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US broadband growth, though slower than that in some other countries, is expected to hit a significant milestone at some point in 2007. Consultancy Parks Associates has just released its annual report on US broadband, and it concludes that more than 50 percent of US households will have a high-speed connection by the end of the year.
The FCC recently released data of its own showing that broadband use shot up by 52 percent between June 2005 and June 2006, but the Parks report takes issue with those numbers. It claims only a 20 percent increase during 2006 (which is still significant growth) and says that at the end of last year, 47 percent of US households had broadband. That number is expected to continue upwards in 2007 and break the 50 percent barrier at some point this year.
The market's growth has certainly been astonishing. Who remembers the bad old days of one-month waits for DSL installations or the outrageous price that early adopters had to cough up for the privilege of 512Kbps speeds? 80 percent of US households that can get local phone service can now get DSL, while 93 percent of those households that can receive cable can pick up a cable modem, according to the FCC. That's great to hear.
But the US still lags behind 11 other advanced countries in broadband penetration percentage (though the total number of subscribers is the highest in the world). According to OECD statistics from June 2006, Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland, Korea, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Canada, the UK, and Belgium all have a higher number of subscribers per 100 inhabitants.
When it comes to fiber rollouts, too, countries like Korea, Japan, and Denmark are doing exceptionally well. Japan, for instance, has more than 6 million fiber connections. In the US, the largest fiber to the home network is being installed by Verizon. Though FiOS is popular, it had only half a million subscribers late in 2006.
The growing ubiquity of high-speed connections isn't just changing the frequency with which people check their e-mail, though; according to Parks, it's changing the way companies do business. "The foundations of digital lifestyle applications and products are built on access services, including broadband Internet and television," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst with Parks Associates. "With the penetration of high-speed Internet exceeding 50 percent in 2007, we?re also witnessing shifts in the way companies are positioning their communications, entertainment, and information services as home technology solutions."
One has to look no further than the battle surrounding YouTube content to see how true this is. It's not affecting the country equally, though. FCC data shows exactly what we would expect: higher-density areas have better broadband availability than rural ones. That has led some in Congress to call for government intervention to boost broadband connections in rural areas, though it's not clear the proposal has any legs. Of course, for the masochists, there's always satellite.


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Check showtimes to see when Amanpour is on CNN where you are. Or watch online.
Cyril Ramaphosa was the young lawyer at Nelson Mandela's side for much of the journey to bring about a peaceful transformation to South Africa.
Ramaphosa led a defining 1987 strike against the apartheid regime and then helped negotiate the democratic transition and draft the new constitution.
He left politics and amassed a fortune in private business, but has just returned to politics as President Jacob Zuma's new deputy in the African National Congress.
"I accept that we have massive challenges," he told CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Tuesday. "Not everything is absolutely where we want it to be."
There is immense inequality and unemployment in the Rainbow Nation, where the gap between rich and poor is one of the worst on the planet.
How South Africa exited the nuclear club
Critics of the current government and President Zuma contend that the ANC is plagued with endemic corruption and carrying out a major assault on the institutions of democracy, including press freedom and the judiciary.
In 2011, Bishop Desmond Tutu even went as far as to say that the ANC is even worse than the apartheid regime was.
"The ANC has bared its own soul, its own breast and has admitted a lot of those things," Ramaphosa said. "Now that, to me, is indicative of a party that is quite ready to start a process of correcting quite a lot of those perceptions."
Ramaphosa faces some of those very same perceptions when it comes to his role in the violent incidents at South African mines last year. He sits on the board of a mine where 34 people were killed and some 78 people were injured as they protested working conditions.
Emails he sent at the time have been published and purport to carry messages to the mine board a message calling for actions to be taken against the protestors and even calling them criminals.
Ramaphosa has offered to testify before a commission set up by President Zuma to investigate the incidents, but he told Amanpour the emails were referring to a prior incident and he was expressing concerns about the killing of policeman, security officials and other mine workers.
"Some of them had died in the most brutal way. They had died in what I still see as a criminal way," Ramaphosa said. "It was so terrible – it just begins to defy any feeling that anyone would have. And I was appealing to the authorities to take action, to make sure that we prevent further death."
Ramaphosa said he was horrified by the consequent violence and death at the mines.
"A long part of my life was spent serving mine workers. And there is just no way I could ever have said that mine workers should be killed. There is just no way. It is just defies any logic in me. I've served mine workers loyally and I sought to improve their lives, the condition of their employment and that is on the record."
In the years since Ramaphosa left ANC politics, he became a businessman and Forbes reports he is worth $675 million dollars.
He brushed that off, refusing to say how much was worth when asked, but said it does not prevent him from connecting with the average South African.
"The members who elected me are fully aware of my situation. But I have been and I am a businessman. And the ANC is about change. The ANC is a political organization that welcomes everyone," he said. "Now I can make a contribution to that. And it is my conscience that will be driving the actions that I have to take."
Many suspect Ramaphosa's new role as deputy president of the ANC is just a stepping stone for him to eventually become president. He acknowledged that he takes the party line when responding to inquires about leading South Africa one day: "Within the ANC you are chosen. You never choose yourself."
He said that is exactly how he came to his newly-elected position in the ANC.
"I was minding my own business. And the people said we want you to come into this position. And I heeded that."
He told Amanpour that he believes President Zuma will head the ticket in South Africa's 2014 elections.
"He is going to be the face of our campaign and all members of the ANC are going to rally behind him," he said. "Rally behind him to achieve the victory that our people want us to achieve. The ANC will emerge victorious in that election being led by President Zuma."
RELATED: South African troops headed to embattled Central African Republic
CNN's Claire Calzonetti & Juliet Fuisz produced this piece for television.
i agree he change the lifes of the mine people but the question remain was he supporting the workers demand?
That's the question. About the Lonmin shooting at Marikana, was he thinking about the mineworkers or was he thinking about his own pocket. He is on the Lonmin board of directors, so he owns part of the mine where the shooting happened that killed 34 and wounded 78.
From the way he talks, i am convinced he is by far the right person to lead South Africa now, experienced, does not need to be corrupt (already rich), not a tribalist, educated , hard working with good moral ground and educated , I am tempted to go back to RSA
His comment on a Buffalo is purely a white lie. What output can one get in a business decision of buying a buffalo that expensive. It was his entertainment, it was his way of pleasuring his wealth. Where he bought the buffalo was not a farmer auction area but stinky rich entertainment bash club. If that was true then he is in the league of his own. There is no farmer who can make that type of foolish decision.
Good luck SOUTH AFRICA
his comments gives me hope about our country, he is by far much better than president Zuma in articulating the direction which the country and ANC needs to take.
I think Cyril Ramaphosa and all other ANC leaders need to be challenged more on things they say during interviews.
How can Ramaphosa say the ANC has done so much to improve the lives of South African's since the end of Apartheid when millions still live in poverty without even the most basic of services, and when education is said by many to be WORSE now than during the Apartheid days of Bantu Education?
He says that he believes the miners working and living conditions need to be improved but why have they not already been improved? South Africa is not a poor country – why is the ANC spending millions on upgrading their own personal interests (e.g. Nkandla) or simply changing street and town names when they could be spending that money on improving the lives of ordinary South Africans?
And finally, it always amazes me when the ANC says that all they want is to ensure democracy strives and racism is abolished. How can they say they stand for democracy while pushing for legislation that would see journalists jailed for up to 25 years for revealing government corruption (the Secrecy Bill). How can they say they stand for non-racialism when one of their key policies in black economic empowerment – a policy that often excludes whites from jobs simply because they are white. Does a white boy or girl born after Apartheid in 1994 deserve to have less opportunities simply because they were born white? And how can they say they stand for non-racialism when ANC figures still to this day publicly blame "whites" for all the problems South Africa faces today. The most recent example of racism coming from the ANC is President Zuma's comments on dog ownership being part of "white culture" and not African culture – apart from being a massive generalisation, do comments like those really promote non-racialism? What happened to us all being South Africans first, no matter what skin colour we are.
These are the questions that need to be asked.
I Couldn't agree more!!! Well said.
Well said! The fact is that the ANC lied to the world. The "Rainbow Nation" is a joke. The social experiment of multiculturalism failed. South Africa was more peaceful when everybody was separate, where cultures could co-exist. Now different cultures are all trampling on each other for a place in the sun.
ashirbar: the buffalo that cyril bid for was of a rare genetic class, hence the ~$2 million and with that rare animal mating and producing more offsprings carrying that gene pool would have made a kill. I am convinced that it was an innocent business decision but in a wrong country.
I was calling for peace, instead I got war.
My intentions were pure, my wealth an illusion,
my name is bespattered, besmirched to the core.
oh Gods of the nation, away this confusion.
