People in Qatar who wish to assist victims of the devastating Nepal earthquake have been requested to contribute money to the relief effort instead of submitting clothes, shoes and other goods, the Nepal Embassy in Doha has said.
Donations can be transferred to a number of accounts under the Nepal Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief fund, or made through a number of established and reputable charities or aid agencies such as Qatar Red Crescent, which on Sunday announced its QR12 million fundraising appeal.
QRC is one of dozens of international aid agencies that has sent emergency relief to the country in the aftermath of Saturday’s earthquake, which has so far claimed more than 4,500 lives and injured 6,000.
However, the country’s worst earthquake in 80 years may have killed as many as 10,000 people, as more information comes in from remote villages, Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushil Koirala told Reuters yesterday.
An official at Nepal’s local mission told Doha News that donations of clothes, shoes and other household goods have not been identified as priority items in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, and has requested that residents do not collect these at the moment.
According to the embassy’s website, items identified as particularly in need for the rescue and relief operation include medicine, tents, dry food, water, blankets, water purifier, sanitation kits and mattresses.
However, such “in kind” collections must be pre-approved by the Coordination and Contact Team at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu before being sent, the advice adds.
“We don’t want clothes. We are not collecting these right now. People can donate the priority items but they must get permission first. What we really need right now is money,” the official added.
Skilled medical personnel are also being sought to be part of volunteer rescue teams to aid with the ongoing recovery of victims.
Doctors specializing in orthopedics and neurology, surgeons, and nurses, health assistants and anesthetists are all needed.
The rescue team should be “small in size, sound and self-mobilizing,” with each member possessing a valid passport and having received pre-approval from the coordination and contact team in Kathmandu, the online statement adds.
However, there are exceptions to the rule about avoiding in-kind donations. This week, the Grand Hyatt Doha hotel has set up an appeal after receiving a request from its sister property in Kathmandu following the earthquake.
It is requesting donations – particularly clean, folded clothing, tarpaulin and hygiene items – to be delivered to the hotel concierge between 9am and 5pm daily. It cannot accept cash donations.
The items will be delivered to its sister hotel in Nepal’s capital, which has opened its doors to those left homeless since the earthquake struck, spokeswoman Noha Belhaj told Doha News. She added:
“We have teams traveling between Doha and Kathmandu and they will personally take these goods. When the earthquake happened we sent a team of staff with 11 boxes of medical supplies.
Our Kathmandu hotel was one of the few buildings in the area thankfully not affected by the earthquake. It is now home to hundreds of people who are staying there.”
Nepalis in Qatar
Qatar is home to around 400,000 Nepalis, accounting for the second-largest expat community here.
Nepal’s embassy here has been helping to secure exit visas for those of its nationals who wanted to go back to check on family and homes. Embassy workers have also helped those struggling to get clearance and permission to return from their employers, Reuters reports.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera English spoke to Nepalis outside the Embassy in Doha who were desperately trying to contact their friends and families who have been affected.
The non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch has appealed to employers of Nepalis in Qatar and in the wider Gulf to allow their staff a day off each week and to have access to a phone and the internet as they try to make contact with loved ones back home.
“This is no time to look the other way. Nepalis have helped to build the glittering towers of the Gulf countries and care for countless families abroad. Now is the time to show them some appreciation and enable them to help their families rebuild their lives and homes,” HRW’s Rothna Begum said in a statement.
Since the disaster struck, online forums in Qatar have been full of requests on how to help, and where to send donations of clothes, shoes, blankets, medicines and other goods.
However, while well-intentioned, “in kind” collections often cause significant logistic issues when it comes to transporting the goods to the country in need. It also takes time to sort, store and distribute the items.
In a statement to Doha News, QRC explained some of the potential problems agencies face in processing such donations:
“In-kind donations are considered a manifestation of humanitarian solidarity with the affected population. However, they might hinder humanitarian workers who find themselves with huge amounts of items that they have to distribute although they are not a priority at an early stage of a catastrophe. Sometimes these donations might contradict with local culture or might be of low quality that does not comply with national and international standards of donor organizations.
The charity continued:
“The huge flow of in-kind donations leaves airports under enormous pressure, which hinders in turn the arrival of emergency assistance. Sometimes priority goes for medical teams, field hospitals or water and sanitation systems which is the case right now in Nepal. Therefore, assistance should be prioritized or unwanted items will block the flow of basic ones.”
QRC said that it can often be cheaper and easier to procure goods and items in the country affected or in neighboring countries, rather than flying them in, which requires customs clearance and other procedures.
Donate now to save #NepalEarthquake victims
Call 16002 for more info pic.twitter.com/nxHPhORWKy
— الهلال الأحمر القطري (@QRCS) April 28, 2015
Goods bought on the ground can also be purchased in a more organized way and are based on people’s needs.
American organization USAID CIDI (Center for International Disaster Information) gives similar general advice for making donations to disaster funds on its website under “Guidelines for Giving,” saying: “Monetary contributions to established relief agencies are always the best way to help.”
With the number of dead and injured rising, priority on the ground is for medical supplies such as field hospitals, water and sanitation systems and shelters, QRC said.
The charity said its first two plane-loads of aid and a relief team of 20 experts and volunteers arrived in Kathmandu earlier today and are starting to set up their temporary hospitals and distribute emergency supplies.
Its field hospital, comprising tents, medical and non-medical equipment, is operated by up to eight medics and local volunteers.
QRC said the hospital is self-sufficient, provides up to 40 beds and will offer a full range of medical services to more than 30,000 people for up to 100 days without resorting to any external supplies.
QRC’s relief fund aims to provide assistance to nearly 400,000 people in more than 90,000 families affected by the earthquake, the charity said in a statement.
Good article. The coordination and contact team in Nepal who is tasked to oversee the flow of aid goods and personal has created a huge bottleneck restricting access into Nepal. Also whatever aid and personal who do make it in are finding it impossible to reach some remote villages due to lack of infrastructure or transport, hence the call for self sufficent aid groups to enter.
I’m suprised qatars Lekiwyha search and rescue team has not be mobilized. I was almost certain they would be there. They are experienced as they were on the ground for around 6 month in Haiti and have had femine rescue operation experience in Africa. Plus they have a fully equipped mobile hospital unit which include the latest equipment. It could also be due to lack of ability to mobilize at this time in Nepal, perhaps and I hope they will get involved once things settle.
Another note, donations of clothes should be made to charities which will distribute them locally. Speaking to people who work in Eid charity and Qatar red crescent they do face challenges with moving clothes as it takes up much needed space. Instead they keep wool blankets, wool sweaters, jackets and new shoes while the rest is handed out internally. The best thing is always money and let the aid workers sort out what’s needed.
We started an office pool and collected a large sum of money which we handed to out office driver and cleaning staff, do the same if Nepalese work in your office. Also buy 500 riyals worth of calling cards and hand them out to Nepalese in the supermarket or car washes.
Lesley – I’ve been saying this for a few days on the public forums and haven’t been listened to. Thanks SO much for highlighting this!!
I’m praying to God, he’s all powerful and merciful and he will help these people out.
However I do have this feeling that he should have not launched the earthquake on them in the first place.
I am sure the Qataris can offer a lot of money, it would be a more useful expenditure than buying overly priced license plate numbers or diamond encrusted pianos
its not the qataris only how should donate , it should be everyone . & what qataris do with their money is no ones concern .
Stop bashing Qataris at least in this tragedy. Its pathetic.
Don’t see how it is any of your business what Qataris spend their money on. Does anyone tell you how to spend your money? Let’s us know what you have bought recently so we can judge you from a distance…
Actually, it is everyone’s business to know what Qatari’s spend their ‘hard earned ( sic) money on – because we live in a global economy. The world is watching and judging. America has recieved a lot of criticism because the US govt has promised a measly $9million US in emergency funds for Nepal, although it has sent aid teams, hospital supplies etc. Israel has also sent aid teams, hospitals, doctors etc ( Israel always gets a lot of stick ) Qatar has 400000 Nepalese here, it relies upon these people to do the work Qataris would never do – no nepalese, no qatar.
How much has the Qatari govt promised or contributed to a country that provides nearly 25% of it’s work force? A society is judged by it’s empathy & compassion towards others less fortunate, Qatar’s society is sadly lacking..
Qataris, Qatari gov’t and Qatari companies are three different things. You claim that ppl should know what Qataris spend their money on because the us gov’t is under scrutiny…why is Qatar the only place you mix up the gov’t and individuals for blame and actions?
If Qataris should be judged on spending then everyone should be judged on their spending…by the average global person which is under the poverty. I’m sure you will be the first to give up your car, annual travelling and other luxuries for equality.
Misha..this article is on Doha News, aimed at people who live in Qatar.
I dont claim that people would know what Qataris spend their money on, i stated that the world is both watching & aware of which countries contribute what aid to Nepal – countries represent societies and it’s people. The Qatar govt represents the Qatar society and it’s people, the US govt, for example has been widely criticised for it’s little contribution by it’s own people, while the Israeli govt, for example has been somewhat lauded for it’s contribution in comparison to it’s GDP & small population.
The Australian Govt, again for example, made an initial donation of $5 million, the US just $9million – Australia has a population of 23 million, the US has 300 Million. Two very rich countries, but, per capita, Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world and also has the second biggest Nepalese society outside of Nepal itself.
Ive said before and will happily say it again, Qataris in general spend more and care more for their fancy cars than they do the people who work for them or serve them.
Also, fyi, i wasn’t the first but when i came to Qatar ( luxury travel, lol ) i actually donated my car to a charity, so i now have no car to give up for equality.
I didnt mention equality, i mentioned the govt of Qatar as representing Qatar society making a donation on behalf of Qatar to Nepal, where many of it’s working & service people originate, people upon who Qatar relies.
I am not disagreeing, Qatar should make a sizable donation especially considering the relationship it has with Nepal.
My issue with your comment was “It is everyone’s business what Qataris spend their money on” in reference to the previous comment of the personal purchase of the piano and liscense plates. Again you mention the amounts of gov’t donations but your comment that I quoted refers to individual spending.
I would not choose to spend my money on a fancy car or a piano. I think it is a waste of money and could be used in other ways but I also do not know how much money these people have given to charity unless it is publicly declared.
I admire the fact that you gave up your car to charity, I don’t think I’d be able to do that. I agree that it is unhelpful to spend money on frivolous items, but what other people spend their money on is none of our concern. No one is obligated to anything. To donate your hard earned money is a personal choice, not an obligation or responsibility. I like how you mention we live in a global economy – an economy which is stimulated by the purchase of ‘diamond encrusted pianos’ and sports cars, not donations to the Nepalese government.
The Nepalese that come to work here don’t do it out of charity, they get paid for their work. It’s an exchange of labour for financial remuneration, it doesn’t mean Qatar has an obligation to Nepal.
It’s like saying there are so many Indians in Qatar that Qatar should do something about the mega slums in places like Mumbai.
What Nepal needs is the West and other rich nations such as Qatar, China with capabilty to send rescue teams, doctors, engineers, nurses and disaster relief teams which are self sufficient. Sending money to such places as Nepal, India and Africa is one of the worst things you can do. The money doesn’t reach the intended victims fast enough and much of the money goes ‘misssing’ before reaching its final destination. Human greed trumps over human compassion every time. It may make the person in the west feel better about themselves that they have donated and it makes the corrupt person the other end happy they have enough money for a new luxury car….
Agreed, my Haitian friend told me that a lot of the money to Haiti didn’t go to the right places or come in at all. A lot of people are still living in tents in Haiti. It is always a risk. Sadly their are probably scams already in place ready to take advantage of the situation.
After the emergency situation has calmed down, it would be very useful to train Nepalis for the long term in things as construction, engineering and medicine. Education and supplies woulf need money.
I hope the Qatari gov’t is as generous with Nepal as it has been with other countries.
Unfortunately, as with most third world countries, money sent through the government and embassies goes straight into the pockets of the rich and wealthy instead of where it’s needed. You should even research the charities you send money too as a few of them pay their CEO’s and staff a considerable amount of money. I agree that aid such as second hand goods, toys etc are not needed in the direct aftermath of a disaster such as this, however they DO need tents, blankets, medicine, dry foods etc. The Nepali government has taken far too long to respond to the needs of their people. God bless the Nepalese and their beautiful county.
i felt in tears when i saw thousands of people dead due to this incident. i pray that God should console the victims and give them courage to bear the lost. and to the good people of the world who had volunteered to help in saving the human race in Nepal, i pray for more strength on your shoulders and that you shall never encounter problem in your every day endeavor. to the government or minister and whosoever that is responsible for the charity donations, remember these people and here unto their cry God is watching all of us as the last time donations where sent to Philippine it was reported that so many people had not received any help from the government and i believe so criminals sees this as an opportunity for them to embezzle what belongs to the afflicted. God save Nepal… God save human race


