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Despite their "legendary rock band" status, it was clear even to The Eagles on Saturday night that they weren't the only attraction [4].
"Look at this beautiful, brand-new arena!" bassist Timothy B. Schmit smiled from the stage after a few songs had been played in the towering KFC Yum! Center. The sold-out crowd roared with applause.
The Eagles are an interesting group to watch on stage. While their finest moments come from the harmonies they hit together, they each fulfill a specific role when performing – almost like actors playing parts. The aforementioned Schmit is the quiet support player, rarely stepping out of the shadows, but always smiling and carrying the low end without fail. Guitarist/pianist Glenn Frey is the fun-loving host, the unassuming, flannel-wearing guy you want to drink beer with. Guitarist/percussionist Don Henley handles the band's sex appeal, with a simple but smoldering command of the stage when he is given the microphone. And lead guitarist Joe Walsh – he is the ultimate class clown who just happens to know how to strangle an electric guitar in all of the right ways.
Together with a tight-knit group of support players (led by the impressive guitar playing of Stuart Smith) that have been the fulfillment of the Eagles live sound for almost a decade, these four characters create a layered country rock and roll show with enough texture and changes to never lose steam.
With two sets and multiple encores together clocking in at three full hours, the concert Saturday night featured every aspect of the Eagles – and several other aspects of its members.
The group opened both sets with a flurry of songs from their latest release A Long Road Out of Eden, taking time twice to do fully a cappella entries that highlighted the group's ability to still pull off their trademark sound. It is impressive to hear how little shine has been lost from the four performing voices, even after 40 years.
But the emphasis was still on the hits that have made The Eagles a household name. Hardly a half hour into the evening, the classic album cover was projected on the giant screen behind the band while a trumpet solo announced the opening strains of "Hotel California." Later, the band sat on stools and led the crowd through a sing-along of "Take it to the Limit" – a tune Frey introduced as "our credit card song." And throughout the evening, Henley and Walsh were given opportunities to play some of their biggest musical moments apart from The Eagles, including Henley's "Boys of Summer" and Walsh's James Gang era "Funk #49."
Want to see the full setlist? Check it out here [5].
Photos: Brian Eichenberger


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Teaching and Speaking Engagements
Kartar is always receptive to expanding her opportunities for speaking and teaching. Schools, clubs, companies, corporations and private parties are invited to contact Feng Shui Solutions for the speaking dates you have in mind. Kartar is a polished speaker, humorous and topical, having been a repeat guest at many real estate functions, corporate learning programs, bookstores, USC's Festival of Health, Macys Department Stores, Universal Studios, Xerox Corporation, and the Los Angeles Country Club to name just a few.
She can tailor the talk to as brief as 15 minutes or to a full 3-hour workshop or more. Fees for speaking will vary depending on the audience size and location. Kartar has given presentations on such topics as:
- Using Feng Shui Knowledge to Improve Your Financial Success
- Feng Shui in a Corporate Environment
- Feng Shui Secrets for Love and Romance
- Easy Ways to Improve Your Health, Stamina and Focus with Feng Shui
- How to Stimulate the Creative Muse with Feng Shui
- Feng Shui in the Office
- Maximizing the Design Phase with Feng Shui
- How to Use Feng Shui in Real Estate Ventures
Kartar has also expanded her repertoire to include presentations and classes on the topic of Nine Star Ki, which is closely linked in origin to Feng Shui. While Feng Shui teaches us how to be in control of our physical space, Nine Star Ki gives us mastery over time and insight into decision making.

subset: commoncrawl


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Holden Price – Port Matilda, PA
Holden Price's family has always enjoyed fishing of all kinds. Being from Central Pennsylvania made it inevitable that a fly rod would one day get into his hands. From that time on it was "Love at first Cast". Two meetings along the streams were also influential: his meeting of Charles Meck (along the Bald Eagle Creek and learning the tandem fly) and his meeting Chris Haser, (a past Team USA Youth coach) at Fisherman's Paradise one day…and the rest is history.
When asked what he was most looking forward to about being part of Team USA Youth, Holden's response was quite simple. "Representing my country is #1, a huge honor! I know being named to the US Youth Team will help me advance my skills, both on and off the water. I'm glad to be a part of a group of guys who want, and are willing to work hard for, many of the same things as I do, including continuing success as a team and advancing the team going into the future. I want to emphasize how important the support of my family and coaches has been to me, as well as the team. Our success would not be possible without that support, and our success is their primary reward. Thanks!"
As for future plans, Holden wants to successfully blend his love of the outdoors with the advanced education needed for a real career, as well as being able to contribute to the Team after the teen years are over. So much will happen in these next years, but for sure he will be "in there" advancing his fly fishing skills, his education, and generally pushing himself to where he can, as he says, "make a difference."


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Auto Locksmiths
Extensive range of vehicle keys, empty pods, chips, remotes, blades plus much more. Cloning chips and heads for Silca, Keyline, Jma and all Supercloners. Search keys and remotes by make model and year. Oyster and ASP vehicle locks, levers and repair kits.
Household Keys
Massive range of cylinder, mortice and patterned keys. We are distributors for Silca and Keyline key blanks and British manufactured mortice keys. We also supply genuine keys and alternative suppliers keys to compliment the range
Key Machine and Accessories
Key cutting machinery (manual and electronic), adaptors, cutters and a vast range of parts. Diagnostic key programmers for vehicle keys. Essential key cutting accessories.
Locking Products
Large range of high quality security products. Padlocks, night latches, mortice locks, euro profiles, hasp and staples, desk & locker locks and much more. We are main distributors for Sterling Security Products which cover a massive range of applications.
Batteries, watch straps and shoe repair products – massive range stocked. Compliment your key cutting with our range of counter sales novelty goods (discs, key labels, key fobs etc)


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Good news for swimmers. Quick dry swimsuits "Sun Dry Swim" are now available using nanotechnology swim wear fabric.
Some of the interesting features of nanotechnology treated Sun Dry Swim are:
- innovative water resistant swim wear that dries itself in seconds.
- repels water from the surface, while still allowing the fabric to become wet through when fully immersed in water for swimming or washing.
- uses water based non-toxic nanotechnology treatment and is environment friendly.
- completely harmless to skin.
- chlorine, sand and salt resistant.
- gives sun protection: SPF 50 UV.
- resistant fading from UV rays.
- washing: quick hand rinse in cold or lukewarm water, then hang or lay flat to dry in the shade.
- do not: bleach, iron, dry clean or machine wash.
- available at Solestrom.
View an interesting video clip: Sun Dry Technologies Water Resistant Sports Wear
For more information, log on to Sun Dry Swim, Solestrom.
Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:
Chagos Islands: Citizens have No Right to Live in Their Home Land
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Rainbow Doodlers
Adult Colouring, Doodling and Tangling - We LOVE it!
In all our adventures following breadcrumbs all over the web, we've noticed that there are SOOOO many places where you can download Adult Coloring Pages, and find books to color, and awesome people blogging about all the aspects of various techniques, and Facebook Groups and Pinterest Boards...but nowhere is there really a place that brings the AMAZING Artists that create these wondrous inspirational goodies together with the awesome people that admire and colour them in a community...a tribe...
So this is what we're setting out to do. We are creating a platform for all of us to find all these things in ONE place...a place to share our passion and to have fun together.
We hope you join us. We're looking forward to seeing all of you around.
Whether you're just downloading a free page to color, or pinning them to your Pinterest boards for later.
Maybe you're an artist who creates the most amazing stuff and want to share them with the world.
We've made space for you here...you're welcome...come on in!
All Artists are Listed on their own Profile Pages. Basic Level Monthly Subscription includes a live link to your website. Full Monthly Subscription includes live links to all your sites and social media. The good news? When we launch, everyone gets FREE Basic Level Subscription for 3 Months! Even if you opt out (hopefully you'll see it brings you benefits and won't) your Profile Page stays, the links are then just not live. So you just can't lose being here!
Some of our Currently Featured Artists
Our Honorary Life Membership Artists
Some more Published Adult Colouring Book Artists
Explore More
Roundup from around the Web
Currently on our Instagram!
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As a board member, you are well aware that cyber adversaries have had much success, these past few years, leveraging weaknesses in their victims' security controls at each stage of the attack lifecycle. You have responded by approving your CIOs and CISOs requests for millions of dollars of security equipment designed to prevent and detect cyber adversaries. And you are thinking to yourself, "I got this." You've seen the risk and mitigated it to acceptable levels. But there is one more thing you must consider: credentials theft.
Cyber adversaries have basically two ways to penetrate their victim's networks. They can either work their way down the attack life cycle—which is hard, since you just spent millions of dollars trying to prevent them from doing just that–or they can somehow steal employee login credentials and use them to legitimately access your network.
Login credentials are those USERID and PASSWORD combinations that we all use to access our favorite websites, laptops, and servers—those places where we store our sensitive and personal data. If cyber thieves can obtain those tokens, they can simply just log in as a legitimate employee and search for the data they came to steal or destroy. It's not more complicated than that. This is exactly what happened to Target, in 2013. Cyber adversaries stole proper credentials from an HVAC third-party contractor and used them to infiltrate Target's network and steal 40 million credit- and debit-card numbers.
Additional questions
Clearly, it is not enough to simply deploy state-of-the-art security controls at each phase of the attack lifecycle. When adversaries steal legitimate credentials, they by-pass that sophisticated security equipment. Therefore, you should be asking your security executives two additional questions:
- What are they doing to reduce the damage cyber thieves can do who penetrate the network using legitimate credentials?
- What are they doing to prevent cyber thieves from stealing credentials from employees in the first place?
To the first question, you should be hearing things that sound like "reducing the attack surface." What that means is that those high-end security controls should have some way to limit employee data-access to only the data they need to do their jobs. For instance, the marketing department should not have access to the product code base, and system developers should have no access to the legal department's M&A documents—that kind of thing. In the 2013 Target breach, once the cyber adversaries legitimately logged into the corporate network, they were able to wander around anywhere they wanted, including hitting the point-of-sales devices where all the credit cards were stored. In other words, Target had not implemented any controls reduced the attack surface.
To the second question, you should be hearing answers that sound like "preventing employees from giving their credentials to non-corporate environments." To understand that, consider what cybercriminals must do to steal your credentials. They essentially must trick the employee into handing this information out. We call that social engineering. One way they might do that is to contact the employee on the phone or via email, say they are from the IT department, and convince the employee that they need his or her password to fix an error in the payroll database system or the employee will not get paid this month. Another way is for the bad guy to compromise a watering hole website–websites that employees typically like to visit. The adversary compromises the website and waits for visitors to type in their credentials. There are ways you can mitigate these social engineering campaigns and your security executives should be talking to you about them.
Board members should be asking their security executives how they secure their employee credentials and how they can make sure that, if the credential is compromised, the attacker cannot necessarily get to all the organization's valuable data. In the end, the theft of employee credentials, in many ways, is a much less complicated attack scheme than the traditional approach of working down the attack lifecycle. But it is also one that might be harder to detect and stop.


