mine. Have a look around.


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Home > Global Affairs > Africa > Buhari, W/African Leaders Arrives Gambia to Urge Jammeh to Step Down
Buhari, W/African Leaders Arrives Gambia to Urge Jammeh to Step Down
by globalsentinel - December 13, 2016 0
The President of Nigeria, Muhammad Buhari and other West African leaders, led by Liberia's president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, have arrived The Gambia, to help ensure push for peaceful democratic transition of power in the country.
The West African leaders efforts is to convince long-time President Yahya Jammeh to step down after his loss in the December 2 election to the opposition coalition candidate, Mr. Adama Barrow.
The UN Security Council made the plan known while briefing newsmen after a closed-door meeting by the 15 members on the political situation in The Gambia.
Deputy Permanent Representative of Spain, Mr Juan Manuel De Linares, said the members of the council stood by their unanimous statement on December 10 that Jammeh should commence the peaceful transfer of power to Barrow without further delay.
"A delegation by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to ECOWAS (Mohammed Ibn Chambas) and other ECOWAS and AU leaders will lead high-level delegation to Banjul tomorrow," he said.
The embattled Gambian President initially conceded defeat to election winner Adama Barrow but withdrew his concession late Friday, saying "unacceptable errors" were found by election officials.
Reports from West Africa Monday say Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will lead a delegation that will travel to the Gambian capital, Banjul, and ask Jammeh to accept the election result.
The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Ms. Samantha Power, said the delegation will include Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Sierra Leone leader Ernest Bai Koroma and outgoing Ghanaian President John Mahama. She said it is significant that Mahama is included because he conceded defeat on Friday after losing Ghana's presidential election.
"The delegation that is visiting tomorrow (Tuesday) is extremely significant," she said.
Power described the situation in Gambia as "a very dangerous moment" for the country. "We know that there are some military officers that have sided with President Jammeh since his retreat from his prior recognition that he had lost the election, and that's a very alarming circumstance," she said.
Power said everyone in the international community is "singing from the same sheet of music and the song is clear: you have lost the election, President Jammeh, and you must give up power peacefully to your freely elected successor."
Reversal 'unacceptable'
In her role as chairperson of the West African ECOWAS bloc, Johnson Sirleaf said Saturday that Jammeh's reversal was "unacceptable" and threatened peace in Gambia and the entire West African sub-region.
She called on Jammeh to "do the right thing" and facilitate a smooth transfer of power. She also called on President-elect Barrow and his supporters to exercise restraint.
After the Gambian election results were announced, state media broadcast a phone call in which President Jammeh told Barrow that he wanted to hand over power graciously and vowed not to contest the results.
Jammeh congratulated Barrow for his "clear victory" and praised the elections as "transparent" and "rig-proof." He also said, "Allah is telling me my time is up," and added he would move to his farm after leaving office in January.
Barrow, 51, represented a coalition of seven opposition parties that challenged Jammeh.
Jammeh, also 51, has ruled the tiny West African nation since taking power in a military coup in 1994. He won four subsequent elections that critics said were neither free nor fair, and supported a 2002 constitutional amendment that removed presidential term limits. He once said he could rule Gambia for "a billion years."
Credits: VOA, Leadership
Tagged Africa America Asia election in nigeria Europe
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For more than two decades, Van Halen bass guitarist, Michael Anthony, has shown his ability to stimulate the senses with his ear-shattering bass lines and eye-catching stage antics. Now, the rock legend is tantalizing his fans' taste buds with the introduction of his tongue-sizzling signature line of Mad Anthony's barbecue sauces, Original Style and Extra Hot, which will rock their way into Hard Rock Cafes this fall. To celebrate, Michael Anthony has been appearing at Hard Rock Cafe throughout the country, meeting with fans and signing bottles of his new BBQ sauces. Michael also dedicated one of his custom-made bass guitars, used onstage during several Van Halen concerts, which will be added to Hard Rock's world-renowned collection.
"Some other rock musicians created hot sauces, and I love hot sauce. It began with a hot mustard sauce that I entered in a contest sponsorred by Chili Pepper Magazine. I was really surprised that I won, and the BBQ sauce is even better," said Anthony. The star was raised in Chicago, and said he was from a large family who all loved to cook.
Held in January each year in one of the most stunning settings on earth, this celebrated annual event is one of the largest festivals in North America, presenting more than 200 films from over 60 countries, and hosting over 200 filmmaking guests for its program of screenings, seminars, tributes and special events. The Festival presents a majority of the official submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film category of the Academy Awards® (53 of last year¹s 56 official submissions), along with a large number of new international films, independent and major studio American narrative and documentary features, many of them award winners at home and abroad, including some 80 world or U.S. premieres.
This year, 18 french films will be shown. Please click here to visit the website for the film schedule.
Picture, Drama: "Brokeback Mountain," "The Constant Gardener," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "A History of Violence," "Match Point."
Actress, Drama: Maria Bello, "A History of Violence"; Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"; Gwyneth Paltrow, "Proof"; Charlize Theron, "North Country"; Ziyi Zhang, "Memoirs of a Geisha."
Actor, Drama: Russell Crowe, "Cinderella Man"; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"; Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow"; Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain"; David Strathairn, "Good Night, and Good Luck."
Picture, Musical or Comedy: "Mrs. Henderson Presents," "Pride & Prejudice," "The Producers," "The Squid and the Whale," "Walk the Line."
Actress, Musical or Comedy: Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents"; Keira Knightley, "Pride & Prejudice"; Laura Linney, "The Squid and the Whale"; Sarah Jessica Parker, "The Family Stone"; Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line."
Actor, Musical or Comedy: Pierce Brosnan, "The Matador"; Jeff Daniels, "The Squid and the Whale"; Johnny Depp, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"; Nathan Lane, "The Producers"; Cillian Murphy, "Breakfast on Pluto"; Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line."
Supporting Actress: Scarlett Johansson, "Match Point"; Shirley MacLaine, "In Her Shoes"; Frances McDormand, "North Country"; Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"; Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain."
Supporting Actor: George Clooney, "Syriana"; Matt Dillon, "Crash"; Will Ferrell, "The Producers"; Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man"; Bob Hoskins, "Mrs. Henderson Presents."
Director: Woody Allen, "Match Point"; George Clooney, "Good Night, and Good Luck"; Peter Jackson, "King Kong"; Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"; Fernando Meirelles, "The Constant Gardener"; Steven Spielberg, "Munich."
Screenplay: Woody Allen, "Match Point"; George Clooney and Grant Heslov, "Good Night, and Good Luck"; Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, "Crash"; Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, "Munich"; Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, "Brokeback Mountain."
Foreign Language: "Kung Fu Hustle," China; "Master of the Crimson Armor aka The Promise," China; "Merry Christmas (Joyeux Noel)," France; "Paradise Now," Palestine; "Tsotsi," South Africa.
Original Song: "A Love That Will Never Grow Old" from "Brokeback Mountain"; "There's Nothing Like a Show on Broadway" from "The Producers"; "Travelin' Thru" from "Transamerica"; "Wunderkind" from "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."
Drama Series: "Commander in Chief," ABC; "Grey's Anatomy," ABC; "Lost," ABC; "Prison Break," Fox; "Rome," HBO.
Actress, Drama: Patricia Arquette, "Medium"; Glenn Close, "The Shield"; Geena Davis, "Commander in Chief"; Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"; Polly Walker, "Rome."
Actor, Drama: Patrick Dempsey, "Grey's Anatomy"; Matthew Fox, "Lost"; Hugh Laurie, "House"; Wentworth Miller, "Prison Break"; Kiefer Sutherland, "24."
Series, Musical or Comedy: "Curb Your Enthusiasm," HBO; "Desperate Housewives," ABC; "Entourage," HBO; "Everybody Hates Chris," UPN; "My Name is Earl," NBC; "Weeds," Showtime.
Actress, Musical or Comedy: Marcia Cross, "Desperate Housewives"; Teri Hatcher, "Desperate Housewives"; Felicity Huffman, "Desperate Housewives"; Eva Longoria, "Desperate Housewives"; Mary-Louis Parker, "Weeds."
