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Marketing 101 on a Budget
(Translation: "Marketing Without a Decent Budget")
Scott McGaugh, Marketing Director
Author of America's Shield: USS Midway; Midway Memories; Midway Magic
Contact: [email protected] or (619) 398-8250
Presentations focusing on marketing tips are relative. Great marketing strategies aren't very useful if an organization doesn't have the resources available to implement them. I haven't encountered an organization yet that has an unlimited marketing budget. It's been my experience that very few marketing directors feel they have enough resources and some organizations get by without a marketing director. Certainly every naval ship museum faces different marketing challenges and opportunities, each armed with resources unique to that museum. So rather than present "what you can do to market your museum" without regard to resource realities, this presentation will outline the fundamental philosophies and approaches used aboard the USS Midway Museum in planning and executing its marketing plan.
The emphasis will be on core strategies with an eye toward a limited budget. They are based on six years' experience, from the day Midway opened in June 2004. Today, our attendance is approaching 900,000. In addition to daily museum operations, annually we host approximately 200 private events, 100 active-duty military events, 40,000 students in our K-12 education program, and about 5,000 youngsters in our sleepover program. That makes for a wide variety of target audiences for a museum that is only six years old, one that is adding new features and exhibits every year, and has a 10-year master build-out plan in place. Ours is a fluid and multi-dimensional marketing environment. However, in many ways it is quite similar to the fundamental marketing situation faced by nearly all naval aviation museums.
Understanding Our Customers & Markets
We certainly know the story we want to tell aboard the USS Midway Museum. As a naval aviation museum aboard a historic aircraft carrier in the birthplace of naval aviation, our course is clearly laid out. However, our visitors tell us how to tell the story, both in terms of exhibit development and marketing communications. We listen to them principally through a no-cost exit survey program.
We have developed a two page, fill-in-the-blank survey that tells us great deal about our visitors and their experience aboard Midway (Appendix A). Employees ask about 60 guests a week to fill out the survey, and they receive a complimentary Midway bookmark or postcard for their trouble. We find people are happy to give us their opinion. Our annual sample size is 3,000 surveys, but any sample size is worth the effort. If it were 20 surveys a week generating annual 1,000 points of feedback, it still would be useful.
But it is useful only if we have a way to easily read the results. We do this by having a volunteer enter the survey answers into a very affordable online survey service, called Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com). Although designed for online surveys, you can manually enter the survey answers you've collected and then summarize and print out a wide variety of analytical data.
The figure below, for example, tracks what our guests enjoy most. Nearly 99% rate the flight deck and aircraft as good/excellent. Our gift shop, however, rates a much lower overall grade. Interestingly, the relative statistics are constant, regardless of whether we are in the "tourist season" or not.
You'll see from Appendix A that we focus on important marketing information as well as our visitors' experience once they are aboard. We know, for example, that only 55% of all guests have any veterans in the family. That tells us we have to market to a large, non-military audience. (Minimize the lingo and acronyms!)
We also look for secondary information on tourism trends. That's critical because San Diego has 3 million year-round residents but is host to 24 million tourists a year. There may be similar sources of information in your market, based on our list:
San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau San Diego Convention Center
San Diego Unified Port District California Travel & Tourism Commission
California Association of Museums Western Association of Museums
American Association of Museums
An example of how this can benefit: Our surveys tell us that about 11% of our visitors are Hispanic. But we know from the Convention & Visitors Bureau that 38% of San Diego's 24 million visitors are Hispanic. And we know Hispanics comprise about the same percentage of San Diego's local population. So today we are grappling with how we can do a better job of reaching and relating to the Hispanic community.
We believe tapping other sources of information is our most cost-effective approach to understanding our guests. That, coupled with an easy, museum-specific survey program gives us far more confidence in developing our marketing plans.
A cornerstone of affordable marketing is media relations (they used to call it "publicity" or "free advertising.") There are several aspects we keep in mind, given the revolution that is taking place in the news media.
A front page story in your local newspaper likely will be seen by only 33% of local residents! That's because daily newspaper circulation is plummeting. A lead story on the 6 p.m. television news? Typically only about 20% of local residents might be watching. The lesson is that media relations is a marathon. No single story will generate widespread and lasting awareness, much less an influx of sustained visits. We'll take 5 smaller items in the newspaper during the course of a month over a front page story anytime.
How can you generate publicity with little or no internal expertise? We have found local PR firms often embrace fixed, short-term pro-bono projects for museums like Midway. In our case a PR firm agreed to develop a local media contact list (names, areas of assignment, phone number and email address) for us. Our list included reporters, photographers, videographers, fledgling online news sites, etc. That saved us tons of time, and the PR firm had a clearly defined, pro bono engagement that didn't get out of control.
In addition, our experience tells us not to bother with traditional "news releases" with all the standard boilerplate language. It's a waste of time. Reporters today want fast, quick story ideas. Email is a godsend. Here's a recent example to a columnist that resulted in publicity:
I thought I'd give you a heads up that the USS Midway Museum will be welcoming aboard our 5 millionth visitor this Thursday. (No one else has this in advance of Thursday.)
The milestone comes only three weeks short of Midway's sixth anniversary (June 7, 2004). In that time, Midway has grown to hosting nearly 40,000 school students annually, 5,000 youngsters a year on sleepovers, and have hosted more than 1,500 private events since opening. The lucky guest today (Thursday) will receive a number of Midway-related gifts and a private docent tour of what has become the most-visited floating ship museum in the country. Thanks for your consideration.
Anyone can be a publicist with this approach, which leads to an important consideration. We don't look for publicity ideas from the museum's perspective. We look for ideas from the reporters' perspectives. There is someone at The San Diego Union-Tribune involved in each of the following:
Columnists Senior editor(s)
Volunteer opportunities Military/veterans reporter
Photographers Metro section
Community events Entertainment
Editorial page Tourism
So we think about what's going on aboard Midway of interest to business? To a photo editor? For seniors? Then a quick email to the appropriate person, based on the list the PR firm (or volunteer) developed. It can be virtually no-cost publicity, if you stay organized and approach it from the news media's perspective.
We also make use of "invisible" media relations: a variety of publications that are looking for local stories but aren't typical newspapers and magazines. Newsletter editors typically are desperate for story ideas and content. We often pitch stories and get coverage in:
Chamber of commerce newsletter Convention & Visitors Bureau newsletter
Nearby condo/homeowner assn. newsletters San Diego-based websites
Nearby merchant association newsletters Navy League newsletter
Large veterans organizations
Finally, we "make" as much news as possible. The ex-journalist in me is always thinking about how we can tap into existing activities in the community.
Submit an guest editorial by the museum president in advance of Veterans Day, urging the community to show its support for veterans on Nov. 11
Think about upcoming anniversaries in our ship's history and suggest a retrospective story.
Enter award contests and then publicize any awards we receive.
Localize national stories: When the national media was reporting an aircraft carrier accident, we made a Midway docent/former Midway officer available to comment on carrier danger and the premium placed on training.
A kindred spirit to traditional media relations is social media. I became a convert when we started a Facebook page without any publicity and within 30 days more than 1,500 "fans" had signed up for updates. With very limited staff, we found a volunteer who "gets" social media and who created and now maintains our Facebook page. This is one of the few areas of marketing that I personally know little about, but I accept its importance, and have turned it over to a volunteer who is fully immersed it in. It's worked out beautifully.
I've learned I can't be an expert in everything, so it's best to stay focused on what I do best. Then I create opportunities for others to contribute their passion and expertise to the overall marketing communications effort for the USS Midway Museum. Success almost always is a team effort.
Our Website Approach
Just as we listen to those who visit the museum, we want to know what our website visitors think. To us, the website is the front door the USS Midway Museum. So we use a free service, Google Analytics (www.google.com/analytics), which provides free reports on visitors to our website, most-visited pages, length of stay, search engine preference, etc. It's an amazing amount of no-cost data that we review every 60 days.
For example, Appendix B shows one aspect of website traffic for July 2010. It tells us that the most-visited pages clearly are by people interested in visiting the museum. That directs us to spend the most time in updating those portions of the website with new material. Today, we are moving into posting short videos (produced by a volunteer) about the museum on YouTube and linking them back to our website. It costs us nothing.
In fact, our philosophy is to convert as much (costly) printed material into website info as possible. Our media kit for reporters is not printed. We send the reporters a website link. When people ask for photos, we send them to downloadable pictures on the website. We also provide drawings of the space available for private events aboard the USS Midway Museum on the website. This can be done at virtually no cost to the museum, and we routinely find people appreciate the instant access of a website.
Affordable Advertising
No one has a big enough advertising budget! One effective approach we've found is to advertise in association and organization newsletters. They often welcome the revenue and it's an easy way to maintain awareness among Chamber of Commerce members, for example.
When it comes to radio/television advertising, I don't have the budget to produce catchy, :30- and :60-second commercials. So I spend my limited budget on sponsoring radio/TV traffic reports. It's quick awareness building with enough time to promote an upcoming event or program, and referring the audience to our website for more information. You can provide a lot of information in only a :10- or :15-second tag.
We're also big believers in on-air radio station promotions. I'm more than happy to donate many "family four-packs" of tickets to Midway as part of an on-air promotion by a popular local radio personality. Tickets don't really cost us much, the station gets something valuable to offer its audience, and we generate the exposure we otherwise couldn't afford.
We spend as much time "ashore" as possible. Even a handful of volunteers can be a big help by staffing a table at a Chamber mixer, art fair, farmer's market, etc. We also donate tickets as fundraising tools to organizations ranging from PTA chapters to the Blood Bank. We limit it to nonprofit organizations in San Diego County, but even at that we donate to more than 300 worthy organizations a year. Again, it's promotional exposure for Midway at a "cost" of some tickets that may or may not be used!