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domain: hobby


As we all know, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will come to our game life soon. FFXIV director Naoki Yoshida has confirmed that the reason the game will be the 'odd one out' and the only upcoming entry in the series to skip Xbox platforms is down to Microsoft's ongoing Xbox Live policies."The policy has not changed on Microsoft's side," Yoshida revealed to us when asked if an exclusivity deal had been signed with Sony alongside the PS4 version or if the lack of an Xbox platform version was still thanks to Microsoft's restrictive Xbox Live Policies. Final Fantasy XIV Gil is absolutely necessary in PC and XBOX client.
The console interface is ready thanks to the PS3 and PS4 versions of the game, but Yoshida refuses to split his user base."The main reason from our side is that I don't want the community to be divided; to be split into two or more. For example, one player might be on the PC version, another might be on the PS4 version, and I'm playing the Xbox version - but we're not able to join the same game servers. That is just... I just don't like the idea. I disagree with it," Yoshida told us.
Specifically, Microsoft refuses to allow titles to share multiplayer servers between other platforms. For Final Fantasy XI's Xbox 360 release the company made an exception - presumably to curry favour with Square Enix to secure Final Fantasy XIII's release for their console - but no such exception has been made for the latest MMO entry.
If Square Enix want to release it, they'd have to offer another set of servers for the Xbox 360 release. PC, PS3 and PS4 are all intended to share with no boundaries once released."To be frankly honest with you, there are now so many mobile devices, smart phones, everything -- why would you ever just stick to one platform from the hardware aspect? Just -- make it open to everyone? That's my opinion."


