Regular posts on all things StableNet® from a sales, techie, or marketing perspective
StableNet® BlogRegular posts on all things StableNet® from a sales, techie, or marketing perspective
Network Automation Insights
Stay tuned and keep informed with our blog series about the future of automation in network and service management
Network Automation – Configuration Generation
August 5th 2021, Würzburg
Remember part 3 when we looked at network automation market perspectives? Eventually not, because it was published quite some time ago. No harm if you dial back in, but here’s a quick summary:
Whilst the market considers “network configuration and change management” (NCCM) an equivalent to “network automation”, the StableNet® platform provides a much wider application framework which offers automations for discovery, inventory creation, backup & restore, configuration change, policy & compliance checking, common vulnerability exposure & lifecycle management and workflow & business process automation, to name the most important ones.
In this blog post, my focus will be on technical concepts for network automation when using the entire StableNet® NCCM toolkit as well as the value of optimized configuration generation.
Configuration Management Toolkit
Most market contenders do not cover the above outlined array of functionalities for configuration management. They start their “network automation journey” with the prerequisite that an operational configuration is already in place which needs to be deployed or modified.
But where do you start if that is not the case? By ringing up the network engineers (who are most certainly not sitting “idle” in their offices awaiting a call to get going on the task)? Chances are that folks won’t even pick up the phone as they are busy and have other important things to cover, with enough priorities and time pressure to worry about.
Smart people may have taken care in advance and constructed several home-grown configuration generation scripts. However, even if those work for them, they probably only cover a single vendor and specific models, do not have an underlying resource database, miss an easy-to-operate GUI, and lack sanity checks to ensure that all required unique local parameters are considered with correct syntax. Essentially such scripts are very limited and not meant to be universal configuration tools, which were optimized to present a minimum of site-specific inputs, thereby avoiding misconfigurations by the end user to warrant error-free configuration file-creation in all circumstances.
The smartest architects however saved their valuable development time and leveraged a pre-built configuration generation tool that has all the aforementioned building blocks in place. Such a solution can be equipped with data models and parameter sets right at project start, whilst the underlying workflow process is kept very flexible for adaption to individual configuration requirements.
Config Generator Workflow Introduction
Let’s explore the “mechanics” and the associated workflow for Config Generation:
The below outlined steps are required prior to using the Config Generator.
- Creation of resource pool definitions (data model; essentially database tables)
- Definition and collection of available configuration data input sources
- Creation of resource pools (the associated parameter set repository
Those are illustrated in the workflow diagram under step 1 (prerequisites).
The concept of resources and resource pools refers to relational databases. A resource pool definition determines which properties modelled devices have and translates this to a table definition. The resource itself is a concrete instance based on a resource pool definition, for example a virtual model of a networked device (e.g. a distinct switch or router type).
Every resource belongs exactly to one resource pool and refers to a single record in a specific table. The resource pool itself is a collection of resources which contains all available instances of the same resource pool definition. For example, a resource pool named “New Building“ may include all devices which are pre-planned to be deployed in that location. These resource pools are database tables and contain actual data sets.
StableNet® resource management has resource pool definitions with resource properties. The resource pool definition management gets populated from the outset with predefined resource pool definitions to facilitate the starting point. The inbuilt resource pool management organizes resource pools.
One primary application for resource management is the automated creation of device configurations. The entire configuration generation process uses distinct resource pools which are organized into projects.
Projects are created and then linked to resource pools. The projects are finally executed in the web-based Config Generator, which is the graphical interface the end user interacts with.
Below is an example of a project that demonstrates associated data sets which were previously defined by a network architect:
Before a project is executed, resources and global Job inputs (if the Job templates contain <input> elements) can be specified. Thus, Config Generator is able to run the same project for different combinations of resources and job inputs. There can be several project runs for the same project at the same time. A project run can have three states:
- Open: Every project run starts in this state. While in the open state, changes can be made to the assigned resources and jobs. Most of the functionality of the Config Generator concerns open project runs.
- Finished: Once a project run is in finished state, all workflow steps have been executed and the configurations have been created. In this state, project resources remain either blocked or get released (assuming they are defined for multiple use). At this point, the specific project run cannot be changed anymore.
- Error: The error state denotes that one of the project steps failed. An erroneous project run can be converted into an open project run by fixing the problems and repeating the steps that previously led to that error.
Configuration Job Engine
Now that we’ve covered the underlying data model and the nature of project runs, we get back to the workflow diagram of Config Generator. Step 5 in the job input section involves executing the template-based configuration job in order to build complex command structures. The template can be created with powerful XML syntax to implement the required logic and allow predefined jobs for recurring tasks.
Templates contain name, description, version, optional lists of input elements, validation elements, global variables, and lastly a command sequence element to define the execution. Commands can contain placeholders that will be replaced by referenced values. Placeholders are necessary to reference input parameters or environment variables.
The XML template leverages config snippets, which are software configuration extracts used by network equipment. These modules are able to master different configuration complexity levels when used for checking or configuring network devices. CLI commands, which are contained in snippets, are either directly executed (simple) or enriched with input variables for more generic and thus flexible usage when queried by templates.
For configurations and policy checks, it is possible to define different config snippets that are using the same name and thus allow a group of snippets to do checks for specific situations on different network equipment.
For example, one snippet can be designed to apply to Juniper devices and another one – with the same name – works on Cisco nodes only. However, both are used for a similar configuration function. This is achieved by setting device filters, which ensure the correct match between different config snippets that have the same name but contain another syntax for specific vendors or device models. Essentially the filter determines, which snippet is going to be used.
The below diagram visualizes input and output options for snippets and templates as building blocks of the configuration job engine:
Config Generator Workflow Revisited
The StableNet® Configuration Engine is designed as a generic tool that can be adapted to a wide array of different technical requirements and scenarios. This translates into both an optimized and automated network configuration workflow.
For the end user, the complexity of network configuration has been translated into a user friendly and straight-forward process. The StableNet® Config Generator provides a web-based graphical front end that is easy to handle. Resource & project management, snippet & job management and a powerful XML template logic facilitate setting up device configurations from the outset with a minimum of site-specific input parameters.
Config Generator file outputs can be deployed directly in the network and used by additional automation tools like multi-vendor zero touch provisioning, policy checks & compliance and workflow & business process jobs.
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Last night (Sunday) Sunnyside police were alerted to what was believed to be a World War II hand grenade discovered in the 800 block of East Yakima Valley Highway.
The call about the explosive device was received just before 8:30 p.m. and officials at the Yakima Firing Center were notified.
Authorities say the explosive device was a training grenade and personnel from the firing center disposed of it.
Also last night just before 10 p.m. a resident at the Sunnyside Walmart store reported witnessing a man leaving the store with a gun. He was reportedly seen getting into a vehicle that was occupied by three children.
The suspect was located and police found the gun was a toy.
Officers have also this past weekend responded to one report of shots-fired. A resident in the area of Maple Way this past Saturday reported hearing four gunshots in the vicinity. However, officers investigating the call were unable to find evidence of gunfire.
Since last Thursday, the Sunnyside Police Department has also fielded three burglary reports, as well as nine theft calls.
A business in the 600 block of East Yakima Valley Highway was discovered broken into last Thursday at approximately 10:30 a.m. Items stolen were not detailed.
Also Thursday at approximately 11:30 p.m. a resident in the 700 block of South 11th Street reported arriving home to find the home had been broken into. Stolen items were not named.
Two gaming systems and other electronics were reported stolen from a home in the 1700 block of Cascade Way early Sunday morning after the home owner arrived at the residence. The burglary was reported just before 12:30 a.m.
Of the thefts reported since last Thursday, three were shoplifting incidents. Also reported stolen from Sunnyside residents were bicycle tires, a gaming system, a stove, a bicycle, jewelry and a battery from a vehicle.
Officers have also responded to a 9-1-1 hang-up call, five automatic alarms, five assaults, three domestic violence incidents, 11 suspicious activity calls, three traffic accidents, 20 traffic stops and a report of a sex crime. Sunnyside police have also since last Thursday served three arrest warrants and two court orders, as well as provided 12 agency assists.

domain: law


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BCUC frontman nkosi zithulele rips out a high-energy set of vocal techno.
casualsex.store was built, in many ways, with the ethos of community-driven self-support, and people-powered survival of the arts and human-magic. we are big fans of bcuc and what they stand for; until they join us here, you can find their music on bandcamp. otherwise, beautify your spaces with this grainy, monochrome print of the south african masters of rhythm. did you know they sing in all 11 south african languages? enjoy.

