text:
Ron Bechtel, ACM Executive Director
Like a melody you can whistle and a harmony that follows alongside effortlessly, ACM and Christian musicians from greater Puget Sound have been teaming together to bring excellent music and teaching to our region.
The Alliance of Christian Musicians, a national organization founded in Philadelphia more than a decade ago by Vincent Treadway, held six events in 2013.
In March, the 8th Annual ACM Handbell Festival was held at Cairn University in Philadelphia.
In April, ACM hosted the 4th Annual Young Church Musicians’ Recital Competition in Tacoma, Washington. Forty-five students from Western Washington played memorized pieces, competing for scholarship prize money totaling $3,100.
In July, several adults and youth participated in an evening of eclectic solo and ensemble selections at the Midsummer Classics Concert.
For eight days in early August, Marion Read, ACM Youth Education Director, and Louise Allen, children’s music director at Faith Presbyterian Church (Tacoma), taught the annual Children’s Summer Singing Camp to fifty registered children. On the last day of camp, a final program displayed what they had learned as they sang three memorized pieces to an audience of over 100.
In October, Dr. Allen P. Ross, Old Testament professor at Beeson School of Divinity in Birmingham, Alabama, headlined the 7th Annual ACM Church Music Symposium in Tacoma, Washington, with teaching on “A Celebration of Worship Based on the Psalms.” Those who heard his lectures called them “scintillating,” and “richly thorough.” ACM expects to post online all six lectures as well as an interesting interview with Pastor Rob Rayburn.
The Church Music Symposium was not just lectures, however.
- The ACM Festival Choir presented an hour-long Hymn Festival of Psalm-anthems and hymn singing under Vincent Treadway, organist director of music at First Presbyterian Church, Lake Wales, Florida.
- Martha Alford, Regional Director of ACM’s Philadelphia Chapter and member of Proclamation Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, added musical delight to the Symposium sessions with her skillful flute playing.
- A Young Artists’ Recital brought out over 150 people to hear excellent music from solo musicians and the Children’s Summer Singing Camp Choir under the direction of Marion Read.
- Workshops presented by Douglas Bond, Ron Bechtel, and Vincent Treadway gave attendees in-depth instruction on various topics of church music.
- The Symposium weekend concluded with an EvenSong program, featuring selected organ music and flute–piano duets, prior to Sunday evening worship.
On December 1 at Faith Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, Washington, ACM’s 50-voice Festival Choir and four soloists presented selections from Messiah by George Frideric Handel to an overflow crowd of 650 people. Under the direction of Ron Bechtel, ACM President, the musicians included singers from a dozen local churches.
The Alliance of Christian Musicians is thriving on the encouragement and support of its event attendees, volunteers, and contributors. And Christian churches are benefitting from the development of musicians through ACM’s commitment to inspire musical excellence by the Word of God. The teamwork is resulting in something much greater than a simple joyful noise!


Hotbox 2.5kW Greenhouse CO2 Generator - Model 2
- Dimensions: 32 x 20 x 50cm
- Increase CO2 to 1000 ppm
- 0.55kg of CO2 per hour
- Creates optimum growing environment
- Low running cost
- Runs on propane or natural gas
- Supplied as propane
- Natural Gas Conversion Kit available for purchase
- Easy Installation (On/Off Switch)
- Robust, Lightweight structure
1. Plants can only absorb carbon dioxide near to them. Carbon dioxide is also heavier than air and will tend to fall to the base of the growing area, best results are achieved by good air circulation.
2. CO2 is a suffocating gas and care must be taken to ensure adequate ventilation
3. The CO2 generator is supplied with a fused on 13amp plug, a suitable electric timer is required to control the amount of time the appliance is switched on and off (timer not supplied with generator and must be purchased separately.
4. No thermostat control or regulator is supplied