More recently, we have been offering to host various civic and business organization meetings aboard Midway. While that may not be feasible for everyone, we think enabling the Chamber of Commerce's board of directors to hold an early-morning meeting at a "fun location" is a no-cost way of generating exposure and word-of-mouth advertising. When they hold a meeting aboard, each participant receives a free ticket to return and explore the museum. They almost always return with paying guests and even if they don't visit, they have something nice to say about the museum.
We place a high priority on local referrals, knowing that 50% of San Diego's 24 million annual visitors stay in private residences.
This is a huge priority for Midway: finding organizations with a shared interest that offer a pipeline of exposure to groups we otherwise could not afford to reach. Some examples:
When the PGA Tour comes to San Diego, we offer free tickets to attendees of its Military Appreciation Luncheon.
We have two college bowl games in the area, and work closely with bowl officials so we can promote to the participating teams and booster clubs.
Midway has a humanitarian mission heritage so we often team with the Red Cross and Blood Bank when they have donation drives.
Similarly, we host a celebration for the Girl Scouts' Operation Thin Mints campaign each year, an event that draws more than 1,000 people and the news media.
The San Diego Padres have a very strong military appreciation orientation so we work closely with their VP of Military Affairs on various promotions throughout the season.
Again, this rarely costs us anything beyond some free or discounted admissions. We have found the key is to plan ahead--as much as a year--to get the most value from a partnership. (Last week we contacted the County about having one of its summer "Movie Nights in the Park" in 2011 on our flight deck. The Parks & Recreation Director jumped at the opportunity, suggested more than one date, and offered to help find sponsors. What a great way to promote Midway to hundreds of San Diego families, simply by making ourselves available to an existing program!
Other Low-Cost Resources We Have Tapped
Over the past six years, we've either created some worthy, low-cost marketing opportunities and sometimes have seen them drop in our lap. You may be able to implement something similar in your market:
A senior-level San Diego State University marketing class took our museum on as a project. Over the course of a semester the students developed a marketing plan for us. Admittedly, about 80% already had been considered, 10% was off the mark, but the remaining 10% was brilliant and inspirational. We came away with several new ideas from the experience.
We contacted the owner of most of the outdoor billboards, bus shelters, and shopping mall poster stands in San Diego. He agreed to donate the space on billboards that went unsold if we paid for production of the outdoor advertising. Over the past several years we have received more than $100,000 worth of no-cost advertising exposure on major freeways, in return for honoring the billboard owner as a major museum contributor.
We have a very professional brochure that promotes our private event capability. We produced it at no cost to the museum by working with Hawthorn Brochure. They sell ads to museum partners and event vendors. That pays for the brochure, and we get a brochure that promotes both Midway and its partners and vendors. Highly recommended for museums that market special events.
We work closely with the local and state film commissions, especially if the finished product clearly shows Midway as a museum. We're not a sound lot so if a production is simply looking for an aircraft carrier, we'll typically pass. But it also can be a nice source of income, if that's part of your business model.
In many cities, an affordable source of advertising is the narrow, vertical street banners you see on street-side light poles. We produced banners that have a life expectancy of about five years, and then work with local entities responsible for approving installation. They typically are up for a few months at a time each year, and we store them in the interim. To make it low-cost, many municipalities allow small corporate logos, enabling you to get them to solicit sponsors.
This may be a bit far afield for some, but periodically we have a need for some affordable giveaways at community events, event planners, students, etc. We recently found a manufacturer overseas that can produce ship's challenge coins, USS Midway pens, etc., on the order of 50 cents or less each, depending upon the quantity. For us, that's about 1/4 the price we had been paying out of a catalog for some items. Going direct takes a little time to get it set up, but can save a lot in the long run.
We are always looking for photos of the museum to use in a variety of marketing contexts. A great source of free photography is Flickr (www.flickr.com) where Midway visitors post their photos for the world to see. There are more than 32,000 photos of Midway posted at Flickr and many times a photographer has gladly given us permission to use a particular photo. At no cost.
Time Management is Crucial
We have found almost everything implemented at the last minute costs more than if it's thought out well in advance. Daily to-do lists can be a trap that keeps us from creating and taking advantage of marketing opportunities in a way that are cost-effective.
So our approach aboard Midway is to meet twice a month and focus on three things: what's coming up in 30 days, what is sitting on the 60-day horizon, and what should we be considering or creating 6 months from now. This is easier said than done, but our experience clearly shows us we've been able to create less-expensive events, promotions, advertising, and other projects when we started earlier rather than later. I literally have "over the horizon" meetings posted on my calendar, twice a month.
A Final Thought
Low-cost marketing is valuable only if it is effective. Aboard the USS Midway Museum, we are always looking for ways to extend our marketing resources, but we do so based on four cornerstones:
Understand our guests as much as possible and tailor our marketing to reflect that reality.
Create partnerships with volunteers, community leaders, civic organizations and others who have a shared interest.
Recognize that there are no quick fixes and that marketing is a marathon that requires a long-term commitment and discipline.
Stay focused: don't try to be something we're not or make marketing promises our museum doesn't deliver. Share our passion but keep our eye building a strong museum and business.
Marketing on a modest budget requires focus, attention to detail, and advance planning. While everyone would like to have additional resources, an organized approach coupled with creativity can produce significant returns on even a modest investment.
Appendix A: Museum Survey
1. What is today's date: CIRCLE ONE EACH:
Jun / Jul / Aug / Sept / Oct / Nov Weekday / Weekend
Dec / Jan / Feb / Mar / Apr / May
2. Is this your first visit to Midway?
__ 1. Visited before
__ 2. First visit
3. If you have visited Midway before, please check the previous number of visits.
__ __ __ __ __
4. How long were you aboard Midway today?
Hours __ __ __ __ __ __
5. Overall, how would you rate your visit to Midway?
__ 1. Excellent __ 3. Fair
__ 2. Good __ 4. Poor
6. Please rate the following aspects of your visit.
Excellent Good Fair Poor N/A
1. Self-guided audio tour __ __ __ __ __
2. Flight deck / aircraft __ __ __ __ __
3. Island exhibits (bridge, Pri-fly) __ __ __ __ __
4. Admiral/captain exhibit __ __ __ __ __
5. Berthing/Forecastle __ __ __ __ __
6. Hangar Deck __ __ __ __ __
7. Below deck/ galley, etc. __ __ __ __ __
8. Engine Room __ __ __ __ __
9. Aviators' ready rooms __ __ __ __ __
10. Gift shop __ __ __ __ __
Flight simulators:
11. Stationary simulator __ __ __ __ __
12. 2-person ride __ __ __ __ __
13. Group ride __ __ __ __ __
14. Souvenir photo __ __ __ __ __
15. Museum staff __ __ __ __ __
7. Please rate the following.
1. Overall cleanliness __ __ __ __ __
2. Restroom cleanliness __ __ __ __ __
3. Gift Shop price/value __ __ __ __ __
4. Cafe price/value __ __ __ __ __
5. Simulator price/value __ __ __ __ __
6. Photo price/value __ __ __ __ __
8. What did you like best about your Midway experience?
9. What did you like least about your Midway experience?
10. How did you hear or learn about Midway? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)
__1. Word of mouth from friends or relatives
__2. Saw or drove by the Midway
__3. Advertising or news stories
__4. Brochures/literature
__5. www.midway.org
__6. Other Internet websites
__7. Travel guide publication
__8. Concierge/hotel information desk
__9. Visitor information center
__10. Convention-related sources
__11. Billboards or bus shelter posters
__12. Other: ____________________________________
11. When did you decide to visit Midway?
__1. Day of visit __4. 1-4 weeks before visit
__2. Day before visit __5. 4+ weeks prior
__3. Within a week
12. If you live in the U.S., where are you from?
__ 1. San Diego area __ 5. Arizona
__2. Orange County __6. Illinois
__3. Los Angeles area __ 7. Texas
__4. Northern California __ 8. Florida
__ 9. Other state or region
13. If you are an international visitor, what is your home country?
14. Did anyone in your group listen to family-oriented "Airman Sammy Rodriguez" self-guided audio tour? (CHECK ONE)
__ 1. Yes
__ 2. No
15. If "Yes," please rate 1-5 (1=outstanding, 5=poor)
__ 1. Outstanding
__ 2. Good
__ 3. Average
__ 3. Disappointing
__ 5. Poor
15. What is your military affiliation, if any?
__ 1. None __ 4. Retired
__ 2. Active __ 5. Veteran
__ 3. Reserve __ 6. Immediate family member
16. What other area attractions have you or will you visit on this trip to San Diego?
__ 1. San Diego Zoo
__ 2. San Diego Aerospace Museum
__ 3. San Diego Wild Animal Park
__ 4. SeaWorld
__ 5. San Diego Maritime Museum
__ 6. Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
__ 7. Legoland
__ 8. Balboa Park / Museums
__ 9. Old Town
__ 10. Other: __________________________________
17. Are there youngsters in your group today under the age of XXXXX?
__1. Yes
__2. No
18. What best describes your occupation?
__1. Education / Training
__2. Executive / Senior management
__3. General administrative / supervisory
__4. Government
__5. Military (active)
__6. Military (retired)
__7. Homemaker
__8. Professional (medical, legal, etc.)
__9. Retired
__10. Self-employed/owner
__11. Student
__12. Tradesman / Craftsman / Manufacturing
__13. Unemployed / Between Jobs
__14. Other
19. What is the average level of education among the adults in your group aboard Midway today?
__1. Less than high school
__2. High school graduate
__3. Trade or technical school
__4. Some college
__5. College graduate
__6. Graduate or professional school
20. Please check the grouping in which your total family income falls.
__1. Under $20,000
__2. $21,000 but less than $40,999
__5. $100,000 or more
21. What is the primary ethnicity of your group visiting Midway?
__1. Caucasian
__2. Hispanic
__3. African American
__4. Asian
__5. Other: _________________________________
That's the end of the survey. Please hand it to our guest services representative for your free Midway Magic bookmark or postcard. Thank you for participating!
Appendix B: Partial Website Traffic Report
www.midway.org
USS Midway Museum Website
Month of July, 2010
Most-visited website pages:
Pageviews Unique
Views Time
Spent Bounce
1. /home page 59,707 47,371 00:00:45 19.61%
2. /hours-tickets 36,883 26,373 00:01:17 48.14%
3. /visitors 28,351 20,555 00:00:30 20.25%
4. /exhibits-and-activities 23,618 15,339 00:00:32 34.81%
5. /Directions-Parking 16,101 9,887 00:01:44 50.59%
6. /?q=visitors 8,261 5,991 00:00:43 56.76%
7. /military-veteran-services 7,220 5,406 00:00:48 33.25%
8. /calendar 7,141 5,819 00:00:24 40.79%
9. /Aircraft-Museum 5,881 4,692 00:01:08 49.13%
10. /Pre-Paid Discount Tickets 4,937 4,201 00:00:38 38.10%
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Our annual fundraising event Mardi Gras was established in 1984 and was designed to embrace the Lenten calendar and celebrate Catholic Schools, specifically our Catholic school! The funds raised at our event go directly to bettering the education and future of our students. We hope this year to apply funds raised to our S.T.E.A.M. program!
Thank you for participating and we hope you enjoy yourself at our event!
Thank you for an awesome 2019 Mardi Gras..see you in 2020!