I have power of politics, so just and deserved,
I've waited a long time, for this to occur.
A place in my Party, so carefully observed,
not asked for not wanted, at the speed of a blur.
So tell me dear Comrades, of honour and trust
how can you help me to veil my eyes,
from the plunder and bumble, a cloud of old lust.
For honour and duty, bury we must.
Cyril is the man. The brutality shown by strikers in butchering fellow workers, police and security officers was beyond barbaric. Not condoning the killings by the police. Decisive action had to be taken. We couldn't allow such senseless brutality to continue. Cyril was bravo enough to stand up and denounce that at all levels. He wanted peace for all but unfortunately he wasn't a strategic planner for the police.
Up with our Future President!!
Make no mistake, the ANC has in the short space of eighteen years provided a strong foundation for corruption and serious maladministration in SA. We see scores of once well administered local authorities bankrupt today, mainly because of grossly inept so-called ANC cadres promoted to posts completely beyond their level of competence and the Peter principle abounds throughout the country Today incompetence goes hand in glove with corruption, as reported regularly in our media (now under threat of judicial gagging to prevent reportage of just such events) and of course the ANC merely scoffs at these suggestions and says they'll be in power until Jesus comes. We heard similar boasts by Hitlers '1000 year' Third Reich and also Ian Smiths Rhodesian government. The international community is completely unaware of the real situation under ANC control, and don't be surprised when the country grinds to a halt, and the chickens eventually come home to roost here there and everywhere.
First you need to be living here to comment .Most of these post are negative ,what do u know about the state of our country .We have the best economy if africa ,best military ,best cities ,best standard of living .
Yes we have problems ,but then agin every country has them ,we are a yough democracy .Give us a chance to build a proper foundation ,we are still in a learning curve .Remember we had Bantu education in SA ,that injustice does not get retified in 20 years ,WE WILL GET THERE .
I am living here and they are all right. Sure they might be negative, but are fact. I think you live in a dream world. Do you really think we have the best Military? Best living conditions? Have you been driving around lately? Be honest with yourself. As for the Bantu education thing; who is burning school books now? (Remember the scandal last year?) The conditions of the schools in rural areas are horrific. We should be ashamed of ourselves. Why is our taxes not spend on the improvement of the schools and conditions as is budgeted for annually? Instead every financial year the budget was mismanaged. Where is that money going? If you know, please let me know.
I live in SA so I can comment. Blacks were better off under Bantu education. The white man's education is too difficult for you guys, that's why you got the Bantu education. Half of students starting school drop out before they even get to write final year Matric exams, of those who actually make it to Gr.12 only 74% pass. Those are ANC statistics, so we can assume that they are cooked, just like the crime stats and the census stats that say whites earn 6 times more than blacks on average. So actually only 33 out of 100 students pass their final year of school, the rest either drop out before Gr.10 or fail their Gr.12 miserably. I say miserably, because all they had to get to "pass" was around 40% in points.
By comparing our economy to the rest of Africa is really quite ignorant, the rest of Africa is a desolate corrupt society Governed by dictators enriching their own pockets...( or is that South Africa)
Firstly I must say that some of the comments made are pretty negative and it seems to be the norm, with mostly aggrieved "White" folks, but I take it from whence it comes. Negatives develop in dark rooms and for as long as we continue to live in the dark pockets of negativity we so breed negativity. I say let's try and ask ourselves what have we done to initiate positive change. It begins with all of us, including myself how have we impacted the life of someone who doesn't have. "Give a man a fish and he can feed he's family for a day, teach him how to fish and he can feed a village." I see lots of hand outs but little time invested in the lives of people. Any leader's worth should not be measured by his wealth, instead his ability to deliver on his word. No leader will be able to please everyone but for the greater good I believe Cyril will Fight for equality minimize poverty, corruption,crime etc and that is if he is elected within the ANC to lead South Africa after Zuma's second term. The task set before our country and it's leaders are huge, but if everyone becomes less negative and learns selflessness and shuns self enrichment through unscrupulous means we will achieve utopia. There are many things that are wrong at the moment not only in our country but it the world at large but there so many more things that are right, particularly in South Africa. I believe that South Africa and the world had to experience the leadership of Mandela; Mbeki and Zuma so we can arrive at making the call for a new era in our history. Ramaphosa has got my vote even though I don't currently support the wayward ANC. Here is to a revolutionary 2013 for all of us citizens of the world. Wishing you all LOVE HAPPINESS HEALTH PEACE AND PROSPERITY!!!!
Beware Cyril, they will welcome you, the westerners as a black man who sees things as they do, until the moment you decide to do something for the black people then will turn on you and blacklist you, while locking up all your international bank account and assets, South Africa is a 3rd world country that must start to realize it is such so it can address the social issue by breaking the cycle of poverty and violence that swallows up most of it's people, after that we must educate and then empower by putting black people who are capable in charge of the economy with a focus on Africans being able to benefit from our resources.
The ANC is a racist party like the old white only Nationalist Party , Their is hardly any whites, Indians and Coloureds (Mixed race) in their ANC party . South Africa will only change when the ANC bring ALL ON BOARD . We ALL need to work together until then We South Africa is going No were with A Black Only Government. Please take note of Zambia and Botswana many South Africans have moved their I wonder why.
cyril has cme bk late to politics..he is what anc nd south africa hs alwys needed..
All I can say is watch this space. SA has now a very good line up for running this nation. It's problems has been completely exposed and thanks to all you guys for making us aware. Now I know we going to address it and progress n our quest for economic freedom
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subset: commoncrawl


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Thanksgiving is finally here! It's a time for great good, family, and being thankful for all that you have. It's also the perfect opportunity to dress up and look your best! For this week's edition of Latina Style Wars, we asked you to send in your favorite outfit from a previous Thanksgiving.
This week's winner is Juliana (julianaec on Instagram) who looked stunning last year during the holiday! What we loved about Juliana's look was pretty much everything. From her sexy cat eye and natural lip look to her bib necklace and her flawless, soft curls. What is there not to love? And then there is her dress, which is a beautiful gold and cream with colors that are perfect for the holidays. You can dress this look up with some nice pumps or you can give it a relaxed look by pairing it with your favorite cardigan. The dress looks incredible on Juliana and we want to know where we can get one for ourselves!
Don't forget to check out us out again for next week's #LatinaStyleWars and a chance to win $25 and be featured on Latina.com!
How do you like this look? What do you plan on wearing this year at Thanksgiving dinner? Tell us in the comments below!


text: Free(er?) Trade – US, EU and Canada Quibble Over Market Access and Domestic Preferences By David Gallacher and Curtis Dombek on August 14, 2013 Posted in BAA and TAA, Bid Protest, BPA, Country of Origin, Domestic Preferences, Energy, IDIQ, International Contracts, International Procurement, Procurement, TAA, Trade Agreements Act, WTO GPA The US is generally pretty keen on international free trade agreements. And why shouldn't it be? After all, free trade agreements have the ability to open up foreign markets to US goods and services, allowing new and expanding opportunities for US companies. But "free trade" does not always mean "free trade" – it usually means … Continue Reading


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Net injection of Inter State Generating stations (ISGS)/BBMB generating stations & net drawal of State Utilities using Special Energy Meters (SEMs)
- The sign convention of power flow recorded by meters is positive for flow out of bus-bar and negative for power flow into the bus-bar. However, for meters on LV/HV side of Generator Transformers, the meters have actually been connected so as to read positive for power flow into the HV bus-bar.
- Net injection/drawal at any location is algebraic sum of meters (including sign) on all feeders/ICTs/GTs listed with that location.
- Net drawal of State Utilities would be algebraic sum of drawals at all the locations listed for that utility.
- Multiplying factor to be applied with standby meters is to compensate for transmission/transformation losses & would depend upon voltage level (1.5 % for 400 kV, 3% for 220 kV lines & 4% for 132 & below lines) as agreed by Commercial Committee of NREB in its 105th meeting held on 08.03.2001.
- State Utilities would also be required to send daily readings of the Existing Conventional Meter (ECM) along with time of outages of some LV feeders listed with respective states to NRLDC on a weekly basis. (SEMs on these feeder have not been installed in view of negligible/ constant power flows).


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« How One School District is Coping With the Convention | Main | Storm Postpones Education Events, Speeches »
Who Could Be Romney's Education Secretary?
With the Republican National Convention about to kick off, it's officially time to start speculating about who could be presumptive GOP Mitt Romney's education secretary if he wins the presidential election.
After all, way back in 2008 (Aug. 8, to be exact), Politics K-12 guessed that then-Chicago schools chief Arne Duncan could be then-Democratic contender Barack Obama's pick on Aug. 8. So we're actually late to the dance this year.
