Smart City applications such as street lighting, smart parking, and road traffic management are starting to be widely deployed around the world, bringing benefits to city operations, improving quality of life, reducing costs and energy use, and improving customer service. These services tend to be deployed as stand-alone applications, but the full benefits of a Smart City will only be realized if these applications are able to share data, enabling cross-department processes, and making city operations transparent across many groups.
In addition, many cities are growing rapidly and need to be certain that these applications can be extended and expanded as required, meaning a future-proof IT strategy is essential. And because physical location is no longer a determining factor in IT infrastructure management, cloud solutions are likely to be the logical next step.
A well-designed Smart City infrastructure can enhance services and business oppurtunities, improve safety, and boost collaboration between the city, its citizens, and businesses and continue to do so for decades to come. To achieve this, decision-makers should make sure the following questions can be answered satisfactorily.


The Indore Kautilya Academy it prepares future banking professionals with their expertise and knowledge in banking examinations. People sometimes prefer jobs, that are secure, safe and permanent, rather than highly paid insecure jobs. Banking sectors rendering wide spectrum of services for the people, now banking sectors with the adoption of new technology and service, they need candidates who do have the necessary qualification to maintain these extra services they are providing for their customers. They require their staff to understand the requirements of customers and fully prepared to maintain their job responsibilities. The Government of India's liberalization policy allowing foreign banks to conduct business has created wide challenges in the job opportunities for Indians. Customers can get convenient banking service, that enhances the quality of services in banks. In spite of foreign banks' entry into the Indian economic system, still public sector banks have got 90% of the business share in the country.
Today in India total 103 banks are functioning, out of which 27 are public sector banks, 43 banks are foreign banks and the remaining 33 banks are private banks. There are plenty of opportunities for the aspirants who wish to take up banking jobs are their profession. To compete with public sector banks, private banks and foreign banks are introducing new and innovative services in the banking field. This trend has provided enough scope and sometimes this new trend of opportunities has out shadowed the image of government jobs.


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Home > Liverpool House Prices > Grosvenor Road
Sold House Prices in Grosvenor Road
This page displays sold house prices for Grosvenor Road in Liverpool.
Grosvenor Road in Maghull, Liverpool consists predominantly of semi-detached houses. Properties on Grosvenor Road typically have values around £150,000 - £200,000, ranging upwards of £200,000 for larger semi-detached houses.
Sold Price (Low-High)
Sold Price (High-Low)
1 Grosvenor Road, Maghull L31 5NH
£173,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 24th June 2005
£159,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 27th January 2006
4 Grosvenor Road, Maghull L31 5NN
£165,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 9th May 2005
£168,000 Terraced house, Freehold 30th June 2006
£160,000 Terraced house, Freehold 30th May 2014
£30,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 29th September 1995
£66,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 4th January 1999
£63,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 1st June 2000
£49,500 Semi-detached house, Freehold 1st March 1995
£159,995 Semi-detached house, Freehold 12th November 2010
£171,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 1st July 2005
£123,950 Semi-detached house, Freehold 30th April 2004
10 Grosvenor Road, Maghull L31 5NN
£58,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 31st January 1997
£93,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 31st July 2002
11 Grosvenor Road, Maghull L31 5NH
£67,500 Semi-detached house, Freehold 20th October 1995
£147,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 1st October 2004
£69,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 4th December 1998
£65,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 5th September 1995
£51,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 18th August 1995
£155,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 3rd July 2009
£137,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 27th July 2007
£168,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 13th August 2010
£45,750 Semi-detached house, Freehold 15th December 1995
£45,000 Terraced house, Leasehold 10th September 2007
£76,950 Semi-detached house, Freehold 3rd August 2000
£52,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 23rd July 1999
£115,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 25th October 2002
£160,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 1st September 2014
£70,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 28th July 2000
£178,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 8th July 2005
£159,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 7th December 2012
£155,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 2nd March 2012
£124,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 2nd May 2003
£44,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 13th January 1995
£141,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 21st June 2013
£165,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 18th December 2013
£69,950 Semi-detached house, Freehold 30th June 1999
£58,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 27th February 1998
£134,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 6th September 2013
70 Grosvenor Road, Maghull L31 5NW
£104,200 Semi-detached house, Freehold 4th November 2002
£170,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 26th September 2007
£158,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 1st May 2008
£140,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 9th October 2013
£127,500 Semi-detached house, Freehold 4th August 2003
£165,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 2nd November 2007
£75,500 Semi-detached house, Freehold 31st August 2000
£87,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 30th November 2001
£56,695 Semi-detached house, Freehold 30th May 1997
106 Grosvenor Road, Maghull L31 5NW
£49,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 31st October 1996
£56,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 6th October 2003
£195,000 Semi-detached house, Freehold 4th April 2008
All sold house price data on Merseyside .com is provided under license from the Land Registry for England and Wales. We cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. N.B. Sold prices are reported up to 3 months in arrears from date of house sale so there may be a delay for some sold properties to appear on this site. Data produced by Land Registry © Crown copyright 2023.
Grosvenor Road
Map showing Grosvenor Road in Liverpool.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Real Thing! Start a collection of these Chicago Bears AUTHENTIC NFL Team Helmets! Riddell - the official supplier to the NFL - has designed each helmet with the most recognizable symbols of your favorite teams and players.
The helmet looks great on the shelf but it does not fit. It is a large, I am average size( 5'9") can't understand why we can't exchange for a larger size either. I would recommend the helmet but not this site if you cannot choose sizes. I recieved this as a gift.
This was a gift I purchased for my adult son.
on but it didn't fit his average sized head.
Looks great on the mantle piece in its case.


Pavones in Golfo Dulce is a sheltered point break that has unreliable waves The best wind direction is from the east. Groundswells more frequent than windswells and the ideal swell angle is from the southwest.The break here is a left hand point. Best around low tide when the tide is rising. When it's working here, it can get crowded. Take care of rocks in the line up.
For Cabo Blanco, 8 km from Pavones.
At ASCAT277E8N, 49 km from Pavones.
The two graphs above are also combined in the single Pavones surf consistency graph.
Also see Pavones surf quality by season and Pavones surf quality by month.
Compare Pavones with another surf break.
The closest passenger airport to Pavones is Coto 47 Airport (OTR) in Costa Rica, 25 km (16 miles) away (directly).
The second nearest airport to Pavones is Golfito Airport (GLF), also in Costa Rica, 27 km (17 miles) away.
Third is Palmar Sur Airport (PMZ) in Costa Rica, 70 km (43 miles) away.
Enrique Malek International (David) Airport (DAV) in Panama is 74 km (46 miles) away.
Cap Manuel Nino International (Changuinola) Airport (CHX), also in Panama is the fifth nearest airport to Pavones and is 132 km (82 miles) away.
This is the Surf-Forecast page for Pavones, Golfo Dulce. Use the tab navigation above to view Pavones sea temperature, Pavones photographs, Pavones detailed swell predictions, wind and weather forecasts, Pavones webcams, current wind from Golfo Dulce live weather stations and Pavones tide predictions. The Costa Rica swell maps link will open up the big picture showing Costa Rica and the surrounding seas. These swell maps can be animated to show the different swell components, wave energy, wave period, wave heights, together with wind and weather forecasts, current weather and sea state observations from Costa Rica wave-buoys, passing ships and coastal weather stations. Each of the forecast pages for this surf break feature a global and regional wavefinder tool to locate the best surf conditions in the area around Pavones.


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Q: Getting values from a DateTimePicker in Form and add them to a text box in a RDLC Report I have a Form with a 2 DateTimePickers and a Button. When the Button clicked, another Form with Report Viewer will open. RDLC report attached to that Report Viewer has 2 text boxes to show date values selected in DateTimePickers. But I couldn't find a way to add those values to RDLC report. Please help me on this.
Form 1:
private void btnGenerate_expense_report_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        DateTime sDate = dPStartDate_expense_report.Value.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd");
        DateTime eDate = dPEndDate_expense_report.Value.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd");

        var repExpense = new ReportExpenses(sDate, eDate);
        repExpense.ShowDialog();
    }

A: try with below
    DateTime sDate = dPStartDate_expense_report.Value;
    DateTime eDate = dPEndDate_expense_report.Value;

.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd") will convert datetime to a string, you don't need to convert DateTimePicker value to string if the ReportExpenses constructor accept datetime values
Or you can directly use the value
var repExpense = new ReportExpenses(dPStartDate_expense_report.Value, dPEndDate_expense_report.Value);

Now you can set the parameter values for the report viewer
ReportParameter p1 = new ReportParameter("sDate", sDate);
ReportParameter p1 = new ReportParameter("eDate", eDate);
this.ReportViewer1.LocalReport.SetParameters(new ReportParameter[]{p1,p2});

Assume you already added two parameters with name "sDate" and "eDate" having type of DateTime in your report
If you need to set the textbox text using above parameter value, you can add expression as
=Parameters!sDate.Value