domain: artistic


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Union County Drug Crime Attorney
Union County NJ Drug Charges Lawyer
New Jersey has some of the toughest drug laws in the entire country, prosecutors often seek maximum sentences in these cases, and judges are all too willing to impose the harshest punishments allowed under the law to discourage future offenders. For defendants accused of committing drug crimes in Union County and throughout New Jersey, this makes it extremely important to speak with a knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer and start building a strong legal defense as soon as charges for controlled dangerous substances (CDS) are filed. Without a dedicated criminal attorney defending you throughout the legal process, you may put yourself at greater risk of losing your freedom because of a lengthy prison sentence and detrimentally affecting your future because of the impact of a drug crime conviction on your criminal record. With experience handling drug charges in Union County criminal cases large and small, we serve towns including Linden, Elizabeth, Scotch Plains, North Plainfield, Mountainside, Rahway, Roselle, Cranford, and Clark. If you have been arrested for drug possession or distribution of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, synthetic marijuana, methamphetamine, or prescription drugs in Union County, New Jersey, the defense attorneys at our firm can aid with the entire criminal justice process while challenging the state at every turn and fighting for your top tier outcome.
Defending Drug Offenses in Roselle Park, Rahway & Elizabeth
A controlled dangerous substance, also known as CDS, is a potentially addictive substance that has been deemed abuse-prone by the government. Controlled dangerous substances are regulated by the New Jersey Controlled Dangerous Substances Act, which was passed in 1970 and which has been amended several times since then. According to the law, any form of CDS with the potential for abuse must be regulated with respect to its labeling, handling, prescribing, and use. This applies to both illegal and legal drugs, including well-known substances such as prescription drugs, marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Depending on its accepted medical uses and potential for abuse, a drug is classified under a particular “Schedule.” The breakdown of Schedules used to classify controlled dangerous substances can be found on our New Jersey Drug Schedules page.
Some of the most prevalent drug crimes in New Jersey include the following:
- Marijuana: Although marijuana was officially legalized for recreational use in New Jersey in February 2021, it is important to understand that there are still restrictions on pot, and individuals who violate the state’s marijuana laws can still be arrested and charged with a criminal offense that carries jail time. Specifically, possessing more than 6 ounces of marijuana or 17 grams of hashish is still illegal in New Jersey. Moreover, anyone who unlawfully distributes, dispenses, or manufactures marijuana in an amount that exceeds 1 ounce be charged with a disorderly persons offense or felony under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5, depending on the measured weight of the substance. The penalties for a marijuana distribution charge are determined by the weight of the drug: 25 pounds or more is punishable by up to 20 years in state prison.
- Cocaine Charges: Possession of even trace amounts of cocaine is punishable by up to five (5) years in prison under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10. Depending on the weight of the drug found in a person’s possession, they may be charged with possession with intent to distribute and face more severe penalties. Knowingly distributing cocaine is a felony-level offense and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison if the offense involved more than five (5) ounces of cocaine.
- Heroin: As stipulated by N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10, possession of heroin is an indictable offense and carries a possible penalty of 3-5 years in prison. Distributing heroin is classified as a felony-level offense under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5, with the penalties determined by the weight of heroin. A conviction for distributing more than five (5) ounces of heroin is punishable by 10-20 years in prison.
- Synthetic Marijuana Cannabinoids
- Methamphetamine Possession & Distribution: Otherwise known as crystal meth, crank, and other names, this Schedule II substance carries severe penalties whether it be possession, distribution, manufacturing, or related methamphetamine crimes
- Prescription Drug Offenses: The possession of a prescription drug without a valid prescription is a crime under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10.5. The criminal statute applies to painkillers, ADHD medications, even medicines that treat anxiety and depression. Depending on the type of prescription drug and the nature of the charges, an offender can be charged with a serious indictable offense that carries possible prison time. With the surge in painkillers and ongoing opioid epidemic, Oxycontin Possession & Distribution rank among the most common charges for prescription drugs.
- Drug Paraphernalia: It is against NJ law to possess items such as pipes, vials, syringes, baggies, and cutting agents for the purpose of illegally using or selling drugs. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:36-2, drug paraphernalia possession is a disorderly persons offense and is punishable by up to six (6) months in jail.
- Intent to Distribute in a School Zone: The penalties for distribution of CDS are enhanced when the offense occurred in a protected area like a school zone or public park. “School zone” is defined broadly to include school grounds, school buses, and areas near the actual school building. A conviction for distributing drugs in a school zone is accompanied by a mandatory term of incarceration. Similar charges apply to Distribution Within 500 Feet of a Public Park or Housing.
- Maintaining a CDS Production Facility
- Failure to Make Lawful Disposition
- CDS in a Motor Vehicle
- Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death
Our experienced New Jersey federal criminal defense attorneys are also thoroughly equipped to defend you in U.S. District Court against drug trafficking charges. If you have been contacted by police about potential involvement in a drug manufacturing or distribution operation, we can assist with every phase of your case, from questioning by federal agents, to negotiations with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and ultimately, to formulating and executing the best trial strategy.
Charged with a Drug Crime, What Sentence could I be Facing?
The type of drug, the amount or weight of the drug, and the nature of the offense (i.e., whether the accused was distributing or merely possessing the drug) all play significant roles in determining the exact charges that a person might face in a New Jersey drug crime case. Generally speaking, the more “serious” drugs like cocaine and heroin are punished far more severely than certain others. In addition, the greater the weight of drugs that you are caught possessing, distributing, or trafficking, the more severe the penalties. Many controlled substances lead to third degree criminal charges for drug possession, such as heroin and cocaine. For a third degree felony drug offense, you face 3 to 5 years in prison. However, there is a presumption against incarcerating you if this is your first offense, making alternative options like Pre-Trial Intervention viable mechanisms for getting the charges dismissed. Conditional discharge is a similar diversionary program available in Municipal Court for disorderly persons CDS offenses.
The penalties for distribution of CDS can be even harsher than the penalties for illegal possession of a CDS, with some drug distribution charges carrying a possible sentence of up to 20 years in NJ state prison. Not only that, but with the Brimage Guidelines and sentencing mandates in place in New Jersey, the minimum sentence for a defendant convicted of distributing cocaine or heroin is three years in prison. In addition to mandatory prison time in applicable cases, a conviction for either possession or distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in New Jersey can carry other penalties. These additional penalties may include monetary fines, driver’s license suspension, and mandatory community service. Additionally, the defendant is likely to suffer long-term consequences that could last a lifetime: having a drug crime conviction on your record may make it extremely difficult for you to get hired for a job, apply for public housing, or secure a loan in the future.
Linden Drug Distribution Attorney · (908) 838-0150
The experienced attorneys at our criminal law firm defend every kind of drug crime case you can think of in Union County, including charges for possessing, distributing, intending to sell, manufacturing, and maintaining a premises for the purposes of making drugs. We have dedicated our careers to zealously challenging prosecutions of our clients charged with controlled dangerous substances in New Jersey courts statewide. For a free consultation with a lawyer who can advise you based on the particular facts and circumstances surrounding your arrest on charges for drugs, call (908) 838-0150 or send us a message 24/7.


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Ever since I was a child, I was committed to protecting my forests, and the creatures who lacked the human voice. While my childhood dreams of being an artist are coming true, the nightmares of the trees disappearing are, as well. Now my energy focuses on ways I can help stop the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a 42 inch natural gas pipeline that is going to run from West Virginia to North Carolina, cutting the George Washington National Forest in half and slicing through the Appalachian Trail. It is the pipeline of Dominion Energy. They have to cut down a 40-yard-wide path for this pipeline, and steal the property of hundreds of people. I use the word steal because the gas going through that pipeline is going to be shipped overseas, yet Dominion is claiming eminent domain over the land so they can take what they want. There are pipelines already in the ground that get to the same places, and is suspected to cost Virginians, alone, around $3 billion. They were supposed to stay at least 50 ft away from waterways, yet as you can see in the picture below, they paid no mind to that. Virginia is known for its caverns and sinkholes, and there's no reasonable way to determine where they are, creating a serious hazard wherever this pipeline goes. Dominion already has 15 (and maybe more now) environmental infractions, incurring fines of $32,000 per infraction per day. The environment means nothing to them. The people mean nothing to them. All they see
is a dollar sign, and that is what I fight, and will continue to until I depart this life.
Below is a photo I took in Nelson, looking up towards Wintergreen. It was following a memorial service for the trees that were massacred at the hands of Dominion Energy.

domain: geography


CODE (1 item):
Resident fires shots
HOODSPORT -- A resident of a home in the 100 block of West Hamma Hamma Road fired gunshots at a burglar early Thursday morning.
Deputies from the Mason County Sheriff's Office were told a burglar attempted to kick in the back door of the residence at about 3 a.m. An occupant of the home opened the door and fired shots as the suspect ran away.
Police did not know if the suspect was hit by the gunfire.
-- Michael Wagar