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Written in 2002
Something about turning 30 makes me muse about the possibility of past lives. It's probably due to my ridiculous fear of perishing. I am terrified that I am going to be snatched up by the grim reaper before it's my time, especially when I feel that there are so many things I still want to do. And that is just it. I never stop. Living in NYC isn’t helping. My life is: wake up, check my email, make phone calls, run to the subway, grumble to myself at the people that are walking too slowly, go to a job, a meeting, an audition, call my answering machine, return phone calls, make more appointments, go to the gym, run home, check my machine again, and send more emails. Then, go out again to have a rehearsal, perform in a show, meet a pal, run home, watch “Friends” and go to bed. This just isn’t doing it for me. And the fact that I have no belief in any sort of God makes the prospect of death all the more terrifying.
My last real attempt to connect with the “all powerful” was at Sunday school when I was 5 and we were asked to create our version of God out of various household products; A Kleenex or cereal box for the body, paper towel rolls for the arms and so on. When I had finished painting and adorning my God, the teacher asked me where I would like to put him. I turned abruptly and said “He’s a woman”. 25 years later, life has started to feel unimportant. So when my friend gave me a book on past lives, I devour it and suddenly feel a sense of ease. If I know there could be another life ahead, I might not feel so afraid of this one ending.
When I receive the catalogue in the mail from the Omega Institute- a spiritual retreat center in the Catskills that offered a weekend retreat led by the book’s author, now spiritual guru, Brian Weiss, I don't even blink at the $350 fee. This is going to be it: My transformative weekend.
I arrive at the Omega Institute on a Friday afternoon with my friend Anne ready to be an entirely new person by Sunday evening. I walk down the road from the bus and I can feel the pebbles crunching beneath my feet- each one leading me closer to my new understanding of life. As we cross the field to our wooden cabin, we are greeted by a pretty woman with unshaven armpits sitting on the grass drawing or pondering her hem. “Hello Beautiful Goddesses,” she oozes. Was she referring to me? I’ve never been a beautiful goddess before so I wave back. I guess even in sneakers and jeans, I defy all signs of mere mortality. My journey had begun.
Before the orientation, we sit in the sauna for 20 minutes with several other naked people- both men and women, both firm and droopy. I have my bathing suit on. I am not quite ready to share. I sit and detoxify and slather some intense moisturizing treatment on my body. I am all about moisturization and I have brought some kiwi body crème from the most spiritual store I could find in the city called “Wind, Water and a Touch of Cinnamon”.
We then enter the lecture hall and there he is: Our Guru: The man who would help me see that I may have been a young Russian girl in 1907 or perhaps a British soldier in 1688. The skeptical psychiatrist who changed his world view when he hypnotized and regressed one of his patients into 46 different past lives and then wrote about it for others to be inspired. Our leader, our guide: Brian Weiss. He is a smaller more intellectual looking version of Mr. Rogers, but I don’t let that sway my intense enthusiasm. “Welcome, Brian. Welcome to my world. Change me! Teach me! I want to believe!”
He tells us about his background and his patients - one, a Chinese woman who was suddenly able to speak perfect English when regressed to a former life. “Unbelievable”, I think, eager for more. The first thing he has us do is to stare into the face of a partner in the dark. I turn to a stranger next to me, introduce myself and start staring. As I gaze harder, I actually begin to see other faces appearing in her face: A young boy, an old woman. Her eyes alter their shape, her hair changes. Could this be who she was in her former lives? I wonder who she is seeing in my mug. Anne Frank? Anne Morrow Lindbergh? Anne Boleyn? The lights return and Brian announces his intention to regress the entire group. He lulls us into a state of relaxation and gives specific instructions for our journey. I try hard not to think about the Hypnotist in
who made his participants hump a chair. Instead I do my best to concentrate and see that beautiful garden Brian describes; I find the childhood memory he requests: having a peanut butter party with 10 of my stuffed animals when I was 7, and then I open the garden gate into another life. I am a man in a short burlap toga with hairy legs and sandals. I’m carrying a jug of water and climbing down a rope ladder. The sun is shining brightly and the sky is perfectly clear. I look up and there’s Willem Dafoe as Jesus. I am re-enacting a scene from The Last Temptation of Christ in my head. Ah Jesus, I mean “Willem”. But I don’t let it get me down. I still have 40 more hours of self discovery ahead. Las Vegas
The next morning we take a tai chi class outside by the lake. I ground my tiger. I push away the ocean waves. Beautiful Goddess woman is there- her hairy armpits blowing in the wind. “Hello, Beautiful Goddess” I exclaim before realizing that no one else is talking. She smiles at me and continues to silently ground her tiger, which seems to be a little smaller than mine. A woman in a moo moo and I hold a ball of chi between us and I can feel it, I can see it. I AM it. The Chi! My Chi! Hail to the Chi.
During the morning session with Brian, we are asked to exchange a personal possession of ours with someone we don’t know in order to experiment channeling the energy and experience of another person. My neighbor slides off her ring, I hand her my watch, and we meditate on these unfamiliar objects. After 5 minutes of intense concentration where I slowly try to become one with her foreign metallic band, we reveal the images we had witnessed. She saw me in an apartment arguing with a man whom it seemed I loved a great deal. I was impressed, as I was having problems with my live in boyfriend at the time. Sheepishly, I divulged what I thought to be a rather dull interpretation of my experience with her trinket. “I kept seeing a bank” I muttered. “I work at a bank,” she gasped and embraced me. Hmmm. I began to wonder. Were we psychic? Or does everyone at some point argue with a man they love in an apartment and haven’t all of us either worked or been to a bank?
At lunch, Anne and I sit with a couple of professional channelers from our group. They are quite overweight, which I have heard gives them the optimal amount of room needed to channel “The Dead’s energy. Everyone at the table starts a barrage of questions. “Can you talk to my dead grandmother, my uncle, my son?” “ Yes,” the channellers reply, all the while shoving muffins and tempeh into their mouths. One, who looks uncannily like an owl offers “Your grandfather is saying hello. He loves you but he’s worried about you. Pass the mustard.”
People are astounded. Eyes begin tearing up. Mine are dry. If people could talk to the dead, wouldn’t the meaning of life and death be known and understood? Wouldn’t they, at some juncture, inquire of the dead person: “So what’s up with being dead?” But I try not to judge. Perhaps there is a code of silence about the whole dead thing that I don’t know about.
When afternoon session begins, I am hungry for some real past lives proof. The object exchange thing was cool but I need to conquer the fear of death. Brian regresses a man on stage who is Latino and I can barely make out the words through the thickness of his accent. The only things I can understand are that he sees his son leaving home and his wife dying and he is wearing a tall black hat. He also sees wallpaper but doesn’t describe it. When he finishes, everyone in the room marvels at the incredible detail. Detail? He said he saw wallpaper. Was it striped? Did it have ancient Roman medallions on it? I start thinking about the phone calls I need to return, the emails I should probably send. I think about Beautiful Goddess woman. Why doesn’t she shave her damn hairy armpits?
All we have is the Sunday morning session left and I begin panicking that I am not transformed. At 10 am Brian hypnotizes and regresses a skinny older man wearing only a red speedo and who has no memories of his childhood due to encephalitis. But supposedly, with eyes closed, he begins to recount childhood tales. He mutters something to the effect of “I’m pouring something sticky on my sister’s head. Ha Ha. It’s all over her”. He remembers getting ready for school and having lunch. “Pretty exciting”, I think, my cynicism slowly creeping in. Why doesn’t someone just recount an episode of The Brady Bunch for me? But there are still two hours left. Something could happen in that amount of time…..maybe. It took only a burning bush for Moses to be a believer.