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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The Dinaledi chamber has just begun to be excavated. Initial surveys reveal multiple, partially buried concentrations of human bone. These are shown as pink circles. By Dirks et al. (2015: Fig. 2), published under a CC-BY 4.0 international license.
Despite its sure-thing knowledge-transforming significance, there are two weird challenges with which the Dinaledi finds confront us. And by cloaking the skeletal finds in mystery, these unusual problems are only likely to enhance the site's scientific staying-power.
The team excavating and studying the Dinaledi chamber, its sedimentary deposits, and the associated human skeletal remains has set as priority one this goal: figuring out how old the site is. This brings us to the first problem. They have no immediate clues how old the human remains really are (Dirks et al., 2015). In general, extant cave systems in the Cradle of Humankind region of South Africa began trapping fossils–along with sedimentary debris–some time before 3 million years ago, in the middle of the Pliocene Epoch (ca. 5.3-2.6 mya). However, the Dinaledi chamber has likely been continuously accessible from the surface–albeit through long, narrow, winding dark passages. The human remains could be from a much more recent human population.
This leaves the important question of how old the H. naledi remains are. At this point we do not want to speculate on the age of the deposit considering the reworked nature of the sediments resulting in mixed stratigraphic signatures that impede faunal dating of the fossil rodent remains, and the limited amount of clean flowstone suitable for U-Pb dating (Pickering et al., 2011a, 2011b). Further method development is underway to circumvent this problem.
We just gotta hang on and wait.
And even then, expect controversy and scientific uncertainty to prevail for a while, at least until specialists in radiometric dating come up with some clever chemical and physical measurement solutions that will work, not only for Dinaledi, but for similar cave deposits, too. Basically, in caves where seeping water shapes travertine crusts, trace radioactive isotopes of uranium–and their decay products–get incorporated into the calcium carbonate mineral matrix as flowstones, stalagtites and stalagmites form. And thus, they can provide radiometric clocks to determine when those travertines precipitated. But this only works accurately and precisely if there is not too much detritus (basically, dust, dirt, and pebbles) already with varying amounts of uranium, lead, and thorium involved in what's known as the U-series of radioactive decay. Notably, the problem of "dirty carbonates" forced the large uncertainty in measuring when calcitic crusts formed on another major fossil find–also from a cave context–that of the Manot calvaria (Hershkovitz et al., 2015).
But Dirks et al. (2015) also observe that the clayey sediments have been somewhat mixed, as occasional water and mud flows in the karstic system moved material around. This not only points to the team's prudently cautious approach in avoiding any comparisons between the rodent bones from Dinaledi and other African sites of known age. It also brings into focus how few rodent bones were found at all.
And this gets us closer to the second problem. The Dinaledi chamber is so remote and stable, and the fossil assemblage is so thoroughly dominated by human remains, that the only plausible way thousands of bone fragments have gotten into the site is by members of the living group carrying partial or whole human cadavers and depositing them deep under ground.
No cave bears. No underground streams. No crevices under leopard perches. Just human bones distributed across the uneven surface of Dinaledi, accumulating over some millennia, sometime over the past 4 million years.
In fact, the study published by Dirks et al. (2015) is a wonderful model of scientifically rigorous process-of-elimination thinking. They convincingly establish that most of the human remains ended up in Dinaledi because living humans in the past put them there … mainly, if not exclusively, as intact cadavers. This seems to be a very exciting discovery in itself: contextual evidence for repeated intergenerational disposal of the dead.
In other words, there's evidence for socially and semiotically complex, highly evocative ritual. And perhaps very deep in our prehistoric past.
So why is this a problem? It's not just that we still lack chronological context for the material traces of such ritualized behaviors that–from a cross-cultural and more recent archaeological perspective–would have been so integral to the shaping and reshaping of the social fabric and social experience of the living (see Nilsson Stutz, 2003). It's that these mortuary ritual acts are documented through the deposits of MANY fragmentary skeletons, which exhibit anatomical features unambiguously unique to the genus Homo, but very definitely small-brained Homo (ca. 500 cubic centimeters).
Our big brains (roughly three times as big) are not necessary conditions for our intensely socially focused, semiotically rich (that is, intensely symbolically attention-focusing, likely recursively evoking) interaction and embodied experience with the world.
And at first glance–and notice the almost unavoidable visually metaphorical expressions we tend to use when we use language to manage each other's joint attention–this is a bigger scientific problem than that posed by the early 20th Century discovery of human fossil evidence, which falsified the assumption that our that big brains evolved early in our ancestors' divergence from the African apes (classically summarized by Washburn ). This now-discarded claim was manifest over 100 years ago in the fraudulent wish-fulfillment attempt that was the Piltdown skull. But with new evidence from Dinaledi, we can no longer take for granted another untested claim: that big brains and language are needed to carry out meaningful, emotional, memory-shaping, socially bonding rituals.
So we might now wonder, under the right environmental circumstances, might chimpanzees and gorillas–with brain sizes similar to those of the Dinaledi human remains–begin to teach each other how to care for their dead? Have some past or unobserved extant chimp or gorilla societies already developed such social traditions? And what would this entail for our understanding the nature and diversity of hominid embodied mental experience, with and without language?
Now, the adult modern human brain usually takes up over 1200 cubic centimeters, sometimes as large as 1900 cc's. The adult cranial fragments from this new report (Berger et al., 2015) are only consistent with brains similar in size to australopithecines and the earliest diagnostic members of the genus Homo from Africa, dating to 3 million to 1.5 million years ago–that is, around 500 cc.
The remains excavated so far from the Dinaledi Chamber in the Rising Star Cave system (located in the Cradle of Humankind group of caves near Pretoria, South Africa) could be from the earliest phase of fossil deposit formation (ca. 3 million years ago).
But as the chamber has likely been continuously accessible from the surface–albeit through long, narrow, winding dark passages–the relatively small-brained human population represented by the Dinaledi remains could be very recent. We may now consider this possibility because short-statured, even smaller-brained humans have been found from archaeological deposits well-dated to ca. 90-12,000 years ago in Liang Bua Cave on Flores Island, Indonesia (Brown et al., 2004; Morwood et al., 2004, 2005).
In short, the newly reported remains from Dinaledi Chamber could be ca. 3 mya … or … when? 100,000 years ago? 50,000 years ago? 12,000 years ago? The new small-brained human remains–dubbed as the new species (!!!) Homo naledi by the team excavating and studying them–have a place, but they don't have a time. And this inspires Rorschach-test-like associations. How we handle our initial, seemingly inspired thoughts–that is, how we use our initial reactions to focus on logical, theoretically reasonable, necessary and sufficient chains of implications, tracing branching paths of contingent implications, in order to figure out the most relevant hypotheses and rigorous observational approaches to testing them … That's the test of our scientific mettle.
So perhaps challenge is a better word here than problem, concerning how living members of the group appear to have ritually disposed of the dead resting in Dinaledi chamber.
But it's a big challenge. Regardless of when the humans represented by the Dinaledi remains lived … and regardless of whether they really belonged to a distinct (and now extinct) branch of the hominin family tree, we also need to focus more deliberately on our tendency to assume that language-based thinking evolved first … only later allowing socially shared imagination and abstraction, in this case, about relationships between the living self and dead loved ones, relatives, allies, or enemies.
Could it have been the other way around? That imagination evolved first in combination with ritualized social interaction? And spoken language only later?
Washburn, S. L. (1951). The New Physical Anthropology. Transactions of the New York Academy of Sciences, 13(7), 298–304.


I feel that an investment strategy in the stock market can instill in the individual investor not only an assured confidence in all future stock market investments, but also an almost Zen-like sense of peace and well being. A stock market investment strategy spelled out, proven, and instilling within the investor the power to succeed in the stock market with an assured confidence.
The investment strategy I'm talking about would take away the anxiety of indecision, since you would have for yourself – spelled out in advance – knowledge of when and where to take advantage of each stock market investment opportunity.
Since there is no room in a stock market investment strategy for indecision the investment strategy would spell out exactly what you're after, in advance. Would tell you how and when and where to take advantage of each stock trade forex market investment opportunity, in advance. Would instill in the investor the self-confidence and purpose of mind to succeed, in advance. An investment strategy that knows you seldom get what you're after unless you know in advance what you want.
One aspect of the investment strategy would set clear and specific long-term goals. For without clear and specific goals a powerful force essential for success in the stock market would be missing. An investment goal, for example, that is predetermined to increase cash income from each and every stock market investment for the rest of your life would instill within you the power to fulfill the goal.
A second aspect of the investment strategy would be that it would only benefit the investor (no broker commission fees, management fees, advertising fees, operational fees), and no one else! It is for that reason this investment strategy has had very little promotion. No one has a vested interest in promoting it. It would benefit the investor and the investor alone. An investment strategy offering an enviable opportunity to learn how and when and why and where to invest in the stock market commission-free. An investment strategy used to invest regularly to increase income continuously, for the rest of your life.


Contrary to popular belief, there are other ways to treat lung cancer besides chemotherapy—and may be in a form of a tablet.
Pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim introduced in the country a form of targeted therapy that would supplement traditional chemotherapy in preventing cancer cells to spread. Afatinib, an oral treatment used specifically for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, works as a blocker and stops the mutation of cancer cells.
NSCLC, the most common type of lung cancer (the other, which is the small cell lung cancer), has accounted 85 percent, or 12,074, of all lung cancer cases in 2012. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for Filipino men and second for Filipino women, next to breast cancer. According to the National Tobacco Control Strategy, there were 8,519 deaths recorded in 2011.
Dr. Necy Juat, an oncologist at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, said lung cancer cells have a "lock and key" concept when mutating.
Afatinib, which works best for nonsmall cell adenocarcinoma, stops this "lock and key" process. But before ingesting Afatinib, Juat said patients must know what type of lung cancer they have first.
"If you find out that it is a nonsmall cell adenocarcinoma, then the option is you test it for EGFR mutation," she said.
EGFR testing recommended by oncologists will determine how a patient will be treated. It is offered by hospitals that are equipped and costs around P50,000 to P60,000. Some pharmaceutical companies, however, are giving out free EGFR testing.
"If the mutation turns out positive, then you have the option of taking the oral treatment for lung cancer," Juat said. Other treatment options include invasive removal of cancer cells, radiation therapy that shrinks or kills the cancer cells, or chemotherapy.
Dr. Melvin Pasay, a pulmonologist from St. Luke's Medical Center, meanwhile said that because Afatinib is now available in the Philippines, risks of lung cancer will now be easily reduced.
Afatinib is approved in several countries in Europe and Asia including Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and South Korea. It was approved in the Philippines in October 2014 and launched in January.
Both Juat and Pasay, however, said a patient cannot claim he/she is cancer-free, that is why it is still important to prevent its causes and take care of one's health.