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Looking at this session does so many things for my emotions. This family has been coming to me since oldest brother was one! I first met them when I was still at my downtown studio. I remember his one year session like it was yesterday! He had the cutest blonde little curly hair and adorable smiles! Since then, I've photographed multiple milestone sessions, family sessions and two more babies! This crew has become pretty darn special to me and I'm so thankful they've stuck with me all these years. My business would not be where it is today without my dedicated clients! Love you guys!
Here are some of my favorites from Bear's (Barrett) session. Enjoy!


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Contact Us
We are always here to help! Please don't hestitate to contact us with any question. Remember always Brew & Que
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 802-280-8504
Sweet and Salty with a kiss of Honey!
Based on our best selling Hog Waller BBQ Rub - Hog Waller Honey takes all the great flavors to the next level by adding Honey! Whats more popular that Honey and BBQ? The extra depth and sweetness will come through on those ribs and pork butts. Hog Waller Honey has 3 tyoes of sugar plus pure honey powder. The combination of salty, sweet and slight heat plus honey is amazing on low-n-slow BBQ.
Ingredients: Sea salt, sugar, turbinado sugar, brown sugar, honey powder, chile peppers, spices and silica


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Against the backdrop of increasing global geopolitical turbulence every year, the problem of ensuring regional security becomes even more urgent. According to the common opinion of scientists and politicians, in the transformation of the modern world order, the regional factor in the political, cultural, geopolitical and economic contexts is considered an essential instrument influencing the formation of the global security system. The logic of transition from safe and stable regions to a safe and stable world requires an appropriate foreign policy from regional players. In this context, Azerbaijan's foreign policy stands out for its predictability, openness and constructiveness.
The South Caucasus has always been considered one of the most complex, controversial and sensitive to external geopolitical influences regions of the world. In this regard, the complexity of the South Caucasus as a concrete fact at the present stage within the logic of the formation of a new system of regional security is interesting. To characterize the foreign policy of the states of the region, we will proceed from the concepts of "old regionalism" and "new regionalism" widely used in the intellectual environment.
First, let us make some theoretical and methodological remarks. In Europe, the theoretical understanding of regionalism began in the 50s of the twentieth century. This has become relevant against the background of the formation of European regional integration. The main attention was paid to the study of interstate interaction in the economic and military spheres. The essence of the issue in the geopolitical aspect was reduced to the possibility of successful formation of closed-type groups in a bipolar world. This approach is based on a realistic paradigm, the philosophical and theoretical principles of which are set out in the writings of Thomas Hobbes. Within the framework of the realistic paradigm, politics is perceived as an arena of confrontation and armed conflicts between states. The concept of "old regionalism" corresponded to this approach to international relations.
But since the late 1980s, some researchers have begun to write about the end of history and the end of international relations, including (see: e.g.: 1). They justified their position with the passing of the war of the classical type and the end of the "cold war". Thus, the States were faced with the task of abandoning the policy of force. It was impossible to ignore the social and political aspects of transnational interactions. Accordingly, it became necessary to develop a new approach to regional integration in Europe. In other words, the development of the theory of a new regionalism has become a historical necessity. It had to conform to a new understanding of the dynamics and content of international relations. This aspect of the problem is intensively analyzed by Western scientists (see: e.g.: 2).
Thus, in the old regionalism, only states were considered subjects of regional building. It was mainly about military and economic cooperation. This concept was aimed at protecting regional players from the negative impact of globalization and the prevalence of groups "closed" to the entry of new members. But these principles were already contrary to the spirit of international relations. The emergence of the theory of new regionalism (New Regionalism Theory) in the 80s of the 20th century was the logical conclusion of the transformation of interstate relations. It was developed by Swedish scientists B. Hettne and F. Soderbaum (see: e.g.: 3). In the new regionalism, both states and non-state actors are considered subjects of regional construction, and interaction in all spheres of public life is important for it. The new regionalism considers cooperation within the region as an integral part of the globalization process and therefore the predominance of "open" integration associations is of fundamental importance for it.
We will not go into the specific details of the new regionalism, but only note that the European Union widely uses its principles in conducting its domestic and foreign policy. In the policy of development of internal integration, the EU tries to combine the theory of the new regionalism with the philosophical views on communication and integration of the famous German philosopher J. Habermas (see: e.g.: 4). The EU applies the principles of this theory in the framework of the Eastern partnership program and in the policy strategy up to 2004 in relation to the Baltic region. They are also reflected in the fundamental European documents, which are focused on the issues of regionalism. For example, in the "Charter on regionalism" of the European parliamentary community (1988) and in the documents of the Council of Europe – "Declaration on regionalism in Europe", "European Charter of regional self-government" (1996).
In our opinion, the abovementioned basic provisions of the theory of new regionalism and its comparison with the old regionalism, in the context of modern theoretical concepts of communication and integration, actualizes the following question: does the foreign policy of the independent states of the South Caucasus correspond to the principles of the theory of new regionalism in terms of security and cooperation?
Let's start with the analysis of the foreign policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The main outlines and priority directions of Azerbaijan's foreign policy were determined by the leader of the nation Heydar Aliyev. This was done on the basis of an in-depth analysis of global geopolitics and tracing transformations in international relations. Speaking at the 49th session of the UN General Assembly, he noted: "Aggressive nationalism and separatism have become the realities of the collapse of the old world order, which gave rise to conflicts in the Caucasus, the Balkans and other parts of the world, which have become hot from fire and bloodshed. These conflicts not only hinder the development of independent States, pose a direct threat to the very existence of fragile democracies, but also area threat to global peace and security" (see: e.g.: 5). This meant that Azerbaijan in its policy resolutely refuses any manifestation of conflict-prone steps. In its regional policy, Azerbaijan takes seriously into account the fundamental changes that are taking place in the system of international relations. And "its future basis will undoubtedly be an equal world order, which is already replacing military confrontation and ideological confrontation. The fundamental principles of the new world order are partnership, lasting peace and security for all in accordance with international law and the principles and provisions of the Charter of the United Nations"( see: e.g.: 5).
Thus, Heydar Aliyev was confident that partnership, lasting peace and security would ensure the transition of the world system to the era of cooperation and prosperity. Azerbaijan is ready "... to walk this path together, hand in hand with all countries and peoples of the world" (see: e.g.: 5). Azerbaijan, aware of its special responsibility in the post-confrontational world, pursues a policy fully consistent with the principles of the theory of the new regionalism. The validity of this thesis is proved by specific programs that are carried out within the framework of Azerbaijan's foreign policy. They cover energy, economy, culture, security and geopolitics. Logistics, transit routes, dialogue among civilizations and religions, humanitarian sphere, global and regional cooperation occupy a special place in the foreign policy of the Republic. We can give specific facts.
As a result of the initiative of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the Baku process has been serving the development of cooperation between the OIC and the EU for several years. This process is an arena of dialogue between politicians, scientists, business people, media representatives and public organizations from different countries. The Baku process involves both states and transnational actors. Within the framework of this process, the possibilities of dialogue in all spheres of social and political life are discussed. Thus, the Baku process considers interregional cooperation as an integral part of the globalization process.
Bilateral and trilateral cooperation formats are of great importance in Azerbaijan's foreign policy. The initiator of these formats is the Head of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The cooperation formats, like Russia-Azerbaijan-Iran, Azerbaijan-Turkey-Georgia, Turkey-Azerbaijan-Russia, Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan-Turkey, etc. are operating successfully.
In the geopolitical aspect, Azerbaijan is actually creating new values of cooperation. Experts on international relations call Azerbaijan a "geopolitical hub of the South Caucasus". Indeed, Azerbaijan is a place of intersection of routes within the framework of the "One Belt, One Road" program; West-East and North-South transit corridors cross in our country. Thus, Azerbaijan plays an active role in combining global projects ("One Belt, One Road") with opportunities for regional cooperation in different areas (bilateral and trilateral cooperation formats + transit corridors of different directions). This multilevel nature of cooperation in itself is a new geopolitical model of harmonization of regional cooperation with global projects. We believe that this model has great potential for the development of regional cooperation in the context of the new regionalism policy.
Another important factor is Azerbaijan's contribution to the formation of the regional security system. This is most clearly expressed in three directions. First, Azerbaijan actively participates in international anti-terrorist programs. Second, Azerbaijan is an active participant in ensuring Europe's energy security. This is said by the leadership of the United States and leading European countries. Official Baku, implementing major energy projects – Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, TAP, TANAP, Southern Gas Corridor, etc., – proves its commitment to ensuring Europe's energy security. Third, Azerbaijan, despite the non-constructive and militant position of the leadership of the Republic of Armenia, strictly observes the rules of negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is a mediator in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In our opinion, the above-mentioned solid facts from Azerbaijan's foreign policy show the compliance of the Republic's foreign policy with the principles of the theory of new regionalism. We have already noted that the EU makes extensive use of these principles in its foreign policy.
Against this background, Georgia's foreign policy is seen as fully consistent with the principles of the new regionalism. Georgia, as an associate member of the EU, strictly observes its commitments in foreign policy. In relation to Armenia's foreign policy, this is impossible to say. Armenia is the only country that pursues a policy based on the principles of the old regionalism. It pursues a policy from a position of strength. This is proved by Armenia's occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani lands and refusal to withdraw its troops from the occupied territories, which are recognized by the international community as the territory of Azerbaijan. Armenia does not comply with the requirements of 4 UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of troops from the occupied territories. Official Yerevan is slowing down the negotiation process conducted by the mediation of the OSCE Minsk group with all sorts of artificial pretexts.
Thus, Armenia remains the main obstacle to the implementation of the new regionalism policy in the South Caucasus. Isn't it time to think seriously about solving this problem?


