Unlike most providers in the booking engine space, Bookassist has full PCI-DSS compliance and takes security extremely seriously. Security has been one of the cornerstones of development at Bookassist since its inception, and the booking engine administration system has sophisticated user management to ensure PCI-DSS compliance in the hotels' internal use of the system.
Stories of serious data breaches are creeping into the news on a regular basis. Large organizations such as Wyndham Worldwide Group, Radisson Hotels Group, Tripadvisor, Facebook, eircom, Meteor and Ulster Bank have been hit in recent times and have received the type of publicity no business needs. If you operate your hotel without the necessary measures to protect your business and your customers from a data breach, you are exposing your business and customers to risk. Without the proper controls your confidential information and your customers' personal information and credit card details could be hacked into, causing immeasurable damage. Bookassist operates in numerous jurisdictions and constantly monitors legislative developments across Europe for the benefit of our hotel clients. Here, I provide information on the standards and legislation in place to help protect your business and customer. I also highlight what actions have been taken by Bookassist to protect our hotel clients and their customers.
What is PCI DSS? Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) are technical and operational standards that were created by the major credit cards companies (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) in 2004. The current version of PCI DSS was released in October 2010. The standards apply to all organisations who store, transmit or process cardholder data. PCI DSS is an industry standard and is not actually a legal requirement in Ireland and many other countries. The aim of PCI DSS is to set standards that assist in the prevention of fraud. Being PCI DSS compliant does not mean that you won't have a data breach but it does mean that in the event of a data breach arising, the credit card companies will support you. What you can / cannot do? For starters, hotels or any business should not under any circumstances store CVC (card verification code) numbers. CVC numbers are personal numbers on credit cards and are similar to a personal signature. In the event of fraud arising, card details without CVC numbers are less useful to fraudsters.
Consequences of non-compliance? Non-compliant businesses can face fines from the credit card companies, brand damage, potential lawsuits, insurance claims, difficult business conditions and a negative impact on customers. In the case of the data breach suffered by the Radisson Group, they had to contact guests to ask them to check their account statements for unauthorized purchases - hardly good for your image. Wyndham Worldwide Group were recently charged by the Federal Trade Commission in the US for three separate data breaches which, it is claimed by the FTC, resulted in $10.6m lost to fraud. How Bookassist complies with PCI DSS. Bookassist takes compliance with PCI DSS seriously and we go to considerable effort and cost to achieve the standards of compliance. All hotel clients of the Bookassist system must sign up to the PCI DSS standards, all access to our system is logged and access to the system is password protected (and passwords need to be re-set every 90 days). CVC numbers are never logged on the Bookassist system and are not available to hotels in accordance with PCI DSS. Customer cardholder data can only be viewed for up to one month following the customer's departure date. After that date, the information is automatically deleted from the Bookassist system and cannot be retrieved. In addition to this, Bookassist have a dedicated Security Officer with responsibility for all PCI DSS compliance and security issues, a full incident response team and response plan in the event of any issues arising and staff on call 24/7/365. We have invested heavily in hardware and software to ensure security and monitoring and we have an annual external audit, part of which consists of hack attempts at our systems and monitoring how these attempts are dealt with automatically by our system. At Bookassist we feel that the investment we have made in PCI DSS compliance is important for us and for our hotel clients.
The sale of the product or service occurred not more than twelve months prior to the sending of the electronic marketing communication or, where applicable, the contact details were used for the sending of an electronicmarketing communication in that twelve month period.
NOTE: In relation to 4 above, if the subscriber fails to unsubscriber, they are deemed to have remained opted-in to for a further twelve month period from the date of the most recent marketing email. The Bookassist system records for the hotel whether or not the customer has consented to receiving emails from the hotel and also the date of the booking to help the hotel to comply with the Guidelines.
What are the main principles? In all transactions between businesses and consumers it is important that the information used is clear and transparent at all times. In Ireland the legislation stems from the Consumer Protection Act 1978 but in more recent decades is mainly EU driven. The legislation is constantly being updated to increase the requirements on businesses to protect consumers especially for online consumer transactions. How does Bookassist assist hotels? The Bookassist booking process is a clear three step process. At each stage of the booking process, the customer is asked to give their confirmation to move to the next stage. It is also made clear to the customer at all times what the total price of the room/package they are booking is and whether or not they are to pay a deposit at the time of booking.
Bookassist takes PCI DSS, Data Protection and Consumer Protection compliance seriously and invests effort, time and money on compliance on behalf of our clients. It is critical that your business is not exposed by dealing with non-compliant partners. The consequences of not checking your suppliers' credentials could be enormous. Elaine McCormack is Legal Counsel at Bookassist (bookassist.org), the technology and online strategy partner for hotels. Bookassist provides Site Builder web design, Traffic Builder PPC management and Booking engine services to drive direct business to hotels.
If you operate your hotel without the necessary measures to protect your business and your customers from a hack or data breach, you are exposing your business and customers to risk. If you use online partners who are not fully compliant with the Payment Card Industry's standards, then you are the one who will ultimately suffer. Without the proper controls your confidential information and your customers' personal information and credit card details could be hacked into, causing immeasurable damage.
You need to protect your reputation by making sure that your most valuable asset - your customer - and their data is managed well. PCI Digital Security Standards (DSS) compliance gives you the peace of mind that your suppliers know what they are doing.
Bookassist operates across many countries and constantly monitors international legislative developments for the benefit of our hotel clients.
Bookassist is PCI DSS compliant, was one of the first in the online bookings business to be compliant, as has retained compliance for many years.
Before you engage with an online provider, search for their status on https://www.visamerchantagentslist.com/ and request their PCI-DSS compliance statement.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) are technical and operational standards that were created by the major credit cards companies (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) in 2004, and have been upgraded continually since. The standards apply to all organisations who store, transmit or process cardholder data. PCI DSS is an industry standard and is not actually a legal requirement in Ireland and many other countries.
The aim of PCI DSS is to set standards that assist in the prevention of fraud. Being PCI DSS compliant does not mean that you won't have a data breach but it does mean that in the event of a data breach arising, the credit card companies will support you.
For starters, hotels or any business should not under any circumstances store CVC (card verification code) numbers (also known as CVV or CVV2). CVC numbers are personal numbers on credit cards and are similar to a personal signature. In the event of fraud arising, card details without CVC numbers are less useful to fraudsters.
Access to machines that hold reservation information should be restricted and passwords should never be shared between staff.
Cardholder information should not be kept or transmitted in an unsecure manner. Where you are sending or receiving cardholder information by fax or email, you need to ensure that the network used is secure and encrypted to protect the information. Standard email is never secure and should never be used for credit cards by anyone. The strongest risk in hotels is actually with credit card details on fax paper or printed emails left lying around.
Non-compliant businesses can face fines from the credit card companies, brand damage, potential lawsuits, insurance claims, difficult business conditions and a negative impact on customers. In the case of the data breach suffered by the Radisson Group in recent years, they had to contact guests to ask them to check their account statements for unauthorized purchases - hardly good for your image. Wyndham Worldwide Group were recently charged by the Federal Trade Commission in the US for three separate data breaches which, it is claimed by the FTC, resulted in $10.6m lost to fraud.
At Bookassist we feel that the investment we have made in PCI DSS compliance is important for us - and for our hotel clients.


There's worldwide demand for goods and services from Alberta.
Whether you are new to exporting or looking to expand your export activities, the programs available on the Government of Alberta website help Alberta companies determine their export options.
Canada's International Trade Portfolio helps Canadian companies sell beyond Canada's borders.
Alberta Agriculture & Forestry offers resources to help Albertans import and export agriculture and food products. Alberta companies who produce and export agriculture and food products or services can apply to be listed in the Services & Export Catalogue that links Alberta product and service suppliers to potential buyers.
TFO Canada assists exporters access the Canadian market by providing free online information on how to export to Canada and promoting their supply offers to Canadian importers.
While the rewards of exporting can be great, it is not without risks. The Canada Business Network will help you improve your chances of success in exporting.
Export Awards Alberta pays tribute to the innovative approaches and contributions of Canadians and Canadian export companies.


text:
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace Common
{
    public static partial class PInvoke
    {
        [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
        public struct LastInputInfo
        {
            public uint Size;
            public uint Ticks;

            public static LastInputInfo Create()
            {
                var result = new LastInputInfo();
                result.Size = (uint)Marshal.SizeOf(result);
                return result;
            }
        }

        // http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms646302(v=vs.85).aspx
        [DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = true)]
        public static extern bool GetLastInputInfo(ref LastInputInfo info);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Deputy Prime Minister is a former political position in Zimbabwe which has existed twice in the history of Zimbabwe.

The position was established last time because of the deal arising out of political negotiations in 2008. Per that deal, there are two designated deputy prime ministers as of 2008: Arthur Mutambara of a faction of the MDC and Thokozani Khuphe, who is member of prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai's faction of the MDC.

Deputy Prime Ministers

See also
 Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
 Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia
 Deputy Prime Minister of Rhodesia

References

Government of Zimbabwe

Government ministers of Zimbabwe
1980 establishments in Zimbabwe
1987 disestablishments in Zimbabwe
2009 establishments in Zimbabwe
2013 disestablishments in Zimbabwe

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


post zu favoriten English Speaking Qualified Electrician/ Light Installs & Much More (Berlin) dieses posting verbergen einbl.
Fully Qualified Irish Electrician with experience in Domestic, Commercial and Industrial workplaces.
No job too big or small and reasonable pricing , most Berlin apartments have little or no ceiling lights, lamps... We could start there.


EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A sinkhole swallowed a car on a street in southwestern Indiana, forcing the driver and his three passengers to have to climb to safety.
Timothy Stone tells the Evansville Courier & Press (http://bit.ly/1wH3OXd ) that he, his girlfriend and two children had stopped at a stop sign Friday afternoon when their car "felt weird" and started to sink.
The four of them managed to climb to safety from the vehicle's passenger side before its front end sank into the hole in Evansville.
Two wreckers eventually pulled the car from the sinkhole, which a police report described as 12 feet in diameter and 16 feet deep.
Water and Sewer Utility Director Allen Mounts says a water main and a sewer line had failed in the area.