Actor, Musical or Comedy: Zach Braff, "Scrubs"; Steve Carell, "The Office"; Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"; Jason Lee, "My Name is Earl"; Charlie Sheen, "Two and a Half Men."
Miniseries or movie: "Empire Falls," HBO; "Into the West," TNT; "Lackawanna Blues," HBO; "Sleeper Cell," Showtime; "Viva Blackpool," BBC America; "Warm Springs," HBO.
Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Halle Berry, "Their Eyes Were Watching God"; Kelly MacDonald, "The Girl in the Cafe"; S. Epatha Merkerson, "Lackawanna Blues"; Cynthia Nixon, "Warm Springs"; Mira Sorvino, "Human Trafficking."
Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Kenneth Branagh, "Warm Springs"; Ed Harris, "Empire Falls"; Jonathan Rhys Meyers, "Elvis"; Bill Nighy, "The Girl in the Cafe"; Donald Sutherland, "Human Trafficking."
Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Candice Bergen, "Boston Legal"; Camryn Manheim, "Elvis"; Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy"; Elizabeth Perkins, "Weeds"; Joanne Woodward, "Empire Falls."
Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Naveen Andres, "Lost"; Paul Newman, "Empire Falls"; Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"; Randy Quaid, "Elvis"; Donald Sutherland, "Commander in Chief."
AWARD-WINNING FEATURE FILM "FINDING HOME"
Lawrence David Foldes' critically acclaimed, award-winning motion picture FINDING HOME is gaining national attention. Following sell-out showings in the Northeast and Southern US, FINDING HOME is expanding to Los Angeles for an exclusive engagement at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills beginning on Friday, December 23rd. This engagement marks the reopening of the historic Fine Arts Theatre under the new management of Michael S. Hall following several months of closure.
FINDING HOME is a powerful story of forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption. The film tells the story of a young woman who must unravel the mysteries of her family's troubled past when she returns to her grandmother's remote island inn where she is forced to re-evaluate her own life and values. Filmed at spectacular locations on the rugged coast of Maine, the story addresses important social and psychological issues such as sexual responsibility, the importance of family, and the consequences of the choices we make in life.
FINDING HOME has garnered numerous awards on the festival circuit including 5 Best Picture awards, Best Director and Best Actress awards at the Monaco Int'l. Film Festival, and named "Best of the Festival" at both the Sarasota and Nashville Film Festivals. The picture was also honored with the Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Song Awards at the Rome Int'l. Film Festival, as well as the Excellence in Producing Award at the Montréal World Film Festival, and numerous others.
The film stars Academy Award® winner Louise Fletcher, best known for her role as Nurse Ratched opposite Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Academy Award® nominee and Golden Globe Award winner Geneviève Bujold, and Justin Henry, the Academy Award® nominated child star of Kramer vs. Kramer and star of John Hughes' Sixteen Candles. The cast also includes Lisa Brenner of Mel Gibson's The Patriot, rising young stars Johnny Messner (Anacondas, Tears of the Sun, and star of Fox TV's new hit series Killer Instinct) and Emmy nominee Sherri Saum (Beggars and Choosers, One Life to Live), and Academy Award® nominee and Pulitzer Prize winner Jason Miller (The Exorcist) in his final role. Steven Spielberg, John Landis, Michael Cimino and Arthur Hiller personally consulted on this heartfelt drama.
FINDING HOME is the culmination of a six-year odyssey for the award-winning director/producer team of Lawrence David Foldes and Victoria Paige Meyerink who invested their entire life savings in finishing the picture. The husband and wife team erected a full service temporary movie studio on the remote island of Deer Isle, Maine and faced the challenges of marine filming and 14-foot tidal shifts. They also had to extend the New England "fall color" from Labor Day until Christmas. The project originated at The Int'l. Film & Television Workshops in Rockport, Maine where Foldes and Meyerink, faculty members for over fifteen years, were approached by a student with the original storyline. Foldes and co-writer Grafton Harper then wrote the screenplay, spending over a year researching the field of traumatic and repressed memories with the medical community's top experts and their patients.
Meyerink gained international fame at age four when she co-starred for four seasons with Danny Kaye on his CBS variety series. She also co-starred with Elvis Presley and Nancy Sinatra in MGM's Speedway as well as Brainstorm with Anne Francis, Seconds with Rock Hudson, and Night of the Grizzly with Clint Walker and Martha Hyer. On television she was a regular on the popular series' Green Acres, My Three Sons and Family Affair. Foldes gained industry prominence with the highly successful cult classic Malibu High which he produced at age 18, making him the youngest professional filmmaker in history.
FINDING HOME marks the 20th anniversary of filmmaking duo Foldes and Meyerink and is a personal triumph for producer and former child star Meyerink, who battled a brain tumor and created a controversial new radiation treatment during the film's production. The drama and challenges the filmmakers faced on the rocky cliffs of Felsted, a famous inn and property on Deer Isle originally designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (designer of New York City's Central Park and San Francisco's Golden Gate Park), were exponentially increased by the medical ordeal Meyerink faced during the course of the production.
After producing four successful features with Foldes, Meyerink was diagnosed in 1998 with an acoustic neuroma, a deep-seated brain tumor that, if surgically removed, would have left her deaf in one ear with the possibility of facial paralysis, imbalance, and other serious side effects. She was determined to find a better treatment, so she and her husband took matters into their own hands. After consulting over forty doctors on both coasts and in Europe and interviewing hundreds of patients, Meyerink convinced Dr. Georg Noren, a prominent physician at the New England Gamma Knife Center at Rhode Island Hospital, to attempt a new protocol involving two different forms of radiation treatment. Dr. Noren believed the treatment could be successful and he and Meyerink created what is now known as Fractionated Gamma Knife Radiosurgery (FGK), and Meyerink became the first patient in the world to undergo the new treatment. It worked. Since then, Dr. Noren has successfully treated over fifty patients and the procedure is about to be implemented in other countries. A portion of the film's proceeds are being donated to fund further research at the New England Gamma Knife Center at Rhode Island Hospital.
The film, which came about at the most turbulent time in the filmmakers' lives, is a major shift in the careers of Foldes and Meyerink, whose previous credits also include actioners Young Warriors and Nightforce, and comedic festival favorite Prima Donnas. This change in the filmmaker's focus was brought on by the life-altering challenges they encountered with Meyerink's illness and their realization of the preciousness and frailty of life. "I could not have made this picture six or seven years ago, says Foldes. "Victoria's illness and her resiliency in the face of such adversity forced us to confront our mortality and allowed me to mature as a filmmaker. We began to think about the legacy that we would leave behind as filmmakers. Did we want to be known for a shelf full of action movies at Blockbuster? Or could we use our talents to create something meaningful that would enhance the lives of audiences for generations."
"We felt that we could do something more than simply baby-sit audiences and sell popcorn," adds Meyerink. "We have the ability to use the powerful medium of film to have a positive impact on peoples' lives."
Castle Hill Productions, the film's New York based distributor, is releasing the film throughout the rest of the country this winter. Foldes and Meyerink are traveling to each city, and appearing at select screenings to introduce the film and answer questions from the audience. Their grassroots approach in marketing this film has proven highly successful, resulting in extended stays and frequent sell-outs coast to coast.
Critics have called FINDING HOME "Stunning," "Heartfelt" and "One of the best films of the year," predicting a potential Oscar nomination for Geneviève Bujold. Rex Reed of the New York Observer hails the film as "Exhilarating!" and calls it "Honest and relevant, intense and riveting, a cause for rejoicing." "One of life's great pleasures for a film critic is the serendipitous jolt of happening upon a new work at a film festival that reaffirms the love of making movies. Lawrence David Foldes' impressive memory drama FINDING HOME is such an experience," says film critic Jake Jacobson of Westwood One/CBS Radio. MOVIEGUIDE® film critic Ted Baehr states, "FINDING HOME is a well-crafted, highly entertaining, evocative movie. MOVIEGUIDE® urges audiences, especially young people, to see this movie for its entertaining, profound insights."


