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Hi everyone! The Love To Scrap Challenge Blog is turning SIX this month! To celebrate our birthday, please join us for our Sixth Birthday Blog Hop & Challenge that'll last six days (March 4-9), with six sponsors and six prizes! These are our fabulous sponsors:
Bugaboo Digi Stamps
Prize: $12 gift certificate
CAS-ual Fridays Stamps
Prize: $25 prize code
Dr. Digi's House of Stamps
Prize: 2 digital images of choice
Fred She Said Designs
$10 gift certificate CAD
Lawn Fawn
Prize: $25 gift certificate
Prize: $25 coupon code
As you hop, be sure to leave each designer some love and collect a letter on each blog. Several blogs will have two letters. Once you have collected all the letters, unscramble them and email your guess to firstname.lastname@example.com. We'll throw all the correct guesses into a hat and randomly draw six winners! The winners will be announced on the Love To Scrap Challenge Blog on March 15th!
All of the LTSCB designers are creating Anything Goes inspiration projects. Everyone participating in the blog hop is invited to link up an Anything Goes project for an EXTRA entry into the drawing! Just be sure to use the same email address to email your guess and to link up your project so we can make sure you're given two entries!
Let me side-track you for a moment and share all six of the cards I created especially for our blog hop, one for each sponsor!
First up is a pretty friendship card featuring Rose Vases digital image from Bugaboo Digi Stamps! See full blog post HERE.
Next we have a purplicious birthday card featuring the Whole Shebang clear stamp set from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps! See full blog post HERE.
And here we have a fun anniversary card featuring the Ballroom Brenda digital image from Dr. Digi's House of Stamps! See full blog post HERE.
Next up is a super cool dude card featuring Afternoon Ride pre-colored digital image from Fred, She Said! See full blog post HERE.
Up next is a most adorable thank you card featuring the One in a Chameleon clear stamp set and matching One in a Chameleon lawn cuts from Lawn Fawn! See full blog post HERE.
And finally we have a gorgeous friendship card featuring A Girl and Her Shoes clear stamp set from STAMPlorations! See full blog post HERE.
Now let's get back to the blog hop… my letters are T and D. Here are your blog hop stops:
We hope you are enjoying the hop! If you get lost along the way or if you landed here in the middle of the hop and want to join in the fun, head on over to the Love To Scrap Challenge Blog to read all the details and start from the beginning!
This blog hop and challenge will run for six days, ending on March 9th at 6:00 PM EST. Remember to leave some love for each designer as you stop at their blog and collect the letter (or letters) for your chance to win one of the six sponsor prizes being offered! We hope you link up an Anything Goes project for an extra entry into the drawing! And be sure to visit the Love To Scrap Challenge Blog on March 15th for the announcement of our six winners!
Happy hopping!
Scrappy hugs,


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As the trend famously codified by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore -- that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit would double every two years -- seems to be flagging, one top engineer suggests that it is time to rethink chip design to buy performance increases.
Instead of just focusing on reducing chip size and cranking up processor speeds, engineers need to look at making tweaks or possibly even change fundamental microprocessor architecture to ensure chips are faster and cheaper to produce, said Robert Colwell, director of the microsystems technology office at DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), in a talk on Monday at the Hot Chips conference in Stanford, California.
Colwell dismissed arguments that Moore's Law will continue to hold, and said engineers should give serious thought to the design and economics of chip making.
"I pick 2020 as the earliest ... when we can call it dead. That's only seven years away," Colwell said. "I'm thinking 7-nanometers. You can talk me into 2022, you might be able to even talk me into 1-nanometer. But you're not going to into 1-nanometer... I think physics dictates against that."
There have been different interpretations of Moore's Law, with the most common one being that the number of transistors on a chip will double every two years, which will make chips faster. But Colwell tried to clarify the definition, saying that in 1965 Intel's Gordon Moore focused more on the economics related to cost-per-transistor, which would drop with scaling.
"What it really is ... if you're going to integrate a lot of components on a chip, there's an optimal place on that curve where you should do that. You can go beyond the optimal point, but it will cost you in terms of price per component," Colwell said, adding there's a sweet spot where maximum profit can be eked out assuming sales are relative to the number of chips made.
It is true that beyond a certain geometry it will hard to make chips smaller, but Colwell said economics, and not physics, would ultimately end Moore's Law. The day chip makers can't get return on the billions invested in making chips smaller is the day Moore's Law will break. Instead of waiting for chip economics to crash, innovation should start now.
Chips now have billions of transistors, and the ability to push clock speed and performance will reached its limit, and after silicon engine stalls, small tricks and incremental tweaks like power gating and turbo will happen for a short time to improve chips. But chip designers should start early, and an effort like changing fundamental chip design could help before and after Moore's Law ends.
One approach to consider might be separating the instruction set architecture, microarchitecture, circuits, functional blocks and other parts now integrated onto a chip, and tweaking them for specific applications, Colwell said.
"I think the end of Moore's Law opens the door to designing special-purpose things again," Colwell said, adding that in the 1970s, one could make specialized floating point arrays with vector processors. DARPA is doing research in the areas of quantum computing, nanotechnology and distributed computing, he said.
Researchers at universities and chip companies are also looking at new materials to replace silicon, and also advanced manufacturing technologies. Colwell said that the new technologies are far from practical implementation, and chip makers will have to rely on technologies like CMOS, which has no practical replacement in sight.
"CMOS is really good stuff," Colwell said. "There are [only] two or three [new technologies] that are promising at all. It's just hard to beat CMOS."
Some ways to buy performance in the meanwhile could be through the use of new materials, photonics, optics and 3-D stacking, in which transistors are placed on top of each other.
Outside of the computer industry, the auto industry will feel the biggest impact of the end of Moore's Law, Colwell said. The last 30 years of innovation in cars such as navigation systems, antilock breaks, guidance systems and others have all been driven by semiconductors.
"I think that's really cool but all of it is based on computers. If we stall out, what are they going to do differently from generation to generation?" Colwell said. "I think they have been living off the electronics for the last 20 to 30 years, and if we don't continually feed them huge increases, it's not clear what they will do next."
Colwell also threw a dart at his former employer, Intel, where he was the chief architect for all Pentium chips.
"Intel is terrible at anticipating. They don't look down the road and say 'five years from now the rules will be different, I need to react today, I'm going to put some bets on the table'. There's some of that, but not a lot. But what they are really good at is reacting," said Colwell.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fashion Marfa White Velvet Throw Pillow
Fashion Marfa White Velvet Throw Pillow is a modern look for fashionista decor! This black and white cushion works for a womens bedroom or girls room decor.
Our velvet pillows or cushions are soft and elegant to the touch and will add instant cozy chic. We use the terms pillow and cushion interchangeably. Also referred to as decorative throw pillows - whatever your preferred term, throw pillows add the finishing touch to any room.
One is never enough! Group together on a bed or sofa in a variety fashion and glam designs, add cushions with quotes, and play with patterns for your own special look!
Available in sizes: 18x18, 20x20, 20x14, 26x26 inches.
Luxe durable velvet.
- Pillow cover with insert included.
- Double sided print.
Care for cover: Machine wash separately in cold water on gentle cycle. Use mild detergent. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low.
- Care for insert: Spot clean or dry clean only.
- Made in the US.
- Made to order, ships in 7-10 business days.