Carowinds is known for its fast rides, new additions and great location – situated in the heart of one largest banking cities in the U.S. - Charlotte, NC. - Carowinds was recently placed on the list of "Top 10 Amusement Parks in America," according to an article by Money magazine in collaboration with Yelp. Read the full article here: http://time.com/money/5325493/best-amusement-parks-best-rides/. Carowinds is a frequent host for three Premier Festivals - JoyFest, Rock the Park, and Christian Music Day.
The fall-time Premier Festival called Christian Music Day is centered around Christian pop and worship music with such great artists such as Skillet, Crowder, Elevation Worship, Zach Williams and more.
Carowinds has many fan favorite rides such as the Afterburner, Carolina Cyclone, The Intimidator, Nighthawk, and more famous in the last year - the Fury 325 - which is the world's tallest and fastest "giga coaster." The park also has something a little more toned down for the kids as well in the Peanuts-themed "Camp Snoopy". And to cool off in the Summer months there is the Boomerang Bay water park.


text:
/* * * * * * * * * * * * * Author's note * * * * * * * * * * * *\
*   _       _   _       _   _       _   _       _     _ _ _ _   *
*  |_|     |_| |_|     |_| |_|_   _|_| |_|     |_|  _|_|_|_|_|  *
*  |_|_ _ _|_| |_|     |_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|     |_| |_|_ _ _     *
*  |_|_|_|_|_| |_|     |_| |_| |_| |_| |_|     |_|   |_|_|_|_   *
*  |_|     |_| |_|_ _ _|_| |_|     |_| |_|_ _ _|_|  _ _ _ _|_|  *
*  |_|     |_|   |_|_|_|   |_|     |_|   |_|_|_|   |_|_|_|_|    *
*                                                               *
*                     http://www.humus.name                     *
*                                                                *
* This file is a part of the work done by Humus. You are free to   *
* use the code in any way you like, modified, unmodified or copied   *
* into your own work. However, I expect you to respect these points:  *
*  - If you use this file and its contents unmodified, or use a major *
*    part of this file, please credit the author and leave this note. *
*  - For use in anything commercial, please request my approval.     *
*  - Share your work and ideas too as much as you can.             *
*                                                                *
\* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */

#ifndef _IMAGE_H_
#define _IMAGE_H_

#include "../Platform.h"

#define ALL_MIPMAPS 127

// Image loading flags
#define DONT_LOAD_MIPMAPS 0x1

enum FORMAT {
	FORMAT_NONE     = 0,

	// Unsigned formats
	FORMAT_R8       = 1,
	FORMAT_RG8      = 2,
	FORMAT_RGB8     = 3,
	FORMAT_RGBA8    = 4,

	FORMAT_R16      = 5,
	FORMAT_RG16     = 6,
	FORMAT_RGB16    = 7,
	FORMAT_RGBA16   = 8,

	// Signed formats
	FORMAT_R8S      = 9,
	FORMAT_RG8S     = 10,
	FORMAT_RGB8S    = 11,
	FORMAT_RGBA8S   = 12,

	FORMAT_R16S     = 13,
	FORMAT_RG16S    = 14,
	FORMAT_RGB16S   = 15,
	FORMAT_RGBA16S  = 16,

	// Float formats
	FORMAT_R16F     = 17,
	FORMAT_RG16F    = 18,
	FORMAT_RGB16F   = 19,
	FORMAT_RGBA16F  = 20,

	FORMAT_R32F     = 21,
	FORMAT_RG32F    = 22,
	FORMAT_RGB32F   = 23,
	FORMAT_RGBA32F  = 24,

	// Signed integer formats
	FORMAT_R16I     = 25,
	FORMAT_RG16I    = 26,
	FORMAT_RGB16I   = 27,
	FORMAT_RGBA16I  = 28,

	FORMAT_R32I     = 29,
	FORMAT_RG32I    = 30,
	FORMAT_RGB32I   = 31,
	FORMAT_RGBA32I  = 32,

	// Unsigned integer formats
	FORMAT_R16UI    = 33,
	FORMAT_RG16UI   = 34,
	FORMAT_RGB16UI  = 35,
	FORMAT_RGBA16UI = 36,

	FORMAT_R32UI    = 37,
	FORMAT_RG32UI   = 38,
	FORMAT_RGB32UI  = 39,
	FORMAT_RGBA32UI = 40,

	// Packed formats
	FORMAT_RGBE8    = 41,
	FORMAT_RGB9E5   = 42,
	FORMAT_RG11B10F = 43,
	FORMAT_RGB565   = 44,
	FORMAT_RGBA4    = 45,
	FORMAT_RGB10A2  = 46,

	// Depth formats
	FORMAT_D16      = 47,
	FORMAT_D24      = 48,
	FORMAT_D24S8    = 49,
	FORMAT_D32F     = 50,

	// Compressed formats
	FORMAT_DXT1     = 51,
	FORMAT_DXT3     = 52,
	FORMAT_DXT5     = 53,
	FORMAT_ATI1N    = 54,
	FORMAT_ATI2N    = 55,
};

#define FORMAT_I8    FORMAT_R8
#define FORMAT_IA8   FORMAT_RG8
#define FORMAT_I16   FORMAT_R16
#define FORMAT_IA16  FORMAT_RG16
#define FORMAT_I16F  FORMAT_R16F
#define FORMAT_IA16F FORMAT_RG16F
#define FORMAT_I32F  FORMAT_R32F
#define FORMAT_IA32F FORMAT_RG32F

// Compatibility with old demos
#define FORMAT_DEPTH16 FORMAT_D16
#define FORMAT_DEPTH24 FORMAT_D24

inline bool isPlainFormat(const FORMAT format){
	return (format <= FORMAT_RGBA32UI);
}

inline bool isPackedFormat(const FORMAT format){
	return (format >= FORMAT_RGBE8 && format <= FORMAT_RGB10A2);
}

inline bool isDepthFormat(const FORMAT format){
	return (format >= FORMAT_D16 && format <= FORMAT_D32F);
}

inline bool isStencilFormat(const FORMAT format){
	return (format == FORMAT_D24S8);
}

inline bool isSignedFormat(const FORMAT format){
	return ((format >= FORMAT_R8S) && (format <= FORMAT_RGBA16S)) || ((format >= FORMAT_R16I) && (format <= FORMAT_RGBA32I));
}

inline bool isCompressedFormat(const FORMAT format){
	return (format >= FORMAT_DXT1) && (format <= FORMAT_ATI2N);
}

inline bool isFloatFormat(const FORMAT format){
//	return (format >= FORMAT_R16F && format <= FORMAT_RGBA32F);
	return (format >= FORMAT_R16F && format <= FORMAT_RG11B10F) || (format == FORMAT_D32F);
}

inline bool isIntegerFormat(const FORMAT format){
	return (format >= FORMAT_R16I && format <= FORMAT_RGBA32UI);
}

inline int getChannelCount(const FORMAT format){
	static const int chCount[] = {
		0,
		1, 2, 3, 4,       //  8-bit unsigned
		1, 2, 3, 4,       // 16-bit unsigned
		1, 2, 3, 4,       //  8-bit signed
		1, 2, 3, 4,       // 16-bit signed
		1, 2, 3, 4,       // 16-bit float
		1, 2, 3, 4,       // 32-bit float
		1, 2, 3, 4,       // 16-bit unsigned integer
		1, 2, 3, 4,       // 32-bit unsigned integer
		1, 2, 3, 4,       // 16-bit signed integer
		1, 2, 3, 4,       // 32-bit signed integer
		3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, // Packed
		1, 1, 2, 1,       // Depth
		3, 4, 4, 1, 2,    // Compressed
	};
	return chCount[format];
}

// Accepts only plain formats
inline int getBytesPerChannel(const FORMAT format){
	static const int bytesPC[] = {
		1, //  8-bit unsigned
		2, // 16-bit unsigned
		1, //  8-bit signed
		2, // 16-bit signed
		2, // 16-bit float
		4, // 32-bit float
		2, // 16-bit unsigned integer
		4, // 32-bit unsigned integer
		2, // 16-bit signed integer
		4, // 32-bit signed integer
	};

	return bytesPC[(format - 1) >> 2];
}

// Does not accept compressed formats
inline int getBytesPerPixel(const FORMAT format){
	static const int bytesPP[] = {
		0,
		1, 2, 3, 4,       //  8-bit unsigned
		2, 4, 6, 8,       // 16-bit unsigned
		1, 2, 3, 4,       //  8-bit signed
		2, 4, 6, 8,       // 16-bit signed
		2, 4, 6, 8,       // 16-bit float
		4, 8, 12, 16,     // 32-bit float
		2, 4, 6, 8,       // 16-bit unsigned integer
		4, 8, 12, 16,     // 32-bit unsigned integer
		2, 4, 6, 8,       // 16-bit signed integer
		4, 8, 12, 16,     // 32-bit signed integer
		4, 4, 4, 2, 2, 4, // Packed
		2, 4, 4, 4,       // Depth
	};
	return bytesPP[format];
}

// Accepts only compressed formats
inline int getBytesPerBlock(const FORMAT format){
	return (format == FORMAT_DXT1 || format == FORMAT_ATI1N)? 8 : 16;
}

const char *getFormatString(const FORMAT format);
FORMAT getFormatFromString(char *string);

class Image {
public:
	Image();
	Image(const Image &img);
	~Image();

	unsigned char *create(const FORMAT fmt, const int w, const int h, const int d, const int mipMapCount, const int arraysize = 1);
	void free();
	void clear();

	unsigned char *getPixels() const { return pixels; }
	unsigned char *getPixels(const int mipMapLevel) const;
	unsigned char *getPixels(const int mipMapLevel, const int arraySlice) const;
	int getMipMapCount() const { return nMipMaps; }
	int getMipMapCountFromDimesions() const;
	int getMipMappedSize(const int firstMipMapLevel = 0, int nMipMapLevels = ALL_MIPMAPS, FORMAT srcFormat = FORMAT_NONE) const;
	int getSliceSize(const int mipMapLevel = 0, FORMAT srcFormat = FORMAT_NONE) const;
	int getPixelCount(const int firstMipMapLevel = 0, int nMipMapLevels = ALL_MIPMAPS) const;

	int getWidth () const { return width;  }
	int getHeight() const { return height; }
	int getDepth () const { return depth;  }
	int getWidth (const int mipMapLevel) const;
	int getHeight(const int mipMapLevel) const;
	int getDepth (const int mipMapLevel) const;
	int getArraySize() const { return arraySize; }

	bool is1D()    const { return (depth == 1 && height == 1); }
	bool is2D()    const { return (depth == 1 && height >  1); }
	bool is3D()    const { return (depth >  1); }
	bool isCube()  const { return (depth == 0); }
	bool isArray() const { return (arraySize > 1); }