At Villazeon (Mumbai), Interns are expected to be professionally well-versed with basic ethics, which includes arriving on time (as specified by the company), notifying the team leader of any deviations from the established schedule, and dressing to the standards of the organization and the work being performed. Respect the organization's reporting structure and follow the policies and procedures of the organization.
1. Creating content for marketing activities.
2. Handling digital marketing & SEO, including social media & business networking sites.
3. Handling marketing & communications.
1. Selected candidates for Digital Marketing at Villazeon will require to bring supporting documentation which includes all the marksheets, updated resume, certificates, recommendations letter (if any), etc.
Villazeon Infra LLP is a startup in the field of pre-engineered residential structures. Operating from Mumbai & Bangalore, they have been serving various sectors for their needs related to accommodation and infrastructure development. Villazeon is built on the vision of enabling our clients to achieve the designs, luxury, wellness and harmonious lifestyle they wish to enjoy. They strive to lessen the impact on the local environment, so your home sits sensitively in its environs and is built to last - whatever the local climatic or topographical conditions. They never forget that 'home is where the heart is' and they approach all their builds with this ethe.


Great Western Bank started as with only one location in Iowa and because of its work ethic and services created for the client's benefit, it became one of the leading banks in the Midwest. The bank's services are clearly defined for private clients, for commercial clients and for businesses.Clients have access to the expertise, the financial tools and information provided at any of the bank's locations by the well-researched consultants, or on the bank's official website. Clients may set up a savings account, make a bank loan, request a credit or debit card, can create a saving fund for studies or retirement. Choosing the mortgage plan is an important decision and this is why Great Western Bank can help make the right choice. Businesses have access to services like cash management, business deposits, loans or credits, and more.


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4 October 2022 / Redis
Redis 101: Optimizing performance by leveraging cache
It all started when Salvatore Sanfilippo wondered in 2009: What if a cache could also be a durable way to store data? And boom, Redis was born!
Now, Redis powers most of the significant applications you know. It has been voted the most loved database for four years, the most widely used NoSQL database, and the most-launched database on Docker Hub.
That is why we are particularly excited to announce we are launching Managed Database for Redis™, to make it even easier for developers to leverage Redis in the Scaleway ecosystem. We built a whole system on top of Redis to facilitate the setup of a secure cache. The result? A lighter load for your primary database and a secure and smooth automated caching service which improves your database's performance.
Redis: A history
Redis, which stands for Remote Dictionary Server, is an open-source in-memory multi-model database that was quickly adopted by certain heavily trafficked sites. Twitter built its architecture for real-time delivery on 300k tweets/sec on Redis, GitHub leveraged Redis to make their platform faster, and StackOverflow has quite an aggressive approach to cache for optimization.
Redis shifted the way we thought about storing data. It created a system where the data is always modified, or read, from the main computer memory (RAM), as opposed to the much slower disk (Disk), allowing it to improve performance drastically. It also stores its data on the disk so it can be reconstructed as needed, meaning the database is fully durable when supporting tasks like snapshots and backups.
Since Redis is a memory-oriented database, it's really effective for storing frequently updated real-time data, such as session store, state database, statistics, and caching, and its advanced data structures makes it versatile enough to handle many types of data.
Redis is not a NoSQL replacement for classic relational databases since it doesn't support many standard features of the RDBMS world, like querying your data, which might slow it down. However, Redis shines when it comes to supplementing specific functionalities when speed and support for advanced data structures is needed.
Redis versus other database systems
What makes Redis stand out among all the different database systems? Redis popularized the idea that a system can be a store and a cache simultaneously. Redis provides an unusual data model in comparison to other relational database management systems. User commands do not describe a query to be executed by the database engine, but specific operations performed on given abstract data types. As a result, data must be stored in a way suitable for fast retrieval, without help from the database system in form of secondary indexes, aggregations, or other common features of traditional RDBMS.
Optimizing performance with caching mechanism
It's safe to say Redis is a solid option if you are looking to improve your application performance with a caching mechanism. In fact, that's the use case we had in mind when we built Scaleway's Managed Database for Redis™.
Let's take a look at how it works.
When your API tries to retrieve data from your main database node–the master, the source, the primary–the read transaction gives more work to your database process, adding load to the database that was already running other operations like updating data, running a query, and creating a backup.
The more load you add on that primary node, the slower it becomes.
This moment–when your application needs information–is the perfect opportunity to optimize performance by leveraging cache. So instead of requesting the primary node, it will request Redis. If the data was previously stored in your Redis cluster, it will be surfaced as a response in milliseconds–or even less for simple requests–with zero impact on your main database node.
Now, if it's the first time you've requested the data, or it has been a long time since the last request, the application will have to get it from your main database. But, the application will store a copy of the data in Redis for faster access next time.
Redis caching system
Redis versus Scaleway's Managed Database for Redis™
We built our managed database with multiple services that differentiate it from a self-hosted or on-premise Redis database.
First, you'll get automatic engine updates to ensure the latest versions are integrated and the deprecated ones are stopped.
Then, we'll handle the time-consuming part of installing and setting up your machines, configuring them so you can easily reach them through an endpoint.
We also simplified network configurations. You'll choose if you want your resource to be public (on the internet–in which case we recommend using ACLs), or private (by attaching a private network), and we do the rest.
Finally, let's talk about the cluster mode. This is where it gets really interesting. Each Managed Database for Redis™ cluster consists of a minimum of three and a maximum of six compute Instances. Each Instance hosts a primary Redis™ Instance and a secondary Instance for one of the other nodes. If one of the primary nodes fails, the remaining nodes hold a vote and elect one of the secondary nodes as the new primary node. When the failed node rejoins the cluster, it automatically becomes a secondary node and begins to replicate the data of another primary node.
And there lies the genius behind our Redis cluster mode: It enables vertical scaling and makes data Highly Available. Let's take a closer look.
Managed Database for Redis™ cluster
Each node contains both a source and a replica–the live copy of a source in a different node. The cluster nodes use hash partitioning to split the keyspace into key slots. Then each replica copies the data of a specific source. Once the data has been copied, the replica can be reassigned to replicate another source or be elected as a source node if needed.
Having the operation spread across multiple nodes instead of just one entry point is much better for scaling. Cluster mode ensures high availability through a three- to six-node multi-master architecture. In case of downtime on a node in the cluster, a new node is able to take over the requests with minimal downtime. And when a node dies in a cluster, another node takes over the request to ensure continuity in the service while a new node is being created and configured. Cluster mode also allows vertical scaling. For example, you can create a three-node Managed Database for the Redis cluster and decide later to add up to three nodes, depending on your workload and architecture requirements.
All that can be built in two minutes in the console!
When we built Managed Database for Redis™, we had three characteristics on which we refused to compromise.
First, the performance. We aimed for excellence. We know that latency is a major pain point for you, and we wanted to reduce it to the absolute minimum. Implementing cache is an effective and easy way to speed up applications, and for that purpose, our managed Redis has quite powerful performances.
Ops/sec
Average Latency
The second goal we had for this product was security. Data is gold nowadays, and just like any treasure, its protection has to be guaranteed. So we built a set of options that can either be cherry-picked or combined: a private network to isolate, ACLs to authorize only known connections, SSL certificates to encrypt your in-transit data, and IAM to handle permissions.
And last but not least: no lock-in. We don't mind repeating ourselves: This is core to everything we do. We love and support open-source solutions for the innovation they bring to IT communities. Redis is a great example of just such a solution, and we promise we will always be compatible with the official versions of Redis.
Recap: key features Scaleway's Managed Database for Redis™
In short, Scaleway's Managed Database for Redis™ offers:
Horizontal and vertical upscaling
We made scaling up horizontally or vertically as smooth as possible. After just a few clicks on the console to choose certain configurations, you'll be able to add nodes on your cluster or to increase the power of your nodes.
Your data will be automatically replicated by your nodes, across source and replicas, to ensure a high availability anywhere and anytime–whether you have three nodes, six, or any number in between.
You can set up an SSL connection automatically to protect your data in transit.
Security and isolation
Through our ACLs and Private Network, you are free to choose who will have access to your cluster. Each node is isolated at Scaleway, and each node has its own dedicated virtual machine.
Powerful caching solution
Redis can serve items at sub-millisecond response times for read and write latency, which facilitates the scale for higher loads.
A managed Redis cluster can be deployed in a few clicks through the console, API calls, or Terraform. Machines go from 2 to 64GB of RAM, and from 2 to 16 vCPU.
Ready to try it?
Managed Database for Redis™ is ideal for database queries, persistent sessions, and web page caching, but also for caching frequently used objects like images, files, and metadata.
Nothing speaks louder than a good demo, right? So here's one where we show how to launch your first Redis™ Database Instance within the Scaleway ecosystem, and how to use it with a web application.
We hope you learned a bit more about Redis, and Managed Database for Redis™. To give it a try, check out this tutorial on how to create a Redis™ Database Instance. And if you wanna chat with us and our community about Redis, join #managed-database-for-redis in our Slack Community.
Managed Database: how to choose the right type of storage
Choosing the right type of instance
FAQ Managed Database for Redis™
Understanding SSH bastion: use cases and tips
Hi! I am Canözüm and I've been working as a Solutions Architect at Scaleway for a year. I provide our clients with technical guidance during their migration to Scaleway, and I've
Canözüm Eraydin
Événements, salons, conférences : nos conseils aux startups
Ça y est ! Vous avez enfin réservé une place à votre premier événement ! Maintenant, il est temps d'obtenir un retour sur investissement et la pression peut être très grande. En effet, vous
Klarissa Fitzpatrick