Brian instructs us that it is now time for us to conjure up and listen to our ”Spiritual guide”. Ooh, I want SO badly to have a chat with my spiritual guide. What has she been up to? How come she hasn’t been more in touch? She remains fairly elusive, so I try calling out made up names in my head. “Salsaria? Romiko? Fingwawa?” No luck. But someone in the audience claims to HAVE connected with her spiritual guide and she is brought up on stage. It is my new psychic pal who works in a bank. Brian puts her into some sort of hypnotic trance and she describes seeing an intense white light. “Oh my God!” She screeches. “It’s so bright! It’s so beautiful!” “ What IS it?” Brian asks and as she takes a huge breath, I start looking around for the snake handlers. “It’s….LOVE. It’s love.” Brian snaps to attention “You said your spiritual guide wanted you to tell us something!” “Yes”, the bank woman squeals. “Life is all about love. There is so much hate and jealousy in the world and we get bogged down by mean spirited feelings. But we just need to love each other.” Well, I wonder if she has the same spiritual guide as Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa, and my next door neighbor and a guy I sat next to on the place once. Yes, this is true but does it need to be shouted at me from the stag for $350 when I get mass emails on a weekly basis saying the same exact thing? And it is over. But wait! It can’t be over. I’m not convinced. I’m still afraid of dying. I slump out of the lecture hall past the chubby channelers who are surrounded by eager believers.
What am I supposed to do next? How could I get through the fact that my spiritual journey had ended in failure? I know I am going to head back home, immediately check my email, return phone calls, plan for the next week and nothing will have changed.
I hear footsteps behind me, “You dropped your body lotion.” It’s beautiful Goddess woman. “Oh thank you,” and I watch her saunter off to her cabin, her anklet jingling. I head over to the sauna one last time to de-stress, exfoliate and, of course, moisturize. There is a naked older woman in the sauna with me. ‘Ooh, that smells so good” she says responding to my kiwi body crème which I have begun to slather on. We wind up giving ourselves facials and deep moisturizing treatments together. “Thank you so much for sharing. I really needed this.” She says, thick New York accent in place. Then she looks me straight in the eye. “This is so spiritual. People wanna know where God is. Well, it’s right here. It’s RIGHT here.” And she’s kind of right. It is the most spiritual and connected I have felt the entire weekend. I stop worrying about who I was and who I will become and start thinking about who I am.
Back in NYC I take up yoga-which I TRY not to run to. I still email 11 times a day and I still watch Friends. I am still searching for significance to my life’s pandemonium and answers about death. But in the meantime, I have Wind, Water and a Touch of Cinnamon.

domain: artistic


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2017 set the bar incredibly high for NCT’s youngest unit with the February release of Dream’s buoyant My First and Last. In fact, I’d argue that SM Entertainment hasn’t delivered a stronger single since. And as NCT begins to paint all of its units with a similar hip-hop brush, it makes me wonder whether we’ll ever hear Last’s nostalgic brand of funk pop again.
If March’s hard-hitting Go was any indication, SM is ready to merge Dream’s previously light sound with the more experimental direction pursued by other NCT units. This sonic consistency seems to defeat the purpose of debuting multiple units under the NCT umbrella, so it’s refreshing that We Go Up has a bit more of a youthful bounce to it. The song plays like a hybrid of Go and Chewing Gum, keeping the hip-hop edge but partnering it with a bright arrangement.
We Go Up wastes no time diving into its first verse, which opens with a flurry of staccato rap over a retro breakbeat. Prior to this single, Mark was undoubtedly the group’s most well-known rapper, but this will be his final comeback as a Dream member. Luckily, the unit seems to be in good hands, with Jaemin, Jeno and Jisung all delivering surprisingly assertive hip-hop performances. The production helps, supplying an addictive mix of percussive elements that grows even stronger as electro bass is added for the engaging pre-chorus. The song seems poised to transform into something quite spectacular, but the repetitive chorus steals some wind from its sails. The tempo slows and we end up with a simplified chant rather than a fully fleshed out melody. This chorusless chorus is indicative of where K-pop has lived for the past few years, so it’s not much of a surprise. Still, it feels like a missed opportunity. Dream carry the day with their enthusiastic performance, selling the meager hook with all they have, but it’s hard not to imagine how this solid comeback could have transformed into something truly spectacular.


Chardham project could be disastrous for earthquake-prone Uttarakhand, say experts
The two centrally funded projects aim to ensure a safe and faster access to the ‘Chardhams’ (four shrines) for pilgrims from across the country
The Chardham all-weather road project and the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail line project may spell disaster for seismically sensitive Himalayan region if advanced technologies were not adopted, experts said.
The two centrally funded projects aim to ensure a safe and faster access to the ‘Chardhams’ (four shrines) for pilgrims from across the country.
“I am not anti-development but the two mega projects should be implemented using advanced equipment backed by equally hi-tech engineering,” said Prof YP Sundriyal, a geological expert at HNB Garhwal (Central) University. He warned the projects would spell disaster for the region if old technologies like uncontrolled blasting of hills and tunnel digging are continued with.
“The five valleys (of the Ganga, the Alaknanda, the Bhagirathi, the Yamuna and the Mandakini ), which are already crisscrossed by a network of roads and highways, have the Main Central Thrust or MCT crossing beneath them,” Sundriyal said.
The MCT is a “major geological fault” where the Indian Plate has pushed under the Eurasian Plate along the Himalayas. All the earthquakes that struck the Garhwal Himalaya since 1991 occurred mostly in those five valleys through which the MCT passes, he said. Sundriyal warned all bridges would tumble down along with stretches of roads during a high-intensity earthquake.
The hill slopes loosened by the uncontrolled blasting of rocks for road widening or by digging tunnels through them for laying rail lines would be washed away by monsoon rains leaving a trail of disasters, he said. “That’s what we witnessed during the floods that struck in 2013 killing thousands of people in the Chardham region.”
National Centre for Seismology director Vineet Gehlot said Uttarakhand was most vulnerable to a big earthquake in the entire Himalayan arc as such tremor has not occurred in the region in the past 500 to 700 years. Dr SP Sati, a research officer at Garhwal University’s Department of Geology, said seismic tremors frequently occurring in the areas under the twin projects have left the hill slopes weak.
However, Public Works Department’s National Highway chief engineer Hari Om Sharma, assured that all measures were being taken for protection of debris sites. He added that compensatory afforestation would be carried out for the uprooted trees.
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Within the pick-up truck market, Nissan Presents three vehicles in the United States, Thus, Japanese factories enter this market from different angles, each option being different from the other. They differ in size, engine, market price and consumption. It’s about Frontier, Titan and Titan XD,
In this case, we will enter Titan, The most balanced choice that the firm has today in flat pick-up, An amalgamation between a vehicle designed specifically for work—like the Titan XD—with a classic city pick-up like the Frontier. Both worlds co-exist properly in Titan.
Now, to the tune: This is a really powerful pick-up truck, with more than five liters of displacement and an eight-cylinder engine housed in a V. This is not a car to ride, nor an elegant G-Wagon to wink cool eyes. For Silverado, Titan is a “truck” for RAM,
One of the highlights of the Titan is its four wheel drive. “The Titan range was built with off-road driving in mind,” explains Nissan USA about this truck. The Titan’s aesthetic has become more aggressive as the restyling has gone through, although it has never carried over much. It maintains the classic design lines of the pick-up.
What stands out are the standard 18″ machined aluminum wheels – that’s quite a bit to ask for -, the LED taillights that give it a more contemporary look in keeping with the times, and the segment-exclusive Nissan logo. : Black with red details …
2023 Nissan Titan Performance
,Everything Seems Possible With 400 Horsepower”, says Japanese firm on Titan 2023, In its SV version, it has a V placed front and longitudinal 8-cylinder engine with a capacity of 5.6 litres. This combination gives it 400 hp and maximum torque of around 413 Nm. It is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission.
There is an advancement in new technology for the new Titan. “With the most standard technologies in its class”, says Nissan at the presentation of its new off-roader. The truth is that the new Titan extends the already classic Nissan Intelligent Mobility with its Nissan Safety Shield 360 protection shield. Said shield offers six driving safety variables for more secure driving.