	FORMAT getFormat() const { return format; }
	void setFormat(const FORMAT form){ format = form; }

	int getExtraDataBytes() const { return nExtraData; }
	ubyte *getExtraData() const { return extraData; }
	void setExtraData(void *data, const int nBytes){
		nExtraData = nBytes;
		extraData = (unsigned char *) data;
	}

	bool loadHTEX(const char *fileName);
	bool loadDDS(const char *fileName, uint flags = 0);
#ifndef NO_HDR
	bool loadHDR(const char *fileName);
#endif // NO_HDR
#ifndef NO_JPEG
	bool loadJPEG(const char *fileName);
#endif // NO_JPEG
#ifndef NO_PNG
	bool loadPNG(const char *fileName);
#endif // NO_PNG
#ifndef NO_TGA
	bool loadTGA(const char *fileName);
#endif // NO_TGA
#ifndef NO_BMP
	bool loadBMP(const char *fileName);
#endif // NO_BMP
#ifndef NO_PCX
	bool loadPCX(const char *fileName);
#endif // NO_PCX

	bool saveHTEX(const char *fileName);
	bool saveDDS(const char *fileName);
#ifndef NO_HDR
	bool saveHDR(const char *fileName);
#endif // NO_HDR
#ifndef NO_JPEG
	bool saveJPEG(const char *fileName, const int quality);
#endif // NO_JPEG
#ifndef NO_PNG
	bool savePNG(const char *fileName);
#endif // NO_PNG
#ifndef NO_TGA
	bool saveTGA(const char *fileName);
#endif // NO_TGA
#ifndef NO_BMP
	bool saveBMP(const char *fileName);
#endif // NO_BMP
#ifndef NO_PCX
	bool savePCX(const char *fileName);
#endif // NO_PCX

	bool loadImage(const char *fileName, uint flags = 0);
	bool loadSlicedImage(const char **fileNames, const int nImages, const int nArraySlices = 1, uint flags = 0);
	bool saveImage(const char *fileName);

	void loadFromMemory(void *mem, const FORMAT frmt, const int w, const int h, const int d, const int mipMapCount, bool ownsMemory);

	bool createMipMaps(const int mipMaps = ALL_MIPMAPS);
	bool removeMipMaps(const int firstMipMap, const int mipMapsToSave = ALL_MIPMAPS);

	bool uncompressImage();
	bool unpackImage();

	bool convert(const FORMAT newFormat);
	bool swap(const int ch0, const int ch1);
	bool flipX();
	bool flipY();
	bool dilate();
	bool erode();

	bool toRGBD16();
	bool toRGBE16(float &scale, float &bias);
	bool toE16(float *scale, float *bias, const bool useAllSameRange = false, const float minValue = FLT_MIN, const float maxValue = FLT_MAX);
	bool toFixedPointHDR(float *maxValue, const int finalRgbBits, const int finalRangeBits);
	bool toNormalMap(FORMAT destFormat, float sZ = 1.0f, float mipMapScaleZ = 2.0f);
	bool toGrayScale();
	bool getRange(float &min, float &max);
	bool scaleBias(const float scale, const float bias);
	bool normalize();

	bool removeChannels(bool keepCh0, bool keepCh1 = true, bool keepCh2 = true, bool keepCh3 = true);

protected:
	unsigned char *pixels;
	int width, height, depth;
	int nMipMaps;
	int arraySize;
	FORMAT format;

	int nExtraData;
	unsigned char *extraData;
};

#endif // _IMAGE_H_


text:
Europe can't afford to be blackmailed by Macedonia
The government in Skopje can't use the migration crisis to override its democratic commitments.
Migrants at Idomeni refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian border
By Edit Herczog
European leaders cannot afford to make the same mistake with the Republic of Macedonia as they did with Turkey. Macedonia is Greece's closest neighbor on the Balkan route and the latest country on the forefront of the refugee crisis, with thousands of migrants stranded in dire conditions.
What stood out from the "deal" that came out of last week's EU summit was the EU's desperation. Despite Turkey's latest plunge toward hardline authoritarianism, the EU played along and surrendered to Turkey's high demands: Turkish nationals will have access to the Schengen passport-free zone by June; the EU will "speed up" the allocation of an extra €3 billion in aid and both sides agreed to "re-energize" EU accession talks. A high price to pay — and a severe blow to European values.
The critical role Macedonia has played in the unfolding of the refugee crisis was not by choice. But the ruling government is opportunistically using its position to deflect criticism from Brussels on its internal political turmoil. The situation demands Europe's urgent attention if it's to stop the tide of growing authoritarianism across the Continent — in our neighborhood, and within the Union, not least in my own country, Hungary.
In this regard, Macedonia will set an important precedent.
Macedonia has been ruled for the past 10 years by the conservative VMRO-DPMNE and its leader, Nikola Gruevski. Known for his inflexible, if not provocative, positions toward neighboring Greece, Gruevski has been labeled "authoritarian" by both domestic and foreign observers.
Macedonia's main opposition leader Zoran Zaev | Robert Atanasovski/AFP via Getty Images
In May 2015, the opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) and its leader, Zoran Zaev, released thousands of wiretapped materials from the intelligence services, obtained through whistle-blowers. The ruling party had allegedly abused power for years: issuing fake identity cards and fake voters brought from Albania to "vote" for the ruling party during elections; covering up the murder of a young boy by police; and intervening in the decisions of judges and prosecutors.
The vast majority of mainstream media, controlled by the government, deliberately chose to ignore the information. Instead, the government accused Zaev of fomenting a coup and of having obtained the tapes illegally.
While the opposition weighed whether it should publish some of the ethnically sensitive material it had in its possession, three MEPs — Ivo Vajgl, Eduard Kukan and Richard Howitt, along with Johannes Hahn, the EU's enlargement commissioner — stepped in to help bring the warring parties to the table for lengthy negotiations. By July 2015, they had brokered a deal, known as the "Pržino agreement."
The agreement included concrete measures with strict deadlines: the designation of a new interior minister from the opposition party; the appointment of a special prosecutor, independent of political interference, to investigate the allegations brought forward by Zoran Zaev; and the resignation of the prime minister by January 15, 2016.The process would be crowned by free and fair elections, initially scheduled for April 24. But in late February, EU and U.S. representatives considered that the conditions for organizing credible elections had not been met, and the elections were postponed to June 5.
This was not related to the migrant crisis. Among the unmet conditions, two were particularly crucial for the social-democratic opposition: an accurate and updated voter's registry, and a loosened grip on state-controlled media in order to create a level-playing field for all parties before the elections.
In the meantime, the European Parliament continues to play a crucial role in Macedonia's stability. It recently adopted a resolution that raised concerns about the current political crisis and clarified the need to investigate the allegations in the wiretapping scandal. The Parliament has urged the country to bring back a sense of legal certainty and security for private foreign investors and the domestic private sector.
The Parliament has called for Macedonia to revise Article 353 of its criminal code on "misuse of an official position," which has often been — and still is — used to unlawfully charge political opponents.
Earlier this month, Bozidar Jankovski, whose wife Radmila Šekerinska is the vice president of opposition party SDSM, was charged of alleged tax evasion and abuse of authority on that basis.
Macedonia's former prime minister Nikola Gruevski | Robert Atanasovski/AFP via Getty Images
The government also recently pressed charges against Andreja Josifovski, the owner of TV Telma — the only non-government controlled media outlet in the country. Josifovski, also the president of Makpetrol, the country's largest oil company, saw his assets frozen in what appeared to be a personal vendetta and abuse of the rule of law.
The situation could have led to a serious disruption in gas supplies. This perpetual state of legal uncertainty and arbitrary decisions is bad for the business climate and the competitiveness of the country — and for the European Union as a whole. Looking at the security of Europe's energy supply, for example, an ambitious energy cooperation strategy with the Western Balkans region requires Macedonia to make serious progress in regards to its political and judicial transparency.
In the wider context of the EU's commitment to integrate Macedonia as a future member state — a process currently stalled by Greece's veto over the issue of the country's name — the government in Skopje must understand that its current usefulness to Europe in the migration crisis will not override its need to abide by commitments to democracy and justice. And as the European Commission mulls plans to have Macedonia take on a more important role in securing our external borders, we need a government that is committed to our core European values and can ensure both freedom and stability.
More importantly for Europe's future as a whole, Macedonia is the test case for the EU's ability to export stability and democratic values through soft power — a test the EU must pass.
Edit Herczog is a former MEP, and a member of the Hungarian Socialist Party.
Macedonia seeks date for EU membership talks
By Maïa de La Baume and Barbara Surk
More from ... Edit Herczog
EU watchdog opens investigation into border agency Frontex
By Jacopo Barigazzi
Two options for Europe's coronavirus economy: Bad or a lot worse
How to make the EU's migration pact more humane
By Imogen Sudbery
Enlargement	Human rights	Migration	National Politics	Neighborhood	Refugees	Transparency
Nikola Gruevski	Zoran Zaev

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Tasting Notes: Our take on a traditional Berliner Weisse, The Fun of It is refreshingly tart and perfect for a hot August day. This highly sessionable 3.8% brew, begins with an effervescent bite of juicy acidity before mellowing into restrained pops of lemon. This is all supported by a clean wheat backbone, finishing moderately dry. Enjoy this with whatever you do for the fun of it!
– The name "The Fun Of It" derives from the title of Earhart's own autobiography with the same name.
– Earhart was one of the founding members and lead organizers of The Ninety-Nines, an international women's aviation organization.
– Among her accomplishments, Earhart notably was the fly woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the first woman to be awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross.