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Tipología:Hospitals and health centers
Architecture Uganda
Emergency Children's Surgery Center
Renzo Piano Building Workshop, TAMassociati
Our vision of Africa has recently undergone a slow but steady development, from neglected continent to the new frontier of an evolving world.
Architecture India
The Dental Care Centre
The Dental Care Centre is a healthcare facility designed with the spirit of a wellness centre rather than a standard dental treatment facility.
Architecture_ Bélgica
PC Caritas
What if a built environment that has lost its meaning and purpose and what if that building is not to be refurbished towards an other program or functionality and so by that is expected to be demolished…what if the building is just kept and prepared to become an experimental space to re-discover and -explore and -define possible other ways of life.
Santa Casa da Misericórdia's Elderly Care Centre
With it's beginning in 2015, this building has only been completed in 2018. It's about a health care residence for elderly people, with 10 double rooms and 4 individual rooms, all of them equipped with their own private facilities.
Haraldsplass Hospital – new ward building
C.C.F.G.M. Arquitectos
The new ward building for Haraldsplass Hospital, originally built in 1939, replaces the traditional hospital corridors by open common areas and efficient logistics.
Architecture_ Tanzania
BRICK BY BRICK: a doctor's house for Maji Moto
Collaboration with Bvelgian O.N.G. C-Re-Aid [ Change Research Architecture Innovation Design ] which develops research about technology and sustainability among Tanzania and maasai culture.
Vet´s Office "Animalvet"
Bruno Dias Arquitectura
Not far from a major road, the IC8, you come upon the village of Ansião, and here is where another new project took form.
Architecture_ Holanda
Wooden Forest
Andrea Möhn Architects
The "Wooden Forest", situated on a beautiful estate of Ipse de Bruggen Foundation in the heart of Holland, is a medical centre for adults with mental disabilities.
Zaans Medical Centre
Zaans Medical Centre is the first lean hospital in the Netherlands. It is an efficient and compact building in which professional healthcare and a personal approach strengthen each other.
Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)
CannonDesign, NEUF architect(e)s
After nearly a decade of work, CannonDesign+NEUF architect(e)s are pleased to announce the completion of Phase 1 of the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM).
Architecture_ Reino Unido
Maggie's at the Robert Parfett Building
Located across Britain and abroad, Maggie's Centres are conceived to provide a welcoming 'home away from home' – a place of refuge where people affected by cancer can find emotional and practical support.
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
C. F. Møller Architects, HENN
The hospital complex of RWTH Aachen will be expanded with a new building, containing a central surgery area, including intensive care units and a new public entrance hall.
Architecture_ Irán
Pars Hospital of Rasht
New Wave Architecture
Since the second half of twentieth century up today, the architectural design of hospital buildings has faced great changes. These changes are coming from vital role that these types of buildings will play in city context and society as urban features.
Architecture_ Japón
KAZE NO MACHI MIYABIRA
Susumu Uno
This is the elderly care facility located in Shobara City, Hiroshima. All the time, the client hopes that this facility can be a wooden warmly house which family and the surrounding residents can visit casually. There are many promenades, alleys and gardens opened to public inside this site.
Nagasawa Dental Clinic
Kunihiko Matsuba
The buildings look like a set of building blocks piled up to the brink of collapsing, but they do not fall down even though it seems like they could at any moment.
Imagine, Morphogenesis of a hospitable corner of Paris
Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Valero Gadan Architectes
The corner of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue du Cherche-Midi could not be more Parisian. We would like to make it more "hospitable" in both senses of the word.
_Arqa/News-Archivo Dinamarca
Vendsyssel Hospital, in Denmark
C. F. Møller Architects
The competition-winning design for the extension and refurbishment of the Vendsyssel Hospital seeks to enhance the overarching architectonic identity of the hospital and to inte-grate buildings and landscapes in various ways, including a rooftop children's oasis.
_Arqa/News-Archivo Nueva Zelanda
New North Zealand Hospital
The citizens of North Zealand in 2020 have a new and modern hospital at approx. 124,000 m² to be built in green surroundings close to Hillerød city for the area's 310,000 citizens, with a budget running to DKK 3.8 billion.


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Scott Kinworthy (ur. 28 marca 1974) – amerykański aktor teatralny i telewizyjny, także producent i scenarzysta.

Kariera
Debiutował na dużym ekranie niewielką rolą w dramacie Vadima Perelmana Dom z piasku i mgły (House of Sand and Fog, 2003) u boku Jennifer Connelly i Bena Kingsleya. Od 17 czerwca do 15 września 2005 roku wcielał się w rolę Josha Maddena w operze mydlanej ABC Wszystkie moje dzieci (All My Children).

Występował na scenie off-Broadwayu w spektaklu Blue Man Group w Nowym Jorku i Las Vegas.

Wybrana filmografia

Filmy fabularne
 2003: Dom z piasku i mgły (House of Sand and Fog) jako zastępca trenera
 2005: Stratagem (film krótkometrażowy) jako Jordan Mathis (także scenarzysta i producent)
 2005: Serenity jako chorąży na Opie
 2007: The Fall jako Frank Jakubiak
 2007: One Part Sugar jako kupujący samochód

Seriale TV
 2004: Las Vegas jako Blueman #1
 2005: Wszystkie moje dzieci (All My Children) jako Joshua Madden
 2007: CSI: Kryminalne zagadki Nowego Jorku (CSI: NY) jako Eddie Williams

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne

Amerykańscy aktorzy filmowi
Urodzeni w 1974
Amerykańscy aktorzy telewizyjni
Amerykańscy aktorzy teatralni
Amerykańscy scenarzyści
Amerykańscy producenci filmowi
Amerykańscy producenci telewizyjni

