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Are UFOs Real?
As everyone knows, UFO is an acronym for Unidentified Flying Object. We have all sorts of unidentified objects zipping through our skies, so UFOs are real. They are not necessarily flying saucers or some type of craft piloted by short, skinny gray guys with huge eyes, but somewhere along the line that distinction blurred. To make everything even more confusing, we also have USOs, Unidentified Submerged Objects, which are every bit as interesting (if not more so) than UFOs. Sometimes UFOs become USOs (such as the 1967 Shag Harbor incident in Nova Scotia, Canada) and occasionally the reverse is true.
Are you totally confused yet? Well, acronyms aside, the fact remains people from all walks of life see things in the sky (and in the water) that aren't supposed to be there. From Bubba camping in the RV to scientists and even U.S. Presidents, many have seen a UFO in the strictest definition of the term. Many are probably misidentified man-made objects, military craft or natural phenomena, but that still leaves us with a percentage remaining truly unidentified.
What are they? Beats me but, no, they're not "swamp gas". Secret, triangular-shaped military craft? Maybe, but flying over densely-populated, metropolitan areas is hardly the way to keep a secret. Hoax? Some, perhaps, but certainly not the majority. Many of these craft are huge and glide silently. Some perform aerial acrobatics that defy the laws of gravity, if not physics. Visitors from another planet? "Impossible", some say, as we could never travel such distances with our current technology. Wow...how's that for conceit! Think of how our technology has progressed over the past 100 years, or even the past 50. Now, imagine a society that is 500, 1000 or more years more advanced. Theoretical physicists already contemplate what may be possible in relation to travel across the vast expanse of space. And here are the naysayers stating the impossibility of it all. Incredible!
What Does Our Government Know About UFOs?
Maybe little. Maybe a lot. Will we ever know what they know if they, indeed, know anything at all (that was a mouthful)? Probably not, unless they want us to. Researchers who thought they would finally get the answers through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) have found out otherwise. Any 'smoking gun' is not going to be made public by any government agency, the military or NASA. One simple statement, "...for reasons of national security", can pretty much be used to squash any such release. Historically (and especially, recently) other governments have appeared much more open to the idea of release of information on UFOs than has the United States.
There is speculation that even U.S. Presidents are kept outside the loop due to "plausible deniability", but more likely they just wouldn't want them to spill the beans. Reportedly, some knew more than others. Presidents Carter and Clinton have admitted to being clueless, even after making concerted efforts to get at the information. Truman, Eisenhower and Nixon are said to have known. Kennedy and Johnson? Doubtful. Ford? Maybe. Reagan? Probably, if only because George H.W. Bush was his Vice President. The man, at one time or another, held just about every position in the U.S. government; Congressman, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Director of Central Intelligence, U.S. Vice President and, finally, U.S. President. If he didn't know for certain, he must have had a damn good idea. That is, if there's anything to this to this 'aliens are visiting Earth' thing to begin with. George W. Bush may have known through daddy, his Vice President, Dick Cheney or Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Both men were strategic in the Bush Sr. administration, and part of the Washington establishment for decades. Strange how the reported alien "in crowd" seems to almost exclusively favor Republicans. That leads us to Barack Obama, a Democrat and, therefore, probably left out of the club. Much more information concerning Presidents and UFOs can be found on Grant Cameron's The Presidents UFO Website. Grant has been researching the subject for decades, with laser-like focus on what U.S. Presidents may, or may not, have known. It's a fascinating site, presented in an objective 'here's the evidence, you decide' manner. Be forewarned that you'll stay up most of the night, because once you start reading, you won't be able to stop.
Okay, So What Do UFOs Have to Do With Being a Paranormal Investigator?
Nothing, really. Just a (very) brief history of the UFO phenomenon, but UFOs, Ghosts, EVP and Cryptozoology all fall under the umbrella of the paranormal. Unlike others, I don't limit myself to only one aspect of the paranormal. Otherwise, I wouldn't be honest in calling myself a paranormal investigator, and 'ghost hunter' would have to suffice.
New England UFO Cases
New England has more than its share of UFO history. UFOs, along with other creepiness, are said to frequent the area of Massachusetts known as the Bridgewater Triangle, as well as the similar Bennington Triangle in Vermont. The Exeter, New Hampshire encounter of Norman Muscarello in 1965 garnered worldwide attention. Chronicled in the best-selling book, Incident at Exeter by John G. Fuller, it actually happened in Kensington, just outside of Exeter. The 1976 abductions of Charlie Foltz, Chuck Rak and twin brothers Jack and Jim Weiner while on a camping trip near Allagash, Maine. The lesser-known Buff Ledge Camp abductions on Lake Champlain in Vermont in 1968. Finally, no telling of New England UFO lore would be complete without mentioning the granddaddy of alleged abduction cases; the 1961 story of Betty and Barney Hill.
The Interrupted Journey: Betty and Barney Hill
I won't reconstruct the details here, as there are far too many, and a quick Internet search will yield much more information than I could provide on this humble website. The encounter generated books, a made-for-television movie and speculation that has lasted to this day. However, for those who are too young to remember (as well as those who are too old to remember!) the tale of Betty and Barney Hill is a strange one. On a lonely September night in rural New Hampshire, they claim to have been abducted by (you guessed it) those meddling gray bastards. While a handful of alleged abductions had previously been reported, none would elicit much attention. All that changed the night of September 19-20, 1961. The incident is notable in that it's when the 'greys', the classic creatures that seem to have nothing better to do than to abduct and probe humans, made their Earth debut. Over fifty years have come and gone since that night, and the debate still goes on. Did it really happen? Never one to not have an opinion, I have some thoughts and a few personal observations.
While I never met either Betty or Barney (Barney died in 1969), I lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire at one time and did, on occasion, speak with individuals who knew them individually or as a couple. It's interesting to note that none had an unkind word to say about them, and all with whom I spoke believed their story. Portsmouth is where the Hills' lived, and Betty remained in the same home on State Street she shared with Barney, until her death from cancer in 2004.
It's very easy to sit thousands of miles away and chip away at their account of what happened that night in an attempt to debunk their story. It was an airport beacon. It was inspired by an episode of the television series The Outer Limits, which aired only days before. The infamous "star map" allegedly shown to Betty by those little grey pain-in-the-butts has factual errors. Yep, we've heard it all before. However, let's consider a few things before we pass judgement. What did they have to gain? By all accounts, the Hills were reluctant to do much with their story. The frenzied media pulled it out of them, and only then did it come to national attention. Immediately after the incident, they did what any law-abiding citizens in 1961 would have done; they notified the authorities. Betty was white. Barney was African-American. The last thing an interracial couple of that era would want is to draw attention, even in the relatively liberal and progressive Northeast. Remember, the Civil Rights movement was still in its infancy, and segregation was the accepted norm in much of the United States.
In later years, Betty distanced herself from the incident and the UFO crowd that used her for their purposes. Yet, through multiple battles with cancer and knowing the end of her life was near, she never recanted. Perhaps it's easy, through the jaded lenses of 2013, to dismiss Betty and Barney Hill. Perhaps it's not difficult, in the age of the Internet and instant access, to pore over details of their account, looking for the smallest discrepancies or that contradictory statement made in the turbulence of that time. Perhaps it is, but ask yourself this: Were you on that dark, lonely road in rural New Hampshire that September night in 1961?
Betty and Barney Hill are resting side-by-side in Greenwood Cemetery, Kingston, New Hampshire.
UFO Encounters Without a New England Connection
There are several well-documented UFO reports that you can research if you would like: the incident in the Rendlesham Forest in England in December 1980. The Belgian UFO wave that spanned several months, from November 1989 to April 1990. The Japan Air Lines Flight 1628 encounter over the skies of Alaska in November, 1986. The March 13, 1997 appearance of the 'Phoenix Lights' (which involved much more than just "lights") in Arizona. The Southern Illinois sightings during the early morning hours of January 5, 2000. The Chicago O'Hare International Airport sighting on November 7, 2006, and many others.
These cases are still unexplained and officially denied, and will probably remain so unless world governments cough up what they know or one of the gray guys comes forward and marries a Kardashian sister (a blatant publicity stunt, even for an alien). Until then, there will always be the usual suspects, the same three or four 'expert' talking heads that appear on television to condescendingly tell witnesses in so many words, "I wasn't there, but I can still tell you that you didn't see what you thought you saw". By far, my favorite 'head' is James "The Amazing" Randi. A magician by trade, he frequently enters the UFO controversy, somehow (magically?) managing to believe he has more knowledge on an incident than any trained pilots, military personnel, law enforcement officers, civilian and military aviation personnel or just plain very smart, average Americans that were actually involved. His usual modus operandi (and those of the other 'heads') is to focus on only one aspect of a case, offer an 'expert' analysis, and proclaim it as solved. Typical of this was his assessment of the Rendlesham Forest incident which he offered on the television program Larry King Live several years ago. His answer? It was a lighthouse beacon. It mattered not to Mr. Randi that trained military personnel from the RAF Woodbridge base witnessed the incident over multiple nights, that they were very familiar with the Orford Ness beacon in all weather conditions, that an actual triangular-shaped craft was seen and touched by military officers, that indentations were found in the ground where the craft landed, that radiation readings were 10x higher in those indentations than background levels, and that several broken tree branches and burn marks on the trees were observed at the location. No, that didn't matter one bit; Randi had spoken. He wasn't even on the same continent during those nights back in December 1980, yet he still knows exactly what those men saw and experienced. Now, that's amazing!
On the other hand, it's time for our government to realize that the American public (for the most part) does not consist of a bunch of idiots. If they truly are clueless about UFOs, it's okay to simply say, "We don't know". However, when there's a solid, V-shaped craft, estimated to be one mile in diameter, slowly and silently gliding over a major U.S. city at low altitude and witnessed by thousands of people, as was the case in the 1997 Phoenix sightings, it's nearly impossible to support the 'government knows nothing' argument without breaking in to laughter. Pilots in that busy metropolitan airspace saw nothing? Air traffic controllers saw nothing, either visually or on radar? Air traffic personnel at nearby Luke Air Force Base were completely unaware and somehow didn't see a craft of that size, later dropping flares from aircraft to create a cover story for the "lights"? Of course they saw it; they all saw it. However, I can tell you from my law enforcement experience that it is very easy for the authorities to keep mouths shut. An air traffic controller says he's seen a UFO? He's relieved from the job for psychiatric evaluation under the guise of "public safety". No psychiatrist working for, or under pressure from, the government is going to say that person is fit to go back in the tower. The same holds true for civilian and military pilots, law enforcement officers, and anyone involved with public safety. Personnel in those positions know that and, if they happen to forget, are quickly and curtly reminded. When it comes down to opening your mouth or having the ability to afford food to put in it, most choose the latter. If not, they can always be 'persuaded'. The few holdouts will live (maybe) to see their reputations and lives completely and systematically destroyed. Conspiracy theory? No, I'm sorry; it really is the way the game is played. Grim? You bet, but the need to keep a lid on things has been deemed infinitely more important than any one individual. Okay, okay...but what about the mile-wide craft hovering over Phoenix? How could they explain that away? They couldn't, so using a tried and true method the government and debunkers have employed for decades, they simply chose to avoid that elephant in the room, concentrate on only one aspect of the case, spin it to their liking, and announce the case as solved. Sounds like the Rendlesham Forest conclusion? Of course, and with an automatic denial from the government, the inevitable 'expert' opinion from the usual debunkers, and a chuckle and a wink from vacant, vapid news readers reporting a UFO sighting on local television, the hope is that all will soon be forgotten. And yes, it usually is.
What Should I Do If I Believe I've Encountered a UFO?
Arguably the most influential UFO researcher was astrophysicist J. Allen Hynek, and for very good reason: he 'walked the walk and talked the talk'. In other words, he had the academic training and credentials to back up his opinion. He had a decades-long association with the U.S. Air Force as a scientific adviser during its study of the phenomenon and, whether you believe its three consecutive studies, Project Sign, Project Grudge and, probably the most controversial, Project Blue Book, were nothing more than a whitewash and cover up, that certainly does not reflect unfavorably on Dr. Hynek. Going in as a scientific skeptic, he always kept objective and dealt only with the facts. However, when those facts started piling up, facts with no scientific explanation, he was the first honest-to-goodness scientist to say, "Hey! Wait a minute! Something is going on here!". And, he was hard to discredit; he was not some fringe scientific crackpot or sensationalist author trying to sell a book. He died in 1986 at the age of 75.
I bring up Dr. Hynek because, not only is he a major figure in the history of 'UFOlogy', but was also the originator of the class scale for encounters. You may know them as the 'kinds': close encounters of the first, second and third kind, which was the title genesis of the 1977 movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I remember seeing the movie in the theater and completely losing track of time; I was so involved in the story and special effects. By contrast, I thought Star Wars, which was released at approximately the same time, was boring and lame; too much fantasy for me. Regardless, Hynek's encounter scale has been altered and extended by others since his death, but still remains definitive:
First Kind: Visual sightings of an unidentified flying object.
Second Kind: Visual sightings plus the accompanying of physical evidence.
Third Kind: Sightings of occupants in and around the UFO.
That leads us to yet another, more recent, film: The Fourth Kind. An über-creepy movie, the abduction phenomenon, oddly, wasn't considered in Dr. Hynek's original classification. Whether this reflects his opinion on the validity of such encounters is unclear; there were cases such as Betty and Barney Hill as early as 1961, and a few reported even before. Still, close encounters of the fourth kind are synonymous with alleged alien abduction. This is where much of the UFO news and nearly all of the alien entertainment action has taken place over the past 30 years: the gray skin, frail bodies, big heads, huge, black, almond-shaped eyes and, yes, even those notorious anal probes.
So, what should you do if you believe you've encountered a UFO? Well, you could run like hell; there's absolutely no shame in that. However, regardless of the 'kind' of close encounter, all should be reported to the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) or similar organization. While not government agencies, they do keep track of sightings, which helps to identify a pattern or "flap" in your neck of the woods. I'm a firm believer in reporting anything more than a casual, unconfirmed sighting to local law enforcement. You may disagree but, regardless of whether the person answering the call personally believes in the phenomenon, it is their duty and obligation to investigate. I can guarantee that if they receive multiple reports, they will start to believe something is going on, although they probably will never determine the cause. And, by contacting the authorities, there will be an official record, a paper and recording trail should investigators want to dig more deeply into the sighting. Law enforcement also has the ability to check with nearby civilian and military air installations to see if they can shed light on what people are seeing in the sky. Where will that lead? Almost invariably nowhere, especially concerning the military, but they'll at least give it a shot. If you have video capability (and who doesn't nowadays?) grab your Android or iPhone and start recording. You may only end up with a dark, jerky, grainy mess, but at least it's something, especially in the context of all of the other video that will likely be shot during a multiple sighting. By comparing the totality of video from different locations, times and perspectives, researchers can sometimes uncover a surprising amount of information.
So what if it's not just a weird light in the sky, but the mother ship that's landed in your back yard? Yikes! Consider all of the steps above, but do not attempt to go outside to investigate. There have been unconfirmed reports of everything from slightly higher-than-average background radiation levels to "Oh shit, I glow in the dark!" emanating from these things, so stay away. There was a well-known alleged encounter in Texas several years ago; while driving home at night, two women and a boy suffered what was believed to be cutaneous radiation syndrome after coming face-to-face with a 'diamond'-shaped object hovering in their path. Was it a secret military test gone awry or something otherworldly and even more bizarre? That's the big unknown, but one thing is known: DNA damage from excess ionizing radiation exposure is cumulative and permanent, with all of the nasty immediate and possible future consequences. Don't risk it.
How about if they're not in the sky, not in your back yard, but have come for a bedside visit? Now is the time for an extremely important note of caution: There are medical and psychological conditions, as well as OTC and prescription medications, that can cause very unusual side effects, especially when in a sleep or semi-conscious state. Therefore, all are much more likely explanations, and all must be considered and discussed with a healthcare professional before making the leap to belief that you have been abducted. And that is, indeed, a huge leap. Be honest with your healthcare professional. Do not hold back; there is no reason to feel embarrassed. It is the only way he/she will be able to determine what may, or may not, be the cause. As odd as it may seem, I can assure you that you will not have been the first patient to broach the subject, even in a primary care practice. Imagined or real, there is much more of the phenomenon out there than one would realize.
That being said, one harmless (but effective) tool you can use is recording technology. If nothing else, it may ease your mind. Usually, the sense or memory that one has been abducted is not an every night occurrence. Much like what is done in a medical sleep study, start recording your sleep with a camcorder. Don't be discouraged; keep it up for a few months. If you believe something has happened on a particular night, go back and watch the recording. If you don't have a camcorder, even an inexpensive digital audio recorder placed in your bedroom will go a long way in proving or disproving what may or may not be going on. Good luck!
Now, Back to Where I Get Involved with UFOs...
I do have the capability and possess the technology to investigate UFOs. As with cryptozoology, I occasionally lead expeditions of UFO hunters in and around New England. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have. I strive to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.