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The Sydney Thunder have secured two of the biggest names in Twenty20 cricket, with Chris Gayle set to return for the side this year, alongside the Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi. Gayle was the major drawcard for the Thunder last summer, when he topped their run tally with 252 at an average of 42, and the presence of Afridi alongside him will be cause for concern among opposition attacks.
Last season, the Thunder chose Fidel Edwards as their second overseas player but they have opted to go with two powerful batsmen this season. Afridi turned out for the Melbourne Renegades last season and his results with the bat were disappointing, but his ten wickets made him the team's leading wicket taker.
The Thunder were the only side not to name 14 squad members by last Friday, having been granted an extension by Cricket Australia, and they believe the delay was worth the wait. Having finished on the bottom of the table last summer, there is plenty of work ahead of the Thunder this year but Gayle is pleased to be back despite the side's results last year.
"I am really happy to have re-signed with the Thunder," Gayle said. "After my experience last year, I always wanted to return. I love Sydney, so I cannot wait to get amongst the guys again. The Thunder squad is looking good with a solid mix of youth and experience."
Afridi said he was looking forward to joining the Thunder, his third Australian domestic T20 side after South Australia and the Renegades. "I am looking forward to playing in Sydney for the Thunder and helping them earn the bragging rights in the city over the Sixers," Afridi said.


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Please note this is a region B Blu-ray and will require a region B or region free Blu-ray player in order to play.
CGI animation from executive producers from Robert Zemeckis (Back To The Future) and Steven Spielberg in which three teens discover that their neighbour's house is really a living, breathing, scary monster!
Even for a 12-year old, D.J. Walters has a particularly overactive imagination. He is convinced that his haggard and crabby neighbor Horace Nebbercracker, who terrorizes all the neighborhood kids, is responsible for Mrs. Nebbercracker's mysterious disappearance. Any toy that touches Nebbercracker's property, promptly disappears, swallowed up by the cavernous house in which Horace lives. D.J. has seen it with his own eyes!
But no one believes him, not even his best friend, Chowder. What everyone does not know is D.J. is not imagining things. Everything he's seen is absolutely true and it's about to get much worse than anything D.J could have imagined.
Mitchel Musso, Steve Buscemi, Nick Cannon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kevin James, Jason Lee, Sam Lerner, Catherine O'Hara, Kathleen Turner, Fred Willard, Jon Heder, Spencer Locke & Ryan Newman
Director Gil Kenan
Certificate PG
Year 2006
Screen Widescreen 2.35:1
Languages English - PCM (5.1)
Additional Languages English ; Hungarian ; Czech ; Polish - Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Czech ; Danish ; Dutch ; English ; Finnish ; Hebrew ; Hungarian ; Norwegian ; Polish ; Swedish ; Turkish
Duration 1 hour and 31 minutes (approx)
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Dear Community Members
As 2016 comes to a close, I can't help but look back on the busy and eventful year that we've had, and feel proud to be part of the Net Myanmar organization.
We have come a long way from the first meeting of founders and board members in Monterey Park, California in March 2006. Now, 10 years later, there is no other Myanmar (Burmese) community organization in the United States like the Network of Myanmar American Association (NetMAA) – an organization that is completely dedicated and devoted to support and promote education, social issues, and arts and culture – and we are growing every day. Our mission and vision are straightforward.
We are at the start of an extraordinary period of growth for the Network of Myanmar American Association (NetMAA). In the next few years, we will grow by another 2 or 3 outreach programs in addition to the existing eight programs.
Locally, we continue to improve established working relationship with Myanmar/Burmese American and Asian American community organizations throughout the United States. And internationally, especial with country of Myanmar, we are going to increase our networking and collaborating with the Myanmar Consulate-General Office in Los Angeles. These partnerships are essential to the advancement of promoting social issues and cultural heritage awareness in our Myanmar American community.
Thank you for supporting the Net Myanmar during these past 10 years. I am extremely proud of Net Myanmar's commitment to each other and our community. Each and every one of you worked hard to continue to make Net Myanmar shine. I want to personally thank you for your efforts. I also wish to extend my heartfelt appreciation to our sponsors, donors, board of directors, and members. Your continued support makes our successes possible.
I would also like to take a moment to wish you a safe and happy holiday season. Enjoy your time with your families, and remember to pause and reflect on all that you have accomplished in 2016. You should be proud of yourselves—I know I am!
Aung Min Naing
Thank You to Our 2016 Sponsors
Asian Pacific Festival, Burmese American Dental Association (BADA), Burmese American Medical Association (BAMA), Burmese Kitchen Restaurant, Garvey School District, George Asahi, International Youth Fellowship Culture Fair, Dr. Kyaw Moe (El Dorado DeVita Dialysis Center), Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC), Miller's Children's and Women's Hospital in Long Beach, Myanmar Gazette, One Myanmar Community, Rush University Medical Center, San Francisco Bay Area Myanmar Community, Southern California Burmese Association (SCBA), Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Tin Latt (Golden Dragon Dental), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry, University of Illinois of Chicago (UIC), University of La Verne, Yangon Film School.
Government collaboration/partnership: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health and Sports, Ministry of Education, Embassy of the United States in Yangon, the Consulate-General of the Union of Myanmar, Los Angeles
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The ABCs Of Addressing Climate Change (From A Business Perspective)
On Sunday, 300,000 activists took to the streets of New York for the People's Climate March, the biggest climate protest in history, and the United Nations on Tuesday held the Climate Summit. In the spirit of Climate Week, we're presenting insights from members of the Harvard Business School Business and Environment Initiative. The common theme: Why business leaders need to address the stubbornly touchy topic of climate change.
It's Climate Week in New York City. The schedule features a UN Climate Summit, a People's Climate March, the Clinton Global Initiative, substantial criticism of the whole endeavor, and plenty of agitated interaction.
There is a lot of noise here. How can businesses cut through the commotion and do something? Based on my experience as a real estate and construction CEO and my academic research on urbanization, new cities, and the finance of sustainable infrastructure, I propose these simple ABCs (actually A-F) for business leaders to address climate change. These are approaches, business models, and concrete steps to describe an element of what financiers, governments, and even households must do to combat climate change. Some are close to home, some are in emerging markets. All are in the built world of infrastructure, buildings, and property.
A: Actuarial Thinking. Assessing probabilities and portfolio risk is how property insurance companies look at what might or might not happen to a building in a flood zone. It's how financial managers cover the possibility of unlikely but high impact events. Why would asset owners—never mind groups of citizens—not want to use a probability-based approach to resilience of physical portfolios in the face of sea level and weather fluctuations? For example, Con Ed in New York has invested to elevate the number of waterproof transformers and switchgear in case the city has to face another event like Superstorm Sandy . This is not a noted warming alarmist utility. Globally, the new issuance of weather linked derivatives like catastrophe bonds exceeds $20 billion annually and continues to grow, according to the Wall Street Journal. These bonds are purchased by portfolio investors. Even the real estate industry's leading trade group, the Urban Land Institute, sees resilience-modeling and adaptation investments as mainstream tools of property (and of course human) disaster risk, response, and recovery preparation.
B: Basic Resources. There is massive growth in urban populations as hundreds of millions of people move to cities seeking opportunity (UNPD). Already, there is not enough clean water, clean air, or accessible energy. And there is too much garbage and too much traffic (McKinsey). Continued urbanization only exacerbates these shortages. Society needs collectively to address the basics of water, energy, waste, and transit so that we can all do more with the resources we have. Investments in efficiency and access benefit many sectors. My research in China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Poland, and the US indicates increasing pressure on these basic resources – and worsening inability of governments to self-fund investment in advance. Hence, there are increasingly more and better opportunities for the private sector to create value for everyone and to capture reasonable value for investors.
C: Cities. The UN activity this week focuses on federal and global regulations. But today's national leaders are largely paralyzed either by politics or by budgets. In practice, local leaders can often take more pragmatic action, faster. Mayors can influence municipal purchasing, building zoning for density and efficiency, taxi fleet selection, mass transit, waste handling, congestion pricing, and more. The annual capital budget for New York City alone is about in excess of $5 billion. In London it is £6.3 billion, or more than $10 billion. Add up the major cities of the world, and that's a lot of direct procurement power. Neighborhoods, districts, and cities are also the right scale for private investment in, say, water projects, power distribution, toll roads, energy performance, and contracting. Furthermore, businesses can figure out what to do regarding investment in basic resource infrastructure at the city scale much more readily than at the state or federal scale. As former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has said, "Nations talk. Cities act."
D: Demand Management. Many policy suggestions include blanket restrictions on activity (let's have mileage caps) or pure supply-oriented interventions (let's pump more groundwater even as aquifers get dried up). But managing demand – using modern sensors and valves, remote measurement, big data optimization algorithms, mobile apps, and other innovations – is a more powerful way to benefit citizens and businesses than just pumping more stuff through the same leaky pipes and wasteful devices. Companies like EnerNOC, in the demand response space, and Johnson Controls, in the energy performance contracting space, are business that create financial value from stretching resources farther. Everyone benefits.
E1: Economic Development. Economic development is accelerated in areas where the input costs (like land and energy and water) are available and are less expensive and where people want to live (because there are jobs there and it's pleasant). Human development also depends on effective provision and use of resources, as well as the ability to get to work and back quickly. Using water, energy, power, and transit capacity effectively is good for workers and good for business, as HBS colleague Michael Porter points out in Clusters and the New Economics of Competition. Hong Kong, New York, Santiago, and Singapore are all illustrations of this alignment.
E2: Emerging Economies. Why am I so interested in building the infrastructure of these nations with respect to business and climate? Here is an illustration. In Brazil, one of the ten most populous nations in the world, 34 percent of all energy consumption is used in transportation. According to the InterAmerican Development Bank, most of this is consumed in cars and trucks. Eighty percent of the fuel is from oil. Based on personal observation, I feel safe in saying that much of this fuel is burned idling in traffic jams. Investments in more efficient mass transit, more efficient cars, and more efficient traffic patterns would pay back in more growth, as Michael Smith pointed out in the National Review recently. Similarly, electric power accounts for another 26 percent of the energy mix in Brazil. While most of this is derived from hydropower, more than 30 percent is lost in waste, leakage, and heat. That's a lot to throw away. Investments in demand management and in investments in transmission and distribution allow people to get more work from the same kilowatts, allow renewable energy to go farther in the mix, and also reduce CO2 generation.
F: Finance. Finance matters. Too often I have heard of otherwise worthy projects, "We have it all figured out except the money." I'm not talking about rapacious financial manipulators making trading profits like Michael Lewis' Flash Boys. I'm talking about using the tools of finance to build subways, water treatment plants, bridges, efficient roads—all of which add to prosperity and, when well done, mitigate carbon. In emerging markets, people who work in infrastructure development often bemoan a "funding gap." But as Bertrand Badre, CFO of the World Bank, points out, there is plenty of capital in the world. There is not a funding gap; there is a project gap. Infrastructure projects are not up to investment standards. How can the tools of finance be applied to more and better build power, water, waste, and transit efficiency projects? This matters a lot, regardless of whether you are worried about carbon or not. The steel and concrete that is being placed all over the world right now is going to determine how hundreds of millions of people will live—their resource footprint and their economic prospects—for hundreds of years to come. Here's my infrastructure finance advice:
- Projects must be additive. Don't fund a road project here, a water project there, an energy project a third place ; instead, fund them from a rational pipeline where the projects add up to a competitive, resource efficient whole.
- Capability must be additive. Work with lenders (and with borrowers) who have done this before. The money is better spent when the municipality borrowing for the dam or road or power grid is a competent counterparty.
- Make the cash flow tradable. Don't require the early investors to tie up risk capital for the 30-year life of an infrastructure project; get the debt or equity in shape to sell to long term holders. This means less custom work for lawyers, consultants, and investment bankers. It means more capital at work on water, roads, power, and efficiency. And that contributes to more human development, more economic development, plus LESS wasted energy, less CO2, less wasted water.
About the author: John Macomber is a senior lecturer in the Finance unit at Harvard Business School.
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The Perfect Pamper Gift for Mother's Day
Our super soft Bloomington Ladies Bathrobe is the perfect gift for Mother's Day.
To add a finishing touch, consider bundling it with one of our fabulous pamper sets.
With less than two weeks until Mother's Day, be sure to take advantage while stocks last!