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text:
Michael Yardney
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These multi millionaires are not paying tax
Latest, Michael Yardney's Commentary, Money & You
I bet you don't like paying tax.
I know I don't.
But I also recognise that it's important for all of us to pay our fair share to pay for our roads, police, hospitals and our politicians.
Okay maybe we shouldn't have to pay for the politicians – now that's being a little bit nasty isn't it?
Because at present no one would really want to be a politician – would they?
But back to tax…
The latest taxation statistics for 2017-18 show there were 14,907 Australians who declared a total income of more than $1 million in 2017-18.
Combined, they reported $37.4 billion of income — an average of just over $2.5 million each — and collectively paid $15.9 billion in tax, a total tax rate around 42.5 per cent.
However, out of that millionaire group, the data also show 73 paid no net tax in 2017-18.
Higher earning taxpayers paying zero net tax:
Taxpayer total income
Number of people who did not pay tax
$100,001 to $150,000 1,069
$150,001 to $180,000 262
$500,001 to $1m 100
$1m plus 73
Source: ATO
The Australia Institute's senior research fellow David Richardson said it wasn't just millionaires getting away with tax minimisation.
Now I'm not suggesting they were cheating the tax man
For 54 of those millionaire earners, they paid no tax because they had organised their affairs so they had sufficient deductions to lower their taxable income below the tax-free threshold of $18,200.
And for whatever reason, one other million-dollar earner fell below the threshold but still paid $721 in tax that year.
A further 19 people who earned more than $1 million that year declared taxable incomes above the tax-free threshold but still managed to avoid paying tax, presumably due to various offsets and rebates.
Negative gearing property remained a popular tax break but the bulk of these wealth Aussies gave donations and gifts that were tax deductible totalling just over $1.4 billion and made up almost three-quarters of the gap between total and taxable incomes.
And now I know some people are going to say this is unfair.
They're going to suggest there are some people on the minimum wage paying more tax on those with multi million dollar incomes.
As I said the beginning, I think it's important for all of us to pay a fair share of tax, but I also recognise the importance of structuring your affairs to legally minimise the amount of tax you need to pay.
In fact that's something our team at Metropole Wealth Advisory specialise in.
Top salaries by occupation
The ATO statistics also explain average taxable income by occupation and state.
Only 3.4 per cent of all workers earned more than $180,001 in 2017-18
16.1 per cent in the $87,001 to $180,000 bracket.
More than 40 per cent had a taxable income between $37,001 and $87,000,
21.7 per cent earned between $18,201 and $37,000, and
Almost 19 per cent earned $18,200 or less.
The top earners over the 2017-18 financial year were surgeons, who had an average taxable income of $402,582.
Anaesthetists came in second with an average taxable income of $382,674, followed by internal medicine specialists at $382,674.
The lowest-earning professions were dominated by hospitality, with farm work and baggage handlers also featuring.
Fast-food cooks are the lowest earners (average income $18,608), followed by hospitality employees ($19,102), hospitality apprentices or trainees ($19,431), farmers ($20,089), farm, forestry or garden workers, apprentices or trainees ($20,686), and baggage handlers ($22,244).
Top paid occupations:
Average Taxable Income
Surgeon $402,582
Anaesthetist $382,674
Internal medicine specialist $301,129
Financial dealer $272,895
Psychiatrist $225,206
Other medical practitioners $215,728
Judicial or other legal professionals $184,958
Mining engineer $179,288
Chief executive officer or managing director $170,336
Engineering manager $156,015
The lowest average wages were recorded in Western Australia for fast food cooks, hospitality employees, and trainees or apprentices in hair dressing, hospitality and recreation. All received below $3000.
The lowest average taxable incomes recorded were for trainees apprentices in the food, drink or meat processing industry in South Australia, and apprentices and trainees in hospitality, farm or forestry work in Queensland.
All three groups reported incomes below $17,000.
The top earners in the ACT lived in 2603 (Forrest, Griffith, Manuka and Red Hill) recording an average income of $115,723 while the lowest-income areas was 2912 (Gungahlin) with $58,829.
The lowest income area across NSW was 2308 (Newcastle University) on $21,054, while Victoria's 3889 (Manorina, Cabbage Tree Creek) was the bottom of the state with a reported income of $27,079.
In Queensland the highest income earners were in the Ascot and Hamilton area, at $108,288, while postcode 4732 (Tablederry, Muttaburra) reported the lowest income in the state at an average $14,681.
Now is the time to take action and set yourself for the opportunities that will present themselves as the market moves on
If you're wondering what will happen to property in 2020–2021 you are not alone.
You can trust the team at Metropole to provide you with direction, guidance and results.
In challenging times like we are currently experiencing you need an advisor who takes a holistic approach to your wealth creation and that's what you exactly what you get from the multi award winning team at Metropole.
If you're looking at buying your next home or investment property here's 4 ways we can help you:
Strategic property advice. – Allow us to build a Strategic Property Plan for you and your family. Planning is bringing the future into the present so you can do something about it now! This will give you direction, results and more certainty. Click here to learn more
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Wealth Advisory – We can provide you with strategic tailored financial planning and wealth advice. Click here to learn more about we can help you.
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Michael is a director of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He's once again been voted Australia's leading property investment adviser and one of Australia's 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media. Visit Metropole.com.au
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11th parliamentary election
'Voter turnout of nat'l polls might have been 30pc, 50pc added farcically'
All 49 aspirants for reserved seats set to be elected uncontested
All the 49 aspirants for election to the parliamentary reserved seats for women are set to be elected uncontested as they are the only candidates from their respective areas.
AL starts selling nomination for reserved women seats
Four takeaways from the 2018 election
Remove all posters, banners in 48hrs: Mayor Khokon
A case of overkill
Voter turnout in the 11th parliamentary polls might have been 30 percent and another 50 percent was shown "farcically", noted economist and former caretaker government adviser Dr Akbar Ali Khan said today.
JS Polls 2018
Ruling Awami League starts selling nomination forms to aspirants for its 43 reserved seats for women in the 11th parliament.
The 11th parliamentary election of Bangladesh will go down in history as the election of simultaneously many firsts and many contrasts. Billed as the country's first "participatory" election in a decade, it gave the incumbent Awami League a landslide victory—and reduced its arch-rival BNP, once again, to irrelevance. While an Awami League win was largely
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon today asked the authorities concerned of the corporation to remove within next 48 hours all posters, banners, and other campaign materials used ahead of the 11th parliamentary election.
The Awami League and partners led by Sheikh Hasina won a stunning victory in the 11th parliamentary election on December 30 bagging over 95 percent of the seats. Is it a victory for the people also? If not, can it still be turned into a people's victory?
What we need is a strong electoral system
It is the month of December, our victory month, and this is when we remember all the martyrs and the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who fought all his life to establish a democratic, free and just society.
Nanak dropped, Sadek picked
Awami League leader Jahangir Kabir Nanak does not get his party's ticket to contest the upcoming 11th parliamentary election from Dhaka-13.
Oikyafront's decision on polls participation Sunday
Dr Kamal Hossain led-Jatiya Oikyafront will unveil its decision on joining or boycotting the 11th parliamentary elections on Sunday.
EC announces schedule to hold lopsided polls: Fakhrul
BNP heavily criticises the Election Commission for hurriedly announcing the schedule for the next parliamentary election and alleges that all have been set to hold a lopsided election.


The Array Air Cleaner was inspired by our commitment to custom. This clever piece compliments the cylinder angles on H-D models and were designed to match up with our existing Array accessories. Lightweight and low profile with a proprietary K&N High Flow Air Filter and PM's proven internal crankcase breather system these intakes will maximize your style and performance.
PM Air Cleaners are not legal for sale on pollution controlled vehicles in California or states adopting California emissions standards.


Start your project with a blank slate; think about how you want your end product to perform. If your product does not work, nothing else matters.
Operating Temperatures: The operating temperature plays a large role in determining the materials used and the process selected. Three criteria should be evaluated, including: cyclic versus steady state, continuous or transient, and internal versus external.
Long term or continuous, which can cause creep or stress corrosion.
Impact, applied a few times or even just once resulting in fracture or severe distortion.
Environmental Needs: Materials are subject to atmospheric and galvanic corrosion. In many instances, no additional precautions are needed to prevent corrosion. However, depending upon the application, corrosion protection might be needed.
Electrical Requirements: Conductivity and Electromagnetic interference (EMI), formerly radio frequency interference, are among the things to consider when choosing materials for your product.
Mechanical Tolerances: How closely do the physical measurements of your product need to be and how consistent do you want the material properties to be.
Will there be assembly work on this product?
Is the cosmetic appearance of this product important?
Economics; will cost and price be a factor in the success of this product?
When it meets your requirements, Die Casting can provide a low cost method to produce parts that boast longevity, intricacy, consistent quality, and moderate-to-high impact dent resistance. They can often replace several component pieces with one part, provide good electrical conductivity and heat transfer, and are easily machined when needed. Die Castings work well in a wide range of temperatures. A number of different finishes can be applied to the casting, from painting to plating and sand blasting to mirror polish. These can alter their appearance for cosmetic purposes as well as improve their resistance to the elements.
Before assessing what you want your product to look like, consider the points addressed in this article. The product's function, working environment, and other miscellaneous requirements should be thoughtfully considered prior to beginning the actual die casting process.
Aluminum die castings are also 100% recyclable to help with our environment.