This time, there's not a lot of agreement among the Republicans that I polled. This is going to be a tight election and folks are focused on that. Still, Romney, like other presumptive nominees in both parties in past years, has started some preliminary transition planning. When it comes to the U.S. Department of Education, it's still the very early stage, where lots of people are floating lots of names, folks said.
The number one guess among Republicans that I talked to? Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who wrote the foreword to Romney's education plan and some of his former education staff are part of the campaign. Bush is also the "godfather" of the state superintendents' group "Chiefs for Change" (identified with what's become known as the "reform" side of the education debate) and has had a major impact on state-level education policies. Plus, K-12 was one of his signature issues when he was governor of the Sunshine State. But does he
have higher aspirations than 400 Maryland Ave?
Another former governor is also on the top of a lot of folks' lists: Tim Pawlenty, of Minnesota. He very nearly got the nod for vice presidential candidate. Pawlenty has a long record on education in Minnesota, where he was a supportive of alternative pay. He's almost certain to be tapped for a post in the Romney administration, if he wants one, but it's tough to say if the Education Department would be his first choice.
State chiefs have dominated many people's lists. Often mentioned is Tony Bennett, Indiana's superintendent of Public Instruction, and one of the original members of Chiefs for Change. Bennett's been highly visible on education issues and has lots of fans among Republicans, including former Gov. Bush.
Still, in testifying before the House education committee, Bennett asked the feds to provide political cover ("guardrails") on K-12 reform efforts. Does that jibe with some Republicans' plans to shrink back the federal role? Would that matter?
Another popular pick: Tom Luna, who serves as the Idaho superintendent of public instruction. Luna, who is on Romney's team of education advisors, worked in the department during President George W. Bush's administration, and currently serves as the president of the bipartisan Council of Chief State School Officers. And given Romney's dissing of the teacher's unions, Luna's got anti-union street cred to spare—his tires were slashed last year when he tried to raise class size and put merit pay in place.
Other folks are fans of New Jersey's Chris Cerf, a registered Democrat who works with a GOP governor (Tuesday's keynote speaker, Chris Christie).
Also among the mentioned: Former Texas chief Robert Scott, whose state did not sign onto the Common Core, throw its hat in the ring for Race to the Top, or apply for one of the administration's waivers from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. But the Texas angle could complicate confirmation, folks say.
And some former chiefs are in the mix, including Paul Pastorek from Louisiana, who helped schools in the Pelican State recover from Hurricane Katrina, and Lisa Graham Keegan, of Arizona. Keegan was the rumored
second-runner up for President George W. Bush's secretary of education, plus folks think she did a bang-up job serving as the top K-12 surrogate for then-GOP nominee John McCain back in 2008. Possible pitfall? She supported former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in the primary this time around.
There are also some possible dark-horse candidates. At least one member of Congress came up on the list: U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, of Illinois, a moderate Republican who is locked in a very tight re-election campaign. She's got a long record on education, and is well-liked. Plus, there aren't too many women on the various lists. Another suggestion: a businessman, like Bill Green, the executive chairman at Accenture, a consulting organization.
Folks have also suggested that Romney could use the Education Department as the one place to stick a (non-state chief) Democrat, to show his administration can be bipartisan. The name that came up most often? Former New York City chancellor Joel Klein. Other folks suggested Michelle Rhee, a Democrat, who is now running the Students First juggernaut and will be in both Tampa and Charlotte. She'll be at screenings of the parent-trigger movie "Won't Back Down." (If you haven't already read Edweek's review of that movie, stop what you're doing right now and check it out. You'll thank me.)
And the biggest surprise suggestion from Republican sources (drumroll): Arne Duncan! (Were folks pulling my leg here?) But even if it is a joke, it shows Duncan's still got some cross-aisle credibility. Plus, he did say he
wanted to stick around! Still, don't bet the bank—or even your latte money—on this one. And one thing's for certain, no GOP White House will be handing the department another $100 billion for education.
So that's pretty much everyone in the GOP with a record on education issues—and I'm sure I've missed someone who could be on the very long list. I'll add any new names I hear down in Tampa, but feel free to email me with tips, or hit up the comments section with your best guess.


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Beautiful wristlets for the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom. Created by Little Big Farm, an organic flower farm in northern New Jersey for a rustic Bear Brook Valley wedding. Photographed by Michelle Arlotta Photography
See more here
Gorgeous Limor Rosen wedding gown for a New Jersey bride.
Beautiful summer wedding ceremony by the pond at Sussex County, New Jersey wedding venue, Bear Brook Valley.
Classic wedding with a Martina Liana bridal gown at the Mansion at Mountain Lakes with photography by New Jersey Wedding Photographer, Michelle Arlotta
Melissa and James' classic spring wedding at The Mansion at Mountain Lakes in New Jersey
Misty fall day at the new rustic elegant New Jersey wedding venue, Bear Brook Valley in Fredon, NJ. Images captured by NJ wedding Photographer, Michelle Arlotta Photography.
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.... New Jersey Bear Brook Valley Wedding with Michelle Arlotta Photography
congrats to @samd419 and kevin! @rockislandlakeclub dress: @sarahseven hair: @stylesonlocation makeup: @samanthalinnmua
gorgeous @rbicakes for @matthewcsanchez and @fncnyc rooftop engagement party at @thenomadhotel @segoviajacks #felnmatt ***check out my insta stories for more pics of this gorgeous event***
i pretty much live in flip flops and running shoes, but i've spent a lot of time with fancy high heels in my line of work... @badgleymischka @emcdell @docemrick @bearbrookvalley #bearbrookvalley #bearbrookvalleywedding #badgleymischka #njbride #njweddingphotographer #njwedding #theknotnj #njweddingphotographer
Gorgeous, elegant Berta Bridal wedding gown
The look of love... @alyse813 and @zf_22 @landmarkvenues @therylandinn dress: @berta @bertabridal from @lfaybridal hair/makeup: @thebride_whisperer
I love a good ceiling... @maritimeparc @stephcarnathan @bigtruz1 @lauraclaredesign #truzlove
@stephcarnathan looking amazing! @bigtruz1 makeup: @beautyonlocationnj hair: @melandre_salon dress: @stephenyearick spray tan: @glowmenj video: @deliastudios @maritimeparc #truzlove
Gorgeous blueberry velvet wedding cake with blackberries and figs for intimate wedding at the Treno Pizza Bar in New Jersey
happy new year and congrats to @stephcarnathan and @bigtruz1 who braved the coldest temperatures i have ever experienced in over 13 years of photographing weddings! if any of you in the nyc area spent time outside yesterday, you know the pain that started to set in within a couple minutes of being outside. this series of pics we took at the memorial were done in under 4 minutes total! this pic is a collaboration of my photographic ninja skills and a couple willing push themselves to the limit! thanks to my amazing husband for assisting me! always great working with jose from @deliastudios makeup/hair: @beautyonlocationnj hair: @melandre_salon dress: @stephenyearick @maritimeparc #truzlove
Gorgeous winter bridal bouquet for a modern rustic New Jersey wedding.
in my 13 years of photographing weddings, i've never had a wedding day where it snowed all day long! big ups to @morgsdonahue and @jopal96 for standing out in the cold, snowy weather for pics for their @therylandinn coach House winter wedding! #jogotanmo makeup: @samanthaagostinomakeup hair: @liamcareyhair_and_makeup
Perfect sparkler exit as a beautiful ending to an intimate beach wedding at The Gables, a sweet Victorain Inn, located in Long Beach Island, New Jersey.
Love Steve's face during the toasts and love the #flamingoinspired pink color theme flowers by @atoeevents.... @kimberlypaigeevents @weddingsatthemadison hair/makeup @melissa_daloia_co
I knew @bearbrookvalley would kick ass! #bearbrookvalley #rusticchicwedding #njweddings #njweddingphotographer
Some treats to show off today... jen and kevin's ah-mazing wedding cakes. blueberry velvet and white chocolate champagne with carmel. Say what?!? (I was so busy capturing all the dance moves- I didn't get to try either, but the smell was amazing and I will be hunting these cakes down after I treat myself to a meal at treno one of these days!) By @sweettsbakeshop @trenopizzabar flowers on the cake by @michaelbruceflorist
@perlrobert27 and Katie's @rockislandlakeclub wedding... on the blog! (Link in bio) @vesabrides
Simple and beautiful.... #getyosifmarried planner @kimberlypaigeevents @weddingsatthemadison dress @romonakeveza hair/makeup @melissa_daloia_co
a different angle showing @jenn_perusini's elegant bridal look... @livshitsalex @joannsolomonbeauty @nicolemillernyc @brotherhoodwinery
@ragucci18 and @unclet41 at the @lakemohawkcountryclub... on the blog! (link in bio) hair: @glitterinmyveins26
Capture your happily ever after moment just right, with the amazingly talented Michelle Arlotta.