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75M Rated Arsenal Midfield Target Increases Speculation After Liking Bukayo Saka's Instagram Post
Jimmy Johnson Jan 24th 2023
An Arsenal transfer target, Declan Rice, has recently liked a post of Bukayo Saka's on Instagram. As such, speculation around the like has been rife.
The post was in celebration of the Gunners' massive 3-2 win over Manchester United on Sunday. In that game, Saka scored one of Arsenal's three goals, putting in a performance worthy of his fantastic season so far.
He took to Instagram to say: "What a WIN! We never stopped believing. Thank you for the support Gunners, the energy was unreal. We keep going!"
The post was liked by several of Saka's Arsenal teammates, including Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard. There was one name that stood out amongst the likes – Declan Rice.
A post shared by God's Child 😇 (@bukayosaka87)
Some see it as a sure-fire sign that Rice is on his way to North London. Meanwhile, more level-headed audiences believe it could be innocuous – the two are friends, after all.
It's also worth remembering that Rice and Saka play for the same team already – just not at club level. Due to this, it could be that Rice is simply showing friendship towards one of his England compatriots.
Interestingly, Rice was not the only Arsenal transfer target who liked Saka's post. It also received a like from Jude Bellingham – however, Bellingham's links to an Arsenal move are much more tenuous than Rice's.
Respected journalist Fabrizio Romano and a number of other sources have confirmed that the Gunners are now actively pursuing Rice, along with the likes of Chelsea. West Ham are not expected to let him leave without a fight, though, with it being suggested that they will demand at least £75m for the player.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