On July 1st of this year, general elections were held in Mexico. On that day, with exactly 63.43% of the votes, Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected President. Having prior experience in politics, he is now expected to serve a term of over 5 years. Considering that he has already been a relevant politician for over two decades, López should have little difficulty in completing this task. However, little over two months after the elections, the politician is already a controversial figure plastered all over news headlines. With his distinct leftist point of view, it is difficult to avoid the concerns arising from the Mexican people and other allied nations.
Specifically, López's intentions to end Mexico's drug war has been criticized by multiple sources. The Mexican government has been involved in an armed conflict against drug traffickers since 2006. This ongoing rivalry doesn't only impact Mexico, but other countries such as the United States. The drug cartels involved in this conflict are responsible for over 90% of the cocaine entering the USA. During his victory speech, the politician mentioned ideas regarding the topic, like vowing to change the "failed strategies" used by those before him (The Guardian). Sending Mexican Marines has only seemed to make the situation more dangerous, encouraging the cartels to be more aggressive and fight back. The President claims he will "address the root causes of crime and violence" (Vox). In addition, he intends to work on Mexico's economy and has promised citizens that he will not be raising the national debt. The new president has made an effort and reached out to those who believe he is a villain in disguise. This effort is directed at his usual opponents: private sector businesses. Overall, he wants Mexicans to embrace their culture again and make them believe that together they can overcome their difficult situation – especially regarding previous corruption scandals. Although his objectives sound quite appealing, Mexican citizens know he will face multiple obstacles. Evidently, López tends to make various promises, but as with every new politician, no one truly knows whether he will live up to his word. All there is to do is hope that López Obrador will develop a new and improved Mexico.
The Talon: What are your first impressions of the new Mexican president?
De La Maza: First of all, when my family saw the news that Andrés Manuel López Obrador had won the elections, we were not very happy about the results. Since López Obrador talks a lot about developing leftist ideas, it didn't seem like many benefits – specifically for my family – would come from his presidency. His main ideas contrasted with the visions we have in mind. However, after listening to his speech (which was given right after the announcement of his victory), my image of him improved. López definitely said what the people wanted to hear: Mexico will be stable again and the chaos will come to an end.
The Talon: What positive traits does the new President have?
De La Maza: In my perspective, López is a determined individual. He has been trying to become president for a while now and this certainly can be seen as a positive trait. I really hope he uses his victory in an effective and favorable way.
The Talon: What about negative traits?
De La Maza: He shares similar traits to Trump: he says what people want to hear, but doesn't expand on how he is actually going to deliver.
The Talon: How does he compare to the prior incumbent?
De La Maza: The prior president was a severely disliked figure. López says he will not be corrupt and I truly hope he keeps his word. The only thing I can do at this point is hope for the best.
The Talon: What do you hope will change with Mexico's new leader?
De La Maza: Overall, I hope he works on various issues that require a lot of attention. All the other presidents and politicians have been trying to do this because Mexico is in a bad position. Whatever López does, I hope he does it right.
To conclude, López has certainly impressed the public with his new ideas. Whether this is regarding Mexico's drug war or the country's unity, he has caught the attention of multiple individuals. With a new leader in place, Mexicans are hoping that the nation's economy will flourish and that López will keep all of his campaign promises.


Everybody and their dog (or cat) blogs these days, its the fashionable thing to do. So if you're not blogging, what are you missing out on? Nothing, I can hear you cry. You're not tied to a computer, slaving away at all hours of the day and night so that some random can read your deepest thoughts, right? Who would want to read my online diary anyway?
Well think again. A blog is a tool for reflection. Its a way that learners can take time out to step back and think about an event, an experience or how they are feeling about something. It helps learners to loose their tunnel vision and to take a more objective view of life. And because it allows you to step back and question your thoughts and actions, its symptomatic of higher order thinking and practices. So of course all the best teachers and coaches blog, don't they? Or should that be all the best learners blog? Because that's what blogging is all about – learning about yourself, and how many of us are truly comfortable enough to do that?
So if you feel that you're ready to take the plunge and you want a few questions to prompt your thinking, then here they are.
What did you want from the experience?
What were the considerations or influences on what happened?
What was the chain of events?
Was there more than one reason for the event?
What are the other perspectives on the event?
What principles underpinned your thoughts/actions?
What opportunities or challenges arose?
What might others have learned about you?
How has the whole episode made you feel?
What might you do now?
So there you have it – a few questions to guide your thoughts and emotions, and perhaps take you to a different place. Enjoy the journey.


Another strong workout today. I felt good on the bike, even though I still had some residual fatigue in my legs. It was not really possible to do the workout as your prescribed. Instead I separated the park into three sections. Grand Army Plaza to Bartel Pritchard, PPSW/Parkside to Ocean/Parkside and from the parking lot entrance to the hill. I just concentrated on hold my speed above 20mph during these sections and didn't worry about the time.
I posted my fastest loop on my last time around. I passed the cyclist with whom I have a long standing feud and he decided to get on my tail. This inspired me to have a 9:13 lap and allowed my average speed for the day to reach 20mph.
I only ran 2.5 miles since this is an "easy" week. I am not sure what is easy about it other than some reduced distance. My legs felt sluggish, but with my new found mental facilities, I was able to push past the physical crud and post a sub 8 minute mile for the distance.
As a side note, I took off yesterday from running. I wanted to spend the time with my family and I figured walking through the Bronx Zoo would be Active Recovery enough.
Note - Prescribed workout: 10 minutes warm-up, 18 mph, 19 mph, 20 mph, 21 mph, 22 mph, 23 mph for 60 seconds at each speed, recovery for 4 minutes and repeat 4 times, 10 minutes cool-down.


text:
Events in Manitoba History: Manitoba Provincial Election (1910)
Provincial General Election (1907) | Provincial General Election (1914) | All Provincial Elections
The Manitoba general election of 1910 was held on 11 July. The results were as follows:
Rodmond Palen Roblin (1853-1937)
Tobias Crawford Norris (1861-1936)
The voting results for individual constituencies were as follows:
Amos Moore Lyle (1865-1943)
John Williams (1860-1931)
Aime Benard (1873-1938)
Robert Andrew Bonnar (1860-1932)
John Colvin (c1876-1947)
James Henthorne Argue (1848-1927)
J. Medill
Beautiful Plains
James Henry Howden (1860-1938)
Birtle
George John Huntley Malcolm (1865-1930)
E. Graham
Brandon City
George Robson Coldwell (1858-1924)
S. H. McKay
Albert Prefontaine (1861-1935)
Horace Chevrier (1875-1935)
George Steel (1858-1940)
F. H. Mitchell
James Graham Harvey (1869-1950)
John Archibald "Jack" Campbell (1872-1963)
John Christie Walker Reid (1871-1942)
Robert Stirton Thornton (1863-1936)
William Frederick Osborne (1873-1950)
David Henry McFadden (1856-1935)
George Walton (1854-1925)
Gilbert Plains
Samuel Hughes (1873-1940)
Baldwin Larus Baldwinson (1856-1936)
W. H. Paulson
J. Solmundson
James William Armstrong (1860-1928)
W. McKelvey
William Ferguson (1862-1936)
E. Henry
Kildonan and St. Andrews
Orton Irwin Grain (1863-1930)
Albert Ryerson Bredin (1868-1956)
George Lawrence (1857-1924)
G. Robinson
Charles Duncan McPherson (1877-1970)
Edwin David Lynch (1860-1941)
W. Fenwick
La Verendrye
William Molloy (1877-1917)
Jean Baptiste Lauzon (1858-1944)
Robert Rogers (1864-1936)
John Edwin Gayton (1849-1923)
John W. Thompson (1858-1914)
William Bramwell Waddell (1857-1942)
Benjamin James McConnell (1861-1923)
James Aaron Hobbs (1863-1932)
Colin Howell Campbell (1859-1914)
Robert Lachlan Ross (1869-1943)
James Bryson Baird (1859-1939)
Edmund Landor Taylor (1860-1934)
Robert Fern Lyons (1856-1926)
Frank Avery
Hugh Armstrong (1858-1926)
Ewan Alexander MacPherson [McPherson] (1879-1954)
Valentine Winkler (1864-1920)
Hugh McGavin (1874-1958)
Isaac Riley (1853-1926)
Ira Stratton (1865-1943)
Angus Lorne Bonnycastle (1873-1941)
William Valens
Joseph Bernier (1874-1951)
Albert Dubuc
South Brandon
Alfred Henry Carroll (1846-1924)
Edward Hartley Dewart (1861-1926)
Donald Andrew Ross (1856-1938)
Charles Percy Fullerton (1870-1938)
Daniel Duncan McDonald (1865-?)
James Wells Robson (1867-1941)
James Johnson (1855-1929)
William Hanley
Harvey Cathcart Simpson (1862-1928)
Duncan McDonald (1856-1920)
Winnipeg Centre
Thomas William Taylor (1852-1924)
Frederick John "Fred" Dixon (1881-1931)
William S. Cummings
Winnipeg North
Solomon Hart Green (1885-1969)
John Fletcher Mitchell (1862-1943)
Edmund Fulcher (c1885-1972)
Winnipeg South
Lendrum McMeans (1859-1941)
Edward Brown (1865-1947)
Winnipeg West
Thomas Herman Johnson [Tómas Hermann Jónsson] (1870-1927)
Alfred Joseph Andrews (1865-1950)
George Armstrong (1870-1956)
Events in Manitoba History: Manitoba Provincial By-Elections (1911-1913)
Memorable Manitobans: Members of the Thirteenth Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (1911-1914)
"Opposition candidates in coming elections," Manitoba Free Press, 25 June 1910, page 23.
Manitoba Election Records (December 1870 to November 1957, June 1958 to June 1969), Manitoba Legislative Library.
Page revised: 7 October 2020


An emotionally disconnected teen struggles after the unexpected death of her father forces her to confront a distant mother and an uncle she never knew existed in Stoker.
18 year-old India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) suddenly finds herself thrown into unknown territory when her beloved father (played in flashback by Dermot Mulroney) is killed in a car accident. He was India's main connection to the normal world leaving her with little recourse but to come to grips with the strained relationship she has with her own mother, Evelyn Stoker (Nicole Kidman). We quickly realize "Evie" has only the most distant connection with, and no hint of genuine regard for, India. Before her father is even cold, into their lives appears her overly fastidious and ever-smiling Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) — an uncle she's never even heard about before. Uncle Charlie wastes no time moving into his dead brother's house and cozying up to his sister-in-law causing all sorts of confusion for the vulnerable India.
The plot of Stoker unfolds in a calculating, methodical cadence that quickly begins to exert pressure on every defensive instinct we have. Korean director Park Chan-wook manages to weave an intricate waking dream (or is it a nightmare?) that nips at the very border of our own rational limitations. It's like the car crash you know you're about to witness. You want to look away. You need to look away but you can't find the will to do so.
Every single element of every shot seems painstakingly chosen to exact the highest possible tension from the viewer. A third of the way into the movie I wasn't at all sure of where it was going. I was confused, concerned and maddeningly mesmerized by its hold on me. Most disconcerting was the ever-tightening vise that seemed to materialize out of thin air and yet refused to relent. By the time India's aunt shows up (Jacki Weaver) I was at the breaking point. Her character brings essential perspective but does so at the cost of yet another level of profound tension.
Films of this type teeter on the thinnest of lines between believability and frustration. The answers are all here for those who let the story work its way in. For those who don't, won't or can't, it just may be a complete disaster. I was captivated by the total control the director had on me. When you start to feel anxiety over seemingly unimportant elements like the dining room furniture or the style of a character's clothing then you know you're a goner. You just sit back and see where the film's going to take, use and deposit you. There's even no respite to be found in the usual safety of the final credits.
The stylistic choices and visual effects that initially seemed trite build to a crescendo that's undeniable and brilliant. Every major role in the film is also perfectly cast and delivered. The soundtrack doesn't miss a trick. Chan-wook seems to know our deepest subconscious and leverages that advantage with a spellbinding, unique psychological thriller that haunted me to my core. I was relieved when it ended and yet can't wait to experience it again.