text:
Earnest holds final briefing as White House press secretary
President Obama even jumped in to say a few words
President Obama even jumped in to say a few words
President Obama even jumped in to say a few words
Josh Earnest held his final briefing as White House press secretary Tuesday, urging journalists to remember the vital role they play.
The briefing started with a surprise, President Obama jumping into the meeting and offering some kind words about Earnest saying, "He is not only a great press secretary … he is a really great man."
Then Earnest took the stand and said, "I assure you, if you, the most talented, experienced, effective press corps in the world, didn't play your part in our democracy, we would all notice."
He then encouraged those in the room saying, "Your passion for your work and its centrality to the success of our democracy is a uniquely American feature of our government. It's made President Obama a better president and a better public servant. And it's because you persevere and you never go easy on us. So, even though it's my last day, you better not let up now."
Earnest then touched on what's to come asking that the press, "navigate this new relationship, that you'll protect the things that are worth protecting."
Specifically citing the press briefings, he said the "regular exchange that senior officials have at the White House have with all of you, to answer tough questions, to be held accountable, to respond for calls for greater transparency."
Obama is expected to hold his last scheduled press conference on Wednesday.


text:
Women Embroidered Cowgirl Fashion Boots Chunky Boots
Shoes Type: Short cowboy boots
Upper Material: White/ Pu, Black,Brown / Velvet
Out-sole Material: Rubber
Toe: Point Toe
Occasion: Casual, Outdoor
Pattern Type: Embroidered
Size Fit: True size
Size Range: US 4-12.5
Color: Black,Ivory,Brown
Process time: Made in hand item, 3-7working days.
The precise color of the items may vary depending on the specific monitor, the settings and the lighting conditions.
Sizing Chart
Sizing Chart
About Shipping
About Shipping
You will receive your order depends on the shipping method selected as estimated delivery date.
The estimated delivery date is based on your purchase date, the recipient's location, the seller's processing time and location, and the shipping carrier. Other factors—like placing an order on a weekend or a holiday—may end up pushing the arrival of your item beyond the estimated delivery date. It's our hope that your item gets where it's going as soon as possible, but given the factors involved, this is only an estimate.
Return & exchanges
Return & exchanges
Exceptions may apply
Care Instructions
Care Instructions
It is better to wash by hand and cold water.
Also I recommend pass over the draw the Iron (put a cloth on the top of the drawing)
Clothing without drawing paint, can be washed normally.
By hand with not very warm water.
Washing machine: in a program in not more than 40º


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Search Buddhist Channel
Burmese monk, exiled after making stand, adjusts to American life
By Matt O'Brien, Oakland Tribune, Sept 17, 2008
OAKLAND, CA (USA) -- A year ago, Burmese monk U Kovida helped spark the nonviolent Saffron Revolution that brought international attention to human rights abuses in Myanmar.
<< Burmese monk Kovida U, 24, strolls along 7th Avenue in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday Sept., 9, 2008. Recently, Kovida was robbed with a gun to his head on his way home from English class in Jack London Square. Also, Kovida helped lead the nonviolent Saffron Revolution that brought international attention to the human rights problem in Burma last year. (Ray Chavez/The Oakland Tribune)
It also made him a target.
With his face plastered on wanted posters across the city of Yangon, Kovida hid silently in a bamboo house for weeks before trading his Buddhist robe for a shirt and pants, bleaching his hair, donning a crucifix and sneaking out of town.
"My picture was everywhere," Kovida said. "I realized, if I'm arrested by the government, I have no chance for life. So I decided, myself, to leave my country."
The disguise helped Kovida escape to Thailand. Later, like many Burmese refugees before him, he ended up in Oakland.
Here since March, the 24-year-old has faced a different set of challenges. He navigated the complicated social dynamics of Craigslist to find a quiet place to live. He was robbed with a gun to his head on his way home from English class at Jack London Square. And he has regularly traveled around the East Bay on his bicycle and worked at a thrift store to pay the rent — two unorthodox activities that have caused some consternation among the local Burmese community. Clerics in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, depend on community alms for their survival. And they don't ride bikes.
But as he gets accustomed to an American life, and an uncertain future, nothing has consumed the soft-spoken monk as much as the tumultuous political events that began for him a year ago today.
"September 18," his fliers had read. "Three o'clock."
In a copy shop in Yangon, the former capital that Kovida and many opponents of Myanmar's ruling junta still call Rangoon, the monk had persuaded store employees to let him make more than 100 copies of a dissident message, one that advertised an upcoming anti-government protest.
The flier, if authorities had seen it, would have gotten them all into trouble.
But monks, Kovida said, are afforded an enormous amount of trust and respect by the Burmese people.
Some days earlier, on Sept. 5, 2007, hundreds of monks had marched in the city of Pokkoku, protesting a spike in the price of cooking oil. The military regime, which has ruled the country for decades, lashed back at the monks with violence.
News of the attack against such revered, peaceful demonstrators quickly reached Yangon, where Kovida said some monastery leaders proposed sending a response to the country's leaders.
"They didn't apologize to the monks," Kovida said. "If they didn't apologize, we would make protest."
From about Sept. 7 through Sept. 12, Kovida said he and others began traveling across the city by bus with stacks of posters hidden inside their robes. They distributed them throughout the city's monasteries.
"September 18," the notices read. The monks would rise up on behalf of the Burmese people who were mired in poverty and unable to object to the sharp rise in commodity and fuel prices. While the military's history of silencing its critics with detention or violence left most Burmese afraid to speak out, the monks believed their status in society could give them special leverage and protection.
Finding a calling
Born in a small village in the western Arakan state, an autonomous kingdom before the Burmese conquered the region in the 18th century, Kovida grew up with little knowledge of his country's often tragic modern history. He was only 5 years old in 1988, when university students led a nationwide protest movement that disrupted military rule but did not end its iron grip.
Kovida, always a voracious reader, said he left home to live in an Arakan monastery at age 12 so he could study the Buddha's teachings. He remained there until he reached the limit of what he could learn in the provincial setting. In late 2003, he moved to Yangon.
In the big city, he followed the 227 rules of discipline that guide monastic life in Theravada Buddhism. But he also grew disturbed as he came to know through reading and word of mouth about the brutal realities of Burmese history.
"Before I knew about politics, I liked (the country). I liked everything," Kovida said.
Kovida never expected to be thrust into a leadership position. But on Sept. 18, he stood on the steps of a pagoda and called for volunteers from a crowd of waiting monks.
"Now, we have to do it for the people; we have to show to the world this is a peaceful demonstration. We need leaders," Kovida shouted to them, according to his best recollections of that day. "Please join me."
Because they were monks, the robed demonstrators who crowded the streets of the city and other parts of Myanmar over the coming days were given a degree of latitude.
"We chanted, 'Love and kindness, love and kindness to the people,'" Kovida said. "It was raining, raining, but we didn't care. We have a lot of energy. Every day, we keep protesting."
The protests continued for about a week before police and soldiers began cracking down. Video footage, now on the Internet, shows Kovida raising up his hand as authorities try to detain a man in lay clothes.
"I told them, 'Don't touch the student. We are a peaceful demonstration,'" he said. As they tried to stifle the rallies, soldiers collected photographs of those they considered instigators and began to pursue them. Monks were arrested, injured and killed. The government charged Kovida and other monks with hiding explosives in their monasteries, untrue accusations he says were meant to smear the peaceful campaign.
Taking to hiding
In late September, as curfews and arrests effectively shut down the protests, Kovida found refuge in a tiny bamboo house outside Yangon. Friends would bring him food a few nights a week. He remained silent for most of two weeks for fear of getting caught.
He also received word that authorities raided the homes of his adoptive mother in Yangon and of family members back in the Arakan state, with whom he had little contact. That, he said, was a sign that he had to flee. He was putting them in danger.
Disguised as a Christian and with fake identification, he escaped into Thailand and the Mae Sot refugee camp. That's where he met Dawn Calabia, an American and a senior adviser at Refugees International.
"He's a very remarkable young man," Calabia said. "His story, once he came in the room, the board asked some questions about why he chose to get involved. They were very taken with him."
It wasn't just the personal courage, Calabia said, but also his broader perspective.
"He was concerned about what was going to happen to Buddhism," Calabia said. "You sort of remember somebody like that."
Because of the dangers Kovida faced in Thailand, American officials fast-tracked his refugee application, and by April, the monk and two others were testifying in front of the U.S. Congress.
A month later, Myanmar was devastated by a cyclone that killed tens of thousands of people. The devastation saddened Kovida, who was trying to adjust to his new life in the East Bay.
In his new apartment in Oakland's San Antonio district, which he shares with roommates found on Craigslist, Kovida still keeps his crucifix necklace atop his bookshelf as a memory of his flight. Beneath it is "Freedom From Fear" by Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but also a "Roadside History of Wyoming" and biographies of Gandhi, Churchill, Truman, MacArthur and Lincoln.
"He's fascinated by Abraham Lincoln," Calabia said. "He said he had read a number of books about Lincoln when he was in Burma as a student. He was taken by Lincoln's courage and leadership."
On Tuesday, he gets to compare notes between the first Republican president and the latest. As the United Nations General Assembly meets in New York City, Kovida and a few dozen other activists from around the world will have lunch with the current American president, George W. Bush, to talk about human rights.