Hello, I have created a Network World column and will be releasing a few blogs per month. Kindly visit the following link to view my full profile and recent blogs – Matt Conran Network World.
The list of individual blogs can be found here:
“In this day and age, demands on networks are coming from a variety of sources, internal end-users, external customers and via changes in the application architecture. Such demands put pressure on traditional architectures.
To deal effectively with these demands requires the network domain to become more dynamic. For this, we must embrace digital transformation. However, current methods are delaying this much-needed transition. One major pain point that networks suffer from is the necessity to dispense with manual working, which lacks fabric wide automation. This must be addressed if organizations are to implement new products and services ahead of the competition.
So, to evolve, to be in line with the current times and use technology as an effective tool, one must drive the entire organization to become a digital enterprise. The network components do play a key role, but the digital transformation process is an enterprise-wide initiative.”
“There’s a buzz in the industry about a new type of product that promises to change the way we secure and network our organizations. It is called the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). It was first mentioned by Gartner, Inc. in its hype cycle for networking. Since then Barracuda highlighted SASE in a recent PR update and Zscaler also discussed it in their earnings call. Most recently, Cato Networks announced that it was mentioned by Gartner as a “sample vendor” in the hype cycle.
Today, the enterprises have upgraded their portfolio and as a consequence, the ramifications of the network also need to be enhanced. What we are witnessing is cloud, mobility, and edge, which has resulted in increased pressure on the legacy network and security architecture. Enterprises are transitioning all users, applications, and data located on-premise, to a heavy reliance on the cloud, edge applications, and a dispersed mobile workforce.”
“Microsoft has introduced a new virtual WAN as a competitive differentiator and is getting enough tracking that AWS and Google may follow. At present, Microsoft is the only company to offer a virtual WAN of this kind. This made me curious to discover the highs and lows of this technology. So I sat down with Sorell Slaymaker, Principal Consulting Analyst at TechVision Research to discuss. The following is a summary of our discussion.
But before we proceed, let’s gain some understanding of the cloud connectivity.
Cloud connectivity has evolved over time. When the cloud was introduced about a decade ago, let’s say, if you were an enterprise, you would connect to what’s known as a cloud service provider (CSP). However, over the last 10 years, many providers like Equinix have started to offer carrier-neutral collocations. Now, there is the opportunity to meet a variety of cloud companies in a carrier-neutral colocation. On the other hand, there are certain limitations as well as cloud connectivity.”
“Actions speak louder than words. Reliable actions build lasting trust in contrast to unreliable words. Imagine that you had a house with a guarded wall. You would feel safe in the house, correct? Now, what if that wall is dismantled? You might start to feel your security is under threat. Anyone could have easy access to your house.
In the same way, with traditional security products: it is as if anyone is allowed to leave their house, knock at your door and pick your locks. Wouldn’t it be more secure if only certain individuals whom you fully trust can even see your house? This is the essence of zero-trust networking and is a core concept discussed in my recent course on SDP (software-defined perimeter).
Within a zero-trust environment, there is no implicit trust. Thus, trust must be sourced from somewhere else in order to gain access to protected resources. It is only after sufficient trust has been established and the necessary controls are passed, that the access is granted, providing a path to the requested resource. The access path to the resource is designed differently, depending on whether it’s a client or service-initiated software-defined perimeter solution.”
“Networking has gone through various transformations over the last decade. In essence, the network has become complex and hard to manage using traditional mechanisms. Now there is a significant need to design and integrate devices from multiple vendors and employ new technologies, such as virtualization and cloud services.
Therefore, every network is a unique snowflake. You will never come across two identical networks. The products offered by the vendors act as the building blocks for engineers to design solutions that work for them. If we all had a simple and predictable network, this would not be a problem. But there are no global references to follow and designs vary from organization to organization. These lead to network variation even while offering similar services.
It is estimated that over 60% of users consider their I.T environment to be more complex than it was 2 years ago. We can only assume that network complexity is going to increase in the future.”
We are living in a hyperconnected world where anything can now be pushed to the cloud. The idea of having content located in one place, which could be useful from the management’s perspective, is now redundant. Today, the users and data are omnipresent.
The customer’s expectations have up-surged because of this evolution. There is now an increased expectation of high-quality service and a decrease in customer’s patience. In the past, one could patiently wait 10 hours to download the content. But this is certainly not the scenario at the present time. Nowadays we have high expectations and high-performance requirements but on the other hand, there are concerns as well. The internet is a weird place, with unpredictable asymmetric patterns, buffer bloat and a list of other performance-related problems that I wrote about on Network Insight. [Disclaimer: the author is employed by Network Insight.]
Also, the internet is growing at an accelerated rate. By the year 2020, the internet is expected to reach 1.5 Gigabyte of traffic per day per person. In the coming times, the world of the Internet of Things (IoT) driven by objects will far supersede these data figures as well. For example, a connected airplane will generate around 5 Terabytes of data per day. This spiraling level of volume requires a new approach to data management and forces us to re-think how we delivery applications.”
“Deploying zero trust software-defined perimeter (SDP) architecture is not about completely replacing virtual private network (VPN) technologies and firewalls. By and large, the firewall demarcation points that mark the inside and outside are not going away anytime soon. The VPN concentrator will also have its position for the foreseeable future.
A rip and replace is a very aggressive deployment approach regardless of the age of technology. And while SDP is new, it should be approached with care when choosing the correct vendor. An SDP adoption should be a slow migration process as opposed to the once off rip and replace.
As I wrote about on Network Insight [Disclaimer: the author is employed by Network Insight], while SDP is a disruptive technology, after discussing with numerous SDP vendors, I have discovered that the current SDP landscape tends to be based on specific use cases and projects, as opposed to a technology that has to be implemented globally. To start with, you should be able to implement SDP for only certain user segments.”
“Networks were initially designed to create internal segments that were separated from the external world by using a fixed perimeter. The internal network was deemed trustworthy, whereas the external was considered hostile. However, this is still the foundation for most networking professionals even though a lot has changed since the inception of the design.
More often than not the fixed perimeter consists of a number of network and security appliances, thereby creating a service chained stack, resulting in appliance sprawl. Typically, the appliances that a user may need to pass to get to the internal LAN may vary. But generally, the stack would consist of global load balancers, external firewall, DDoS appliance, VPN concentrator, internal firewall and eventually LAN segments.
The perimeter approach based its design on visibility and accessibility. If an entity external to the network can’t see an internal resource, then access cannot be gained. As a result, external entities were blocked from coming in, yet internal entities were permitted to passage out. However, it worked only to a certain degree. Realistically, the fixed network perimeter will always be breachable; it’s just a matter of time. Someone with enough skill will eventually get through.”
“In recent years, a significant number of organizations have transformed their wide area network (WAN). Many of these organizations have some kind of cloud-presence across on-premise data centers and remote site locations.
The vast majority of organizations that I have consulted with have over 10 locations. And it is common to have headquarters in both the US and Europe, along with remote site locations spanning North America, Europe, and Asia.
A WAN transformation project requires this diversity to be taken into consideration when choosing the best SD-WAN vendor to satisfy both; networking and security requirements. Fundamentally, SD-WAN is not just about physical connectivity, there are many more related aspects.”
“As the cloud service providers and search engines started with the structuring process of their business, they quickly ran into the problems of managing the networking equipment. Ultimately, after a few rounds of getting the network vendors to understand their problems, these hyperscale network operators revolted.
Primarily, what the operators were looking for was a level of control in managing their network which the network vendors couldn’t offer. The revolution burned the path that introduced open networking, and network disaggregation to the work of networking. Let us first learn about disaggregation followed by open networking.”
“I recently shared my thoughts about the role of open source in networking. I discussed two significant technological changes that we have witnessed. I call them waves, and these waves will redefine how we think about networking and security.
The first wave signifies that networking is moving to the software so that it can run on commodity off-the-shelf hardware. The second wave is the use of open source technologies, thereby removing the barriers to entry for new product innovation and rapid market access. This is especially supported in the SD-WAN market rush.
Seemingly, we are beginning to see less investment in hardware unless there is a specific segment that needs to be resolved. But generally, software-based platforms are preferred as they bring many advantages. It is evident that there has been a technology shift. We have moved networking from hardware to software and this shift has positive effects for users, enterprises and service providers.”
“BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is considered the glue of the internet. If we view through the lens of farsightedness, however, there’s a question that still remains unanswered for the future. Will BGP have the ability to route on the best path versus the shortest path?
There are vendors offering performance-based solutions for BGP-based networks. They have adopted various practices, such as, sending out pings to monitor the network and then modifying the BGP attributes, such as the AS prepending to make BGP do the performance-based routing (PBR). However, this falls short in a number of ways.
The problem with BGP is that it’s not capacity or performance aware and therefore its decisions can sink the application’s performance. The attributes that BGP relies upon for path selection are, for example, AS-Path length and multi-exit discriminators (MEDs), which do not always correlate with the network’s performance.”
“The transformation to the digital age has introduced significant changes to the cloud and data center environments. This has compelled the organizations to innovate more quickly than ever before. This, however, brings with it both – the advantages and disadvantages.
The network and security need to keep up with this rapid pace of change. If you cannot match the speed of the digital age, then ultimately bad actors will become a hazard. Therefore, the organizations must move to a zero-trust environment: default deny, with least privilege access. In today’s evolving digital world this is the primary key to success.
Ideally, a comprehensive solution must provide protection across all platforms including legacy servers, VMs, services in public clouds, on-premise, off-premise, hosted, managed or self-managed. We are going to stay hybrid for a long time, therefore we need to equip our architecture with zero-trust.”
“With the introduction of cloud, BYOD, IoT, and virtual offices scattered around the globe, the traditional architectures not only hold us back in terms of productivity but also create security flaws that leave gaps for compromise.
The network and security architectures that are commonly deployed today are not fit for today’s digital world. They were designed for another time, a time of the past. This could sound daunting…and it indeed is.”
“The Internet was designed to connect things easily, but a lot has changed since its inception. Users now expect the internet to find the “what” (i.e., the content), but the current communication model is still focused on the “where.”
The Internet has evolved to be dominated by content distribution and retrieval. As a matter of fact, networking protocols still focus on the connection between hosts that surfaces many challenges.
The most obvious solution is to replace the “where” with the “what” and this is what Named Data Networking (NDN) proposes. NDN uses named content as opposed to host identifiers as its abstraction.”
“Today, connectivity to the Internet is easy; you simply get an Ethernet driver and hook up the TCP/IP protocol stack. Then dissimilar network types in remote locations can communicate with each other. However, before the introduction of the TCP/IP model, networks were manually connected but with the TCP/IP stack, the networks can connect themselves up, nice and easy. This eventually caused the Internet to explode, followed by the World Wide Web.
So far, TCP/IP has been a great success. It’s good at moving data and is both robust and scalable. It enables any node to talk to any other node by using a point-to-point communication channel with IP addresses as identifiers for the source and destination. Ideally, a network ships the data bits. You can either name the locations to ship the bits to or name the bits themselves. Today’s TCP/IP protocol architecture picked the first option. Let’s discuss the section option later in the article.
It essentially follows the communication model used by the circuit-switched telephone networks. We migrated from phone numbers to IP addresses and circuit-switching by packet-switching with datagram delivery. But the point-to-point, location-based model stayed the same. This made sense during the old times, but not in today’s times as the view of the world has changed considerably. Computing and communication technologies have advanced rapidly.”
“Technology is always evolving. However, in recent time, two significant changes have emerged in the world of networking. Firstly, the networking is moving to software that can run on commodity off-the-shelf hardware. Secondly, we are witnessing the introduction and use of many open source technologies, removing the barrier of entry for new product innovation and rapid market access.
Networking is the last bastion within IT to adopt the open source. Consequently, this has badly hit the networking industry in terms of the slow speed of innovation and high costs. Every other element of IT has seen radical technology and cost model changes over the past 10 years. However, IP networking has not changed much since the mid-’90s.
When I became aware of these trends, I decided to sit with Sorell Slaymaker to analyze the evolution and determine how it will inspire the market in the coming years.”
“Ideally, meeting the business objectives of speed, agility, and cost containment boil down to two architectural approaches: the legacy telco versus the cloud-based provider.
Today, the wide area network (WAN) is a vital enterprise resource. Its uptime, often targeting availability of 99.999%, is essential to maintain the productivity of employees and partners and also for maintaining the business’s competitive edge.
Historically, enterprises had two options for WAN management models — do it yourself (DIY) and a managed network service (MNS). Under the DIY model, the IT networking and security teams build the WAN by integrating multiple components including MPLS service providers, internet service providers (ISPs), edge routers, WAN optimizer, and firewalls.
The components are responsible for keeping that infrastructure current and optimized. They configure and adjust the network for changes, troubleshoot outages and ensure that the network is secure. Since this is not a trivial task, therefore many organizations have switched to an MNS. The enterprises outsource the buildout, configuration and on-going management often to a regional telco.”
“To undergo the transition from legacy to cloud-native application environments you need to employ zero trust.
Enterprises operating in the traditional monolithic environment may have strict organizational structures. As a result, the requirement for security may restrain them from transitioning to a hybrid or cloud-native application deployment model.
In spite of the obvious difficulties, the majority of enterprises want to take advantage of cloud-native capabilities. Today, most entities are considering or evaluating cloud-native to enhance their customer’s experience. In some cases, it is the ability to draw richer customer market analytics or to provide operational excellence.
Cloud-native is a key strategic agenda that allows customers to take advantage of many new capabilities and frameworks. It enables organizations to build and evolve going forward to gain an edge over their competitors.”
“Domain name system (DNS) over transport layer security (TLS) adds an extra layer of encryption, but in what way does it impact your IP network traffic? The additional layer of encryption indicates controlling what’s happening over the network is likely to become challenging.
Most noticeably it will prevent ISPs and enterprises from monitoring the user’s site activity and will also have negative implications for both; the wide area network (WAN) optimization and SD-WAN vendors.
During a recent call with Sorell Slaymaker, we rolled back in time and discussed how we got here, to a world that will soon be fully encrypted. We started with SSL1.0, which was the original version of HTTPS as opposed to the non-secure HTTP. As an aftermath of evolution, it had many security vulnerabilities. Consequently, we then evolved from SSL 1.1 to TLS 1.2.”
“Delivering global SD-WAN is very different from delivering local networks. Local networks offer complete control to the end-to-end design, enabling low-latency and predictable connections. There might still be blackouts and brownouts but you’re in control and can troubleshoot accordingly with appropriate visibility.
With global SD-WANs, though, managing the middle-mile/backbone performance and managing the last-mile are, well shall we say, more challenging. Most SD-WAN vendors don’t have control over these two segments, which affects application performance and service agility.
In particular, an issue that SD-WAN appliance vendors often overlook is the management of the last-mile. With multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), the provider assumes the responsibility, but this is no longer the case with SD-WAN. Getting the last-mile right is challenging for many global SD-WANs.”
“Today’s threat landscape consists of skilled, organized and well-funded bad actors. They have many goals including exfiltrating sensitive data for political or economic motives. To combat these multiple threats, the cybersecurity market is required to expand at an even greater rate.
The IT leaders must evolve their security framework if they want to stay ahead of the cyber threats. The evolution in security we are witnessing has a tilt towards the Zero-Trust model and the software-defined perimeter (SDP), also called a “Black Cloud”. The principle of its design is based on the need-to-know model.
The Zero-Trust model says that anyone attempting to access a resource must be authenticated and be authorized first. Users cannot connect to anything since unauthorized resources are invisible, left in the dark. For additional protection, the Zero-Trust model can be combined with machine learning (ML) to discover the risky user behavior. Besides, it can be applied for conditional access.”
“There are three types of applications; applications that manage the business, applications that run the business and miscellaneous apps.
A security breach or performance related issue for an application that runs the business would undoubtedly impact the top-line revenue. For example, an issue in a hotel booking system would directly affect the top-line revenue as opposed to an outage in Office 365.
It is a general assumption that cloud deployments would suffer from business-impacting performance issues due to the network. The objective is to have applications within 25ms (one-way) of the users who use them. However, too many network architectures backhaul the traffic to traverse from a private to the public internetwork.”
“Back in the early 2000s, I was the sole network engineer at a startup. By morning, my role included managing four floors and 22 European locations packed with different vendors and servers between three companies. In the evenings, I administered the largest enterprise streaming networking in Europe with a group of highly skilled staff.
Since we were an early startup, combined roles were the norm. I’m sure that most of you who joined as young engineers in such situations could understand how I felt back then. However, it was a good experience, so I battled through it. To keep my evening’s stress-free and without any IT calls, I had to design in as much high-availability (HA) as I possibly could. After all, all the interesting technological learning was in the second part of my day working with content delivery mechanisms and complex routing. All of which came back to me when I read a recent post on Cato network’s self-healing SD-WAN for global enterprises networks.
Cato is enriching the self-healing capabilities of Cato Cloud. Rather than the enterprise having the skill and knowledge to think about every type of failure in an HA design, the Cato Cloud now heals itself end-to-end, ensuring service continuity.”
While computing, storage, and programming have dramatically changed and become simpler and cheaper over the last 20 years, however, IP networking has not. IP networking is still stuck in the era of mid-1990s.
Realistically, when I look at ways to upgrade or improve a network, the approach falls into two separate buckets. One is the tactical move and the other is strategic. For example, when I look at IPv6, I see this as a tactical move. There aren’t many business value-adds.
In fact, there are opposites such as additional overheads and minimal internetworking QoS between IPv4 & v6 with zero application awareness and still a lack of security. Here, I do not intend to say that one should not upgrade to IPv6, it does give you more IP addresses (if you need them) and better multicast capabilities but it’s a tactical move.
It was about 20 years ago when I plugged my first Ethernet cable into a switch. It was for our new chief executive officer. Little did she know that she was about to share her traffic with most others on the first floor. At that time being a network engineer, I had five floors to be looked after.
Having a few virtual LANs (VLANs) per floor was a common design practice in those traditional days. Essentially, a couple of broadcast domains per floor were deemed OK. With the VLAN-based approach, we used to give access to different people on the same subnet. Even though people worked at different levels but if in the same subnet, they were all treated the same.
The web application firewall (WAF) issue didn’t seem to me as a big deal until I actually started to dig deeper into the ongoing discussion in this field. It generally seems that vendors are trying to convince customers and themselves that everything is going smooth and that there is not a problem. In reality, however, customers don’t buy it anymore and the WAF industry is under a major pressure as constantly failing on the customer quality perspective.
There have also been red flags raised from the use of the runtime application self-protection (RASP) technology. There is now a trend to enter the mitigation/defense side into the application and compile it within the code. It is considered that the runtime application self-protection is a shortcut to securing software that is also compounded by performance problems. It seems to be a desperate solution to replace the WAFs, as no one really likes to mix its “security appliance” inside the application code, which is exactly what the RASP vendors are currently offering to their customers. However, some vendors are adopting the RASP technology.
“John Kindervag, a former analyst from Forrester Research, was the first to introduce the Zero-Trust model back in 2010. The focus then was more on the application layer. However, once I heard that Sorell Slaymaker from Techvision Research was pushing the topic at the network level, I couldn’t resist giving him a call to discuss the generals on Zero Trust Networking (ZTN). During the conversation, he shone a light on numerous known and unknown facts about Zero Trust Networking that could prove useful to anyone.
The traditional world of networking started with static domains. The classical network model divided clients and users into two groups – trusted and untrusted. The trusted are those inside the internal network, the untrusted are external to the network, which could be either mobile users or partner networks. To recast the untrusted to become trusted, one would typically use a virtual private network (VPN) to access the internal network.”
“Over the last few years, I have been sprawled in so many technologies that I have forgotten where my roots began in the world of the data center. Therefore, I decided to delve deeper into what’s prevalent and headed straight to Ivan Pepelnjak’s Ethernet VPN (EVPN) webinar hosted by Dinesh Dutt. I knew of the distinguished Dinesh since he was the chief scientist at Cumulus Networks, and for me, he is a leader in this field. Before reading his book on EVPN, I decided to give Dinesh a call to exchange our views about the beginning of EVPN. We talked about the practicalities and limitations of the data center. Here is an excerpt from our discussion.”
“If you still live in a world of the script-driven approach for both service provider and enterprise networks, you are going to reach limits. There is only so far you can go alone. It creates a gap that lacks modeling and database at a higher layer. Production-grade service provider and enterprise networks require a production-grade automation framework.
In today’s environment, the network infrastructure acts as the core centerpiece, providing critical connection points. Over time, the role of infrastructure has expanded substantially. In the present day, it largely influences the critical business functions for both the service provider and enterprise environments”
“At the present time, there is a remarkable trend for application modularization that splits the large hard-to-change monolith into a focused microservices cloud-native architecture. The monolith keeps much of the state in memory and replicates between the instances, which makes them hard to split and scale. Scaling up can be expensive and scaling out requires replicating the state and the entire application, rather than the parts that need to be replicated.
In comparison to microservices, which provide separation of the logic from the state, the separation enables the application to be broken apart into a number of smaller more manageable units, making them easier to scale. Therefore, a microservices environment consists of multiple services communicating with each other. All the communication between services is initiated and carried out with network calls, and services exposed via application programming interfaces (APIs). Each service comes with its own purpose that serves a unique business value.”
“When I stepped into the field of networking, everything was static and security was based on perimeter-level firewalling. It was common to have two perimeter-based firewalls; internal and external to the wide area network (WAN). Such layout was good enough in those days.
I remember the time when connected devices were corporate-owned. Everything was hard-wired and I used to define the access control policies on a port-by-port and VLAN-by-VLAN basis. There were numerous manual end-to-end policy configurations, which were not only time consuming but also error-prone.
There was a complete lack of visibility and global policy throughout the network and every morning, I relied on the multi-router traffic Grapher (MRTG) to manual inspect the traffic spikes indicating variations from baselines. Once something was plugged in, it was “there for life”. Have you ever heard of the 20-year-old PC that no one knows where it is but it still replies to ping? In contrast, we now live in an entirely different world. The perimeter has dissolved, resulting in perimeter-level firewalling alone to be insufficient.”
“Recently, I was reading a blog post by Ivan Pepelnjak on intent-based networking. He discusses that the definition of intent is “a usually clearly formulated or planned intention” and the word “intention” is defined as ’what one intends to do or bring about.” I started to ponder over his submission that the definition is confusing as there are many variations.
To guide my understanding, I decided to delve deeper into the building blocks of intent-based networking, which led me to a variety of closed-loop automation solutions. After extensive research, my view is that closed-loop automation is a prerequisite for intent-based networking. Keeping in mind the current requirements, it’s a solution that the businesses can deploy.
Now that I have examined different vendors, I would recommend gazing from a bird’s eye view, to make sure the solution overcomes today’s business and technical challenges. The outputs should drive a future-proof solution”
“What keeps me awake at night is the thought of artificial intelligence lying in wait in the hands of bad actors. Artificial intelligence combined with the powers of IoT-based attacks will create an environment tapped for mayhem. It is easy to write about, but it is hard for security professionals to combat. AI has more force, severity, and fatality which can change the face of a network and application in seconds.
When I think of the capabilities artificial intelligence has in the world of cybersecurity I know that unless we prepare well we will be like Bambi walking in the woods. The time is now to prepare for the unknown. Security professionals must examine the classical defense mechanisms in place to determine if they can withstand an attack based on artificial intelligence.”
“When I began my journey in 2015 with SD-WAN, the implementation requirements were different to what they are today. Initially, I deployed pilot sites for internal reachability. This was not a design flaw, but a solution requirement set by the options available to SD-WAN at that time. The initial requirement when designing SD-WAN was to replace multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and connect the internal resources together.
Our projects gained the benefits of SD-WAN deployments. It certainly added value, but there were compelling constraints. In particular, we were limited to internal resources and users, yet our architecture consisted of remote partners and mobile workers. The real challenge for SD-WAN vendors is not solely to satisfy internal reachability. The wide area network (WAN) must support a range of different entities that require network access from multiple locations.”
“Applications have become a key driver of revenue, rather than their previous role as merely a tool to support the business process. What acts as the heart for all applications is the network providing the connection points. Due to the new, critical importance of the application layer, IT professionals are looking for ways to improve the architecture of their network.
A new era of campus network design is required, one that enforces policy-based automation from the edge of the network to public and private clouds using an intent-based paradigm.
SD-Access is an example of an intent-based network within the campus. It is broken down into three major elements
- Control-Plane based on Locator/ID separation protocol (LISP),
- Data-Plane based on Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) and
- Policy-Plane based on Cisco TrustSec.”
“When it comes to technology, nothing is static, everything is evolving. Either we keep inventing mechanisms that dig out new security holes, or we are forced to implement existing kludges to cover up the inadequacies in security on which our web applications depend.
The assault on the changing digital landscape with all its new requirements has created a black hole that needs attention. The shift in technology, while creating opportunities, has a bias to create security threats. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, these trends will continue to escalate, putting web application security at center stage.
Business relies on web applications. Loss of service to business-focused web applications not only affects the brand but also results in financial loss. The web application acts as the front door to valuable assets. If you don’t efficiently lock the door or at least know when it has been opened, valuable revenue-generating web applications are left compromised.”
“When I started my journey in the technology sector back in the early 2000’s the world of networking comprised of simple structures. I remember configuring several standard branch sites that would connect to a central headquarters. There was only a handful of remote warriors who were assigned, and usually just a few high-ranking officials.
As the dependence on networking increased, so did the complexity of network designs. The standard single site became dual-based with redundant connectivity to different providers, advanced failover techniques, and high-availability designs became the norm. The number of remote workers increased, and eventually, security holes began to open in my network design.
Unfortunately, the advances in network connectivity were not in conjunction with appropriate advances in security, forcing everyone back to the drawing board. Without adequate security, the network connectivity that is left to defaults is completely insecure and is unable to validate the source or secure individual packets. If you can’t trust the network, you have to somehow secure it. We secured connections over unsecured mediums, which led to the implementation of IPSec-based VPNs along with all their complex baggage.”
“Over the years, we have embraced new technologies to find improved ways to build systems. As a result, today’s infrastructures have undergone significant evolution. To keep pace with the arrival of new technologies, legacy is often combined with the new, but they do not always mesh well. Such a fusion between ultra-modern and conventional has created drag in the overall solution, thereby, spawning tension between past and future in how things are secured.
The multi-tenant shared infrastructure of the cloud, container technologies like Docker and Kubernetes, and new architectures like microservices and serverless, while technically remarkable, increasing complexity. Complexity is the number one enemy of security. Therefore, to be effectively aligned with the adoption of these technologies, a new approach to security is required that does not depend on shifting infrastructure as the control point.”
“Throughout my early years as a consultant, when asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) was the rage and multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) was still at the outset, I handled numerous roles as a network architect alongside various carriers. During that period, I experienced first-hand problems that the new technologies posed to them.
The lack of true end-to-end automation made our daily tasks run into the night. Bespoke network designs due to the shortfall of appropriate documentation resulted in one that person knows all. The provisioning teams never fully understood the design. The copy-and-paste implementation approach is error-prone, leaving teams blindfolded when something went wrong.
Designs were stitched together and with so much variation, that limited troubleshooting to a personalized approach. That previous experience surfaced in mind when I heard about carriers delivering SD-WAN services. I started to question if they could have made the adequate changes to provide such an agile service.”