text:
Q: Close connection for singleton connection pattern for MySQL (Java) I was wondering whether I need a closeConnection() method in my DBConnecter class. I know that you would normally close your connection whenever you are done using it, but with the connection being a singleton I am not completely sure.
Here is my DBConnecter class:
public static String driver = "com.mysql.jdbc.Driver";
public static String URL = "jdbc:mysql://localhost/polygondb";
public static String ID = "root";
public static String PW = "root";
private static Connection connection = null;

public static Connection getConnection() {
    if (connection == null) {
        try {
            Class.forName(driver);
        } catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
            Logger.getLogger(DBConnector.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
        try {
            connection = DriverManager.getConnection(URL, ID, PW);
        } catch (SQLException ex) {
            Logger.getLogger(DBConnector.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
    }
    return connection;
}

It might not be such a big deal, but I want to make sure as it is a school project for the exam (:

A: Opening up a connection to a database is an expensive process. Since you're using a singleton and assuming that all your database interactions are being handled by this object I would recommend keeping the connection alive. You will however want to close the connection prior to exiting the application.
If you are expecting many queries to occur at the same time you might want to look into connection pools, however since this is a school project I would assume that this isn't the case.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Whenever business owners would like to establish their own business venture, the first thing that they prioritize is their mortgage license because it certifies that their business is legal and is authorized to operate. Many businesses face closure because of one reason – NO LICENSE. Yes, a business license is important and thus you should always comply with it licensing requirements, because if you don't, you may see your business' closure.
Because of this, the State Regulatory Registry LLC is running a campaign which will let individuals who are in the non-depository financial services know that renewing their licenses is important and must be done before it expires to avoid any issue.
The Your Mortgage License is your Business campaign is a wake-up call and a way of SRR and NMLS to spread awareness to business owners that their license is their ticket to operate their business. Without any license, it only shows that the business is illegal, since it did not undergo certification by a licensing authority, such as NMLS.
The campaign is now in its 3rd year and it is being led by the State Regulatory Registry LLC, which also operates NMLS. This is the campaign which will help the business understand how important a license is for their business.
Why is "Your License is Your Business" campaign helpful?
Spreading awareness today is hard, but through campaigns, it is easy to share the ideas and actions are being taken. Your License is your Business campaign is helpful since this campaign will help in educating individuals and business owners with their licenses. Also, through the campaign, everyone in the business industry will have the chance to know how vital it is to submit renewal request before it expires since there are licensees who have been renewed before the year starts which will not cause any disturbance on the operation.
However, submitting a renewal request after the renewal deadline can be a hassle on your business.The campaign is one way of letting everyone know the importance of renewing the license before the expiration date.
Moreover, while the NMLS has a fairly complicated process to renew a license, failure to trying to timely renew until the last minute could have effect the operation of their business for the coming year. The campaign would like to convey that everyone should process their license renewal before the year ends so that no disruption will be done.
By just logging on the NMLS system the, renewal process will only take minutes unlike renewing a license after it expires, which is more inconvenient and time-consuming. Hence, with the campaign, all business owners and individuals will be able to understand how much attention should be given to licenses.
Your license will always be your gateway to a smooth business operation. If you don't renew it before it expires, your business may likely be forced to stop its operation and may only operate again once the license is renewed.Don't renew your license at last minute, always do it before the year ends!
Please visit SAFEMLOExam.com, where you will find articles on recent developments in the mortgage industry, and for those who achieve to become MLO's, SAFEMLOExam.com offers 5 simulated SAFE MLO practice tests with answer explanations. These practice Uniform State Tests with uniform state content are practice exams with answer explanations, which apply in every state, and the NMLS SAFE MLO practice tests can be taken in timed or untimed mode on SAFEMLOExam.com's proprietary test dashboard.


Seeking an entry level engineering position, which will allow usage of existing skills and experience, yet enable further personal and professional development. Willing to live internationally for working experiences.
-Freight forwarding & international logistics.
-Port operations coordination on containers and general cargo vessels.
-Designing and maintaining transportation infrastructure which includes streets, canals, highways (pavement design), railways,rail systems, airports, ports, and mass transit. It includes areas such as transportation design and planning,, intermodal transport, corridor analysis, pavement engineering, ITS, and infrastructure management.


Regarding the self-help resources that are found in the OpenClass Knowledge Base, are we free to use those in our classrooms as we wish or are there any restrictions to the use of them? We are getting ready to launch courses and we would like to use the self-help resources for the students, but wanted to make sure we are not violating copyright rules.
Our recommendation is to link to the Knowledge Base from within your course. You can title the links specific to a particular article in the OpenClass Knowledge Base that would make the topic easily identifiable to your students. Additionally, linking out to the resource in the knowledge base will ensure your students are receiving the most up-to-date information as the knowledge base is constantly changing to reflect new feature releases and updates.
Our recommendation is to link to the Knowledge Base from within your course. You can title the links specific to a particular article in the OpenClass Knowledge Base that would make the topic easily identifiable to your students. Additionally, linking out to the resource in the knowledge base will ensure your students are receiving the most up-to-date information as the knowledge base is constantly changing to reflect new feature releases and updates.
We have to provide basic technical information to potential customers before they purchase our courses so they can decide whether to try our online classes. Because we have very little staff, we have to prospectively minimize problems people may have getting OpenClass to work. If people have much trouble, they'll just ask for a refund.
We understand that, Kathleen. The good news is that you can link out to the OpenClass Knowledge Base without having to access a course in OpenClass. You can send this information to potential customers if you would like to.


text:
Q: C : Dynamic spacing when printing values I'm doing a homework assignment in C where part of it involves printing the values with certain spacing between each integer. For example, using Pascal's Triangle:
  1
  1 1
  1 2  1
  1 3  3  1
  1 4  6  4   1
  1 5 10 10   5   1
  1 6 15 20  15   6  1
  1 7 21 35  35  21  7  1
  1 8 28 56  70  56 28  8 1
  1 9 36 84 126 126 84 36 9 1

The spacing between the integers in each column is exactly as wide as the largest integer +1. What's the best way to approach this?

A: Dynamic spacing using printf can be achieved using the special character *.

A field width, or precision, or both, may be indicated by an asterisk. In this case, an int argument supplies the field width or precision.