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Slaughters Bans Work Ski Trips Following Harassment Claim
The move follows a risk review of staff behavior during social events.
By Krishnan Nair | January 13, 2020 at 05:54 AM | The original version of this story was published on Legal Week
Slaughter and May has banned work-subsidized ski trips, following an incident that saw a lawyer leaving the firm on the back of sexual harassment allegations, a person close to the situation said.
Krishnan Nair
Krishnan is Deputy Editor at Law.com International. A qualified solicitor, he has written for a number of publications and information providers, including the Financial Times and LexisNexis, joining Law.com in May 2018. He covers a variety of City and international law firms as well as disputes and white collar crime.
The Big-Ticket Cases Possibly Subject to the Girardi Keese Bankruptcy Estate
Amanda Bronstad | January 14, 2021
A bankruptcy judge on Wednesday ordered Los Angeles plaintiffs firm Girardi Keese and its founder, Tom Girardi, into Chapter 7 proceedings, leaving thousands of lawsuits on hold and now under the microscope of trustees. Some of the biggest cases include thousands of people in Los Angeles affected by a 2015 gas leak and victims of the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas.
Dylan Jackson | January 15, 2021
Joshua Schiller, son of firm co-founder Jonathan Schiller, was arrested Thursday in Ross, California.
Maximizing Law Firm Profitability: Hiring, Training and Developing Productive LawyersBook
Maximizing Law Firm Profitability: Hiring, Training and Developing Productive Lawyers shows you how to manage your own practice and how to develop the potential of the pe...


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Rashin Wurie (* 27. Dezember 1972 in Freetown) ist ein ehemaliger sierra-leonischer Fußballspieler.

Karriere

Wurie begann seine Profilaufbahn in Belgien, wo er zunächst für den Boom FC spielte. Mit Boom gelang ihm 1992 der Aufstieg in die Erste Division Belgiens. Nach dem Abstieg 1993 verließ Wurie den Verein und schloss sich dem Zweitligisten Beerschot VAC an, für den er bis 1997 aktiv war. Nach den weiteren Stationen RAEC Mons und RSC Pâturages wechselte er 2000 nach Deutschland, wo er für die damaligen Regionalligisten Lok Altmark Stendal und Eintracht Braunschweig spielte.

Wurie lief siebenmal für die sierra-leonische Fußballnationalmannschaft auf, mit der er dabei an der Afrikameisterschaft 1996 in Südafrika sowie der Qualifikation zur Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft 1998 teilnahm.

Weblinks

  von der ehemaligen Datenbank von Playerhistory.com (englisch)

Einzelnachweise

Fußballnationalspieler (Sierra Leone)
Fußballspieler (1. FC Lok Stendal)
Fußballspieler (Eintracht Braunschweig)
Fußballspieler (Germinal Beerschot)
Fußballspieler (RAEC Mons)
Geboren 1972
Mann
Sierra-Leoner

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Senate Republicans block a key vote on Biden's nominations for the Federal Reserve
Sarah Bloom Raskin, President Biden's nominee to be the Fed's vice chair for supervision, speaks during her confirmation hearing with the Senate Banking Committee on Feb. 3 in Washington, D.C. Senate Banking Republicans delayed a key vote on her nomination, along with a group of four other nominees to the Fed. / Pool/Getty Images
Senate Republicans blocked a committee vote Tuesday on five of President Biden's nominees to the Federal Reserve board, delaying their confirmation at a time when the central bank is under growing pressure to crack down on inflation.
The delayed nominations included Jerome Powell for a second term as Fed chairman, Lael Brainard as vice chair and economists Lisa Cook and Philip Jefferson as Fed governors.
The stalling tactic was aimed at a fifth nominee — Sarah Bloom Raskin — who is Biden's pick to be the Fed's top banking regulator. Raskin has drawn opposition from Republicans for arguing that financial regulators should consider the risks posed by climate change.
GOP senators also say they want more answers about Raskin's work with a Colorado fintech company.
By boycotting a meeting of the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday, Republicans prevented the panel from holding a vote, at least for now.
"Instead of showing up to work to do their jobs, Republicans have walked out on the American people," said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, the committee's chairman. "At this pivotal moment in our economy's history, everyone understands we need a full [Federal] Reserve board."
Brown defended Raskin, who won Senate confirmation for a previous term on the Fed board, as well as a top post in the Treasury Department. She is married to Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.
"They can't attack her on substance, she's so qualified, so they've engaged in malicious character assassination and innuendo, without offering real evidence," Brown said.
Senate Banking Committee Chair Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, during a separate panel hearing on Feb. 15 in Washington, D.C. / Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Raskin faces heat from Republicans
Senate Republicans have questioned whether Raskin improperly used her connections at the Federal Reserve to win access to a central bank master account for Reserve Trust, a fin-tech company where she served on the board of directors.
The master account provides access to the Fed's payments system.
Both Raskin and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, which granted the company a master account, have denied there was any improper influence.
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., the top Republican on the Banking Committee, said he and his colleagues were prepared to vote Tuesday on the other four nominees.
"Until basic questions have been adequately addressed, I do not think the Committee should proceed with a vote on Ms. Raskin," Toomey said in a statement.
Toomey also warned that if confirmed to the Fed board, Raskin would "choke off credit" to fossil fuel companies, although Raskin told lawmakers during her confirmation hearing that it's up to banks, not the Federal Reserve, to decide which companies they lend money to.
The delay in the committee's vote leaves three vacant seats on the Fed board. In addition, Powell is serving in a temporary capacity, since his term as chairman expired earlier this month.
Fed policymakers are widely expected to begin raising interest rates in an effort to lower inflation at their next meeting in March. That meeting will proceed, even if the confirmation standoff is not resolved by then.
Inflation is at its highest level in nearly four decades, with consumer prices in January up 7.5% from a year ago.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki described the Republicans' move to block the vote as "totally irresponsible."
"It's never been more important to have confirmed leadership at the Fed to help continue our recovery and fight inflation," she said.
Tags: Philip Jefferson Lisa Cook Sarah Bloom Raskin Fed Chairman Jerome Powell Lael Brainard president biden inflation Federal Reserve
Biden announces three more Federal Reserve nominees
Former Treasury official Sarah Bloom Raskin and economists Lisa Cook and Philip Jefferson are the three nominees Biden announced for the Fed board on Friday.
What's at stake as Biden decides whether to stick with Jerome Powell as Fed chief
President Biden has a big decision to make: Whether to reappoint Jerome Powell to a second term as Federal Reserve chairman or choose someone else for one of the world's most powerful economic jobs.
Powell says recession 'a possibility' but not likely
Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell vowed to bring inflation back down to 2%. Some lawmakers worry the Fed's efforts to control inflation could tip the economy into recession.


"Variety is the spice of life" they say, and it's even better when the variety comes in the form of a simple method with endless possibilities and a fun presentation. This is a fun appetizer or munchie for a party, or with more protein could be a main dish for a weeknight dinner. And a store-bought shortcut makes for stress-free prep. Because no one wants stress before a party!
First, line a large cookie sheet with foil for easy cleanup and spray with nonstick spray. Lay out pizza dough and press until an even thickness as large as possible.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for five minutes. After removing it from the oven, the creativity starts. If you're using a sauce, spread it now.
Then top with cheese. Maybe I should have gotten a manicure first?
Then the protein or veggie that you want to add. This is a simple-ingredient recipe. Don't try to get crazy fancy and add too much or else it won't roll.
Starting on one of the long ends, roll up. Settle stably on the sheet with the seam side down.
Put back in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
Allow it to cool for a couple minutes, then slice with a serrated knife. I get around 20 pieces per roll.
Remember it works best with 2-3 ingredients. So many options, plus it's a great way to use whatever veggies, protein, or cheese you happen to have in your fridge!


text:
Saltar apartados
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RECORDANT SEMPERE. DIÀLEGS EN LA COL·LECCIÓ DEL MUA
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The exhibition Recordant Sempere. Diàlegs en la col·lecció del MUA has been organised to mark the celebration of Sempere's Year at the University of Alicante. It is made up of twelve screen printings and two engravings by Eusebio Sempere, together with works by other artists from the museum's collection, such as José Gutiérrez Solana, Eduardo Chillida, Salvador Victoria and Julius Shulman, together with other well-known artists such as Albert Agulló, Javier Lorenzo, María Chana, Julián Casado, Aurelia Masanet, Jaume Rocamora, Martín Noguerol and Francisco José Montalbán. Works by young artists such as Aitor Ortiz and Ana Maya will also be shown.
The exhibition can be visited in MUA's Arcadi Blasco Room until 31 December 2015.
Selected pieces are a look back on Eusebio Sempere's long artistic career, in an exhibition that will take viewers on a journey through the formal, aesthetic, technical and conceptual aspects of his works, allowing them to analyse every detail and understand this artist's creation better.
Eusebio Sempere (Onil, 1923-1985) received Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts in 1983, and was awarded the University of Alicante's Doctor Honoris Causa Degree in 1984. He was one of the key figures in Spanish artistic creation in the second half of the twentieth century. Sempere explored geometrical abstraction, constructivism, optical and kinetic art, as well as several artistic disciplines such as painting, sculpture and graphic works. He brought the art of screen printing to Spain after learning it in Paris, where he lived between 1948 and 1960.
Besides investigating space, one of Sempere's key challenges was enhancing light; for this purpose, he applied an extremely subtle and arduous technique on his screen printings, based upon a net-like tangle of drawing pen lines that capture light. This meticulous work process became his trademark, and was also representative of this artist's personality, which can be seen in the balance and peace that his works exhale, in the harmony of his colours and compositions, and in the exquisiteness of the lines drawn on the paper.
April 2015 will be the 30th anniversary of Eusebio Sempere's death, and so public institutions and universities in the Region of Valencia, together with Eusebio Sempere and Abel Martín's families, have gathered to mark the occasion.
One of the University of Alicante's main goals is to make Eusebio Sempere's artistic collection known, and to this end interpretations of his works based upon material, technical and pedagogical criteria have been shown since 2005.
Nowadays, MUA's collection has over 1,000 works by Sempere, including his complete, outstanding graphic works, made up of 159 screen printings, 16 engravings and 5 lithographies.
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Combivent is supplied in an aerosol canister for use only with the special Combivent mouthpiece.
Overuse of this product can be fatal. Do not increase the dose or frequency without your doctor's okay. If you find that Combivent is becoming less effective, that your symptoms are getting worse, or that you need the product more frequently than usual, see your doctor immediately.
How should you take Combivent?
Remove the orange protective cap from the mouthpiece and shake the canister well. If you are starting a new canister, or if more than 24 hours have passed since your last dose, test-spray the canister 3 times. For best results, make sure the canister is at room temperature. Do not use near an open flame.
1. Exhale deeply through your mouth, then close your lips around the mouthpiece. Keep your eyes closed to protect them against an accidental spray.
2. Inhale slowly through the mouth, and at the same time press down once on the canister's base.
3. Hold your breath for 10 seconds, then remove the mouthpiece from your lips and exhale slowly.
4. Wait 2 minutes, shake the canister again, and repeat.
The mouthpiece can be washed with soap and hot water. Rinse it and dry thoroughly. Keep the mouthpiece capped when not in use. Count the number of sprays and discard each canister after 200 sprays; canisters may fail to deliver the proper dose if used for more than that amount.
Store at room temperature. Protect from heat; temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit can cause the canister to burst. Do not puncture the canister or discard it in an incinerator. Protect from high humidity.
Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, tell your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe to continue using Combivent.
Why should Combivent not be prescribed?
Instead of opening the airways, Combivent sometimes causes them to close. This reaction--which can be life-threatening--is most likely to occur after the first use of a new canister. If you suffer severe breathing difficulties after a dose of Combivent, stop using it and see your doctor immediately.
The albuterol in Combivent has been known to raise heart rate and blood pressure. It can also cause changes in heart rhythm. If you have a weak heart, an irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, or any other heart problem, you'll need to use Combivent with caution. If it triggers heart-related symptoms, check with your doctor at once. The product may have to be discontinued.
A severe allergic reaction can follow the first dose of Combivent. Possible symptoms include swelling of the face, mouth, or throat; hives, skin rash, breathing difficulties, or even collapse. Seek emergency care immediately if these symptoms occur.
The ipratropium in Combivent can aggravate glaucoma (high pressure in the eye), prostate enlargement, and urinary difficulties. The albuterol it contains can cause problems for people with epilepsy, diabetes, or an overactive thyroid. Use Combivent with caution if you have any of these conditions.
If the Combivent aerosol gets in your eyes, it can cause eye pain or discomfort, blurred vision, visual halos, colored images, or high pressure in the eye. Check with your doctor immediately if you develop any of these problems.
The effects of Combivent during pregnancy have not been adequately studied. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, tell your doctor immediately.
It's not known whether the components of Combivent appear in breast milk, but it's considered best to avoid use of the drug if you are breastfeeding.
The usual dosage is 2 inhalations 4 times a day. You can take additional inhalations as required up to a total of 12 inhalations each 24 hours.
An overdose of Combivent can be fatal. If you suspect an overdose, seek medical attention immediately.