In the last article, we looked at the big picture of what is involved in creating a SAN distance extension. In this article, we're going to take a slightly closer look at the physical requirements and with luck we'll be able to clear up some general confusion and misconceptions along the way.
There is a lot of information about these different elements available via a quick search on your favorite search engine. What I find, though, is that there is usually very little context that accompanies the descriptions or, at best, the authors assume that you may have more of an understanding about some of these technologies than you do. In this case, if I'm going to err it will likely be on the side of making it too accessible and in Plain English, which is something I can live with.
As usual, this is a mid-level view. There are many deep dives that will go into each subject in fine-toothed detail available on the web, but we're going to stay focused on what you need to know for extending SANs across distances.
Again, this is a rather long post, but hopefully it will be useful as a reference point for you.
Let's start off by talking about optics. It seems that for the most part, the exposure to optics is generally limited to looking up a chart to determine what optics are supported, what kind of distance is supported, and then finding the appropriate SKU to add to the shopping cart.
When we start looking at distances, though, we start to realize that there is much more than meets the eye (get it? Optics, eye… never mind).
The transceivers that are used in SANs are a big deal. That's one of the reasons why they can cost so much. They are, effectively, the power plants that send a signal over the wire. Obviously, the more powerful the optical transceiver, the farther you can go, right? Simple! And away we go!
Not so fast there, pard'ner.
For speeds up to 4 Gbps, optics for Fibre Channel use Small Form-factor Pluggables (SFPs). These come in three flavors: Shortwave (SW), Medium-wave (MW) and Longwave (LW). While it's not a direct, 1:1 comparison, for our purposes here it's useful to think of "shortwave = short distance," "medium-wave = medium distance," and "longwave = long distance," at least as far as determining what kind of optics will get you to a certain distance.
At speeds at 8Gbps and above, you'll need to use SFP+ optics. In addition to the SW and LW above, you have Short Range (SR), Long Range (LR) and Extended Range (ER) optics. Again, we're not being comprehensive in order to keep things brief and succinct. It's more important that you get the general idea here, rather than feel like you have to memorize every single optics type.
The important thing to remember here is that the distance is mandated by the power of the optics, not the speed of the card. In other words, if you have a shortwave SFP+ optic it, too, will be limited to around 860 m and a Long Wave optic will still be limited to the physical 10km distance, regardless of how fast your HBA is running.
From a distance extension perspective, this is where things get interesting.
"WDM" stands for "Wavelength Division Multiplexing, and there are two types: Coarse and Dense. That means that "xWDM" is really a 'catch-all' phrase for CDWM and DWDM types of optical transceivers.
CWDM is a simpler technology that uses a lower power consumption (typically about 20% less) with smaller space requirements (typically about 30% less). Generally these optics run at a typical capacity of up to 4 Gbps, so they're not capable of running high-speed links such as FCoE, nor do they have the power to run very far (when compared to, say, DWDM) but they are cheaper and do provide cost savings on start-up and expansion.
DWDM optics are generally used in the long-haul requirements of undersea and transcontinental routes, and can operate at speeds up to 10Gbps. While it increases the maximum distance, it does require more space, more power, and more accurate lasers.
Between the two of them, DWDM is the most common optic for use in high-capacity, long-distance applications. If yo0u want more information, it's useful to look at the dedicated page on optics for the MDS product line of Fibre Channel solutions.
Generally, there are three different types of cables that we're going to be concerned about here (there are more, but let's try to keep things simple for the time being): TwinAx (copper), Single Mode Fibre (SMF) and MultiMode Fibre (MMF).
In reality, dark fibre is merely the miles and miles of cabling that was laid out by telecommunication companies that isn't being used (dark fibre, as opposed to 'lit' fibre). Telecoms lease or sell the lines to companies who wish to communicate across great distances.
Nevertheless, there is nothing magic about these cables, and they are subject to the same physical laws that affect all cables. In other words, yes, you still need to know about the physical layer capabilities of handling FC-based traffic even over dark fibre.
Since we're talking about SAN extension and distance, we're not going to be spending much time on copper cabling. Copper has a higher resistance than fibre optics, and as a result the amount of distance you can use copper for is more limited than spun glass, when you look at long, unsegmented units.
There are many different forms of copper cabling, but for handling high-speed traffic (say, over typical 1Gbps speeds) you're looking at either Category 6a, Category 7, or TwinAx 10Gb cabling (again, this is not a comprehensive list, just a starting point).
Copper cabling is cheap, which is why it is used so often. At 10Gb speeds, especially for Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), copper cabling is found in the TwinAx or 10GBASE-T form. The good news is that not only are they cheap to purchase, but they're also cheep to operate: A TwinAx copper cable can run up to 10m (which is about 9 rack-lengths) and Cat 6a can run FCoE up to 30m (100m for non-FCoE traffic). We'll cover why there are different distances for FCoE in the next article.
Copper is a great medium for running Fibre Channel or FCoE inside a Data Center, but given that we're focusing on SAN extension, we'll leave the conversation simply at the point where we'll state that copper cabling is appropriate for intra-Data Center SAN connectivity. That is, even though it's inexpensive, it's not the best candidate for long distances.
A five-minute search on your favorite web engine will give you more information about fibre optic cabling than you'll know what to do with. In truth, it's difficult to discuss optical cabling without getting too deep into the physics, but I'm going to try to hover around the critical points to remember.
Multimode Fibre (MMF) has a larger diameter core which can allow multiple paths (modes) of light to be sent at the same time. Single Mode Fibre (SMF), as you may have guessed, has a smaller diameter core which allows only one mode of light to be sent. Both types suffer from signal degradation over distance; the MMF more so because of the varying angles of light being shot through the cabling affects the amount that light is distorted (or dispersed) over time.
The key thing to remember about MMF is that it has a shorter effective distance than single-mode, usually around 10 miles is the limit. This means that for most general-purpose applications such as campus or building deployments, MMF is a good, popular choice. MMF also has an advantage of using somewhat cheaper equipment and being easier to interconnect. It also means that it is used for shorter, slower network connections. While cables can be made in any color, most of the orange cabling you may have seen in your data center is MMF.
You've heard the phrase, "focus like a laser beam?" Well, SMF does exactly that. It shrinks down the size of the core so that only one ray of light can be shown through the cable, which greatly increases the distance. In theory, this is limitless, but in practical applications cable lengths are 100 km or less (specialized cables like submarine cables are a notable exception, but fall outside the scope of what we're talking about here). SMF cabling often has a yellow color.
Note that you still need to be able to have the appropriate transceiver to have enough power to send the signal those distances!
When you look at Cisco's guide to MDS transceivers you will see this relationship between optics and cabling specifications. In Fibre Channel, Shortwave optics are used with MMF, and Longwave optics are used for SMF. You will also notice that any distance over 1000m requires SMF.
If you're looking for truly long distances – the kind that are global in nature – you can move beyond the xWDM components into the realm of SONET and SDH. Going into excruciating detail isn't the point here, so if you don't think you're going to be doing cross-national or intercontinental distances, feel free to skip this section. Conversely, if you are interested there is also a brief overview of SONET technology available.
Generally speaking, SONET (which is used in North America) or SDH (used in the rest of the world) is a managed optical technology that supports much longer distances than CWDM or DWDM.
If SONET/SDH has so many benefits, why isn't it deployed even more than it already is? One reason is scalability. Unless you have a Optical Carrier 192 (OC-192) cable – and these aren't widely available – you'll not have enough bandwidth to run more than one 2-Gb/s Fibre Channel connection. OC-3, which is the most widely available SONET and SDH service level, provide less than 1-Gb/s of bandwidth.
Fortunately, SONET/SDH can be used in conjunction with other distance physical technologies, such as dark fibre, to allow multiple SONET or SDH channels to be carried over a single DWDM link, for instance.
While a list and description of SONET/SDH topologies and best practices (and dark fibre implications) falls far, far outside the scope of this article, Cisco does have several solutions and technologies that can help address some of the needs of advanced SAN extension environments, such as the ONS 15454 Multiservice Transport Platform (MSTP).
Obviously, we've only scratched the surface here (and not very deeply at that, it's barely a flesh wound!). If you want to find out more information about the different optical fibre types, take a glance at this TechwiseTV Networking 101 Video.
Given what we've talked about so far, the following chart might be helpful to see how the optics and cabling match up for various distances, useful when you start looking at planning all the way up to geoclusters.
The next article is going to look into that aspect in greater detail.