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We ought to live lives exuding with joy – as though we actually believe that Divinity has come to us in the Flesh as a new-born Babe! We need to spread that Christmas joy to the people around us.
Love and friendship are the remnants of the earthly paradise. In this vale of tears, when we encounter so many difficulties, to have people you can call friends is such a joy, such a comfort, such a gift. -Dietrich von Hildebrand
Being a homemaker is one of the best gifts that we can bring to our family. Your joyful presence in the home is greater than any present you'll find under the tree. – Darlene Schacht
"Be a kind wife. Kind words can have such a powerful impact on your marriage. Speak gentle, thoughtful things to this man you love." -Lisa Jacobson
As Christmas approaches, let us pray for peace….in our own hearts, in our country and in our world. Let us contemplate the Babe in Bethlehem, may He reign in our hearts so we may receive that peace which he promised to "men of goodwill."
"It is easy to understand how enraptured children can become at the contemplation of a tiny Babe in a manger.
To have God reduce Himself to their own status, to become a child like them, to need a mother, what more could they desire! They feel on a footing with Him. The Almighty is of their stature!" – Fr. Raoul Plus, S.J., Christ in the Home
The Christmas season is a season of good will. If we really have in our hearts good-will to men, we shall not only wish every one well, but we shall seek every opportunity to do good to every one, beginning with those at home. It will make us good wives, good mothers, good neighbors, kind, obliging, ready always to lend a hand, to do another a good turn.
To Mothers: "Instead of setting yourself up as a model of wisdom, it is much wiser for you to act the role of guide and confidante. This gives your child a much better feeling of security and fulfills your destiny of mother as well, because your children then find you a real individual in your own right. Personal success and happiness in life come only in the knowledge of our usefulness to others; as a mother, you have this opportunity in your own home at all times. You need not look elsewhere where for it." – Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik. The Catholic Family Handbook
Reality has a way of wearing the shine off of a once gleaming romance, but don't let it get in the way of your love for a second! If you haven't already, you can start by giving up on the question, "What's in it for me?" and replace the question with, "What can I offer?" Every time that you work through any obstacles with patience, humility, and kindness you are building and strengthening your bond of love. – Darlene Schacht, The Good Wife's Guide
"There is nothing insignificant in the life which we live within our own doors. There is nothing which is without influence in the building up of character. Let no one think that the history of any day in the life of a home, is not recorded imperishably on the sensitive lives of the children." -J.R. MIller
"A man feels 'successful' when he knows his woman is behind him – no matter what his other accomplishments may be. He needs to know that she believes in him…That she thinks he's a terrific husband (not perfect – just terrific). A first-rate guy. And, if there are children, that he's a fine dad too….That she thinks the world of him, even though he might mess up or make mistakes." – Lisa Jacobson
Our Lady is an attractive example for every wife and mother. Not only was she perfectly devoted to Joseph, her husband, but she was always an inspiration to him. -Fr. Lovasik
"For the families who begin to suspect that they have let their lives get too complicated with worldly cares, too much involved in secular values, too materialistic, living through the year with the Church is the stabilizer, the way to keep to first things first.
And for the families who conceal behind their front doors some hardship or cross, whether a suffering shared or inflicted or borne, the tempo of life in Christ as He leads the Church at prayer through the year is calming, enriching; it brings wisdom, sheds light, gives courage." -Mary Reed Newland
************************************************************ ******Each one should seek to make Christmas first in his own heart and life. Christmas is Christlike-ness. The life of heaven came down to earth in Jesus and began in the lowly place where he was born. Is there any measure of that same sweet, gentle, pure, quiet, lowly life in us? It ought to be a very practical matter. Some people get the sentiment of love; but the love fails in its working out in their disposition, conduct, and character. The kind of Christmas a Catholic wants is something that will show itself in deeds.
The laughter of children never grows old! "For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a Child Himself."
~Charles Dickens


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Featured Alumnus: Abel Alvarez ('82)
Abel Alvarez is a university trustee, minister of Harvey Drive Church of Christ in McAllen, Texas, and a 2015 Distinguished Alumni Citation recipient.
Abel and Greg Hendrix, father of an ACU student, were total strangers before March 2016. See how their lives merged in a transplant hospital in San Antonio in a narrative only God could write and Abel's alma mater could help facilitate. Watch and be blessed!


