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Drizzle, MySQL
My advice to MySQL
17 responses.
Here is my advice to MySQL. Take it or leave it. Time will tell whether I'm full of shit.
MySQL 5.1 is out the door. Awesome. Great job to all the folks who fixed the thousands of bugs over the last 3 years. MySQL 5.1 should be faster and more stable than 5.0 because of those bug fixes, and features like partitioning are welcome additions to the small percentage of MySQL users who need that functionality. And, even if there are some bugs in partitioning (what feature doesn't have any bugs?), the partitioning feature is as good or better than other competing products. Good job.
However, going forward, here is my advice to MySQL engineering: stop all work on new 6.0 features entirely. Don't scrap the features, just stop development on them now.
Take one month to figure out how to restructure MySQL engineering and priorities with the following steps:
Suggested Steps
Drop the current roadmap: Continuing down the current roadmap without addressing the core problems of a Frankenstein-like core database server kernel will mean that the current roadmap features will take 2-3 times as long to develop. Stop this now. Refocus on re-architecting the kernel to a 21st century, modular design. Tell sales and marketing that you are taking these steps to ensure the long-term viability of the MySQL name and product line.
Make two teams: a maintenance team which maintains server versions <= 5.1 and a team which is dedicated entirely to redesigning the MySQL server kernel into a streamlined, black box. Reduce the headcount of the MySQL engineering team if necessary to contain only those engineers who have the ability to design modular, pluggable systems.
Give up on backwards compatibility: To make the changes necessary without making the kernel even more complex than it already is, you will need to relinquish the idea that backwards compatibility is necessary. Guido van Rossum already made this decision for Python 3, recognizing the need for it. MySQL needs to do the same. SQL_MODE? Scrap it. Only do what is correct according to data integrity and SQL standards. Reduce the code complexity and code paths and you will find that features are easier to develop and fixes are easier to identify.
Forget Windows for now: Use open source, community-maintained, and standardized libraries within the kernel. Don't rewrite libc and various other quality open source libraries because of Not Invented Here syndrome or because Windows lacks these things. Focus on the standards and don't bother with platforms that don't conform to POSIX. If Microsoft wants future MySQL versions to run on its platforms, partner with Microsoft and have them do the port. While you're at it, drop support for old platforms like Netware and other crap that is obselete.
Make all decisions open and transparent: For the non-maintenance team, make a policy that all decisions about the kernel design be done in an open forum, with the community able to participate in the discussion. Have stewards that are willing to negotiate the design decisions with the community and do everything in a transparent manner.
Focus all energy towards the APIs: Think of the server kernel as simply a provider of services. Clearly and consistently define these services (as interfaces and plugin APIs) and have the community of engineers vet the design of these APIs. Once these interfaces are clearly defined, document them on public wikis.
Clean up the abysmal messiness of the code base: Refactor, decruft, and standardize the code base to a C99 (minimal), warning-free, environment that uses stdint, stdbool, proper STL templates, and other stuff that is now standard for 5+ years. Clear your heads of the premature optimization syndrome that infects the code base and makes it messy and cluttered. You will find that there are many community resources that would be happy to help in this effort.
Once done, BSD the kernel and turn it over to the open source community: Once the above is done, BSD the kernel code base and let the community support it entirely. Then, focus your energies on creating value-added features as plugins around that community-supported core kernel. Use the resources and expertise in your engineering department to develop niche addons that paying customers want. Package branded versions of the MySQL server (closed or open source) that include a number of these value-added plugins that target a specific industry, such as data-warehousing or security-conscious environments. Sell those packages as Enterprise packages with an Enterprise price point. Provide all support and services for these Enterprise-branded MySQL server packages.
Based on what the Drizzle project has been doing, I predict that doing ALL of the above steps would take approximately 12 months to achieve a version 1.0 of a stable, modular kernel. I believe that features could be developed as plugins to that kernel in less time than if the work was not done and the features for 6.x are developed as they currently are.
If the above steps are taken, here is what I predict would be the outcome:
Reduction in maintenance costs of the core server by 80%: By turning over maintenance costs to the community, there will be a reduction in maintenance costs. By simplifying the kernel code base, there will be an even bigger reduction in maintenance costs: since one "fix" won't break other things nearly as often as "fixes" do today. This reduction in maintenance costs means that Sun can allocate more of its internal engineering resources to developing value-added plugins which are sold to customers. Because more developer resources are now dedicated to revenue-producing activities, the long-term viability of the database engineering department is ensured.
Sales and marketing efforts become easier: Currently, MySQL sales and marketing are undeniably hindered by two things:
Lack of differentiation between community and enterprise server versions
Much too long release cycle
By following the steps above, these problems are tackled. A simpler and community-supported kernel means a more stable kernel. A more stable kernel means a shorter, more incremental release cycle. The lack of differentiation is solved by MySQL now being able to focus on value-added plugins in branded MySQL packaging. These branded packages are much easier for a sales force to sell, since they represent clear, differentiated value to the customer.
When sales and marketing of a product become easier, only one thing is bound to happen: a strong increase in sales.
MySQL will once-again return to the Open Source community: Much has been made of the inability of community contributors to get contributions into the MySQL server in a reasonable timeframe. By opening up the design and development of the kernel to the community, MySQL would restore much of the trust it has lost in recent years. Instead of being seen as "throwing a bone" to the open source community every once in a while, Sun/MySQL engineering would be seen as an active and trusted partner in open source contributions, stewardship and development.
Or, I am completely full of it and the above is a waste of time.


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U.S.S. Tutuila (ARG-4)
Tutuila was a repair ship specializing in internal combustion engines. She served in WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam.
She was originally laid-down by the Maritime Commission as the cargo ship Arthur P. Gorman on 11 August 1943 at the Bethlehem Steel Co. in Baltimore, MD. Shortly before her launching, the Navy took control of her and renamed her Tutuila. She was converted to a repair ship at the Maryland Dry Dock Co. and commissioned on 8 April 1944.
Tutuila had a short shakedown in Hampton Roads before heading out to the South Pacific. She joined Service Squadron 10 in the Solomons in early August 1944. Her services were needed for a variety of patrol craft, small auxiliaries, and landing craft, all of which used diesel or gasoline engines for power. She aided allied forces in preparations for the Philippines campaign and subsequently followed them across the Pacific. During the vicious fighting on Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Tutuila operated out of Manus Island in the Admiralty chain. She remained there until the Philippines were secured in May 1945, when she transferred to Leyte.