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text:
Management Buyout Speculation at Green & Black's
Management at Green & Black's, the UK-based organic chocolate manufacturer, are reported to be seeking a buy-out of the business from owner Kraft Foods. The US food group acquired Green & Black as part of its £11.7b takeover of Cadbury last year.
Founded by entrepreneur Craig Sams in 1991, Green & Black's was sold to Cadbury for £20m in 2005. Green & Black's has an annual turnover of about £40m compared to Kraft's UK chocolate sales of £1b.
However, in response to media speculation, Kraft Foods has said that it has no current plans to sell Green & Black's. "Here in Europe, we will continue to invest behind growing and optimising the entire chocolate portfolio," says Michael Clarke, president of Kraft Foods Europe.
CadburyGreen & Black'sKraft FoodsKraft Foods Europemanagement buyoutMichael Clarkeorganic chocolate
Mixed 2014 Sales Performance by Bel
£100 Million Müller Programme to Transform UK Fresh Milk Business
UK Industry Responds as One in Three Shoppers Want Waste Reduction Prioritised


Take a look at the big potential savings and investor profits that you can have by building with off-site constructed homes!
Because you requested it, Altamont Homes has now teamed up with real estate agents through out California to bring you Land and Home packages. Agents have paired specific off-site built home models from our website with lots for sale in their areas. Click on the files below to view brochures of specific land and home packages that are available now. Then call the agents listed in the brochures fast before these excellent packages are gone!
Real Estate Agents click here to post your land/home projects combining available lots in your area with our off-site built homes.
DISCLAIMER: Altamont Homes, Inc. assumes no liability for the accuracy of the information in the downloadable Land/Home Package brochures above. Prospective buyers should thoroughly investigate the properties and proposed development packages on their own to confirm the projected development costs and profit margins that are outlined in the brochures.


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Best photos from USPA National Skydiving Championships
By Seth RubinroitNov 30, 2015, 12:56 PM EST
More than 500 skydivers competed at the United States Parachute Association (USPA) National Skydiving Championships, the largest annual skydiving competition in the world.
The best jumps from the USPA National Skydiving Championships will air tonight on Universal HD at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Skydiving is not an Olympic sport, but several skydivers have made cameos at the Olympics.
Dozens of free-falling parachutists formed the five Olympic rings in the sky during the Opening Ceremony of the 1988 Games.
Then at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, stunt doubles playing Queen Elizabeth II and actor Daniel Craig leapt from a helicopter and parachuted into the Olympic Stadium (VIDEO).
Below are images via the USPA, captured by David Cherry and Martin Lemay:
Follow @srubinroit
Tags: Daniel Craig, Queen Elizabeth II, Skydiving, USPA, USPA National Skydiving Championships


Feature Interview with The Devil Strip!
About a month ago, I was interviewed by Kyle Brown of The Devil Strip to be their featured artist for the Inside the Studio section! So honored to have my work shared with their audience, as they are they are such talented folks and are truly passionate about the arts & culture here in the Akron area. Thanks guys!


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Australia Travel & Tours
Adelaide & SurroundsBroome & the KimberleyCoral CoastDarwin & the Top EndGreat Barrier ReefMelbourne & Victoria
Outback South AustraliaPerth & South Western AustraliaRed CentreSydney & New South WalesSouth East QueenslandTasmaniaTropical North Queensland
Tailor-made toursSmall group toursExpedition cruisingActive AdventuresSelf Drive Journeys
New Zealand Travel & Tours
Bay of IslandsAuckland & Waiheke IslandCoromandel PeninsulaRotorua & TaupoHawke's BayWellington & Martinborough
Nelson & Abel TasmanMarlboroughChristchurch & KaikouraFox & Franz Josef GlaciersMount Cook & Lake TekapoQueenstown & WanakaFiordlandDunedin
Tailor-made toursSmall group toursExpedition cruisingActive AdventuresSelf Drive JourneysSub-Antarctic Islands
Cook IslandsFijiHawaiiLord Howe IslandNew CaledoniaNorfolk IslandNiue
Papua New GuineaSamoaTahitiTongaVanuatu
Tailor-made toursExpedition cruisingActive Adventures
Latin America, Africa & Polar
Trans-Tasman Travel Bubble Updates
Please note we are only able to respond to enquiries about booking travel. Please direct any questions regarding border restrictions to the relevant government authority. A Trans-Tasman Travel Bubble has been acknowledged as a priority in the road to economic recovery by the Australian and New Zealand Governments, with many Pacific Island nations indicating their...
New Zealand's Sub-Antarctic Islands
August 2, 2020 By Leanne Dunhill
The Sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand and Australia lie in the Southern Ocean. These remote and desolate stepping stones to Antarctica offer rich biodiversity, breathtaking scenery and fascinating human history. They are home to some of the most abundant and unique wildlife on Earth. Many bird species, invertebrates and plants (including the...
Visiting Antarctica from New Zealand
June 2, 2020 By Leanne Dunhill
Over the past few years I have been very privileged to visit Antarctica not once, but twice. Once from Bluff in the south of New Zealand and more recently from Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina. Since I returned from the Antarctic Peninsula in December I've been asked on a number...
Top New Zealand Destinations
May 28, 2020 By Ben Janeczko
New Zealand is world-famous for adventure, a pristine natural environment and some of the best fresh seafood & wine produced anywhere on Earth. We surveyed our well-travelled team at Eclipse Travel to get their favourite spots in this remarkable country. The Southern Alps – Luke The Southern Alps towns of Queenstown and...
Queenstown is Not Just Adventure
May 28, 2020 By Alisha Lockie
Bungy-jumping, ziplining, the Shotover Jet, the luge and snow sports – these are just a few of the activities that are sure to come to mind for anyone when thinking about Queenstown. While the title of "Adventure Capital of the World" is truly well earned for Queenstown and Wanaka Lakes District, there...
Choosing Your Perfect Pacific Island Escape
Having a broad range of South Pacific Island paradises right on our doorstep is a real perk of being a Kiwi or an Aussie – the ability to jump on a plane and within four hours or less and be on a pristine beach with a cocktail in hand really is a...
Top 5 Diving Spots in the South Pacific
May 28, 2020 By Aya Ishii
& Blake Powell The islands of the South Pacific are a diver's paradise. Opportunities to immerse yourself in the deep blue and explore the marine life are numerous and it can be overwhelming trying to figure out where to go. We have put together a list of our top five diving spots...
Top 12 Australian Travel Experiences
Australian travel experiences are a favourite topic amongst the team here at Eclipse Travel. Whilst we have all travelled extensively around the world, most of our team is based in Australia and we often share our favourite travel stories and help plan each others' local holidays. Here is a selection of our...
Australia's Top Food and Drink Experiences
Australian food and drink is sought after all over the world due its high quality and consistency. The unique combination of multicultural history, enterprising spirit and great expanses of pristine growing environments have all contributed to the development of a sophisticated food culture. In recent years a focus by Tourism Australia on...
Australia's Best Walking Tracks
The Great Walks of Australia cover some of the most spectacular terrain the country has to offer. With coastal, inland and outback trails on offer, these walks include high levels of service in small walking groups, gourmet food and wine, and exclusive accommodation, ensuring you are treated to the comforts of a luxury...
Top 9 South Pacific Islands
Pristine beaches, spectacular landscapes, engaging culture and crystal clear water abounds – how do you choose? We have asked our team for their favourite islands to help you navigate your way to the perfect South Pacific adventure! Upolu, Samoa – Alisha I have visited most of the islands in the Pacific, and...
Four Seasons in One Day – A Guide to NZ Weather
May 7, 2020 By Alisha Lockie
For a small country, the climate in New Zealand can be very variable. From the near-tropical climate of Great Barrier Island in the North to the chilly bite of the Southern Alps in the South, you have a huge range of weather possibilities to prepare for. The majority of the country lies...
Eclipse Travel


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Adult Psychopathology
Akathisia
Biopsychology
Bipolar Disorder Psychopathology
Child Psychopathology
Clinical Psychopathology
Criminal Psychopathology
Developmental Psychopathology
Hypnosis Psychology
Neuropsychiatry
Psychogenic Tremor
Psychomotor RetardationÂ
Psychopathological Disorder
Psychopathological Dysfunctions
Psychopathology of Anorexia Nervosa
Psychopathology of Depression
Dr. Francisco Lopez-Munoz
Professor of Pharmacology and Director of International Doctorate School, Chairman of the Research Ethics Committee, and Assistant Director of Academic Staff at Camilo José Cela University, Spain.
Francisco López-Muñoz, MD, PhD, DLitt, received his PhD Degree in Medicine at Madrid Complutense University in 1993 (Doctorate Extraordinary Award), and another PhD Degree in Spanish Language and Literature at University of Alcalá in 2015. Currently he is Professor of Pharmacology, Director of International Doctorate School, Chairman of the Research Ethics Committee, and Assistant Director of Academic Staff at Camilo José Cela University, and Research Fellow at ?Hospital 12 de Octubre? Research Institute (Madrid, Spain), and Portucalense Institute of Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Neurosciences (INPP), Universidade Portucalense Infante Dom Henrique (Porto, Portugal). He has supervised 10 PhD theses, has participated in 26 research projects, and acts as evaluator of research projects and degrees for several European Agencies. Dr. López-Muñoz is editor/author of 25 books, and 209 chapters of books related to the psychopharmacology. He has published 335 articles (H-index = 27). Dr. López-Muñoz is member of several scientific societies (including CINP) and editorial boards, and has participated, as visiting Professor in different Spanish and international academic centres. Dr. López-Muñoz has various awards for his research career, and he is Academician of the Royal Academy of Doctors and Correspondent Academician of the Royal Academy of Medicine and Surgery of Cádiz.
Neuropsychopharmacology and Neurosciences: Biological bases of drug abuse and dual diagnosis, psychotropic drugs interactions, neurobiology of metal disorders, bibliometric techniques applied to mental health-related disciplines and neuropsychopharmacology, combination therapies with antidepressant drugs in resistant depression and with antipsychotics drugs in patients with refractory schizophrenia, and the history of the psychopharmacology and neurosciences.