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Our involvement intensifies wherever and whenever the temperature drops! This is what sets Smeva apart from the competition. For almost a century, we've been manufacturing and supplying refrigeration to customers worldwide.
Smeva is a subsidiary of the Smeva Group – a leading international group of companies that collectively supply refrigeration solutions to the entire fresh supply chain. Smeva and its subsidiaries employ around three hundred people and operates globally from Europe to China and from Russia to Ethiopia. Read more about the group on the smevagroup.com website.
Smeva's head offices are located in Valkenswaard (NL), where the various Smeva Group companies are run. The R&D, production, installation and servicing departments are also located in Valkenswaard. A full range of Smeva products is on display in our showroom, including our refrigerated counters, chilled display cases, coldrooms, butcher's displays and supermarket units. Here we will gladly demonstrate all the available options.
We cherish our roots as a family-run business. This can be felt in the form of committed management, enterprise, partnership and long-term thinking.
Corporate social responsibility is engrained into our entire organisation in a very natural fashion. Eighty-two percent of our waste is recycled and a full scheme has been set up under the name Smeva Refresh to give used products a second life. Read more about Total Life Cycle Managementat Smeva.


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My Mission: Embodied Female Empowerment
Embodied Female Empowerment is my mission, using the tools of trauma resolution, pelvic health and pleasure based sex- education. Collectively we have spent too long in the dark, living lives smaller than we truly are. I feel it's time for ALL women to shine and to share their gifts in the world. The time of holding back, of playing small, or pleasing others is over.
Stepping into empowerment includes exploring everything about us: our sexuality, our trauma, our pelvis and our relationship to power. I believe we women deserve to have sexual vitality, pelvic health, bodies free from trauma, to be powerful, and to share an intimacy where we're met in our strength, beauty and love.
Our challenges can be our greatest teachers; our trauma can unlock the door into safety and a deep trust in the world and others. Our sexual wounding can ignite the way back to pleasure, our pelvis can birth our creations and our disempowerment can guide us into healthy relationships with shared power.
Women's pelvic health, sexuality, trauma resolution and embodied female empowerment is essential in creating the world in which we can manifest our dreams. Yet the provision for support and care we women need tends to be lacking.
I plan to change this by offering a paradigm shift from inadequate to specialised and effective care for women.
I want to support women to:
- Celebrate their bodies and their sexuality
- Live healthy, vibrant fulfilling lives
- Feel their body ~ mind ~ spirit connection and be emotionally and spiritually nourished through this
- Create meaningful and satisfying relationships with their partners and community
- Come into their authentic female power and share this and their gifts fully into the world.
My wish is you find on this website resources on sexuality, pelvic health, and trauma, including discovering your arousal anatomy, why vaginal steaming is good for you, the process of healing from trauma, working with your sexual shadow and the power of energy orgasms, so you can grow into your expression of embodied female empowerment. Everything I share has been part of my journey, each is a jewel in my treasure box and I want to share them all with you.
About Catherine
I work with women and where desired their partners too, weaving together a diverse range of traditions and practices. I work with you to guide you into embodied female empowerment, through somatic education in the territories of sexuality, trauma, and pelvic health care to restore a body ~ mind ~ spirit connection within.
I'm an explorer, forever curious about the world of body, mind and spirit.
Everything I offer is a reflection of my own personal and professional journey of recovering from sexual trauma and learning to navigate pelvic health challenges.
Trauma is the response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope, causing feelings of helplessness, a diminished sense of self and a reduced ability to feel the full range of emotions and experiences.
- We don't need to have experienced war, natural disaster, or personal assault to be profoundly affected. Traumatic situations that cause post-trauma symptoms vary quite dramatically from person to person. Indeed, it is very subjective and its important to bear in mind the effects are defined more by the response than the trigger.
- Essentially the trigger initiates a fight/flight response so intensely it can't be turned off once the threat is over. The adrenalised state in the body becomes stuck 'on' meaning we can't shift into our relaxation mode.
- Trauma is a fact of life, but it doesn't need to be a life sentence. Is it possible to unravel the thread of trauma housed in our bodies. When done with sufficient care it maintains a degree of internal integrity and prevents overwhelm.
Women's Sexuality
Most of us have received sex education limited to reproduction rather than pleasure, meaning we probably know more about avoiding pregnancy than ways to create orgasm.
We may:
- Be going along with sex that doesn't feel right for us because
- We don't know what we want from our sexual encounters. We're left mystified about all the women we read about who are apparently having multiple orgasms all the time.
- Have a sexual history we're ashamed of, too many, too painful, violating, or not enough experiences. Conditioned by a sex negative society where sexual shame is epidemic we may be torn between the virgin and the whore, trying to be 'acceptable' whilst internally battling with our desires.
- Have birth injuries and find sex painful or find it doesn't feel the same anymore. Or we have pelvic conditions limit our sexual expression.
- Wonder why we've never found sex satisfying but felt ashamed to say so.
It doesn't need to be that way anymore. You can create the sex that you've been longing for, I'm here to support you.
Women's Pelvic Health
The female pelvis is our root place, its the home of our creativity and power.
Many women suffer silently, with no awareness of the possible pelvic care treatments available to them. We are told the symptoms are a consequence of ageing, or childbirth and are often brushed off, given the contraceptive pill or surgery as the only options.
- We may experience pelvic numbness as a form of disconnection usually resulting from an emotional or physical trauma. Or there may be pain, burning or tightness which creates a pattern of pelvic avoidance.
- There may be scar tissue from c-sections, or birth injuries, or hormonal challenges that leave our menstrual cycle in a mess. We may have a pattern of stagnancy resulting in ovarian cysts, fibroids, or infertility.
- We may be unable to hear the 'no' of the pelvis so it responds with frequent urinary infections, thrush, endometriosis or uterine prolapse.
When we build a connection to our pelvis, we can clear out what no longer serves us and reclaim its power to hold all we want to create in our lives. We become a queen sitting on the throne of our pelvis.
Vaginal Steaming
Its our heritage to use vaginal steaming to care for our bodies, and yet we've lost our traditional connections and the wisdom they've been offering women for millenia.
There is a growing body of global yoni steam practitioners who are seeing remarkable results in their clients. The infertile are having babies, postpartum care has improved and post-natal depression has declined, women are claiming back healthy periods. Fibroids are disappearing, cysts are resolving and pelvic pain and irregular discharge are a story from the past.
Vaginal steaming brings a greater connection to the pelvic area and facilitates deeper relaxation through the letting go of habitual tension, it supports an increased libido and a better quality of life!
I just want to thank you...
for the beautiful day on the Anatomy of Female Arousal workshop and for creating a safe space for our exploration. I feel blessed to have experienced the depth of wisdom and healing our Pussy's have. I feel so honoured to have held space for these women in what I feel is a sacred moment that I will always honour and never forget, and in the witnessing of such beauty and courage of the Divine Feminine. I will always honour my sacred pussy and do my utmost to give her daily attention.