If you are a first time home buyer searching for a home to call your own or a current homeowner looking for your next castle, it will pay you to stay current with where interest rates for mortgages are and where they are going. Every 1% change in the 30 year fixed rate will change the monthly cost of a loan by over 10%.
Since the start of 2018, Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey indicates that rates have increased from just under 4% in the beginning of January to just under 4.5% at the start of April.
Initially, the rise in rates over such a very brief time could seem alarming, and normally it would be, but if we look at the graph below, we'll see that rates have begun to level off and perhaps even go down to the February mark.
Wonderful news for you if you want to buy a home Now! Typically, spring is normally one of the busiest times of the year for home selling and buying. With mortgage rates increasing, it's even more so. Many fence sitting buyers have come off the rail to lock in the current rates that are historically still extremely LOW! This is still an excellent idea, as real estate experts believe that rates will continue to rise throughout the year.
Monthly, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the Mortgage Bankers Association and the NAR (National Association of Realtors) release their forecasts of where they anticipate mortgage rates will be in the near future. If we take the average of what each of the four organizations is predicting for the second quarter, rates are expected to rise to about 4.48% by June.
That estimate climbs to 4.73% by the end of this year.
Are you sitting around waiting for the end of the year to buy, with rates still expected to increase? Waiting will end up costing you more money on your monthly house payment — perhaps even so much that the home you want and deserve may be out of your reach! Remember how I mentioned at the beginning that a 1% change in the mortgage rate will change your monthly mortgage payment by more than 10%. Assuming the predictions for the end of the year mortgage rates are accurate, the typical monthly Principal and Interest payment could by higher by $80 per month, almost $1000 annually.
And that's just the impact of your interest rate going up! Home prices are also anticipated to rise during the year. Combining the two, the monthly increase could easily be doubled. Waiting until the end of the year could mean a monthly payment of an additional $160 per month for the same house.
If you are ready and willing to purchase a home, find out if you're able to. Let's get together to evaluate your needs and help you with next steps! Get in touch and schedule a free no obligation consult. Even in this market our recent buyer clients have recently saved over 7% on the purchase price.