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Good morning, and thank you all for being here.
I'm pleased to be joined today by several key leaders in our collective effort to combat financial fraud – FBI Executive Assistant Director Shawn Henry and SEC Director of Enforcement Robert Khuzami, as well as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Chief Postal Inspector, Guy Cottrell; IRS Criminal Investigation Deputy Chief Rick Raven; and Commodity Futures Trading Commission Acting Director of Enforcement Vincent McGonagle.
We are here to announce the results of Operation Broken Trust, a three-and-a-half-month targeting of investment fraud schemes throughout the country – and a critical step forward in law enforcement's work to protect American investors, to ensure the strength of our markets, and to prevent financial fraud schemes.
While there is nothing new about conducting nationwide operations and sweeps – this one is different in that it brought together a broad array of criminal and civil enforcement tools, at both the federal and state level, to attack investment fraud schemes collectively. Operation Broken Trust is the first national operation in history to target the many different types of investment fraud schemes that prey directly on the investing public.
This historic effort has been coordinated, executed, and led by members of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force that President Obama created in November 2009. This task force is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever established to combat fraud. Multiple federal agencies, as well as partners at the state level, are working together to ensure that no stone is left unturned when it comes to protecting consumers and investors.
Our mission is simple – to bring financial fraud schemes to light and those who operate them to justice. And our aggressive, coordinated approach is working.
Since Operation Broken Trust was launched on August 16th, all across the country investment fraud cases have been prioritized. To date, the operation has involved enforcement actions against 310 criminal defendants and 189 civil defendants, whose conduct harmed more than 120,000 victims. Several individuals have been charged with defrauding men and women across the country out of thousands – and sometimes millions – of dollars. The cases in this operation involve a variety of different investment fraud schemes that have led to approximately $8.3 billion in losses in just the criminal cases alone. Staggering numbers. These losses represent hard-earned money and even life savings. They represent needs that may not be met and dreams that may not be fulfilled. *
All of these victims can tell a tragic and cautionary story of being misled and exploited – often by someone they trusted. In fact, many of the scam artists we've identified were preying on their own neighbors – and on the most vulnerable members of their communities. Several of those prosecuted during this operation solicited victim investors from their own churches. One man in Texas allegedly targeted his fellow parishioners, asking them to invest with him and claiming that his success in foreign exchange trading was "a blessing from God."
In Florida, one defendant was convicted recently for his role in an investment scam that specifically targeted the local Haitian community. In Ohio, a former police officer operating a Ponzi scheme solicited investments from active and retired police officers and firefighters. And in Chicago, another Ponzi scheme resulted in more than $30 million in losses to hundreds of victims – many of them elderly, Italian immigrants. As a result of our prosecution, the man who operated this scheme has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison.
Many of the criminals we've identified used investor funds to support lavish lifestyles. One man operating an $880 million Ponzi scheme in Florida duped investors from across the country – and used the money to buy floor seats at professional basketball games and to make payments on his personal yacht, his beach house, and his Mercedes. A New Jersey man charged with operating an investment scam allegedly used investor funds to make payments on three different luxury cars and to pay fees at two country clubs.
With this operation, the task force is sending two messages. A message to the public: be alert for these frauds, take appropriate measures to protect yourself, and report such schemes to proper authorities when they occur. And a second message to anyone operating or attempting to operate an investment scam: we will use every tool at our disposal to find you, to stop you, and to bring you to justice. Cheating investors out of their earnings and savings is no longer a safe business plan.
Along with the agencies represented here on stage, I also want to thank the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Secret Service, and the National Association of Attorneys General. Because of their work, and the contributions of everyone involved in Operation Broken Trust, dozens of criminals who hatched fraud schemes now face significant time behind bars – including one sentence of 85 years.
Although this operation marks an important step forward, our fight to combat financial fraud goes on. The task force will continue working with consumer groups to increase financial literacy and raise awareness about the warning signs of financial scams. And we encourage investors to share tips and concerns with us by visiting stopfraud.gov. With the commitment of so many partners and with the help of an informed public, I am confident that we can take our fight against financial fraud to a new level.
And now I'd like to turn things over to FBI Executive Assistant Director, Shawn Henry.
* Numbers updated as of Dec. 14, 2010


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The subtitle of Network Security Auditing is the complete guide to auditing security, measuring risk, and promoting compliance. The book does in fact live up to that and is a comprehensive reference to all things network security audit related.
In 12 chapters at almost 450 pages, the book covers all of the key areas around network security that is of relevance to those working in information security.
As a Cisco Press title, written by a Cisco technical solutions architect, the book naturally has a heavy Cisco slant to it. Nonetheless, it is still an excellence reference even for those not working in a Cisco environment.
While the first 3 chapters of the book provide an overview that is great even for a security newbie, the overall style of the book is highly technical and comprehensive.
Chapters 1-3 provide an introduction to the principles of auditing, information security and the law, and governance, frameworks and standards. Each chapter is backed with a significant amount of information and the reader is presented with a thorough overview of the concepts.
Chapter 3 does a good job of providing the reader with the details of current frameworks and standards, including PCI DSS, ITIL, ISO 17799/27001 and others. Author Chris Jackson does a good job of explaining the differences between them and where they are best used. Given this is a Cisco-centric book, he also shows how the various Cisco security products can be integrated for such regulatory and standards support.
Throughout the book, the author makes excellent use of many auditing checklists for each area that can be used to quickly ascertain the level of security audit compliance.
Chapter 6 is perhaps the best chapter in the book on the topic of Policy, Compliance and Management, and the author provides an exceptionally good overview of the need for auditing security policies. This is a critical area as far too many organizations create an initial set of information security policies, but subsequently never take the time to go back and see if they are indeed effective and providing the necessary levels of data protection.
Jackson notes that accessing the effectiveness of a policy requires the auditor to look at the policy from the viewpoint of those who will interpreting its meaning. A well intentioned policy might recommend a particular course of action, but unless specific actions are required, there is little an organization can expect the policy to actually accomplish to help the organization protect its data assets if it is misinterpreted.
The chapter suggests that the auditor ask questions such as: is the policy implementable, enforceable, easy to understand, based on risk, in line with business objectives, cost effective, effectively communicated and more. If these criteria are not well-defined and delineated, then the policies will exist in text only, offering little information security protection to the organization.
Jackson also writes of the need to measure how well policies are implemented as part of a security assessment. He suggested using a maturity model as a way to gauge if the organization is in its evolution towards fully integrating security into its business process or if it already has a formal integration process in place.
In chapter 8 on Perimeter Intrusion Prevention, Jackson writes that protecting a network perimeter used to be a relatively easy task. All an organization would have to do is stick a firewall on its Internet connection, lock down the unused ports and monitor activity. But in most corporate networks today, the perimeter has been significantly collapsed. If you compound that with increased connectivity, third-party access, and more; and then bring in advanced persistent threats into the equation, it is no longer a simple endeavor to protect a network.
Chapter 8 provides detailed framework on how to perform a perimeter design review and assessment. As part of the overall review, the chapter details other aspects of the assessment including the need for reviews of the logical and physical architectures, in addition to a review of the firewall. Jackson also lists a large number of security tools that can be used to during an audit.
Chapter 11 covers endpoint protection with a focus on the end-user. Jackson notes that users never cease to amaze with their abilities to disappoint by opening suspicious file attachments, running untrusted Facebook applications, and much more. The book notes that organizations today face significantly higher levels of risk from endpoint security breaches than ever before due to our highly mobile and connected workforce.
The chapter details an endpoint protection operational control review that can be used to assess the organizations processes for identifying threats and performing proactive management of endpoint devices. While the chapter is quite Cisco-centric, with references to the Cisco SIO (Security Intelligence Operations) and a number of other Cisco products, the chapter does provide a good overview of the fundamentals of endpoint protection and how to do it the right way
Overall, Network Security Auditing is highly technical and detailed reference that makes for an excellent primary reference on the fundamental of information security. With ample amounts of checklist, coding refences, detailed diagrams and just the right amount of screen shots, Network Security Auditing makes an excellent guide that any technical member of an IT or security group should find quite informative.