This job posting is not for madewithlove but for one of our clients whom we consciously chose to work with:
Phished is the frontrunner in the field of smart cyber awareness solutions. Founded in 2018, the company has grown significantly within the last two years by offering organizations the most thorough and intelligent training software to ensure an optimal contribution to a safer internet. By linking a fully automated solution to personalized and realistic simulations of cyber-attacks, Phished teaches employees to deal with real online dangers in a correct manner. They aim to be the most trusted partner for businesses regarding their employees and employees in their homes.
In three years' time, Phished managed to phish users from all over the world… and to train them simultaneously. To support the company's rapid growth even further, madewithlove is helping them to grow their backend team in 2024.
As a PHP developer, you will join a motivated team responsible for further developing the software platform.
You will be involved in building and rolling out new features according to the (product and technical) roadmap.
You'll prepare the platform to open up for more and bigger customers by improving its performance and scalability.
As you will be part of a growing team, you will be able (and we expect you) to make your mark on both the development processes and the team's future.
You are a team player who likes sharing knowledge and experiences with your colleagues.
You are interested in a long-term commitment and want to grow with the company that you are joining.
You are a self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset who loves to take initiative.
You are flexible and able to adjust to the fast-changing environment of a scale-up.
You have a keen interest in cyber security and data protection.
You can communicate efficiently within the team and do not hesitate to reach out to your colleagues if necessary - even when you are not in the same location.
You already have several years of experience as a PHP developer and extensive hands-on experience with Laravel.
You have worked with MySQL and Redis.
You have experience building RESTful APIs.
You are keen on quality assurance and automatic testing.
Version control (e.g. Git) is something you can't do without.
You are fluent in English and able to express yourself efficiently.
Experience with Google Cloud Platform or similar cloud platforms
Interest in cybersecurity-related technologies such as envelope encryption, advanced data encryption, and identity server
Understanding of scalability and performance in the context of a database-driven platform
Interest in further exploring Frontend development
To be considered for this role, you must live within the time zones CET +/-3h. Our client wants you to have sufficient overlap with the rest of the team without having to work at night. Please verify your time difference before applying.
Onboarding: you will be introduced to the codebase by a senior team member who will also be your go-to person and help you integrate into the team.
A competitive salary and a very attractive package of tailored benefits such as mobility budget or company car, insurance, internet and mobile subscription, hardware, home working allowance, housing package (as an employee) OR a competitive freelancer rate.
A personalized roadmap for growth and development, including an attractive training budget.
26+ days of paid vacation (available for employees in Belgium, France, and the UK).
The flexibility to work from home as much as you like or in one of the existing offices in Leuven (BE), Paris (FR), or London (UK).
A modern team culture with flat hierarchies, transparency, open communication and direct feedback.
We specifically encourage underrepresented groups to apply. We believe in the strengths of well-balanced and mixed teams. The team is composed of 15 different nationalities. We hope to attract a broader audience regarding gender, religion, race, age, disability, linguistic differences, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. Also, both extroverts and introverts are equally appreciated for this role.