The Agus VI HEP is a 200 MW hydroelectric power plant. It is the oldest among the six (6) cascading power plants. With five (5) generating units, Agus VI has proven to be a steady source of electric power in Mindanao.
Construction of the project was authorized by the late President Elpidio Quirino. Units 1 (25 MW) and 2 (25 MW) of the power plant were commissioned in the early 1950s. After more than fifty years of operation, these two (2) generating units are now due for complete rehabilitation and up-rating.
The Agus VI HEP Plant was originally known as the Maria Cristina Falls Hydroelectric Plant, named after the famous scenic waterfalls just 100 meters in the background. The majestic and imposing waterfalls cascades from around 320 feet down to a sheer cliff and is a sight to behold.
In order to showcase Mindanao Generation's efforts to help protect and conserve nature, it had developed a Nature's Park which now hosts various tourists attractions and outdoor activities, e.g. bird's sanctuary, crocodile park, butterfly garden, mini zoo, zip line. Central to the Nature's Park is its main attraction—the Maria Cristina Falls. To date, tourists from around the country continue to flock to NPC's Nature's Park located inside the Agus VI and VII power plant complex.
Agus 6 (Maria Christina) Hydroelectric Power Plant Philippines is located at West of Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Philippines. Location coordinates are: Latitude= 8.1846, Longitude= 124.1928. This infrastructure is of TYPE Hydro Power Plant with a design capacity of 200 MWe. It has 5 unit(s). The first unit was commissioned in 1953 and the last in 1971. It is operated by National Power Corporation.


What is The Boulder Field's policy on refunds?
At The Boulder Field, all sales are final, and there are no refunds, returns, or credits. Given that our sales either involve health and safety issues (such as with retail products and cafe items) or staffing to meet the needs of our members and guests, we hope you understand our policy.
Bring your photo ID and a form of payment (cash, check, Visa/MC) to the front desk and we'll get you all set up! Monthly memberships pay a prorated amount at sign up and are billed by calendar month every month thereafter. Yearly memberships are paid in full and expire 1 year from the date of sign up. This discounted rate is only available when paying for the year in full.
Couples and Students will need to provide proof of status. See the question below for details on who needs proof and how to submit this information.
How do I prove Student status?
Students 18 and older must provide proof of full-time student status. High School students can submit a copy of their student ID. College students must submit documentation of current, full time student status. A printout of your courses showing your name, the current term, and the units per class/total units enrolled for the term can be submitted to the front desk. Undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units, and graduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 units. Please note: Student Monthly members must re-submit student proof each fall in order to remain at the student rate. Yearly student members must re-submit proof in order to renew their yearly membership.
How do I prove Couple or Family Status?
Proof of Couple status, either a marriage license or showing that the adults on the membership reside at the same address, must be submitted by significant others in a committed relationship. Roommates do not qualify. Proof of address includes: copies of drivers licenses, copies of bills or account statements, or lease agreements. These documents can be submitted to the front desk.
Can I bring someone as a guest if I am a member?
As a member, you are allowed one free guest pass per month. Each pass can only be used for someone who has not yet climbed at The Boulder Field. This right is suspended if your membership is frozen.
Can I put my membership on hold if I know I won't be using it for a period of time?
Another long one here! Yes! We know stuff comes up, so all monthly and yearly members can freeze their membership at a cost of $10 per person per month. Freezes must last for a minimum of 1 month. Monthly billed members should request the freeze in person at the front desk, or call the front desk prepared to verify your identity.
Recurring monthly membership freezes must begin on the 1st of a calendar month and the deadline to request a freeze is last day of the prior month. (Example: to freeze beginning June 1st, the request must be submitted no later than May 31st). Family memberships with some frozen and some active pay a $10 freeze fee for each frozen member PLUS the standard membership rates for those that are active.
To unfreeze your membership, monthly members can either set up an automatic thaw on the 1st of an upcoming month by requesting this in advance of the 1st OR they can come into the gym and thaw immediately on any day of the month. When thawing in person at the gym, the prorated amount for the rest of the month is due. If not paid, the amount will roll into the upcoming month's billing and you will be billed both the full dues amount PLUS the prorated amount from your thaw the previous month.
Yearly prepaid membership freezes can begin at any time and must last at least 30 days. The expiration date will be extended by the total number of days frozen once freeze fees are paid. Families freezing one person while keeping the other active will have the expiration date for both members extended by ½ the total duration of the freeze.
The unfreeze date for yearly members can be set at the time the freeze is requested, or can be requested at a later date. Please note: the expiration date is not extended until the freeze has been paid for, so take care to not let the membership expire while you are frozen!
Freezes cannot be placed on monthly or shorter memberships.
Yearly prepaid and 30-day short term memberships are paid in full up front, so there is no ongoing billing. All memberships are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Recurring monthly membership fees are auto-charged to your credit card or bank account on the 1st of each calendar month, and the charge hits your account within 1-5 business days of the 1st of the month. All account changes (i.e., freezing, cancelling, etc.) must be submitted before the 1st. As of the 1st, billing has already processed and changes cannot be made to the current month. Billing continues monthly until a written request to cancel is received. Cancellations take effect at close of business at the end of the calendar month and cannot be prorated.
Does The Boulder Field offer discounts?
We offer a wide variety of discounts, shown above. With respect to groups, we offer employees of certain Sacramento-area companies, as well as government employees, discounts on day passes and memberships. These companies have generally committed to marketing The Boulder Field to their employees and ensuring a minimum number of employees join The Boulder Field. For groups of at least 10 that are not a part of our formal discount program, we encourage you to speak with our front desk staff by phone or in person, or contact us at frontdesk@theboulderfield.com, to discuss possible discounts. Please note that, for groups numbering 10 or more of youths under 13 years of age, advance notice is required (please give us several days), not only to discuss the possibility of discounts, but to ensure we have adequate staffing in place at the time of your desired visit to ensure the safety, as well as the quality of the experience, for your group and other people in the gym. Again, contact our front desk staff in person, by phone, or by email at frontdesk@theboulderfield.com. For obvious reasons (e.g., safety, quality of the experience), youth groups numbering 10 or more of youths under 13 years of age that arrive without having made advance arrangements with us will generally not be allowed in the gym.