text:
Seat Cover
for Vespa 180 SS
- dark blue
- with grey welt
- emblem: Aquila
- w/o belt
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Product description
When you discover that rare gem of an old Vespa pulled from the back of somebodies shed, the frame of the seat is usually still serviceable. The seats cover though, is normally well past its sell by date. A worn away seating surface and torn seams, even with the desire for a slightly used look, doesn´t look good and should be replaced. Within a few minutes the scooter is given a whole new, tidier look.
The seat covers produced by PASCOLI and PIAGGIO shine out from the crowd through their high quality of production and are absolutely identical to the original items in both shape and colour. The first choice during a restoration to original standards. Both large and small frame models original seat covers produced by PIAGGIO were usually either dark blue or black in colour, wideframe covers are usually dark green or black. If you would like to spend a little less money, you can choose a seat from our range of accessories. Sometimes they only differ in little details such as seam contour or welt widths.
SIP-TIP: Do not forget to order new seat cover fixing clips for a professional finish to the seat cover replacement.


text:
Military chaplains: Being a cog of conscience in the military killing machine
Navy Capt. James Fisher brings his evangelical Christian faith to work with Afghan military mullahs.
| Kabul, Afghanistan
It's the end of lunchtime at the Afghan National Army base of Pol-i-charkhi and, as the mess hall reverberates with the dish-clatter and chair-scraping of soldiers in dark camouflage dispersing, two men linger behind, still digging with spoons into a shared dish of rice and lamb.
US Navy Capt. James Fisher is the guest of Afghan Col. Moheb Moheburahman. The American is fair skinned, every inch of his face and scalp clean-shaven, and with ready smile and can-do attitude, he looks downright sunny. The Afghan has an olive complexion and a full black beard flecked with gray. When he laughs, the white of his teeth brightens his face like a flash of lightning in a night sky. The American has never borne arms in battle; the Afghan spent years in the mountains of northern Afghanistan fighting as a mujahideen against Russian occupiers and, later, against the Taliban. A limp in his walk and a cloudy left eye are leftovers from a Taliban ambush.
Both men are officers, both are clergy, and neither could have imagined joining forces when they made religion the cornerstone of their life and work: Colonel Moheburahman as an Islamic mullah trained in Kabul and now serving in the Afghan Army; Captain Fisher a born-again Christian ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church and committed to ministering to American troops.
As they eat and talk, an interpreter in a gray suit and yellow tie bridges the linguistic divide through word and gesture. Nothing, not even the smiles and the ribbing, gets lost as the two discuss the transformation of the Religious Cultural Affairs (RCA) department of the Afghan Army into a professional military chaplaincy.
Against the complex backdrop of combat and nation-building, this is neither a simple task nor always an exciting one. "I bet that, 25 years ago, the colonel didn't say 'I want to be a staff officer,' " Chaplain Fisher jokes.
The colonel – or M-12, as Fisher nicknamed him when his tongue first tripped over the military mullah's name – nods, smiles. At one point he thanks Fisher for draft guidelines he sent over, but then he tilts his head back and pokes jokingly but pointedly: "The Americans are here and then they escape from us." A smile flashes across his face. "I don't know why."
Fisher laughs, but his eyes are serious as he explains why he "escapes" his Afghan counterparts: "Here at Pol-i-charkhi you have five to 10 RCA officers, and in the general area there are one or two American chaplains."
The shortage of US chaplains and the proliferation of US bases around Afghanistan means American chaplains can't embed with Afghan units the way engineers and combat specialists do.
"Our first priority is to the American troops," he explains. Though he doesn't spell it out, the implication is clear: Just by joining Moheburahman for lunch, Fisher is stepping outside the traditional role of ministering to troops and advising command. Yet in so doing, he is also affirming the value of the chaplaincy.
US commanders have in past conflicts used chaplains to promote cooperation between local religious factions, and the US military chaplaincy has mentored and assisted chaplains of other nations throughout its history. But this is the first time US chaplains have helped establish a chaplaincy in an Islamic republic as part of a wider, nation-building effort. The result will be a chaplaincy radically different from their own. [Editor's note: The original version stated that this was the first time US military chaplains have been used to mentor foreign military clergy. In fact, the US military chaplaincy has mentored and assisted chaplains of other nations throughout its history. This is, however, the first effort by US military chaplains to establish a chaplaincy in an Islamic republic as part of a wider, nation-building effort.]
The Afghan Army, after all, serves the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, while American chaplains serve a secular command.
As such, US chaplains provide troops the opportunity to exercise their religion, while RCA officers actively encourage soldiers to perform the daily prayers and other requirements of Islam. Even more important to Afghan commanders, RCA officers counter Taliban propaganda by portraying the Afghan Army as an Islamic force.
"Our first priority," says Moheburahman, "is to let Afghans know that we are Muslim and that we want freedom inside an Islamic framework."
This not only attracts recruits, it lights their warrior fire.
"The most effective thing that can persuade Muslims to do dangerous things and to fight," Moheburahman explains, "is to give them the legitimacy of what they are fighting for. I describe the legitimacy of this government and point to verses [in the Koran]."
To formalize the RCA, Fisher succeeded in getting the US government to earmark $2 million for a chaplain school, construction of which is scheduled to begin in 2008. And he is working on a curriculum that will teach mullahs how to work within a bureaucracy and provide religious support and moral guidance.
While Fisher understands that he's helping to build an Islamic military, he believes that Afghanistan's minority religions will grow as the country evolves. "There are Buddhists, Jews, Christians in Afghanistan – not in great numbers, but they're here," he says, "and they will make their way into the Army and at some point the institutions will have to wrestle with these issues."
Whether or not the curriculum addresses this head-on, Fisher likes to think that, through example, US military chaplains are "living, breathing witnesses to how [plurality] can work and that the RCA will pick up on that."
This is the latest chapter in a journey that began when Fisher, a fresh, born-again Christian, was walking across the drill field at Virginia Tech Institute with a slide rule in his pocket.
"No way I want to be an engineer," he realized. "I want to be involved in a Christian vocation – chaplain, missionary, Christian teacher...."
Because his father was an Air Force pilot, Fisher signed up with the Air Force Reserve. Then he had second thoughts.
"I wanted to be with warriors in their hour of greatest need – and what is that? When they face death," he says. In the Air Force, chaplains typically stay back at the base. "But in the Navy," he explains, "if the ship sinks, most of us Christian chaplains are not going to be walking across the water back to shore. Or if you're with the Marines [whose chaplains are Navy officers], you're in their fighting hole with them."
He switched branches.
Today's wartime reality isn't as dramatic as the young Fisher imagined it. Ships don't sink on a daily basis, and marines don't live in foxholes. And if Fisher, like many new chaplains, signed up for drama and action, he has found instead that rubbing shoulders with other faiths has given him another kind of courage – the courage to ask questions.
"When I was a young Christian," he explains, "I thought it was very black and white – heaven, hell. As I get older, boy, I struggle with that more and more." He pauses, thinking about M-12 and the other mullahs he has come to respect. "If you bluntly ask me the question, 'Are Muslims going to hell,' " he says of the tenet – central to many Christian denominations – that eternal salvation comes only through Christ. "I'm not so quick to answer in the affirmative because I know that I see people here who practice justice, fairness, respect, dignity – who practice God's principles.
"Many of them," he adds, "are seeking a deeper, spiritual walk with God. And I believe that the person who seeks the depth of God and God's grace will also find the mercy that God offers."
The day after lunch with Moheburahman, Fisher hosts a Protestant service back at Camp Eggers, a guarded US military compound in Kabul. His guest speaker is John Weaver, an American relief worker and graduate of Columbia International University, a Christian college in South Carolina where Mr. Weaver took classes specifically geared to helping him reach and convert Muslims. Bearded, barefoot, and wearing a tunic, Weaver does what Fisher can't: he proselytizes.
Ironically, this is what Fisher is equipping RCA officers to do, thus indirectly helping to spread Islam. As a Christian who believes "Christ makes a difference in people's lives," this stirs up questions Fisher hasn't yet fully answered. But he seems to relish the challenge: "I personally like people to wrestle with all kinds of thoughts and issues."
One thing Fisher has no questions about, however, is the value of military chaplains, no matter their denomination. He believes they provide a moral keel – and that no one wants to see a killing machine without a conscience.
"If there are no chaplains, then I think you're going to see the American military lose their humanity, and the American people do not, they do not," he repeats, tapping finger on knee for emphasis, "want a military that has lost its humanity, its integrity, its value system, its honor – because any military that loses that becomes a military that [can] turn against its own people."
He points to failed states where armies back dictators as examples of what could happen elsewhere, be it Afghanistan or the US.
"In the blink of an eye chaos can affect a community, a culture, a society – and that's why you don't want a military that has lost its humanity. The aftermath could be horrendous."
•On Nov. 27: Part 5. Army Chaplain Ron Eastes, a Presbyterian pastor on patrol – unarmed – with his Airborne Infantry flock in Iraq.