The political game in Georgia is more dynamic than ever. From local elected officials to state and federal government, we're facing complicated issues. On "Political Rewind" we take the time to break down these issues, speaking directly to the decision makers. We not only get you caught up on the week that was in state politics, but we look ahead so that you will stay informed.
Political Rewind: Safety Precautions, Risk Assessment As COVID-19 Cases Rise Ahead Of Holiday Season
Wednesday on Political Rewind: The coronavirus epidemic has uprooted many of the norms of daily life, and that will continue to be true through the holiday season. Yesterday, Gov. Brian Kemp urged Georgians to consider alternative virtual Thanksgiving gatherings in order to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. Georgia is faring better than other states at the moment, yet the rate of new infections continues to rise. Last week, an average of over 2,500 Georgians reported new COVID-19 infections each day.
The White House Coronavirus Task Force issued an advisory to Georgia, warning the state is “in the early stages of a full resurgence” and has urged state leaders to take aggressive new steps now to tamp down the virus before it spirals out of control.
Gov. Kemp did not issue new restrictions or mask mandates, describing new data as a “bump” and not a "spike."
Political Rewind: Political Spending Surges To New Heights Ahead Of Georgia Senate Runoffs
Tuesday on Political Rewind: Spending on Georgia’s two U.S. Senate runoff elections is reaching mind-boggling heights.
So far, $257 million has been committed or spent for television, radio and digital ads in the races. According to media expert Rick Dent, more than $32 million of ads were broadcasted by the four campaigns in the past week alone, and the spending spree will continue during the six weeks until runoff election day.
Meanwhile, there are growing concerns among Georgia Republicans that could hobble the party’s organizing efforts, especially in the lead up to the runoffs for the state’s two Senate seats. Top GOP officials, including President Donald Trump, alluded to election malfeasance by Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger following November’s presidential victory for Democrat Joe Biden. Republicans are worried that these assertions could undermine Republican candidates' chances to win and could lead to a party at war with itself.
Our panelists included: Dr. Amy Steigerwalt, Professor of Political Science at Georgia State University; Dr. Andra Gillespie, Professor of Political Science at Emory University; Rick Dent, Georgia media consultant; and Tamar Hallerman — Senior Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Political Rewind: Former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn Talks His Legacy, Current Political Partisanship
Monday on Political Rewind: We speak with a giant of Georgia politics — former United States Sen. Sam Nunn.
During his 24-year tenure, Nunn became the Senate’s most important voice on the U.S. military and a leader in debates on foreign affairs. In the years since he left the Senate, Nunn continued his groundbreaking work to rid the world of the threat of nuclear destruction.
We will discuss Nunn’s career and ask him about how the Senate has devolved from an important deliberative body into a toxic partisan stew. What are the statemen’s thoughts on President Donald Trump and his efforts to forestall the outcome of the presidential election?
Nunn finds Trump's refusal to transition President-elect Joe Biden into the White House "breathtaking."
"You don't have to concede to have a transition. President Trump can keep on fighting, you can keep on going to court, that's fine," he said. "But for goodness sake, he needs to step up and put his county first."
Sam Nunn — Former U.S. Senator
Jim Galloway — Lead Political Writer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Patricia Murphy — Political Writer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Political Rewind: Brad Raffensperger Addresses Election 'Doubts,' Responds To Biden Win In Georgia
Friday on Political Rewind: The extraordinary hand recount of some 5 million presidential ballots has confirmed that Joe Biden won Georgia and won its 16 electoral votes. Biden becomes the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia since 1992.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who certified the election results today, joins our panel.
Meanwhile, a federal judge in Atlanta has rejected a request from Trump supporters to bar state officials from certifying the Biden victory. Judge Steven Grimberg, a Trump appointee, said he found no evidence to back the claims that procedural irregularities had more than a nominal impact on the election outcome.
At a press conference Friday morning, Raffensperger said he believes the hand recount accurately calls Biden as the state's winner.
"I live by the motto, 'Numbers don’t lie,'" he said.
Brad Raffensperger — Georgia Secretary of State
Caesar Mitchell — Former President, Atlanta City Council
Jim Galloway — Lead Political Writer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Karen Owen — Political Science Professor, University of West Georgia
Political Rewind: Republican Party Faces Internal Struggle Leading Into Senate Runoff Elections
Thursday on Political Rewind: President-elect Joe Biden has maintained his lead over President Donald Trump in Georgia after the state’s ambitious hand recount of some 5 million ballots. But the process did discover counting errors in several counties that added more than 1,000 votes to the Trump column.
Meanwhile, even while the president and many loyalists here in Georgia and across the country continue to claim that the election was stolen, many Republicans are beginning to contemplate how their party will regroup in the aftermath of the Trump presidency.
We’ll look at the disputed election, how it may impact the senate runoffs and the future of the Republican Party with expert political officials in Georgia.
Our panelists included: Rusty Paul, mayor of Sandy Springs and former state Republican Party chairman; Sam Olens, former State Attorney General; Saxby Chambliss, former U.S Senator; and Kevin Riley, editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Political Rewind: Counties Wrap Up Final Tallies As Statewide Election Audit Approaches Deadline
Wednesday on Political Rewind: Counties have until midnight to finish their audits of ballots cast in the November presidential election. No evidence of election fraud has been found.
The audit revealed memory cards from voting machines in two counties were not properly uploaded. The votes were added to the final tally. After accounting for those ballots, Biden’s lead dropped to about 13,000 votes. The Secretary of State’s office said the post-election process catching mistakes was a normal step in certifying results not a sign of wrongdoing.
Long before Republican senators began publicly denouncing how Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger handled the voting there, he withstood pressure from the campaign of Donald Trump to endorse the president for reelection.
Our panel of experts break down the latest in Georgia's election races.
Our panelists included: Eric Tanenblatt, Republican strategist; Greg Bluestein, Politics Reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Riley Bunch — Georgia Statehouse Reporter at CNHI News; and Teri Anulewicz, State Representative (D-Smyrna).
Customer ReviewsSee All
Staying in the Know about all things Georgia
Faithful listener. Love the balanced mix of views. This amazing daily podcast is my go to for staying in the know about all things Georgia.
Wish the daily subject titles were available like they were a few weeks ago. Something changed and I don’t like seeing just a date in the Title. Please fix this so we know what the daily topic is.
Nothing is more important than being informed!
I moved to the ATL-metro area two years ago, and as soon as my tires hit the GA blacktop I wanted to find a way to stay informed, from a balanced medium, about the state of affairs in my new home. POLITICAL REWIND is exactly that.
Thank you to the host, rotating panelists, and Techs behind-the-mics, for giving us Georgians a respectful, productive, and introspective voice to listen to!
I'm addicted to this podcast. So informative and civil. Thank you.