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Blackburn's chicken people are still working their way through a list of players that could make for decent marquee signing — sadly the list appears to be from 2004.
Ronaldinho has already said no. Now they're looking at the world's second most famous Riquelme. If that fails, there's always Marc Overmars or that teenager at Everton — Wayne something?
This post, written by Josh Burt, is republished with permission from The Spoiler. Go there often if you like soccer stuff.


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FCC Chair to Wireless Industry: More Spectrum Coming ... And Net Neutrality Rules
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission said to the wireless industry Wedneday, "It's all about mobile."
As such, Julius Genachowski commended AT&T and Verizon Wireless for their announcements yesterday that showed they were moving more in the direction Genachowski wants: to an open Internet. But he showed no sign of retreat from his push for new net neutrality rules that would codify and expand policies at the FCC to prevent Internet service providers from acting as gatekeepers of Web content on their networks.
"I believe it will be essential to ensure that the Internet remains open -- a vibrant platform for innovation and investment, creativity and speech, an enduring engine for job creation and economic growth," he said. "As we embrace the opportunities of a wired and wireless broadband world, we shouldn't have uncertainty about whether we'll have an open Internet. That is why I said two weeks ago that the FCC should codify a fair and common-sense framework to preserve an open Internet. And later this month, I expect that the FCC will begin an open proceeding to explore how best to do so."
The wireless industry has complained that any new rules for broadband operators shouldn't apply to the wireless industry. Leaders of AT&T and Verizon Wireless have pointed to the different technical aspects of wireless networks that don't aren't as robust as wireline networks. If they don't manage traffic to ease congestion, some users will have to deal with slow or dropped service, they say.
Genachowski said his proposal for new rules aren't meant to be "heavy-handed and prescriptive."
"I also recognize that the wireless industry has its own market structure and competitive landscape, which of course we'll analyze in our proceeding," Genachowski said.
But the rules are necessary, he said: "There shouldn't be any confusion. I believe firmly in the need for the FCC to preserve Internet openness, whether a person accesses the Internet from a desktop computer or a wireless laptop or netbook."
Genachowski's remarks come after announcements Tuesday by the two largest wireless service providers -- AT&T and Verizon -- where they showed they were trying to be more open. AT&T said it would allow Internet voice applications for the iPhone to run on its wireless networks. Verizon forged a partnership with Google to develop phones on Google's Android software platform. The operating system is open for any applications and the phones will include Google Voice, a calling service that is currently unavailable on the iPhone.
"I also appreciate AT&T's announcement yesterday allowing Internet calling applications on the iPhone -- a decision I commend," Genachowski said in a keynote speech at wireless industry conference hosted by CTIA. "And also Verizon's announcement about the Android platform. These are both wins for consumers, and I look forward to hearing more."
In his speech, he introduced a four-part plan to encourage growth in the mobile industry. The plan included unleashing more spectrum for the wireless industry and removing regulatory obstacles that have been slowing down the progress of new mobile broadband networks under construction and expected to hit markets next year.
On spectrum, what Genachowski described as the "oxygen" of mobile networks, he was in agreement with the industry that there isn't enough to meet the demands of mobile users down the road. He promised to look into how to reallocate spectrum that isn't being used to give to commercial carriers. CTIA has asked for 800 mhz of spectrum to meet their members' needs.
"We must identify spectrum that can best be reinvested in mobile broadband," he said.
He said the agency would promote the use of unlicensed spectrum, such as WiFi networks. He pointed to the possibility of new technologies such as smart antennas and femtocells.
Cecilia Kang
October 7, 2009; 12:35 PM ET
Save & Share: Previous: AT&T Wireless Chief, De La Vega, Named Chairman of CTIA
Next: FCC Chairman Hearts Springsteen, iPhone App for Kids
Again, the key issue here is that both Verizon Wireless and AT&T made significant moves to open their networks and services to competition only after Genachowski said he believed net neutrality rules should apply to wireless. If the mere threat of such rules has such an impact, it kind of disproves the argument that such rules are unnecessary and without value. More explanation here: http://bit.ly/odaf7
Posted by: robtpoe | October 7, 2009 3:37 PM | Report abuse
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text:
Last week, the Australian Department of Defence announced that it will begin research and development for the use of swarms of tiny autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) (i.e., underwater drones) to detect and clear naval...more
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The companies were added to the Entity List for aiding Chinese military construction in the South China Sea.
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Northrop Grumman and hundreds of small technology defense firms are making new efforts to fast-track robotics and autonomous systems to war, by seeking new, non-traditional, start-up firms to explore unique new innovations....more
When the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) get together to issue a joint warning, you may wish to listen up....more
In Washington -
Senate Republicans plan to introduce their "skinny" version of coronavirus relief legislation as early as Tuesday. The 169-page draft bill provides US$300 in weekly unemployment insurance benefits through...more
Driven by national security concerns, over the past three years the US Government has taken a much more aggressive position on an array of technology issues involving China. These policy and regulatory changes range from...more
Compliance into the Weeds is the only weekly podcast which takes a deep dive into a compliance related topic, literally going into the weeds to more fully explore a subject. In this episode Matt Kelly and Tom Fox take a look...more
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A recently passed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act ("NDAA") could allow military service members to use cannabidiol ("CBD") and other hemp-derived products. The measure, sponsored by veteran Rep. Tulsi...more
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After much anticipation, on 14 July 2020, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council issued an interim rule in the Federal Register that will implement Section 889(a)(1)(B) (Part B) of the fiscal year 2019 National...more
From the comfort of your own home office, join us at ACI's virtual Annual Advanced Forum on DCAA & DCMA Cost, Pricing, Compliance & Audits taking place on August 25-26, 2020 which addresses the latest developments on business...more
Implementing Section 823 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA FY '20), on July 5, 2020, the Department of Defense (DoD) amended the DoD Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to...more
On 29 June 2020, the final rule expanding the military end user/user controls (MEU) issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) went into effect. On 26 June 2020, BIS issued an FAQs guidance document that provides...more
Amazon has announced that it has developed and is offering a "CMMC Quickstart Package" to help contractors comply with the Department of Defense's (DOD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) required for...more
The EU has extended until 31 January 2021 restrictive measures against Russia that target the financial, energy and defence sectors, as well as the area of dual-use goods....more
It is now June 2020. The Department of Defense (DoD) initially projected that, this month, it would issue ten pilot Requests for Information (RFIs) as part of its efforts to develop the means for its implementation of the...more
On 24 June 2020, the United States Department of Defense made public a list of Chinese companies operating in the U.S. that are associated with the Chinese military. ...more
Recent national events have created a potentially confusing situation for members of the United States military. There is no confusion that soldiers, sailors and airmen are afforded the same constitutional rights as their...more
For lawyers assisting U.S. service members and veterans, some of the most challenging cases involve efforts to correct errors by military law enforcement agencies. These agencies have broad powers to list a person as a...more
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"Houston Cougars...more
In today's edition of Daily Compliance News:
Black execs say corporation have failed Black America. (NYT)
Newsrooms in revolt as well? (NYT)
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SFO responds to criticism? (WSJ)...more
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text:
A module containing the ALT constructs. An ALT (a term inherited from occam) is a choice between several alternate events. In CHP, we say that an event must support alting to be a valid choice. Events that do support alting are:
Examples of events that do NOT support alting are:
It is not easily possible to represent this at the type level (while still making CHP easy to use). Therefore it is left to you to not try to alt over something that does not support it. Given how much of the library does support alting, that should hopefully be straightforward.
Here are some examples of using alting:
liftM Just (readChannel c) <-> (waitFor 1000000 >> return Nothing)
liftM Just (readChannel c) </> (skip >> return Nothing)
readChannel c0 <-> readChannel c1
(readChannel c >>= writeChannel d) </> skip
Note that if you wait for a sequential composition:
(readChannel c >>= writeChannel d) <-> (writeChannel e 6 >> readChannel f)
This only waits for the first action in both (reading from channel c, or writing to channel e), not for all of the actions (as, for example, an STM transaction would).
|An alt between several actions, with arbitrary priority. The first available action is chosen (with an arbitrary choice if many actions are available at the same time), its body run, and its value returned.
|A useful operator to perform an alt. This operator is associative, and has arbitrary priority. When you have lots of guards, it is probably easier to use the alt function. alt may be more efficent than foldl1 (<->)
An alt between several actions, with descending priority. The first available action is chosen (biased towards actions nearest the beginning of the list), its body run, and its value returned.