There are a number of ways to initiate an execution in TimeXtender. Each kind of execution is handled in one of three ways. Understanding the way the executions are run can be helpful when trying to troubleshoot execution problems.
The most basic kind of execution is to simply start an execution by hand. This can include right-clicking a table or node and selecting execute, dropping a table into the execution queue, or manually starting an execution package.
TimeXtender runs these execution packages through the application you currently have open. If the application crashes or is forced closed, this will cause the manual execution to fail.
Scheduled and command line executions
Getting an execution package to run at a given time using the scheduler service is the second-most common way to run an execution package. Running an execution package through the command line is less common, but TimeXtender handles both of these techniques in the same way.
Since the TimeXtender application is generally not running when these executions begin, a the Scheduler service or command line call starts a new instance of the timextender.exe application in the background. This instance can be viewed with the task manager or resource monitor.
This instance runs independently, so stopping the Scheduler service will not stop any running executions, and will only prevent new ones from starting. Stopping or killing the timextender.exe application will cause the execution package to fail.
Multiple environment transfer and remote control execution
Starting an execution package through the multiple environment transfer tool is the third most common way to start an execution. The remote control can also be used to start execution packages, and uses the same mechanism.
Both of these packages rely on the TimeXtender Server service, which is the agent that runs the execution package. No new or existing instance of the timextender.exe application is necessary for these executions to run. Stopping the Server service will cause the execution package to fail.
Notes on recovery
If something does cause an execution package that uses managed execution to fail, and the execution package contains incremental tables, it's important to resume the execution package instead of restarting it. This is because restarting the package may cause some records to be left out of the incremental table until the next time it is fully loaded.


patrick ki dvd - "greatest hits live - in concert"
This Greatest Hits DVD features beautifully filmed video footage of Patrick performing at a concert venue in Sedona, Arizona (please note the performance was filmed without the distraction of audience noise or applause)! Recorded by a professional team of videographers, the DVD offers a revealing glimpse of Patrick’s creativity as he plays spontaneous versions of ten favorite songs: What a Wonderful World, Pachelbel’s Canon, Besame Mucho, The Wind Beneath My Wings, Fly Me to the Moon, and more. It’s a perfect addition for fans of Patrick’s music to complete their collection! The audio version of this Greatest Hits performance is also available on CD.
PHONE ORDERS Accepted at (928) 254-9224


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Friday, December 15th, 2017
Tonight on the New Spin Preview…
We’re featuring a new single from Toronto’s Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs!
If you’ve seen these guys live, you’ll know they’re a riot – wearing matching denim vests and just having the best time of their lives.
They just released a new single from their latest self-titled album; frontman Sam Coffey says the song is about “being street tough – even thought that’s the furthest from what we are.”
Love it? Hate it? Let me know what you think by sending me an email at email@example.com.


Fundy museum offers experiential tourism at Partridge Island
An island, that sometimes isn’t an island, is at the centre of an experiential tourism experience being touted by a Cumberland County museum.
Known as Wa’so’q, or Heaven, by the Mi’kmaw, Partridge Island was a traditional place for gathering the sacred stone amethyst as well as the mythic home of legendary Mi’kmaw God and giant Glooscap.
It’s place in history is being celebrated by the Fundy Geological Museum in a series of experiences that will feature local sights and tastes.
“We are bringing people into the area, Partridge Island, so they can experience in a whole different way than they would going through the museum. This takes them right out to the attraction,” Fundy Geological Museum outreach and development officer Genna Varner said.
In this instance it will be a relaxing experience where geology meets gastronomy with participants in groups (maximum of 10, minimum of four) exploring the island with all their senses, savouring local tastes from Advocate Harbour’s Wild Caraway Restaurant at Ottawa House and travelling with an expert from the Fundy Geological Museum.
“Our goal with this program is to first and foremost give people an educational experience that resonates with them on a personal level,” Varner said. “We want people to be in a place and have place-based stories. Not just coming to the museum, but having an opportunity to go a place where all these things happened and get a feel for the land and the smells and the sounds. Everything that goes with that.”
When they leave, she hopes people will learn about the island’s history and its place in geology while also having an appreciation for nature and preserving the planet – taking care of it for future generations.
Participants will experience the tide and be able to immerse themselves in the sounds and other senses at the heart of the Bay of Fundy. They’ll discover the island’s secrets alongside expert geoscientists while combing the beach for mineral treasures, explore the ever-changing shoreline, learn more about the history of Wa’so’q, named to reflect heaven on Earth and experience the bubbling tide that’s unique to the island.
The experience will be supported with the help of award-winning sound-designer Aaron Collier.
The first of these experiences is set for Sept. 4 with additional opportunities on Sept. 17 and Oct. 3 and 16
“Each of the sessions is two to three hours long, but it will depend on the participants and what they want to do,” Fundy Geological Museum curator Danielle Serratos said.“We want people to form lasting memories from going through these experiences. That’s why there’s a limited number of people and a limited number of dates.”
Serratos said it can’t be forgotten that the island remains an important part of the Mi’kmaw culture and the museum has enjoyed its long relationship with the Indigenous community.
The island is also part of Canada’s colonial history with its close proximity to Ottawa House and its own part in Canadian history.
“Wa’so’q is a place that brings people together for very important reasons,” Serratos said. “From a geological point of view you’re talking about world-changing events, the break up of super continents and the major diversification period. There was a lot going on there.”
To book a Shoreline Sensations at Wa’so’q experience, visit fundygeomuseum.ca or call toll 1 (866) 856 DINO (3466).


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Woman's Body Found Floating Off South Beach, Police Said
SOUTH BEACH — A woman's body was found off the waters in South Beach on Sunday afternoon, police said.
The woman was found fully clothed and face down at 4:18 p.m. in South Beach near the intersection of Father Capodanno Boulevard and Seaview Avenue, a spokeswoman for the NYPD said.
The NYPD Harbor Patrol brought her onto shore where she was pronounced dead, police said.
The cause of death for the woman, who was still unidentified on Monday morning, will be determined by the medical examiner and police said an investigation is ongoing.


Just starting out and needed some clarification.
A model using a Basic/Special/Heavy weapon, can he/she use a Pistol and CCW in close combat, or do they have to count as carrying the main weapon in combat along with any 1 other weapon?
Eg: If I had a Ganger with an Shotgun, Autopistol and Sword. Would he/she be able to run about firing shotgun rounds off, then later on pull out the Autopistol and Sword and wade in to combat? Or do they have to keep the Shotgun in hand and pull 1 other weapon out?
Also, can you just have 2 knives and does that count as 2 CCW?


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Psychobot is a character owned by Swing Swing Submarine and makes a cameo in Indie Pogo. He comes from the game Tetrobot and Co.
"15 years after Tetrobot's first adventure, he's now one of the world's most popular robots. But he's not indestructible. Psychobot, a miniaturized robot was created to go inside his big brother Tetrobot and repair internal damages by vacuuming up blocks that matter." ― Psychobot's Trophy Description.
In Tetrobot and Co., you play as Psy (a.k.a. Psychobot), a microscopic robot. Tossing away the junk and throwing around the blocks that matter, it's his prime directive to help out his big brother, Tetrobot.

domain: entertainment


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Debt collection can be a very difficult process for a business. Most companies do not have a specialized debt collection department, and even those that do may only have a few employees working in that area. The more complex a situation becomes, the more likely the company is to require outside help.
Oftentimes, businesses owed money by other organizations or individuals seek help from professionals, including lawyers. After all, once a debtor has proven that they are unwilling to prioritize meeting their financial obligations, creditors may need to look into more aggressive solutions than voluntary payment plans.
Taking legal action against a debtor is sometimes an option. A successful debt-related lawsuit could lead to a wage garnishment or liens placed against personal property. Could a creditor in California even seek to intercept someone’s tax return?
There are strict limits on tax interception
As a general rule, the only debts that can lead to the state intercepting someone’s federal or state tax refund are government debts. Someone who owes income tax or property tax debts might never see the deposit of their income tax refund. Even those behind on government loan payments could lose their tax refund to interception by the state.
Private creditors usually cannot intercept a tax refund before it reaches someone. However, creditors could access the funds deposited if they have a judgment and a writ of levy. Given that tax refunds are often one of the only times that people receive large lump-sums of money not already allocated to basic household expenses, they can represent money that creditors could claim if debtors do not already intend to use them to fulfill their financial obligations.
Any creditor hoping to intercept a tax refund before it hits somebody’s bank account likely needs to take legal action before the tax refund is available. The writ of levy that the courts authorize is typically valid for 180 days. If the creditor presents the writ of levy to a debtor’s bank, the institution may freeze or transfer funds up to the full amount owed.
Realistically, creditors have few ways of knowing when someone files their taxes and, therefore, when they might receive a refund. They can usually only utilize a writ of levy against an account one time unless they go back to court. Yet, there is little doubt that exploring every possible avenue for repayment may benefit those attempting to collect on a debt in California.