At the end of hostilities, Tutuila prepared for the occupation of Japan. In company with repair ships Jason, Whitney, and 11 smaller vessels, she set out for Japan on 30 August. En route, the force was hit by a typhoon. Slower than Jason and Whitney and possessing the necessary gear and experience to repair them if needed, Tutuila stayed back with the small ships while other two repair vessels made a rapid transit through the storm. Tutuila and all 11 of her consorts weathered the storm and made port at Okinawa on 2 September. The ship remained in Japanese waters until 8 April, when she sailed for Texas and her decommissioning.
The invasion of South Korea by its northern neighbor brought much of the decommissioned fleet back into service, and on 7 May 1951, Tutuila joined them. Steaming into Norfolk, VA on the 30th, she joined the service division of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. In this capacity, she served up and down the east coast, with trips to Cuba and Nova Scotia. She carried a troop of Explorer Scouts on one of these trips, and while returning from another, rendered aid to the crippled merchantman William Johnson.
October 1962 brought the infamous Cuban missile crisis, and Tutuila was called into action. After stops in Norfolk and Morehead City, NC, she sailed for Puerto Rico. From there, she provided direct support to ships operating in the blockade of Cuba. At the end of the blockade, the ship sailed for Norfolk, encountering a storm that rivaled her 1945 typhoon along the way. Tutuila returned to the Caribbean in April 1965, giving aid to Santo Domingo, war-torn capital of the Dominican Republic. Through May she coordinated efforts to supply the city with fuel in the wake of rebel attacks. Upon her return to Norfolk, Tutuila prepared for the final conflict of her career, the war in Viet Nam.
On 9 May 1966, Tutuila left Norfolk and set a course for the Pacific for the first time since 1944. A new generation of patrol boats, landing craft, and riverboats were operating off the coast of Viet Nam and in its bloody Mekong River, and all of them were powered with diesel and gasoline engines. Tutuila relieved Krishna on 19 July and set to work repairing and replenishing these little vessels. In August, the repair ship took an active role in combat for the first time in her career. She took aboard a contingent of South Vietnamese troops and landed them on the southern shores of Phu Quoc Island. She later supplied them with ammunition via boats. Tutuila transferred to Vung Tau on 8 October to provide direct support for "brown water" navy operations in the Mekong Delta. She operated between Vung Tau and An Thoi until January 1969, when she underwent overhaul at Yokosuka, Japan. Returning to Vung Tau on 14 May, she repaired the light freighters Brule and Mark before restarting her work with landing craft and patrol vessels.
Tutuila spent the rest of her Navy career at Viet Nam. Her tireless work repairing and supplying coastal vessels, patrol boats, and landing craft was rewarded with three consecutive Naval Unit Commendations. Late in 1971, it was decided that she would be transferred to the Taiwanese Navy, a common fate for support ships and coastal vessels at the end of the Viet Nam War. She departed Vietnamese waters for the last time on 1 January 1972. At Hong Kong, Tutuila prepared to leave U.S. naval service.
She was decommissioned on 21 February 1972 and simultaneously struck from the Navy List and transferred to Taiwan. Renamed Pien Tai, she entered service as a supply vessel, remaining in that capacity until 1979. It is unknown what happened to her after that time.
Risk of Asbestos Exposure
As a steam powered vessel built during WWII, Tutuila would have been rife with asbestos. Used as an insulator for steam boilers, piping, and engines, asbestos was present in large quantities on all U.S. Navy steam vessels from the 1930's until the 1970's.
Asbestos-based products can break down into tiny fibers when damaged or worn. These fibers can easily spread throughout a ship via ventilation ducts. Inhalation of asbestos fibers is a proven cause of mesothelioma, a malignant cancer of the lungs. While there is no cure for mesothelioma, common cancer treatments such as chemotherapy can be used to fight the disease.
If you or someone you know served aboard Tutuila or worked on her in a shipyard and has contracted mesothelioma, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page to receive free information regarding your rights to compensation.
Resources/Further Reading
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/ARG/ARG-4_Tutuila.html
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/t10/tutuila-ii.htm
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/29/2904.htm
Asbestos Exposure on USS Norton Sound
USS Coral Sea CV 43 (Aircraft Carrier)
U.S.S Abraham Lincoln
U.S.S. Antietam
U.S.S America
U.S.S. Krishna (ARL-38)
U.S.S. Card (CVE-11)
U.S.S. Midway (CV 41)
U.S.S. Forrestal (CV 59)
U.S.S. Independence (CV-62)
U.S.S. Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42)
U.S.S. Intrepid (CV-11)
U.S.S. Lexington (CV-16)
U.S.S. Saratoga (CV-60)
U.S.S. Wright (CVL-49)
U.S.S. Admiralty Islands (CVE-99)
U.S.S. Aaron Ward (DD-483)
U.S.S. Abbot (DD-629)
U.S.S. Abel P. Upshur (DD-193)
U.S.S. Talladega (APA-208)
U.S.S. Sproston (DD/DDE-577)
U.S.S. Southerland (DD-743)
U.S.S. Okanogan (APA-220)
U.S.S. Newell (DE/DER-322)
U.S.S. Marathon (PG-89)
U.S.S. Henrico (APA-45)
U.S.S. Gallup (PG-85)
U.S.S. Bexar (APA-237)
U.S.S. Asheville (PG-84)
U.S.S. Antelope (PG-86)
U.S.S. Dyess (DD 880)
U.S.S. Epperson (DD-719)
U.S.S. John W. Thomason (DD-760)
U.S.S. Joseph Strauss (DDG-16)
U.S.S. Berkeley (DDG-15)
U.S.S. Bristol (DD-857)
U.S.S. Willis A. Lee (DL-4)
U.S.S. Woodson (DE-359)
U.S.S. Farragut (DDG-37)
U.S.S. Grand Canyon (AD-28)
U.S.S. Albert W. Grant (DD-649)
U.S.S. Albert T. Harris (DE-447)
U.S.S. Alden (DD-211)
U.S.S. Alvin C. Cockrell (DE-366)
U.S.S. Barker (DD-213)
U.S.S. Barney (DDG-6)
U.S.S. Baron (DE-166)
U.S.S. Barton (DD-599)
U.S.S. Chauncey (DD-667)
U.S.S. Chevalier (DD-451)
U.S.S. Chew (DD-106)
U.S.S. Clarence K. Bronson (DD-668)
U.S.S. Claxton (DD-140)
U.S.S. Cogswell (DD-651)