Here's a wonderful story to follow up on some of the sad news about which I've been writing. We've just learned that a captive male Asian elephant named Koshik can imitate human speech using his trunk (see also). Koshik "has learnt to imitate human speech and can say five words in Korean: hello, no, sit down, lie down and good. The zoo animal places the tip of his trunk into his mouth to transform his natural low rumble into a convincing impression of a human voice." Koshik can also imitate the pitch and timbre of human speech.
The story of Koshik's amazing linguistic abilities follow up on a story of a beluga whale named Noc who can also imitate human speech.
Please stay tuned for more on surprises in fascinating lives of the animal with whom we share Earth.
The teaser image can be found here.


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The African National Congress (ANC) in the Nelson Mandela Bay region in the Eastern Cape says the party is struggling to make sense of the murder of Councillor Mzwandile Booi.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Ward 20 councillor was shot dead in his car in Gqeberha while driving home on Sunday night.
Chairperson of the region, Babalwa Lobishe, says they are appealing to the community to come forward with information to help solve the murder.
“So, it can’t be that the same people that have just been voted in are at risk among the same people that have put them in those positions. So, we are appealing to our communities to protect our councillors and support them throughout their tenure,” adds Lobishe.
Earlier, the ANC in the province expressed shock at the attempted murder of its Ward 42 branch leader, Mazwi Mini.
The ANC says in a statement it is aware that a threat was made against Mini during a branch meeting a week ago, warning him about his behaviour and preference in the run-up to the provincial conference.
ANC Provincial Secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi has urged ANC members to prevent rogue and criminal elements from hijacking party processes.
Two shots were fired into Mini’s house in Kwanobuhle on Saturday night, wounding him in the jaw.
Regional Spokesperson of the ANC, Lukhanyo Mzinzi, says they don’t want to speculate on the motive of the shooting.
“We want to allow space to the police to investigate. We don’t want to predict an outcome. We are surprised. We note this with a very fine eye. We recently went to a congress and there was no violence – a congress that was highly contested but there was no violence. We want to denounce this [violence],” says Mzinzi.

domain: sociology


Posted: Friday Oct 12, 2007 By: Swellinfo Category: Swellinfo
Brendan Newton describes his inspirational story of discovery
A must see video, whether you are a bodyboarder or not. This is a truly inspiring story of a crew that went out to discover new waves on the offshore reefs of Australia. Brendan Newton, describes his prophetic vision of this wave, and his faith that comforted him from a devastating wipe out 14 kilometers out to see. Awesome - Check it!
This is the wave where Brendan and the reef became intimate (1 of 1)


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Led Zeppelin's self-tltled first album, now known as Led Zeppelin I, contains the hit songs "Communication Breakdown" and "Dazed and Confused" and spawned the band's seemingly overnight success. Drawing from more than 30 years of documentation, interviews, and recorded footage, this bass TAB book delivers unprecedented accuracy. Titles: Good Times Bad Times * Babe I'm Gonna Leave You * You Shook M...
Series: Alfred's Platinum Album Editions
Paperback: 64 pages
Publisher: Alfred Music (July 1, 2007)
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 0.2 x 11.8 inches
Amazon Rank: 2513249
Format: PDF ePub TXT book
Download Link Mirror
It all starts when the mayor,Hal Jenkins, of Durango, Colorado, makes some bad decisions because he got into trouble gambling in Vegas. Learn the price of immortality and the meaning of loss, and discover the power of love, humour and friendship in these 17 tales of magic and wonder. Download ebook Led Zeppelin -- I Platinum Bass Guitar: Authentic Bass Tab (Alfred's Platinum Album Editions) Pdf Epub. Girl skis and boy snowboards. Because of that I will always have a soft spot for Robin Hood books, especially ones where the girls are not just love interests but part of the band. These series are wonderful for my 9year old son. This lesson plan for Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave features an in-depth introductory lecture, discussion questions, vocabulary lists, chapter-by-chapter study questions, a multiple-choice test, and essay questions. I heard about this book when I heard her interview NPR and then I saw her in the paper. ISBN-10 0739095617 Pdf Epub. ISBN-13 978-0739095
Same tablature Alfred Music has been selling over the years, just in a new package. If you are new to bass playing, this will get you in the ball park, but it is by no means note for note, in fact some of JPJ's bass lines are substituted with phrasin...
This one is my second favorite. This should be in all libraries and in all railroad museums. I found this much less compelling than Middlemarch, and horribly slow. I thought I had ordered the book, Huckleberry Finn in Spanish. (p19) At two and a half years of age, the dreaded diagnosis "autism" hit the Weis family like a Mack truck. I honestly never thought that I'd find a story about a chess match so exciting and compelling.
- Led Zeppelin -- I Platinum Bass Guitar: Authentic Bass TAB (Alfred's Platinum Album Editions) epub
- Download Led Zeppelin -- I Platinum Bass Guitar: Authentic Bass TAB (Alfred's Platinum Album Editions) pdf
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- 0739095617 pdf
- Download Led Zeppelin pdf
- Download Led Zeppelin ebooks
- Download pdf books
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Ok, I read the first book A Code of Love and was not impressed. But past experience has taught me no...
Why Marilyn Pappano isn't a New York Times bestselling author is a mystery to me and her latest rele...
Having followed Kate Hill on FB and Instragram for the past 3 years, the book was exactly what I exp...

domain: library


text:
NxStage Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTM) got some more good news out of Wall Street, as investment bank JP Morgan Chase & Co upgraded shares of the Lawrence, Mass.-based dialysis maker.
The ratings upgrade, which comes on the heels of a similarly upbeat note from I-bank Leerink Swann on Wednesday, is good news for a company that has seen its stock pummeled on The Street over the past month. Shares of NXTM stock, which closed at $17.85 on June 9, have dropped by 27 percent since the company reported its first quarter earnings in May. NxStage’s stock is off more than 32 percent from a high water mark of $26.37 in late January.
In a note to investors, JP Morgan said it was upgrading NXTM shares from neutral to overweight with a target price of $26 per share. The bank based its upgrade on its internal surveys that suggest a 30 percent growth in the home hemodialysis market and the “potential for clarification of the Medicare home reimbursement process in the next 24 months (and possibly as early as this summer), improving access.”
In addition, the investment bank said that investor “concerns that a key customer [Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Inc. (NYSE:FMS] is restricting the number of patients it will support on home hemodialysis” have been overdone.
The bullish rating had a positive effect on The Street, as shares of NXTM are up 2.4 percent in early morning trading.
On June 8, Leerink Swann’s Danielle Antalffy said that the company was poised to take a $1 billion bite out of the dialysis market as it drives its share from 1 percent of dialysis patients into double-digit range.
The latest roller coaster ride for NXTM shares began in early May, when despite beating The Street’s expectations and posting record first-quarter revenues, NxStage shares dived nearly 14 percent the day it released its Q1 numbers.
NxStage reported losses of $6.0 million on sales of $50.6 million during the three months ended March 31. That compares with net earnings of $9.0 million, or 19 cents per diluted share, on sales of $40.4 million during the same period last year.
The top-line boost was attributed to sales of the in-home version of the company’s System One hemodialysis system, which increased almost 37 percent from $19.0 million in 2010 to $26.0 million in 2011, and the Total System One, which had a sales increase of more than 33 percent from $25.1 million to $33.5 million.