Your privacy is important to T.D. MORTIMER & CO PTY. LTD.. This privacy statement provides information about the personal information that T.D. MORTIMER & CO PTY. LTD. collects, and the ways in which T.D. MORTIMER & CO PTY. LTD. uses that personal information.
Where T.D. MORTIMER & CO PTY. LTD. discloses your personal information to its agents or sub-contractors for these purposes, the agent or sub-contractor in question will be obligated to use that personal information in accordance with the terms of this privacy statement.
In addition to the disclosures reasonably necessary for the purposes identified elsewhere above, T.D. MORTIMER & CO PTY. LTD. may disclose your personal information to the extent that it is required to do so by law, in connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings, and in order to establish, exercise or defend its legal rights.
T.D. MORTIMER & CO PTY. LTD. will take reasonable technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information.
T.D. MORTIMER & CO PTY. LTD. will store all the personal information you provide on its secure servers.
T.D. MORTIMER & CO PTY. LTD. is not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of any third party.
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In just over a week's time I'm going to be back in Malaysia! \o/ I haven't been home in more than a year. It feels like it's been DECADES. I am super excited.
I'll be appearing at #FAST: The Cooler Lumpur Festival, a multidisciplinary arts festival that's all about ideas. And hashtags. Hashtag ideas!
Fixi Novo will be launching my first book, Spirits Abroad, which collects 10 short stories including three new stories that have never been published anywhere yet ever. !!!
There will also be another awesome Malaysian author launching a book at this event. More details to come soon!
Do we have enough fresh, new, and unique ideas to continue to push the boundaries of literature and music and film? Is everything derivative? Whatever happened to originality? Is it something altogether unattainable in this day and age? A discussion on what – if anything – is lacking in the world of the arts. A discussion on whether such creative doomsaying is premature.
6.30 pm – 9.30 pm It'll probably be more like 8.30 pm, to be honest. People will be tired and hungry!
Writing is often viewed as a solitary activity, but nobody creates in a vacuum. Writers are influenced not only by the books they read, but by art, movies, pop culture, politics and their peers. In this workshop participants will discuss their artistic influences, generate ideas, and consider how to draw upon existing works and ideas in their creative practice to produce work that is distinctively their own.
Tickets are available at www.tix.my (RM20 online; RM25 at the door).
I am also running a writing workshop! I'm hoping it'll be a fun conversation with lots of noodling about ideas and writing of little snippets and so on and so forth. #Faster sign up! Ahhh, I kill myself.
You can see the full programme here. Let me know if you're going to be there!
Hi, Hui Min! I'm very glad you enjoyed the workshop — thanks so much for coming. Also glad to see you found the Writer's Tower. Best of luck with your writing!


As water problems become increasingly complex and challenging, models and information management tools have become a vital part of how we manage critical water resources. LimnoTech has a world-class reputation as innovators in all aspects of water resources modeling. Our work makes it possible for our clients to understand their water systems, explore management options, and make informed decisions with confidence.
LimnoTech provides scientifically sound, objective, and cost-effective services related to water resources modeling. Our clients need access to information and tools based on sound science to support decisions about water use, land development/management, regulatory compliance, ecosystem restoration, and related issues. Not only do water resource problems need to be solved, but they need to be solved in a sustainable manner.
Water resource models serve as an integral component of many of our service areas and associated services we provide. LimnoTech's water resources modeling expertise includes the development and application of models for hydraulics and hydrology, watershed loads, and sediment and water quality. We have worked with virtually all of the widely used hydraulic, watershed, water quality, and sediment transport models. We have developed customized models and Decision Support Tools (DSTs) that integrate technology, research, and other information such as economics, policy, and societal behaviors, to characterize water resource conditions and help our clients develop sensible, effective, affordable, consensus-based solutions.
LimnoTech staff possess specialized expertise and an unwavering commitment to accuracy and quality. Our approach is to assess the proper level of model complexity required for any given problem and then synthesize data, research findings, and our in-depth understanding of environmental processes into integrated conceptual and quantitative models. The models then allow us to forecast and test controls and management scenarios to find the best solutions unique to each particular system. Finally, we can develop various visualization formats (e.g., standard maps, Story Maps, movies, etc.) and create custom DSTs to facilitate access, comprehension, and communication of supporting data and model results to empower our clients to make informed, realistic, reliable and cost-effective decisions.
Talk to us! Contact Dave or Todd to discuss how we can help you with your water resource challenge, initiative, or program.
Contact Todd or Dave to talk about how we can help you.


When I read opinions or listen to the news, it seems to me that when those on the far right disagree vehemently with someone on the right, they are held up as an example of someone exercising their right to free speech. When someone on the far right does the same thing, they are accused of trying to suppress opposing viewpoints. It doesn't seem to matter which extreme has the political power at the time, either.
I hold the firm opinion that it is no less an exercise of free speech when someone decides to protest things like Tim Robbins's nasty little play than it is for him to make it in the first place. Even if it is full of crap. But hey, no one ever said such things had to be good. Look at Michael Moore.
I suppose there's no reason that free speech and an attempt to suppress others' opinins need be mutually exclusive. It's hypocrisy, but of course, people aren't exactly immune to that stuff.
Perhaps if everyone just shouts loud enough?


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'We are the world's first people to create a solar energy plant' – PEPI advertisement
September 1, 2021 by admin education
'We are the world's first people to create a solar energy plant' – PEPI advertisement September 1, 2021 September 1, 2021 admin
The world's only human-powered solar power plant has been launched, powering up a number of devices, including smart refrigerators, electric lightbulbs and washing machines.
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text:
\section{Introduction}
Chiral symmetry, which is exact for massless fermions at the classical level
and approximate for light quarks, has been very useful in particle physics.
In analogy with this chiral symmetry,
an artificial chiral-like symmetry [1] was introduced
some time back for the strong interactions with massive quarks.
It implies the occurrence of a light
pseudoscalar particle, the axion [2], which has however not been detected in
spite of elaborate searches [3].
This symmetry has been suspected to be fraught with an anomaly because of the
involvement of a chiral transformation. However, this is not obvious
and has to be examined by careful regularization of the theory.
This is important because of implications for the symmetry of the theory.

While chiral symmetry of the action, corresponding to the transformation
\begin{eqnarray}
\psi\rightarrow e^{i\alpha\gamma_5}\psi,\quad
\bar\psi\rightarrow \bar\psi e^{i\alpha\gamma_5},
\end{eqnarray}
is broken by a non-vanishing quark mass term $m\bar\psi\psi$, with mass $m$,
the artificial chiral symmetry for massive fermions works by letting a new field
${\varphi}$ absorb the chiral transformation. The mass term is replaced
by
\begin{eqnarray}\bar\psi m e^{i{\varphi}\gamma_5}\psi,\end{eqnarray}
which is classically invariant under the transformation
\begin{eqnarray}
\psi\rightarrow e^{i\alpha\gamma_5}\psi,\quad
\bar\psi\rightarrow \bar\psi e^{i\alpha\gamma_5},
\quad\varphi\rightarrow{\varphi}-2\alpha,
\label{0}\end{eqnarray}
which is also a symmetry of the other terms of the action.

The original interaction introduced by Peccei and Quinn [1] was of the form
\begin{eqnarray}
\bar\psi [\Phi{1+\gamma^5\over 2}
+ \Phi^\dagger{1-\gamma^5\over 2}]\psi,\end{eqnarray}
where $\Phi$ is a complex scalar field with a symmetry breaking potential.
The artificial chiral symmetry transformation here is
\begin{eqnarray}\Phi\to e^{-2i\alpha}\Phi,\quad
\psi\to e^{i\alpha\gamma_5}\psi,
\quad\bar\psi\to \bar\psi e^{i\alpha\gamma_5}.\end{eqnarray}
$\Phi$ may be taken to be of the form $\rho e^{i{\varphi}}$.
The amplitude $\rho$ of the scalar field acquires a vacuum expectation value
because of symmetry breaking, which provides a massive boson.
The phase ${\varphi}$ is the zero mode of the potential
and provides a Goldstone boson.
This is the axion, which should acquire
a mass because of the quark masses, but does not appear to exist.
The kinetic term of $\Phi$ yields
$\frac12\rho_0^2\partial_\mu\varphi\partial^\mu\varphi$
as the kinetic term for $\varphi$, with $\rho_0$ the vacuum expectation
value of $\rho$.
The mass $m$ comes from $\rho_0$ and the coupling constant of $\Phi$.

The anomaly, which occurs for the usual chiral symmetry
and makes the divergence of the axial current $\bar\psi\gamma_\mu\gamma_5\psi$
nonvanishing,
appears when the singularities in the theory are handled by regularization.
Even the measure picture
of anomalies requires a regularization for actual calculations.
We shall therefore use an explicit
regularization for studying chiral transformations of fermions
in the presence of the axion coupling. This will tell us whether
the continuous symmetry (\ref{0})
introduced classically for massive quarks is anomalous
or not.

The new symmetry is expected to be broken
spontaneously by the vacuum because of the translation of the spinless field
by a c-number. The field must have a definite value in a fixed vacuum:
let it be denoted by $\varphi_0$. Then
\begin{eqnarray}
\varphi'=\varphi-\varphi_0
\end{eqnarray}
is the shifted field with vanishing vacuum expectation value. This is a
pseudoscalar field, so that $\bar\psi\varphi'\gamma_5\psi$ and
$(\varphi' {\rm ~tr~}F^{\mu\nu}\tilde F_{\mu\nu})$ are scalars. On the other
hand, $(\varphi_0 {\rm ~tr~}F^{\mu\nu}\tilde F_{\mu\nu})$ is
a pseudoscalar,
like the $\theta$ term $(\theta {\rm ~tr~}F^{\mu\nu}\tilde F_{\mu\nu})$.
If a $(\varphi_0 {\rm ~tr~}F^{\mu\nu}\tilde F_{\mu\nu})$ term is generated
when the fermion is integrated out, it
can modify the $\theta$ term. The possibility of this occurrence is related to
the question of an anomaly in the symmetry (\ref{0}).