U.S.S. Cole (DD-155)
U.S.S. Collette (DD-730)
U.S.S. Colhoun (DD-85)
U.S.S. Mayrant (DD-402)
U.S.S. McCall (DD-400)
U.S.S. McCalla (DD-253)
U.S.S. Hopewell (DD-681)
U.S.S. Melvin (DD-680)
Navy Shipyards
Washington Navy Yard (Shipyard)
USS LaSalle AGF 3 (Command Ship)
USS Grand Canyon AD 28 (Destroyer Tender)
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, New Hampshire
Naval Weapons Station Yorktown Virginia
Charleston Naval Base
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Todd Pacific Shipyard San Pedro
Military Cruisers
U.S.S. Truxton CGN 35 (Nuclear Powered Guided Missile Cruiser)
U.S.S. Leahy DLG 16/CG 16 (Guided Missile Cruiser)
U.S.S. California CGN 36 (Nuclear Powered Guided Missile Cruiser)
U.S.S. Belknap CG 26 (Guided Missile Cruiser)
U.S.S. Albany CG 10 (Guided Missile Cruiser)
U.S.S. Bunker Hill (CG-52)
U.S.S. San Francisco (CA-38)
U.S.S. Newport News (CA-148)
U.S.S. Canberra (CA-70/CAG-2)
U.S.S. Toledo (CA-133)
U.S.S. Worden (CG-18)
U.S.S. Canberra (CA-70)
USS Galveston (CL-93/CLG-3)
U.S.S. Biddle (CG-34)
U.S.S. England (CG-22)
U.S.S. Horne (CG-30)
U.S.S. Sterrett (CG-31)
U.S.S. Alaska (CB-1)
U.S.S. Cleveland (CL-55)
U.S.S Memphis (CL-13)
Military Frigates
U.S.S. Badger (FF-1071)
U.S.S. Reuben James (FFG-57)
U.S.S. Brooke (FFG-1)
U.S.S. McCloy (FF-1038)
U.S.S. Edward McDonnell (FF-1043)
U.S.S. Glover (FF-1098)
U.S.S. Hepburn (FF-1055)
U.S.S Julius A. Furer (FFG-6)
U.S.S. Schofield (FFG-3)
U.S.S. Wainwright (CG-28)
Military Submarines
US Naval Submarine Base New London, CT
U.S.S. Bowfin (SS-287)
U.S.S. Pampanito (SS-383)
U.S.S. Torsk (SS-423)
USS Barb (SSN-596)
U.S.S. Bonefish (SS-582)
U.S.S. Narwhal (SSN-671)
USS Wichita AOR 1 (Replenishment Oiler)
USS Regulus AF 57 (Store Ship)
USS Observation Island E-AG 154 (Missile Range Instrumentation Ship)
USS Detroit AOE 4 (Combat Support Ship)
USS Alamagordo ARDM 2 (Floating Dry Dock)
U.S.S. Patapsco (AOG-1)
U.S.S. Maury (AGS-16)
U.S.S. Mark (AKL-12)
U.S.S. Cleveland (LPD-7)
U.S.S. Bolster (ARS-38)
U.S.S. Benewah (APB-35)
U.S.S. APL-26
U.S.S. Boxer (LPH-4)
Combat Training Center Dam Neck Virginia
U.S.S. Carter Hall (LSD-4)
U.S.S. Dubuque (LPD-8)
U.S.S. Buck (DD-761)
U.S.S. Duluth (LPD-6)
U.S.S. Genesee (AOG-8)
U.S.S. Kishwaukee (AOG-9)
U.S.S. Mercer (APB-39)
U.S.S. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (DD-850)
U.S.S. Laffey (DD-724)
U.S.S. LaSalle (AGF-3)
U.S.S. Lawrence (DDG-4)
U.S.S. Missouri (BB-63)
U.S.S. Norton Sound (AVM-1)
U.S.S. Bold (AM-424)
U.S.S. Camden (AOE-2)
U.S.S. Illusive (AM-448)
U.S.S. Phoebe (MSC-199)
U.S.S. San Diego (AFS-6)
U.S.S. Sylvania (AFS-2)
U.S.S. Barr (BB-60)
U.S.S. Colahan (DD-658)
U.S.S. Alger (DE-101)
U.S.S. Mississippi (BB-41)
U.S.S. Cimarron (AO-22)
U.S.S Platte (AO-24)
U.S.S. Salamonie (AO-26)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Islands predicted to be "uninhabitable" by 2060
Monday April 30, 2018	Written by	Published in Environment
Most low-lying atolls in the Cook Islands and around the world will be uninhabitable by 2060, according to a report recently released by scientific journal Science Advances.
The report says tropical islands are experiencing rapid sea level rise at a higher rate than anywhere else in the world.
The study, carried out in the Marshall Islands, is the first of its kind to focus on the hazard of wave-driven over wash and its impact on freshwater availability. It projected the impact of sea-level rise and wave-driven flooding on atoll infrastructure, as well as freshwater availability under a variety of climate change scenarios.
The study was commissioned by the US. Defence Department because many of these atoll islands are home to American military sites. The scientists used climate projections with weather and wave modelling to study the impacts of rising seas.
The authors predict that at current greenhouse gas emission rates, there will be "annual wave-driven over washes" of most atoll islands by the mid-21st century. They say this annual flooding will result in the islands becoming uninhabitable, due to frequent damage to infrastructure and the inability of freshwater aquifers to recover between over wash events.
The report's current projections indicate these effects will be "amplified" in the tropics, where sea level rise will be greater than the global average.
"The tipping point when potable groundwater on the majority of atoll islands will be unavailable is projected to be reached no later than the middle of the 21st century," says US Geological Survey geologist and lead author of the new report, Curt Storlazzi.
Most atolls in the Cook Islands have limited land available for habitation, as well as water and food sources. Most have ecosystems that are also vulnerable to seawater inundation also. Wave impacts can be caused by events such as passing tropical storms and cyclones, but can also occur as "blue sky events" due to large, remotely generated swell, the report says
"Such information is key to assessing multiple hazards and prioritising efforts to reduce risk and increase the resiliency of atoll islands' communities around the globe" Storlazzi says.
"Sea level rise will exacerbate the impact of large waves on atolls' coral reefs, by reducing wave breaking at the reef crest. This will increase the water level over the reef flat, which will allow for larger waves to reach the shoreline.


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« Insights > Maquiladora
Mexico to close 2015 with auto production record
Karla Salinas | 28.09.2015
For the fifth consecutive year, Mexico will bring the number of cars production record at 3.4 million units, said the President of the Mexican Association of Automotive Industry (AMIA), Eduardo Solis Sanchez.
The automotive sector is the main generator of foreign exchange in Mexico, with more than US$50 billion, informed Eduardo Solis.
"One of every four dollars that Mexico exports, comes from the automotive sector, in addition of being the first auto maker in Latin America and ranking fourth in export," Mr. Solis said.
He added that an auto plant arrives in Mexico for several reasons, such as the network of agreements it has with more than 40 countries, the strengthened supply chain, among others.