What priority means here is a difficult thing, and in some ways a historical artifact. We can group the guards into three categories:
1. synchronisation guards (reading from and writing to channels, and synchronising on barriers)
2. time-out guards (such as waitFor)
3. dummy guards (skip and stop)
There exists priority when comparing dummy guards to anything else. So for example,
priAlt [ skip, x ]
Will always select the first guard, whereas:
priAlt [ x , skip ]
Is an effective way to poll and see if x is ready, otherwise the skip will be chosen. However, there is no priority between synchronisation guards and time-out guards. So the two lines:
priAlt [ x, y ] priAlt [ y, x ]
May have the same or different behaviour (when x and y are not dummy guards), there is no guarantee either way. The reason behind this is that if you ask for:
priAlt [ readChannel c, writeChannel d 6 ]
And the process at the other end is asking for:
priAlt [ readChannel d, writeChannel c 8 ]
Whichever channel is chosen by both processes will not satisfy the priority at one end (if such priority between channels was supported).
|A useful operator to perform a priAlt. This operator is associative, and has descending priority (that is, it is left-biased). When you have lots of actions, it is probably easier to use the priAlt function. priAlt may be more efficent than foldl1 (</>)
Runs all the given processes in parallel with each other, but only when the choice at the beginning of each item is ready.
So for example, if you do:
every [ readChannel c >>= writeChannel d, readChannel e >>= writeChannel f]
This will forward values from c and e to d and f respectively in parallel, but only once both channels c and e are ready to be read from. So f cannot be written to before c is read from (contrast this with what would happen if every were replaced with runParallel).
This behaviour can be somewhat useful, but every is much more powerful when used as part of an alt. This code:
alt [ every [ readChannel c, readChannel d] , every [ writeChannel e 6, writeChannel f 8] ]
Waits to either read from channels c and d, or to write to channels e and f.
The events involved can partially overlap, e.g.
alt [ every [ readChannel a, readChannel b] , every [ readChannel a, writeChannel c 6] ]
This will wait to either read from channels a and b, or to read from a and write to c, whichever combination is ready first. If both are ready, the choice between them will be arbitrary (just as with any other choices; see alt for more details).
The sets can even be subsets of each other, such as:
alt [ every [ readChannel a, readChannel b] , every [ readChannel a, readChannel b, readChannel b] ]
In this case there are no guarantees as to which choice will happen. Do not assume it will be the smaller, and do not assume it will be the larger.
Be wary of what happens if a single event is included multiple times in the same every, as this may not do what you expect (with or without choice). Consider:
every [ readChannel c >> writeChannel d 6 , readChannel c >> writeChannel d 8 ]
What will happen is that the excecution will wait to read from c, but then it will execute only one of the bodies (an arbitrary choice). In general, do not rely on this behaviour, and instead try to avoid having the same events in an every. Also note that if you synchronise on a barrier twice in an every, this will only count as one member enrolling, even if you have two enrolled ends! For such a use, look at runParallel instead.
Also note that this currently applies to both ends of channels, so that:
every [ readChannel c, writeChannel c 2 ]
Will block indefinitely, rather than completing the communication.
Each item every must support choice (and in fact only a subset of the items supported by alt are supported by every). Currently the items in the list passed to every must be one of the following:
Timeouts (e.g. waitFor) are currently not supported. You can always get another process to synchronise on an event with you once a certain time has passed.
Note also that you cannot put an alt inside an every. So you cannot say:
every [ readChannel c , alt [ readChannel d, readChannel e ] ]
To wait for c and (d or e) like this you must expand it out into (c and d) or (c and e):
alt [ every [ readChannel c, readChannel d] , every [ readChannel c, readChannel e] ]
As long as x meets the conditions laid out above, every [x] will have the same behaviour as x.
Added in version 1.1.0
A useful operator that acts like every. The operator is associative and commutative (see every for notes on idempotence). When you have lots of things to join with this operator, it's probably easier to use the every function.
Added in version 1.1.0
|Produced by Haddock version 2.4.2


text:
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American Judaism
American Judaism
Learn more about American Judaism by exploring these suggested resources:
Books Available in the Asher Library
- The Columbia History of Jews and Judaism in America. Marc Lee Raphael, Ed. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008.
- Jews in America: A Contemporary Reader. Roberta Rosenberg Farber and Chaim I. Waxman Eds. Hanover: Published by University Press of New England for Brandeis University Press, 1999.
- What is American about the American Jewish Experience? Marc Lee Raphael, Ed. Williamsburg, Va.: Dept. of Religion, College of William and Mary, 1993.
- Feingold, Henry L. Lest Memory Cease: Finding Meaning in the American Jewish Past. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1996.
- Fishman, Sylvia Barack. Jewish Life and American Culture. Albany, NY: State University of New York, 2000.
- Heinze, Andrew R. Jews and the American Soul: Human Nature in the Twentieth Century.Princeton, N.J.: Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2004.
- Raphael, Marc Lee. Judaism in America. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003.
- Sarna, Jonathan D. American Judaism: A History. New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press, 2004.
Browse the Catalog
Search Subject:
Jews United States History
Judaism United States
Browse the Shelves
LC Call Number:
Spertus Digital Resources
- The American Jewish Mosaic — Hear audio from this panel discussion held at Spertus on June 6, 2010. Features Emily Soloff of Interreligious and Intergroup Affairs of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) with Rabbi Capers C. Funnye, Jr. of Chicago's Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation and Rabbi Rigoberto Emmanuel Viñas of New York's El Centro de Estudios Judios.
Online Resources
- American Digital Archive of the American Jewish Experience — Full text of American Jewish History, 1893-1978
- Jews in America Digital Collection from the Center for Jewish History


text:
Anyone can tell you if a trailer "looks good" or not. But Drew Magary, who spent over a decade working in advertising, is here to tell you whether or not a trailer WORKS. This week's trailer? "A Warrior's Heart".
FINALLY! They have made a major motion picture about the EXTREME, MAN-BUILDING sport that is LACROSSE. Oh, how I've waited for this day. Hollywood has churned out any number of movies about baseball, basketball, football, boxing and even horse racing, most of which feature talking dogs. But where are the lacrosse movies? When will affluent white boys from the mid-Atlantic region get the Hollywood treatment they so richly deserve? Well, fear not, America. The studios have finally answered your prayers with A WARRIOR'S HEART. And the title suggests right off the bat that they're going to take lacrosse WAY too seriously. I can't wait! Let's look at the trailer and see if we can answer a few questions.
Does the trailer let us know what the movie's about? Yes. LACROSSE! Hot beefy young rich boys running around with sticks! YOU CAN'T HANDLE THEIR TWIRLING. Our chief laxhead is Kellen Lutz, who shows up at some fancy prep school in a hot red convertible. There's no better way to communicate that your hero is an underdog than that! After that, the trailer gets kind of murky. There's Ashley Greene as both the love interest AND your CEO of Bad Narration. Then you have Lutz' dad going to Iraq and dying (?). Then Lutz smashes a trophy case because LAX AIN'T ABOUT TROPHIES BRO. Then you have Lutz apparently banished to some kind of rural apple farm THAT DEFINITELY NEEDS A LAX TEAM. Then you have Adam Beach dropping in to boss Lutz around and tell him what it really means to be a LAX WARRIOR.
Is there a villain? There is! The nefarious CHORD OVERSTREET, who serves as perhaps the least imposing adversary in film history. So Chord and his tousled hair get all frisky with Lutz in the locker room and he's like YOU AIN'T TAKIN' MY SPOT. And then Lutz is like, "Well do you play RIGHT SIDE ATTACK? CAUSE RSA IS ALL ME, BROSEPH." And then much bro-downing ensues. It's like Maverick vs. Iceman, but not!
Does the movie go to great lengths to let you know that lax was originally a Native American sport? You know it does. There's a quick snippet of an Apache running shirtless through a field with a stick, which apparently is just a shot lifted from the cutting room floor of that one Terence Malick film. If you ever get a lax player worked up by telling them their sport is lame, the first thing you'll hear out of them is OH YEAH? IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE INDIANS! FACE.
Are the two main characters named Connor and Brooklyn? They are! LACROSSEMANCE.
Does this movie's web page have a blurb from Perez Hilton? I swear it does, and this is the blurb: "Twi-hards out there are going to love this!" Whoa hey, it appeals to Perez and Twi-hards AND lax players? That's like the Holy Trinity of Awfulness.
Does this trailer work? For mockery? Yes. For enticing people see a movie? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Trailer Park: A Warrior's Heart!