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Dying Light's story starts you off as an undercover agent named Kyle Crane who is sent into the infected wasteland of the city Harran to retrieve some sensitive documents that the government wants back. However, you soon realise that there is a deeper plot at work here with two main factions at war over a serum that keeps bitten humans from turning into the walking dead.
You soon learn the ropes of free-running and zombie slaying when one of the factions (the less violent of the two) takes you under their wing and trains you to navigate the city by sending you on missions to locate stockpiles and retrieve Antizan (the serum that prevents you from turning). A couple hours in to Dying Light's story, you finally gain the skills that are required to learn new free-running moves as well as new combat moves that you can use against the undead. Before long you will have built up enough skills turning your rotting foes into object's of fun allowing you to kick, hack, smash them over the head with a plank, or simply blast them into a gooey mess. And boy, does it feel good to do so!
The art of killing zombies has never been so fun! Hacking and slashing away at my undead nemesis left me feeling like a pro. The various ways to take down and slaughter your undead zombie foes in Dying Light keeps the game fun and refreshing. By planting explosives on cars or nearby explosive barrels you can herd a bunch of zombies like sheep towards your bombs and create one mass explosion with a lot of carnage to follow. Normal zombies are a joy to kill, however even with upgraded skills, the more powerful undead are still a challenge to take down and are sometimes a bit overpowered compared to your character. Besides zombies, you also encounter groups of bandits in Dying Light which, most of the time, are more scary than the zombies themselves as they are often carrying heavy guns and Molotov cocktails. The bandits do offer an opportunity for you to upgrade your skills without too much of a challenge…
There is so much that you can do within the world of Dying Light and it is interesting to see how other survivors live on a day to day basis. There are two main areas in Harran, both are entirely different from one another. Each area is run by its own factions and have different missions available as each NPC character in this world requires a different thing, whether it's your typical fetch and grab task or a liberation mission.
The immersive graphics of Techland's Dying Light are very crisp and really give you the feeling that you are part of the game. As you play Dying Light in first person you really get a realistic perspective of life within the world of Dying Light. There is also a cycle between day and night which allows for some more challenging and urgent gameplay. At night, the powerful and agile undead monsters emerge to wreak havoc on you and the city. Once a day (in game time) an airdrop of Antizan and other supplies are dropped by the government. This really helps to immerse you in to Dying Light's world as it's a battle to get the required supplies before anyone else in order to survive the horrors to come.
The main story can keep you busy for more than 30 hours even without fully completing all the side missions and quests. This gives you enough time to think of all new methods to slay your enemies in a unique and fun fashion. The goal in Dying Light is very concise and clear and you know exactly why you are fighting what your end goal is. Unfortunately the lack of twists in the plot leave little guess work as to what can happen next and how the story will unfold. You can play through the game entirely solo – though Dying Light does allow you to play co-op with up to 3 friends who can assist you on missions, and help demolish hordes of undead. At night the stage can turn in to a sudden multiplayer arena called "Be The Zombie" mode where you are the zombie and you are become the hunted. It's exciting and fun but can be switched off if you'd rather not be distracted during your adventures.
I found that the story really shines through when undertaking side quests. A simple fetch and grab mission could turn into a frantic chase that revolves around foot races and scaling obstacles to catch the target. A rescue mission could turn into a full out fire fight and the side quests were always a breath of fresh air and offered a pleasant distraction from the main story…. just long enough to refresh my mind from main objective.
Overall, Dying Light's gameplay can be somewhat hard to get used to with a bunch of clumsy controls meaning that you will need some time to adjust. However, unlike Techland's previous zombie release Dead Island the story of Dying Light actually manages to capture your attention as you are dropped in a wasteland filled with gruesome mobs of infected victims. Despite this, Dying Light is a great game that mixes parkour style exploration as seen before in Mirror's Edge with zombie slaying similar to that of Dead Island in a more simple way that always keeps you on your toes and interested in what else Dying Light has to offer. With great graphics and a decent story that sometimes did have its downfalls, Dying Light is a great game for any zombie/survival loving maniac who wants to mix things up.
- Unique ways to slay undead
- Exciting day/night cycles
- Co-op and online options
- Parkour gameplay
- Clumsy controls
- Average story


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Recycled Plastic Pot - Distressed Blue - 5" Tall
Height: 5"
Opening: 5" (Tapered)
More details
Do you need a great looking plant holder but don't want to spend too much on it? This recycled plastic pot is a great addition to your home and will make any plant look better and gain more appeal. The plastic pot is very sturdy and will last for many years while still looking great. This specific pot comes in a beautiful distressed blue color.
Measurements : 5" Tall
5" Opening diameter
4" Base Diameter
Make sure to check out the rest of our website to find the best deals on the highest quality products. We strive to be your go to wholesaler for all of your vases and other floral needs.


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If you're looking to brighten your skin by reducing sun spots and freckles, consider a series of 3-4 treatments to get your skin ready for the next sunshine season. Fall and winter is the perfect time to catch up on the damage done by the summer sun, and restore your skin's natural glow before the next vacation season.
Keep reading to learn more about IPL…
The woman in the above photo series had two fairly aggressive IPL treatments spaced about 4 weeks apart and with a macrodermabrasion treatment in between to speed up the flaking off process. She had several freckles and flat moles that got extremely dark in the summer sun, and that is what prompted her to seek treatment.
The treatments themselves are nearly painless with numbing cream applied to the skin 30 minutes beforehand. The treated areas will be bright pink for a few hours, and the freckles themselves will turn very dark immediately after the treatment, This is a sign that the treatment was effective, and that the light was effectively absorbed by the pigment. If you don't see this darkening, chances are that your treatment was either too weak, that the machine isn't the best technology, or that your laser specialist didn't customize the settings properly to your particular skin type.
The dark spots will begin to flake off about 3-4 days after the treatment. The smallest and lightests spots may be gone after a week or so, while the largest and darkest spots may take a few weeks to fade completely. The most stubborn freckles and deeper discolorations may need a few separate treatments.
If you have any questions about treating freckles and sun damage with IPL, feel free to give us a call at917-703-7069 or send us a message by clicking here.Nicholas Vendemia, M.D. Plastic Surgeon New York
Photo Credit: Manhattan Aesthetic Surgery LLC


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Clinical Response Overview using Sensable®Care System in the United States and Taiwan
MedicusTek® has tested our patient safety solution, Sensable®Care System, in both hospitals and nursing homes for over 12,000 patient days. Overall, our US trials has averaged about 2 falls per 1,000 patient-days and this number will continue to decrease as nurses become more proficient at using the technology. There's always a little bit of a learning curve. Over in Taiwan, our studies have seen only 0.5 falls per 1,000 patient days. These results are really thrilling considering that the average hospital has between 3 and 11 falls per 1,000 patient-days.
We recently published the results of our Massachusetts hospital trial in a peer-reviewed article. We tested our sensor pads in a 35-bed med-surg ward for a year. For all the patients who used Sensable®Care, none fell over the course of the trial. It proves the technology works. Sensable®Care integrates with the clinical workflow, and we were able to show great results. The Lahey nurse manager we worked with said our system helps nurses learn more about patients' behavior which allows them to provide better care and you can actually see more of her testimonial video on our website.
At Kaiser Permanente's Downey Medical Center, we used our sensor technology on an entire 32-bed telemetry unit. During the 3 months we were there, 0 falls for patients using our tech. One Kaiser nurse mentioned that Sensable®Care really helped with their alarm fatigue. We are now under more product trials in nursing home and hospitals in the United States. Using Sensable®Care, they have decreased 50% of fall rate and false alarm more than 90%. With Sensable®Care System, we believe that we could improve patient safety and bring better quality into medical care.


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Journal Article
Experimental Study of the Plasticity Responses of TRIP780 Steel Subjected to Strain-Path Changes
The work-hardening response of TRIP780 steel subjected to strain-path changes was investigated using two-stage tension experiments. Large specimens were prestrained and then sub-sized samples were subjected to tension along various directions. The influence of strain-path changes on flow stress and work hardening performance was discussed in detail. The specific plastic work was calculated to compare the kinematic hardening behaviour after strain-path changes. The results showed that transient hardening was observed for TRIP780 sheets subjected to orthogonal strain-path change. The strain-hardening exponent (n-value) was influenced by prestraining levels and the strain path. The n-value exhibited a greater decrease under an orthogonal strain-path change. Prestraining can delay the onset of high work hardenability of TRIP steels. It is meaningful for the safety design of vehicles.