domain: design


Charging stations, facade improvements highlight Gaylord projects
GAYLORD — It won’t be long before all of the snow in Gaylord disappears heralding the arrival of warmer weather and another construction season.
Gaylord City Manager Joe Duff said there are several infrastructure and improvement projects that will commence once the seasonal calendar signals spring.
Electric vehicle charging stations
In 2018, U.S. sales of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) reached a record 361,000. Although sales may have softened a bit last year, EVs are still expected to claim a larger share of the market in the future as automakers have committed over $200 billion to introduce new models.
This spring work will begin in downtown Gaylord on the construction of four electric vehicle charging stations set to be installed near the Pavilion on Court near the corner of South Court Avenue and West First Street.
Two of the stations will be fast-charging outlets that can complete a charge-up in about 30 to 45 minutes. The other two will be Level 2 stations that can take up to eight hours to complete a charge, Duff said.
PowerHome Solar of Grand Rapids is expected to start construction this spring with a target completion date of July 1, according to Duff.
The total cost of the four charging stations is nearly $184,000, Duff said.
Consumers Energy is contributing $90,000, while the Michigan Agency for Energy is providing $41,000. The Gaylord Area Convention and Tourism Bureau is pitching in $10,000 while the Gaylord Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is also providing $10,000. The city will contribute $32,000.
Located less than a mile from I-75, the stations are expected to provide a boost to the downtown as those charging up their vehicles may dine and shop in the area.
Dickerson Road reconstruction
Work on this project won’t actually begin until the spring of 2021 Duff said. However, consulting engineers will start design work this year.
The project will replace the section of Dickerson that runs from Gaylord Collision to Zaremba Equipment in the Gaylord Area Industrial Park. Work will include creation of a three-lane road, utility upgrades and curbing.
When work finally does begin, it will also include the reconstruction of Dickerson from Van Tyle Road to Main Street.
Total cost is estimated at $757,000. A $375,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation will leave the city with a $467,000 bill for the project.
Municipal parking lot
The city-owned parking lot behind the Sugar Bowl restaurant is due for work this year. In 2019, the city acquired two lots from the restaurant.
Duff said this $250,000-$300,000 project will improve drainage in those areas and in the rest of the lot.
”We hope to bid this out in the spring with construction starting in late April or early May,” he said.
Downtown building improvements
A project to improve the facades on C.R.A.V.E. restaurant, 148 W. Main St., and the building housing the Winter Wonderland Board of Realtors, 122 S. Otsego Ave., will hopefully get off the ground this year, Duff said.
This project has been delayed. It is a joint effort between the DDA and the city. The cost will be about $265,000. The businesses are providing $121,000 while a $140,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation will leave the city’s share at $4,000.
Sanitary sewer upgrade
An area between North and Mill streets that is across from the parking lot from Munson Healthcare Otsego Memorial Hospital is slated for sewer improvement work this year.
Duff said the area has a lot of trees which have made it difficult to clean the sewer line. Currently, the city doesn’t have easements from affected property owners.
The city will set up a meeting with the owners in the next couple of weeks. The project is in the design phase, and Duff hopes it can be bid out this spring. Estimated cost is $110,000 to acquire easements, remove trees and upgrade the line.


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The Canes will seemingly get a reprieve the back-to-back dogfights against fellow playoff bubble teams they experienced earlier this week, but as they well know, breaks are few and far between at this time of year.
The New York Islanders, who visit the RBC Center Friday night, have long been eliminated from serious postseason contention. At 27-33-11, their record isn’t terribly intimidating, nor is their status as the 14th-place team in the Eastern Conference.
However, their fortunes have changed in the second half. Since Dec. 15, they’ve posted a 22-15-6 record, which marks the third-best run in the Eastern Conference behind just Boston and Washington. That includes a seven-game points streak (4-0-3) that was snapped in their most recent game, a 6-3 loss to the cross-town Rangers on Tuesday.
Though winning their final 11 games still wouldn’t give them a very good shot at the playoffs due to their 5-18-5 start to the campaign, they now seem to be playing much better without pressure.
“Whenever a team goes on a run, you want to try to get a feel for what they’re doing,” said Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice, whose team has a chance to tie the idle Buffalo Sabres for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. “They’ve got lots of confidence, lots of speed and lots of hand skills.
“When they get into the situation they’re in, there’s really no repercussions for certain things that happen on the ice, and it frees those skill guys to do what they can do, and they certainly have some skill.”
The Islanders are led by 2008 first-overall draft choice John Tavares, who has started to come into his own with 60 points in 68 games. They also boast 30-goal scorer Matt Moulson and rookie Michael Grabner, who trails the Canes’ Jeff Skinner by 8 points in the freshman scoring race.
Those players, along with expected starting goaltender Al Montoya, the sixth overall pick in the 2004 draft that may be turning a corner his career after posting a .920 save percentage and 2.36 goals-against average in 14 NHL games this season, will give the Hurricanes more to worry about than earlier in the season.
”It’s the time of the schedule more than anything else,” said Maurice of his team’s two previous wins against the Islanders in 2010-11. “I think we saw them injured early and they were a different-looking team. Their confidence level is different now than it was when we played them. We’ll get all we can handle.”
The Hurricanes did not take part in line rushes at the morning skate, leaving starting units up in the air until warm-ups tonight. During Wednesday’s loss to Toronto, several in-game changes were made, including Drayson Bowman promoted to Eric Staal’s left wing and Tuomo Ruutu moving from right wing back to center.
Those changes could continue tonight.
“We run Staal in big minutes and you may see other people play with him just to back their minutes off,” said Maurice. “As much movement as we have, there’s really only three or four moves that we make, and it’s the wings with Staal and then we rotate that third-line center position.”
Maurice added that he would have no changes to his overall lineup, as Troy Bodie is expected to serve as a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game. Jamie McBain remains sidelined with a shoulder injury.

domain: news


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Actor-turned-director Mark Webber combines the worst of two schemes in his debut feature, “Explicit Ills”: overweening artistic pretense with a crudely conceived political message. The pretense is bluntly clear from the early minutes, while the message — intended as the natural outgrowth of his script’s multicharacter tale of lives in the slums of Philadelphia — feels like a glib broadside against poverty and lack of health care. Confused, inchoate pic was overpraised at its SXSW preem (where it scored aud and lensing prizes). The needle on its commercial life hovers around zero.
A knockout title opener backed by Nina Simone’s booming, strutting version of “Feeling Good” suggests a film of terrific style and impact, perhaps along the lines of American urban dramas of the 1950s. Without introducing a context or any connective pattern among the city denizens, Webber’s concept is to elliptically cut between lives and settings until an overall picture gradually emerges.
For many, that picture will be far too long in coming, since almost every individual portrait is so glancing and thin in conception that little develops except an unreasonably glossy depiction of life at the bottom rungs of an American city.
Druggies and would-be artists Michelle (Frankie Shaw) and Jacob (Lou Taylor Pucci) make out during Webber’s swooping Max Ophuls-ish camera moves during a bash Michelle is hosting, and they sort of go downhill from there, until Michelle finishes a painting — a group portrait of the pic’s main characters. Young lad Heslin (Ross Kim-McManus) pumps iron and tries to stick to good food to get muscles, while his dad Kaleef (Tariq Trotter) endeavors to open a neighborhood store selling health products. Little Babo (Francisco Burgos) is perpetually depicted onscreen via Patrice Cochet’s arch cinematography in an angelic light, but his mother (Rosario Dawson) has a hard time keeping the family together, and safe.
While a few story strands carry affecting moments, including one involving Demetri (Martin Cepeda Jr.) working every possible angle to spark the affections of a neighborhood girl (Destini Edwards), others just sit there, like the interaction between struggling thesp Rocco (Paul Dano) and Babo, who’s awkwardly used as the pic’s mouthpiece to state that American poverty is “depressing.”
A finale involving the community marching for economic change is forced into the movie like a bolt of quickie progressive politics. The gambit indicates a distrust of everything that has come before to convey in dramatic terms the intended message, which is all the weaker and less convincing for it.
Pic’s sense of how people in the inner city actually live feels phony. Several interior locations (under Michael Grasley’s production design) look downright swanky, or at least certainly not poverty-stricken, and while exteriors are shot in Philly, interiors look very much like sets. Compared, for example, with the realism of Baltimore in HBO’s “The Wire,” this Philadelphia never achieves the same taste of true urban desperation.
Few perfs rise beyond surface readings, with Dawson delivering emotional punches extremely late into the running time, newcomer tyke Burgos seeming almost otherworldly and the combo of Cepeda Jr. and Edwards deserving a little movie all to themselves.