If the symmetry (\ref{0}) is anomalous,
no regularization of the fermions will be consistent with
it. On the other hand, if any regularization is found to be consistent with
it, the symmetry has no anomaly in this quantization and
such symmetric regularizations are the ones to be preferred.
Pauli-Villars regularization will be studied in flat and in curved spacetime.

\section{Pauli-Villars regularization}
We recall first the simple form of the Pauli-Villars
regularization. For a fermion with mass $m$, the Lagrangian density
\begin{eqnarray}
\bar\psi[i \slashed{D} -m]\psi
+\bar\chi[i \slashed{D} -M]\chi
\end{eqnarray}
involves regulator spinor fields $\chi,\bar\chi$ which however are
assigned Bose statistics. The regulator mass $M$ is ultimately taken to
infinity when the regulator fields decouple. The regulator fields couple to the
gauge fields in the standard way. The regulator mass term breaks the
chiral symmetry and yields the chiral anomaly in the $M\to\infty$ limit.
This is the original form of the Pauli-Villars regularization. A more general
form with several species of regulator fields is also available [4]:
\begin{eqnarray}
\bar\psi[i \slashed{D} -m]\psi
+\sum_j\sum_{k=1}^{|c_j|}\bar\chi_{jk}[i \slashed{D} -M_j]\chi_{jk}.
\end{eqnarray}
Here $c_j$ are integers whose signs are related to the statistics assigned
to $\chi_{jk}$. They have to satisfy some conditions to ensure regularization
of the divergences [4]:
\begin{eqnarray}
1+\sum_jc_j=0,\quad m^2+\sum_jc_jM_j^2=0.
\end{eqnarray}

Chiral transformations work on $\chi$ as well as $\psi$. Hence
the axion coupling has to be introduced for both $\psi,\chi$,
like the gauge coupling. One has
\begin{eqnarray}
\bar\psi[i \slashed{D} -me^{i\varphi\gamma_5}]\psi
+\bar\chi[i \slashed{D} -Me^{i\varphi\gamma_5}]\chi.
\label{4}\end{eqnarray}
This regularization (\ref{4}) is invariant under the combined transformation
\begin{eqnarray}
\psi\rightarrow e^{i\alpha\gamma_5}\psi,&\quad&
\bar\psi\rightarrow \bar\psi e^{i\alpha\gamma_5},\nonumber\\
\chi\rightarrow e^{i\alpha\gamma_5}\chi,&\quad&
\bar\chi\rightarrow \bar\chi e^{i\alpha\gamma_5},\nonumber\\
\varphi&\rightarrow&{\varphi}-2\alpha,
\end{eqnarray}
which is the Pauli-Villars extension of (\ref{0}).
This means the symmetry survives when the regularization is
removed by taking the limit $M\to\infty$
and hence is not anomalous. Unlike the regularized axial current, which has
a pseudoscalar divergence arising from the masses,
the Noether current for the extended symmetry, namely
\begin{eqnarray}
\bar\psi\gamma_\mu\gamma_5\psi+\bar\chi\gamma_\mu\gamma_5\chi
+2\rho_0^2\partial\mu\varphi,
\end{eqnarray}
is conserved.
The non-vanishing divergence of the axial current is cancelled by that
of the $\varphi$ piece by virtue of the axion equation of motion.

It is interesting to note that
the $\varphi$ phases in (\ref{4}) can be removed by a joint chiral
transformation of both the physical fermions and the regulator spinors:
\begin{eqnarray}
\psi\to e^{-i\varphi\gamma_5/2}\psi,&&
\bar\psi\to \bar\psi e^{-i\varphi\gamma_5/2},\nonumber\\
\chi\to e^{-i\varphi\gamma_5/2}\chi,&&
\bar\chi\to \bar\chi e^{-i\varphi\gamma_5/2}.
\end{eqnarray}
The derivative operators in the action produce derivatives of $\varphi$,
which appear after the transformation.
Now the transformation has a trivial Jacobian because the contribution of the
fermion field is cancelled by that of the bosonic
regulator field as in the latter case the determinant arising from
functional integration comes in the denominator. The argument for the
generalized Pauli-Villars regularization, with (\ref{4}) replaced by
\begin{eqnarray}
\bar\psi[i \slashed{D} -me^{i\varphi\gamma_5}]\psi
+\sum_j\sum_{k=1}^{|c_j|}\bar\chi_{jk}[i \slashed{D} -M_je^{i\varphi\gamma_5}]\chi_{jk},
\end{eqnarray}
involves a Jacobian with the factor $1+\sum_jc_j=0$
in the exponent [5]. Consequently the effective action does not contain
any $\varphi {\rm ~tr~}F^{\mu\nu}\tilde F_{\mu\nu}$ in this regularization.
The conserved Noether current here is
\begin{eqnarray}
\bar\psi\gamma_\mu\gamma_5\psi+\sum_j\sum_{k=1}^{|c_j|}
\bar\chi_{jk}\gamma_\mu\gamma_5\chi_{jk}+2\rho_0^2\partial\mu\varphi,
\end{eqnarray}

Note that the argument may be easily extended to curved spacetime,
where the Dirac operator
\begin{eqnarray}
i\slashed{D}=i\gamma^le^\mu_l(\partial_\mu-iA_\mu-\frac{i}{2}A^{mn}_\mu\sigma_{mn})
\end{eqnarray}
comes with a tetrad $e^\mu_l$ and a spin connection $A^{mn}_\mu$ in
addition to the gauge field, but
it continues to anticommute with $\gamma^5$.
The regularized action is again invariant under the Pauli-Villars extension of
(\ref{0}).
This means that there is not even an $R\tilde R$ anomaly [6] in this symmetry.
Similar results have also been found by others [7].
\section{Conclusion}
\bigskip

We have examined the chiral symmetry of the fermion action including
$\varphi$. This classical symmetry is preserved by the explicit regularization
(\ref{4}).
When an acceptable regularization preserves a symmetry, one can
conclude that the quantum theory defined by the limit of that regularization
will also satisfy it. Hence, after the
fermion is integrated out, the effective action must be invariant under
translations of $\varphi_0$, {\it i.e.,} independent of this variable.
This is indeed true of this regularization, as seen above, and there
is no $\varphi {\rm ~tr~}F^{\mu\nu}\tilde F_{\mu\nu}$ term. This makes the
modification of a $\theta$ term by a contribution from $\varphi_0$ impossible.
The field $\varphi$ occurs only in the form of derivatives.
The extension of the argument to curved spacetime means that an existing
$R\tilde R$ term [8] too cannot be modified.

There is another way of seeing this.
The exact classical chiral symmetry could be expected to play a r\^{o}le like
the chiral symmetry that holds for massless fermions. With massless fermions,
the $\theta$ term can be modified by a chiral transformation which does not
alter the fermion action but produces an $F\tilde F$ term because of the chiral
anomaly. However,
the chiral symmetry which occurs in the presence of mass and $\varphi$ is not
anomalous, as we have seen.
So $\theta$ cannot be modified in that way.

It should be pointed out here that any
effect of $\theta$ terms can be removed by setting $\theta=0$ [5] or by making
it explicitly dynamical, which forces the topological charge to vanish.
A dynamical $\theta$-like term is essentially a Peccei-Quinn
$(\varphi_0 {\rm ~tr~}F^{\mu\nu}\tilde F_{\mu\nu})$ term without
an axion particle. However, as only fields are dynamical in field theory,
the field $\varphi$ was used in [1] and a direct
$(\varphi {\rm ~tr~}F^{\mu\nu}\tilde F_{\mu\nu})$ term can remove $\theta$.

One may wonder how much freedom one has in choosing regularizations.
Different regularizations have been used in the past
and it is known that all do not lead to the same result. A key point is that
symmetries of the action are generally sought to be preserved by the
regularization. Thus one is always looking for Lorentz invariant and gauge
invariant regularizations for actions having such symmetries.
Regularizations which maintain all symmetries are technically natural.
We have seen that
the Pauli-Villars regularization
conveniently respects the symmetry (\ref{0}) of the fermion action.
Non-symmetric regularizations are possible, but are not
preferable in any way.
Regularizations that break an
existing classical symmetry like (\ref{0}) may to that extent be
termed technically unnatural.
The artificial chiral symmetry here is not anomalous
as a regularization consistent with it has been demonstrated to exist. In these
circumstances, working with regularizations inconsistent with it would be
a needless and avoidable violation.