text:
Christian Articles
The Greatness of God
"The Greatness of God"
Give Him Praise
The Greatness of God is beyond the intellectual capacity of man to comprehend, and any attempt to define His greatness is an exercise in futility.
He has been described as omnipotent, omnipresent, the highest, most awesome, powerful, glorious, loving being known or unknown to man," and perhaps every other word or expression that might convey His greatness, but it all falls short?
Can anyone comprehend the One who knows the nucleus of every atom, the number of grains of sand upon the earth, the One who knows all the stars and calls them by name?
Is it possible to grasp the magnitude of the One who spoke and the universe was created, the suns began to circle their planets, plant and animal life came into being, and humankind was created?
How is it possible to measure and put into words the One who knew every human being before the earth was created; the One who sees every sparrow that falls, knows your every thought, and the number of hairs in your head.
Who can understand eternity? What was before the beginning of eternity? He was. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty," (Rev 1:8).
He is wondrous, indescribable, incomparable, and yet there are not enough words.
If God had not introduced Himself, man may have never known of His existence, because apart from God's self-disclosure, man could not have recognized Him.
Although it is impossible to fathom the greatness of God, because He reveals Himself through His Word, we can truly know Him.
And if there is one word in all of Scripture that best describes our "Great and Mighty God," it is the word, "Love," "God is love." (1 John 4:8).
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends," (John 15:13).
God sent His only Son "Jesus," to give His life for us. He places His Spirit within everyone who accepts Him as Lord and Savior, thereby restoring the oneness of God and man that had been destroyed by the sins of Adam and Eve.
Gods Plan of Salvation makes it possible for all who will accept Him as their Savior to spend eternity with Him, (John 3:16). Doesn't it make you want to shout!!
Even though it is impossible to express the Greatness of God, we can know Him, and like the psalmist, we can say,
"... What god is great like our God?" (Psa 77:13)
Samuel Mills
Sunday: Nigeria
Awesome God!!!This is great. More anointing Sir.


text:
Hypocrisy: Comparing CNN Chyrons on Similar Special Elections
On Wednesday's edition of New Day, much of the CNN morning show's coverage revolved around Tuesday's special congressional election in Ohio, which the cable channel claimed was still too close to call. The chyron read: "OHIO REPUBLICAN LEADS, RACE TOO CLOSE TOO CALL."
This was because the Republican candidate, Troy Balderson, was only 1,754 votes ahead at the time of the broadcast, with around 8,000 absentee ballots to count. However, CNN took a different approach with its headlines when a recent close race favored the Democrats.
Back in March, of this year there was a similar congressional special election in Pennsylvania. In that race, the Democratic candidate, Conor Lamb, won by only 627 votes, a much smaller margin than Tuesday's election. Instead of calling the race "too close to call," the New Day chyron read: "DEMOCRAT CONOR LAMB DECLARES VICTORY IN PA HOUSE RACE"
It is important to note that the March 14th election had fewer votes left to count (around 500). Yet, Balderson declared victory last night just as Lamb did in March. CNN clearly demonstrated that it gives favorable headlines to Democrats over Republicans in similar situations.


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The Ater Infernus Anthem - intro (0:51)
And The Fire Burned Cold And Black (10:56)
Threshold To Essence (7:32)
His Vengeance From The Abyss (2:50)
Dragon's Thorn (7:14)
The Tears Them All Are Made By Thee Queen Of The Seas (12:19)
The Taste Of Raping The Innocent (3:00)
A Demon Crying For A Mortal (7:41)
The Infinity Of Luciferian Wings XXXIX (5:02)
Abrahkkan: Vocals
Demonhead: Guitars
Grackons Damaethyan: Drums
Perséfone: Soprano Vocals
ALASTOR SANGUINARY EMBRYO: "D.E.M.O.N." Abrahkkan's Space
In this link you can download their single "Dragon's Thorn" plus their entire first demo as well as their 1999 CD and three live tracks. (just right click, save as…)
http://www.zonaunderground.com/default.asp?seccion=mp3&id=1
Production notes:
Bass Guitar on this recording arranged and performed by Glaciabolous.
Keyboard arrangements by Glaciabolous, Abrahkkan, Leonard R. and Grackons D.
except by "His Vengeance from the Abyss" by Abrahkkan and Demonhead an on "The
Taste of Raping the Innocent" by Nahrepher and Abrahkkan.
Violin on "A Demon Crying for a Mortal" performed by Miguel Angel Carballo.
Recorded at Abrahkkan's place by himself and Alastor S.E. except Drums Tracks
recorded at Musitica Studio by Carlos "Pipo" Chaves, San José, Costa Rica.
Mixed and mastered by Abrahkkan.
Cover artwork, package layout and graphic design by Roger Castillo
(gallibetano@.hotmail.com). Cover and layout concept by Abrahkkan.
review by Alex "Costa Rican Fan" Ramirez___
The finest Black Metal ever recorded in Central America. An evil masterpiece.
This disc is a comprised of 57 min of the finest black metal ever recorded in Central America. This material is presented in a professional DIGIPAK format that features excellent production and a prime quality booklet.
ALASTOR SANGUINARY EMBRYO is one of the best (if not the best) black metal band in Costa Rica. This great band first emerged in July 1995, debuting in 1997 with the demo tape 'The Howling Creatures of the Night'. Following up would be the album 'Eternal Tears through Asmodeo's Blackened Flames'. This production lead to regional recognition and outstanding presentations in several central Americans festivals.
D.E.M.O.N. is definitively a new chapter in the history of this band. The brutality and the melody, the darkness and the aggression. All these factors are combined to deliver an evil masterpiece. The vocal performance from Abrahkkan creates a vicious atmosphere of anger that constantly bombards your mind. Vocals are much more aggressive than in their previous efforts. The typical Black Metal vocals still prevails but at the same time it seems to me that there's a whole new level of brutality involved with the way Abrahkkan sings his lyrics. The use of female vocals gives a melodic power that really empathizes the speed and the force of the guitars and the drums. Singing styles that flow together opposite and yet complementary to each other.
This production features excellent and really fast drumming. It constantly pounds your ears. But at the same time delivers speed changes and surprises to the listener. The band didn't hold back on the blasts that sometimes reach apocalyptic proportions.
Keyboards provide a sea of moods. Really goes along with the female vocals and contribute to the general atmosphere of the whole album. There's a perfect combination of classic guitar elements and violin melodies which really contribute to create a melodic journey different from the typical wall of sound that one could expect from a black metal band.
The first track "And the Fire Burned Cold and Black" is the perfect introduction to the disk. Aggressive, bestial and yet melodic.
The second song "Threshold to Essence": the drums are just insane.
The track entitled "Dragon's Thorn" is definitively a highlight point in the listening of this production. Is a tight pack of sonic destruction. And has been chosen as the fist single to be promoted.
The sixth track is my personal favourite. It has a really long title: "The Tears Them All Are Made By Thee Queen Of The Seas" there's so much melody involved with this song that is a real pleasure to listen to it. Don't get me wrong the ripping infernal vocals and the tirelessly pounding drum are still here but the melody is just overwhelming.
This release is definitively a must have for all Black Metal fans. As well as a new classic in the Central America area.
rating: 8,5/10
Alex "Costa Rican Fan" Ramirez


text:
Q: circle circle intersection + cordinates + 3d + normal plane good day. Actually I'm stuck with this problem
I want to get the 2 points (vertex coordinates) in a 3d circle circle intersection

actually I know a lot of data,
Circle 1 center  c1c = (-0.23103,-0.12451,1.78538)
Circle 2 center  c2c = (0.56227,1.38846, 2.82537)

Circle 1 radius*  c1r = 2
Circle 2 radius*  c2r = 2

Circle 1 point  c1p** = (-1.40115, -0.58086, 3.34184)
Circle 2 point  c2p** = (1.87197,   2.8998,  2.82537)

Circles plane normal***  Cn = (-0.7073, 0.6130, -0.3520)

*in this case both circles have the same radius, but this can change in other problems.
** Both additional points, each by his circle, are given randomly.
****  I calc the Circles plane normal Cn using the fourth points that I have (c1c, c2c, c1p,c2p).
Actually I'm trying to apply the math from
 http://paulbourke.net/geometry/circlesphere/ "Intersection of two circles" but that is only for 2D and I need for 3D; and for more that tried to calculate the Z axis not achieved.

two years a go I ask some similar question that I solve using some advices and this triangle idea: Z coordinates of 3rd point (vertex) of a right triangle given all data in 3D  , but today I don't have any data of new point, BUT I have the normal.
I get two posibble solutions:
the first one may be is all that I need, BUT mathematics is beyond me pitifully.
The second one is conected with a software called Geometric Tools Engine  and I can't get the math or the logic behind that solution.
can you help me with a clear and specific solution?, understanding that I am not a mathematician
thank you.