Here is a basic testing program. You may want to use the special character -:
#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
    int i;

    printf("Select your spacing: ");
    scanf("%d", &i);
    printf("Spacing is at least %d: |%*d|\n", i, i, 1);
    printf("Spacing is at least %d: |%-*d|\n", i, i, 1);
    return (0);
}

You still need to find the largest number from your problem and to process its width. This has to be done before you print anything. Good luck !


Mindfulness meditation practices are holistic and ancient practices that are believed, by scholars, to be around 5000 years old. Meditation is believed to have begun before civilized societies were developed, being used by hunters and gatherers.
There are many forms of meditation. Mindfulness meditation is unique from other forms of meditation. Psychology Today states that it is different "in that it is not directed toward getting us to be different from how we already are. Instead, it helps us become aware of what is already true moment by moment." It teaches us how to be present in any given moment no matter what is happening.
One of the most common ailments that meditation and mindfulness approaches are being used for is the reduction of stress. But did you know that along with stress, mindfulness meditation can also be used when coping with an addiction? Having an addiction is believed, by some, to derive from emotional dysregulation. Emotional issues can be the reason individuals turn to substances as a way to deal with emotions which is otherwise unknown by the individual or uncomfortable to face. Pain is numbed by the substance of choice when using it to cope when crisis occurs, leaving the individual without the ability to cope with said emotions and enabling the addiction and behavior to continue.
When you have an addiction, your mind is closely focused on how to get the substance of choice, and/or recovering from the use of the substance. As stated by Rachel Fintzy, author of Mindfulness, Meditation, and Addiction, when practicing mindfulness and meditation you experience a "non-judgmental awareness of the present moment." Mindfulness practices are practices in awareness. Instead of attempting to avoid uncomfortable situations related to emotional dysregulation, through mindfulness meditation, you try to gain an understanding of your feelings and thoughts.
Mindfulness meditation is said by scholars to be extremely successful in clients who are coping with an addiction and in preventing relapse as it helps the individual gain awareness of the body when urges occur. It also helps the individual learn to deal with the emotions from these urges. When used over a period of time, mindfulness meditation improves the individual's self-control, taking control of the urges, emotions, and the body, which helps reduce relapse.
In a recent study completed by scholars, it was found that 40-60 percent of participants in a treatment program relapse within one year. Those scholars decided that there was a lot of work still to do in our culture to assist those struggling with an addiction. They then performed a study of 286 participants and sent 1/3 to a meditation-based treatment program, while 1/3 went to group discussion, and the last 1/3 of participants went to a relapse prevention group. Six months later it was found that the relapse group and mindfulness group both experienced a decreased risk in relapse when compared to the typical discussion group.
Even everyday stress can trigger addictive behavior. Practicing healthy habits like stress reduction with tools like mindfulness meditation will increase your ability to tolerate everyday stressors and assist in being in the present moment. Being in the present moment will help the individual learn to deal with any uncomfortable feelings instead of reacting on "autopilot," ending in addictive behavior. This balance of meditation and modification of behavior by practicing mindfulness will assist in making needed changes in your life.


Come savor an appetizing meal at I Sushi. They are open at night all week. You can get there by car. Payments by cheque and certified cheque are recognized.
Asia One welcomes you to their dining room. Their atmosphere has been described as casual. They are open after-hours all week. Payments by Visa and MasterCard are accepted.
Come savor a savory meal at Milestones. You can get there by public transit. They are found in a location packed with restaurants and merchants.
Come savor a yummy dish at Queensway Noodle House. This establishment features noodles. They are accessible by car.
Golden Dragon Restaurant invites you to their dining room. They are open at night from Monday to Friday. You can get there by car.
Licensed restaurant with banquet facilities, for eat-in or take-out.
Come taste a delicious dish at Jong's Restaurant. Their atmosphere has been described as casual and family friendly. You can get there not only by car but also by public transit.
Sushi Sushi Japanese Rest invites you to their restaurant. They are open nightly all week and are easily reachable by car.
Come enjoy a savory dish at Cambodian Noodle King. Explore a menu featuring noodles, priced at 11$ to 25$. They are conveniently accessible by car.