text:
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text:
Are you looking for 5 letter verbs? Then, the following list of over over 1795 verbs is for you. All these 5 letter verbs are validated using recognized English dictionaries.
Verbs are the most important word class in the English language therefore, a verb is considered as the kings in the English language. Verbs are used to describe what a subject does or is. Verbs can be categorized as transitive, intransitive, regular, irregular etc. Wordmom has rich word lists for many of those verb types. We hope that with this list of 5 letter verbs, you will do amazing things :).
Wordmom.com is popular among all kinds of English language users including College & University students, Teachers, Writers and Word game players. We are happy to know your story of how this list of verbs from wordmom.com helped you as a comment at the bottom of this page and also if you know any other '5 letter verbs' other than mentioned in the below list, please let us know.


text:
San Diego drops red-light cameras
San Diego on Friday became the latest in a cadre of California cities turning their backs on red-light cameras — aloof intersection sentries that have prompted $490 tickets to be mailed to 20,000 motorists per year here.
Mayor Bob Filner announced his decision to take down the city's 21 cameras at a news conference set at the most prolific intersection for the tickets, North Harbor Drive and West Grape Street, near San Diego International Airport.
A crew went to work immediately taking down "photo enforced" signs throughout the city.
"Seems to me that such a program can only be justified if there are demonstrable facts that prove that they raise the safety awareness and decrease accidents in our city," Filner said of the cameras. "The data, in fact, does not really prove it."
Bicycle and pedestrian groups immediately raised safety concerns about the end of the program. Still, Filner called it the San Diego version of a traffic trap, and said he would rather have the four officers who were reviewing the camera's photos back on the streets interacting directly with motorists.
"It just seemed to me that the hostility toward them (the cameras) bred more disrespect for the law than respect for the law," Filner said, adding that many members of the public felt the program was only about making the city money.
The mayor's action followed through on a campaign promise made last fall in response to a question from The Watchdog, which surveyed candidates about the program.
Friday was the first day the city's red light camera program has halted since 2001, when it was shut down for a year to evaluate its effectiveness amid public outcries and lawsuits.
Mayor Bob Filner Red Light Cams News Conference - Matt Clark
Nearly 200,000 tickets carrying fines in the tens of millions of dollars have been issued since the cameras were turned on in August 1998.
After the county and the state took their share of fine revenue, the city received about $1.9 million for the tickets in fiscal year 2011. The city kept about $200,000 after paying the officers who issued the tickets, a camera vendor and other costs.
Filner said Harbor and Grape in particular was an example of why the camera program needed to go, because because many of its tickets went to tourists — something The Watchdog reported in June 2012.
"Here's the welcome that we give to San Diego," Filner said. "Here's a $500 fine. I don't think that's the way to tell visitors, 'thank you for coming to San Diego.'"
The program's stated purpose was to reduce accidents, but a 2002 audit of the camera program found the Harbor and Grape intersection had so few accidents that the city should move its cameras elsewhere. The city did not follow through on that recommendation, and The Watchdog found a decade later there have been no accidents since 2001 at the intersection, according to the state's accident database and the San Diego Police Department.
The city's transportation department said the cameras at Harbor and Grape were there to encourage drivers to stop obstructing the notoriously-gridlocked intersection. Several readers have told The Watchdog they are concerned gridlock will get worse when the cameras come down.
Two community groups supporting pedestrians and bicyclists also expressed concern with Filner's decision.
Kevin C. Wood, chair of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, said 97 percent of drivers ticketed under the program never received a second violation.
"Many improvements in infrastructure and enforcement are necessary to make San Diego safer for cycling and eliminating this program would only make it worse," Wood said in a prepared statement. "We must do everything possible to change driver behavior so all people can feel comfortable riding our streets."
Kathleen Ferrier, policy manager with Walk San Diego, said she was dismayed Filner did not reference studies that have shown San Diego's program has reduced red light running and accidents.
"We're really concerned that this program has been eliminated. These cameras have actually been shown to improve safety," Ferrier said. "There was a lot of emphasis today in the mayor's speech about safety, but there was no mention of the fact that these cameras have been proven to improve safety for all traffic users."
San Diego joins a long list of Southern California cities that have ended their red light programs. Most recently, voters in Murrieta ended their program by ballot, banning the cameras from their city. Other cities that have turned off their cameras include Los Angeles, San Juan Capistrano, Pasadena, Grand Terrace, Bell Gardens, Corona and Glendale.
San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne, who spoke after Filner made his announcement, said he and the mayor looked to those cities for guidance on what to do with San Diego's program.
"The most effective way to create safety in traffic is focusing on the enforcement aspect and the education aspect and these officers provide that," Lansdowne said, motioning to several department motorcycle officers also in attendance at the announcement.
City Councilman Kevin Faulconer said he supports the mayor's decision.
"Red light cameras haven't produced the public safety improvements the city expected," Faulconer said in a statement. "I agree with the Mayor that now is the time to take the cameras down."
Filner said the tickets that were issued before the program was shut down will be processed normally through the court system. He also said the loss of revenue for the city will not lead to any city employees losing their jobs.
Several other San Diego County cities continue to operate red light cameras, including Del Mar, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, Oceanside, Solana Beach and Vista.
An unscientific U-T San Diego online poll on the subject (now closed) garnered 2,276 votes, 82 percent in favor of ending San Diego's program.
Red-light cameras
- Red-light runners caught red-handed
- Many red-light tickets spew from one spot
- Photo red-light tickets can be challenged
- Another city drops red-light cameras, but not SD
- Red-light cameras may screech to a stop
- Victim of T-bone accident says keep red-light cameras
- Hall: Put the brakes on SD's red-light cameras
- Sanders won't push to keep red-light cameras
- Murrieta: Red-light cameras will come down
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Macon man dead after crashing into utility pole
Associated Press
MACON - A man is dead after crashing his car into a utility pole in Macon.
WMAZ-TV reports (http://on.wmaz.com/X7cF56 ) the crash happened early Sunday outside the Department of Labor building in Macon.
Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones says the crash killed 39-year-old David Coley. He says Coley was speeding in a 1996 Chevrolet Impala when it slammed into the pole. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Jones says Coley was trapped inside the car and died at the scene.
Georgia Power says no local customers lost electricity as a result of the crash.