Mr. Solis also stressed, that it is expected that Mexico exceeds the 5 million units produced, thanks to the existing production volume, added to the investments arrival by 2020.
Karla Salinas


Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Russell Howard of Port Charlotte, Fla. began his 22 year career in the military as a young ROTC 2nd lieutenant who became an electronics warfare officer. In the beginning he flew aboard a Strategic Air Command B-52 "Stratofortress" flying out of Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Ga. preparing for Armageddon.
Half a century later he recalls one training mission in particular.
"During these 24-hour flights we'd change positions. Because I knew something about flying I ended up flying the plane," Howard recalled. "I was in the aircraft commander's seat. The co-pilot was supposed to be flying the plane and I was to help him out.
"The commander was sacked out on a collapsable bunk. The co-pilot had dozed off in the seat next to me. With the B-52 on autopilot I was the only one watching the gages and controls," he said.
A fully-loaded B-52 ready for war had enough explosive power aboard to vaporize a number of large cities.
"We had two AGM (televised-guided) bombs on our wings and four more atomic bombs in the bomb bay," the former Air Force officer remembered. "We flew in tandem with another B-52 on this training exercise.
"The other bomber I realized was getting smaller and smaller as it flew ahead of us and to our left. I also realized we had to catch up, so I reached over and gently nudged the throttles forward a bit.
"About the same time I had to change our radio frequency to call in our location. I called it in without a hitch.
"On our airplane I could get no one to answer our intercom. I tried to get the navigator on several occasions but he was apparently asleep. We also had three pilots aboard, but they were all asleep.
"I was the only guy awake in our plane!
"By this time we had flown by the B-52 we were flying in formation with. I eased back on the throttles because if I did anything quickly with the throttle the airplane would cut off autopilot and I'd be flying the plane," Howard explained.
"I knew I was going to catch hell for our plane being out of position as we flew pass the other bomber. Strangely there wasn't a word about our position coming from the other plane. Then I realized there wasn't anyone awake in the other B-52 either.
"After two or three hours our co-pilot finally woke up. I guess our navigator woke up about the same time, too, and they started piloting the plane again, We all flew back to Robins Field without a hitch.
From the SAC base in Georgia Howard was sent to the Air Force Reconnaissance School. After graduation he was assigned to Eielson Air Force Base some 20 miles outside Fairbanks, Alaska.
"I became an airborne spy," he said. "My first mission was a flight aboard a converted RC-135S 'Cobra Ball' tanker the Air Force turned into a photo reconnaissance plane. Basically what we were doing was taking pictures of Russian missiles when they reentered the atmosphere. It was our crew that first spotted the Russian multiple reentry vehicles—MERVS.
All of this secret information collected by his team of Air Force sleuths was sent on to Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio for analysis.
This was taking place in 1968 in the middle of the "Cold War" with the Soviet Union. The most harrowing experience he had while sleuthing for the Air Force was during a flight on the photo reconnaissance plane.
"We flew back from a mission on a Sunday. The runway was iced over and were battling a strong cross wind while trying to land. I looked out of one of the photo ports and saw our hanger as we passed by at 70 knots," he said. "By that time we should have slowed down and started to turn and stop, but we hadn't slowed down.
After Alaska Howard was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, headquarters for the Strategic Air Command. He was part of an airborne headquarters crew that flew with a general aboard. It would take charge of SAC operations if an enemy attacked the U.S.
He was promoted to lieutenant colonel while serving as head of tanker operations for the Air Force on Okinawa. From there it he went on to Carswell Air Force base near Fort Worth, Texas where he became the operations and plans officer for the base.
It was from this base Howard retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1980 after more than two decades of military service.
He moved to Port Charlotte in 1999. He has three grown children: Sean, Lisa and Dianne.
Commendations: Distinguished Flying Cross, Combat Rediness Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon four awards, Naioal Defense Service Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award two commendations, Air Medal two awards, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
This story was first published in the Charlotte Sun newspaper, Port Charlotte, Fla. on Monday, Oct. 19, 2015 and is republished with permission.
Google "A Tale of Two Airplanes" by King Hawes for another version of Russ' story. Russ and I were on Team-2, "Rivet Ball" (RC-135S #59-1491). I'm standing far right in the crew photo above. "Cobra Ball" was the name of the aircraft (RC-135S, #61-2663) that replaced "Rivet Ball" (#59-1491) after she crashed on 13 Jan. 1969.
Great story. Two corrections from this AGM guy, the AGMs (Hound Dog Missiles) were inertial guided, not televised, missiles, not bombs.
Great sense of humor, loved Jim-Beam and the fastest man alive when exiting a crash landing. He has the scars to prove it and a story to go with it. Russ always told a great story and had many to tell. He was a lot of fun.


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President Obama vs. Mitt Romney: Highs and lows of the 2012 campaign
By Jackie Hicken, Deseret News
Published: Oct. 23, 2012 6:33 a.m.
With all three debates concluded and two weeks left to go before the 2012 presidential election, voters can almost see the end of a race that officially began in the early months of 2011. From jumping into campaigns, making gaffes and winning arguments, here's a look at some of President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney's high and low points along the road leading to Nov. 6.
Romney launches exploratory committee
In April 2011, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney formed an exploratory committee, signaling his intent to enter the 2012 presidential race. In a video message, Romney outlined the economic challenges facing the U.S., saying President Obama's policies have failed.
"It's time that we put America back on the course of greatness, with a growing economy, good jobs and fiscal discipline in Washington," Romney said. "This effort isn't about a person. It's about the cause of American freedom and greatness."
>> In this April 2, 2011, file photo, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at the Republican Jewish Coalition annual leadership meeting in Las Vegas.
Romney officially enters the race
On June 2, 2011, Romney entered the presidential race, saying that the United States is in peril. The U.S. gave someone new the chance to run the country in 2008, but it's now possible to judge the president by his record, and Obama has failed, Romney said.
"In the campaign to come, the American ideals of economic freedom and opportunity need a clear and unapologetic defense, and I intend to make it because I have lived it," Romney said. "From my first day in office, my No. 1 job will be to see that America is again No. 1 in job creation."
In an interview with Wolf Blitzer, Romney's wife Ann said that she was the person who pushed Romney to enter the 2012 race after his failed 2008 run.
"Ann was convinced that I ought to run again," Romney said. "She said, 'look, no one else can beat President Obama. No one else has the background to actually get the economy going, understand the economy in a very fundamental way,' and she said 'you've got to run again,' and she pushed that for a long time."
>> Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney waves to supporters after announcing his 2012 candidacy for president, Thursday, June 2, 2011, in Stratham, N.H.