text:
Meningococcal Vaccine May Be Ineffective on College Campuses
Monsanto Mistake Spawns Widespread Crop Losses
Study: Pesticides Are Creating Pollination Problems and Killing Bees
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all college freshmen get a dose of meningococcal vaccine that contains four strains (A, C, W-35 and Y)
Strain B, another type not included in the four-strain vaccine, is associated with more than 50 percent of meningococcal cases and deaths
In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed a meningococcal vaccine including strain B
Prior to its U.S. approval, the vaccine (4CMenB) was administered during an outbreak at Princeton University; out of the nearly 500 college students who received two doses of the meningococcal B vaccine, 34 percent had no immune response to the outbreak strain
Invasive meningococcal disease is a rare but serious infection caused by Neisseria meningitides, or meningococcus, bacteria. These bacteria can infect the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (the meninges), leading to symptoms like fever, headache and a stiff neck.
Other symptoms include nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light and mental confusion. This condition, known as meningococcal meningitis, can be fatal or lead to hearing loss and brain damage.
Invasive meningococcal disease can also lead to bloodstream infection (septicemia) that can also be fatal or require amputation of toes, fingers or limbs.
There are six meningococcal vaccines licensed in the U.S., but before you put your faith in one of them to protect yourself or your child from invasive meningococcal disease, it's important to be aware that they are far from fool proof.
Meningococcal B Vaccine Showed Limited Effectiveness During College Outbreak
The risk of meningococcal disease increases for those living in crowded or close quarters, including the military, prisons and also college campuses. Even then, however, this disease isn't spread as easily as you might think. According to the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC):1
"It is not easy to develop invasive meningococcal infection. You have to be susceptible and have regular close personal contact, such as sharing a toothbrush with or kissing a person who is colonizing meningococcal organisms."
In 2000, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that all college freshmen get a dose of meningococcal vaccine that contains four strains (A, C, W-35 and Y). In 2005, they also recommended that all 11-year-olds receive the vaccine.
However, strain B, a type not included in that vaccine, is associated with more than 50 percent of meningococcal cases and deaths. In children under the age of 5, strain B is responsible for up to 70 percent of the cases of meningitis.
In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a meningococcal vaccine including strain B, and now we have the results of how well it worked, or actually didn't work, on college campuses.
The vaccine (4CMenB) was administered during an outbreak at Princeton University in 2013 (before it was approved for use in the U.S.).
Out of the nearly 500 college students who received two doses of the vaccine, 34 percent had no immune response to the outbreak strain, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).2 The study authors noted:3
"This level of seropositivity was lower than expected, given the antigenic similarity between the outbreak strain and the components of the vaccine and given that the Meningococcal Antigen Typing System predicted that 4CMenB would induce responses against the outbreak strain."
Meningococcal Disease Is on the Decline in the U.S.
Download Interview Transcript
Rates of meningococcal disease in the U.S. are at a historic low. Cases decreased more than 60 percent from 1998 to 20074 and, in 2013, the CDC reported there were about 550 total cases of meningococcal disease reported in the U.S., which is an incidence rate of 0.18 cases per 100,000 persons.5
In other words, meningococcal disease, and particularly infection with meningitis B, is relatively rare. In 2011, Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of NVIC, explained some of the concerns about adding meningococcal vaccines to the U.S. vaccine schedule.
It's true that the invasive meningococcal infection can be deadly; it's fatal in about 10 percent to 15 percent of cases. In about 11 percent to 19 percent of cases, long-term or permanent health problems, including loss of limbs, deafness, nervous system problems or brain damage will result.6
However, this is not a disease that's typically transmitted just by standing next to someone who has it.
Meningococcal bacteria cannot live outside the human body very long, so it's not as easily transmitted as, say, a cold virus. Infection occurs via the exchange of saliva, such as sharing a toothbrush or kissing — not from standing next to someone in an elevator.
Meningococcal Vaccination for All College Freshmen Is Not Cost Effective
The CDC recommends meningococcal vaccination for all first-year college freshmen living in a residence hall.
Although only about one-third of colleges and universities are requiring incoming students to receive meningococcal vaccine at this time, most colleges and universities do require any student residing on campus to be vaccinated.7
The American College Health Association (ACHA) recommends that schools proactively encourage the students to consider vaccination and make vaccination programs available to those who want them.
However, in addition to having questionable justification and effectiveness of vaccinating all U.S. college freshmen for meningococcal disease, the policy is far from cost effective. NVIC reported:8
"Nationwide vaccination of freshmen, who live in dormitories would result in the administration of 300,000 [to] 500,000 doses of vaccine each year, preventing 15 [to] 30 cases of disease and one to three deaths per year.
The cost per case prevented would be $600,000 [to] $1.8 million at a cost per death prevented of $7 million to $20 million.
Vaccination of all freshmen would result in the administration of 1.4 [to] 2.3 million doses of vaccine each year preventing 37 [to] 69 cases of disease and [two] … [to four] deaths each year. The cost per case prevented would be $1.4 [to] $2.9 million, at a cost per death prevented of $22 million to $48 million."
A Sizeable Minority of Americans Are Asymptomatic Carriers of Meningococcal Organisms
The other issue that's not widely appreciated is that at any given time, 20 percent to 40 percent of people colonize meningococcal organisms in their nasal passages and throats without showing any symptoms of disease.
Instead, they get a boost to their innate immunity via the colonized meningococcal organisms, which helps protect them against invasive meningococcal disease throughout life.
Mothers are able to transfer this innate immunity to their babies via the transfer of maternal antibodies, and this protection lasts from birth to a few months old, at which point the baby can make his own antibodies.9
Rarely, people with genetic and other risk factors cannot generate meningococcal antibodies and become extremely susceptible to contracting severe invasive meningococcal disease. What researchers should be trying to figure out is why some people go on to develop invasive meningococcal disease and others do not.
There are certain known risk factors, such as smoking or living in a home with a smoker, having a recent respiratory infection, crowded living conditions, or having an underlying chronic medical condition like HIV or AIDS. According to NVIC:10
"A small minority of individuals who have genetic and other unknown biological factors … [that] prevent them from naturally developing protective circulating antibodies, are up to 7,000 times more likely to get severe invasive meningococcal disease at some point in their lives."
Meningococcal Vaccination for All Preteens and Teens?
The CDC recommends meningococcal vaccination for all preteens and teens. At the age of 11 or 12, they recommend a dose of meningococcal vaccine that contains the four strains A, C, W-35 and Y.
But, because "protection decreases over time," another booster dose is recommended at age 16, "so teens continue to have protection during the years when they are at highest risk of meningococcal disease." Giving the meningococcal vaccine to all children at age 11, when they are generally at low risk and any vaccine-acquired immunity is likely to decrease before the age when they may need it, is highly questionable.
The serogroup B meningococcal vaccine is under the CDC's "may get" category (as opposed to "should get" category) for teens and young adults around the age of 16 to 18. Two or three doses are needed, depending on the brand of the vaccine.
Since the "ACWY" meningococcal vaccine does not protect against the circulating bacteria that causes meningitis B, some college campuses that have experienced meningitis outbreaks are strongly recommending that undergraduate students also receive the serogroup B vaccine. This recommendation is being made despite the relatively low rates of effectiveness revealed in the recent NEJM study.
In addition, the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) has recorded nearly 2,000 serious health problems, including nearly 100 deaths (34 percent of which occurred in children under age 6), following meningococcal vaccination. These recorded reactions likely represent only a small fraction of those that actually occur.11
Getting Back to the Basics: Infection Prevention 101
It's important to remember that the key to staying healthy and avoiding serious complications from infections is to maintain a strong immune system. The basic steps to keeping your immune system healthy are positive lifestyle choices such as proper diet, stress management, high-quality sleep and exercise. Remember to opt for clean, whole foods (animal and plant based), organic, pasture-raised and, preferably, locally sourced.
Also, don't underestimate the importance of regularly washing your hands with soap and water. This will lower your risk of contracting infections, but be sure you don't overdo it (as over-washing may cause tiny cracks in your skin where pathogens can enter). In addition, children, adolescents and young adults may further minimize their risk by not sharing utensils, cups and other personal items, like toothbrushes, with others.
The New England Journal of Medicine July 21, 2016
Healio August 11, 2016
National Vaccine Information Center, Meningococcal Disease
Vaccinated People Spreading Mumps
1, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11 National Vaccine Information Center, Meningococcal Disease
2 The New England Journal of Medicine July 21, 2016
3 University of Minnesota, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy July 21, 2016
5, 6 U.S. CDC, Meningococcal Disease
7 Immunization Action
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Meningitis Vaccine Is Unsafe for Children
Is Alarming Rise in Autism Linked to 1988 Event?


text:
Denver awards first license for medical marijuana R&D
The city of Denver issued its first medical marijuana research and development license to study MJ-related treatments for diseases.
The license went to Denver-based medical marijuana company MedPharm.
The permit allows the company to cultivate, process, manufacture and transfer marijuana to other laboratories or cannabis businesses for research purposes.
Albert Gutierrez, CEO of MedPharm, told Marijuana Business Daily that a lot of the past research has relied on "subpar" cannabis.
"Our focus is on providing high-quality dosage forms," he said.
MedPharm's first project will be to study marijuana's effect on Alzheimer's and dementia. The company hopes to start that project by the end of 2020.
MedPharm has its own in-house laboratory to conduct studies, and it will work with others such as neurologists and laboratories that can, for example, conduct brain scans.
In addition, the company is seeking partnerships.
The license resulted out of Colorado House Bill 17-1367, which took effect in 2018.
The Denver City Council approved creating these licenses locally on April 13.
"Our hope is that this new license type will lead to effective treatments for cancer, Alzheimer's and other debilitating diseases so the full promise of legalized marijuana can be fulfilled," Denver Excise and Licenses Executive Director Ashley Kilroy said in a statement.
MedPharm was part of the 14-company acquisition spree that Schwazze, formerly known as Medicine Man Technologies, went on last year.
– Bart Schaneman
Arkansas awards sixth medical cannabis grow permit as sales rise
Marijuana firm Acreage gets $15 million loan at 60% interest rate
Michigan recreational cannabis sales top medical for first time
All U.S. Briefs Colorado Cultivation