domain: economics


text:
The advent of molecular medicine, sophisticated diagnostics and the use of personalized, targeted therapeutic agents have completely changed the practice of oncology. These novel advances have reached cancer centers such as the Eugene M. and Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute, a premier cancer program in South Florida. The Lynn Cancer Institute offers complex clinical trials with multidisciplinary management for all site disease groups. The Institute is also supported by state-of-the-art diagnostics and by the capabilities of Boca Raton Regional Hospital, including such departments as Pathology and Surgery.
A unique approach at the Institute is its multimodality clinics (MMC), which foster a strong structure for cancer research. Each multimodality team includes medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, pathologists and radiologists. These groups work in tandem with healthcare professionals who specialize in socio-, psychological and other aspects crucial to the management of cancer patients. Within the MMC, clinical protocols for each patient are discussed individually. This process allows interaction between the clinical and research teams and effective, quick management can be offered and delivered to the patient. The clinical research activities at the Lynn Cancer Institute involve phase I, II and III therapeutic trials.
It is the commitment and goal at the Office of Clinical Research to provide our cancer patients with the most sophisticated care possible, all in a compassionate and respectful environment. At the center of this approach is our ability to offer them access to the most current clinical research programs available.
At Lynn Cancer Institute, we treat cancer in today’s patients and offer hope for those who may get the disease in the future. Through clinical trials, we study promising new ways to diagnose and treat cancer. As our patient, you have access to these trials and treatments that aren’t widely available elsewhere. If a clinical trial may be right for you, we’ll talk with you about the potential benefits and risks. We make your overall well-being and safety our top priority if you choose to participate.
Baptist Health Research
The Baptist Health Research program focuses on the acceleration of healthcare discovery and innovation through collaborative clinical research across Baptist Health, which supports the organization’s long-standing commitment to providing the highest quality of patient care guided by evidence-based practices.

domain: medical


The Elite Gaming Processor. 8 cores optimized for high-FPS gaming rigs.
Competition-Class Gaming and Streaming
Core Count: 8-Core
Thread Count: 16-Threads
Base Clock: 3.9 Ghz
Boost Clock: 4.5 Ghz
Backed by the Tisk Promise
7nm “Zen 2” Architecture
Get a PC that’s cooler, quieter and faster while gaming and creating.
3rd Gen Ryzen processors have up to twice the cache of previous generations. GameCache is designed to reduce memory latency for higher frame rates in top titles.
Precision Boost 2
Precision Boost 2 automatically raises the processor frequencies for supercharged performance when you need it most.
Experience elite performance in games, content creation, and intense multi-tasking. A beautifully balanced design for serious PC enthusiasts.
Higher speeds. More memory. Wider bandwidth. You must push every lever, squeeze every ounce, and leave nothing on the table. AMD’s 3rd Gen Ryzen™ processor was designed to break expectations and set a new standard for high-performance processors.
# of CPU Cores
# of Processing Threads
Thermal Power (TDP)
Total Cache (L2+L3)
Matisse (Zen 2)
Up to 4.5 GHz
Recommended Memory Types:


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This document provides guidance for performance testing of biometrics when this technology is used on mobile devices with local biometric authentication to improve authentication assurance.
This document aims to:
— Provide guidance for affordable and cost-efficient testing and reporting methods for performance assessment at a full system level of biometric systems embedded in mobile devices with offline evaluation of false accept rate (FAR) claims.
— Define modality-specific considerations of these methods.
This document is applicable to:
— verification use cases related to secure transactions.
This document is not applicable to:
— privacy aspects;
— secure authentication from mobile device to server;
— testing and reporting for presentation attack detection (PAD) mechanisms in mobile devices;
— performance testing of biometric sub-systems such as acquisition sub-system or comparison sub-system;
— continuous authentication.

domain: literature


text:
By UnNatural Talents
Open iTunes to buy and download apps.
ArtMaestro converts any photo into modern art. It lets you decide the painting style. You can either choose 19th century Pointillism (Georges Seurat) or Impressionism (Claude Monet/Renoir) or opt for the early 20th century German Expressionist style of painting (popularized by Van Gogh, Edward Munch). Fill in the effects and you are ready to share your artwork on twitter, facebook or can email it to your friends. So, get set and 'paint'...
What's New in Version 1.1.3
Background processing enabled
Horrible to use, little functionality. No refinement controls, can't turn off the annoying sounds, distorts photo ratios.
- Category: Entertainment
- Updated: Apr 20, 2011
- Version: 1.1.3
- Size: 10.2 MB
- Languages: English, French, Japanese, Spanish
- Seller: Sulabh Varshney
- © 2011 UnNaturalTalents
Compatibility: Requires iOS 3.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.


text:
We see images of Washington, DC as it looks today on a regular basis --- the Capitol building, the White House, the National Mall, maybe the monuments and memorials. But what did it look like when it was the nation’s new Capital City? Do you have any idea? Can you picture it in your head?
To help you out a bit ---
The site for Washington, DC was chosen by President George Washington. He chose a diamond-shaped area of land (taken from Maryland and Virginia but later Virginia took their land back) about 100 square miles in size that lay between the Eastern Branch (now called the Anacostia River) and the Potomac River. It was a good location because it was almost halfway between the northern and southern states that existed at the time and it would allow easy access to the western frontier. The local towns of Alexandria and Georgetown were already established there and supported some river trade via their small ports on the Potomac.
(It also probably didn’t hurt that the land was just north of Mount Vernon, Washington’s home with his wife, Martha.)
So, in 1790 Congress authorized a federal district to be created and Washington, DC came into existence on the very spot George Washington had selected.
Now the new federal area needed to be designed. Who should design it?
Pierre Charles L’Enfant (called Peter by then) was chosen by President Washington for the job. He had studied art under his father at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris and he had been an architect in New York City. And, perhaps most importantly, he had been a volunteer in the American Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. It was here that he met and became friends with General Washington. In 1791 Major L'Enfant requested the honor of designing a plan for the national capital. And President Washington hired him to design the new seat of American government.
Here is a brief description of some of L’Enfant’s plan, according to the National Park Service:
L'Enfant specified in notes accompanying the plan that these avenues were to be wide, grand, lined with trees, and situated in a manner that would visually connect ideal topographical sites throughout the city, where important structures, monuments, and fountains were to be erected. On paper, L'Enfant shaded and numbered 15 large open spaces at the intersections of these avenues and indicated that they would be divided among the states. He specified that each reservation would feature statues and memorials to honor worthy citizens. The open spaces were as integral to the capital as the buildings to be erected around them.
L'Enfant took a bold step and placed Congress in an important spot on a hill from which diagonal avenues named after the states radiated. This was in direct contrast to what existed in most European Capitals at the time. The grandest spot would have been reserved for the leader's palace. As a result, Capitol Hill became the center of the city, not the White House.
Now can you picture the new city? Can you change these words into images? When “our” John Ousley was hired by President John Quincy Adams to be the first White House gardener in 1825, can you picture what he saw?
Today we have the artist, Peter Waddell, to help us with re-creating this vision of DC as a young capital city. Peter creates historically accurate (well, as historically accurate as possible!) paintings of Washington, DC from a bird’s eye view. One of the things we like the most about Peter’s work is that he is not just interested in the magnificent buildings of our history or in the great men and women of our history. He also presents ordinary people – the workers, merchants and servants who were an important part of the story.
In this video, Peter discusses his newest paintings of the city. They are on display in an exhibit called Eye of the Bird at the George Washington University Museum/The Textile Museum. The extensive research he did to accurately locate prominent buildings and get a feel for life in nineteenth-century Washington is amazing!
One of Peter’s painting in the exhibit titled “The Village Monumental” — so called because for decades after Washington, DC was founded, it was a collection of discrete villages — is meant to illustrate an actual day: June 17, 1825. It’s the day L’Enfant — penniless, angry, unloved by the Founding Fathers who had hired him — died.
The George Washington University exhibit also includes examples of other aerialist artwork from as early as 1838. In those days, an entrepreneurial artist would walk the streets of a town, sketching each building. These sketches would form the basis of a larger work, each structure put in its place and enhanced by artistic license.
The exhibit of Peter Waddell’s work, Eye of the Bird, is at the George Washington University Museum/The Textile Museum until December 23, 2018.
In 2011 Peter Waddell completed The White House Project. It’s a set of 14 paintings commissioned by the White House Historical Association in celebration of their 50th Anniversary. Their request was for depictions of moments that took place within or on the grounds of the White House from 1796 to 1902. It reportedly took him six years to complete their requests. Not only was he meticulous about his painting, he spent many hours doing research at the National Archives. He studied invoices and inventories, old maps and architectural blueprints and read personal letters and private diaries.
https://english.gmu.edu/people/sberg1 --- Scott W. Berg and his book on L’Enfant, Grand Avenues: The Story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the French Visionary Who Designed Washington, D.C.