Anyone can tell you if a trailer "looks good" or not. But Drew Magary, who spent over a decade working in advertising, is here to tell you whether or not a trailer WORKS. This week's trailer? "A Warrior's Heart".


text:
Enhanced spamstats for Munin
I added some extra fields to the stock spamstats plugin for munin-node. This version tracks legit (ham), spammy, spam, viruses, and DNSBL blocked mail. The output looks like:
The script is after the jump.
ClamAV, American Express, and Heuristics.Phishing.Email.SpoofedDomain
ClamAV was doing it's job scanning email via amavis-new. It was catching all the nasties that folks tend to foist on their fellow net citizens. Unfortunately, when your spam and virus filters are doing their job, they occasionally catch folks who aren't malicious, but also aren't using best practices. This was the case with American Express. Emails to my clients from @welcome.aexp.com were being classified as "Heuristics.Phishing.Email.SpoofedDomain". Searching around the net brought me to several sites where admins had ended up doing crazy things like disabling the heuristic scanning on email in ClamAV, or creating elaborate policy banks in amavis. Well, I was having none of that. I like the most correct, simplest solution. Hopefully, this methodology will help others solve similar issues.
One post I read referenced this document that relates how to create whitelists for Clam's phishing filters. That's a good start. That same document mentions a utility script called "why.py" that will help isolate why an email is getting picked up by a rule. Unfortunately, my install didn't have that script. A little searching brought me to a copy on GitHub. Running that led to a laundry list of python specific issues, mostly due to my environment. But, using the script as a guide, I just did it manually. The following command gave me a goldmine of information.
A few items to note about the command:
- The path after the -d is the location of my AV signatures.
- The amex_mail.eml is the raw text of the email (headers and all) that I pulled out of our quarantine database.
In that giant slew of output from the clamscan debug, the important part was this:
LibClamAV debug: Phishing: looking up in whitelist: .www.youtube.com:.www208.americanexpress.com; host-only:1
LibClamAV debug: Looking up in regex_list: www.youtube.com:www208.americanexpress.com/
LibClamAV debug: Lookup result: not in regex list
LibClamAV debug: Phishcheck: Phishing scan result: URLs are way too different
LibClamAV debug: found Possibly Unwanted: Heuristics.Phishing.Email.SpoofedDomain
The issue is that there are links that display one URL, but link to a different URL altogether. I added the first pair to a file called daily.wdb in the same directory as my other ClamAV signatures. (/var/lib/clamav/ in my case.) With each pair that I added, I would re-run the debug command and discover a new pair. I ended up with three pairs in there before the emails checked out clean. Below is the contents of the daily.wdb file.
Here is a more advanced example of a daily.wdb file.
Once I restarted clamd, the AmEx emails started to pass as expected. Hope this helps someone.
AIX, Kerberos, LDAP, and Active Directory
I have an article published on IBM Develeoperworks detailing a working setup of Kerberos, LDAP, and AD authentication from AIX.
The Raspberry Pi Has Arrived
Due to the insanely late ship date of my Pi, I received the v2 model for being patient. (The v2 has 512MB of onboard memory vice 256MB on the v1.) In the first 30 minutes, I was able to load one SD card with RaspBMC (XBMC optimized for the Pi) and another with Raspbian (The project's build of Debian Wheezy for the Pi). I didn't get too much time to poke around with it from there.
Here are some of the uses I have in mind:
- Media center to stream content from the movie/TV collection on my NAS. (using RaspBMC)
- Penetration testing platform using PwnPi, Raspberry Pwn, or rolling my own, starting from a base install of Raspbian.
- A replacement for my always on test/dev server that also acts as the gateway for me to SSH into my home network.
- A front end for my audio components using an IR sender and a web GUI accessible from my phone. (Those GPIO pin outs are too tempting.)
Odds are, the first unit will end up being a blend of many of those options. I'm already queued up for 2 more when I make it down the list again.
Because I spend more time at the prompt than consuming media, I think I'll start with Raspbian and build up the LAMP stack first.
More to come as time allows. I should probably be studying for my CISSP now…
Filling PDF forms with PHP – Part 1
At work, we have oodles of databases containing untold treasures of information. We also have boatloads of fillable PDF's for just about every possible task. (It's government work after all.) As I walk around, I see these poor souls listlessly going back and forth between their database apps and their PDF forms, copying and pasting. I finally decided that surely I could help the disenfranchised masses remove ten or twenty Ctl-C/Ctl-V operations out of every form they fill out. Nobody wants to spend their day making "copypasta". So, I'm secretly (never tip your hand until successful) undertaking this as a side project. (Because apparently I have something against sleeping.)
So, my initial tests look promising, but I haven't generated a lick of PHP yet, so don't get excited. Hopefully this will give you an idea as to what I'm doing.
Here's the gist of it:
The Swiss Army Knife of PDF tools, pdftk, can generate an FDF file from a PDF form like so:
The generated FDF file had a few odd characters (like ^@ and þÿ) that I had to scrub out to make it useful. That could be my environment, your mileage may vary. (CentOS 5.8, pdftk 1.44, BTW) If you have the same, I used the following 2 commands in vim to scrub them out:
Now I had a raw, blank FDF to work with, but all my fields were out of order and had names like "TextField[1]" or "CheckBox5[0]", which was further made ugly by the fact that the names repeat for each row of fields nested inside the PDF's table structure. Icky. My first thought was to enter values for every text field like "textField1″ to "textFieldn", but when I laid the data back over the form, there was no semblance of order and it was going to be a nightmare. I decided to go back and fill out the original PDF with descriptive names, regenerated my FDF, and cleaned it up like above. Now I had an FDF where I could tell up from down, mostly. The pertinent parts of the FDF look like this:
/T (CheckBox5[0])
/T (CheckBox5[1])
/T (TextField[1])
I still can't discern the checkboxes, so some trial and error will be necessary there. The basics of it are thus: The value is in the "/V" line and the field type/designator is the "/T" line AFTER it. Text values go inside parentheses. For checkboxes, a lone slash means unchecked. The checked value will depend on your form. The PDF spec calls for "(Yes)" for a checked box. The form I was working with uses "/1″. Trial and error. Good luck on that.
If you change some values in the FDF and want to try generating a filled form, you use the following syntax:
If all goes well, you'll have a neat new filled PDF.
That's great, you say, but how does this work with PHP? As I see it, you use the FDF file as a template by inserting placeholders in each of the values. You parse and replace them, then merge with the original PDF to get your filled form. (using shell_exec() or similar) I'll work that part out and write Part II.
If you work it out first, or already have and really like me, post it in the comments.
Raspberry Pi
With the forthcoming shipment of my long-awaited Raspberry Pi, I am adding a new section under the projects category.
I wish I could have gotten my hands on more than one, because I have had way too much time to dream up uses for them.
More to come…
In the meantime, my buddy already received his and is way better about actually updating his blog at gymnophoria.com.
Pandora from the Command Line
I like having Pandora going pretty much all the time, be it Bach when I'm coding, Techno for sysadmin tasks, or indulging my shameful pop music addiction. I wanted a way to control Pandora without having to drop out of the shell. I wanted it for my Mac, but lucked out and found one that works across all the platforms I use. Pianobar is a command line Pandora client and it works in Mac and Linux. (And Windows too.)
I was having a little trouble building it in Snow Leopard using the instructions from here, when I discovered that it's already available in MacPorts. So I installed it with:
In Linux, you can find links to the repos for your distro of choice on the Pianobar website.
Next, I wanted it to login automatically and start playing when I launched it. On Mac, you can create a config file at ~/.config/pianobar/config, with contents similar to the following:
password = s3cR3t_sQu1RR3L
user = email@example.com
To get the station ID for the autostart_station parameter:
- Run pianobar
- Log in manually
- Launch your favorite station
- Hit i to see the station and song info.
- The station ID will be in parentheses after the station name.
After you've got your file saved, you should be able to launch pianobar and have it start playing auto-magically.
Now, my next step was to use at so I could start pianobar at a given time and use it as an alarm clock.
You need to enable atrun on your Mac to use at to schedule jobs. (It's enabled by default on most Linux distros.) You can schedule the launch like so:
pianobar #hit enter
#hit Ctl+D
If you start pianobar with at, it's not on an interactive shell so you have no way to interact with it, or so I thought. You can create a fifo file to pass controls to the process:
Once you have that, you can control pianobar by echoing commands into the fifo:
echo p > ~/.config/pianobar/ctl
#To quit:
echo q > ~/.config/pianobar/ctl
#etc. etc.
Hopefully that's food for though enough to get you started. Enjoy.