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Tag / bioethics
CFP: Public Health Ethics Workshop, 20th June 2017 (USYD)
CFP, workshop
AABHL, Australiasian Association of Bioethics & Health Law, bioethics, public health, public health ethics
August 6, 2015 August 6, 2015 by crmayes
Bioethics, a humble servant to the queen?
academia, Alan Trouson, bioethics, biomedicine, Boston Globe, critical, critique, Jesse Gelsinger, Monash, Monash Centre of Human Bioethics, Monash IVF, Monash University, oversight, peter singer, philosophy, science, Steven Pinker, syphilis, theology, Tuskegee
The role of bioethics has been questioned in an op-ed by the silver-maned experimental psychologist Steven Pinker. Pinker's piece has generated some heated online responses. While some commentators call for context and nuance in reading Pinker's piece, others read it in the context of the turf wars over the role of science and the humanities in the modern production of knowledge. Pinker has held a lead role with #TeamScience in these disputes. Until recently, bioethics has been able to negotiate these wars by trying to get along with everyone. However, Pinker's recent call for bioethics to "Get out of the way" and allow medical science to do its life-saving thing has publicly questioned whether bioethics is helping or hindering medical science.
A questionable lineage
In the not so distant past, theology and philosophy both laid claim to the title "queen of the sciences" – a claim that not many today would grant either. In terms of institutional and financial support, both are in the descent (see, see). This is not to say that we should smooth the pillow and send them off into the quiet night. Both will continue their important work, but many of the hangers-on will continue to retreat to other parties. Vice-Chancellors and politicians won't be launching books or holding soirees to celebrate a new breakthrough in Hegelian scholarship, for instance.
While the social and economic capital of theology and philosophy declines, their child, Bioethics, is perhaps in a more opportunistic optimistic position. Since the 1970s bioethics has found a role in service of the new queen – medicine. Medicine fulfills the role once held by theology and philosophy in ordering the human sciences.* The importance of medicine and medical research in the modern university is unquestioned. In the same way theology was once essential to Oxford University; medical research has become essential for a major research institution to be taken seriously. Its role is more than this however. Medicine is not only greatly valued, but determines the value of other human sciences. The closer a discipline's proximity to medicine and the goal of securing human health and preventing curing disease (see), then the greater the value of that discipline.
Bioethics has been placed, or placed itself, within and alongside medical research.
In the 1970s, philosophers and theologians offered initial responses to public scandals in research and clinical practice. For example, Tuskegee syphilis experiments in the US, the experiments on women with cervical cancer at New Zealand's National Women's Hospital, or the death of Jesse Gelsinger; who died while participating in a clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania. Events such as these led to acceptance that ethical oversight of medical research and practice is essential. Ethics committees were established, and ethics education became standard for medical students and researchers. The success of these interventions has led Pinker to conclude that medical researchers have learned to behave and appropriate checks are now in place. Therefore the shackles of bioethics can be loosened.
Keeping medical research "in check" is only part of the story.
A role also opened up for bioethics centres and bioethicists to calmly communicate breakthrough medical research to anxious publics. In Australia, Monash University established the Monash Centre of Human Bioethics in 1980 with Peter Singer as Director. The initial role of the centre was to promote the rapidly advancing research in artificial reproductive technologies at Monash University. Alan Trounson, the former director of the Monash Centre for Early Human Development, recalls:
I had to sort myself out in the early days just like anyone who works in a new area involving something like human embryos. If we hadn't had Peter Singer around in those days I think we might not have pursued some things to the extent that we have.
Singer, among others, helped further the research of Trouson and his colleagues by communicating to the public that the moral status of an embryo is not something to be concerned about and that so called "test-tube" babies are just fine.
Pinker believes that it is time for bioethics to "get out of the way". However, rather than saying "stop", a lot bioethicists have arguably greased the wheels of medical science and widened societal ethical boundaries to allow more and more research to be done. So perhaps in this case, what Pinker meant to say was not "get out of the way", but "get in your place! Tell the public that editing genomes is not to be worried about because biomedical research is progressing and soon disease will be regressing".
*This is not to suggest a neat linear progression from theology to philosophy to medicine. The effects of theology, for instances, are still very present in philosophy and medicine (and bioethics).
March 25, 2015 by crmayes
Continental Approaches in Bioethics (2015)
bioethics, biopolitics, continental philosophy
bioethics, Continental Approaches, Continental traditions, Philosophy Compass, scientific research
Hall, Melinda. C. (2015). "Continental Approaches in Bioethics." Philosophy Compass 10(3): 161-172.
DOI: 10.1111/phc3.12202
Bioethics influences public policy, scientific research, and clinical practice. Thinkers in Continental traditions have increasingly contributed scholarship to this field, and their approaches allow new insights and alternative normative guidance. In this essay, examples of the following Continental approaches in bioethics are presented and considered: phenomenology and existentialism; deconstruction; Foucauldian methodologies; and biopolitical analyses. Also highlighted are Continental feminisms and the philosophy of disability. Continental approaches are importantly diverse, but those I focus upon here reveal embedded models of individualized autonomy in medical discourses and encourage awareness of medicine's normalizing edges, thereby drawing attention to lacunae in traditional bioethical frameworks.
February 18, 2015 February 26, 2015 by crmayes
Morally Indigestible Listicles: Food, Experts, and the Burden of Choice
bioethics, ethics, food, health, politics
austerity, big food, bioethics, biopolitics, body image, consumption, david cameron, food, food choice, healthcare, healthism, journalism, lifestyle, listicle, medicalization, moralism, moralistic, obesity, population health, public health ethics, social determinants of health
The Sydney Morning Herald (via the Telegraph, London) has published another "no-nonsense-straight-shooting-science-based" listicle of the foods YOU SHOULD NEVER EAT AGAIN! These lists seem to appear at least once every week on some form of news website.
This current list is prefaced with references to recent British Medical Journal studies that turned upside down "everything we thought we knew about eating and drinking healthily". Instead of saturated fats being "the killer", it turns out carbohydrates are!
Put down that bacon & egg roll and get yourself a KFC Double-Down sandwich!
Surprisingly the article doesn't question why these new claims have a stronger knowledge base than previous claims or how we can be sure that in a week there won't be another "nutritional revolution" that will turn this all on its head and finger protein as Grandpa's real killer.
Leaving aside the science-base of these claims – not to imply this is unimportant – what is most disturbing about these articles (and this article in particular) is the emphasis on individual food choices as the determining factor of health. "Expert" claims that "every bacon sandwich you eat knocks half an hour off your life" reinforce ideas that my heart disease or your diabetes are reducible to that sandwich or chocolate bar eaten six years ago.
When these factoids are spoken by folks in white coats during times of austerity cuts to health services there is a real danger of compounding already existing public health policy problems by pretending that structural influences can be addressed via a nice social marketing campaign or a Jamie Oliver TV show that teaches people how to cook, garden and "never eat those foods again".
In the UK (where this article originated) David Cameron recently flagged that sick benefits may be cut from people who are obese and do not lose weight. The rationale for this idea is that obese people can lose weight simply by making "correct" and "healthy" food choices. However, according to Cameron, they aren't making these choices because life is too good on benefits. Hence, cut the benefits and healthy food choices will be made.
While these listicle articles may be dismissed as "not too serious" or "a bit of fun", they depend on and reinforce a moralistic and biopolitical perspective on the relation between food, choice and health. This perspective is often used to justify budget cuts to health services due to the expectation that health is simply a matter of individuals making the right choices.
In an article for Public Health Ethics, my colleague Donald B. Thompson and I argue that this perspective is morally and scientifically unjustified. Below is the introduction. If you'd like read the whole thing but the pay wall gets in the way send me an email.
December 3, 2012 December 3, 2012 by crmayes
Continental Philosophy and Bioethics: Part 1 – Challenges and Dissmissals
bioethics, continental philosophy
academia, bioethics, contiental philosophy, philosophy
Both bioethics and continental philosophy are outliers of "mainstream" philosophy. However, their shared outlier status has not resulted in camaraderie but mutual suspicion, if not contempt. Brian Leiter describes bioethics as possessing a "dim reputation in academic philosophy".[i] While bioethicists such as Daniel Callahan describe continental philosophy "as not philosophy at all".[ii]
Perhaps the intention of these comments is to dismiss rather than challenge continental philosophy or bioethics, but I have taken them as a challenge. I am not interested in defining these disciplines or academic fields; especially as the work of philosophers such as Jürgen Habermas or Jeffrey Bishop demonstrates the artificial nature of the boundaries surrounding these classifications. However, there is a general bar or faculty room acceptance of Leiter's characterization of bioethics and Callahan's assessment of continental philosophy. Depending on philosophical predilections Leiter's remark may have raised a smile or Callahan's evaluation a smirk. As someone trying to simultaneously swim in the continental and bioethics streams I find these comments frustrating, yet acknowledge the pressing challenges issued in both.
The challenge issued to bioethics from philosophy, not just from Leiter but a host of others, can be summarized as: (i) bioethics is too close to industry (broadly construed); (ii) bioethics is philosophically limited; (iii) bioethics is philosophically monotonous.
The challenge issued to continental philosophy from bioethics, and again not just from Callahan, can be summarized as: (i) continental philosophy is too theory-laden; (ii) continental philosophy is too descriptive and lacks normative application; and (iii) continental philosophy cannot be translated into policy.
In response, I do not intend to merely defend these academic fields, but acknowledge the challenges and suggest that despite apparent opposition they can fruitfully support each other and produce important analytic insights and ethical engagements.
[i] Brian Leiter, "American Journal of Bioethics, Redux: Is this for real?" Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog, 2012, . [Accessed on December 3, 2012].
[ii] Daniel Callahan, The Roots of Bioethics: Health, Progress, Technology, Death (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012): 9.