domain: news


The Chatillon DFS II Series digital force gage from Ametek (Largo, FL) comes with ForceTest 2.0, a Windows 10-based version of the company’s measurement software that ensures tension, compression, torque, peel and friction tests are simple to set up and results are accurate and easy to read.
Step-by-step wizard-driven menus guide the operator through creating test programs while indicating progress achieved. Basic force measurement such as tensile and compression test formats – including pull to break, pull to limit, compress to rupture, and compress to limit – are performed by clicking a few buttons. The graph can be viewed in real time on the screen while the test is running. Upper and lower limits may be set as control limits and captured in test reports.
To reduce setup time, the software accommodates the most commonly used test types. Once created, a template allows the operator to auto-load the last test performed and to open previously saved tests for use as a template for new tests.
A multitude of formats allows results to be analyzed according to need. Results can be exported as PDF, Word, RTF, Image, CSV. Text, XLS, XLSX, HTML, and MHT files. Graphs and test results can be exported in the same formats. Custom test report templates are available, and the reports can easily be dropped into local or networked directories.
Custom chart colors can easily be set for viewing. Units of measure, fonts, titles, and force measurement resolution can also be customized.
The compact DFS II can be mounted to a TCM motorized test stand to perform testing at the end of a production line and transfer the results to a PC.
It also may be equipped with load cells or smart remote sensors for load measurement or torque measurement. The high-resolution LCD display supports standard gage functions including normal and peak readings, high/low limits, set points, pass/fail results, statistical results, load averaging, load comparisons, % and sharp break detection, load cell actuation, and direction. Measurement accuracy is better than 0.1% full scale in integral load cell or dedicated remote models.
Hexagon and Authentise Partner On End-To-End AM Software Solution
The first-of-its-kind solution will integrate shop floor data with data intelligence to orchestrate consistent quality from concept to part. Statistical process control combined with machine learning and artificial intelligence methods will mitigate waste and quality issues during design while improving AM repeatability.
Report: Industry Accelerating Past Recovery, Toward Digital Future
Fictiv’s 2021 State of Manufacturing Report finds manufacturing leaders focused on resilience, sustainability, and speed through digital transformation. But concerns about supply chain and workforce grow.
Beckwood to Manufacture Two Custom Hydraulic Presses for WHK BioSystems
A 110-ton 4-post compression molding machine will be used for R&D, and a 1650-ton compression molding press will be used in the production of UHMW sheets – the demand for which is rising in medical, aerospace, and defense sectors.


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These colour in Nativity Stick Puppets are a great way for children to creatively explore the Christmas Story. Not only do they offer the opportunity to explore key characters, but also encourage imaginative play, language skills & so much more.
What I love about these Puppets is that they allow children of all ages to immerse themselves in the wonder of the Christmas Story, & retell the narrative in their own words.
This set of Nativity Story Puppets is designed in b/w on two A4 pages.
Page 1 features the key Nativity figures: Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, Angel, Shepherd, 3 Kings, Donkey, Sheep, Star.
Page 2 features ‘extras’ including a camel & stable, as well as extra shepherds, angels & sheep.
So, if you just want a classic Nativity set, then you only need to print off one sheet of paper!
How to make the puppets You’ll need:Our Free Printable Nativity Stick Puppets (for best results print on white cardstock)Jumbo lolly sticks Colouring pens or pencilsScissorsSticky tape
To make:Print out the Nativity Puppets, colour them in, & cut them out. Then simply stick onto a lolly stick & your puppets are ready to share their story!
Ideas for how to use your Nativity Stick Puppets :: Invite children to create a Nativity Puppet Show:: Use the puppets to sequence key events in the story:: Explore different characters emotions :: Read a Nativity storybook with the puppets :: Leave the puppets with a variety of Christmas Storybooks to be discovered:: Add the puppets to a tuff tray along with some scenery/props.:: Play a Nativity version of ‘hide & seek’ by hiding the puppets around your setting:: Add them to a toy stable (or cardboard box) ready for some open-ended play:: Take them outside to be explored
For more Nativity ideas, take a look here: Nativity Crafts & Activities for Children.

domain: design


FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky state veterinarian’s office has the yeoman’s responsibility to regulate and manage the importation of an estimated 800 horses representing 62 countries that are scheduled to participate in the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Sept. 25 – Oct. 10 at the Kentucky Horse Park.
“The World Equestrian Games are far greater in size and scope than anything the state veterinarian’s office has managed before,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. “However, the staff of the state veterinarian’s office has vast experience in equine health and works several large-scale and high-profile events every year. These equine athletes couldn’t be in better hands.”
“The state veterinarian’s office is committed to providing a healthy environment for the horses that will come to Kentucky to compete in the Games,” State Veterinarian Robert C. Stout said.
Five equine inspectors currently conduct inspections at the Kentucky Horse Park, averaging 130 inspection hours per week, said E. S. “Rusty” Ford, who manages the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Equine Program. The Office of the State Veterinarian (OSV) is working to ensure that the park’s resident equines meet the health requirements of the equestrian sport’s governing body, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).
On Sept. 16, the largest airlift of horses to a single event in history will begin arriving in the U.S. Three-quarters of the horses will land at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The horses will spend their first 42 hours in Kentucky in stalls inside the barns at the recently constructed Northern Kentucky Temporary Quarantine.
Other horses will be quarantined at the Miami Animal Import Center and Los Angeles International Airport. Horses from North America will be transported to the park by truck.
Any imported horse presenting evidence or suspicion of illness will be held in quarantine and not permitted to travel to the park until the concern is resolved.
Prior to entering the park, all horses will be required to pass a KDA inspection and have their health status verified in order to be admitted to the stable area. All horses on the park grounds will be continuously monitored and evaluated daily by KDA, FEI and World Equestrian Games personnel.
Planning and preparation to make Kentucky a viable option began long before Kentucky was selected to host the 2010 Games.
“There was work that had to be done before Kentucky could even bid for the Games,” Ford said. “When you’re allowing horses from all over world to be imported to Kentucky, you have to mitigate all potential risks. And we’re confident that we’ve done that.”
The OSV’s goals are to provide a safe and healthy environment for the horses coming to the Games and prepare to detect early, respond to and resolve any potential disease threat.
An agency of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the Office of the State Veterinarian is responsible for preparing for, detecting and responding to potential illnesses and mitigating risk of disease transmission.
“We look forward to welcoming competitors and visitors from around the world to the World Equestrian Games this fall,” Commissioner Farmer said.
Office of the State Veterinarian
Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Kentucky Horse Park Foundation
4089 Iron Works Pkwy Lexington, KY 40511-8400 USA


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The 2010 Pritzker Architecture Prize has been awarded to the Japanese architecture duo of Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, who lead the firm SANAA. They join Kenzo Tange, Fumihiko Maki, and Tadao Ando as Japanese practitioners who have become Pritzker laureates. Best known to American observers are the pair's 2006 Glass Pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art, in Ohio, and the 2007 New Museum of Contemporary Art, in New York.
Sejima (born in 1956) and Nishizawa (born in 1966) are among the youngest winners of the award—although their built body of work around the world is larger than some previous winners at the time of the award. SANAA's work is generally clear, simple, and refined. The Glass Pavilion in Toledo sits in a park setting and makes earlier iconic glass structures by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson look downright heavy. The New Museum shakes up the boxlike form of lower Manhattan's buildings by expressing each gallery as a discrete form that becomes a poetic assemblage legible to every pedestrian.
This is only the second time that architectural partners have received the prize; the first were 2001 laureates Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. Speculation at the time was that multiple winners might become the norm, as architectural practice evolved into more-collaborative ventures. The gap of nine years leaves that trend possible, but hardly a certainty.
Two American institutions have proved prescient in their choice of future laureates. The Toledo Museum of Art hired both Frank Gehry (the 1989 Prizker Prize winner) and SANAA for projects in advance of their honors. The Illinois Institute of Technology held a 1997 competition for a new campus center—which resulted in future laureate Rem Koolhaas' (2000) first American building. The also-rans in that competition included Zaha Hadid (2004) and SANAA.
The award—$100,000 and bronze medallions—will be formally presented to Sejima and Nishizawa on May 17 at New York's Ellis Island.