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As the spring season starts to warm up Vancouver, one thing that you will begin to notice is the breathtaking nature of the area coming alive before your eyes. It has been announced in the news that the first pods of Orca Whales (commonly known as Killer Whales) have been spotted swimming up through The Georgia Strait.
Whale watching season runs from April though to October each year, and if you do decide to venture out to the strait with a Whale Watching operator you may very well be lucky enough to be surrounded by a plentiful pod, as they migrate on their long journey north towards the Alaskan waters.
Not only are there Orca's, the Strait also has other passing visitors such as Grey Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. In actual fact, last year, a lone grey whale decided that it wanted to come along and see what Vancouver is all about, the Whale decided to take a small trip through English Bay and take a look at False Creek much to the delight of onlookers lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, visitors along Granville Island and False Creek really were blessed with such a rare sight. The Whale decided to come back to False Creek a few days later, must have been tipped off that there were some above par buskers and yummy seafood on offer at Granville Island…and why not?
To see these Whales as they migrate up the Strait you need look no further than 'Wild Whales Vancouver' who are located on Granville Island. Wild Whales Vancouver have been operating since 2004, run by a former fisherman and Whaler, you will be in the capable hands of people who are passionate about Whales and really want you to experience the true wonder of these majestic mammals.
If you wish to book with Wild Whales, you can do this via their website at the bottom of this page….
Or better still, just simply book through us at The Sunset Inn front desk whilst you are staying with us at the hotel.
So go ahead, get adventurous and get your Whale on, you will not be disappointed.
Also check out the Orca Network, this is a fantastic site that has people writing in and letting us know what Whales and other sea mammals have been spotted throughout The Strait and the Gulf Islands of the US and Canada.
Visit the website here and keep up to date with the current migration of 2012.


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An educational website that bills itself as the UK's top source for "unbiased, factual and easy-to-understand information on online safety" isn't living up to its promise. Not only is the password strength meter for Get Safe Online completely unreliable, it also transmits user-supplied candidates in address URLs, where they are vulnerable to hackers and shoulder surfers alike.
The sole exhibit in making this case is the above screenshot, showing how the Get Safe Online password checker graded the choice "Julia1984." As Ars chronicled two years ago, the password will typically fall in the first minute or so of a standard offline cracking session, because it contains an extremely common name followed by four digits, in a futile attempt to add randomness. Even worse, the digits are the year many people were born, making it more likely to be chosen than other numbers. All of that makes "Julia1984" among the worst passwords a user can choose. Despite this, Get Safe Online rates it "exceptional" and even goes on to say: "Flex those pecs, you're a Password Strongman (or woman)!" The password checker became unavailable sometime after the screenshot was captured on Wednesday morning.
In fairness, Get Safe Online isn't the only site that struggles to provide useful guidance about how susceptible a given password is to real-world cracking techniques. As Ars has reported in the past, similar services provided by both Intel and eBay have similar flaws. People who want to evaluate the strength of a password should rely on the advice provided by a reputable password manager such as 1Password or LastPass. In addition to being unreliable, online password checkers may also harvest passwords behind the scenes, making them unsuitable unless users have the skills needed to closely scrutinize the way the service works.
Even worse is the transmission of "Julia1984" in plaintext. This unfortunate design choice by the Web application developers allows anyone on the same unsecured network as the Get Safe Online visitor to sniff the password candidate. And because it's transmitted in the URL, the design may also make it possible for people in physical proximity to the user to view it. This violates one of the core tenets of security that passwords should be a closely guarded secret.
Get Safe Online lists an impressive roster of partners and supporters that includes widely respected security providers and financial services. It's unclear if any of them provided their consent to be included on the page. But given the low value of the advice and the unsafe handling of user password candidates, they should consider having their names removed until the site cleans up its act.
Post updated in the second paragraph to note the password checker was no longer available and in the third paragraph to add details about safer alternatives for evaluating password strength.


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1. Killing Them Softly is a polemic disguised as a thriller, a series of scenes featuring various tiers of low-level gangsters shooting, talking, drinking, and complaining, unaware, somewhat blissfully, that they're all metaphors. (It's hard enough to be a gangster without having to walk around symbolic all the time.) Killing Them Softly is written and directed by Andrew Dominik, who, as in the better-but-still-so-philosophically-heavy The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, can't sit back and tell a story without making sure every moment is dripping, in sometimes stultifyingly obvious fashions, with resonance about The Way We Live Today. Jesse James was about celebrity culture; here, Dominik wants to tackle the world economy. That's fine and ambitious enough. It'd just be preferable not to have a film populated with people who spend half their time talking tough movie-gangster-guy language, and the other half spouting college thesis statements.
2. The plot is almost beside the point, which is not exactly the most riveting way to make a gangster movie. Two dumb poor kids rob a mob-protected card game, and madness ensues, from the game's host (Ray Liotta) who had robbed a game before and is framed for robbing this one, to the middle-management mob consultant (Richard Jenkins) just trying to deal with this mess, to the cold-hearted assassin (Brad Pitt, who doesn't show up until about half an hour into the movie) sent in to take care of the failed hit man losing his life to drink (James Gandolfini) and also to, you know, kill everybody left standing. The story never really gets moving in any particular direction, and the ultimate result is so preordained—and is so apparent to everyone involved—that you'll wonder why anyone even bothers going through the motions.
3. But this isn't about gangsters: It's about America. In case you were wondering whether or not Dominik is subtle about his theme, he sets his action during the financial crisis of 2008 and makes certain that all his characters' conversations take place while some important speech from Barack Obama or George W. Bush or Henry Paulson is audible in the background. (In one particularly execrable scene, characters actually talk back to an Obama speech about hope and change, sort of the cinematic equivalent of what goes on on Sarah Palin's Facebook wall.) If you're wondering Dominik's view of American politics and the American economy, don't worry: He has two different characters stare wistfully off-camera saying the exact words, "We're all on our own, aren't we?" Each character represents a supposed failure of the American Dream, with Brad Pitt's assassin as the only honest, no-bullshit man left standing. In case you were curious what he thought about all this, he'll tell you: "What's happening to this country, man?"
4. I have no particular issues with what Dominik is trying to say: As the same sort of armchair amateur full-of-shit social scientist as Dominik, hey, all sounds right to me. But he's so blatant and clumsy about it—don't you get it? We're all just pawns, man!—that you wish he maybe could have made a movie about politics and its effect on normal people that wasn't literally narrated by C-SPAN. It doesn't help that none of these gangsters are interesting in and of themselves; they're all so weighted down by Import that the movie never has a chance to come to life. It's so anchored in Dominik's grim worldview that there are never any stakes. Gandolfini gives a committed performance as a disintegrating killer who realizes just how pathetic his life has been, but Dominik gives us little reason to care; I spent most of his scenes wondering if he was supposed to represent a big financial bank in foreclosure, or the American taxpayer, or maybe George W. Bush.
5. This is all a shame, because Dominik's clearly a skilled filmmaker. His action scenes have bite; the man knows how to film a punch that makes it hurt. Still, his technique is mostly just to film a regular shootout but in super slo-mo, giving it faux-gravitas, fake poetry. This was done better, and even made more sense in context, in freaking Dredd 3-D.
Even his technique is double-underlined: If you're going to show a man doing heroin, you probably need to come up with a more inventive song on the soundtrack than "Heroin." (That scene is well shot too, but serves no purpose other than to show off that Dominik can shoot a scene well.) Dominik thinks he can get away with all this because he's doing Something Important, because he's showing the black heart at the center of the American myth, the awful truth that the world sucks and everyone is cruel and out for themselves. And hey, maybe it's that easy. Or maybe Dominik is using cynicism to stand in for insight. He wears his nihilism as a badge, but that's not what it is at all: It's a crutch, and an awfully flimsy one.
Grade: C-.
Grierson & Leitch is a regular column about the movies. Follow us on Twitter, @griersonleitch.