A: Let's assume you know the centers of the circles,
$$\begin{array}{c}
\vec{c}_1 = ( x_1 , y_1 , z_1 ) \\
\vec{c}_2 = ( x_2 , y_2 , z_2 ) \end{array}$$
their radiuses $R_1$ and $R_2$, respectively, and the unit normal of the plane the circles lie in,
$$\hat{n} = ( x_n , y_n , z_n )$$
If you instead have a third point $\vec{p} = ( x_3 , y_3 , z_3 )$ (in addition to the centers), that you know is on the plane of the circles, and not collinear with the centers, you can calculate the plane unit normal using
$$\vec{n} = \left ( \vec{c}_1 - \vec{p} \right ) \times \left ( \vec{c}_2 - \vec{p} \right ), \qquad \hat{n} = \frac{\vec{n}}{\lVert\vec{n}\rVert}$$
If $\vec{p}$ is collinear with the centers, then you'll just get $\vec{n} = 0$. Numerically, you should check that $\vec{n}\cdot\vec{n}$ is not too small, before trying to scale it to unit length.
We can use the two points and the unit normal to construct the unit vectors that represent the problem in planar coordinates. We can choose the first circle to be at origin $(0 , 0)$, and the second circle at $(1, 0)$, in which case the $x$ axis in three dimensions is
$$\vec{e}_x = \vec{c}_2 - \vec{c}_1$$
and the $y$ axis is perpendicular to it and the plane normal, and just as long (to keep the circles circular), so
$$\vec{e}_y = \vec{e}_x \times \hat{n}$$
Note that if $\hat{n}$ is not an unit vector ($\hat{n}\cdot\hat{n} = 1$), the latter scales the 2D $y$ axis, skewing the results. So we really do need $\hat{n}$ to be unit length.
In these new 2D coordinates, we need to scale the radiuses of the respective circles down:
$$\begin{array}{c}
d = \lVert \vec{c}_2 - \vec{c}_1 \rVert \\
r_1 = \frac{R_1}{d} \\
r_2 = \frac{R_2}{d} \end{array}$$
Finding the plane coordinates for the circle intersection points is now trivial (using e.g. the Wolfram MathWorld article on Circle-Circle Intersection):
$$\begin{cases}
x = \frac{1 + r_1^2 - r_2^2}{2} \\
y = \pm \frac{1}{2}\sqrt{4 r_1^2 - (1 + r_1^2 - r_2^2)^2} \end{cases}$$
Because the plane origin is at the first circle, and we know both $x$ and $y$ axes' 3D vectors, we can express the intersection points as
$$\vec{p} = \vec{c}_1 + x \vec{e}_x \pm y \vec{e}_y$$

A: Define two unit vectors $v$ and $w$ as follows:
$$
v={C_{2C}-C_{1C}\over|C_{2C}-C_{1C}|},
\quad
w=C_n\times v.
$$
You already know how to compute $a$ and $h$, so intersection points are given by:
$$
C_{1C}+av\pm hw.
$$

A: To expand on my comment, assume that circle 1 is centered on the origin and that circle 2's center is at $(d,0,0)$ and that they lie in the $x$-$y$ plane. Then the formulas that you're using to compute the intersection points reduce to $$P_\pm=(a,\pm h,0).$$ To transform this into your coordinate system, define the unit vectors $u={C_{2C}-C_{1C}\over\|C_{2C}-C_{1C}\|}$ and $v=C_n\times u$. Rotate the resulting intersection points using the matrix $R=\begin{bmatrix}u&v&n\end{bmatrix}^T$ (i.e., the matrix with these vectors as its rows) and add $C_{1C}$ to translate into position. The result is $$C_{1C}+au\pm hv$$ just as in Aretino's answer. This is just a slightly more roundabout way to get there.
One way to test whether or not the four points that you start with are in fact coplanar is to compute the determinant $$\begin{vmatrix}C_{2C}-C_{1C}\\C_{1P}-C_{1C}\\C_{2P}-C_{1C}\end{vmatrix}.$$ If this is zero, then the points are coplanar.


text:
Home » Keith Galea Wins The First Edition Of The Sicily Triathlon Series
Keith Galea Wins The First Edition Of The Sicily Triathlon Series
Tuesday, October 25, 2016, 22:14
Gavin Muscat
Still fresh from his 6th National Triathlon title win, Galea took part in the grand final of the Sicily Triathlon Series a week later in Catania. This race was the last race of the season for Galea and was determined to end the season on a positive note. The Series consisted of 6 races around Sicily and it was Galea main target for the 2016 Season.
The race in Catania was a Sprint Distance Triathlon which consisted of a 750m Swim 20km Bike and a 5km Run. After his brilliant performance in the previous race where he managed to regain the leading jersey, Galea had a good advantage in the general Classification before this final and his intentions were to administer well hid advantage and plan the last race on the athletes who were following him.
Galea came out of the choppy water in 7th place and after a good transition he managed to be in a good group. Galea found good collaboration in this group and this was of an advantage for him as in less than 15km, they managed to catch the front runners. At this stage Galea used his experience to save energy for the run. In fact, the Birkirkara St Joseph athlete started the 5km in 4th place but thanks to a very good run he managed to get third place which was sufficient for him to be crowned champion of Sicily
Contacted after the race Galea said that he is overjoyed with his performance and with the overall victory as it was hi main target of the 2016 season. It's an honour for him to be the first winner of this series and it was not an easy win at all as Galea had to challenge himself with professional triathletes like Ennio Salerno whom a week before won the Italian National Team Triathlon Championships, Enrico Schiavino and Gabriele Grimaldi. The race was very tactical and the fact that he found collaboration of the bike helped him to catch the front runner and save his legs for the run, In fact he had a really good run and placed 3rd. After the race Galea dedicated this victory to his Wife Elizabeth and his new born daughter Elise
As usual Galea's consistency was the main factor of this win. In the first race he placed 2nd overall in pergursa and won the following race in Marzamemi. In the 3rd race he placed 4th overall in Augusta and in the 4th race which was in Ali Terme Galea finished in 9th place but he lost time on the bike as he suffered a puncture. At this stage Galea was 2nd overall in the general Classification but then in August Galea had a brilliant performance in the Etna Duathlon as he finished 3rd overall and regained the leading spot.
Galea says that his performance in the Etna Duathlon was the crucial part of his win as he not only managed to regain the leading jersey but opened a very good gap on his nearest rivals. However He thinks that he won the series in the 4th race were he had the puncture because he still kept on going till the end in order to get as much points as possible as he always believed that he could win it. Thanks to this victory, Galea was named as the Sicilian Triathlete of the year.
Keith Galea who is under the Flexi Training Scheme would like to thanks Sportmalta and his club Birkirkara St Joseph for their financial help in order to participate in this series and the Malta Triathlon Federation for the constant support throughout this season. He also would like to thanks his coach Ivan Rozhnov and his brother Dermot Galea, his family and his sponsors www.garminmalta.com, BBB cycling Malta, Jaycee Malta, Team Barry Malta International Challenge Marathon, Lucida Laundry and Starbene 24/7.
Keith Galea
Posted in Featured, Other, Triathlon