domain: history


text:
Nidhi Nautiyal Bio :
City : Delhi
Professional : Model , TV Actor
Nidhi Nautiyal is a beautiful actress working in Telugu and Tamil movies. She has recently started working in Hindi Television as well. Nidhi was a model in print and TV before stepping into acting. Her major break came in Telugu and Tamil films in which she was cast in key roles. Her Hindi film Chudail Story, released in 2016. The movie got a lukewarm response from the audience.
Nidhi’s Chudail Story had a fresh cast consisting of herself, Preeti Soni, Amal Sherawat and Sunny Charls. The movie received a below average turn out as it barely had any known person in the star cast.
Nidhi found success in few films in Telugu. She is presently working on the show Meri Durga, which will be launched soon on Star Plus. The show is ready to go on air from January 2017. It will be a women oriented show with Nidhi playing the titular character. Nidhi will appear in the show after the story takes a leap. In the beginning, a child actress named Ananya Agarwal will be playing the child version of the character. Nidhi’s character Durga is an aspiring athlete. She dreams of making it big in the sports world and is ready to work hard for it. Her father, played by Vicky Ahuja, is very supportive of his daughter.
Nidhi was chosen for this role after an audition. She was apt for the role as she had and athletic and strong body. After a period of struggle in Telugu movies, Nidhi has finally found a lead role to prove her talent. The show will be aired in the prime slot on Star Plus.


text:
The Spanish government submitted its Budget Plan for 2019 to the European Commission. The Budget Plan includes tax measures that mainly focused on generating revenue.
Changes in existing corporate income tax
In the budget draft, the government decided to reduce the corporate tax rate from 25% to 23% for companies with annual revenue below EUR 1 million. In contrast, the government reduced the participation exemption from the current 100% to 95% for foreign dividends received by Spanish companies. Therefore, the domestic companies will receive less deduction than they used to get.
New taxes introduced
To generate more revenue in the upcoming year, several taxes are introduced in the budget plan, including:
- A minimum tax of 15% on companies and consolidated groups with annual revenue of EUR 20 million or more (18% minimum tax on companies subject to the increased 30% corporate rate - financial and hydrocarbon companies);
- A 15% tax for listed real estate investment corporations (SOCIMIs or REICs) on undistributed earnings.
- A 0.2% financial transaction tax on the acquisition of shares issued by Spanish companies listed on a regulated stock market with a market value of EUR 1 billion or more;
- A 3% digital services tax on digital service companies (domestic and foreign) with global turnover exceeding EUR 750 million and Spanish sales exceeding EUR 3 million in the previous calendar year, with the tax to be self-assessed and paid on a quarterly basis online advertising services, online intermediation services, and the sale of data generated from user-provided information;
Anti-Tax Avoidance Measure
The draft budget has also tried to bring in certain stringent anti avoidance measure as following:
- The transposition of the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive, including with respect to GAAR, hybrid mismatches, interest deduction restrictions, and exit tax; and
- Various other measures to address fraud and avoidance, including strengthened criteria with respect to the tax havens list, which will be in line with international standards based on fiscal equity and transparency.
Sources: Royal Budget Plan, Ministerio de Hacienda

domain: finance


text:
Case Report, J Surg Clin Pract Vol: 1 Issue: 1
Late Postappendectomy Faecal Fistula
Doru Moga*, Remus Maxim, Adrian Popenţiu, Ştefan Perişanu, Vanina Sabău and Horea Magdu
Department of General Surgery, “Alexandru Augustin” Military Emergency Hospital, Sibiu, Romania
*Corresponding Author : Moga Doru, MD, PhD
Department of General Surgery, Military Emergency Hospital Sibiu 44-46 Victoriei Blvd, 550024 Sibiu, Romania
E-mail: [email protected]
Received: November 16, 2016 Accepted: November 25, 2017 Published: November 02, 2017
Citation: Moga D, Maxim R, Popenţiu A, Perişanu S, Sabău V, et al. (2017) Late Postappendectomy Faecal Fistula. J Surg Clin Pract 1:1
Introduction: Appendectomy is one of the most common surgical intervention. Partial appendectomy may allow for potential late complications.
Presentation of Case: We present the case of a patient with an enterocutaneous fistula, that occured four years postapendectomy. Following surgery it was discovered an appendico-cutaneous fistula through the presence of a blunt long, dehiscent cutaneous appendix. The completion of the appendectomy led to healing.
Discussion and Conclusion: An appendix stump too long may cause the emergence of a appendico-cutaneous fistula.
Keywords: Faecal fistula; Stump appendicitis; Appendico-cutaneous fistula
Acute appendicitis is the most common cause of acute surgical abdomen and appendectomy is one of the most common abdominal surgeries in the field. Incomplete appendectomy forfeits in the peritoneal cavity the appendix tip or an appendix stump too long . It is recomended that the remaining appendicular stump length should be <0.5 cm . Incomplete appen-dectomy is more commonly seen in the context of acute appendicitis, but was also seen in the case of chronic appendicitis . The remaining segment can be a source of immediate complications (peritonitis, abscess, fistula purulent) or late ones (inflammation, abscess, fistula) . The inflamation of the remaining appendix stump (stump appendicities) has the same symptoms as those of primary appendicitis.
We present the case of a patient age 25, with mild mental retardation who was hospitalized on our ward in September 2014 showing a stercoral fistula at the post-appendectomy scar level in the right iliac fossa, with a daily flow of about 20-30 ml. Anamnesis the fistulous drainage debut was 3-4 weeks ago, after a spontaneous evacuation of a parietal abscess. To note that the patient was operated for acute appendicitis at the territorial hospital in 2010. In the postoperative period the patient was transferred to another surgical section showing a necrotizing fascitis in the right iliac fossa, with slow healing per secundam. Later, in 2012 the patient returned, presenting a right iliac fossa abscess that required incision. The patient is addmited in good general condition, afebrile, showing bowel movements, and no other significant pathological complaints. Local exam of the postoperative scar in the right iliac fossa, showed a fistulous orifice diameter of 1.5 cm. On exploring it, was visualized under the aspect of intestinal lumen. Biological samples were not modified and the abdominal fluoroscopy without hidroaerice levels or pneumoperitoneum. On September 24, 2014 the patient is operated on under spinal anesthesia through a McBurney incision in the right iliac fossa that circumscribed the fistulous hole. Excision of the scar tissue and of the ulcerated and inflamed skin area is performed. It was identified a proximal appendix bunt of 2.5 cm length, having the distal end beant fixed to the abdominal wall (Figures 1 and 2). We proceeded to the completion of appendectomy with inverting the stump (Figures 3 and 4). Postoperative evolution was uneventful. She was discharged on the fifth postoperative day. Histological examination of the resected specimen revealed an inflamed appendiceal stump. A follow-up consult one month after surgery showed a patient in good general health with no symptoms (Figure 5).
Complications encountered after appendectomy include woundsite infection, postoperative illeus, intra-abdominal abscess, and leaks from the remnant stump . The fact that the diagnosis of stump appendicitis is usually not considered as the possible etiology for right lower quadrant abdominal pain in patients with prior appendectomy creates a delay in making the correct diagnosis and explains why the rate of perforation for stump appendicitis approaches 70% . The first to describe stump appendicitis for patients who had previously undergone an appendectomy for appendicitis was Rose in 1945 . It is defined as the interval re-inflammation of any residual appendiceal tissue after appendicectomy . This complication can occur both after the classical appendicectomy and after the laparoscopic one. Because of the lack of a 3-dimensional view and lack of tactile feedback, some authors consider that laparoscopic appendectomy is a risk factor for stump appendicitis . The time from appendectomy to the development of stump appendicitis ranges from 2 months to 21 years. The length of the stump ranges from 1.3 cm to 5.1 cm . The common acquired causes of enterocutaneous fistula include strangulated groin hernia especially femoral hernia, tuberculosis and other granulomatous infections, diverticular disease of the bowel, Crohn’s disease, carcinoid tumour and carcinoma of the caecum and appendix , foreign body, radiation, nutritional debilitation, and distal obstruction . It bears serious social, psychological, medical and nutritional hazards . An appendicocutaneous fistula was first described by Volz in 1846 at autopsy . Cutaneous fistula may develop after drainage of appendix abscess or after appendicectomy or it may develop spontaneously as a complication of acute perforating appendicitis or as a hazard of incomplete appendicectomy [10-12]. Complete surgical removal of an inflamed appendix is the treatment for stump appendicitis.
During appendectomy should be avoided leaving a long appendix blunt as it may cause complications. Among the causes of stercoral fistula may include apendico-cutaneous fistula. The differential diagnosis of a right iliac fossa pain of a patient with appendicectomy, the posibility of stump appendicitis should not be overlooked.
The Authors thank Mrs Andra Riti for providing language help.
- Setlacec D, Aşchie I (1999) Complicaţii severe postapendicectomie. Bucureşti: Ed. Medicală.
- Kanona H, Al Samaraee A, Nice C, Bhattacharya V (2012) Stump appendicitis: A review. Int J Surg 10: 425-428
- Çiftci F, Abdurrahman I, Tatar Z (2015) Stump Appendicitis: A Clinical Enigma. Chirurgia 110: 562-564.
- Awe JAA, Soliman AM, Gourdie RW (2013) Stump Appendicitis: An Uncompleted Surgery, a Rare but Important Entity with Potential Problems. Case Reports in Surgery: 972596.
- Constantin V, Popa F, Carâp A, Socea B(2014) Stump Appendicitis – An Overlooked Clinical Entity. Chirurgia 109: 128-131.
- Mentes O, Zeybek N, Oysul A, Onder SC, Tufan T (2008) Stump appendicitis, rare complication after appendectomy: report of a case. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg 14: 330-332.
- Singal R, Gupta S, Mittal A, Gupta S, Singh M (2012) Appendico-cutaneous Fistula Presenting as a Large Wound: a Rare Phenomenon – Brief Review. Acta Med Indones 44: 53-56.
- Shamim M, Haider SA, Iqbal SA (2009) Persistent appendiceal faecal fistula following a complicated open appendicectomy. J Pak Med Assoc 59: 181-183.
- Hyett A (1995) Appendiculocutaneous fistula: a hazard of incomplete appendicectomy. Aust NZJ Surg 65: 144-145.
- Koak Y, Jeddy TA, Gidings AEB (1999) Apendico-cutaneous fistula. J R Soc Mec 92: 639-640.
- Chowdhury DAH, Hassan MF, Rahman M, Anwar AB, Khatun S (2008) Spontaneous appendico-cutaneous fistula, after drainage of a right loin abscess – A case report. Int J Surg 6: 97-99.
- Haoudi KE, Majdoub KI (2014) Fistule appendiculo-cutanée: complication rare de l’appendicite aiguë. Pan African Med J 19: 194.