domain: artistic


The entertainment industry responded with sadness as word spread of the death of actress Annie Wersching, 45, following a private battle with cancer. Wersching worked with and befriended a wide range of industry colleagues during a career that included the popular TV series, “24,” “Timeless,” “The Rookie” and “Star Trek: Picard.” Hallmark Channel stars Erin Cahill, Julie Gonzalo and Roger Cross expressed their heartbreak over Wersching’s death on social media and shared a fundraiser for the young children she left behind.
Family & Friends Remember Annie Wersching as an ‘Incredible’ Person
Wersching died the morning of January 29, 2023, according to Deadline. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 but kept her illness private and continued to film season two of “Star Trek: Picard,” playing the Borg queen, and “The Rookie.”
Her husband, actor Stephen Full, released a statement to Deadline about his wife and how he’ll try to move forward with the three sons they shared — Freddie, 12, Ozzie, 9, and Archie, 4.
“There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today,” he wrote. “But she left us the tools to fill it. She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn’t require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you. ‘Go find it. It’s everywhere.’ And find it we shall.”
Full continued, “As I drove our boys, the true loves of her life, down the winding driveway and street, she would yell BYE! until we were out of earshot and into the world. I can still hear it ringing. Bye my Buddie. ‘I love you little family…'”
As word of Wersching’s death spread, many of her past and recent co-stars and friends shared their shock and sadness on social media.
In her Instagram Stories, Hallmark star Cahill — who guest starred with Wersching in the third season of “Body of Proof” with Dana Delaney — shared a photo that Wersching originally posted in 2016 on Instagram. The photo featured Wersching with Cahill and her husband, musician Paul Freeman, at a fundraiser they had held for BuildOn, an organization they work with to help build schools in developing countries.
At the time, Cahill had replied to Wersching’s post, thanking her for “being the absolute most fun!! We ADORE you!”
When Cahill shared the post in her Stories the evening of Wersching’s death, she wrote, “The loss of this beautiful soul is devastating. She was an incredible artist, and an even better human and mother.” Cahill added a broken heart emoji at the end of her message.
She wrote, “Oh dear Annie. I remember what a beautiful light you were on the set of DALLAS. Rest in Peace now…”
Actor Roger Cross, who appeared in 2022 Hallmark movies “Game, Set, Love” and “All Saints Christmas,” also expressed his sadness on social media. The two worked together on “24” and he also appeared in an episode of “The Rookie.”
Cross retweeted several of his “24” colleagues’ memories and photos of Wersching, and in response to a report on her death, he wrote, “She was a wonderful person to be around! You’ll be missed Annie! Rest In Peace!!!!”
Fans & Stars Rally Around Annie Wersching’s Family With GoFundMe Campaign
Cahill and Cross were among many stars who urged Wersching’s fans and friends to contribute to a GoFundMe campaign set up by actress Ever Carradine.
Carradine wrote that the fund will make it possible for her family to grieve without Full needing to immediately return to work and to ensure they can afford to continue living comfortably. The fundraiser reached half of its $250,000 goal in the first 24 hours.
“It’s so they can continue to go to baseball games (Go Cardinals!) take music lessons and play little league,” Carradine wrote of the fundraiser. “It’s to help pay for college. It’s so Steve can continue Annie’s tradition of filling the house with every life-sized balloon that’ll fit in the car for birthday mornings. It’s to give them time to navigate life as a family of four without the burden of paying medical bills or funeral expenses. It’s so they can continue to live life in a way that they know would make Annie proud.”
Carradine also said that despite being a public person, Wersching was “private by nature, and the diagnosis made her even more so.”
Choosing not to publicize her cancer battle, Carradine wrote of Wersching: “She wanted to protect her boys. She wanted to get better so she could continue working. And honestly, she just didn’t really want to talk about it. She wanted to live her life, on her terms, and be with her family.”


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A biker caught on camera travelling at one of the highest speeds ever recorded on North Yorkshire's roads has been jailed after spinning a web of lies to try and escape prosecution. Andrew Kelly was filmed doing 122 miles an hour.
More top news
Former shadow chancellor Ed Balls has revealed he turned down an offer to go on ITV reality show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
Saturday might see a shower or two but Sunday will be best: Fine with some warm sunshine.
Gulf War Syndrome is recognised by the government but because it has so many symptoms there is no one organisation set up to help veterans


Can Protocol Based Data Acquisition System projects main idea is to control temperature variations in industrial process. LM35 sensors are used as temperature sensors in this application.
This data is transfer with CAN controller to the master node and in the master node the values are detected and then it goes for the accurate value of the gas. This first check with the node addresses and if the address is matched then the actual location of the plant is identified by the master controller which are already fed in the controller. Thus identifies the location and then gives a accurate location without having any mismatch with a the other location values. This is in a continuous process and this will monitor the unit all the time and it even save the controller time in deducting the time of and power of the controller process.
- At mega 16
- CAN Controller MCP2515
- CAN trans Receiver MCP2551
- Temperature Sensor
- Functionality of all above components
- Embedded C programming
- Can bus protocol


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A man who has been serving a sentence for aggravated burglary has absconded from Hollesley Bay prison in Suffolk.
James McDonagh, aged 26, was reported missing after failing to attend a roll call at 5pm on Saturday, January 4.
He is serving a four-year and seven-month sentence for his crime.
The prison, located just 45 minutes from Essex, is a category D prison for men and young offenders. It is known for helping prepare convicts for their release back into the community.
McDonagh is described as white, 6ft 3 inches tall and slight build. He has short brown hair, blue eyes, and has a tattoo on his right arm.
A spokesperson Suffolk Police said: "He has connections with the Cambridge area.
"Anyone who believes they may have seen McDonagh or who has any information regarding his whereabouts should call Suffolk Police on 101 quoting CAD 251 of today, Saturday 4 July."


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Brand New Art From China : A Generation on the Rise
Author(s): Barbara Pollack
A unique and visionary generation of young Chinese artists are coming to prominence in the art world - just as China cements its place as the second largest art market on the planet. Building on the new frontiers opened up by the Chinese artists of the late 1980s and 1990s, artists such as Ai Wei Wei who came to the West and became household names, this new generation are provocative, exciting and bold. But what does it mean to be a Chinese artist today? And how can we better understand their work?
Here, renowned critic Barbara Pollack presents the first book to tell the story of how these Chinese millennials, fast becoming global art superstars, negotiate their cultural heritage, and what this means for China's impact on the future of global culture. Many young Chinese artists have declared they are "not Chinese, but global" - this book investigates just what that means for China, the art market, and the world.
Brand new Art from China is the first collection to showcase the dynamic new art coming from Chinese artists, and features full-colour photos and video stills throughout - with many works being published in book-form for the first time.
Featuring an in-depth interview with Zhang Xiaogang, probably the most well-known artist in China itself, whose sombre portraits of Chinese families during the Cultural Revolution sell for as much as $12 million at auction, alongside unparalleled access to the tastemakers of today's art scene, Brand New Art from China is the essential guide to Chinese contemporary art today - its vision, values and aesthetics.
“Pollack is curious, aware of her personal biases, always honest, respectful, and critical.” —Art in America
“The writing is clear and inviting ... Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; researchers and faculty.” —CHOICE
“A refreshingly crisp, insightful, and information-packed text.” —Barbara A. MacAdam, ARTnews