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As the old song says, "'Tis the season to be jolly." And for many of us, the year-end holidays offer a perfect opportunity to break out of our daily routine and get together with co-workers, friends and family. Whether it's a casual gathering at home or a night on the town, one thing is for sure: There's likely to be plenty of food and drinks at hand to keep the good times rolling.
We're not going to say that you should never indulge in a sugar cookie or a tumbler of eggnog. But everyone knows that too much of a good thing can be bad for your health. So here are some simple tips to help keep your oral health in good shape while you're enjoying the holiday season.
Choose Healthier Snacks — good-tasting munchies don't have to be bad for you. Plant-based hors d'oeuvres like hummus with raw vegetables can be just as delicious and satisfying as chips and dip—and a lot healthier, with plenty of vitamins and fiber, and little or no sugar. Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products, eaten in moderation, can actually be beneficial for your oral health: they can stimulate the flow of saliva and restore minerals to the teeth. If you choose to eat sweet snacks, limit them to around mealtimes. That way, your mouth gets a break from sugar and acid in between meals.
Drink Plenty of Water — Sure, there are plenty more exotic beverage choices. But for better health, alternate those fancy drinks with glasses of water. Sugary, acidic beverages like soda (or even juice) can feed decay-causing bacteria and weaken the tooth's enamel, leading to cavities. Alcohol dries out the mouth, which can cause a number of oral health problems. But water promotes the body's production of beneficial saliva, and keeps you healthy and hydrated. It also helps neutralize tooth-eroding acid and wash away sticky food residue that can cling to your teeth.
Don't Neglect Your Oral Health Routine — Sure, between frantic holiday shopping and eagerly anticipated get-togethers, it may seem like there aren't enough hours in the day. But it's always important to maintain your regular oral health routine—and even more so at this time of year. Brushing twice a day for two minutes each time and flossing once a day are proven ways to prevent cavities and gum disease. Find a few minutes to take care of yourself and you can keep your smile looking good all year long.
The holidays are a time for friends, family, fun and celebration. We offer these suggestions with our best wishes for a safe and healthy season. If you would like more information about how to maintain good oral health—during the holidays or any time of year—please contact our office or schedule a consultation. Read more in the Dear Doctor magazine articles "Nutrition and Oral Health" and "10 Tips for Daily Oral Care at Home."


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I write to honor and pray for the unborn infants who will be aborted each and every day.
From the Womb to Heaven
"Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord
Praise and exalt him above all
If Your heavens can bless You,
Simply by being
What You created them to be,
As Your psalmist proclaimed
By Your Spirit,
How much more the living,
Though unborn children of men,
O, Son of Man, Human,
As they are human?
If the elements of Nature can bless You,
By coming forth at Your Word
Why not the children
Of empty, aborted wombs,
Who will not live to pronounce Your Name,
Yet shout Your Glory in their humanity.
The Waters of the deep,
Your subjects,
Obey by their being,
As the Star of Bethlehem
Obeyed in its course,
So Your snow-white lambs
Come to You in their dying
By the Sin of Man,
Sin for which You died.
You died,
Pouring forth a River
That flows forever,
From the Temple of Your Holy Body.
Gushing forth, O Blood and Water,
Wash the Innocents
Who suffer the cold and chill of Man.
All wind blesses You, O Lord,
So may the Wind of Your Spirit
Rush to the side of these,
The weak and the powerless.
Trusting in Your Mercy,
Allow Baptismal Waters to flow,
From Your Holy Side,
In answer to the prayer
Of the People of God, Your Body.
We pray in the Spirit of Jesus,
Whose pierced Heart
Released the Mercy of God:
Father, by Your sovereignty,
Permit our spiritual act
To the full extent of Your generosity.
We Implore the proxy
Of the Cloud of Witnesses
And Martyrs crying beneath Your Altar,
All who stand in silent witness
To the death of the Unborn,
Who will be aborted this day.
God willing,
Stand in and take up Christ's Eternal Water,
More alive than all the waters of the Earth.
Pour it for me upon each child
Now in a womb soon to be emptied.
Pray with me, O Church, as the Water flows:
"I baptize you in the Name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
Let us call the girls "Mary"
And the boys "Joseph."
God will call them by a name
Known but to Him.
That these new citizens with the saints
And members of the household of God,
Produce sweet fruit,
For having held the hand
Of a human chain of life,
From the time of Adam,
To the End of Time;
Father, grant those of their lineage
Faith in the Living God,
That those who will never
Know them in this life,
May embrace them in Heaven,
In whose courts,
They shall praise this day.
By Joann Nelander


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Description: .50mm FFC/FPC Connectors FFC CONNECTOR KIT 3 JMP & .5MMCON 53PC
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text:
By Mike Mount
The U.S. Navy detected and tracked a Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine less than 300 miles from the southern U.S. East Coast last month, according to U.S. defense officials.
While the submarine did not enter U.S. territorial waters or follow any U.S. Navy ships, its arrival came while a Navy carrier strike group was training off Florida, according to defense officials who could not speak publicly because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The move by the Russians to put the ship close to the U.S. demonstrates its desire to ramp up deep-water patrolling by its submarine fleet - something the Russian government has said it would do, officials said.
The newer Sierra-2 submarine is thought to be part of the Russian Northern Fleet, and this is the first time this class of sub has been detected this close to the U.S., the officials said.
The sub was discovered about 275 miles off the southern East Coast in international waters about two weeks ago and has been followed by the Navy since, defense officials said. Officials said the sub did not come close to the major U.S. Navy submarine base at Kings Bay, Georgia, home to attack and ballistic missile submarines.
"Things worked the way they were supposed to," according to one of the officials when referencing how the Navy discovered the submarine.
While the officials would not disclose how the submarine was detected, the Navy has sensors in the air and water to detect and track such vessels.
The submarine has since turned back, and on Tuesday, it was about 600 miles off the U.S. coast heading eastward toward Europe, according to Navy officials.
It is not clear what the submarine was doing this close to the U.S., but officials say they assume it was conducting anti-submarine exercises, a return to a Cold War activity.
"They are doing what the U.S. does, patrolling and conducting exercises," one of the officials told Security Clearance.
The detection of the sub was first reported in the Washington Free Beacon.
The Sierra-2 is similar to the U.S. Los Angeles-class attack submarine and does not carry ballistic missiles - only torpedoes and other anti-submarine weapons.
The last time a Russian sub was detected close to the United States was in 2009, according to defense officials.
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The personal touch:
Handcrafted frames like no other
Handcrafted frames like no other
There's nothing more personal than choosing the eyewear you wear every day – it complements your character, completes your look, and is part of your identity. Now, you can create a truly personal experience with our most premium eyewear collections. Epitomizing Silhouette's reputation for exquisite, high-end design and revolutionary technology, the Elegance and Atelier collections exemplify quiet luxury.
Elegance: The Gold Standard
Gold has always held a staple, central role in world of fashion – not only on the catwalk but also within the worlds of interior design, jewelry and beauty. To honour its everlasting style, Elegance welcomes models plated with 23-carat gold, each handcrafted in Austria.
From the eye-catching gloss of the Golden Gate sunglasses to the masculine elegance of Venture's gold-plated temples, each model has its own unique character, while still bearing the unmistakable crest of Silhouette.
What makes Elegance a true design classic? It's Silhouette's signature lightness and comfort, coupled with a timeless icon: gold. Many of the female models feature sparkling crystals on the temples, emulating champagne bubbles to give a feminine, delicate edge to the look. The gold plating gives a final, elegant flourish.
Atelier: Wearable Art
When luxury and exquisite craftsmanship collide, brilliance is born. And while this collection is a tangible reflection of this concept, the understated Atelier Collection, with both sun and optical varieties, exists to enhance the wearer's beauty and never to outshine it. Each model is one-of-a-kind and individually hand-crafted to your specifications – fully customizable pieces of wearable art.
Precious, exquisite, yet durable materials are now synonymous with Silhouette eyewear. With 18-carat solid gold, sustainably sourced Indian water buffalo horn, delicate gemstones, from rose sapphires to rubies, and Diamond-like Carbon Black (DLC), the Atelier Optical and Sun collections strike the perfect balance between elaborate craftsmanship and the most exquisite materials. And with the finest craftsmanship come the finest Top Wesselton diamonds – hand-selected and expertly placed by our experienced gemsetters.