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Dogged by shareholder lawsuits and by multiple law-enforcement investigations into his bank's ill-fated merger with Merrill Lynch, Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis announced on Sept. 30 that he would leave his post by the end of the year. There is no doubt that Lewis, who was removed as chairman by shareholders earlier this spring, is resigning under tremendous pressure, and some Wall Street watchers are speculating that his resignation signals an impending criminal charge. Jim Cramer of CNBC's Mad Money commented on the resignation, "No bank can afford to have its CEO indicted, and that may have been on the table behind the scenes."
Certainly Judge Jed S. Rakoff wants heads to roll and doesn't mind saying so. The U.S. District Court judge recently refused to approve a $33 million settlement in Securities Exchange Commission v. Bank of America Corp, a civil enforcement action challenging Bank of America's failure to publicly disclose $3.6 billion in planned bonus payments to Merrill Lynch executives when the companies merged. Deriding the settlement as a sweetheart deal for executives, Rakoff demanded that the bank name the individuals most responsible for the mess. Speaking to the New York Times, Rakoff recalled an era when prosecutors pursued bad men rather than bad businesses. "The feeling then," he said, "was if a crime had been committed, it was important to discover who the persons were who made the wrongful decisions."
At the root of Lewis's woes is a merger that more closely resembles a shotgun wedding. Bank of America negotiated a hasty takeover agreement with Merrill Lynch over the course of a single September weekend following the shocking collapse of Lehman Brothers. Treasury secretary Hank Paulson aggressively championed the deal as integral to his effort to stem the rising financial crisis. But in the weeks between the announcement of the deal on Sept. 15, 2008, and its consummation in January, Merrill Lynch booked a breathtaking $15.3 billion in additional losses – a fact not disclosed to the public by executives at either concern.
Merrill's staggering losses required Bank of America to accept a $20 billion infusion of additional federal cash immediately following the merger, and Bank of America's shares now trade at a fraction of their former value. Virtually everyone is angry, and they seem, at the moment, to have settled on a common enemy: Ken Lewis. Congress is irate that Treasury found it necessary to commit billions in additional funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to Bank of America, and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D., Ohio) has accused Ken Lewis of conspiring to make the payments necessary. Bank of America shareholders are suing. Their numerous civil complaints say that Lewis sold out their interests by saddling them with a disproportionate share of the cost of rescuing the world economy at the behest of bureaucrats in Washington.
Law-enforcement activities suggest a trap slowly closing on the unpopular chief. New York State attorney general Andrew Cuomo already has subpoenaed Lewis in connection with an investigation of the merger, and the federal securities laws under which the SEC has pursued Bank of America also provide for criminal sanctions against individuals. But the events surrounding the merger indicate that Paulson and Bernanke may have placed improper pressure on Lewis to disregard his legal duties to his shareholders. If that is true, then Lewis looks less like a criminal than like the hapless pawn of top government regulators determined to stem the crisis at any cost.
Lewis testified that he became aware of the "staggering deterioration" of Merrill's assets as a result of a worried phone call from Bank of America CFO Joe Price several days after the December 5 shareholder vote approving the deal. By then, Merrill Lynch had unexpectedly lost roughly $11 billion. Horrified, Lewis called Paulson to tell him that Bank of America would likely invoke an escape-hatch provision in the merger contract called the "material adverse change," or "MAC," clause. A court might or might not have agreed that the bank was justified in doing so, but Lewis and Bank of America's board of directors thought they would best serve their shareholders by walking away from the deal and letting the courts resolve the issue.
Paulson immediately summoned Lewis and Price to a meeting in Washington with himself, Bernanke, and Fed staffers to discuss the possibility that the merger would not take place. During that meeting, Lewis was told that a MAC clause is difficult to legally invoke, according to Lewis's testimony. Lewis was unmoved, so, when Paulson and Lewis spoke again on December 21, Paulson threatened that the Fed would fire Lewis and the entire Bank of America board of directors if they invoked the MAC clause – an action that the Fed is empowered to take in exceptional circumstances.
Paulson allegedly offered a carrot in addition to this remarkable stick: the promise of at least $20 billion in additional TARP funds following the merger. When Lewis asked Paulson for a written commitment for additional aid, Paulson – after consulting with Bernanke – refused to make one. Lewis testified that Paulson said, "First, it would be so watered-down, it wouldn't be as strong as what we were going to say to you verbally, and secondly, this would be a disclosable event and we do not want a disclosable event." Lewis clarified that Paulson did not want the government to be required to disclose that it was committing additional TARP funds to bail out Bank of America until after the merger with Merrill had taken place.
Lewis related both Paulson's threat and his promise to Bank of America's board on December 22, and the board decided to proceed with the merger agreement as previously negotiated. Bank of America completed the merger in early January and shortly thereafter disclosed both Merrill's shocking losses and the Treasury's commitment of additional TARP funds to a weakened Bank of America.
Bank of America's shareholders were surely shortchanged in the merger; but was Lewis criminally responsible, or was he punk'd by a duo of super-regulators determined to control the fate of Bank of America by installing a whole new management team, if necessary? The latter seems likely. Paulson himself admitted in testimony before the House Governance and Oversight Committee that he threatened Lewis and the Bank of America board with removal if they didn't press forward.
Both Bernanke and Paulson have denied that they instructed Lewis not to publicly disclose Merrill's bloodied balance sheets. But their denials hinge on a false distinction between disclosing the additional $20 billion in TARP funds that a combined company would need because of the staggering Merrill losses and disclosing the losses themselves. Lewis testified that Paulson made a firm promise to provide an additional $20 billion in TARP money to Bank of America on the heels of the merger but refused to put the promise in writing because a written commitment would require a public disclosure. According to Lewis's testimony, Paulson made his opposition to disclosing the $20 billion commitment crystal clear, and Lewis felt that he had no choice but to go along:
Q: Were you instructed not to tell your shareholders what the transaction was going to be?
LEWIS: I was instructed that "We do not want a public disclosure."
Q: Who said that to you?
LEWIS: Paulson.
Q: Had it been up to you, would you have made the disclosure?
LEWIS: It wasn't up to me.
Q: Had it been up to you.
LEWIS: It wasn't.
But why would Paulson think it so important to hide the government's $20 billion commitment? The most plausible answer is that doing so would have indicated the presence of Merrill's staggering losses – losses that regulators needed to obscure in order avoid damaging the market value of both banks and risking a shareholder revolt against the merger.
The criminal penalties for deceiving shareholders are no joke. Lewis could face a terrifying array of charges under statutes that authorize draconian prison terms. If Lewis knowingly withheld material information from shareholders, he could be charged with violating SEC Rule 10b-5, an offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison, or with violating Section 807 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which authorizes sentences of up to 25 years. In addition, because Lewis spoke to Paulson by phone about the Merrill losses and about the importance of non-disclosure, he could be charged separately under the federal wire-fraud law for each instance in which he used a form of electronic communication in furtherance of a "scheme to defraud" Bank of America shareholders. Each such phone call or e-mail is a separate offence punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Paulson and Bernanke are theoretically vulnerable to criminal charges as well. Each played an active role in Lewis's decision-making process and each advocated a course of conduct that led to the completion of the merger without notice to Bank of America shareholders of Merrill's accelerating losses. Even in the absence of threats or intimidation, this would have been enough to expose Paulson, and perhaps Bernanke, to charges of conspiring with Lewis to aid and abet the violation of federal laws. A handful of fire-breathing commentators are pushing for wide-ranging indictments of both public and private players. "Ken Lewis, Henry Paulson . . . Ben Bernanke . . . should all be prosecuted for extortion, conspiracy to extort, criminal fraud, and theft of honest services; and they should be imprisoned if convicted," opined Fox News analyst Andrew P. Napolitano.
In reality, a former Treasury secretary and a current Federal Reserve chairman are unlikely to be indicted for corners they cut in their efforts to stave off the collapse of the financial system. Bernanke was recently rewarded for his conduct last fall by President Obama's decision to nominate him for a second term in office. But letting Paulson and Bernanke off the hook will only redouble the determination of politicos and shareholders to exact punishment on the only remaining culprit.
Prosecutors should, however, resist demands to scapegoat Lewis. Federal law allows U.S. attorneys to exercise considerable discretion about whom to charge criminally, and the availability of strong legal defenses and an absence of true moral culpability are legitimate reasons to exercise restraint. If charged, Lewis would argue that simply complied with the demands of federal officials who apparently had the authority to tell him what to do.
There are at least two legal theories under which Lewis could argue that government pressure should exonerate him.
The first such defense is an affirmative defense of "public authority" under federal law. To prevail, Lewis would have to argue successfully that, even if he did violate federal securities law and other fraud statutes, he only did so in reasonable reliance upon a grant of authority by Paulson and Bernanke. The difficulty for Lewis in making this defense would be that most federal courts, including the federal appeals court with jurisdiction over New York, have declined to allow such arguments unless the government officials had actual authority to override federal law in order to stabilize the financial markets. The language of the congressional authorization for TARP is extremely broad, but it contains no preemption clause. It seems doubtful that Congress meant to empower Paulson and Bernanke to disregard existing criminal statutes.
The courts ought to reconsider, however, whether this "actual authority" standard is appropriate in the context in which Lewis found himself. If Lewis was essentially forced to proceed with the merger while hiding the Merrill losses from shareholders by regulators with the manifest power to harm his company, then perhaps their apparent authority should be adequate to trigger this defense. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals recognized in United States v. Barker, a case involving an illegal request from a former CIA official then employed by the White House, that apparent public authority sometimes is sufficient. Given the extraordinary circumstances that Lewis faced, other courts might follow suit.
Courts have also recognized a second defense that might apply to Lewis: a defendant's reasonable belief that a government official had exempted his conduct from the law may negate the required mens rea, or criminal intent, needed for conviction. Lewis testified that Paulson had instructed him to avoid disclosing the government's commitment of additional TARP funds, and, by extension, the dire financial problems at Merrill Lynch. If Lewis's interpretation of the Treasury secretary's instructions were reasonable but mistaken, that fact would cast doubt on whether he acted with criminal intent in following those instructions.
Prosecutors should decline to charge Lewis with a crime for acceding to the demands of high federal officials who explicitly threatened to decapitate Bank of America if he resisted. To do otherwise would raise justifiable due-process concerns and could further poison the government's already-strained relations with other bank chiefs, any one of whom could have found himself in Lewis's shoes. To prosecute Lewis while giving Paulson and Bernanke a free pass would send an even worse signal: that the government will take care of its own, and that politicians will find their scapegoats among those who attempt to run productive enterprises rather than among those who attempt to regulate them.
– Marie Gryphon is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute's Center for Legal Policy.