text:
Burias Island is one of the 3 major islands of Masbate in the Philippines.The other two islands are Ticao Island and Masbate Island. Burias Island is 11 hours away from Manila, the length travel is so much worth it. This is one of the virgin and enchanting beaches to be found in the Philippines. With powdery white sand and crystal clear water. This island is a 100% good place to relax and have an adventure. You can do island hopping, cross Dapa island. Or enjoy your weekend at the beautiful rock formation of Animasola Island and plunge in Tinalisayan’s sand bar. Im pretty sure that you wont’t run out of things to do in the Island of Masbate. The Island is ideal for campers, since lots of the tourist here pitch their tents instead of renting cottages to catch a better sight of the night. The are cottages that you can rent at affordable price, however since supply of electricity is limitinted in the place the cottages do not have fans or any air cons.
Guide way to get there:
Ride a bus going Naga(Araneta Center Terminal) P620 from Pasacao to San Pascual, Port fare is P130 San Pascual lodging P150 Boat fee, for island hopping it ranges from P1,500 to P2,000

domain: travel


CAIRO: Arab League Secretary General Nabil el-Arabi left for the UAE on Thursday to take part in a high-level ministerial UN meeting on climate changes in Abu Dhabi.
The two-day meeting, that will start on Sunday, aims at encouraging cooperation for a better application of the practical solutions that could help fight climate changes.
The meeting also aims at coming up with effective suggestions ahead of the climate change summit to take place in New York on September 23.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Arabi will hold talks with UN chief Ban Ki-moon on the UN efforts to seek a political solution to the three-year-old crisis in Syria and the international community’s stance towards the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.
From Abu Dhabi, Arabi will fly to Athens where he will take part in an Arab-European meeting aiming at strengthening investments between Europe and the Arab world.
He will hold talks with the Greek premier and foreign minister before leaving back home on Tuesday.


It almost made sense. After Heavy Rain was a hit last year, and its quick-time event sex scene wasn't a humiliation for everyone involved, there was a feeling that games could do adult content now. Maybe that was what inspired Ubisoft to get behind (fnarr) "adult-oriented party game" We Dare – one of the shonkiest, most ill-advised products to be offered to gamers ... well, ever.
For most of us, it started with the trailer, which appeared on YouTube on 24 February. (The original link is now marked as private.) Four blandly pretty 20-something models – two men, two women – cavort awkwardly to a clunking sex-funk soundtrack. In just over a minute, every joke you've ever heard about motion controllers looking like sex toys was realised, as the cast pulled their most strained smiles to convey the enjoyment they experienced as they took part in We Dare's cartoon swingers' game. The girls mashed their faces against either side of a dangling controller, almost as if – ooh! – they might accidentally kiss. A boy spanked a girl in order to propel a cherub flying on screen. Then another girl stepped in. It was horrifyingly awkward and deeply unsexy.
Not unsexy enough to avoid the inevitable act two, of course, in which outraged moral guardians demanded to know why a spanking game was being marketed to children. The Mail even found a red-faced father to say, "This sort of computer game will only serve to fuel sexual tensions and, in a worse-case scenario, sexual touching or assault." Normally, Gamesblog would be dead against the moral guardians, but in this case they sort of had a point.
Not about We Dare fuelling sexual tensions, of course. I've played the game, and I've had saucier romps in Green Hill Zone. It's a terribly boring, mostly broken mini-game collection, squeezed into a leopard-print thong and told to look sexy. By the time you've been through the tedious menus (you can't search for individual games, but have to navigate through mysterious categories such as "Adventurous") and tolerated the drab bits of smut-related trivia (did you know the first bra was made of hankies and ribbon? Phwoar!), you'll be seriously looking into celibacy. The bobble-headed cartoon characters who guide you through the awkward gyrations of miming dancing or stripping might as well have your mum's face on them, for all the encouragement to eroticism they are.
But the marketing was clearly disastrous. Because We Dare's content is as tame as a neutered puppy, it received child-friendly ratings – PEGI 12 in Europe, and PG in Australia. Which left it in a thoroughly non-erotic bind. People looking for console-based sexytimes (even people who like disgracefully feeble mini-games) aren't likely to be impressed with a 12 rating, while publishers (even publishers of disgracefully feeble mini-games) would probably rather not be seen to push erotica onto the kid market.
Within weeks, the game's release was cancelled in the UK (it was never intended for release in the US, according to Ubisoft). After all, this was shortly after Fox News had accused Bulletstorm of inciting rape with sexually suggestive kill names – it's no surprise if a publisher would rather not be the next target for outrage. Does that and the fiasco of We Dare mean that games should keep their hands clean of the sex stuff from now on? No – and with Rockstar's grown-up crime drama L.A. Noire and Mass Effect 3 on their way, there's no likelihood of games putting on a promise ring anytime soon. But hopefully it'll be a long, long time before anyone tries to foist another tarted up box of Just Dance knock-offs and weak Buzz!-alike quizzes on to easily aroused console owners.