We end with the hope that the exact chiral symmetry in the presence of axions
will be useful also in other calculations and even in curved spacetime.
\section*{REFERENCES}
\begin{enumerate}
\item R. Peccei, \& H. Quinn,
{\it Phys. Rev. Letters}
{\bf 38}, 1440 (1977); \\
{\it Phys. Rev.} {\bf D16}, 1791 (1977)
\item S. Weinberg,
{\it Phys. Rev. Letters} {\bf 40}, 223 (1978);
F. Wilczek, {\it Phys. Rev. Letters} {\bf 40}, 279 (1978)
\item C. Patrignani et al., Review of Particle Physics,
{\it Chin. Phys. } {\bf C40}, 100001 (2016)
\item L. D. Faddeev \& A. A. Slavnov, {\it Gauge Fields}, (Benjamin-Cummings, Reading, 1982)
\item H. Banerjee, D. Chatterjee \& P. Mitra,
{\it Phys. Letters} {\bf B573}, 109 (2003);
see also P. Mitra,  {\it Symmetries and symmetry breaking in field theory},
CRC Press, Florida (2014)
\item T. Kimura, Prog. Theo. Phys. {\bf 42}, 1191 (1969)
\item G. Dvali and L. Funcke, arXiv:1608.08969 (2016)
\item S. Deser, M. Duff and C. Isham, Phys. Lett. {\bf B93}, 419 (1980)
\end{enumerate}

\end{document}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Whisp's Tale
This is the last of the Paragon Path tales that I wrote for my Dungeons and Dragons group. Enjoy!
The journey back to Fjornik was a quiet one, everyone wrapped up in their own thoughts. Only the rhythmic beat of the horses' hooves disturbed the silence, a silence which had been hard won.
Faces flashed before her eyes. Maran. Ena. Doe. Even Vile, she thought with a snort. He was a bastard, but he didn't deserve to die like that. The last weeks weighed heavily on her, and she knew the others were feeling it too.
"We won, didn't we? We're heroes." she said aloud, more to herself than anything else.
Toofi looked round. "It doesn't feel like it, though," she said quietly.
Whisp nodded and fixed her eyes back on the road. Then why do I feel so insignificant?
Gods. Demons. And she just a human. She narrowed her eyes. It was clear that the monsters of this land were too vast to be easily hunted, cornered and slain.
The city seemed grey, cloaked in shadow, its people two-dimensional. Whisp moved through the streets towards the central core, picking her way between huge chunks of masonry. Fjornik was beginning to come back to life, but with most of its citizens elsewhere, it seemed empty and echoing.
The big stairwell had fared better than most areas of the city, and Whisp poked her head into one of the tenth circle rooms. The teleportation circle was dark, the room deserted. I need the exercise anyway, she thought, and began the climb up to the new roof of the city. Floor 50 had been mostly scraped clean, like some gigantic knife had cleaved the city in two only a few buildings were still standing. Clouds gathered above, threatening rain, and Whisp scowled. She walked carefully around the foundations that were left, following the map in her head, until she came to the remains of the Hospit. It had fared a little better than most; some of the rooms actually had three walls, or a bit of ceiling. The room where she had last seen Dawn was open to the sky, the bed and table strewn against the wall. Broken glass littered the floor. Whisp dropped her pack and began to search.
The sun was well on its way to the horizon by the time she found her sister's personal effects. They were in a leather satchel, hidden under a huge piece of the roof, and Whisp sat down heavily next to them. After convincing herself that the pain in her chest was just a product of so much heavy lifting, she opened the bag and inspected its contents.
Dawn's things.
Whisp stood and, taking the satchel, walked away. Just like you've done your whole life,part of her said. Walk away.
She walked out of the city, into the rising wind, towards a slight rise overlooking the sea. A small tree had grown there, lonely and defiant, and Whisp looked further north to the ruined bulk of Zar's One Tree, still some miles distant. She nodded; this would do. Something of the forest, and a view of the sea.
She reached into her pack and took out the knife that she'd stolen from Dan, and began to dig a hole, just big enough for Dawn's things. A rain began to fall, light at first, then heavier.
Whisp opened the satchel and took the items out one at a time. First into the grave was a bow, neatly broken in half, probably when the roof fell in. Next went some red leather, all that was left of Dawn's armour. Last, a little talisman on a leather thong. Not much to show for a life.
Whisp turned the little amulet around in her hands. It was a seashell with a wave inscribed on it, the mark of Melora, goddess of wilderness, hunters and the sea.
Holding the small fragment of her sister, Whisp waited for tears to come, feeling herself filling up inside. She squeezed the stone, but no tears came, and the pain, the sorrow, the grief over her sister, friends, the nameless fallen multitudes, kindled into sudden anger. She looped the amulet over her left hand and snatched up the knife from the ground with her maimed right hand. Then she drew the knife across her palm, blood immediately welling out to coat her hand, the amulet, and to mix with the pouring rain.
Whisp raised her fists to the skies, blood dripping down her arm, and howled her defiance.
"Melora! Goddess of thorn and wild!" she screamed. "She who drowns ships and crushes mountains! Hunter of all! Carver of this world! Grant me the power to slay demons, to wipe them from the face of this earth! Give me my vengeance, or find me a god that will!"
A single, arcing bolt of lightning blasted down from the clouds overhead, slamming into Whisp's clenched fists. Every muscle in her body spasmed and she flew backwards, electricity crackling over her chest and stomach. She crashed to the ground and slid a few metres in the slick mud.
Dazed, Whisp levered herself up onto her elbows. She looked at her hand; the cut was cauterised, and she was holding a handful of dust that might have once been stone. She let the dust drift between her fingers and staggered to her feet.
A few feet away, watching impassively, the golden stag was stood. It was glowing, she realised, and was apparently unhindered by the rain. Its coat didn't even look wet. Whisp took a step forward and it turned, moving down the hill.
Whisp followed. The hunt was dreamlike; she lost sight of the stag quickly, but its marks were there for all to see. Hoofprints in the mud, transient but recent; a few golden hairs caught on a thistle; the slightest depression in a leafbed. The sun set, and rose, and set again. Hunger gnawed at Whisp for a while, then went away. Nothing else mattered.
The trail lead into the Greenwood, deeper and deeper, and then into a small clearing. The sun was shining down onto the only thing in the clearing, a single standing stone, taller even than Kali. Moss covered it, and on its front, at about head-height, a single rune was carved, nothing Whisp had ever seen before. The trail ended in front of the stone, and the stag was nowhere to be seen.
Impossible. Even if the stag had come here, it had to have left as well. Unless, Whisp thought, it's still here. Exhausted from the chase, she sat down, cross-legged, in front of the stone and prepared to wait.
Hours passed before Whisp realised that she knew what to do.
Whisp's first stop was the small cabin in the forest where they had spent the night, months ago. Water and food were there, along with signs of recent occupation, or at least visitors. Pawprints and footsteps mingled in the mud. With a full belly, Whisp set out at a loping job back to Fjornik, senses alert. At Varikause, she filled her waterskin and bedded down for the night, but before the sun was up she was on the road north. By midday she was back in Fjornik, in front of the ruins of the Temple of the Raven Queen.
All the temples had been hard hit, some more than others. The Lady of Shadows' temple felt different from most of them, though; empty, as if her sealing had somehow fed back onto the building itself. A few black-robed acolytes were trying to clear the place up, but without much energy. Whisp walked into the interior, her eyes adjusting quickly to the gloom. A single man was stood in front of the ruins of a statue. He was tall and grey-skinned, his proportions not quite right. He had his back to her and, as silent as ever, Whisp stalked up to him.
"Whisp," he said, when she was close enough.
How did he know? "Arkan Raith. Still alive then," she replied.
He turned to her and nodded. "Alive is relative. But yes. Still alive." He looked beaten, tired.
Whisp gestured around at the temple. "Something of yours has been taken, and you can't get it back." She stared unblinking into his sunken grey eyes. "But together, we will find you vengeance."
Raith cocked his head on one side. "You have a purpose."
Whisp nodded. "I would share it with you. Seek out Noth, Bladedancer of the Sacred Grove Elves. He lived in the Greenwood. Something of his was taken as well. There are more like us. Justin LaCona, on the King's Council. Ani Blacktun, at the ruins of Ortmund. Tyli Iasty. We have a common cause." Whisp put a hand on his shoulder. "I am leaving soon, probably for Koru, and I will seek others like us. We will charge them with keeping watch, gathering information. Hunting, most of all, hunting the demons that stole so much from us."
Raith straightened slightly, and Whisp saw the spark of life return to his eyes and smiled grimly. "Charge them too with finding more men and women for the fight that we both know is coming. I have no authority to command you. All I have is rage. But if you follow me, we will make such a spider's web that neither cultist nor spy can escape."
Looking around, Whisp saw a burnt piece of timber with a jagged end. She went to it and broke off one of the splinters, the charcoal staining her fingers black. "We will watch. We will listen and we will go where we are needed. We will be as a man standing before the sunrise, and the shades we cast will cover this world. We will shroud the land with such a web that we will find every last demon and hellspawn... and take our revenge. Our shadows will be long. They will reach everywhere. They will cloak our allies and terrify our enemies. We will become - no, we will create – the Dawn Shadows."
She took his hand in hers, feeling how cool his skin was, and scrawled the rune from the standing stone onto his palm.
"And this," she said, "will be our sign."
Raith said nothing, but looked deeply into her eyes. Finally a grim, jagged smile raked his face. He gripped her hand. "Darkest before the day dawns," he growled. Then he turned and walked away into the gloom.
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