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Stagecoach Group, which is in the process of revamping its British operations as it exits a loss-making American bus business, told shareholders at its annual meeting that current trading was in line with expectations.
Chairman Robert Speirs announced that he was pleased with the performance in each of its four divisions: UK Bus, Coach USA, Stagecoach New Zealand and UK Rail.
While like-for-like US dollar revenues during the first quarter fell 4% on last year, overall operating profits at Coach USA were satisfactory.
For the UK Bus business, revenues in the 16 weeks to August 16 rose 8% from last year; they grew 8.7% at its New Zealand businesses.
In the Rail division, trading at South West Trains had been strong, with a 5.3% year on year increase in revenues, while its operational performance was meeting its expectations.


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Located in the heart of Rogaška Slatina, facing a magnificant park, the Grand Hotel Rogaška – Rogaška Resort is a perfect example of timeless architectural class. With 194 historic rooms, every guests is transported back to the times of Princess Sissi (Elisabeth of Austria), Franz Joseph and of charming evening concertos performed by musician Liszt.
Times may change, but our dedication to upholding the charms and standards of this building remain the same. Our highly personalized 24-hour service, combined with authentic, elegant surroundings embodies a home away from home for our guests. Over the years, our staff have built an unrivalled level of reliability, trust and connection with our guests – a connection we continue to uphold.
The Grand Hotel Rogaška – Rogaška Resort is a hotel that soothes and invigorates the body and mind.

domain: travel


How do you spend your practice time?
I often get asked this question, so I thought I would take a moment and address this topic. The truth is that I'm not a great student in the traditional sense. For me, it's an all or nothing deal. When I first started learning how to play the harmonica, it was easy to find motivation and stay focused. In fact, I played several hours every single day the first year or so. It was a bit of an obsession for me as are most things in my life that I actually accomplish. Sad but true. As time goes on, not every harmonica song or riff is going to capture your attention and push you to reach further.
So, here's what I recommend. If you can schedule 3 to 4 days, an hour a day, out of your week for practice time, I think you'll find that accomplishing your music goals is much easier. First, set very specific goals for a specific time period that you'd like to accomplish them. If you don't reach those goals in that time frame you can always integrate them into your next round of goals. I strongly recommend that students divide their time into very specific/targeted practice of songs,melodies, techniques etc and jam/free time. In fact, I think that you should carve out at least 20-30 min of each practice session for free time to let your musical mind explore and have fun. Some of the biggest "aha" moments have happened for me while just jamming along with a famous harmonica solo or to a jam track. Besides, learning to play an instrument should be fun before anything else; that's what keeps you engaged and focused in the long run. If it's not fun, you will likely give up on learning the harmonica.
Let's face it, sometimes this instrument can be extremely challenging as certain techniques require an exactness from the player to get that sound they're after. When you are focused on techniques or learning new riffs etc in your practice time, don't give yourself too much to accomplish in a short period. Ex: 30 minutes could look like this: 10 min on bending exercises, 10 min on a new riff, 10 min practicing a melody. Of course, you can adjust those topics and times a bit according to your schedule and ability to focus.
One of the series of lessons on Harmonica123 that is a great tool for these practice sessions are the "blues licks" lessons. I recommend just trying to master a few licks at a time before moving on to the next one. I realize that most people probably want to go through and at least hear all of the licks one time through but then it's important to tackle each lick as if it were an entire score of music. That's how you'll get the most out of those lessons. Keep it simple and have fun!


PLANNING COMMISSION: December 6, 2005
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: January 4, 2006
SP 2005-30 Michael Caplin Boat Dock
Applicant's Proposal: The applicant Michael Caplin who is located at Tax Map 45 Parcel 187 would like to install a private dock for boating, fishing, and bird watching on the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir (Tax Map 45 Parcel 67A).
Petition: The petition is for approval of a special use permit, in accordance with Section 30.3.05.2.1(2) of the Zoning Ordinance, to allow a boat dock in a Flood Hazard Overlay zoning district. This petition is requested for the parcel described as Tax Map 45, Parcel 67A which is the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. The property is located in the Rio Magisterial District and the proposed boat dock is located at the west side of the reservoir, approximately 0.70 mile upstream of the Earlysville Road (Route 743) crossing. The property is zoned RA Rural Areas and FH Flood Hazard Overlay. The Comprehensive Plan designates this property as Rural Areas.
Character of the Area: Nearby and surrounding land uses consist of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, low density single family residential development, and open space.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff has reviewed the proposal for conformity with the Comprehensive Plan and the Zoning Ordinance and recommends approval of the special use permit, with conditions.
Planning and Zoning History: The property on which the private boat dock is proposed is owned by the City of Charlottesville. The dock will serve the adjacent Caplin property. With the exception of the current request from Mr. Bart Neumann (SP 2005-10) on an adjacent property, there have been very few requests for boat docks on the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir in recent years. Currently there are a total of 17 boat docks (some in disrepair) on the Reservoir based on a field survey of the Reservoir in May 2005 by staff from the County, RWSA, and the City of Charlottesville. Because County files are unavailable or nonexistent for the majority of these docks, it is not clear how the potential impacts of the docks were evaluated. The last documented request was made in 1999 by Mr. James Ogg for a new private residential boat dock (SP 99-28) and also involved the unauthorized construction of a freestanding deck. The special use permit was approved by both the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors with the stipulation that mitigation be provided for disturbance to the 200-foot vegetative buffer, and that lighting issues be addressed. In 1997 a request from Rivanna Rowing (SP 97-23) to construct a new floating dock in conjunction with establishing a new private rowing facility was approved by the Planning Commission, but denied by the Board of Supervisors. The denial was based on the proposal’s size, location, safety concerns, and a determination that it would change the character of the Reservoir from a water supply facility to a recreational facility. In 1994 Virginia Rowing received approval from both the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors (SP 94-08) to relocate an existing boat dock associated with an existing boating athletic facility.
Comprehensive Plan and The Neighborhood Model:
The Land Use Plan shows this area as Rural Areas and the Comprehensive Plan recognizes the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir as a surface drinking water supply. The Natural Resources and Cultural Assets Component of the County’s Comprehensive Plan contains the following objective for the recreational use of water supply areas:
“Allow and manage recreational uses of drinking water reservoirs and adjacent public land only as incidental uses to the primary function of water supply and in such a manner as to prevent cumulative impacts that may impair that primary function.”
The Comprehensive Plan recognizes that recreational use of water supply reservoirs has the potential to threaten water quality and water supply functions, and calls for specific consideration of this issue in the following strategy:
“The County should take a lead role in developing a recreation and water supply protection plan for each reservoir to address incidental recreational uses of drinking water reservoirs and adjacent public land. This effort should be coordinated with the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, the City of Charlottesville, Shenandoah National Park and other relevant agencies.”
Policies and Regulations Regarding Water Supply Reservoir Protection:
Sections 11-300 through 11-306 of the Albemarle County Code address water supply reservoirs utilized by the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority and regulate the use and activity on each reservoir. Section 11-304 specifically addresses activities on the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. Authorized activities are fishing, canoeing, boating (no internal combustion engines), hiking, bird watching, and picnicking. Swimming is specifically prohibited under this Section. An exemption is provided for Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries personnel to utilize internal combustion engines for official purposes. In addition, Section 17-317 of the County Water Protection Ordinance established a two hundred horizontal feet wide vegetative buffer from the floodplain of any public water supply impoundment. In this buffer, native vegetation shall be preserved to the maximum extent possible. The target vegetative cover in the buffer shall be native riparian forest with ground cover, shrub, and tree canopy layers. Within this buffer, land disturbing activities and the installation of structures are significantly restricted.
The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority gives the privilege of constructing and maintaining a boat dock on the Reservoir to adjacent riparian property owners for their individual use and requires that construction methods, materials, design, and size be limited to what the Authority has authorized. (See Attachment E)
Zoning Considerations: Zoning has suggested that the type and location of lighting (if any) should be addressed. In addition, Zoning has suggested that decking or stairs leading to the dock be addressed, and recommended against the installation of these types of structures as a condition of approval. Staff recommends that these issues be addressed as conditions of approval as discussed below.
Additional Agency Comments:
The City of Charlottesville, as the owner of the Reservoir, has indicated their support of the proposal by including their signature in the Special Use Permit application on October 26, 2005. (See Attachment C)
The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, as manager of the use of the Reservoir, has indicated that the proposed construction of the dock meets their requirements and has approved the construction specifications and insurance requirements for the boat dock, and issued a construction permit October 21, 2005. (See Attachment D)
Section 184.108.40.206 of the Zoning Ordinance below requires that special use permits be assessed as follows:
Will the use be of substantial detriment to adjacent property?
The proposed boat dock would not appear to be detrimental to either the Reservoir or to nearby or surrounding properties. As stated above, there are a number of boat docks for private recreational use already in place on the Reservoir.
Will the character of the zoning district change with this use?
In the past, the issue of how lighting associated with these docks may change the character and appearance of the Reservoir has been a significant issue. To address this concern, the most recent approval of a boat dock (James Ogg SP 99-28) contained the condition that there shall be no lighting within 25 horizontal feet of the Reservoir. The same condition of approval is recommended in this case to be consistent with past practice.
As stated above, there are currently a number of boat docks already in place on the Reservoir. These boat docks do not appear to detract from the primary use of the Reservoir as a water supply reservoir because of their size, materials, and periodic usage. This proposed boat dock would not appear to change the character of the Rural Area zoning district or the character of the use of the Reservoir. A proliferation of residential boat docks, however, would change the appearance of the reservoir and potentially provide for a more recreational character than water supply character. In recognition of this, further study of this issue to develop a policy that addresses the strategy identified in the Comprehensive Plan may be warranted. Staff would ask further direction regarding such an initiative.
Will the use will be in harmony with the purpose and intent of the zoning ordinance?
The purpose and intent of the Rural Areas zoning is to preserve agricultural and forestal lands and activities, to protect the water supply, to limit service to the rural areas, and to conserve the natural, scenic, and historic resources of the County. The Flood Hazard zoning has the purpose and intent of restricting development in the floodplain which may result in danger to life and property, public costs for flood control measures, public costs for rescue and relief efforts, soil erosion and sedimentation, pollution of water resources, and general degradation of the natural and man-made environment.
Regarding protection of the water supply and the preservation of natural resources, a concern for staff was the likelihood that the installation of boat docks along the Reservoir would result in clear cutting and disturbance of the required 200-foot vegetative buffer. However, based on the May 2005 survey it was determined that there is no direct correlation between disturbance to the vegetative buffer and the existence of a boat dock. Of the total parcels around the reservoir, 67% exhibited a buffer that was mostly intact. Of the 33% that had a disturbed buffer, 19% had no evidence of a boat dock. By comparison, 14% did have evidence of a boat dock. So, while there is a greater chance of buffer disturbance where docks were installed, buffer disturbance occurs whether or not boat docks are constructed. Interestingly, two parcels where a dock was noted with an intact vegetative buffer were the result of County staff coordination with the adjacent property owner following a violation of the buffer requirement. In these two situations, mitigation of the vegetative buffer was required, and resulted in an appropriate balance between allowing access to the water and establishing a functioning vegetative buffer. Therefore, staff does recognize that by coordinating with the adjacent property owner through the special use permit process, there is an opportunity to restore and protect the buffer as a part of the approval process for the installation of boat docks.
Since the adjacent Caplin parcel (TMP 45-187) was in existence prior to the adoption of the Water Protection Ordinance and the resulting 200-foot vegetative buffer requirement, the existing lot improvements and lot configuration prevent the establishment of the full width of the buffer. However, there is currently a buffer of woody vegetation between the normal pool elevation of the Reservoir (elevation 382) and the elevation of the edge of the floodplain (elevation 390). This existing vegetation does provide water quality benefit and should be preserved. In addition, staff recommends that no structures such as a deck or stairs be constructed within the 200-ft. buffer, and that access paths within the buffer avoid the removal of vegetation.
Regarding the issue of creating a flood hazard, no adverse impacts are anticipated. The floating dock is designed to respond to changes in flood levels and not impede the natural flow of water, unless it were to break loose and travel downstream to the dam. The dock will be anchored to avoid being broken loose by floods.
Will the use be in harmony with the uses permitted by right in the district?
By-right uses in Rural Areas include single family and duplex uses, public uses and buildings, agricultural, forestry, boating, and fishery uses. This incidental use would appear to be in harmony with the other uses permitted by right in the district.
Will the use comply with the additional regulations provided in Section 5.0 of this ordinance?
There are no supplementary regulations relating to boat docks in Section 5.0 of the Zoning Ordinance.
Will the public health, safety and general welfare of the community be protected if the use is approved?
The use of drinking water reservoirs for recreational use creates several risks to water quality and the ability to adequately treat raw water from the reservoir for public consumption. Swimming and other recreational activities that involve body-contact with the water can significantly increase the occurrence of pathogens, such as Cryptosporidium in the reservoir. The use of boats poses a threat of contamination from gasoline, and more specifically the additive methyl-t-butyl-ether (MTBE). Also, the launching of boats raises the risk of introducing invasive species, such as the zebra mussel, which can proliferate and impact the aquatic ecosystem and also damage water treatment facilities.
The County has already addressed the threat of pathogens by prohibiting swimming in the Reservoir. The threat of contamination from the gasoline additive MTBE has already been addressed through the County’s requirements to restrict the use of internal combustion engines on the Reservoir. Lastly, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has advised that the introduction of invasive species such as the zebra mussel has yet to present a serious risk for Virginia. To date there has been only one documented location of zebra mussels, in a Prince William County quarry. The presence of the mussels in this location could be attributed to use by recreational divers, who benefit from the filtering performed by the mussels and the resulting clear water.
The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority Boat Dock Construction Requirements adequately address design and safety issues, such as construction materials, anchoring, and length of the dock.
Staff has identified the following factors, which are favorable to this request:
1. No direct impact to neighboring properties or the water supply is expected as a result of this special use permit.
2. No increase in flood levels will result from the addition of a dock
3. The proposed dock is supported by the City of Charlottesville, and meets the requirements of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority for residential boat docks.
Staff has identified the following factors, which are unfavorable to this request:
1. If a significant number of these requests are approved, the resulting proliferation of boat docks could impair the primary function of the Reservoir as a drinking water supply.
Staff recommends approval of the request with the following conditions:
1. There shall be no lighting within 25 horizontal feet of the Reservoir, measured from the elevation of the normal pool, which is Elevation 382. See Attachment H.
2. There shall be no removal of vegetation or earth disturbance within the 200-foot buffer associated with the installation of the boat dock. The stream buffer is measured from the edge of the floodplain, which is Elevation 390. See Attachment H.
3. There shall be no other structures, such as decking or stairs, constructed in the 200-foot stream buffer.
A – Proposed plan from the applicant
B – Location Map
C – City of Charlottesville signature supporting the application
D – Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority approval and Boat Dock Use Permit and Agreement
E – Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority Boat Dock Construction Requirements
F – Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority Procedure from Boat Dock Permit Applications
G – City of Charlottesville resolution to sign special use permit applications for boat docks
H – Elevations for Normal Pool and Edge of Floodplain for the Reservoir
Return to PC actions letter