In the spring of 1959, NASA introduced Americans to a new kind of hero—the astronaut. But deep in the New Mexico desert, far from the Project Mercury spotlight, the Air Force would soon be launching a man towards the heavens. With a fraction of NASA's budget and none of its renown, Project Excelsior would send Captain Joseph Kittinger 100,000 feet above Earth, lifted not by rocket, but by balloon. Though largely forgotten, this group of daring explorers would be the first to venture into the frozen vacuum on the edge of our world, testing the very limits of human physiology and ingenuity in this deadly realm. Written and directed by Amanda Pollak, produced by Pollak and Stephen Ives, and executive produced by Mark Samels, Space Men premieres on American Experience Wednesday, March 23, 2016, 9:00-10:00 p.m. CT on OETA-HD.


What are the patterns of problems? What is the progression? How did the feedback change? Did the quality of the feedback also changed?
Still interested? Contact us so that we can start to plan something together!


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Una memoria, in elettronica, è un dispositivo elettronico che ha come finalità la memorizzazione dell'informazione elettronica. Il suo uso è diffuso in tutti i sistemi di elaborazione dati.

La memoria è una componente essenziale, presente in tutti i computer, console di gioco, GPS e molti dispositivi elettronici.

Le memorie sono vendute sotto forma di pezzi di ricambio per hardware o componenti elettronici. le differenze tra le monete sono la forma, l'uso che se ne fa, la tecnologia utilizzata, la capacità di stoccaggio e il rapporto tra costo e capacità.

Le capacità di memoria e la miniaturizzazione dei suoi media sono cresciute per diversi decenni al ritmo della legge di Moore, oggi arrivata al suo termine.

Classificazione
In base alla tipologia dell'informazione elettronica, analogica o digitale, che viene memorizzata, la memoria si distingue in:
 memoria analogica
 memoria digitale

In base alla necessità o meno di essere alimentata elettricamente per poter mantenere memorizzata l'informazione elettronica, la memoria si distingue in:
 memoria volatile
 memoria non volatile

In base alla tipologia di accesso, diretto o sequenziale, la memoria si distingue in:
 memoria ad accesso sequenziale
 memoria ad accesso diretto

In base alla tecnologia costruttiva la memoria si distingue in:
 memoria a stato solido (basata interamente su semiconduttori)
 memoria magnetica
 nastro magnetico
 disco magnetico
 memoria ottica
 disco ottico
 disco magneto-ottico
 memoria olografica

Tipologie
Memorie analogiche:
memorie non volatili
memorie ad accesso sequenziale
nastri magnetici
 audiocassetta
 Stereo 8
 Compact Cassette
 microcassetta
 videocassetta
memorie ad accesso diretto
 disco in vinile
dischi ottici
 Laserdisc

Memorie digitali:
memorie volatili
memorie ad accesso diretto
memorie a stato solido
 RAM
 DRAM
 SRAM
memorie non volatili
memorie ad accesso sequenziale
 scheda perforata
 nastro perforato
nastri magnetici
 audiocassetta
 Compact Cassette
 DAT
 videocassetta
memorie ad accesso diretto
memorie a stato solido
 ROM
 PROM
 EAROM
 EPROM
 EEPROM
 memory card
 CompactFlash
 Memory Stick
 SD
 miniSD
 microSD
dischi magnetici
 floppy disk
 hard disk
dischi magneto-ottici
 MiniDisc
dischi ottici
 Laserdisc
 Compact Disc
 DVD
 DualDisc
 Blu-ray Disc
 HD DVD

Utilizzo
Per ragioni economiche, le memorie sono generalmente suddivise in più famiglie trattate, il più delle volte, in modo diverso dal sistema operativo. In ordine crescente di costo possiamo distinguere:

Memoria di massa o memoria di archiviazione

viene utilizzato per l'archiviazione a lungo termine di grandi quantità di informazioni. Le tecnologie più comuni delle memorie di massa sono quelle elettromeccaniche, mirano ad ottenere un'elevata capacità di memorizzazione a basso costo e generalmente hanno una velocità inferiore rispetto ad altre memorie;

RAM

spazio di archiviazione principale del microprocessore, ma il cui contenuto scompare allo spegnimento del computer;

Cache

viene utilizzato per memorizzare per un breve periodo le informazioni consultate di frequente. Le tecnologie di memoria cache mirano ad accelerare la velocità delle operazioni di consultazione. Hanno una velocità molto elevata e un costo elevato per una bassa capacità di stoccaggio;

Registro

integrato nel processore. Questo tipo di memoria è molto veloce ma anche molto costoso ed è quindi riservato a una piccolissima quantità di dati.

Caso particolare
Un computer parallelo è dotato di diverse unità di calcolo. In base alla sua costruzione può essere dotata di un'unica unità di memoria utilizzata in comune da tutte le unità di calcolo, è la memoria condivisa, oppure ogni unità di calcolo è dotata di una propria unità di memoria, questa configurazione prende il nome di memoria distribuita.

Storia
Nel corso della storia sono emerse varie tecnologie di memoria. Le tecniche di progettazione migliorate hanno prodotto memorie sempre più piccole, meno costose, che consumano meno energia, con una capacità sempre maggiore e una velocità maggiore.

 L'uso della memoria nei computer è stato introdotto dal concetto di architettura di von Neumann nel 1944.
 I primi Dischi rigidi furono costruiti nel 1956. L'unità DEC RP07 costruita nel 1970 pesava 180 kg. Un disco rigido degli anni 2000 pesa meno di 1 kg, pur avendo una maggiore capacità di archiviazione.

Le memorie con nucleo in ferrite sono memorie ad accesso casuale non volatili utilizzate dagli anni '60 agli anni '70.Questi componenti sono costituiti da una rete di fili di rame in cui sono intrecciati anelli di ceramica ferromagnetica. I ricordi che utilizzano questa tecnologia sono ingombranti e pesanti. Questa tecnologia è stata sostituita da semiconduttori e circuiti integrati.