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Producer Chad A. Verdi's Horror Film "INKUBUS" to Be Released Nationwide on February 21st Through NBC Universal VOD
Redbox and Walmart to Release DVD With VOD to Reach Over 80 Million Homes Nationwide
February 20, 2012 14:56 ET | Source: Woodhaven Production
EAST GREENWICH, RI--(Marketwire - Feb 20, 2012) - The Woodhaven Production Company and Producer Chad A. Verdi proudly announce the VOD and DVD release of their feature film INKUBUS, a gruesome slasher flick starring horror icon Robert Englund (the original Freddy Krueger).
Inkubus, which premiered in theaters last Halloween to a sell out crowd, will hit stores nationwide on February 21st, and will simultaneously be released to over 80 million homes through NBC Universal VOD. "Having Inkubus at Redbox, Blockbuster, Amazon, Walmart and Target along with many other major outlets is a huge success for this film," stated Verdi, adding, "We knew Inkubus was something special when we finished it, but we could have never imagined such a huge release. We couldn't be happier with the film's success."
Inkubus tells the story of a satanic demon that terrorizes the police crew working the final shift at an abandoned Rhode Island police station. The night takes a gruesome turn when the demon, Inkubus (Robert Englund), calmly walks into the station holding the severed head of a murdered girl. Inkubus toys with the crew, allowing himself to be restrained, and begins to proudly confess to his litany of crimes, some dating back to the Middle Ages. Why? Inkubus has a score to settle with the one detective (William Forsythe) that almost put him away some thirteen years ago. The cops quickly become pawns in the demon's brutal crowning achievement of murder, gore, and mayhem. In the end, it is clear: it's Inkubus' world... they only die in it.
Inkubus, which stars Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street), William Forsythe (Halloween, The Devil's Rejects, HBO's Boardwalk Empire), Joey Fatone (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Jonathan Silverman (Weekend at Bernie's) and Michelle Ray Smith (Salt), also features many Rhode Island natives, including Verdi himself. The film is directed by Glenn Ciano, produced by Verdi, Noah Kraft and Ciano, and introduces RI natives Tom DeNucci, Tom Paolino and Sera Verdi to the big screen.
"Inkubus is just the beginning for Woodhaven," said Verdi. "This Halloween we will be following up with our second horror film, Infected, where William Forsythe and Michael Madsen battle zombies to the death."
The Woodhaven Production Company, a subsidiary of Verdi Productions, is a fully funded film production company, covering all aspects of filmmaking from conception of script through postproduction.
Verdi Productions recently announced there next feature film, entitled PAZ, which is now in pre-production. The film will be directed by Ben Younger http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0950226/. For more information please see the official Promo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-DvvJLFuP8.
For further information please contact woodhavenproductioncompany@gmail.com or visit Woodhaven on the web at www.woodhavenfilms.com.
Follow "INKUBUS" on Facebook and Twitter:
www.facebook.com/inkubusmovie or www.twitter.com/inkubusthemovie
Chad A. Verdi, CEO
Michelle L. Verdi, Music and Talent Supervisor Media
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4090091
Tony Verdi
Woodhaven Production
Chad A. Verdi Horror Film INKUBUS NBC
Woodhaven Production Company