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Providing a complete introduction to the science of Sanatana Dharma, Vanamali reveals how the core concepts of Hinduism, including Brahman, atman, bhakti, karma, and reincarnation, relate to modern science and how the scientific discoveries of the ancient rishis have been recently rediscovered by the West. She examines the scientific principles within the classic stories and texts of India, including the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the Puranas. Within the teachings of the ancient Puranic sages and saints such as Valmiki and Vyasa and legendary physicians and mathematician-philosophers such as Aryabhatta and Varahamihir, the author reveals great scientific truths of the ancient world, truths upheld by modern science, particularly quantum physics. She explores desha and kaala (space and time), Shankara and his philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, and the Hindu sciences of mathematics, astronomy, and Vedic astrology.
In illustrating the scientific basis of Hinduism and the discoveries of its sages, Vanamali provides a window into the depths of this most ancient spiritual way of life.
MATAJI DEVI VANAMALI has written 8 books on the gods of the Hindu pan-theon, including Shakti, Hanuman, Shiva, The Complete Life of Krishna, and The Complete Life of Rama, as well as translating the Bhagavad Gita. She is the founder and president of Vanamali Gita Yoga Ashram Trust, dedicated to sharing the wisdom of Sanatana Dharma and charitable service to children. She lives at the Vanamali ashram in Rishikesh, northern India.
After a study of some forty years and more of the great religions of the world, I find none so perfect, none so scientific, none so philosophic, and none so spiritual as the great religion known by the name of Hinduism. The more you know it, the more you will love it; the more you try to understand it, the more deeply you will value it. Annie besant
Satyam eva jayati naanrutam. Truth alone shall prevail, not falsehood. Mundaka upanishad
What is truth and how is it to be known? Time alone is the touchstone or-truth. The universe exists on truth and anything that is not founded on truth is automatically deleted by time. India has maintained the longest, unbroken continuity of civilization in the world. The ideas and beliefs of Hinduism-based on the eternal verities, satyam, ahimsa, and dharma, truth, nonviolence, and righteousness-have existed from time immemorial.
There was no antagonism between science and religion in India as there was in the West, since the religion is based on scientific truths. One ancient Hindu scripture, the Ishavasya Upanishad, says that there are two types of understanding, vidya and avidya. The interpretation given in the Upanishad is that vidya is eternal, experiential, spiritual knowledge or pats vidya, while avidya is external, experimental, material knowledge or apara vidya. We should make use of the second to guide our lives so that we are led to the first. Unless both these types of knowledge are integrated into our lives, we will end up being blind or lame, as Einstein put it.
One who believes that science alone can take away all the miseries of life is like a blind man entering a dark room. However, one who believes that escaping the miseries of life can only be achieved by chanting mantras in the solitude of a cave is also entering blinding darkness. Hinduism has never held that blind faith can lead to liberation or that science alone can give you a utopian life. Both science and faith are necessary for a fulfilled life.
Most of the Westerners who came to India in the early part of the last century were totally incapable of appreciating the wonders of this ancient knowledge. This is because Hinduism is a most obscure and difficult religion to understand. What is generally exposed to the common eye is only the surface of a deep pond, which contains a treasure of gems that are not easily revealed to the cursory glance. Hinduism is as difficult for the uninitiated to understand as quantum physics for the layperson.
Actually, the word Hinduism is a misnomer. It was the name given by Westerners to those who lived below the Indus River. The actual name of Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma or "the way of eternal righteousness." This is the ancient law by which this cosmos has been created, sustained, and destroyed.
People have asked me how I dared to write about physics, which is an alien subject for me. My answer is that my in-depth knowledge of Hinduism has made it easy for me to understand quantum physics. The first time I read The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra, I was struck with wonder, for I instinctively understood what the physicist was trying to say. At the same time, many of the abstruse points in the Bhagavad Gita suddenly became crystal clear to me. Later, when I went through the Puranas (stories of gods written by the sage Vyasa), I was again struck at the amazing ways in which the great saints of the Puranas-Vyasa and Valmiki-had woven great scientific truths into their stories. These scientific truths are not what the ancient Western world believed to be true but the truths of the most modern kind-that of quantum physics.
One fact hit me like a sledgehammer-that right from the Vedas she most ancient scriptures) to the Puranas, everything was completely scientific. For obvious reasons the sages did not expose this fact to the common eye. If we of the modern age, who are quite used to so many technical facilities, which we accept as commonplace, find it impossible to understand quantum physics, how much more would it have been impossible for people to understand what the sages were trying to say at a time when even things like ordinary matches were unheard of!
Sanatana Dharma is a living relic of the ancient past of not just India but the past of the whole history of humanity. Many of the forms of Hindu culture today are the same as they were more than ten thousand years ago. The ancient world never died in India. It still remains and can be contacted everywhere. The scientists of this culture were known as rishis. The credit for ensuring that this culture never died goes to them. They were both philosopher-saints and scientists and existed from the dawn of the Indian civilization, which is the dawn of time. The sages desired that humanity should progress materially as well as through a constant inner renewal of the cosmic law of righteousness, guided by the wisdom embedded in our scriptures. What exactly is science? Science is something that tries to discover
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Hello all, my last piece received an enormous response on Caricaturama Showdown 3000- thank you for all this wonderful feedback! I really appreciate it and it makes me happy to see that may artwork can generate that kind of reaction.
I thought perhaps some are interested in how this piece was done, here comes:
I always look how people go about a new challenge, which is a great in Caricaturama as you can see many different approaches. So I decided that her chin would really be something to stress...thinking also about what is typical of her I came up with her shoe fetish thing in Sex and the city...after a few reference pics it clicked.
I usually start with digital sketches, this time it was on paper:
At this point the sketch contained enough structure to start blocking in colour.
The reference shot was very light, so I started to enhance contrast, especially in areas where light met dark.
The hair was done again with Chris Wahl's wonderful hair brush (the whole piece was painted in CS4).
The hair was backlit and I painted back and forth a few times until it felt right in terms of contrast.
At the end I thought that the background could use a colour that made it pop- I also changed the proportion of the canvas, as the long shadow needed more room. Changed the contrast a bit more, made some more details- almost done.
Here some details, which were added right at the end:
The wart was done according to the reference shot, apparently it is slightly transparent...
The lashes I did on a separate layer to get some nice strokes down which do not smear underlying areas.
And again: the Ultimate Manolo
Prints are available here Gallery


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After Pusha T canceled a number of dates on his current Daytona Tour to promote his recent, seven-song album with Kanye West, the Virginian rapper has announced the rescheduled dates via Instagram. The new shows include a performance in Chicago at the inaugural Red Bull Music Festival Chicago (not to be confused with 30 Days In Chicago, the month-long events initiative that took place in 2017), along with dates in Cleveland, D.C., Denver, New York, Philadelphia, and Toronto (home of his erstwhile rival, Drake).
While the original tour was set to feature GOOD Music’s new recruits Sheck Wes and Valee, Pusha’s new run includes special guests Phony Ppl, the Brooklyn-based hip-hop band that began making waves a few years ago with a series of independent albums that hit Billboard‘s Heatseekers chart and performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with Fetty Wap during the height of “Trap Queen” hysteria.
Pusha T, meanwhile, garnered renewed attention when Kanye West announced that he’d produced the former Clipse member’s latest album in its entirety — and included a poison pill for Drake on the project’s closer, “Infrared.” Drake bit the bait, responding with “Duppy Freestyle,” which allowed Pusha to counterpunch with the acidic “The Story Of Adidon” and its surprise reveal of Drake’s secret son. After that, Houston impresario J. Prince stepped in, sending both rappers back to their respective corners. Meanwhile, Daytona turned out to be Pusha’s first No. 1 album.
Daytona is out now via GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. Get it here.

domain: entertainment


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It’s a long winter, so a fireplace is a must! Unlike North American homes, Scandinavian fireplaces do not usually take center- stage in the middle of one wall. They were never meant to be ornate centerpieces with mantles to decorate. Rather, these fireplaces were functional and meant to provide warmth and a place to cook.
Of course, modern homes do not need to worry so much about this functionality, so the fireplace design has become a bit more of an artful focal point, yet they usually still remain in the corner of a room. There are plenty of online sources that offer unique Scandinavian-style fireplaces, so take a look and see if you can find one to add this warm eclectic touch to your home.
Fireplaces create an ambience and keep us warm when it’s cold outside, they are one of the coziest pieces for any room. You can create a special nook around your fireplace, it’s especially cool when you don’t have much space but want to feel the coziness and warmth sitting next to it. When I see these nooks, I only think of curling there till spring comes because they are so gorgeous! Soft seats or even daybeds next to a fireplace or hearth, cushions on the floors or dining zones next to the fire – this is the comfiest place in the world after your bed in the morning. Have a look at the ideas and design your own one.
The fireplaces featured below offer more than just a pretty image. Most have built-in heaters and blowers to circulate heat in a room. Some use state-of-the-art infrared heat, which is a less drying, more efficient heating system. And they come with a remote so you can control the heat, the flame or both from anywhere in the room.
Orbok is a website which collects all information of living room decorations around the world. If readers need more information, just poke the title or related posts. And do not forget to poke all images reserved.
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Two men who threw stones at the car of Qethuka Dlamini, one of King Mswati III’s official ‘praise singers’, have been jailed for 11 years and nine years in Swaziland.
One of the men is said to have told Dlamini he detested him for working closely with the king.
The Manzini Magistrate was told Wandile Simelane, 28, and Vukani Dlamini, 23, both from Sigombeni, had stood in the middle of the road to stop vehicles and then caused malicious damage worth about US$6,000 to Qethuka Dlamini’s car and had intended to injure him.
The two men were also charged with throwing stones and causing malicious damage worth about US$850 to another car with intent to injure Mlungisi Shongwe who was inside.
Simelane was further charged with common assault in that he hit Masiko Dlamini with stones on the left knee and head, thus causing pain and discomfort.
The men denied the charges but both were found guilty by Magistrate Sebenzile Ndlela. Simelane was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment while Vukani Dlamini was sentenced to nine years.
Local media reported that at a previous appearance in court, Qethuka Dlamini, who is a soldier, said that one of the men who stoned his car confessed that he detested him for working closely with the king.
The accused said they had been with a group of people and many men were throwing stones. They denied that they had done so.
The two men were jailed without the option of paying a fine instead.


Another great day at #NCE2022 is underway and once again there are too many amazing sessions to attend. Almost everywhere you go, there is a packed room and a waiting line to get into a session. Similar to one of my sessions yesterday about staff recruitment and retention, today I was fortunate enough to listen to a social media roundtable. Listening to five superintendents tell their stories about the power of social media and how it can support student success, promote their district, and learn from others is certainly inspiring. Ironically, the message is the same as teacher recruiting, tell your story. Committing to social media and a branding model is a relatively new phenomenon for schools, but again, taking a page from the private sector can assist schools in helping our communities be connected. While it is true that social media can be filled with negativity and people wanting to attack, we can't shy away from promoting the positive and being accessible for our communities. Oftentimes, the majority of folks that are paying attention and connecting are not going to let you know that. Most people simply enjoy seeing the stories, students, and successes. Social media is and should be the primary vehicle to tell our stories.
“Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people.” ~ Steve Jobs


PREVENTING the Passion play planned for the Cowley Road is exceptionally short-sighted and does little to erase an image of clipboard-holding council killjoys.
Actors marching up Cowley Road portraying those last harrowing moments of Jesus’ life was one of those events in 2012 that started from a small community idea and obviously caught the public’s imagination on the day.
Numbers swelled to about 200 back then as members of the public decided to follow the procession and it was hoped something similar would happen this Good Friday.
It just smacks of a “Cowley Road” event where people join in and surely we want to encourage this type of thing.
Yes, there are licensing rules in place to ensure large-scale events go off safely and smoothly but we are hardly talking about the Cowley Road Carnival here.
And, last time we looked, we still lived in a free country where people are able to congregate without seeking the permission of officialdom.
While the organisers could have been a little more aware of the council’s licensing rigmarole, it is not hard to feel that they are effectively being punished after innocently contacting the police as a matter of courtesy to let them know their plans.
Surely we want council officials who seek to help and not hinder our community groups.