Le prime generazioni di RAM consumavano molta elettricità. L'uso della tecnologia CMOS ha consentito componenti molto meno golosi. Questi componenti associati a una minuscola batteria hanno permesso la costruzione di memorie rimanenti, utilizzate ad esempio nelle smart card.

Riducendo il numero di elettroni necessari per immagazzinare un po' si aumenta la velocità della memoria. La ricerca è rivolta a tecnologie che utilizzino un solo elettrone (o pochi) invece dei quasi mezzo milione oggi necessari per immagazzinarne un po', e uniscano grande miniaturizzazione e velocità delle attuali memorie dinamiche, con la rimanenza di memorie di sola lettura.

Tecnologie

Meccanico
L'abaco è una forma primaria di memorizzazione di informazioni digitali meccaniche. A partire dal XVII secolo furono costruiti calcolatori meccanici i cui ingranaggi conservavano in memoria almeno una variabile. Nastri e schede perforate sono stati storicamente i primi supporti informatici di massa. Sono stati utilizzati dal 18 ° secolo. Un sensore ha attivato il meccanismo quando ha incontrato un buco. In telegrafia, il sensore apre o chiude un circuito elettrico. Diverse sonde in parallelo consentono la registrazione di un codice Baudot.

Nel 20º secolo, la lettura ottica ha migliorato la longevità delle carte e la velocità di lettura. Le registrazioni magnetiche ed elettroniche stanno decisamente soppiantando carte e nastri.

Elettromeccanico
I sistemi elettromeccanici basati su relè e selettori rotativi sono stati tra i primi sistemi affidabili destinati alla memorizzazione di informazioni. I relè memorizzano un bit, i selettori a rotazione memorizzano un valore numerico, spesso da 0 a 9, a volte da 0 a 7 (ottale), 11 (formato ora), 15 (esadecimale), 23 (formato ora) o 99. Meccanismi simili a quelli di i calcolatori meccanici consentono la manipolazione delle informazioni. Questi sistemi presiedono alle centrali telefoniche.

Supporto magnetico
Molti sistemi di archiviazione delle informazioni utilizzano supporti magnetici: disco rigido, dischetto, nastro magnetico, ecc. A causa del calo del prezzo dei sistemi elettronici che sono alla base delle chiavi USB e dei dischi SSD, i supporti magnetici ora tendono ad essere utilizzati principalmente per archiviare grandi volumi di dati a cui la velocità di accesso non è essenziale. : backup, file multimediali, eccetera. C'erano anche ricordi di bolla che, dopo aver suscitato grandi speranze, sono stati commercializzati solo brevemente.

Supporti ottici
Inizialmente utilizzato solo per la lettura di schede e nastri perforati, il supporto ottico è stato utilizzato anche per i film sonori digitali alla fine del XX secolo. Finché solo la fotografia consente di utilizzare la luce per scrivere, il mezzo ottico rimane raro. Negli anni '90, il disco leggibile e scrivibile al laser ha consentito l'uso più generale dei supporti ottici per l'informatica.

Da quel momento, i media che utilizzano i laser si sono diffusi: CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray e formati proprietari.

Supporto elettronico

Condensatore
I condensatori hanno la proprietà primaria di immagazzinare energia elettrica.

Fin dai progressi della microelettronica, è la capacità di condensatori microscopici organizzati in frame, disposti e gestiti all'interno di chip elettronici che funge da veloce memoria digitale per i moderni computer. Questi circuiti integrati specializzati sono chiamati memoria dinamica o DRAM. Il grosso difetto è dovuto alle dimensioni dei condensatori che sono così minuscole che le informazioni possono essere mantenute intatte solo per poche frazioni di secondo, il che richiede un aggiornamento costante delle informazioni, che richiede circuiti aggiuntivi.

Circuito logico flip-flop
I circuiti logici (Flip-flop) consentono di produrre memorie. Le memorie così prodotte si possono classificare in due famiglie: SRAM e ROM:

 SRAM o (Static Random Access Memory): si dice che siano molto veloci, ma non possono essere sufficientemente integrati per competere con le memorie dinamiche con condensatori;
 Le ROM o (Read Only Memory) hanno il vantaggio di non essere volatili: i dati che contengono rimangono intatti in assenza di alimentazione. D'altra parte, sono lenti nell'accesso e la modifica dei dati non è possibile per alcuni modelli.

Olografia

Note

Voci correlate
 Memoria (informatica)

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Amazing research and article done by Sidi Salman. Check it out!
Have you ever seen a brother walking around with a t-shirt on? Someone wearing a tie? Dress pants? A sister wearing jeans, modestly covered by a lengthy upper-garment? If you have, then you have also probably seen someone mentioning the impermissiblity of doing so due to it being an imitation of the non-Muslims, something the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) emphatically forbade.
It seems that as one growns in one;s imam the natural consequence is the change in the outwardly appearance. When you are surronded by other Muslims it is more peaceful. The same applies to one's inward journey. The more you aim to please Allah, the easier it is to give up on the need for fashion. Spring is here…what a perfect time to wear Muslim clothing…it is cool and so comfortable to move in..it is more practical. Thank you.
This is a great post, relevant and thorough.
I remember hearing very similar discussions from our Shayookh… that if you go to a village in Saudi and you are dressed in a 3-pc suit and everyone can see the clear imitation, then its a problem. Yet, if the whole village starts wearing suits, then it is no longer considered so. This is REAL FIQH mashallah.
wearing western clothing if it adheres to the rules is fine. whoever doesn't think so is an idiot. Instead of wasting time on this, they should be educating people on Islam.
Wasn't it Tariq Swaidan who said that the there is no such thing as "traditional Islamic clothing". He said the Prophet wore anything as long as it covered him. He even wore pants!!! He mentioned this at RIS in 2006. The conference last December in Toronto Ontario.
I think it's true that Muslims are allowed to wear "non-Muslim clothing" (whatever that means. I guess the shirts deny the obligation of prayer or something) but I still think Muslims should dress nice. Vive Shukr!
The way the Islam is applied and perceived is as an ideology, with very little spiritual guidance or moral grounds. Repeating the name of Allah does not make things holly. Everything that we get from our clerics is stern advices on what should wear, dress, respond, behave, and especially how to control our mother, sisters and wives, at home and outside home. Even in totally different climates we, the controlling men, are advised to imitate the clothing of Arabia. The intelligence is also the speed of adjustment, not only the reciting by heart the longest Surah. It was not proven that a long garment or day pajamas with under trousers and Italian restaurant table cloth or diapers on the head do make us more believers, more respected, more important or superior. Certainly, there are other grotesque clothing styles like rappers' outfits or orthodox Jew's garments, but we are not in competition with them, are we? The ridiculous costumes of Muslim women at the Olympics neither helped them to won gold medals nor convince the infidels of the superiority of Islam.
Only a sexually obsessed or quite impotent person would forbid women to wear what make them beautiful. Why a person with inferiority complex would extrapolate and even impose his thoughts and feelings to all Muslim people? Why should we be guilty for his libidinious thinking? I do think that the clerics, sheiks, mullahs should remain confined to the spiritual aspect of Muslim life—religion not ideology, we should forbid them to dare have opinions about our way of life, for simple reason that they have no expertise in any field: family, administration, law, sport, fashion, arts, and our life is not their business. Period!
they simply say what is recommended in the quran and sunnah n u dare say somthing like that? havnt u been taught that we must respect our scholars?shame!