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Florentine Butter Chicken
Image October 29, 2019 Tangie Holifield
Photo Credit: Greg DuPree, Food & Wine Magazine, 2019.
This recipe is inspired by Editor in Chief Hunter Lewis' trip to 150-year-old Trattoria Sostanza in Florence. The chicken is cooked in a combination of cultured butter and olive oil. Cultured butter has a higher butterfat content, with a slight tang from those cultures. The butterfat gives cultured butter a slightly higher smoke point and, when combined with olive oil, gives enough cooking time to finish the chicken and the sauce simultaneously. If the butter is darkening too quickly, remove it from the heat and continue to baste with the hot butter.
And I have to add, this recipe made for the most spoon tender and moist chicken breast that you will ever encounter.It's like having a taste of Tuscany in your own kitchen in 30 minutes or less.
Hunter Lewis, Editor in Chief
Food & Wine Magazine
Two 7-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded to 3/4-inch thickness
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) cold salted cultured butter (such as Vermont Creamery), cut into pieces, divided
Lemon slices, for garnish
Sprigs of fresh flat leaf parsley, for garnish
Place beaten egg in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Spread flour in a separate shallow bowl or pie plate. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working with 1 breast at a time, dip chicken in egg, letting any excess drip back into bowl, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
Melt 1/4 cup butter with oil in a 10-inch stainless steel skillet over medium-high, and cook, swirling occasionally, until milk solids begin to sink to bottom of skillet and start to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chicken, rounded sides down, and cook, swirling skillet occasionally, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn chicken over, and add remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Tilt skillet toward you so butter pools, and cook, basting chicken often, until chicken is just cooked through and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, and carefully pour in lemon juice. Note: the butter will start to bubble and brown.
Using a spatula place the chicken breast in the middle of the plate and garnish with lemon slices and parsley.Serve immediately.
All photographs and content, excepted where noted, are copyright protected. Please do not use these photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this photograph and all other contents, then we kindly ask that you link back to this site. We are eternally grateful and we appreciate your support of this blog.
New York City Style Pizza
Image June 17, 2019 Tangie Holifield
If you truly love pizza, then you already know that there are only three places in the world to enjoy it in it's purest form: Southen Italy, Chicago and New York City. I am partial to New York City Pizza whether it is from John's in the Village or Lombardi's on Spring Street or Patsy's in East Harlem.
New York-style pizza is pizza made with a characteristically large hand-tossed thin crust, often sold in wide slices to go. The crust is thick and crisp only along its edge, yet soft, thin, and pliable enough beneath its toppings to be folded in half to eat. Traditional toppings are simply tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.
With the influx of Neapolitan immigrants in the 1890s, pizza arrived in American and was sold on the streets New York City. Unlike those from the old country of Italy, these super-size specimens were baked in coal-fired (not wood-fired) ovens and evolved into the domainant style of pizza that is eaten in the New York Metropolitan Area states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and is variously popular throughout the United States. Regional variations exist throughout the Northeast and elsewhere in the U.S. In New Haven, Connecticut the best pizza houses are Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, also known as "Pepe's" and Sally's Apizza.
In unraveing the culinary history or New York-style pizza, it really began with a man named Filippo Milone, an immigrant pizzaiolo (pizza maker) from Naples, who probably arrived in American in 1892. In about or around 1897, he opened a grocery store on 47 Union Street, in Red Hook (Brooklyn). By 1898, Filippo Milone was now going by the Anglicized name, Phil Malone. Malone established another business at 53½ Spring Street, in Manhattan. He applied for permit for a coal-fired bake oven in the summer of 1898 and six years later, he was licensed to sell pizza by New York State establishing the first of many pizzerias.
In 1905 Gennaro Lombardi received a business license to operate a pizzeria restaurant, at 53½ Spring Street location in New York City's Little Italy. It is unclear as to whether Lombardi's was actually a franchise belonging to Phil Malone or if Malone sold the business he established to Lomadari. At this location Lombardi also began selling tomato pies wrapped in butcher paper and tied with a string at lunchtime to workers from the area's factories. Soon Lombardi had a clientele that included the legendary Italian tenor Enrico Caruso.
Anthony (Totonno) Pero came to America in 1903 and began working at Lombardi's in Little Italy. As an employee of Lomabardi's, Pero also began making tomato pies that closely resemble the NYC style pizza we know today. Pero sold the pies for five cents each. Many people, however, could not afford a whole pie and instead would offer what they could in return for a corresponding sized slice. In 1924, Totonno left Lombardi's and followed the path of the expanding New York City Subway lines to open his own pizzeria on Coney Island, called Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitana. The pizzerias was not only famous for it's pies, but was well known for it unusual business hours, it only closed whenever the dough ran out!
In 2009, Totonno's was awarded one of the highest awards in the culinary industry….the James Beard Award– in the category of America's Classics.
By 1929 John Sasso opened John's Pizzeria on Sullivan Street, in the Heart of Greenwich Village. After losing his lease on Sullivan Street, Sasso dismantled his original coal fired brick oven and moved it to 278 Bleecker Street where he continued to run and grow his business and refine his pizza recipe to perfection.
Sasso ran his business until 1954 when he sold the pizzeria to the Vesce Brothers. Augustine (Chubby) Vesce bought the business from his brothers and he continued to own and operate John's pizzeria until he passed away in 1984, passing his legacy on.
John's is still family owned and operated and we are honored to have the opportunity to continue serving our world famous Pizza. The "Hallmarks" of John's of Bleecker St. are the coal fired brick ovens that churn out hundreds of crispy pizza's daily. It's a different world from what it was in 1929, but John's is still making the same traditional coal fired pizza in the oven that started it all back on Sullivan Street.
According to the Village Voice, "Beyond the salty, greasy cheese and heavily charcoal-kissed crust, it's the piquancy of John's sauce that remains the most remarkable thing about the offerings at this standard-bearer in the NYC pizza pantheon… With its faded murals and deeply worn wooden booths, the place is a museum."
John's doesn't sell slices, but they will sell you a whole pie, which you will want to eat anyways.
In 1933 newlyweds Pasquale "Patsy'" and Carmella Lancieri opened Patsy's Pizzeria in East Harlem at 2287-91 1st Avenue in 1933. Patsy's quickly established itself as a family style, old-fashioned neighborhood restaurant that catered to the growing population of Italian immigrants who longed for the cuisine of their homeland in a casual family style atmosphere. Also attracted were New Yorkers who wished to taste the new culinary expertise of the Italian immigrants. Almost immediately, the atmosphere, style and cuisine at Patsy's Pizzeria began attracting many popular and famous personalities. Luminaries like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Tony Bennett became regulars. In addition, its prime uptown location made it a convenient stop for famous Yankees such as Phil Rizzutto, Joe Dimaggio and Yogi Berra. Patsy Lancieri had developed a huge following and East Harlem was now "the" place to go.
In the early 1970's, Patsy's Pizzeria became the late-night haunt of Francis Ford Coppola who used it's ambiance to shape his actor's performances in his blockbuster film "The Godfather". As a result, the restaurant has been used numerous times as a period location and backdrop for many movies, employing many East Harlem residents in the process.
Both Lombardi's and Totonno's used coal-fired ovens, as did John's and Patsy's. All four resturants are still open today. Di Fara Pizza, which opened in 1964 and has been run by Domenico DeMarco since then, serves what many believe to be the best pizza in New York City, a combination of New York and Neapolitan styles.
Characteristically, New York-style pizza is traditionally hand-tossed, consisting in its basic form of a light layer of tomato sauce sprinkled with dry, grated, full-fat mozzarella cheese; additional toppings like sausage and pepperoni can be placed over the cheese. Pies are typically around 18 inches (45 cm) in diameter, and commonly cut into 8 slices. These large wide slices are often eaten as fast food while folded in half (like one would fold a cardboard box) from the crust, as their size and flexibility can make them unwieldy to eat flat. Folding the slice also collects the abundant oil in the crease, and allows the slice to be eaten with one hand.
What few people know is that it is the water of New York that makes all difference in the taste of the iconic NYC pizza crust.
We take our water for granted.
Did you know that New York City is the nation's largest municipal water supplier. I am not a Native New Yorker, but due to graduate school and employment, I have lived in upstate New York and New York City on and off for more than two decades. And like many locals, I happily choose tap water at restaurants and extol the virtues of New York's wettest best tasting water in the World. Yes Virigina, you can taste the difference, trust me, I am a chemist after all. I am sure that some people might wonder how and where the magic happens–even more so recently, in light of some other cities' far less stellar experiences with the local water supply.and how 9.5 million people (and growing, apparently) can keep the good stuff flowing.
The source of this fantastsically natural exilier is derived from upstate.More than 90 percent of the New York City's water supply comes from the Catskill/Delaware Watershed, which is about 125 miles north of NYC; the other 10 percent comes from the Croton watershed. The watershed sits on over a million acres, both publicly and privately owned, but highly regulated to make sure contaminants stay out of the water.
So what really makes New York City water actually taste so good? Well, thanks in part to the geology of the Catskill Mountains, which have very little limestone rock, the city's water contains low levels of bitter-tasting calcium. As a result, New York has delicious bagels and pizza crust.ideal pizza crust is thinner in the middle, with a rim that balloons slightly to give it that all important crunch. This is a basic "Big Apple" pizza dough that delivers that signature thin-crust, foldable slice New York is famous for.
For a New York Style pizza, the heavily-seasoned cooked tomato sauce is typically made of olive oil, canned tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and herbs like oregano, basil, and crushed red pepper, as opposed to the simple Neapolitan sauce, made from uncooked crushed tomatoes and salt. The cheese is always grated low-moisture mozzarella, not the fresh slices you'll find on Neapolitan-style pizza.
Common condiments to put on top of a slice after it comes out of the oven include garlic powder, crushed red pepper, dried oregano, and grated Parmesan cheese.
We used the traditional tomato sauce and cheese toppings in this recipe, but please, feel free to use your favorite sauce and toppings and enjoy!
Makes Two 11-inch Pizzas
1 cup warm water, about 105º F to 115º F
1/4-ounce package instant active dry yeast
3 cups Caputo 00 flour , plus more as needed
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, peeled
2 cloves garlic,finely minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
1 pound full-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
For serving:
Finely grated Parmesan cheese
Combine the water, yeast, sugar, and a 1/2 cup of the flour in a medium bowl. Stir well and let sit for 20 minutes. It will get bubbly.
Add the olive oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour, and mix with a wooden spoon until it forms a loose dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, while adding more flour a little at a time, to produce a soft, elastic and slightly sticky dough. Do not add too much flour, just enough to keep it from sticking to the work surface as you knead.
Form the dough into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl. Drizzle a few drops of oil and coat the top of dough to prevent the surface from becoming dry.
Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot for 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
Punch down the dough and divide into 2 balls and place in large zip lock plastic bags and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to use, remove from fridge, and let the dough come up to room temperature before using.
Feed tomatoes and their juices through a food mill or pulse in a food processor until pulverized into a chunky puree. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, until butter is melted. Add 2 cloves of garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of oregano, 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, onion, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour. Add more salt if necessary. Remove and discard onion.
Let cool and store unused portion in a container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or pour into zip-top bags and freeze.
To make the pizzas:
Preheat the oven to 475 º F (245 º C). If using a pizza stone, preheat it in the oven as well, setting it on the lowest shelf.
You will need a 12-inch round pizza pan or a large baking sheet. Dark, heavy metal pans are the best to use because they absorb heat quickly and evenly and will produce a crisp, golden browned crust.
For each pizza, brush the pizza pan with a little olive oil. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. With floured hands, pat the dough into a 6-inch round. Stretch or roll the dough with a rolling pin into an 11-inch round. Lift the dough onto the prepared pan and press the dough to the edge of the pan.
Using a 6-ounce ladle, pour the sauce in the center of the prepared dough. Keeping the bottom of the ladle flat and without pushing down, spread the sauce to the outside edge, using a spiral motion.leaving at least an 1/8 inch border while spreading the sauce consistently across the crust. There should be no large bare spots or heavy ridges of sauce.
Evenly distributed the cheeses on top of the sauce.
Bake pizzas one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes. If you want, toward the end of the cooking time you can sprinkle on a little more cheese.
Cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Using a pizza cutter, slice each pizza in to 8 equal slices and serve with the desired condiments.
To eat a slice , place your forefinger of left or right hand in the center of the crust. Using the your thumb and remaing to make a solid fold. Turn the tip of hte pizza towards your mouth and take bite!
Caputo 00 flour is ideal for pizza dough for two reasons: one, it's finely ground, and two, it has a lower gluten content than most flours. The "00" refers to the texture of the flour: Italian flours are classified by numbers according to how finely they are ground, from the roughest ground "tipo"1, to 0, and the finest 00. Gluten, the natural protein that remains when starch is removed from wheat grains, creates the elasticity you feel when you bite into a crunchy loaf of bread. The lower the protein content of the flour, the lower the gluten, and the lower the gluten, the less elasticity there will be in your dough (cake flour has the lowest gluten level). Gluten levels are controlled by selecting different strands of wheat for processing: high-gluten bread flour is made from wheat that has 14-15% gluten. Meanwhile, the Caputo 00 is made from a selection of the finest grains the Caputo family can find to give your dough just enough, but not too much, stretch at 12.5% gluten.
Bread flour is a suitable substitue if 00 flour is nor readliy available.
To make whole wheat pizza dough, substitute 2 cups of whole wheat flour for 2 cups of the bread flour and proceed as directed.
To make the pizza dough ahead, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in a zip-lock storage bag and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Use the dough directly from the refrigerator. To freeze, wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap, then put it into a zip-lock freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours or until pliable.
If you want to make your pizza more crispy, bake your pizza in the oven at its maximum temperature, usually ranging from 500 to 550 º F (260 to 290 ºC). Bake the pizza for 9 to 12 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Cohen, Michelle. 2016. "NYC Water 101: From the Catskill Aqueduct and Robotic Measurements to Your Tap." 6ftsq: CITY LIVING, TECHNOLOGY, URBAN DESIGN.Date Accessed May 26, 2019. https://www.6sqft.com/nyc-water-101-from-the-catskill-aqueduct-and-robotic-measurements-to-your-tap/
Gilbert, Sara. 2005. "New York Pizza: is the water the secret?". Slashfood. Weblogs, Inc.
Jackson, Kenneth T. et al. 2010 . The Encyclopedia of New York City (2nd ed.). New Haven: Yale University Press.
Keohane, Jo. 2011. 00 FLOUR IS BEST FOR MAKING PIZZA:Caputo 00 flour is the test kitchen's favorite for pizza crust. Saveur Magazine. Date Accessed May 26, 2019. https://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Best-Flour-for-Making-Pizza
Mitzewich, John. 2018. "New York Style Pizza Dough." The The Spruce Eats. Date Accessed May 26, 2019. https://www.thespruceeats.com/new-york-style-pizza-dough-recipe-101630h
New York City 2018 Drinking Water Supply & Quality Report. New York City Environmental Protection. Date Accessed May 26, 2019. https://www1.nyc.gov/site/dep/about/drinking-water-supply-quality-report.page
Otis, Ginger Adams et. al. 2010. New York City Lonely Planet City Guide. New York City: Lonely Planet.
Swerdloff, Alex. 2016 . "What the Price of a Slice of Pizza Can Tell You About New York". Munchies.vice.com.
Grilled Mozzarella and Red Peppers Sandwich
Image April 20, 2019 Tangie Holifield
This sandwich screams FRESHNESS, as it is made with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil pesto and oven roasted red sweet bell peppers drizzled balsamic vinegar. With layers of flavor, it is the perfect sandwich for a Meatless Monday lunch option.
2 red sweet bell pepper
1 Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Ball
2 slices of Provolone Cheese
4 slices Italian bread
Vegetable cooking spray
For the Fresh Basil Pesto:
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
salt, more to taste
freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
Preheat oven to 500° F .
Place the red bell peppers on a rimmed backing sheet. Lightly coat the peppers with the vegetable spray and place in the heated oven. Allow the peppers to roast for about 15 to 20 minutes. Rotate it at about the 7 minute mark and remove when all sides have charred black. Remove the peppers from the oven and allow them to cool. When the red peppers have cooled to the touch, remove the charred skin by using a clean tea towel. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds, then julienne the roasted peppers.
Using a sharp knife, thinly slice six pieces of cheese from the mozzarella ball.
To prepare the pesto spread: Pulse basil and pine nuts in a food processor: Place the basil leaves and pine nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a several times.
Add the garlic and Parmesan or Romano cheese and pulse several times more. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula.
While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady small stream. Adding the olive oil slowly, while the processor is running, will help it emulsify and help keep the olive oil from separating. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor. Stir in salt and freshly ground black pepper, add more to taste. cover and set aside.
Set the oven to 450 ° F.
Take 4 slices of Italian bread and spread the pesto on one side.
Lay a slice of provolone ontop of the pesto.
Take one slice and with the pesto side up and layer with the julienned red pepper first.
Use a brush and lightly coat the top of the red pepper with 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar.
Add three slices of Mozzarella cheese ontop of the peppers and close the with another bread slice. The pesto side should be touching the mozzarella. Repeat the process for the second sandwich.
Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high. Melt the butter until it is lightly foaming. Gently place the sandwiches in the melted butter.
Fry the sandwiches for about 2 to 4 minutes on medium heat, as it the bread become golden brown. Using spatula flip the sandwich over until the bread is crispy and golden brown, for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Continue to cook the sandwiches in the oven, by placing the skillet sandwich in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes. Cook until the cheese is melted and slightly oozing from the bread. Remove from the oven.
Using a spatula, place a sandwich on a plate and serve immediately.
Basil pesto oxidizes (darkens) when exposed to air, so to store, cover tightly with plastic wrap making sure the plastic is touching the top of the pesto and not allowing the pesto to have contact with air, making a complete seal. The pesto will stay greener longer that way. The pest will keep for about 2 weeks.