[AWS] Amazon Virtual Private Cloud VPC
“The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine.” -Nikola Tesla
The Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) is a custom-defined virtual network within the AWS Cloud. Amazon VPC enables you to launch AWS resources into a virtual network that you’ve defined.
A virtual private cloud (VPC) is a virtual network dedicated to your AWS account. It is logically isolated from other virtual networks in the AWS Cloud. You can launch your AWS resources, such as Amazon EC2 instances, into your VPC. You can specify an IP address range for the VPC, add subnets, associate security groups, and configure route tables.
This virtual network closely resembles a traditional network that you’d operate in your own data center, with the benefits of using the scalable infrastructure of AWS.
Secure Amazon VPC provides advanced security features, such as security groups and network access control lists, to enable inbound and outbound filtering at the instance level and subnet level. In addition, you can store data in Amazon S3 and restrict access so that it’s only accessible from instances in your VPC. Optionally, you can also choose to launch Dedicated Instances which run on hardware dedicated to a single customer for additional isolation.
Simple You can create a VPC quickly and easily using the AWS Management Console. You can select one of the common network setups that best match your needs and press “Start VPC Wizard.” Subnets, IP ranges, route tables, and security groups are automatically created for you so you can concentrate on creating the applications to run in your VPC.
All the Scalability and Reliability of AWS Amazon VPC provides all of the same benefits as the rest of the AWS platform. You can instantly scale your resources up or down, select Amazon EC2 instances types and sizes that are right for your applications, and pay only for the resources you use - all within Amazon’s proven infrastructure.
Amazon VPC Fundamentals
When you create an Amazon VPC, you must specify the IPv4 address range by choosing a Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) block, such as 10.0.0.0/16.
The address range of the Amazon VPC cannot be changed after the Amazon VPC is created.
An Amazon VPC address range may be as large as /16 (65,536 available addresses) or as small as /28 (16 available addresses) and should not overlap any other network with which they are to be connected.
AWS accounts that support EC2-VPC will have a default VPC created in each region with a default subnet created in each Availability Zone. The assigned CIDR block of the VPC will be 172.31.0.0/16.
An Amazon VPC consists of the following components:
- Route tables
- Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) option sets
- Security groups
- Network Access Control Lists (ACLs)
An Amazon VPC has the following optional components:
- Internet Gateways (IGWs)
- Elastic IP (EIP) addresses
- Elastic Network Interfaces (ENIs)
- Network Address Translation (NATs) instances and NAT gateways
- Virtual Private Gateway (VPG)
- Customer Gateways (CGWs)
- Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
A subnet is a segment of an Amazon VPC’s IP address range where you can launch Amazon EC2 instances, Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) databases, and other AWS resources. CIDR blocks define subnets (for example, 10.0.1.0/24 and 192.168.0.0/24).
The smallest subnet that you can create is a /28 (16 IP addresses).
AWS reserves the first four IP addresses and the last IP address of every subnet for internal networking purposes. For example, a subnet defined as a /28 has 16 available IP addresses; subtract the 5 IPs needed by AWS to yield 11 IP addresses for your use within the subnet.
After creating an Amazon VPC, you can add one or more subnets in each Availability Zone.
Subnets reside within one Availability Zone and cannot span zones.
One subnet can have one Availability Zone. One Availability Zone can have multiple subnets.
Subnets can be classified as public, private, or VPN-only
A public subnet is one in which the associated route table directs the subnet’s traffic to the Amazon VPC’s IGW. Has attached an Internet Gateway (IGW)
A private subnet is one in which the associated route table does not direct the subnet’s traffic to the Amazon VPC’s IGW. Doesn’t have attached an Internet Gateway (IGW)
A VPN-only subnet is one in which the associated route table directs the subnet’s traffic to the Amazon VPC’s VPG and does not have a route to the IGW.
Regardless of the type of subnet, the internal IP address range of the subnet is always private (that is, non-routable on the Internet).
Default Amazon VPCs contain one public subnet in every Availability Zone within the region, with a netmask of /20.
A route table is a logical construct within an Amazon VPC that contains a set of rules (called routes) that are applied to the subnet and used to determine where network traffic is directed. A route table’s routes are what permit Amazon EC2 instances within different subnets within an Amazon VPC to communicate with each other.
Each subnet in your VPC must be associated with a route table; the table controls the routing for the subnet.
A subnet can only be associated with one route table at a time, but you can associate multiple subnets with the same route table.
Each route table contains a default route called the local route, which enables communication within the Amazon VPC, and this route cannot be modified or removed.
Additional routes can be added to direct traffic to exit the Amazon VPC via the IGW, the VPG, or the NAT instance.
An VPC has an implicit router.
An VPC automatically comes with a main route table that you can modify.
Additional custom route tables can be created for your VPC.
Each subnet must be associated with a route table, which controls the routing for the subnet. If you don’t explicitly associate a subnet with a particular route table, the subnet uses the main route table.
You can replace the main route table with a custom table that you’ve created so that each new subnet is automatically associated with it.
Each route in a table specifies a destination CIDR and a target; for example, traffic destined for 172.16.0.0/12 is targeted for the VPG. AWS uses the most specific route that matches the traffic to determine how to route the traffic.
CIDR blocks for IPv4 and IPv6 are treated separately. For example, a route with a destination CIDR of 0.0.0.0/0 (all IPv4 addresses) does not automatically include all IPv6 addresses. You must create a route with a destination CIDR of ::/0 for all IPv6 addresses.
Every route table contains a local route for communication within the VPC over IPv4. If your VPC has more than one IPv4 CIDR block, your route tables contain a local route for each IPv4 CIDR block. If you’ve associated an IPv6 CIDR block with your VPC, your route tables contain a local route for the IPv6 CIDR block. You cannot modify or delete these routes.
When you add an Internet gateway, an egress-only Internet gateway, a virtual private gateway, a NAT device, a peering connection, or a VPC endpoint in your VPC, you must update the route table for any subnet that uses these gateways or connections.
There is a limit on the number of route tables you can create per VPC, and the number of routes you can add per route table. For more information, see Amazon VPC Limits
Internet Gateway (IGW)
An Internet Gateway (IGW) is a horizontally scaled, redundant, and highly available Amazon VPC component that allows communication between instances in your Amazon VPC and the Internet.
An IGW provides a target in your Amazon VPC route tables for Internet-routable traffic, and it performs network address translation for instances that have been assigned public IP addresses.
An internet gateway serves two purposes: to provide a target in your VPC route tables for internet-routable traffic, and to perform network address translation (NAT) for instances that have been assigned public IPv4 addresses.
An internet gateway supports IPv4 and IPv6 traffic.
Amazon EC2 instances within an Amazon VPC are only aware of their private IP addresses.
When traffic is sent from the instance to the Internet, the IGW translates the reply address to the instance’s public IP address (or EIP address) and maintains the one-to-one map of the instance private IP address and public IP address.
When an instance receives traffic from the Internet, the IGW translates the destination address (public IP address) to the instance’s private IP address and forwards the traffic to the Amazon VPC.
To enable access to or from the internet for instances in a VPC subnet, you must do the following:
Attach an internet gateway to your VPC.
Ensure that your subnet’s route table points to the internet gateway. Create a subnet route table rule to send all non-local traffic (0.0.0.0/0) to the IGW.
Ensure that instances in your subnet have a globally unique IP address (public IPv4 address, Elastic IP address, or IPv6 address).
Ensure that your network access control and security group rules allow the relevant traffic to flow to and from your instance. Configure your network ACLs and security group rules to allow relevant traffic to flow to and from your instance.
You can scope the route to all destinations not explicitly known to the route table (0.0.0.0/0), or you can scope the route to a narrower range of IP addresses, such as the public IP addresses of your company’s public endpoints outside of AWS or the EIP addresses of other Amazon EC2 instances outside your Amazon VPC.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Option Sets
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) provides a standard for passing configuration information to hosts on a TCP/IP network. The options field of a DHCP message contains the configuration parameters. Some of those parameters are the domain name, domain name server, and the netbios-node-type.
AWS automatically creates and associates a DHCP option set for your Amazon VPC upon creation and sets two options: domain-name-servers (defaulted to AmazonProvidedDNS) and domain-name (defaulted to the domain name for your region).
AmazonProvidedDNS is an Amazon Domain Name System (DNS) server, and this option enables DNS for instances thatneed to communicate over the Amazon VPC’s IGW.
The DHCP option sets element of an Amazon VPC allows you to direct Amazon EC2 host name assignments to your own resources. To assign your own domain name to your instances, create a custom DHCP option set and assign it to your Amazon VPC.
You can configure the following values within a DHCP option set:
- domain-name-servers The IP addresses of up to four domain name servers, separated by commas. The default is AmazonProvidedDNS.
- domain-name Specify the desired domain name here (for example, mycompany.com).
- ntp-servers The IP addresses of up to four Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers, separated by commas
- netbios-name-servers The IP addresses of up to four NetBIOS name servers, separated by commas
- netbios-node-type Set this value to 2.
Every Amazon VPC must have only one DHCP option set assigned to it.
Elastic IP Addresses (EIPs)
AWS maintains a pool of public IP addresses in each region and makes them available for you to associate to resources within your Amazon VPCs.
An Elastic IP Addresses (EIP) is a static, public IP address in the pool for the region that you can allocate to your account (pull from the pool) and release (return to the pool).
EIPs allow you to maintain a set of IP addresses that remain fixed while the underlying infrastructure may change over time.
Here are the important points to understand about EIPs:
You must first allocate an EIP for use within a VPC and then assign it to an instance.
EIPs are specific to a region (that is, an EIP in one region cannot be assigned to an instance within an Amazon VPC in a different region).
There is a one-to-one relationship between network interfaces and EIPs.
You can move EIPs from one instance to another, either in the same Amazon VPC or a different Amazon VPC within the same region.
EIPs remain associated with your AWS account until you explicitly release them.
There are charges for EIPs allocated to your account, even when they are not associated with a resource.
The following are the basic characteristics of an Elastic IP address:
To use an Elastic IP address, you first allocate one to your account, and then associate it with your instance or a network interface.
When you associate an Elastic IP address with an instance or its primary network interface, the instance’s public IPv4 address (if it had one) is released back into Amazon’s pool of public IPv4 addresses. You cannot reuse a public IPv4 address, and you cannot convert a public IPv4 address to an Elastic IP address. For more information, see Public IPv4 Addresses and External DNS Hostnames.
You can disassociate an Elastic IP address from a resource, and reassociate it with a different resource. Any open connections to an instance continue to work for a time even after you disassociate its Elastic IP address and reassociate it with another instance. We recommend that you reopen these connections using the reassociated Elastic IP address.
A disassociated Elastic IP address remains allocated to your account until you explicitly release it.
To ensure efficient use of Elastic IP addresses, AWS impose a small hourly charge if an Elastic IP address is not associated with a running instance, or if it is associated with a stopped instance or an unattached network interface. While your instance is running, you are not charged for one Elastic IP address associated with the instance, but you are charged for any additional Elastic IP addresses associated with the instance. For more information, see Amazon EC2 Pricing.
An Elastic IP address is for use in a specific region only.
When you associate an Elastic IP address with an instance that previously had a public IPv4 address, the public DNS hostname of the instance changes to match the Elastic IP address.
AWS resolve a public DNS hostname to the public IPv4 address or the Elastic IP address of the instance outside the network of the instance, and to the private IPv4 address of the instance from within the network of the instance.
When you allocate an Elastic IP address from an IP address pool that you have brought to your AWS account, it does not count toward your Elastic IP address limits.
Elastic Network Interfaces (ENIs)
An elastic network interface is a logical networking component in a VPC that represents a virtual network card.