Romney's $10,000 bet
During a Dec. 2011 Republican primary debate, Romney took issue with Texas Gov. Rick Perry's insistence that he had advocated for an individual mandate.
"I'll tell you what," Romney said during the debate, holding out his hand. "$10,000 bucks? $10,000 bet?"
"I'm not in the betting business," Perry answered.
Romney said after the debate, his wife told him, "A lot of things you do well—betting isn't one of them."
Romney's opponents sought to capitalize on the moment, The Washington Post reported the day after the debate, with Perry putting out a web video saying, "One bet you can count on . . . the truth isn't for sale," and Jon Huntsman buying the web address www.10kbet.com.
>> Republican presidential candidates Texas Gov. Rick Perry, left, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney take part in the Republican debate, Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Romney—nope, Santorum—wins Iowa caucus
Iowa held its first-in-the-nation presidential vote on Jan 3, 2012, in what was essentially a statewide straw poll where no delegates were at stake, ABC News reported in 2011.
The Iowa caucuses provide three specific tasks, according to The Washington Post: they winnow the field, deliver a wake-up call to complacent front-runners and serve as a catapult for candidacies.
Romney was said to have won the Iowa caucuses, with The New York Times reporting that Romney edged out Santorum by 8 ballots. However, the Iowa Republican Party later declared Santorum the winner of the Iowa caucuses, saying Santorum was 34 votes ahead of Romney.
>> Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney greets supporters at his caucus night rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012.
Debate win boosts Romney in Florida
As 2012 began, Romney was still locked in a primary battle with Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Penn. Sen. Rick Santorum. Gingrich and Romney were neck-and-neck five days before the Florida primary, and Romney came out swinging in their Florida debate.
"On Thursday night Mitt Romney finally looked like a candidate who wants to win this election," ABC News' Amy Walter and Michael Falcone wrote after the debate. "On the debate stage Romney was confident and focused. More important, he was aggressive and disciplined, and never allowed his chief rival, Newt Gingrich, to get the upper hand."
Romney's eventual win in the Florida primary dealt a major setback to Gingrich and put Romney "back into a commanding position in the race for the Republican presidential nomination," The Washington Post said.
>> Republican presidential candidates, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney stand during the National Anthem in the Republican presidential candidates debate at the University of South Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012.
Romney hits 'the magic number' of delegates
After months of campaigning, Romney hit the "magic number" in May 2012, gathering enough delegates to unofficially claim the Republican nomination for president.
In a primary battle of attrition, Romney outlasted more than eight other Republican challengers. By mid-May, Santorum and Gingrich had suspended their campaigns, while Paul said he would skip any remaining primaries and focus instead on winning delegates at state conventions.
"I am honored that Americans across the country have given their support to my candidacy and I am humbled to have won enough delegates to become the Republican Party's 2012 presidential nominee," Romney wrote after his Texas win. "I have no illusions about the difficulties of the task before us. But whatever challenges lie ahead, we will settle for nothing less than getting America back on the path to full employment and prosperity."
>> Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks in Craig, Colo., Tuesday, May 29, 2012.
Romney officially becomes the Republican presidential nominee
The Republican National Convention, held in Tampa, Fla., at the end of August, gave Romney the official Republican nomination and served as a way to introduce him to the nation.
"I am running for president to help create a better future. A future where everyone who wants a job can find one. Where no senior fears for the security of their retirement. An America where every parent knows that their child will get an education that leads them to a good job and a bright horizon," Romney said in his speech. "President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet. My promise is to help you and your family."
In addition to Romney's speech, the convention included moments meant to "humanize" the nominee, from the "moving biography" video clip to testimonials from Romney friends.
Ann Romney spoke in her national debut, aiming to make America understand the side of Romney that she knows and loves, Reuters wrote. Grant Bennett, a Romney friend, told about Romney's religious service while Pam Finlayson told of Romney's kindness to her family after her baby suffered a severe brain hemorrhage at three days old. Ted and Pat Oparowski told about the friendship between Romney and their son David, who had terminal cancer.
A Foreign Policy blog suggested that Romney's line about Obama's promise to heal the planet turned out to be the most controversial, with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristoff tweeting that his dismissiveness of global warming "was appalling."
>> Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney waves to delegates after his speech during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012.
Romney and the 47 percent
In September, Mother Jones released a video from a private fundraiser. In the video, an audience member asked, "For the last three years, all everybody's been told is, 'Don't worry, we'll take care of you.' How are you going to do it, in two months before the election, to convince everybody you've got to take care of yourself?"
"There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what," Romney answered. "All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it—that that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. And I mean, the president starts off with 48, 49, 48—he starts off with a huge number. These are people who pay no income tax. Forty-seven percent of Americans pay no income tax. So our message of low taxes doesn't connect. And he'll be out there talking about tax cuts for the rich. I mean, that's what they sell every four years. And so my job is not to worry about those people—I'll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives. What I have to do is convince the 5 to 10 percent in the center that are independents."
Both Vice President Biden and Obama hit Romney over the remark, with Biden criticizing Romney during the vice presidential debate and Obama bringing it up during the second presidential debate.
In an interview on Fox News, Romney said his remark from the video was "just completely wrong," that he cares about 100 percent and that his whole campaign "is about the 100 percent."
Breitbart.com criticized Mother Jones after the magazine claimed to have released the full tape of the Romney fundraiser, pointing out that one to two minutes were missing during Romney's 47 percent answer. Mother Jones later said the recording device was inadvertently turned off for those missing minutes.
>> Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney bids farewell to the audience after campaigning at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Va, Saturday, September 8, 2012.
A debate boost for Romney
Romney entered the first presidential debate with news organizations saying the Denver meeting was a "do-or-die" moment for Romney's election hopes.
"(The debate) went from being important to being life-sustaining," GOP pollster Steve Lombardo told Politico. "Both from a fundraising perspective, to keep the money coming, and just a political perspective it's huge. Romney can't just do well and hold his own—he has to win and win decisively."
And win decisively he did.
During the debate, Bill Maher tweeted that Obama looked like he needed a teleprompter, while Obama supporter Andrew Sullivan said Obama may have lost the election because of the debate, the Deseret News reported.
"What was (Obama) doing tonight?" MSNBC's Chris Matthews said after the debate. "He went in there disarmed. He was like, I've got 90 minutes, and I'm just going to get through this thing, and I don't even look at this guy, where Romney—I loved the split screens—staring at Obama, addressing him, like the prey. He did it just right . . . What was Romney doing? He was winning."
A Huffington Post article showed wins for Romney in three different post-debate polls. A CNN poll gave him a 67-25 percent win over Obama. A CBS News poll gave him the win, 46 to 22 percent, while 56 percent had a better opinion of Romney, and his empathy score went from 30 percent to 63 percent. A Democracy Corps poll also gave Romney the win, 42 to 22 percent.
>> Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney hugs his grand-daughter following the first presidential debate with President Barack Obama at the University of Denver, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012, in Denver.
Romney trending upward
Following his first debate—and even the second debate, which was either considered a win for Obama or a candidate tie—Romney saw a jump in support in polls across the U.S.
Sunday's Gallup daily presidential tracking poll put Romney up among registered voters, 49-46, as well as with likely voters, 52-45. The Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll now has him tied with Obama, 47 to 47 percent. A Rasmussen poll released Sunday shows Romney leading in 11 swing states, 50 to 46 percent, with 3 percent undecided. A Real Clear Politics average of polls has Romney ahead by .3, 47.3 to 47 percent.
The momentum is on the Republican side, Romney surrogates argued Sunday, while Romney picked up endorsements from the Columbus Dispatch, Tampa Tribune and Pittsburg Tribune-Review over the weekend.
>> Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign stop at Bun's Restaurant, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, in Delaware, Ohio.
Obama officially kicks off reelection efforts
President Barack Obama officially kicked off his 2012 reelection campaign on April 4, 2011 with an email and a video. The announcement allowed him to begin raising money for his bid, as well as hire staff for the campaign.
"I don't agree with Obama on everything," a man named Ed said in the video. "But I respect him and trust him."
"There are so many things that are still on the table that need to be addressed, and we want them to be addressed by President Obama," a woman named Gladys said.
"With the country's economic position improving, Obama can say his policies are working," Jeff Mays wrote on bvblackspin.com. "He can point to health care reform, efforts to reform this country's financial regulation, his international efforts and the fact that foreign leaders have more confidence in this country's leadership as proof that he deserves a second term."
>> President Barack Obama shakes hand with a group of supporters after a Miami fundraiser, Monday, June 13, 2011, where he launched his bid for reelection in Florida.
Obama team confident of victory
In April 2012, Buzzfeed reported on the president's reelection nerve center located in One Prudential Plaza in Chicago, saying the staffers had a confident attitude of "Game on," toward the November election.
"To say that the campaign doesn't fear Romney is an understatement—he's viewed as almost a joke," the Buzzfeed article said.
A genuine disdain for Romney got Obama's "head in the game," stoking his competitive fire, Politico journalist Glenn Thursh wrote in his ebook titled "Obama's Last Stand."
The Obama campaign would consist of three basic elements, Thrush wrote. It would build what Obama campaign manager Jim Messina called "the best ground operation in American political history," expand fundraising and messaging meant to highlight Obma's record and explain his plan for the second term while outlining the choice between himself and Romney.
In September 2012, Messina told The Huffington Post that even if Romney surges, "We're going to be OK."
>> In this Aug. 12, 2012 file photo, President Barack Obama waves as he walks through his Hyde Park neighborhood to a campaign event in Chicago.
Obama gives order to go after Osama bin Laden
On May 1, 2011, President Obama went on television to announce that the U.S. had conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, nearly 10 years after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
"Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakisatan," Obama said. "A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body. For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda's leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achivement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda."
At a March 2012 fundraising event, Vice President Joe Biden said the decision to go after bin Laden was a decisive moment for Obama's presidency, The Hill reported.
"He said, 'Go,' knowing his presidency was on the line," Biden said. "Had he failed in that audacious mission, he would've been a one-term president."
The president's counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan said the decision to go after bin Laden was a "gutsy call."
By giving the order to kill bin Laden, Obama neutralized the GOP on foreign policy, Alan Greenblatt wrote at NPR. The Democratic National Convention included a number of bin Laden mentions, with Biden using the phrase, "bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive."
A group of former operations soldiers launched a media campaign accusing the president of wrongly taking credit for the mission that killed bin Laden, ABC News reported in August 2012. Their message to the president is that, "The work that the American military has done killed Osama bin Laden. You did not."
>> In this May 1, 2011 image released by the White House and digitally altered by the source to obscure the details of a document in front of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House in Washington.
Obama and The Life of Julia
barackobama.com
In May 2012, the Obama campaign released an online slideshow titled, "The Life of Julia," which follows a fictional girl named Julia from childhood to adulthood, showing how Obama policies help her throughout her life.
The first slide says that at three years old, "Julie is enrolled in a Head Start program to help get her ready for school. Because of steps President Obama has taken to improve programs like this one, Julia joins thousands of students across the country who will start kindergarten ready to learn and succeed."
Under Mitt Romney, the slide says, "The Romney/Ryan budget could cut programs like Head Start by 20%, meaning the program would offer 200,000 fewer slots per year."
The slideshow drew mockery from some, and gave birth to Life of Julia parodies online. The Atlantic said Julia's easy-to-manipulate Web graphic, oversimplified narrative and focus on political hot spots meant the slideshow was "made to be mocked."
Obama: "You didn't build that"
In July 2012, while speaking to a crowd in Roanoke, Va., President Obama uttered four words that became a rallying cry for Republicans: "You didn't build that."
"There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me—because they want to give something back," Obama said in his remarks. "They know they didn't—look, if you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own. You didn't get there on your own. I'm always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something—there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.
"If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business—you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet."
Obama later said he regretted his syntax, but not the point he was making, ABC News reported.
>> In this July 13, 2012 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign stop in Roanoke, Va.
Obama campaign teased over pleas for cash
According to opensecrets.org, the Obama campaign has raised more than $555 million for the president's reelection effort. However, the fundraising hasn't come without a price.
Obama fundraising emails have drawn mockery online, with The New York Times' Michael Shear writing in August 2012 that each plea for money "has become more urgent and desperate than the last."
Gawker chronicled the "aggressive blitz," keeping track of each email and text message that contained "cutesy variations of, 'So how bout those dumb Republicans, eh? Want to have dinner? Give us money right now.'" The email subject lines ranged from things like, "If I don't call you," to "Can we meet for dinner?"
The Hairpin, a women's website, posted an article in May containing "subject lines of Obama campaign emails that sound like a stalker wrote them." The subject lines included messages like, "Do you still live in Illinois?" "Sometime soon, can we meet for dinner?" "Last chance at dinner." "It doesn't need to be this way." "It's officially over" and "(I tried.)"
>> President Barack Obama, right, has dinner with winners of a campaign fundraising contest, at Smith Commons Dining Room and Public House in Washington, on Friday, Oct. 12, 2012. From left are Joe Laliberte, of Colorado Springs, Colo., Deidra Orosa, and her husband Mario Orosa, of North Canton, Ohio.