These pilots are 15-year-old Royal Canadian Air Cadets who fly simulators every Monday at the Cadet Youth Development Centre in Breslau, Ontario. On missions in the virtual world, cadets apply math and science while learning avionics, flight dynamics and planning.
Lockheed Martin recently provided Prepar3D® simulation software to power the Centre's computer-based simulators. The software, used by military and civilian professionals for training, is a virtual reality platform that supports immersive learning scenarios for deep-sea operations, supersonic flight and beyond.
Unlike the single-domain missions they were limited to before, cadets can now execute complex operations requiring coordination among air, sea and ground units.
The Centre engages youth in science, technology, engineering and math at a time when Canadian students are slipping in math and science. Canada dropped three spots to 10th in the most recent assessment of 15-year-olds from 70 countries by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
More than 300 youth participate each year in the Centre's free programming.


Most of us spend a lot of times in our cars — surrounded by commuting, government errands, transporting others, or long trips, we usually log many hours a week in our vehicles. subsequent to that in mind, you probably want a car that's not just transportation, but as well as a nice area to be — a pleasant spot considering nice materials laid out in a logical, thoughtful manner, and maybe even one that's nice to see at.
We understand this want — therefore we've laid out the 10 best car interiors you can get for below $50,000. We've focused upon the latest models, and most have been updated recently to present handsome, comfortable, thoughtfully-planned interiors that strike us as a nice place to spend time. pick any one of these vehicles, and we suspect you'll be a tiny happier during the hours of the week you spend in your car.


Makes sense that Dirk Makowski of Winhistory.DE serves as a Windows OS historian, keepin' track of all the MS-DOS, Windows, OS/2 1.x released so far and, yes, even that disaster MS-BOB, stemmming from all the OS' he has in storage, past to present. Any Windows nostalgic and retro-nut should feel free to visit Dirk's Digital Windows Museum at www.winhistory.de.
Oh yes - and Dirk also has the latest 'n greatest in Windows OS', namely Vista and 7.
Bejegyezte: CaptainLévai dátum: 6/03/2010 03:31:00 de.


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Canon BCI-1431 Black Ink Cartridge. Original Canon ink cartridge. It contains 130 ml. of ink, which allows the highest quality print.
Canon BCI-1431 Cyan Ink Cartridge. Original Canon ink cartridge. It contains 130 ml. of ink, which allows the highest quality print.
Canon BCI-1431 Photo Cyan Ink Cartridge. Original Canon ink cartridge. It contains 130 ml. of ink, which allows the highest quality print.
Canon BCI-1451 Matte Black Ink Cartridge. Original Canon ink cartridge. It contains 130 ml. of ink, which allows the highest quality print.
Canon BC-1350 Black Printhead. Remember that the printhead is the part that applies ink on the paper, so it must be in good conditions in order to obtain a good printing quality. This printhead is for Black ink cartridges.


I know a lot of people who are afraid of the number 13.
Ich weiß viele Menschen, die sich vom Nummer 13 fürchten.
I know a woman, whose hair I comb.
Ich weiß eine Frau, deren sich das Haar ich kämme.
Have you got any resources on how to use the "sich-verben" in the nebensatz of relativsatz?
Ich weiß kenne viele Menschen, die sich vor Nummer der Zahl 13 fürchten.
it has to be kennen → to be familiar with.
it has to be die Zahl 13. Nummer 13 is a proper name for a specimen or issue of a periodical.
sich fürchten vor takes the dative, but the gender of the article must match. It's both die Nummer and die Zahl. Also, shortening the vor der is not allowed here as the article is used as a lightweight demonstrative pronoun in this case.
The sich in contrary is placed correctly.
Ich weiß kenne eine Frau, deren sich das Haar ich kämme.
Ich kenne eine Frau, deren Haar ich kämme.
Ich kenne eine Frau, der ich das Haar kämme.
I comb the hair of the woman. No reflection at all.
Ich kämme mir das Haar.
I comb my own hair. Reflection to the subject ich → mir.
Eine Frau kämmt sich das Haar.
A woman combs her own hair. Reflection to the subject Eine Frau → sich.
Ich kenne eine Frau, die sich das Haar kämmt.
Ich kenne eine Frau, die mir das Haar kämmt.
The woman combs my hair. No reflection but the dative of the personal pronoun ich → mir.
Ich kenne eine Frau, die ihm/ihr das Haar kämmt.
The woman combs the hair of a third person. No reflection but the dative of the personal pronoun er/sie/es → ihm/ihr/ihm.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged reflexives or ask your own question.
Where to place "sich" in an elaborate sentence?
Impersonal "sich" in "um .. zu" construction?
"Die Spinne kümmerte sich um die Hütte." – Why do we need "sich um"?


Playing with Light and Shadow.
It was my workshop title in Singapore.
I did also some other sketches in Waterloo street. These are two of them.
I took some photos of the beautiful places that we saw. Very happy to meet Asnee and learnt a lot. This is a quick sketch during that activity.
If you would like to see my other sketches before and after symposium, you could see them in this other post. Sorry for my delay in sharing the works, but wish you enjoy them.


What is the owners' community insurance?
All owners' communities must often face a series of expenses arising from unexpected wear and maintenance. Water, fire, smoke, electrical damage...can lead to substantial contributions which the property owners must pay equally.
To avoid problems within a community, the easiest option is to take out a multi-risk insurance that covers all these situations and leaves the insurance company to deal with any possible damage.
Why take out owners' community insurance?
In Spain there is no state law that forces communities to take out owners' community insurance cover. However, in Madrid and the Valencian Community there are additional legal obligations which demand that all buildings be insured against fire and damage cause to third parties.
It is also highly recommendable to take out insurance cover that avoids disagreements among the neighbours and having to pay large sums of money every time something goes wrong.
What owners' community insurance covers do we offer?
So you don't have to worry about all the accidents that could occur in your community, Ocaso offers Ocaso Condominium Integral. An insurance cover that will provide 24-hour assistance, compensation for electrical damage, fire, smoke and acts of vandalism among many other coverages.


text:
package org.apache.jmeter.functions;

import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.Map;

import javax.xml.parsers.DocumentBuilder;
import javax.xml.parsers.DocumentBuilderFactory;
import javax.xml.parsers.ParserConfigurationException;

import junit.framework.Test;
import junit.framework.TestSuite;

import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
import org.apache.jmeter.engine.util.CompoundVariable;
import org.apache.jmeter.junit.JMeterTest;
import org.apache.jmeter.junit.JMeterTestCaseJUnit3;
import org.apache.jorphan.logging.LoggingManager;
import org.apache.log.Logger;
import org.w3c.dom.Document;
import org.w3c.dom.Element;
import org.w3c.dom.NodeList;
import org.xml.sax.InputSource;
import org.xml.sax.SAXException;

public class ComponentReferenceFunctionTest extends JMeterTestCaseJUnit3 {

    private static final Logger LOG = LoggingManager.getLoggerForClass();

    private static Map<String, Boolean> funcTitles;