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Securing the Network: Sidelined Concepts and Their Continued Importance
In today's breach-of-the-day environment, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the technologies and options available to help secure networks. However, I have found there are some foundational concepts in network security that apply in any client environment yet are often overlooked or have fallen to the wayside.
Limiting the Attack Surface Is Still Important
Shutting down unnecessary services, limiting open ports and making smart architectural decisions isn't as exciting as the latest shiny box, but they are likely the most important things that can be done to prevent a system's compromise over the network. In other words, if there is nothing listening on the network, it can't be exploited over the network.
Take, for example, a spree of vulnerabilities from major network vendors, which allow an attacker to compromise an administrative interface simply through knowledge of a hard-coded backdoor password. Although interfaces such as SSH cannot typically be shut down for operational reasons, the attack surface of the system can be minimized by exposing the interfaces on a tightly controlled management network rather than the general corporate network. This will help mitigate the risk of compromise until the component is patched.
Almost every system can be evaluated to determine whether it is appropriately reducing the attack surface available to an adversary by exposing the right services on the right networks.
Managing and Minimizing Third-Party Connectivity Is Critical
In a rush to satisfy business demands, many organizations haphazardly enable connectivity between third parties (e.g., developers, business partners, joint ventures, etc.) and their internal networks. This includes user-based connectivity, such as virtual private networks (VPNs) or Citrix, as well as permanently established connectivity such as site-to-site VPN, multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and leased lines.
Consistent security controls must be enforced on all third-party connectivity and processes established to manage third-party relationships. Always-on third-party connections should be isolated in exclusive perimeter networks or demilitarized zones (DMZs) with restricted and mediated access to corporate systems.
The minimum necessary connectivity requirements for each third-party connection must be periodically validated. Restrictions should be enforced close to the connection termination point. In addition, regular third-party security assessments should be completed for those entrusted with direct access to the corporate network. "permit IP any any" is not your friend.
Network Design Must Assume Assets Are Compromised
When designing networks and their security controls, consider the blast radius of a compromise, or what else could be negatively impacted if a particular system is breached. Attackers rely on the ability to easily move unimpeded throughout the network environment. Implementing connectivity restrictions and security controls to limit such movement and contain the compromise can greatly reduce the impact of a breach.
To start, controls to limit lateral movement should be placed within DMZs and at WAN termination points. DMZ design should vertically isolate application tiers, horizontally protect applications from one another and minimize inbound connectivity to internal systems. Enforcement at WAN touch points can ensure connectivity between physical locations such as corporate offices, branches and data centers truly aligns with business requirements. Eventually, this concept can be extended to build a full network zoning model.
As more organizations implement network virtualization technologies, innovations such as the VMWare NSX Distributed Firewall can be used to provide flexible microsegmentation capabilities.
Clear Visibility Into Outbound Connections Is Vital for Detection
For an attacker, outbound communication from an organization's network is necessary for the establishment of a persistent command-and-control channel and for the subsequent data exfiltration. Organizations must have the ability to quickly detect and respond to such communication attempts from all parts of the network.
Architectural decisions can be made to provide an opportunity to inspect outbound traffic without the noise of other network traffic. Connection metadata such as the number of connections, the longest connections and the volume of data transferred can be just as useful in identifying malicious traffic as traditional outbound controls such as Web filtering, intrusion prevention systems and data loss prevention.
Additionally, consider the consequences of network zoning to understand where along the data path a connection can potentially be blocked. A blocked outbound connection deep inside the network may not be configured to raise an alert, resulting in a lost opportunity for rapid detection.
Network Security Doesn't Have to Be Fancy
All the above points seem like commonsense items that could typically be implemented with an organization's existing technology and tools. But the first step in that process may consist of asking important questions about your security posture, possibly with the help of a third party. What network security basics work for you in your organization? What could be improved? What practices worked in the past and could help you plan for the future?


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AT&T pre-orders for HTC One to begin April 5th for $249.99
The HTC One will be available for Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T while Verizon is expected to sit this one out. Still, with some funky things happening to the HTC DROID DNA's online listing, there are some who feel that a version of the HTC One will end up at Verizon. Meanwhile, the three carriers that are definitely getting the phone each will apparently offer different pricing.Based on the earlier Radio Shack sign, it looks like Sprint will have the HTC One for $199.99 on contract. If the leaked document that accompanies this article is legit, AT&T's variant will ring up the register at $249.99 on contract and T-Mobile is expected to allow you to buy the phone with a $99 down payment and pay for the rest monthly.
source: Engadget


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The FulCare Dental Plan is a great Alternative to traditional dental insurance. See how you and your family can receive a high level of dental care for an affordable price.
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Do you have anxieties about visiting the dentist? Sedation dentistry can help you remain calm and relaxed throughout any treatment. Dr. Fulbright offers oral conscious sedation techniques designed to give you a relaxing, painless experience.


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Summary: Steppers are the ultimate 'quick win' to improve your home workout routine, the Homcom Aerobic stepper is a 'step' rather than a machine. As well as being great value, the HomCom stepper is robust, great value and has 3 levels too. Buyers of this piece of equipment have been very happy with their purchase (see the customer reviews at Amazon.co.uk for more on that).
HOMCOM 3 Level Aerobic Stepper Platform Step Height Adjustable Non Slip Fitness...
- The board can be adjusted at 3 levels (10cm & 15cm & 20cm) and perfect for losing weight through step exercises
- Its portability and practical features makes it possible for you to start exercises anywhere and anytime
Detailed Review of the Homcom Aerobic Stepper
An ultra-strong plastic stepper made for a great workout every time.
The Homocom stepper is a great for people looking to strengthen their thigh and buttock muscles from the comfort of their home. It can be easily adjusted to 10cm, 15cm or 20cm via an intuative easy click system and features a non-stick runner pad so you can step on every time with confidence.
The Homcom has been built to look good and take anywhere. It's durable yet lightweight, with a stylish grey and black design, is compact in size and easy to store away when not being used. Rubber feet make sure the stepper stays firmly in place during use and ensures that it isn't noisy for the neighbours.
Homcom is a recognised brand in fitness and makes a good range of starter exercise machines. If you're new to stepping and the Homcom is the perfect choice. It's a bit more expensive than other steppers but the quality justifies the price. If you're going to be using a stepper regularly you want to avoid the muscle aches associated with cheaper plastic models. This probably wont be enough alone, though it makes a great addition to anyone's collection of home fitness equipment.
Buyer Feedback (All HomCom Stepper Models)
Feedback from users has been great. Everyone's found it easy to use and adjust and noted how sturdy and comfortable it is to use. Some users found it a little small compared to other models so those with bigger feet or wider hips might want to consider checking out other steppers as well before buying.
With it's low cost, comfort-focused engineering, you'll find exercising a joy with the Homcom. This stepper is a must for any home gym.
Check out the product page for the latest amazon.co.uk discount and full picture gallery now!
More Stepper / Stepping Machine Reviews:


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Guest author Patrick Kaeding is lead software engineer at LaunchDarkly, which helps software teams launch, control, and measure their features.
Adding features to your application is great! Users love it, since it makes the app more useful. An extra bullet point on a list of features makes it easier to sell to new customers, and developers love to see people find their products valuable. But new features can also be risky, as changing anything has the potential to cause regressions in existing functionality, and new features can have a negative impact on non-functional requirements, like page load time or other performance metrics.
One way to mitigate the risk is to use "canary launches," in which you roll out the new feature to a subset of your users, and monitor it for problems. LaunchDarkly is a tool for managing canary launches, and makes it easy to roll out the feature to more (or fewer) users, or to turn it off completely.
New Relic integration
By integrating LaunchDarkly with New Relic, you can measure the performance impact of new features to quickly determine what actions you need to take. To see how LaunchDarkly works with New Relic, let's look at MapCustomizer, a side project I created that lets users create shareable maps showing multiple locations using Google Maps.
One of the app's most commonly requested features is driving directions. But I worried this might be expensive to compute. In the spirit of lean development, I decided to just compute the directions for some maps, but not display them to users.
To find out the effect of adding directions to MapCustomizer, I used LaunchDarkly to tag whether or not each request included the directions calculation and New Relic Insights to capture the performance timings.
How to control a canary launch
Assuming you have LaunchDarkly set up in your application, the first step is to wrap the new feature you are testing with a feature flag (
GoogleMapsHelper.getDirections is a wrapper function I wrote around Google's
private def calcDirections(map: GMap, user: LDUser): Unit = if (map.points.length <= 8) { // exclude overly-large maps from the experiment if (ldClient.toggle('enable.directions', user, false)) { GoogleMapsHelper.getDirections(map.points) // do nothing with the results for the experiment } }
Once you have the feature gated by the feature rollout flag, you can control the rollout on the LaunchDarkly dashboard, as shown here:
I started the rollout at 10%, and when everything seemed fine, I turned it up to 50% to run a more meaningful test. If something had gone wrong, I could have used LaunchDarkly's on/off switch (aka the "kill switch") to turn off the feature for all users instantaneously, without having to redeploy.
Viewing results
Since I already had New Relic monitoring my application, I already had request timings for all requests. But now LaunchDarkly tags each request with a value for the enable.directions flag. I didn't need to do anything special to enable this—LaunchDarkly automatically determines if you have New Relic installed, and annotates the transactions automagically.
With a simple NRQL query to New Relic Insights, I can see how the response times differ between the variations:
SELECT percentile(duration, 90) from Transaction FACET `enable.directions` SINCE 1 week ago TIMESERIES AUTO
If I'd rather see some plain summary numbers (rather than the nice time-series chart), I'd simply query:
SELECT percentile(duration, 90), count(duration) from Transaction FACET `enable.directions` SINCE 1 week ago
Imagine if you could do this with every feature you want to add to your apps! You'd never have to worry that a new feature would ruin the experience for all of your users, forcing a rollback deploy. If New Relic revealed an issue, you could just hit LaunchDarkly's kill switch and disable the feature until you fixed the underlying problem. Or if you notice that the new feature causes performance issues, you could release it to a subset of your users while you either provision more server hardware or optimize the code to improve performance. In the meantime, at least some users could still benefit from the new feature, a far better approach than holding back the feature from all your users.