Obama accepts nomination for president at Democratic convention
On Sept. 6, Obama accepted the nomination for president of the United States at the Democratic National Convention, giving a speech pundits called, "workman-like," "clear-eyed" and "earthbound."
"When you picked up that ballot to vote, you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation," Obama said. "Over the next few years big decisions will be made in Washington on jobs, the economy, taxes and deficits, energy, education, war and peace—decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and on our children's lives for decades to come. And on every issue, the choice you face won't just be between two candidates or two parties. It will be a choice between two different paths for America, a choice between two fundamentally different visions for the future."
The president's vision for America, as outlined in the speech, centers on five goals in manufacturing, energy, education, national security and the deficit. In his speech, John Dickerson wrote at Slate, the president was asking for patience in a noble struggle.
"When Obama built to a crescendo, the cheers exploded," Miami Herald reporter Marc Caputo tweeted at the time. "A workman-like speech for a master speaker, but it lacked Clinton's magic."
>> President Barack Obama and his daughter Malia wave after President Obama's speech to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012. Behind them are Sasha and first lady Michelle Obama.
First debate falls flat for Obama
Obama's face-to-face meeting with Romney at the first of three presidential debates didn't go well for the president, as pundits criticized his debate strategy as one of "unilateral disarmament" and called him "slightly out of his depth."
A Slate roundup of media reactions after the debate quoted The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza as saying Obama got on the wrong side of the "fine line between sober/serious and grim/uninterested," while The Chicago Tribune called Obama "that guy at the meeting who's surreptitiously checking his email."
Obama failed to go after Romney for his 47 percent remark and Bain Capital, despite the fact that his campaign had been hammering Romney on those two issues for months, critics said.
Toby Harnden of Britain's The Daily Mail reported that Obama did not take his debate preparation seriously, ignored advice and one-liners mean to wound Romney and walked off the debate stage thinking he'd won
>> President Barack Obama shakes hands with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney after the first presidential debate at the University of Denver, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012, in Denver.
Unemployment drops to 7.8 percent
On Oct. 5, the president was handed a gift in the form of better jobs numbers as the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent in September—its lowest level since 2009.
Part of the growth came from a surge in the number of people taking part-time jobs because full-time jobs weren't available, an analysis of the numbers showed. Either way, the president was quick to bring up the numbers on the campaign trail, saying that U.S. businesses had added 5.2 million new jobs over the past 2 ½ years.
The jobless rate drop delivered a jolt to the presidential campaign, a New York Times article suggested, while threatening the central argument of Romney's candidacy.
Jack Welch, a former CEO of General Electric, criticized the numbers after they were released, saying "these Chicago guys will do anything . . . can't debate so change numbers." He wrote at The Wall Street Journal that he was raising a question in that tweet, not making an accusation. He argued, though, that the 7.8 percent figure was "downright implausible" because the economy would need to be growing at "breakneck speed" for the unemployment numbers to drop from 8.3 to 7.8 percent in the course of two months.
At the annual Alfred E. Smith Dinner and roast, Obama joked about the numbers, saying, "Of course, the economy's on everybody's mind. The unemployment rate is at its lowest level since I took office . . . I don't have a joke here—I just thought it'd be useful to remind everybody."
>> President Barack Obama speaks at the Archdiocese of New York's 67th Annual Alfred. E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.
Obama comes out swinging in second debate
Looking to regain some momentum lost after the first presidential debate, Obama entered the second one with more energy, walking away with a close win over his Republican challenger.
During the debate, Obama hit Romney over jobs, energy and Libya, and also brought up the 47-percent remark he failed to mention in the first debate. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released after the debate showed that 48 percent of registered voters gave the debate win to Obama, while 33 percent gave it to Romney.
An ABC News analysis of the debate said that Obama's job was to "rev up his flagging base and convince waverig supporters that he actuallyw ants another term." His aggressive performance, the ABC article said, did just that. However, the article cautioned, the Obama win in the second debate didn't have the power to upend the race the way Romney's win at the first debate did.
Obama joked about his debate performance at the Alfred E. Smith Dinner and roast, saying he had more energy in the second debate because he was so well rested from the "nice long nap" he took during the first one.
>> President Barack Obama, speaks, during the presidential debate with Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, not seen, Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.


One of the benefits of killing time is that I get to sit in front of my PC, stare blankly at the glowing CRT and instinctively place both of my hands on the keyboard's home keys. This is also one of those times when I dream I have my own treadmill and gym set which could be a healthier way to pass time. So while I'm not there yet, I let my typing fingers do the walking for now.
Just a few weeks ago while unconsciously surfing the net like a "career zombie" trying to find a plan B after our company pulls out of its Philippine operation, I chanced upon a sticky thread on one of my favorite automotive hangout. The thread's title is "…is looking for new talent." That intrigued me. I can drive, I can do two-point reverse maneuver, I can blindly pass through Daang Hari at night and I can grab the hand brakes while my wife does a sharp turn that feels like 80 kph. So what could be better than these?
I clicked to read on.
To my disappointment they're not looking for dummy drivers. They're looking for someone who can do automotive journalism—still some dummy of sort. And so I thought that while I still haven't seen my career plan B yet, I might as well make this one my plan C. I sent a private message to one of the administrators.
Unfortunately, I received no acknowledgment since then. I actually returned to the thread to check if my foolish mind failed to see the exact date when it was posted. It was just recently. Damn.
Today, however, while checking my emails after graveyard duty, I saw one from the car forum. My mind woke up in an instant and once again I fantasized being inside a brand new Toyota Camry to do a review, inhaling deeply and sucking all the new car scent it could offer, fiddling nervously with its keys while contemplating on what it could offer as it zoom past Cavite's potholed highway to test its wide wheelbase and torture its suspension. But reality sets in just as soon as it has left me.
A line on the email says, "Can you do an article on auto financing? Make an outline first, then we'll start from there." He must be kidding, his reply confused me. Thank heavens, Yahoo! came in handy. I checked what the blog world has to offer regarding auto financing and I didn't fully expect what I found because the search tags are similar to where I'm at right now—in debt, needs financing.
Wait, did I mention what my career plan A is? Well, it's to bum around for months while looking for plan B to Z. Ti abi.


BSP: When and how did you initially become connected with the people of Ethiopia?
BeckyLynn: Very shortly after my birth 🙂 Before I was walking, my parents loaded me and some large metal barrels with our stuff onto a freighter in New York, bound for Yemen, and then from there to Ethiopia by airplane. Until I was almost 11 years old, Ethiopia was the only home I knew. Half of that time was spent in boarding school far from my parents "down-country"; the other half was spent on the mission station, squatting in the huts eating roasted corn called "kolo", helping the Ethiopian children herd their goats, etc. It was a very special upbringing, full of unique challenges, but also wonderful blessing.