text:
Citation Database for Japanese Papers: A new bibliometric tool for Japanese academic society
Authors: Masamitsu Negishi 1 , Yuan Sun 1 , and Kunihiro Shigi 1
1 National Institute of Informatics (NII), 2-1-2 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8430, Japan
https://doi.org/10.1023/b_scie_0000034378_38698_b2
The paper describes the construction and functions of the Citation Database for Japanese Papers (CJP) developed at the National Institute of Informatics, Japan (NII), and the Impact Factors of CJP's source journals. Then statistical analyses of multidimensional scaling on citation counts for the academic society journals to measure relationship among the societies are described. We also introduce a new citation navigation system, CiNii, which enables users to access various resources provided by NII, such as NACSIS Electronic Library Service (NACSIS-ELS) to get electronic full-text of journal articles through citation links. Recent political developments in Japan towards enhancement of scientific information infrastructure are also introduced with its implication to research evaluation systems incorporating citation analyses.
Japan Science Support Foundation 2001 Gakkai Meikan 2002–03 (Directory of Academic Societies) View Pro Inc. Tokyo 4-939091-05-8.
Japan Science Support Foundation 2001 Gakkai Meikan 2002–03 (Directory of Academic Societies) View Pro Inc. Tokyo 4-939091-05-8.)| false
Jin, B. Wang, B. 1999 Chinese Science Citation Database: Its construction and application Scientometrics 45 321–332.
Jin, B. Wang, B. 1999 Chinese Science Citation Database: Its construction and application Scientometrics 45 321–332.)| false
Moed, H. F. 2002 Measuring China.s research performance using the Science Citation Index Scientometrics 53 281–296.
Moed, H. F. 2002 Measuring China.s research performance using the Science Citation Index Scientometrics 53 281–296.)| false
home.html.
NII (2003b), NACSIS-IR homepage. Available: http://www.nii.ac.jp/ir/ir-e.html.
NII (2003b), NACSIS-IR homepage. Available: http://www.nii.ac.jp/ir/ir-e.html.)| false
NII (2003c), GeNii homepage. Available: http://ge.nii.ac.jp/index-e.html.
NII (2003c), GeNii homepage. Available: http://ge.nii.ac.jp/index-e.html.)| false
NII (2003d), NACSIS-ELS homepage. Available: http://els.nii.ac.jp/els-e/nacsis-els-e.php3?top.
NII (2003d), NACSIS-ELS homepage. Available: http://els.nii.ac.jp/els-e/nacsis-els-e.php3?top.)| false
Negishi, M. Nishizawa, M. Isoya, M. Minomo, K. Asano, S. 1999 Evaluation of the Institute of Electronics, Information & Communications Engineers focusing on citation analysis for its journals Journal of IEICE 82 479–484.
Negishi, M. Nishizawa, M. Isoya, M. Minomo, K. Asano, S. 1999 Evaluation of the Institute of Electronics, Information & Communications Engineers focusing on citation analysis for its journals Journal of IEICE 82 479–484.)| false
Negishi, M. Yamazaki, S. (eds.) 2001 Research Evaluation: A Guideline for Researchers, Research Organizations and Universities Maruzen Tokyo.
Negishi, M. Yamazaki, S. (eds.) 2001Research Evaluation: A Guideline for Researchers, Research Organizations and UniversitiesMaruzenTokyo.)| false
Negishi, M. 2002 Developments of digital libraries in Japan: Library activities and governmental policies Jiazheng, S. (eds.) The Proceedings of Digital Library — IT Opportunities and Challenges in the New Millennium Beijing Library Press Beijing 267–278.
Negishi, M. 2002 Developments of digital libraries in Japan: Library activities and governmental policies Jiazheng, S. (eds.) The Proceedings of Digital Library — IT Opportunities and Challenges in the New MillenniumBeijing Library PressBeijing267–278.)| false
Su, X. N. Han, X. M. Han, X. N. 2001 Developing the Chinese Social Science Citation Index Online Information Review 25 6 365–369.
Su, X. N. Han, X. M. Han, X. N. 2001 Developing the Chinese Social Science Citation Index Online Information Review 25 6 365–369.)| false
index.html.
Statistics Bureau, Ministry Of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts And Telecommunication (2002), Survey of Research and Development 2002. Available: http://www.stat.go.jp/data/kagaku/index.htmhttp://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kagaku/index.htm.
Statistics Bureau, Ministry Of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts And Telecommunication (2002), Survey of Research and Development 2002. Available: http://www.stat.go.jp/data/kagaku/index.htmhttp://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kagaku/index.htm.)| false
menu/shingi/gijyutu/gijyutu2/toushin/020401.htm.
Yishan, Wu, Yuntao, Pan, Yuhua, Zhang, Zheng, Ma, Jingan, Pang, Hong, Guo, Bo, Xu, Zhiqing, Yang (2003), China Scientific and Technical Papers and Citations (CSTPC): History, Impact and Outlook. These Proceedings.
Yishan, Wu, Yuntao, Pan, Yuhua, Zhang, Zheng, Ma, Jingan, Pang, Hong, Guo, Bo, Xu, Zhiqing, Yang (2003), China Scientific and Technical Papers and Citations (CSTPC): History, Impact and Outlook. These Proceedings.)| false
Manuscript submission: http://www.editorialmanager.com/scim/
SJR Hirsch-Index (2019): 106
SJR Quartile Score (2019): Q1 Computer Science Apllications
SJR Quartile Score (2019): Q1 Library and Information Sciences
SJR Quartile Score (2019): Q1 Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
For subscription options, please visit the website of Springer
A comparison of Scopus and Web of Science for a typical university
Authors: Elizabeth Vieira and José Gomes
Which h-index? — A comparison of WoS, Scopus and Google Scholar
Author: Judit Bar-Ilan
Investigating different types of research collaboration and citation impact: a case study of Harvard University's publications
Authors: Ali Gazni and Fereshteh Didegah
Validating online reference managers for scholarly impact measurement
Authors: Xuemei Li, Mike Thelwall, and Dean Giustini
Is Google Scholar useful for bibliometrics? A webometric analysis
Author: Isidro F. Aguillo


In October we had our second annual Lakeland mini sessions at the Circle B Bar Reserve (LOVE that place by the way!). I had 4 beautiful families meet me out there that afternoon. I just love the diversity of the families, how beautiful and handsome everyone looked, and the stories they each have that just touch my life.
I absolutely LOVE their interaction here!
You may remember Aaron and Renee from this post last year. Last year when they came to me, the "BIG" event Renee wanted to capture was Aaron standing. This year he was walking!! A true miracle and testimony to God's healing power and the true love of a devoted wife.
And finally little Aniston came to visit me again. I photographed her newborn session almost 18 months ago. Mommy and Daddy waited a long time for her, so that newborn session was a very special one for them and we got some beautiful images. I was delighted to see what a cutie she had turned out to be (no doubt of course!). We had a blast with this family and I think the images prove it.


text:
Veeam recognizes winners of the 2020 ProPartner Awards in Sweden
STOCKHOLM, Sweden / MARCH, 30 2021: Veeam® Software, the leader in Backup solutions that deliver Cloud Data Management™, announced the 2020 Veeam ProPartner Awards winners for Sweden. The annual awards acknowledge the success and dedication of the most successful Veeam ProPartner Value-Added Resellers (VAR) and Veeam Cloud & Service Providers (VCSP) partners who have excelled in providing their customers with best-in-class support and expertise helping them to cope with the challenges of accelerated digital transformation and increasingly complex customer needs while leveraging modern Cloud Data Management strategies to ensure that business data is available and protected at all times.
Jesper Lundin, Regional Director for Sweden & Finland at Veeam, said: "The year 2020 was full of unprecedented challenges, but we were working closer together than ever before while many of our joint customers were tapping the full potential of Cloud Data Management as a first. I am proud of our ProPartner Network and its high ambitions to strive for excellence in all initiatives and activities driven so that the business continuity of thousands of local businesses is ensured. The 2020 Veeam Partner Award winners represent our 'Power of Pro' motto at its best and I am delighted to recognize and celebrate their accomplishments in Sweden."
The following SwedishVeeam ProPartners and VCSPs were awarded:
The Fastest Growth of the Year - Dustin Sverige AB
The Most Significant Project of the Year – Atea Sverige AB
The Best VCSP Partner of the Year – Iver Väst AB
"Despite the unforeseen circumstances of the pandemic, Veeam remained focused on delivering the technology and services that are most requested by our customers. It is Veeam´s mission to enable our partners to build their business on technology that is designed to help customers stay in front of change. That´s why we kept up a rapid pace of innovation by launching 16 major product releases in 2020 while gaining another competitive edge with the acquisition of Kasten, the market leader for Kubernetes Backup and Disaster Recovery, to support future-proof IT architectures. With the NEW Veeam Backup & Replication v11 release, we have raised the bar once more and I am confident that our partners will continue to propel their businesses in 2021 like the 2020 ProPartner Awards winners in Swedendid who we are honouring with our highest achievement awards for their loyalty and contributions during the past year," concluded Lundin.
The Veeam ProPartner Network is a global ecosystem of partners that work directly and indirectly with one another to build, market, and sell Veeam-powered services and solutions. ProPartner VAR and VCSP partners have access to customized programs, tools and resources designed to enable them to become more profitable and drive growth according to their individual business models and objectives. To learn more about the ProPartner Network, please visit: https://www.veeam.com.


text:
Antiques store to open on Main Street
Patricia Middleton McPherson Sentinel
When Ben Coffey decided he was ready for a career change, he turned to a lifelong hobby – buying and selling vintage and antique items.
Coffey's new business, The Ark Antiques and Flea Market, will officially open on July 1 at 301 S. Main St.
The building that formerly housed Simply Good Overstocks will now lend 4,000 square feet for Coffey and more than 30 other vendors to display their treasures for sale.
In his high school years, Coffey had amassed enough unique finds to stock a booth of his own at flea markets.
"I love going to auctions. I've always been the youngest one there," Coffey said.
While he may not have had the memories of and nostalgia for the items that were made before he was born that seasoned auction veterans possessed, Coffey made up for it picking their brains.
"Half the fun is just listening to their stories," Coffey said.
It was not just historical provenance that fascinated Coffey – he was also eager to know how to present the things he found in ways that would appeal to just the right customer.
"When I was in elementary school, I'd set up a lemonade stand or trade my ninja turtles," Coffey said. "The first thing I bought off of the internet was the book, 'How To Have A Successful Garage Sale.'"
From garage sales, Coffey graduated to estate sales and finally garnered enough respect from his picking peers to be invited to private home sales from Nebraska to Oklahoma.
Ready to take the next leap, Coffey is not overly concerned about the risks of opening a business during a pandemic that could not only affect him, but also his vendors and customers.
"We're definitely hedging our bets on optimism," Coffey said.
The Ark Antiques and Flea Market's appeal will be its diversity – from tools to antiques to household goods and handcrafted products.
"Each booth is different from the rest," Coffey said. "It's very dense. It'll take you a while to get through and see everything. You could even go through twice and see totally different stuff."
While he admits he is not an expert on every type of antique, Coffey draws on his own experience, knowledge of the market, auctioneer network and researching skills to cull the best items for his new venture.
"It's not junk that we're getting. This is turn off the century to mid-century stuff," Coffey said. "Vintage, distressed furniture, rustic – that's what's in right now. We've got crafters, pickers, candle makers – a little bit of everything."
Having multiple vendors gives The Ark Antiques and Flea Market not only a wide variety of inventory to present to the public, but it will also constantly be refreshed with one-of-a-kind finds.
"People enjoy the hunt," Coffey said.
The Ark Antiques and Flea Market will also be a hub for people looking for somewhere to sell their antiques.
"They get money on the spot and we get our items," Coffey said.
Vendors appreciate having a central location for people to look over their offerings – and having someone else take care of staffing and running a store, according to Coffey.
"We take care of the sales and sales tax. They set up the display and we take care of the rest," Coffey said.
Antique stores used to attract more mature shoppers, but Coffey noted they now draw younger customers looking for quality or quirky things with which to decorate their living spaces.
"We've got a little bit of everything – maybe not quite two of everything, but that's why we called it The Ark," Coffey explained.
The Ark Antiques and Flea Market will be open from 10am to 6pm Tuesday through Friday and from 1 to 6pm Saturday and Sunday, even on the July 4th holiday.
For more information about The Ark Antiques and Flea Market, visit its Facebook page or call 620-718-2036.