    // Constructor for Function tests
    private Function funcItem;

    public ComponentReferenceFunctionTest(String name) {
        super(name);
    }

    public ComponentReferenceFunctionTest(String testName, Function fi) {
        super(testName);// Save the method name
        funcItem = fi;
    }

    /*
     * Test Functions - create the suite of tests
     */
    private static Test suiteFunctions() throws Exception {
        TestSuite suite = new TestSuite("Functions");
        Iterator<Object> iter = JMeterTest.getObjects(Function.class).iterator();
        while (iter.hasNext()) {
            Object item = iter.next();
            if (item.getClass().equals(CompoundVariable.class)) {
                continue;
            }
            TestSuite ts = new TestSuite(item.getClass().getName());
            ts.addTest(new ComponentReferenceFunctionTest("runFunction", (Function) item));
            ts.addTest(new ComponentReferenceFunctionTest("runFunction2", (Function) item));
            suite.addTest(ts);
        }
        return suite;
    }

    private Element getBodyFromXMLDocument(InputStream stream)
            throws ParserConfigurationException, FileNotFoundException, SAXException, IOException {
        DocumentBuilderFactory dbf = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance();
        dbf.setIgnoringElementContentWhitespace(true);
        dbf.setIgnoringComments(true);
        DocumentBuilder db = dbf.newDocumentBuilder();
        Document doc = db.parse(new InputSource(stream));
        org.w3c.dom.Element root = doc.getDocumentElement();
        org.w3c.dom.Element body = (org.w3c.dom.Element) root.getElementsByTagName("body").item(0);
        return body;
    }

    /*
     * Extract titles from functions.xml
     */
    public void createFunctionSet() throws Exception {
        funcTitles = new HashMap<>(20);
        String compref = "../xdocs/usermanual/functions.xml";
        try (InputStream stream = new FileInputStream(compref)) {
            Element body = getBodyFromXMLDocument(stream);
            Element section = (Element) body.getElementsByTagName("section").item(0);
            NodeList subSections = section.getElementsByTagName("subsection");
            for (int i = 0; i < subSections.getLength(); i++) {
                NodeList components = ((Element)subSections.item(i)).getElementsByTagName("component");
                for (int j = 0; j < components.getLength(); j++) {
                    org.w3c.dom.Element comp = (org.w3c.dom.Element)
                            components.item(j);
                    funcTitles.put(comp.getAttribute("name"), Boolean.FALSE);
                    String tag = comp.getAttribute("tag");
                    if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(tag)){
                        funcTitles.put(tag, Boolean.FALSE);
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }

    public void checkFunctionSet() throws Exception {
        assertEquals("Should not have any names left over", 0, JMeterTest.scanprintMap(funcTitles, "Function"));
    }

    /*
     * run the function test
     */
    public void runFunction() throws Exception {
        if (funcTitles.size() > 0) {
            String title = funcItem.getReferenceKey();
            boolean ct = funcTitles.containsKey(title);
            if (ct) {
                funcTitles.put(title, Boolean.TRUE);// For detecting extra entries
            }
            if (// Is this a work in progress ?
            title.indexOf("(ALPHA") == -1 && title.indexOf("(EXPERIMENTAL") == -1) {// No, not a
                                                                                // work in progress
                                                                                // ...
                String s = "function.xml needs '" + title + "' entry for " + funcItem.getClass().getName();
                if (!ct) {
                    LOG.warn(s); // Record in log as well
                }
                assertTrue(s, ct);
            }
        }
    }

    /*
     * Check that function descriptions are OK
     */
    public void runFunction2() throws Exception {
        Iterator<?> i = funcItem.getArgumentDesc().iterator();
        while (i.hasNext()) {
            Object o = i.next();
            assertTrue("Description must be a String", o instanceof String);
            assertFalse("Description must not start with [refkey", ((String) o).startsWith("[refkey"));
        }
    }

    /*
     * Use a suite to allow the tests to be generated at run-time
     */
    public static Test suite() throws Exception {
        TestSuite suite = new TestSuite("ComponentReferenceFunctionTest");
        suite.addTest(new ComponentReferenceFunctionTest("createFunctionSet"));
        suite.addTest(suiteFunctions());
        suite.addTest(new ComponentReferenceFunctionTest("checkFunctionSet"));
        return suite;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Submitted by dattaswami2 on Sun, 11/23/2008 - 11:17.
The right side (Dakshina) of Datta is the form of Guru. Datta is the united form of the three forms (Brahma, Vishnu and Siva). Therefore in the south (Dakshina) the three Gurus viz., Shankara (Siva), Ramanuja (Vishnu) and Madhva (Brahma) were born as three Gurus. All the human Gurus must treat them as their Gurus. The left side of Datta is the form of Bhagavan. Therefore Rama, Krishna etc., were born as incarnations of Bhagavan in the North who are the ideals for the human beings. Shankara had only four disciples. He never craved for disciples, for fame and money like the present human Gurus. If there are ten disciples, the Guru collects ten paise from each disciple and can get one rupee. The aim of Sadguru is not to earn one rupee and His aim is to completely cut off the bond with money in the case of at least one deserving disciple to give salvation to him. Therefore Sadguru takes one rupee from such a single deserving disciple. The Lord came as a guest to the house of Saktuprastha.
The aim of the Lord is to liberate Saktuprastha and his family from the bonds of money and to give them salvation. The aim of the Lord is not to pacify His hunger because the Lord has no hunger. The Lord in the form of guest asked for the entire food that was prepared for the family. A beggar goes to ten houses and earns his complete meal. An inefficient teacher collects the fees from ten students and each student gets ten marks only and fails. The aim of such a teacher is not the pass of the student. An efficient teacher concentrates on only one deserving student and concentrates on Him only so that He passes with good marks. A doctor in a government hospital gives some medicine for temporary relief of a single disease, which is reported by the patient. The doctor of Apollo hospital (A sophisticated hospital in India) conducts all the tests and cures all the diseases. The doctor of Government hospital takes a fee of ten rupees from ten patients. The second doctor collects hundred rupees from the single patient.
In Shirdi several householders were ready to give food to Sai Baba. But Sai took food only from five houses through out His life. He wanted to liberate those five deserving devotees and His aim was not His food. A beggar goes to all houses since his aim is his food only. This is the difference between a Sadguru and Guru. Today the human gurus are unable to liberate even a single person through their preaching. They are similar to the barber on the Tirupathi hill (A famous pilgrim place in India) who shaves a little for each person and shaving is not completed. Ten customers will surround him and each is incompletely shaved. Such several incomplete disciples surround the present Gurus. No disciple is completely liberated. The aim of present human guru is the fame of having several disciples and collection of money from all the disciples. No human Guru is interested in the final welfare of any single disciple. But the Sadguru aims at the liberation of at least a single disciple and His preaching is always harsh because it is truth. The preaching of human Guru is always false and sweet.
When a patient suffering from high blood sugar goes to a hotel and asks for a sweet by paying ten rupees, the owner of the hotel supplies the sweet and does not enquire about your sugar level. Therefore he is sweet to you. This is the case of the human Guru. But the case of Sadguru (Guru Datta) is different. The "Datta Café Hotel" is very peculiar. When you go to the 'Datta Café' for the sweet, the owner will charge you rupees thirty for blood test. If there is sugar, he will charge rupees ten further and will give you bitter medicine. You have lost rupees forty and during blood test you feel lot of misery when the needle is injected. You will get lot of unhappiness while taking the medicine. This is the difference between the human Guru and the Sadguru. Therefore today all the human gurus must remember Adi Shankara who is a Sadguru.
God is Guru & Guru is God.
Combine Both = "Stop running"
it is to be ment by: stopping our mind from running through meditation, it does not mean by any "song".