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NORTHEAST >> Authorities say a body found in a wooded area in this Dutchess County town is believed to be that of a 28-year-old man from New York City who went missing after staying with friends in the Pine Plains area over the weekend.
Capt. John A. Watterson of the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, who had earlier sought the public's help in locating Peter D. Spear, called off the search Friday evening. "A subject meeting Mr. Spear's description was found deceased in a wooded area close to where he was last seen, and evidence at the scene strongly suggests that it is him," Watterson said via email.
Watterson said there does not appear to be suspicious circumstances or foul play in connection with the death, but said the investigation is continuing.
Spear was last seen at 9 p.m. Sunday on foot at the intersection of state Routes 199 and 22, the Sheriff's Office said earlier. Deputies said Spear left his friends' home with the intention of taking the train back to the city, and was in the process of walking to the Wassaic Train Station on Route 22 in Amenia when he was given a ride by a passerby, who dropped him off at the intersection.


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Trenčín Synagogue
The Jewish community in this former county seat was founded by immigrants from Moravia. They established their communal presence outside the walls, in a neighborhood that is now fully merged with the old town center. The Jewish community grew from 81 in 1727 to 989 in 1869, when the Jews represented one quarter of the total city population. After the Budapest Congress of 1868-1869, which formally split Hungarian Jewry, the Jews in Trenčín opted for an independent Status Quo Ante community orientation. There were 1,619 Jewish residents in the city in 1940, but only 326 Jews survived the Holocaust. The tiny community today has about a dozen members; it maintains a small prayer room in the former synagogue complex, and also a cemetery, located on Partizánska Street.
The synagogue, constructed in 1913, was designed by the architect Richard Scheibner from Berlin. The building represents a trend towards minimizing exterior decoration while preserving monumental classical forms: it is a mélange of Byzantine and Art Nouveau styles and modern concrete dome construction. The sanctuary is a large hall, which, as can be seen from old photographs, was once colorfully decorated. Today, only some fragments, including the stained glass windows, blue dome decoration and the chandelier are preserved.
In the back part of the building, a small prayer hall, with a Holocaust memorial plaque listing the victims from Trenčín, serves as an occasional assembly place for the tiny local Jewish community.


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Exterior Size - 63"L x 32"W x 23"H
Interior Size (Top) - 61"L x 30"W x 17"H
Depth at Drain - 17"
Drain to Overflow - 14"
Maximum Fill - 74 Gallons
Note - All measurements are ± 1/2"
2 Year Warranty
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We've added new products across all categories. Have you seen the wood bathtubs? Take a peak... (opens a new window)
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Call (800) 674-8676Send an email Chat with us. A chat icon is located on every page.
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As soon as you place your order, you will receive an order confirmation e-mail. This means that we have received your order in our system and pre-authorized your credit card for the purchase.
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As soon as you place your order, your credit card is authorized and order processing begins on the next business day. If you placed your order on a weekend, processing starts on Monday or the first business day after a holiday. We submit the order to the manufacturer (usually within 24 hrs) for expert prepping, packaging, and shipment.
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We only accept returns in the event of significant damage during shipping. If only a portion of the product is damaged, we may be able to replace that portion.
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***Do not return the item before contacting us.***If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask (800) 674-8676 or chat with us from 9-6pm CT.


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Supreme Court gives Texas partial victory in racial gerrymandering case
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Republican-led Legislature in Texas improperly used race to draw a predominantly Latino House district in Fort Worth, but turned back a lower court ruling that blocked the state from using other legislative and congressional district boundaries under challenge for allegedly diluting the voting power of black and Latino voters.
The mixed 5-4 decision written by Justice Samuel Alito leaves in place much of Texas' political map for the 2018 midterm elections, upholding - for now - political boundaries that have been under court review for nearly a decade.
Ruling on House District 90, a Democratic-held district that wraps around Fort Worth, the court's majority found it to be "an impermissible racial gerrymander." The justices said the lower courts "will have to consider what if any remedy is appropriate at this time."
As for the rest of the challenged Texas districts, Alito was joined by four other conservative justices in ruling that a lower court had erred "in effectively enjoining the use of the district maps adopted by the Legislature in 2013."
Siding with Alito in the case, Perez v Abbott, were Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Chief Justice John Roberts. He also was joined by Justice Anthony Kennedy, frequently a swing vote on the high court.
The four liberal justices — Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan dissented.
Lawyers for Texas and a broad coalition of African-American and Latino rights groups argued the case before the high court in April, capping a protracted redistricting dispute alleging that the state's Republican lawmakers intentionally drew their latest political maps to marginalize minority voters.
The Supreme Court clash is the latest in a seven-year battle that will determine if Texas has to redraw its congressional and state house maps for future elections. The case could also decide if Texas will again have to submit to federal "preclearance" requirements in future redistricting and election cases.
The groups bringing the challenge, including the Texas NAACP and Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC) allege that even though most of the population growth in Texas between 2000 and 2010 was in communities of color, minorities lost representation in the redistricting plans that followed the 2010 census.
Two lower courts have found that the discrimination was intentional, thus violating the Fourteenth Amendment and Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Although the case has been moving forward since 2011, the state adopted new maps in 2013 that Texas argues followed the lower courts' mandates.
In their appeal to the Supreme Court, lawyers representing Texas argued their most recently crafted maps must be upheld as constitutional insofar as they are similar to the interim maps ordered into effect by the lower courts in 2012.
The civil rights groups counter that the new maps left unchanged many of the challenged state and congressional districts that the lower courts found unconstitutional.
One of the congressional districts under challenge in Texas is District 27, which was recently vacated by Corpus Christi Republican Blake Farenthold, who resigned amid a flurry of sexual harassment allegations.
The other is Congressional District 35, a heavily Hispanic stretch running from Austin to San Antonio represented by Democrat Lloyd Doggett.
In addition to the two congressional districts, the case involves nine Texas House seats where a federal court ruled lawmakers diluted the strength of minority voters. Five of those districts are in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Bell County, south of Waco, and Corpus Christi's Nueces County each have two districts that could be redrawn pending the outcome of the case.


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