An Elastic Network Interface (ENI) is a virtual network interface that you can attach to an instance in an Amazon VPC.
ENIs are only available within an Amazon VPC, and they are associated with a subnet upon creation.
They can have one public IP address and multiple private IP addresses. If there are multiple private IP addresses, one of them is primary.
Assigning a second network interface to an instance via an ENI allows it to be dual-homed (have network presence in different subnets).
An ENI created independently of a particular instance persists regardless of the lifetime of any instance to which it is attached; if an underlying instance fails, the IP address may be preserved by attaching the ENI to a replacement instance.
ENIs allow you to create a management network, use network and security appliances in your Amazon VPC, create dual-homed instances with workloads/roles on distinct subnets, or create a low-budget, high-availability solution.
A network interface can include the following attributes:
A primary private IPv4 address from the IPv4 address range of your VPC
One or more secondary private IPv4 addresses from the IPv4 address range of your VPC
One Elastic IP address (IPv4) per private IPv4 address
One public IPv4 address
One or more IPv6 addresses
One or more security groups
A MAC address
A source/destination check flag
An Amazon VPC endpoint enables you to create a private connection between your Amazon VPC and another AWS service without requiring access over the Internet or through a NAT instance, VPN connection, or AWS Direct Connect. You can create multiple endpoints for a single service, and you can use different route tables to enforce different access policies from different subnets to the same service.
Endpoints are virtual devices. They are horizontally scaled, redundant, and highly available VPC components that allow communication between instances in your VPC and services without imposing availability risks or bandwidth constraints on your network traffic.
There are two types of VPC endpoints: interface endpoints and gateway endpoints. Create the type of VPC endpoint required by the supported service.
Interface Endpoints (Powered by AWS PrivateLink)
An interface endpoint is an elastic network interface with a private IP address that serves as an entry point for traffic destined to a supported service. The following services are supported:
- Amazon API Gateway
- AWS CloudFormation
- Amazon CloudWatch
- Amazon CloudWatch Events
- Amazon CloudWatch Logs
- AWS CodeBuild
- AWS Config
- Amazon EC2 API
- Elastic Load Balancing API
- AWS Key Management Service
- Amazon Kinesis Data Streams
- Amazon SageMaker and Amazon SageMaker Runtime
- Amazon SageMaker Notebook Instance
- AWS Secrets Manager
- AWS Security Token Service
- AWS Service Catalog
- Amazon SNS
- Amazon SQS
- AWS Systems Manager
- Endpoint services hosted by other AWS accounts
- Supported AWS Marketplace partner services
A gateway endpoint is a gateway that is a target for a specified route in your route table, used for traffic destined to a supported AWS service. The following AWS services are supported:
- Amazon S3
You must do the following to create an Amazon VPC endpoint:
- Specify the Amazon VPC.
- Specify the service. A service is identified by a prefix list of the form com.amazonaws.
- Specify the policy. You can allow full access or create a custom policy. This policy can be changed at any time.
- Specify the route tables. A route will be added to each specified route table, which will state the service as the destination and the endpoint as the target.
An Amazon VPC peering connection is a networking connection between two Amazon VPCs that enables instances in either Amazon VPC to communicate with each other as if they are within the same network. You can create an Amazon VPC peering connection between your own Amazon VPCs or with an Amazon VPC in another AWS account within a single region.
A VPC peering connection helps you to facilitate the transfer of data. For example, if you have more than one AWS account, you can peer the VPCs across those accounts to create a file sharing network. You can also use a VPC peering connection to allow other VPCs to access resources you have in one of your VPCs.
A peering connection is neither a gateway nor an Amazon VPN connection and does not introduce a single point of failure for communication.
Peering connections are created through a request/accept protocol. The owner of the requesting Amazon VPC sends a request to peer to the owner of the peer Amazon VPC. If the peer Amazon VPC is within the same account, it is identified by its VPC ID. If the peer VPC is within a different account, it is identified by Account ID and VPC ID.
The owner of the peer Amazon VPC has one week to accept or reject the request to peer with the requesting Amazon VPC before the peering request expires.
An Amazon VPC may have multiple peering connections, and peering is a one-to-one relationship between Amazon VPCs, meaning two Amazon VPCs cannot have two peering agreements between them. Also, peering connections do not support transitive routing.
Here are the important points to understand about peering:
- You cannot create a peering connection between Amazon VPCs that have matching or overlapping CIDR blocks.
- You cannot create a peering connection between Amazon VPCs in different regions.
- Amazon VPC peering connections do not support transitive routing.
- You cannot have more than one peering connection between the same two Amazon VPCs at the same time.
A security group is a virtual stateful firewall that controls inbound and outbound network traffic to AWS resources and Amazon EC2 instances.
A security group acts as a virtual firewall that controls the traffic for one or more instances.
All Amazon EC2 instances must be launched into a security group.
If a security group is not specified at launch, then the instance will be launched into the default security group for the Amazon VPC.
The default security group allows communication between all resources within the security group, allows all outbound traffic, and denies all other traffic.
For each security group, you add rules that control the inbound traffic to instances and a separate set of rules that control the outbound traffic.
The rules of a security group control the inbound traffic that’s allowed to reach the instances that are associated with the security group and the outbound traffic that’s allowed to leave them.
You may change the rules for the default security group, but you may not delete the default security group.
You can add rules to each security group that allow traffic to or from its associated instances.
You can modify the rules for a security group at any time; the new rules are automatically applied to all instances that are associated with the security group.
Here are the important points to understand about security groups:
- You can create up to 500 security groups for each Amazon VPC.
- You can add up to 50 inbound and 50 outbound rules to each security group.
- If you need to apply more than 100 rules to an instance, you can associate up to five security groups with each network interface.
- You can specify allow rules, but not deny rules. This is an important difference between security groups and ACLs.
- You can specify separate rules for inbound and outbound traffic.
- By default, no inbound traffic is allowed until you add inbound rules to the security group.
- By default, new security groups have an outbound rule that allows all outbound traffic.
- You can remove the rule and add outbound rules that allow specific outbound traffic only.
- Security groups are stateful. This means that responses to allowed inbound traffic are allowed to flow outbound regardless of outbound rules and vice versa. This is an important difference between security groups and network ACLs.
- Instances associated with the same security group can’t talk to each other unless you add rules allowing it (with the exception being the default security group).
- You can change the security groups with which an instance is associated after launch, and the changes will take effect immediately.
Network Access Control Lists (ACLs)
A network access control list (ACL) is an optional layer of security for your VPC that acts as a firewall for controlling traffic in and out of one or more subnets. You might set up network ACLs with rules similar to your security groups in order to add an additional layer of security to your VPC. For more information about the differences between security groups and network ACLs, see Comparison of Security Groups and Network ACLs.
A network access control list (ACL) is another layer of security that acts as a stateless firewall on a subnet level.
A network ACL is a numbered list of rules that AWS evaluates in order, starting with the lowest numbered rule, to determine whether traffic is allowed in or out of any subnet associated with the network ACL.
Amazon VPCs are created with a modifiable default network ACL associated with every subnet that allows all inbound and outbound traffic.
When you create a custom network ACL, its initial configuration will deny all inbound and outbound traffic until you create rules that allow otherwise.
You may set up network ACLs with rules similar to your security groups in order to add a layer of security to your Amazon VPC, or you may choose to use the default network ACL that does not filter traffic traversing the subnet boundary. Overall, every subnet must be associated with a network ACL.
The following are the basic things that you need to know about network ACLs:
Your VPC automatically comes with a modifiable default network ACL. By default, it allows all inbound and outbound IPv4 traffic and, if applicable, IPv6 traffic.
You can create a custom network ACL and associate it with a subnet. By default, each custom network ACL denies all inbound and outbound traffic until you add rules.
Each subnet in your VPC must be associated with a network ACL. If you don’t explicitly associate a subnet with a network ACL, the subnet is automatically associated with the default network ACL.
You can associate a network ACL with multiple subnets; however, a subnet can be associated with only one network ACL at a time. When you associate a network ACL with a subnet, the previous association is removed.
A network ACL contains a numbered list of rules that AWS evaluates in order, starting with the lowest numbered rule, to determine whether traffic is allowed in or out of any subnet associated with the network ACL. The highest number that you can use for a rule is 32766. We recommend that you start by creating rules in increments (for example, increments of 10 or 100) so that you can insert new rules where you need to later on.
A network ACL has separate inbound and outbound rules, and each rule can either allow or deny traffic.
Network ACLs are stateless; responses to allowed inbound traffic are subject to the rules for outbound traffic (and vice versa).
Network Address Translation (NAT) Instances and NAT Gateways
By default, any instance that you launch into a private subnet in an Amazon VPC is not able to communicate with the Internet through the IGW. This is problematic if the instances within private subnets need direct access to the Internet from the Amazon VPC in order to apply security updates, download patches, or update application software. AWS provides NAT instances and NAT gateways to allow instances deployed in private subnets to gain Internet access. For common use cases, we recommend that you use a NAT gateway instead of a NAT instance. The NAT gateway provides better availability and higher bandwidth, and requires less administrative effort than NAT instances.
A network address translation (NAT) instance is an Amazon Linux Amazon Machine Image (AMI) that is designed to accept traffic from instances within a private subnet, translate the source IP address to the public IP address of the NAT instance, and forward the traffic to the IGW. In addition, the NAT instance maintains the state of the forwarded traffic in order to return response traffic from the Internet to the proper instance in the private subnet. These instances have the string amzn-ami-vpc-nat in their names, which is searchable in the Amazon EC2 console.
To allow instances within a private subnet to access Internet resources through the IGW via a NAT instance, you must do the following:
- Create a security group for the NAT with outbound rules that specify the needed Internet resources by port, protocol, and IP address.
- Launch an Amazon Linux NAT AMI as an instance in a public subnet and associate it with the NAT security group.
- Disable the Source/Destination Check attribute of the NAT.
- Configure the route table associated with a private subnet to direct Internet-bound traffic to the NAT instance (for example, i-1a2b3c4d).
- Allocate an EIP and associate it with the NAT instance.
This configuration allows instances in private subnets to send outbound Internet communication, but it prevents the instances from receiving inbound traffic initiated by someone on the Internet.
A NAT gateway is an Amazon managed resource that is designed to operate just like a NAT instance, but it is simpler to manage and highly available within an Availability Zone.
To allow instances within a private subnet to access Internet resources through the IGW via a NAT gateway, you must do the following:
- Configure the route table associated with the private subnet to direct Internet-bound traffic to the NAT gateway (for example, nat-1a2b3c4d).
- Allocate an EIP and associate it with the NAT gateway.
Like a NAT instance, this managed service allows outbound Internet communication and prevents the instances from receiving inbound traffic initiated by someone on the Internet.
Virtual Private Gateways (VPGs), Customer Gateways (CGWs), and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
You can connect an existing data center to Amazon VPC using either hardware or software VPN connections, which will make Amazon VPC an extension of the data center.
Amazon VPC offers two ways to connect a corporate network to a VPC: VPG and CGW.
A virtual private gateway (VPG) is the virtual private network (VPN) concentrator on the AWS side of the VPN connection between the two networks.
A customer gateway (CGW) represents a physical device or a software application on the customer’s side of the VPN connection.
After these two elements of an Amazon VPC have been created, the last step is to create a VPN tunnel. The VPN tunnel is established after traffic is generated from the customer’s side of the VPN connection.


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