The Last Ride (on the Bamboo Train)
Ale’, what’s on the schedule for this afternoon?
A ride on the bamboo train, and we’ll visit to a small village, and we’ll capture sunset across the rice fields, maybe see a water buffalo.
The Bamboo Train
Sitting on a simple bamboo woven platform I marvel at the speeds at which we are traveling. The wind is blowing through my hair as we race along the grass covered tracks at speeds that are beyond safe. The noise is loud. Clicky clack, clicky clack. There is no OSHA here or government safety regulations. This is more exciting than a roller coaster, and much more dangerous. I feel alive.
Ahead there is a dark spotted opening in the tracks. I muffle a scream as we pass over an open waterway. Jolted back to reality with the misaligned tracks, we continue on to the next village.
The Pit Stop
At the next village only a few kilometers into our ride, our carriage comes to a stop. There are no more tracks – long since removed. A dirt pathway of 300 meters takes us to the next section of workable tracks where a new carriage is assembled.
Two axles are placed on the tracks, a bamboo platform is added, then a lawn mower type engine. Somehow the engine is connected to the axle. A wooden brake appears below – a wooden slat that when a lever is applied, puts pressure on the wheel component of the axle. A little gas is added to the engine. The final carriage assembly includes a few token pillows to cushion our bottoms. Faster than a race car pit stop we are off again, quickly picking up speed. Overgrown brush whips dangerously close to our faces. Rice fields extend out in all directions. A local walks along a path near the tracks and waves.
Suddenly, appearing ahead is another carriage. There is only one set of tracks and it is coming straight for us. There is no where to go. Both carriages slow and come to a stop. An assessment is made by the drivers.
There is another carriage behind us so the carriage in front of us must move (two against one).
The passengers on the car ahead jump to the side of the tracks while the drivers lift the bamboo carriage off the axles and set it aside. They then pick up and drop each axle to the side. The track is now free and clear. Clicky, clack, we are moving again.
The end of the line
We pass through villages and by villagers. Clicky, clack. A few more times we play chicken with a carriage coming towards us, but we always win (our guide must have tipped the driver). Finally, we come to the end of a line. A small refreshment café with souvenir t-shirts, “I rode the Bamboo Train” in a color of your choice. We rest in the shade of the café sipping from a coconut.
The end of an era
For close to 30 years the bamboo train has served locals going from village to village and from the city to the countryside. It is an enterprising way for locals to use the tracks after the disrepair of the regular train forced it out of existence. It also provides a means for an income as tourists want to experience this unique method of travel.
It is set to close at the end of the holiday week making way for a new modern train. Work can be seen on sections of the tracks, the time is not far off.
The end of the day
The sun is getting low in the sky and the train only runs during daylight hours. We board a carriage for the trip back to Battembang. We race towards the setting sun – the rice fields are aglow.
Jeff and I are two of the last tourists to experience this historical method of local travel.
It is the last ride.


text: In this paper we have developed a Geographic Information Systems based model to support cellulosic ethanol plant least-cost location decisions by integrating geographic distribution of biomass in the study area with associated transportation costs. As an initial step of a multi-factor spatial optimization problem, including both feedstock transportation and ethanol distribution cost, the study investigated the influence of feedstock transportation costs on optimal location decisions. To achieve that purpose, the feedstock resources, in this analysis forest biomass and agricultural crop residue, were spatially investigated relative to the road network and potential cellulosic ethanol plant locations in the state of Washington. The flexibility of the model allows spatial manipulation of the data for the least-cost location identifications considering both cumulative and separate types of feedstock utilization scenarios. Study results show that the ethanol plant transportation cost-minimizing location decisions are significantly influenced by the type of the feedstock utilized, and vary depending on the processing plant capacities.

domain: agronomy


text:
Using the Agri-environment-climate Measure to support the preservation of the Hungarian Coldblood horse breed.
Projects & Practice
MUNTER integrates objectives for water, soil and flood protection with broader objectives such as climate protection, biodiversity and animal welfare.
A results-based agri-environment scheme (AES) for permanent grasslands in Baden-Württemberg.
An organic cattle breeding farm is working to reverse the degradation of environmental conditions on the farm, whilst ensuring its long-term economic sustainability.
A new participatory approach for increasing landowners’ knowledge on how to manage drainage ditches that play a key role in Swedish agriculture.
Ensuring the preservation and restoration of species and habitats in Saxony, by offering free advice and relevant qualifications to land users.
EAFRD funding helped set up associations that bring together local stakeholders with diverse interests to manage the implementation of Nature 2000 conservation rules.


text:
49 percent of Christopher High School's 2015 graduating class enrolled in college
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) records show that 49 percent of Christopher High School's (CHS) 2015 graduating class enrolled in college within 12 months of graduation.
The 2015 state average for students in public schools was 70 percent.
For CHS, its college enrollment rate marks an improvement over 2014, when 46.3 percent of its graduates chose post-secondary education.
The data, collected by the National Student Clearinghouse, includes two- and four-year colleges.
Enrollment at CHS in 2015 was 235; 51 (21.7 percent) were seniors.
Also according to ISBE, 27.5 percent of CH seniors were "college ready" in 2015, versus an average of 46 percent statewide.
All students who score a 21 on the ACT qualify as "college ready."
Among high schools in Southeast Illinois, the class of 2015 college readiness rates at Hamilton County Junior/Senior High School (32.2 percent) and Hardin County High School (31.4 percent) were higher than at CHS. Gallatin High School (15.9 percent), Meridian High School (13.9 percent), Egyptian Senior High School (8.7 percent) and Zeigler-Royalton High School (36.8 percent) were lower.
CHS students did better on reading (25.5 percent) and English (51 percent) and worse on science (15.7 percent) and math (25.5 percent).
Only 11.8 percent of CHS students were college ready in all four subjects, according to ISBE.

domain: sociology


Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has gained increasing interest as a medical imaging method. Although only 30 companies were making OCT systems in 2012, at present, that number has increased to over 100. Transparency Market Research has reported that the key factors for the growth of this market are the increase in the prevalence of different disorders and a rise in the awareness and acceptance of the probabilities of optical imaging technologies.
Applications of OCT
Diseases such as hypertension and diabetes have become more prevalent in patients due to an aging population and a change in lifestyle where people are more sedentary. OCT enables early detection of problems by medical professionals as it involves non-invasive imaging that offers high-definition, cross-sectional images, without causing any harm to living tissue or objects.
OCT has previously been effectively applied for ophthalmologic eye care and disease diagnosis, where it is used to acquire sub-surface images and investigate tissue within the body.
It involves directing an optical beam at a tissue sample, collecting the small fraction of light reflected from the tissue, and transforming it into a clear 3D image of the tissue. Through interferometry, any scattered light that would usually produce background noise and blur the image is eliminated. Subsequently, light that is directly reflected from the surface of interest is collected, where any background noise is eliminated after being processed.
Further Advancements to OCT
At present, OCT has been developed further by enabling functional imaging and wide 3D images. The standard camera for market leaders of healthcare in Europe and Japan was developed in collaboration with doctors and other professionals from the medical industry. This innovative technology has benefited both doctors and medical professionals by reducing the examination times for patients, thereby allowing them to make more timely decisions. This has been achieved with the help of the new generation of line scan cameras based on an innovative CMOS sensor pixel architecture — its maximum frequency is nearly four times higher compared to the CCD technology.
These types of cameras find various applications in medical and other industries. For instance, they can be used in the diagnosis of retinal disease for the detection of diseases such as glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration. In the case of age-related macular degeneration, these cameras are specifically useful as they enable doctors to detect the disease at a very early stage. They can also be applied during cornea surgery to assist in ensuring pinpoint accuracy. These cameras can be used during endoscopies for laser surgery monitoring and also in dermatology for the diagnosis of early signs of skin cancer.
Figure 1. OctoPlus provides users with accurate images, for example, of the retina and cornea; mapping tissue structures, measuring thickness, and visualizing blood flow dynamics for diagnostics.
Teledyne e2v OctoPlus Spectral Domain OCT Cameras
From the early 2000s, Teledyne e2v has been spearheading the application of this method in its range of line scan cameras. Close collaboration with medical professionals has enabled the new OctoPlus Spectral Domain OCT cameras from the company to utilize CMOS technology to accelerate image acquisition and to enhance image quality at the same time. One of the key advantages of OctoPlus is that it is particularly tuned to offer users with extremely accurate images, for instance, of the retina and cornea by mapping tissue structures, measuring thickness, and visualizing blood flow dynamics for diagnostic purposes. Additional advantages include enhanced stability of OCT equipment, minimized generation of heat, and increased maintenance intervals.
Figure 2. OctoPlus Spectral-Domain OCT cameras harness CMOS technology to speed up image acquisition, while improving image quality.
This suggests that in ophthalmologic applications, for example, these innovative line scan cameras can increase the eye surface captured in a single scan by over two times without affecting resolution, thereby enhancing confidence in the diagnosis protocol. The existing SD-OCT equipment could take advantage of an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This can assist clinicians in making improved treatment decisions and facilitate earlier detection of peripheral pathologies such as diabetic retinopathy.
Future and Emerging Applications
In the future, OCT can be used for emerging applications, for instance, the investigation of brain tissue, where it could be possible to detect the early signs of common diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Another field underscored as a prospective application in the near future is the characterization of hemoglobin, which is crucial for the diagnosis of diseases such as sickle cell anemia. Teledyne e2v intends to continue its support to its global customers by offering standard and custom solutions, thereby supporting the industry with more applications emerging every day.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Teledyne E2V.
For more information on this source, please visit Teledyne E2V.