If you're an entrepreneur just starting a small business, you've probably already come face-to-face with one of the fundamental problems facing small-business owners today — cash flow. There's so much to pay for, and in the early months of your new business, so little cash to do it with. That's where business credit cards come in handy.
A business credit card can provide you with the necessary financial wiggle room to pay for essential services that can help your business grow — including Web development. But before you start charging business purchases, it's vitally important to know the ins and outs of using these financial tools, so that your business can continue to thrive without the added burden of credit card debt.
The idea of charging business purchases to a business credit card might seem overwhelming, and just as with personal credit cards, it can be easy to get in over your head. But business credit cards can have their benefits. For one thing, many business credit cards offer rewards and perks, including cash back on certain purchases, access to airport lounges, airline miles, or discounts on gas and other purchases. Additionally, business credit card accounts typically have features that make it easier for business owners to keep track of employee spending or create financial reports. These features can streamline your business's accounting services.
Best of all, using a business credit card can make it easier to cover the cost of purchases like Web development. Hiring the services of a professional web developer can have many benefits for your business, including boosting sales and profits, expanding your company's brand recognition, and attracting the attention of new customers. But it's one of those costs that many fledging entrepreneurs struggle to work into the budget, and as a result, many may convince themselves to put off the purchase. Instead of delaying this crucial step in growing your new business, you could use a business credit card to cover the cost while, at the same time, racking up rewards and establishing a solid credit history for your business.
A business credit card allows you to access an account in your business's name, and many cards allow business owners to issue copies of the card to several users. This could let you give your employees access to the business card account too, so that you can more easily track employee spending and avoid asking your employees to make work-related purchases out of their pockets. Your payment history will be reported to credit bureaus under your business's name, allowing your business to establish a history as a low-risk borrower, so that if you ever need a bank loan, you'll be able to qualify for better rates.
Get all you can out of your business card by taking advantage of rewards and perks the card may offer; you may even consider using different cards for different kinds of purchases, to maximize your rewards. Perhaps one could help cover the cost of getting your first website built and initial attempts into online ads and SEO.
Maintain the same good card use habits you have with your personal cards. Always pay your balance in full and on time to avoid interest payments and protect your credit score. Defaulting on a business credit card can wreak havoc on your personal credit score, too, so be careful. Use the card issuer's tools to track your business purchases, and save receipts just in case.
The most important thing to remember when using business cards is that you should never use a business card for personal purchases — that can create some real accounting headaches. You might want to avoid carrying your business card around with you unless you know you're going out to make some business purchases. This can help remove the temptation to charge personal purchases to your business account.
If you're looking for a way to cover start-up costs for your business, consider using a business credit card. A business credit card can be a great way to get your hands on much-needed cash to cover necessary business expenses, like Web development services. With the help of a business line of credit, you and your employees can cover all of your work-related expenses, in a way that makes it easier to keep track of expenditures and boosts your company's credit rating, too.


Success Can Kill You. One Man's Story of Success, Failure and Forgiveness.
Son of a Preacher Man. Growing Up in the Seventies and Eighties.
Son of a Preacher Man explains how being a pastor's son can be challenging, and Rodney's autobiography does a great job of providing us with a candid and sometimes humorous look at what goes on after the Sunday sermon. Use the link above to purchase this book on createspace or go to Amazon.
The Recovering Politician's Twelve Step Program to Survive Crisis has cracked the top ten lists for political and business titles at Amazon and been featured on MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews," as well as HuffPost Live.


It's croquet time again, as 'Discipline' Dan looks on severely. If only an American policeman in a suit with the sleeves rolled up had stepped into the frame carrying some icecream cartons, I could have made a joke about croquet and tubs. [Editor's note: if you have no idea what this caption is about, ask someone old enough to remember the 1980's.] Hey!
Sam, Tore, Josh (?), Sasha and James (?) aboard the good ship something-or-other.
Mate Kirsten helms, while crew Chris er... well I'm not sure exactly. Are they performing some strange contemporary dance routine? Or has she just kicked him? We don't condone that sort of thing on Mallards, so dancing it must be.
The rest of the crew, Aidan and Nick. Bit of an international flavour aboard the boat this year, Aidan being from America, Nick from Hong Kong, Kirsten from Scotland, er... boat furnishing from Pierre's of Paris.
Henry and some other people at Hunters Yard.
Tore, just before the sedative kicked in. We were a bit worried we'd have to shoot him with the tranquilizer gun as well, but he calmed down once we'd got him strapped into the stretcher.
A mighty battle of mind and will going on here, no doubt. Unconcerned onlookers mill about in the background. White seems to have more pieces, but that's never a good indication, is it? Is it? I dunno.
Aidan does his Statue of Liberty impression. Good, isn't it? He also does Mount Rushmore, but he needs three other people for it.
This reminds me of a Braveheart quote... "They may take our brains, but they'll never take our freedom!!" Or is that Planet of the Apes? I'm not sure.
Henry's boat, somehow daring to try to overtake us. Doesn't he know the mate kicks people who come near??


text:
![0 stars](../../images/ic_star_border_black_18dp_1x.png)![0 stars](../../images/ic_star_border_black_18dp_1x.png)![0 stars](../../images/ic_star_border_black_18dp_1x.png)![0 stars](../../images/ic_star_border_black_18dp_1x.png)![0 stars](../../images/ic_star_border_black_18dp_1x.png) 0

To use the SnakeCharmer skill, try saying...

* *Alexa, ask snake charmer to give me a snake fact*

* *Alexa, ask snake charmer to give me a trivia*

* *Alexa, tell snake charmer to tell me something*

You can get some interesting snake trivia here.
Simply ask Snake Charmer for a snake fact and she will respond with a fact about snakes.
Icons made by Freepik(http://www.freepik.com)  from www.flaticon.com is licensed by CC 3.0 BY

***

### Skill Details

* **Invocation Name:** snake charmer
* **Category:** null
* **ID:** amzn1.echo-sdk-ams.app.c378e1ef-b8d4-41cc-a905-6c5a9af147a7
* **ASIN:** B01GM4SN9M
* **Author:** Nish
* **Release Date:** June 17, 2016 @ 07:45:34
* **In-App Purchasing:** No

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Location This opulent luxury hotel is centrally located in Madrid's exquisite historical centre. It is just a short walk to the Teatro de la Opera, the Palacio Real and the Gran Via with its copious shops and other attractions. Guests may also play a few rounds of golf on the superb nearby course or take an excursion to the fashionable ski resorts in the surrounding area. Facilities The hotel was built in 1850. The air-conditioned establishment comprises a total of 183 rooms. Most of the storeys can be reached by lift. Services such as a cloakroom, a safe and a currency exchange service ensure a comfortable stay. Wireless internet access is available to travellers in the public areas. Among the culinary options available at the accommodation are a restaurant, a café and a bar. There is also a garden. Additional facilities at the hotel include a newspaper stand. Guests arriving by car can leave their vehicles in the garage or in the car park. Available services and facilities include a babysitting service, room service and a laundry service. Rooms Each of the rooms is appointed with air conditioning, central heating and a bathroom. The carpeted rooms feature a double bed or a king-size bed. A safe and a minibar are also available. Little extras, including internet access, a telephone, a TV, a radio and WiFi (no extra charge), contribute to a great stay. A shower and a bathtub can be found in the bathrooms. A hairdryer is also available. Sports/Entertainment The terrace is a great place to while away the time. The hot tub is the perfect place to relax. Those who wish to enjoy sports and leisure options during their holidays can take advantage of the on-site biking/mountain biking, a spa, a sauna and massage treatments, or for a fee, a gym. In addition, a gym is offered by third-party operators. Meals Half board is bookable. Guests can choose to book options such as breakfast or dinner. Payment The following credit cards are accepted at the establishment: American Express, VISA, Diners Club and MasterCard.
This opulent luxury hotel is centrally located in Madrid's exquisite historical centre. It is just a short walk to the Teatro de la Opera, the Palacio Real and the Gran Via with its copious shops and other attractions. Guests may also play a few rounds of golf on the superb nearby course or take an excursion to the fashionable ski resorts in the surrounding area.