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Small gas pipe configuration painted and labeled as the "Purple People Eater."
Northeast of town. On the east side of Hwy 67 about a quarter-mile north of US Hwy 180.
It's still there! Although a little rustier.
Today I came across such a strange little sculpture! He appeared to be some kind of gas thingy that we see so often on the side of the road....only he was purple and kinda creepy! His nose hung down; his teeth were misaligned; and he even had a tiny little bow tie below his chin. How unusual, I thought. Then I drove a little further to see the other side of him and discovered he'd been given a name! THE PURPLE PEOPLE EATER! Oh, was I scared!
Garish Welcome To Breckenridge Mural, Breckenridge, TX - 3 mi.
World's Largest Wheelbarrow, Graham, TX - 17 mi.
Postage Stamp Mural, Eastland, TX - 25 mi.
One Arm Dove Hunt Mural, Olney, TX - 43 mi.


text:
The world has many attacks against God and Christ. How will we resist and refute those arguments? With the one mess… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 5 minutes ago
Posted on November 8, 2014 by Terry Enns
Most of us are pretty ordinary people. Perhaps we have some influence in our particular circle of relationships, but the breadth and depth of influence for the majority of us is neither significantly deep or wide. And that is true of most individuals mentioned in Scripture as well. Sure, we know the stories of Abraham and the patriarchs, David, the prophets, the disciples, Paul, and a few more. But what about the hundreds of names recorded in the genealogies and so many others who are mentioned almost incidentally in various accounts — people like Mephibosheth (Jonathan's son) and Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isaiah's son)? About them we don't know too much.
The point is that ordinariness is prevalent. Yet even in the "ordinary" stories, there is much that is extraordinary when a man is gripped by the gospel of Christ. And just such an account given in Acts 10. In just a few verses of that chapter, the Holy Spirit has recorded for eternity much about the remarkable position and stature of the man Cornelius. This is what we know:
He was a man of leadership. He was a member of the most loyal of the Roman fighting units — the cohort (v. 1). Some 32 of these bands of 600-member Italian volunteers were stationed in the provinces of the Roman Empire. But Cornelius was no mere "member." He was a centurion — an officer with 100 men under his command. In an elite group, he was an elite leader — one of only six centurions in this Caesarean cohort.
He was a man of means. That is evident not only by the fact that he carried a position of authority, but also because he had the ability to give abundantly to charitable needs (v. 2) and he was wealthy enough to be the owner of slaves — household attendants (v. 7).
He was a man of godliness. Evidently a proselyte to the Jewish faith, he was genuine in his devotion to God, as demonstrated by his fear of God (v. 2a), his vibrant prayer life (v. 2b), his leadership of his home (v. 2), and his evangelism of his soldiers and servants (v. 7).
He was a man of humility. This is not apparent in a rapid reading of the text. After the angel had appeared to Cornelius, commanding him to send for Peter (vv. 4-6), Cornelius chose three men to go on the journey to Joppa for him — two slaves and a soldier. Why slaves? Why a soldier? [It is unlikely that the servants would have needed protection, so it is improbable that the soldier was sent for that reason.] Commentator Lenski helps here: "These three men were selected because they were spiritually closest to Cornelius. Their respective stations did not matter; as for that, all three messengers might have been slaves or soldiers. The point is that we here have a Roman officer who shared his [faith] with those who were far beneath him." [my emphasis]
What a unique man of God! A man of authority, position and wealth. And the same man also a man of godliness and humility. His godliness infiltrated his entire home (v. 2) and was passed even to his servants and soldiers (don't miss that the same quality of godly character attributed to Cornelius in v. 1 also characterizes this soldier in v. 7).
What made an "ordinary" man named Cornelius extraordinary was not his political position or wealth, but his godliness, humility, and service. So we have an illustration of Christ's words that greatness in the kingdom will be marked by humility — "whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant" (Mark 10:43; NASB).
Tags: ordinarinessCategories: Acts, Bible reading reflections - 2014, humility, manhood
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We used this company for your sons prom for a group of 10.
He was excellent, very accommodating, great to work with! We didn't have any problems or issues with him. He was very friendly and took the kids around to look at lights and downtown Atlanta. He was also very prompt and brought them back on time.


So your husband is dismissive, gets drunk, is embarrassing.
But, until now, bp has poured scorn on the worriers, encouraging the oil industry's effort to reassure society about peak oil.
Your boyfriend supported you while you built up your human capital, but now spurns the payoff.
It may also make foreign leaders who are inclined to thumb their nose at the president think twice.


text:
<?php

namespace Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Tests\Compiler;

use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Compiler\DefinitionErrorExceptionPass;
use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerBuilder;
use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Definition;

class DefinitionErrorExceptionPassTest extends TestCase
{
    /**
     * @expectedException \Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Exception\RuntimeException
     * @expectedExceptionMessage Things went wrong!
     */
    public function testThrowsException()
    {
        $container = new ContainerBuilder();
        $def = new Definition();
        $def->addError('Things went wrong!');
        $def->addError('Now something else!');
        $container->register('foo_service_id')
            ->setArguments(array(
                $def,
            ));

        $pass = new DefinitionErrorExceptionPass();
        $pass->process($container);
    }

    public function testNoExceptionThrown()
    {
        $container = new ContainerBuilder();
        $def = new Definition();
        $container->register('foo_service_id')
            ->setArguments(array(
                $def,
            ));

        $pass = new DefinitionErrorExceptionPass();
        $pass->process($container);
        $this->assertSame($def, $container->getDefinition('foo_service_id')->getArgument(0));
    }
}


Sama and Haya Abu Khadra are 18- year old twin sisters who quickly became recognizable faces in the fashion world. Spotting them on style blogs and fashion week front rows. They are the daughters of Rula Abu Khadra, founder of the chic The Art of Living lifestyle boutique in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the girls are of Palestinian heritage but call the glamorous Dubai home. They began generating buzz when they started scouting for their mom's store by themselves at international fashion weeks in 2008 at the age of 15.