We left Ethiopia on an emergent basis, with only 3 days' notice. We thought my mother was dying of a brain cancer. Parting with Ethiopia was very traumatic for me. I planned to return as a nurse, so got my bachelor's degree in nursing. But then God appointed me to be a wife to Dave….so all those preparations were abandoned, and for the next 28 years Ethiopia remained only in my heart.
HAVE YOU MADE YOUR NOMINATION?
I never knew how important places were to God until the Holy Spirit started taking me to some really strange places! GPS? Unless you are talking about "God's Positioning System", you won't find anything more than an interstate level map in the car and a Frommer's book in the carry-on!The buildings and things He's revealed in those places and the people who have been encountered–no travel agent can plan a better trip than Him! Availability, not ability, is the key to traveling with God. With Him as the pilot, you will go farther and longer than you ever dreamed….
Featured Teacher: Dr. David Alan Black, known for his love for New Testament Greek and passion for teaching, Dave Black is a husband, father, professor, author, preacher, lecturer, web journalist, and (above all) a sinner saved by God's sovereign grace.
Ephesians 4 speaks of God's appointments to pastors, prophets, apostles, evangelists, and teachers. It does not mention "missionaries". Did God leave this appointment out?
More prophets – More pastors – More evangelists – More teachers – More apostles? Paul says that God gave us these to build His kingdom (Ephesians 4). He also said that we have been given gifts to help each other; these gifts are not just for ourselves (Romans 12). I believe that one of the gifts we most need in abundance is encouragement.


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La Mode Magazine CEO/Publisher Sandra Odige Releases Fabulous Images to Celebrate Birthday.
Sandra Odige born August 6th from Edo State is married and based in Lagos, Nigeria. She is the Chief Executive Officer and Publisher of La Mode Magazine, a fashion and lifestyle magazine. She is a Certified Customer Service Leader .Hence, the establishment of Icon Touch Service Company, a company that focuses on training Customer Service Quality to entrepreneurs, private and public sectors. She is the founder of the annual Charity Awards and Fashion Show Event called ''Green October Event''. She is also the founder of the entrepreneur network for Fashion and Beauty Entrepreneurs called ''LAMODEPRENEUR'' a network that trains, inform, encourage and promote fashion and beauty entrepreneurs.
She received B.A in International Studies and Diplomacy Second Class Upper Division from Benson Idahosa University. She achieved outstanding personal and team results. She finds her greatest motivation in coaching others to perform above and beyond expectations.
Sandra Odige is a young powerful business driver whose entrepreneurial instincts, innovation, ideas and clarity of vision have carried La Mode Magazine and initiatives through rapid and continuous growth. She has received several awards.
Sandra Odige started her carrier in the Banking Sector then moved to the oil and Gas sector in the Marketing and sales Department, moved to the Media Sector and back to the Banking Sector for several years. She resigned from a lucrative banking job to concentrate on her passion and the need to add significant value as an entrepreneur. Sandra Odige is a mentor and inspiration to many who look up to her.
Osasu Igbinedion Cover Personality For La Mode Magazine September Issue!
Promo Pictures: Fashion Icon Third Position farinde Bisola Deborah!


Discussion in 'The Projects Forum' started by obener, Jul 27, 2009.
I know how to check the polarity of a single phase extension cable. I have never checked the polarity of a three phase extension cable. Is it possible someone can help me on this?
AC has not a polarity actually. Maybe you mean to distinguish between the live and the neutral wires. In a three phase system you have only three phases (live wires) and not neutral.
Yes I mean the L1,L2,L3 live wires in a 4 lead 3 phase extension cable. Also L1,L2,L3 live wires and N wire in a 5 lead 3 phase extension cable.
I tested today a 15A single phase extension cable and I got 0.2ohms for Active-Active. I also got the same value for Neutral-Neutral.
I also tested a 10A 3 phase (4 lead) extension cable and for L1-L1,L2-L2 and L3-L3 i got 1.6ohms and I wanted to know if this was acceptable values for a 3 phase extension cable?
It depends on how long is the extention cable.
If the 10 Amps extention is 20 times longer, then value could be acceptable; If the two extention cables have the same lenght then the 10 Amps one must be checked because resistance is too high.
Check for loose screws ; oxidated or burned temination.
If you don't find the reason for such a high resistence than discard the extention because could be dangerous.
Is there any book or site where I can read more up on this?
The only sure way I know of doing this is seeing if any motors run the right direction. If a motor runs backwards, reverse ANY two lines.
I know how to check the polarity of a single phase extension cable. I have never checked the polarity of a three phase extension cable.
I think the OP is meaning to check the resistance of each conductor, not polarity, since AC power presents an alternating polarity between phase to phase and phase to neutral.
Polarized single phase extension cables usually refers to the physical wire connection that has the neutral (longer slot) identified and thus prevents connecting L1 (hot) to the chassis in devices like cheap transformer-less TV sets that ground one side of their chassis to the power neutral. In other words, the polarized plugs mechanically protects you from touching a hot chassis when you are grounded. Of course it only works if the cable is unmodified and you use polarized plugs.
As Alberto mentioned, the longer the cable, the higher the resistance and voltage drop. Here is a table that may help.
These Ohms / Distance figures are for a round trip circuit. Specifications are for copper wire at 77 degrees Fahrenheit or 25 degrees Celsius. "
This is not accurate . In 3 phase wye systems it may or may not carry a neutral, that is you will get phase voltage --line to neutral and line voltage --line to line . line voltage is 1.732 * phase voltage.
If a motor runs backwards, reverse ANY two lines.
line voltage is 1.732 * phase voltage.
Not sure what you are referencing here. More likely you are computing the voltage phase to phase from the voltage measured phase to neutral in a 3 phase system. i.e. 120 volts phase to neutral times 1.732 equals 208 volts, which is the phase to phase voltage in most power distributions systems(in the US].
In a wye system the voltage between any two wires will always give the same amount of voltage on a three phase system. However, the voltage between any one of the phase conductors (X1, X2, X3) and the neutral (X0) will be less than the power conductors. For example, if the voltage between the power conductors of any two phases of a three wire system is 208v, then the voltage from any phase conductor to ground will be 120v. This is due to the square root of three phase power. In a wye system, the voltage between any two power conductors will always be 1.732 (which is the square root of 3) times the voltage between the neutral and any one of the power phase conductors. The phase-to-ground voltage can be found by dividing the phase-to-phase voltage by 1.732 (see figure 1-4).
Hi Toughtool I was respoonding to mik3's post that I quoted which said "there are only three phases and NOT neutral."