PHP Choose Your Own Adventure
It all started with a whim. "I wonder if anyone has written a choose your own adventure game in PHP?" That landed me on Cal Henderson's "choose" game. That, in turn, led me to Club-Ubuntu's fork. I started playing around with the stock version and found myself making quite a few changes, so I decided to dig in a little deeper and make it an official fork. I added support for Google Adsense and Analytics, ReCaptcha on the user forms, and an admin page to manage some of the new features as well as some of the copy throughout the site.
I pushed the initial release to github tonight. You can find the code here. There is also a working demo available.
Cleaning out the the wiki
I started going through my wiki and some old folders on my NAS this week. I have several old projects that may be of use to someone. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to try to post a whole slew of stuff. I'm also working on a few new projects that are nearly ready to be put out into the wild. So, in short, stay tuned.
Samba Network TIFF Printing
For over a year now, we have been using a samba shared network printer to generate TIFF files from electronic documents so that they can be imported directly in to iPerms. The TIFF printer is simply a script that takes PostScript input from the client machine's print driver and converts it to an iPerms compatible TIFF image. This is primarily useful for an Army installation, but may be relevant if your site is using some other form of document archiving system that uses TIFF images. I can say that ours has spit out over 30,000 pages.
How it works:
Users setup the printer on their system using a PS print driver. (On Vista, I usually use the HP Color Laserjet 2500 PS driver) When they print a document to the printer, it generate a PDF, converts the PDF to a TIFF file and removes the interim PDF. The completed file is dropped into a share with 0600 file permissions. I use 0600 because I set the share to only display readable files. Thus, while everyone is printing to the same folder, they only see their files when they open the share. Less chance of PII leakage.
Read more


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We have worked everything out so we will be going to the campground in VA for Easter weekend. The boys are going to spend the night with Nana & Poppy Thursday night to dye eggs. Ben will be away for work Thursday night so that leaves me alone on Friday to get everything packed. Once Ben gets home from work on Friday we will pack up the dogs (and their crates) and head to Rich & Laura's house. We will drop the dogs off, pick up the boys and head to the campground. It will probably be about a 3 hour drive (possibly more) depending on traffic. We will get there pretty late at night, but all of the main activities are on Saturday so we want to just get up there Friday night. We will stay at the campground Friday, Saturday, Sunday and head back Monday. We will pick up the dogs on our way home. The weather is supposed to be sunny and 80 degrees so we should have a really good time!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Easter Plans
On to a different topic....yesterday while I was talking to Ryder's case manager on the phone about the upcoming meeting she told me that his original speech therapist (the one we loved) was back from maternity leave. After we finished talking she put Rachel on the phone and we set up a session for this morning. I am so excited she is back! We talked a lot about his progress and what the main concerns are now. We are going to start working with picture exchange communication. He still does not ask for basic needs such as food, drink or needing his diaper changed. So she is going to start coming weekly (instead of every other week) while we get him started using the pictures. I am hoping this will make mealtimes easier so he can tell us what he would like to eat. She is also going bring pictures with her to make a Before and After board so we can visually show him what the schedule is going to be (First Dinner Then Bath kind of thing). I am also supposed to start giving him lots of opportunities to make choices throughout the day (what color washcloth, what shirt, etc) to try and get him to voice his needs/wants more. We will also work on yes and no questions with him.
Next week on Tuesday Ryder is going to have his formal Autism testing done at Kennedy Krieger. Hopefully we will get more of a definitive answer regarding this possible diagnosis. It is perfect timing since his IEP meeting is next Friday!
Posted by April at 11:47 AM 0 comments
Sunday, March 28, 2010
639 pages in 34 hours
This weekend the weather was not as nice as it had been...there were more clouds, wind and rain with cooler temperatures. We continued the breathing treatments for the boys all weekend and they are started to sound much better with less coughing. Ryder still has a pretty bad runny nose, but it doesn't seem to be slowing him down at all. My plan is to take Zak to daycare tomorrow and go to Ryder's class since they both sound better and have been on the antibiotics for a few days.
On Friday when Ben got home from work we all took a trip to WalMart so we could buy a lawn mower. The boys had a blast playing with the box...
On Saturday morning we dropped Ben off at his mom's house to help Rich with something in their backyard. The boys and I went to Chick-Fil-A for breakfast then we went to Target & WalMart for a few things. Once we finished those errands Ben was ready to be picked up. We hung out at their house for a bit and then went to Panera for lunch. After a few more stops we went home. That evening Ben mowed the lawn which the boys enjoyed watching.
Today it was a pretty lazy day. I went out this evening to WalMart, but other than that we stayed home all day.
Now, on to the name of this post. It all started when we received the movie New Moon (the second of the Twilight series) from Netflix the day it came out on DVD. I was dying to see it and LOVED it! I ended up watching it three times before we mailed back (which was only about 24 hours after we received it). I decided I couldn't wait until June to find out what happens next so I went out and bought the third book, Eclipse. I started reading it on Saturday morning in the car while Ben drove us to his mom's house. I continued to read it during the car ride home and throughout the rest of the day. I then continued to read the book throughout the day today. Right before dinner I finished reading the book. I read 639 pages in about 34 hours which is BIG for me since I am not really a reader at all. But once I find a book that I like I tend to get hooked and can't put it down! Tonight when I finished the book I was more than eager to find out what happens in the last book. So I went to WalMart and bought the fourth book to start reading. Along with the book I also bought both of the movies from the series that are out so far...Twilight and New Moon. I am completely hooked on this series at the moment and plan to borrow the first two books from Chelley so I can read them also.
Posted by April at 9:04 PM 0 comments
Friday, March 26, 2010
Take 2
Well, this morning I took the boys back to the pediatrician for what I was hoping would be their last lung re-check. She listened to Zak first and said his lungs sounded much better. She could hear some crackles & congestion, but as soon as he coughed it went away. So he is doing what he needs to do to help the antibiotics get rid of all the junk in there.
Then she listened to Ryder. I told her his runny nose was worse and he was coughing more. She heard several crackles in his lungs and even when he coughed she said it didn't get any better. His pulse ox was fine and respiratory rate was also normal which are both good signs. She decided to go ahead and give him an antibiotic and send us to get a chest x-ray. I just got a call from the pediatrician saying he definitely has junk in his lungs and it is borderline pneumonia so hopefully the antibiotics will help get rid of that. We have also noticed a trend with Ryder that is slightly concerning...he has never really been able to have a productive cough and get the junk out of his lungs which leads to the several bouts of pneumonia. The pediatrician said it could have to do with his low muscle tone.
Tomorrow is the last day for oral steroids for both of them. Zak has 6 more days of antibiotics and Ryder has 10 days of antibiotics. The pediatrician wants to re-check both of their lungs the beginning of next week and hopefully that will be the last for a while.
Onto a slightly different topic...I got a call the other day from the Immunologist at Johns Hopkins. Ryder's Geneticist wants him to see this Immunologist since he seems to get several infections along with the fact that he had that rare H.Influenzae Non-Typable back when he was 9 months old. I was shocked to get a call from the actual Immunologist. She was calling to ask me to send all of his shot records, any immune system blood work he has had, along with all appointment notes when he went to the pediatrician with a sickness. Before I had a chance to say anything she said she realizes that is a lot of information, but it will be helpful to her. Once she receives all of that information I will get another call to set up the appointment to see her at Hopkins.
Posted by April at 1:23 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Health Update and New Clothes
Zak woke up once overnight with a really bad coughing spell so I took him to the bathroom and gave him a breathing treatment. After I put him back in bed he fell asleep pretty quickly. This morning he was extremely cranky and continually told me "No want mesin", but he did take the steroids and antibiotics with no problem once he saw it in the syringes. He did fight me during the breathing treatment this morning, but was more cooperative for the others today. After listening to him whine and complain I realized he wanted me to pull down their train set which we had put away a little while ago. We decided to put some toys away in Rubbermaids so that we could rotate them since they have way too many toys! Looks like it is time to rotate the toys since they seem to be getting bored with the current ones in the playroom. Here is the train tracks they set up all on their own (I was doing dishes and laundry)....
Once I got Zak to put on the mask for his breathing
treatment he seemed to forget it was even on...
A picture the boys made on the computer paint programZak had an appointment with the pediatrician today at 1pm to re-check his lungs and see how he is doing. The pediatrician said there was still wheezing and junk in his lower right lung where the pneumonia is, but the rest sounded much better today. She thinks the medicine is kicking in and working well so we are happy about that. She then went on to tell me that they think we should start both boys on Zyrtec for allergies to see if it will help keep their asthma and breathing under control and prevent more infections and breathing issues. Also, she wants me to bring Zak in on Friday with Ryder to have one last check on his progress. On the way home from the pediatrician we stopped and bought some of the generic Zyrtec to start using tomorrow. Once we got home I laid the boys down for a nap and they actually fell asleep pretty quickly. I took advantage of that time to get some of their new clothes organized and I took some pictures. They are very difficult to buy clothes for right now so I am not sure that all of it fits them. We know they can wear 2T and 3T tops, but the bottoms are the issue. In some brands/styles they can wear 24month/2T, but in other brands/styles they still have trouble holding up the 18 month size.