Enterprises are no longer sitting on their hands, wondering if they should risk migrating applications and data to the cloud. They're doing it -- but security remains a serious concern.
As the RSA Conference last week, the CSA (Cloud Security Alliance) listed the "Treacherous 12," the top 12 cloud computing threats organizations face in 2016. The CSA released the report to help both cloud customers and providers focus their defensive efforts.
"The 2016 Top Threats release mirrors the shifting ramification of poor cloud computing decisions up through the managerial ranks," said J.R. Santos, executive vice president of research for the CSA.
Cloud providers typically deploy security controls to protect their environments, but ultimately, organizations are responsible for protecting their own data in the cloud. The CSA has recommended organizations use multifactor authentication and encryption to protect against data breaches.
The security and availability of cloud services -- from authentication and access control to encryption and activity monitoring -- depend on the security of the API. Risk increases with third parties that rely on APIs and build on these interfaces, as organizations may need to expose more services and credentials, the CSA warned. Weak interfaces and APIs expose organizations to security issues related to confidentiality, integrity, availability, and accountability.
APIs and interfaces tend to be the most exposed part of a system because they're usually accessible from the open Internet. The CSA recommends adequate controls as the "first line of defense and detection." Threat modeling applications and systems, including data flows and architecture/design, become important parts of the development lifecycle. The CSA also recommends security-focused code reviews and rigorous penetration testing.
System vulnerabilities, or exploitable bugs in programs, are not new, but they've become a bigger problem with the advent of multitenancy in cloud computing. Organizations share memory, databases, and other resources in close proximity to one another, creating new attack surfaces.
Fortunately, attacks on system vulnerabilities can be mitigated with "basic IT processes," says the CSA. Best practices include regular vulnerability scanning, prompt patch management, and quick follow-up on reported system threats.
According to the CSA, the costs of mitigating system vulnerabilities "are relatively small compared to other IT expenditures." The expense of putting IT processes in place to discover and repair vulnerabilities is small compared to the potential damage. Regulated industries need to patch as quickly as possible, preferably as part of an automated and recurring process, recommends the CSA. Change control processes that address emergency patching ensure that remediation activities are properly documented and reviewed by technical teams.
Phishing, fraud, and software exploits are still successful, and cloud services add a new dimension to the threat because attackers can eavesdrop on activities, manipulate transactions, and modify data. Attackers may also be able to use the cloud application to launch other attacks.
Common defense-in-depth protection strategies can contain the damage incurred by a breach. Organizations should prohibit the sharing of account credentials between users and services, as well as enable multifactor authentication schemes where available. Accounts, even service accounts, should be monitored so that every transaction can be traced to a human owner. The key is to protect account credentials from being stolen, the CSA says.
The insider threat has many faces: a current or former employee, a system administrator, a contractor, or a business partner. The malicious agenda ranges from data theft to revenge. In a cloud scenario, a hellbent insider can destroy whole infrastructures or manipulate data. Systems that depend solely on the cloud service provider for security, such as encryption, are at greatest risk.
The CSA recommends that organizations control the encryption process and keys, segregating duties and minimizing access given to users. Effective logging, monitoring, and auditing administrator activities are also critical.
As the CSA notes, it's easy to misconstrue a bungling attempt to perform a routine job as "malicious" insider activity. An example would be an administrator who accidentally copies a sensitive customer database to a publicly accessible server. Proper training and management to prevent such mistakes becomes more critical in the cloud, due to greater potential exposure.
The CSA aptly calls advanced persistent threats (APTs) "parasitical" forms of attack. APTs infiltrate systems to establish a foothold, then stealthily exfiltrate data and intellectual property over an extended period of time.
APTs typically move laterally through the network and blend in with normal traffic, so they're difficult to detect. The major cloud providers apply advanced techniques to prevent APTs from infiltrating their infrastructure, but customers need to be as diligent in detecting APT compromises in cloud accounts as they would in on-premises systems.
Common points of entry include spear phishing, direct attacks, USB drives preloaded with malware, and compromised third-party networks. In particular, the CSA recommends training users to recognize phishing techniques.
Regularly reinforced awareness programs keep users alert and less likely to be tricked into letting an APT into the network -- and IT departments need to stay informed of the latest advanced attacks. Advanced security controls, process management, incident response plans, and IT staff training all lead to increased security budgets. Organizations should weigh these costs against the potential economic damage inflicted by successful APT attacks.
As the cloud has matured, reports of permanent data loss due to provider error have become extremely rare. But malicious hackers have been known to permanently delete cloud data to harm businesses, and cloud data centers are as vulnerable to natural disasters as any facility.
Cloud providers recommend distributing data and applications across multiple zones for added protection. Adequate data backup measures are essential, as well as adhering to best practices in business continuity and disaster recovery. Daily data backup and off-site storage remain important with cloud environments.
The burden of preventing data loss is not all on the cloud service provider. If a customer encrypts data before uploading it to the cloud, then that customer must be careful to protect the encryption key. Once the key is lost, so is the data.
Compliance policies often stipulate how long organizations must retain audit records and other documents. Losing such data may have serious regulatory consequences. The new EU data protection rules also treat data destruction and corruption of personal data as data breaches requiring appropriate notification. Know the rules to avoid getting in trouble.
Organizations that embrace the cloud without fully understanding the environment and its associated risks may encounter a "myriad of commercial, financial, technical, legal, and compliance risks," the CSA warned. Due diligence applies whether the organization is trying to migrate to the cloud or merging (or working) with another company in the cloud. For example, organizations that fail to scrutinize a contract may not be aware of the provider's liability in case of data loss or breach.
Operational and architectural issues arise if a company's development team lacks familiarity with cloud technologies as apps are deployed to a particular cloud. The CSA reminds organizations they must perform extensive due diligence to understand the risks they assume when they subscribe to each cloud service.
Cloud services can be commandeered to support nefarious activities, such as using cloud computing resources to break an encryption key in order to launch an attack. Other examples including launching DDoS attacks, sending spam and phishing emails, and hosting malicious content.
Providers need to recognize types of abuse -- such as scrutinizing traffic to recognize DDoS attacks -- and offer tools for customers to monitor the health of their cloud environments. Customers should make sure providers offer a mechanism for reporting abuse. Although customers may not be direct prey for malicious actions, cloud service abuse can still result in service availability issues and data loss.
DoS attacks have been around for years, but they've gained prominence again thanks to cloud computing because they often affect availability. Systems may slow to a crawl or simply time out. "Experiencing a denial-of-service attack is like being caught in rush-hour traffic gridlock; there is one way to get to your destination and there is nothing you can do about it except sit and wait," the report said.
DoS attacks consume large amounts of processing power, a bill the customer may ultimately have to pay. While high-volume DDoS attacks are very common, organizations should be aware of asymmetric, application-level DoS attacks, which target Web server and database vulnerabilities.
Cloud providers tend to be better poised to handle DoS attacks than their customers, the CSA said. The key is to have a plan to mitigate the attack before it occurs, so administrators have access to those resources when they need them.
Vulnerabilities in shared technology pose a significant threat to cloud computing. Cloud service providers share infrastructure, platforms, and applications, and if a vulnerability arises in any of these layers, it affects everyone. "A single vulnerability or misconfiguration can lead to a compromise across an entire provider's cloud," the report said.
If an integral component gets compromised -- say, a hypervisor, a shared platform component, or an application -- it exposes the entire environment to potential compromise and breach. The CSA recommended a defense-in-depth strategy, including multifactor authentication on all hosts, host-based and network-based intrusion detection systems, applying the concept of least privilege, network segmentation, and patching shared resources.
This story, "The top 12 cloud security threats" was originally published by InfoWorld.


1. In a position of being the target of one's planned attack. He has the CEO in his sights for his next big exposé.
2. Being the focus of one's attention and desire for possession or achievement. They've had an Olympic gold medal in their sights for the last eight years.
within the scope of your ambitions or expectations.
The image in this phrase and in raise your sights and set your sights on below is of a target visible through the sights of a gun.


May Howlett (née Bird) was born on April 10, 1931, in Subiaco, Western Australia. She won various scholarships including a secondary studentship to study Music at Melbourne Conservatorium (majoring in pianoforte and singing), graduating in 1954 with honours in a Bachelor of Music degree, and obtaining a Diploma of Education the following year. She received extramural coaching in composition with Mr Arthur Nickson. Until her marriage in 1961, which took her to New Guinea, Howlett led a busy life as a recitalist, accompanist and ensemble pianist, and as a teacher. Howlett received her first commission in 1971, for a cantata to be performed at the inaugural concert of the Canberra New Music Society, and Six Meditations on the Upanishads was well received.
In 1973, Howlett appeared in an ABC TV opera production of Malcolm Williamson's Violins of St. Jacques. She turned to acting and, over the next twenty-odd years, appeared in many top-rating TV shows and series, six films, at various music clubs as well as in stage productions ranging from contemporary drama to satirical revue, from Leagues Club musicals and cabaret to touring as Barry Humphries's associate artist/pianist in 1981, and taking her original one-woman show to Carnegie Recital Hall in New York in 1978.
In 1987, she became a production coordinator and assistant director with the NSW Department of Education. At the same time, she started writing again (Ashes of Roses and Exhibits). In 1990, John Welch, then of Grevillea Editions, urged a return to composition, and she has since had other works published by Keys Press. It was a great thrill when Exhibits (Streeton's Noon) featured on audio tour sets as background to the text in the NGV's exhibition, Australian Impressionism, gratifying her desire to work with other art forms.
In 1989, she designed and initiated two state-wide programs in drama, the State Drama Camp (1989) and the State Drama Festival (1990). These programs are still in operation, as are the Ensemble programs.
In 1996, she was the recipient of an artist-in-residency at Bundanon, Arthur Boyd's Trust property on the Shoalhaven, to workshop her Fanta-s-ia, for harpsichord, viola and cello. Along with a number of other instrumental works, such as the string quartet To Times Recalled, the Fanta-si-a was published by Grevillea editions which are still available through the Australian Music Centre.
In 2006, May graduated with a MA in Music from Macquarie University with a thesis entitled The Production of a Contemporary Chamber Opera, which was accompanied by a revised score, with piano reduction and workshop recording of her chamber opera, The Boy Who Wasn't There (Wirripang Publications). Her ideal was to write more music for the theatre in collaboration with theatre artists.
Howlett works mainly with acoustic instruments, and, due to her background, is particularly interested in vocal writing and music which, while basically of the lyrical, tonal tradition often hides a 'sting in the tail'!. Howlett seeks to explore the more unusual aspects of an instrument (including the voice - e.g. Chataka Bird, the last movement of her song cycle Secrets, for soprano voice) as in Sacred Grove, for bassoon and marimba, without straining for attenuated effects.
A Morning Canter : duet for piano (2018) Commissioned by Ann Carr-Boyd and Deborah Angus.
Epilogue : viola, violoncello and piano (2011) Commissioned by Anna Hewgill.
Ikons : large chamber ensemble (2000) Commissioned by Nigel Gaynor for performance by COMA Ensemble.
The boy who wasn't there : a chamber opera in 5 scenes (2000) Practical component of MA thesis on the Production of a Contemporary Chamber Opera.