Your website is the first impression of your business for many potential customers. The saying "First impression is the last impression" stands true in case of a website. A visitor will only be converted into your customer if he/she finds your website appealing. An appealing website can make all the difference while helping you obtain customers. The best way to make an impactful first impression of your website is through web consulting. Web consulting assists you in determining the aspects where your website is lacking.
Broader Outlook – A web consultant looks from the perspective of a customer. A web consultant considers your business model, target audience, and competitors. A web consultant is also familiar with industrial jargons or they have dealt with projects of your industry before. This equips them with better knowledge which in turn helps them in assisting you in creating an irresistible website.
Unmatchable Quality – The quality that you get from a web consultant is unmatchable even if you have in-house staff. Many businesses might not have proper staff strength to match the quality of web design and development that the consultant may provide. Even if a business has the required staff, the quality that they would provide would not match the quality which a web consultant provides.
Passion for Excellence – The web consultants are usually driven by the passion which helps their clients to succeed. They use their expertise and knowledge for their clients' business growth and success. To achieve this, they often walk the extra miles and surpass expectations in order to make their clients happy. This is an additional advantage which is hard to obtain if the website is designed in-house.
THE MMIT provides web consulting services. THE MMIT is armed with devoted consultants who have 6+ years of experience in more than 300 web projects. THE MMIT provides effective web consulting services that add measurable value; it's their passion.
Why is Web Development Important?


text:
A vote listener plugin with a simple config and Vault based rewards.

Open source under the Apache 2 License


Research shows that DevOps is dictating cloud development. See how the two work together to revolutionize software development.
Think about the last time you visited your bank's physical location to transfer money or stood in the long, spiral queue for a railway reservation.
A majority of us will have to think really hard to answer these questions. The reason is simple; technology is bringing everything to our fingertips, be it banking, grocery shopping, or travel booking. Consumers now expect better quality and feature-rich products which are simple to use. They judge the brands based on how user-friendly their app or website is and how seamless digital transactions are. To keep up with such demands, IT companies can't afford to continue with the old-style application development cycle which is time-consuming, inefficient, and rigid. They need to keep looking for better technology and adapt it quickly.
As a result, the IT industry is going through a series of disruptions. DevOps and Cloud are the latest buzzwords. Along with stability and efficiency, companies are looking for agile and cost-effective ways to accelerate the product development process. DevOps and cloud computing are the means many companies are embracing now to meet market demands and to beat the competition.
Let's get deeper into it and find out how they are helping companies build such amazing products so efficiently.
DevOps is a practice followed by organizations for software product development and release. It is not a tool that you can deploy or title for people working in an organization. It instead is a philosophy and method used to deliver applications or services at a rapid pace. It integrates software development and operations into a single process with a focus on automation and streamlining. The aim of DevOps is to have multiple small enhancements continuously instead of periodic big releases. So, DevOps is neither a technology nor a tool but a process to follow to produce better quality software products efficiently and seamlessly. It is also a company culture to facilitate effective communication, collaboration, and integration between developers and operations teams.
Cloud computing is a technology which provides on-demand computing platforms to individuals, companies, and governments on a subscription basis. It allows organizations to move away from upfront capital expenditure to pay as you go model which helps in minimizing costs while allowing to rapidly grow computing resources as needed. Customers have access to a full-fledged virtual cluster of computers available all the time via the Internet. Some examples of cloud computing platforms are Azure, Amazon Web Service, and Google Cloud. Companies big and small are embracing the cloud as it provides many advantages like flexibility, cost saving, agility, and simplicity.
For instance, say your company needs a windows server with 4GB RAM and 1TB disk size. You can order this from any cloud platform, and it would ready for you in minutes. Later on, you find out that the configuration you requested is not enough. No problem, a couple of clicks and a few minutes is all it takes to increase or decrease the capacity. It's that simple!
And to top it all, companies get the needed infrastructure without the usual hassle of shortlisting, ordering, and maintaining it. Gone are the days when IT companies had to invest heavily in production as well as backup infrastructure.
How Are DevOps and Cloud Related?
As seen above, both DevOps and Cloud have their own benefits, but when combined together they multiply each other's strengths to create a more compelling offering overall.
Clouds are designed and built in a way that allows them to take advantage of DevOps methods. The cloud provides tools for centralized deployments and have DevOps services built into them.
For example, if there is a particular way using which DevOps team should assemble the components and need to deliver, then the advanced automation tools available in the cloud can streamline that process and make it distinctly repeatable.
In fact, according to David Linthicum, Chief Cloud Strategy Officer at Deloitte Consulting, DevOps is now dictating cloud development.
How Can DevOps in the Cloud Improve the Application Development Cycle?
Those who used DevOps alone reported a 52% boost in performance.
Those who used Cloud alone reported a 53% boost in performance.
Apart from software delivery performance, these "Delivery Disruptors" also outperformed others on predictability, quality, user experience, and cost control.
Let us dive deeper to find out what are the factors which result in such outstanding performance.
Automation is the key for DevOps to be efficient. Most cloud platforms provide advanced automation tools for DevOps processes such as continuous development and continuous integration. Jenkins, CircleCI, GitLab, Travis CI are examples of such tools used for continuous integration. Such tools provide consistency, speed, and less human interaction, resulting in fewer errors.
Cloud provides a standard and centralized platform to companies for testing, deployment, monitoring and operating the production workloads. Compared to the distributed nature of legacy systems, DevOps process is seamless and smooth when used in a cloud environment.
Using cloud makes it easy to upscale or downscale infrastructure as and when needed without spending a lot of time and money on systems. This scalability makes the DevOps very efficient and saves time and money.
Cloud can provide multiple staging and testing servers, so DevOps teams don't have to wait for servers to become free and available to continue their work. Using DevOps in the cloud encourages experimentation as builds are faster. DevOps teams can quickly provision the servers they need. For example, Commonwealth Bank reduced the provisioning of an Oracle database from three months to two minutes.
As cloud providers focus on stability and uptime, they take care of all the maintenance and management of the platform. Instead of worrying about these issues, IT companies can focus on product development resulting in improved product performance, better user experience, and faster time-to-market.
DevOps methodology in the cloud improves collaboration between teams, saves time and money, and makes the application development cycle more efficient. This, in turn, leads to better product quality and user experience.
Published at DZone with permission of Shakti Rathore . See the original article here.