Shorts and 2 outfits
(WalMart, Children's Place, JC Penny)
Shorts from Sears that Ben fell in love with
3-Piece outfits from Sears
Outfits from Sears
Shorts and Overalls from Yard Sales
Outfits from Yard Sales
Short Sleeved Shirts from Yard Sales
Tank Tops from Yard Sales
Outfits for Baby Abby (in FL)
Skirt for Piper (in FL)
Outfit for Baby Noah (in FL)I also bought a bag full of clothes for Maddie at the yard sales, but I didn't get a picture of them before we dropped them off to Chelley. Girls clothing is so addictive and I just couldn't stop picking things up....and no, I still don't want a girl!
Posted by April at 3:38 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Sick Again...
On Monday the boys started to cough and have runny noses, but I thought it could be from allergies since we spent all weekend outside. Last night and this morning it became obvious that they were both actually sick so I made an appointment for them with the pediatrician for 9:30am. I gave them both a breathing treatment around 7:30am when they woke up and then we headed to the pediatrician around 9am.
The pediatrician first looked at Ryder and said he had some wheezing in his lungs and his throat was red. So they did a strep test (came back negative) along with a breathing treatment. His pules ox (measurement of how much oxygen is in the blood) was around 94 before the treatment and jumped up to 96 afterwards. His lungs sounds really good after the treatment. She sent him home with oral steroids for 5 days to try and help with his cough and prevent any infection and wants to see him back on Friday to make sure his lungs are doing good.
Then she moved on to Zak and I knew he was worse. You could hear his wheezing from another room so I knew his lungs were not doing well. She said his throat was red so they did a strep test which came back negative also. She also said his lungs were very congested and not moving air too well. His pulse ox was around 94 and his respiratory rate was very fast. After his first breathing treatment his pulse ox actually went down to 90 which she said was normal. The medication loosened all the junk which actually made it harder for him to breathe. So they did a second breathing treatment for him. After that the pediatrician said his lungs sounded much better, but he still had lots of junk in there. They couldn't get his pulse ox above 91-92 and usually they send kids to the hospital if it is below 92, but they felt we knew what signs to look for along with the fact that we have a nebulizer at home so they sent him home. We did have to go and get a chest x-ray on the way home which showed he has pneumonia. So he is on oral steroids for 5 days, antibiotics for 10 days and breathing treatments every 4 hours. We take him back tomorrow to check his lungs and pulse ox. If the pulse ox is still low then we will more than likely end up in the hospital.
It has only been about 2 weeks since the last illness! Ryder had pneumonia and Zak had Roseola at that time. When we go back tomorrow I am going to ask if she thinks any of this could have to do with allergies. I know allergies can cause asthma to act up so I want to see if we should start the boys on some sort of allergy medication to try and prevent more breathing issues.
Over the weekend we picked up the boys' old exersaucer from Chelley since Maddie is no longer using it. It has been sitting in the living room and tonight the boys wanted to play in it. So Ben set it up which led to a fight. So Ben went to the basement and brought up their old bouncy seat also...
We told Zak it was bedtime so he laid his head down and pretended to go to sleep!
Posted by April at 10:56 PM 0 comments
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Busy Weekend
The weather this weekend has been beautiful! We decided to take full advantage of the weather and spent most of the weekend outside. On Friday I took the boys to a local playground which they loved. I got a workout chasing them around all over the place.
They still fit together without a problem at 2.5 years old
Ryder freaked out when I tried to put him in his own swing
He would only swing with Zak
Ryder was concentrating very hard while filling the bucket
Zak's sand castle
(little circle by his feet)Friday night we dropped the boys off to spend a few hours with Nana & Poppy so that Ben and I could go to the Annapolis Moms of Multiples consignment sale. While we were out we decided to see if the boys wanted to spend the night with Nana and Poppy...which they did. Saturday morning Ben and I went to the Columbia Moms of Multiples consignment sale also. Then we went to Rich & Laura's house to get the boys. Laura and I went back to the AMOM sale during the half price hour while the boys played with Poppy and Ben. At the two sales I was able to get a bunch of Spring/Summer clothes for the boys and other kids in the family!
After that we had lunch at Chick-Fil-A and then went to see Chelley, Maddie & John at their apartment. I had bought a bunch of clothes for Maddie so we needed to drop them off and the boys had fun playing with Maddie. When we left their apartment we headed to Colleen's for a bit. The boys played in the yard with Joey, Jay, and Natalie. We finally made it home around 7pm. Here are some pictures from Saturday...
Ben charging the power 4-wheeler we got at the sale
Natalie's doggy
Zak didn't want to go home
Ryder REALLY didn't want to go homeToday Ben cleaned up his work truck and tools with help from the boys while I went to Target and WalMart. Then we packed up lunch and headed to Annie's Playground for a picnic lunch, walk on the trail and some time on the playground.
After about 3 minutes the boys decided they didn't
want to ride the scooters...
Zak playing in their old exersaucer
Eating chicken salad sandwichAs we got to our court in the neighborhood we noticed there was something going on across the street. There were a bunch of people watching, a few cops, and a tow truck. I am not sure exactly what went on, but a car drove into somebody's backyard....
Posted by April at 10:09 PM 0 comments
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It's time to Use Our Imagination!
Our Art Table with Drying Rack & Storage gives budding artists everything they need to create their next masterpiece. The paper roll stored under the tabletop is moved by twisting the knob, and the two cups with lids keep paint handy and mess free. With storage space on both sides, there is ample room for all their paints, brushes, and other supplies. The best part is that when they are all done painted, the drying rack will ensure their art work will be perfectly dry to hang up on the fridge!
Shipping: FREE


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A Georgia mother and her two young children are unharmed after a man broke into their house with a crowbar on Friday, cornering them in an attic crawlspace. The woman was at home with her nine-year-old twins when the doorbell rang. When they didn't answer, the man reportedly went back to his car and returned with a crowbar. The mother said she could see the suspect– now identified as Paul Slater– trying to enter the house with the crowbar from her office window. Without hesitation, she grabbed her children, her phone, her gun, and ran upstairs.
One can only imagine the breathless moments after the man broke down the door and began searching the house.
But the man eventually found the family.
"The perpetrator opens that door. Of course, at that time he's staring at her, her two children and a .38 revolver," The woman then shot him five times, but he survived, Chapman said. He said the woman ran out of bullets but threatened to shoot the intruder if he moved.
"She's standing over him, and she realizes she's fired all six rounds. And the guy's telling her to quit shooting," Chapman said.
The woman ran to a neighbor's home with her children. The intruder attempted to flee in his car but crashed into a wooded area and collapsed in a nearby driveway, Chapman said.
Slater– who was taken to the hospital with punctured lungs, a punctured liver, and a punctured stomach– has reportedly been arrested six times since 2008.
"My wife is a hero. She protected her kids. She did what she was supposed to do as a responsible, prepared gun owner," [the woman's husband] Donnie Herman said.
He said he's thankful for his family's safety.
"Her life is saved, and her kids' life is saved, and that's all I'd like to say," Herman said.
Commenters have overwhelmingly agreed with the husband thus far– one Savannah Morning News reader even posting a similar story illustrating the importance of the woman's firearm.
In the other report, after an unarmed woman's home was robbed, she was the one who ended up in the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds.


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Frederick John Perry (18 May 1909 – 2 February 1995) born in Stockport, Cheshire, was an English tennis and table tennis player and three-time Wimbledon champion. He was the World No. 1 player for five years, four of them consecutive, 1934 to 1938, the first three years as an amateur.
As an eight-time Slam winner, Perry is the last British male player to win any of tennis's Grand Slam events, and one of only six men in history to have won all 4 Grand Slam events.
Born in 1872, his father, Samuel Perry, was elected to the British House of Commons as a Co-operative member for Kettering. Perry was a Table Tennis World Champion in 1929 and took up tennis at the relatively late age of 18. He had exceptional speed from his table tennis days and played with the Continental grip, attacking the ball low and on the rise. He was the first player to win all four Grand Slam singles titles, though not all in the same year. He was the first to have achieved the "Career Grand Slam," doing so at the age of 26. Perry is the last British player to win the Wimbledon men's singles title, winning it three times in a row and becoming a British icon.