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"Attention! Our warehouse is moving»
Dear partners, we inform You that our warehouse at the address: Moscow region, Pushkin district, p. Lesnye Polyany, residential complex "Polyanka" stops its work on 26.09.2019.
From 23 to 25 September 2019, goods will not be shipped from the warehouse.
Since September 26, all shipments are made from a new warehouse at the address: Vladimir region, Strunino, Suvorov str. 5


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Tetsuya Mizuguchi Talks Up His Return To Games
Child of Eden marks his return to director duties.
Q Entertainment's Child of Eden is exciting not just for the fabulous way it mixes sound and graphics -- it also marks the first time director Tetsuya Mizuguchi has been so deeply involved with a game in years. For much of the past decade, he's been instead involved with other projects -- such as Genki Rockets, the electronic J-pop band he produces.
"All the assorted activity I've been up to was necessary in order to proceed forward to the next thing ahead of it," Mizuguchi told Famitsu magazine this week. "With Space Channel 5 and Rez over a decade ago, I was aiming for a way to combine music and visuals -- to proceed to the next stage, I needed to seize this opportunity to turn my attention entirely to music. I guess you could say it's been a self-improvement process along those lines. My idea of a game creator is someone who works in a huge amount of creative endeavors. Games are still a very new and very global thing, and the development process on them is very complex. It really takes an amazing talent to do them right, and it's taken several years for me to polish my skills."
Mizuguchi, whose game career began when he joined Sega in 1990, feels freer as a developer than at any other point in his life. "There are more platforms, they're more powerful, and now everything's connected online worldwide," he said. "Games are probably going to be at the very core of all forms of entertainment in the future. Back when I joined this business 20 years ago, I thought that it'd be great if we had a world like this -- being able to advance myself just in time for it is a real stroke of luck, I think. I really feel blessed to be in this environment."
It's also a stroke of luck that the opportunity to make Child of Eden came along when it did. "I got to go out to eat with some internal producers at Ubisoft at the Tokyo Game Show two years ago," Mizuguchi recalled. "We began discussing possibilities with new games, and out of nowhere they asked me 'Is there something you'd like to do?' It turns out they knew all about Space Channel 5 and Rez, and they said if I had an idea for a new game that mixed sound and visuals, I should go through with it. The project started three months later -- things moved along really quickly."
In moving from producer to director, Mizuguchi is taking something of a risk with this one. "There have been lots of games where I was in a producer role up to now," he told Famitsu. "For this, I took the director role and worked all the way down to the little story and concept details. Usually it goes the other way around, but when a creator has a lot of ideas he wants to express, he always wants to get deeper and deeper into them. In a way, getting to this point has helped firm my resolve to remain a creator."
Child of Eden is due for a worldwide PS3/360 release next year. "I suppose we're about 60 to 70 percent done," Mizuguchi said. "We're finally beginning to see the peak of the mountain. There's still a ton I'd like to do, though -- we're all greedy that way as creators. Finding something new and fun and bringing it to other people just makes you quiver with excitement, and I'd like to taste that emotion again."


Disaster management officials in the Pacific say they were better prepared for Sunday's tsunami alert after last year's devastating tsunami off Samoa, which claimed more than 180 lives.
The Meteorology Department in Samoa says they had only 12 minutes to warn people last year and many did not take the alert seriously.
Chief executive Mulipola Ausetalia Titimaea says this time people started fleeing to the hills as soon as they heard the warnings about a tsunami after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Chile.
The alert was issued throughout the island via radio, television, text messages and bells and sirens.
Disaster officials in Fiji, Tonga and the Cook Islands also say their response was better.
People on the island of Tuvalu sought refuge in the few double-storeyed buildings there.
The death toll for the Samoa tsunami last year was 186: 143 in Samoa, 34 in American Samoa and nine in Tonga.


Coordination meeting with Engineers and Local representatives.
Bakaiya Rural Municipality office
17 May, 2018 11:00 AM
17 May, 2018 03:00 PM
Dear all Stakeholders and Pos.
It’s our great pleasure to invite you in Coordination Meeting with engineers and local representatives scheduled as follows :
Date: 17th -May -2018, i.e., 3-Jestha -2075
Time: 11:00 AM Onward
Venue: Bakaiyamunicipality office
1. Housing Reconstruction Updates
2. Reconstruction and Landless Issues
Meeting Documents List
0 Files !


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ASHI Diamonds OVAL SHAPE GEMSTONE & DIAMOND RING
An alluring design meets the eye when you set focus on this impressive precious stone ring. It features a cleverly crafted floral cutwork centerpiece, with an oval shape center mount housing an oval cut 6x4mm emerald. Tiny bar shape projections that shoot out of the oval mount, depicting the petals of the flower, are embellished with two pave set round cut diamonds each. The pointed tip shank is further enhanced by pave set round cut diamonds on either side. Thick milgrain can be seen around the center mount, while a thinner milgrain finish is visible on the shank. The ring is framed in 10 karat yellow gold. Total diamond weight is 1/5 ctw.
1/5 ctw Floral Oval Shape 6x4mm Emerald & Round Cut Diamond Precious Ring in 10K Yellow Gold
|Name||OVAL SHAPE GEMSTONE & DIAMOND RING|
|Sub Type||Gemstone Rings|
|Material||10K Yellow Gold|
|Total Carat Weight||0.20|
An eye-catching floral cutwork precious pendant, with an emerald and round cut diamonds giving it its stunning look. The pendant features a 6x4mm oval cut emerald center stone that is encircled by a row of 14 small bar shape accents. These bars are embellished with 2 pave set round cut diamonds each, a total of 28 diamonds in all. A milgrain finish can be seen around the center stone. The pendant is held by a loop accent at the top, through which it is strung to the included BOX8 18-inch box chain necklace. Chain and pendant are both styled in 10 karat yellow gold. Total diamond weight is 1/8 ctw.


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Just started watching Chefs Table BBQ on Netflix. Besides reminding me how much I miss Texas, the first episode is a real profile in courage.
Spent some time enjoying songs from our collection we hadn't heard for a while over the long weekend. One was Why Did You Leave Me Now by Liz Rodrigues which we first heard on a True Blood episode.
Just finished The Expanse Season 4. Did not deliver.
Wife and I just started watching in Amazon Prime streaming. First episode on sushi had us both hungry.
Latest show wife, son and I are watching together. Production is slick and storyline, character development pretty interesting.
Latest "filler" show we started watching. Have learned about "snugs" and "character houses".


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Implementing fully the search deal could take about two years. In the meantime, Microsoft will reimburse Yahoo for transition and operating costs. Yahoo expects net reimbursements from Microsoft of between $75 million and $85 million per quarter for the remainder of 2010.
A key motivation for Yahoo to enter into the search deal with Microsoft was to reduce its search-related costs. In addition, the companies believe they will be able to offer a more attractive option to advertisers together than individually, and thus be a more credible competitor to Google, which broadly dominates search usage and advertising globally.
Yahoo ended the quarter with free cash flow of $64 million, down 70 percent from 2009's first quarter, and with cash, cash equivalents, and investments in marketable debt securities of $4.24 billion, down $274 million from 2009's fourth quarter.
Yahoo expects revenue in the second quarter of 2010 to be between $1.60 billion and $1.68 billion. Commissions and fees paid to partners should be between $475 million and $495 million.
Morse said key signs point to an improvement in Yahoo's financial performance, including the first quarter's revenue increase after the company's revenue fell year-on-year all four quarters of 2009.
"Our underlying business performance is clearly improving. Our revenue is returning to year-over-year growth, led by display. We're transforming our cost structure to support our growth and profitability objectives, and our earnings metrics are showing substantial gains versus last year," Morse said.


The Los Angeles housing market has been on a roller coaster ride in recent years. Prices are up, and the market is increasingly competitive. Prices have been rising rapidly, and the trend is expected to continue. In this article, we’ll take a look at the current prices, trends, and forecasts for the Los Angeles housing market.
The average sale price for a home in Los Angeles is currently $800,000, which is up 8.3% from the same time a year ago. This increase in prices is being driven by high demand and low supply. In fact, the market is so competitive that bidding wars have become commonplace. Despite the high prices, there are still some great deals to be had in certain neighborhoods.
The trend of rising prices is expected to continue in the future. The city recently approved a construction boom that will add over 20,000 new homes to the market over the next few years. This influx of homes should help to moderate prices a bit, but they’re still expected to remain high.
The forecast for the Los Angeles housing market is positive, but it’s not without its challenges. The high prices and competitive market make it difficult for buyers to break into the market, and it’s also difficult for sellers to break out of it. That said, there are still plenty of opportunities for both buyers and sellers if they know where to look.
Overall, the Los Angeles housing market is booming. Prices are high and rising, and the market is increasingly competitive. The trend is expected to continue, but there are still some great deals to be had if you know where to look.