text:
"Why does the Director want me? Am I in trouble?"
My boss shrugged, clueless as usual, and waved me into his office. "That will do, Carl," said a thin but strong voice. My boss bowed out and left me alone with the woman behind his desk. She was stern, gray and no bigger than a minute.
"Meghan, sit." I did, half expecting a cookie reward. "Your file is interesting."
"I have a file?" I asked, regretting my reply at once. Even the dogs had files.
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"You've worked in animal shelters all over New England."
A blur of happy-sad memories. "Well, I just…uh…love dogs." Brilliant! "I didn't know Happy Meadows had a Director."
She frowned. "Where do you see yourself five years from now?"
Unemployed seemed likely at the moment.
"I've been following your career. Watching you."
What career? My hackles rose. Who was this? FBI? CIA! PETA?!
"Good recommendations from your supervisors. You've written some articles that were well received. And the dogs seem to like you."
The dog part was true and I enjoyed writing, but "well received" was a stretch.
The Director closed my file. "I have a special job for you." Visions of nuclear-powered pooper-scoopers danced through my head. "I need a new caretaker for an unusual facility."
Clyde's stocky legs rocked easy with the heavy ocean swells. He steered the small boat with one hand; the other gripped an enormous mug of coffee.
"Are you sure you don't want some sunscreen?" I asked, squinting into the tropical bright while slathering myself with white cream, my ponytail whipping so hard I thought it might snap off.
Clyde guffawed, his lobster-colored face crinkling into deep, weathered furrows. "Never use the stuff! But you go ahead — shame to bake that pretty face."
I was ten years past pretty but still young enough to be his daughter. Was he hitting on me? A wave broke over the bow, showering us with spray. I cawed and grabbed for the rail — graceful I had never been. "There she is," Clyde declared, steadying me with one hand and pointing with his coffee mug. "Dog Island."
"You're kidding."
"That's not the official name, but Dog Island's what I've always called it. Have yourself a look." He handed me a pair of binoculars. I tried to focus on the rise of land but could see only jobbling water. "Try the beach," he suggested, tilting my shoulder until sand came into view through the glasses. I saw a cluster of black Labrador Retrievers playing. Their heads lifted in unison and turned toward us, their mouths working. We were too far away to hear the barks, but they sounded in my head. Hi! Hi! Hi! The dogs broke and raced down the beach, kicking up sand plumes behind. They were dancing at the end of the dock by the time we bumped alongside. Clyde leapt nimbly ashore despite his girth and was swarmed at once. "Get offa me, ya mangy mutts!" he cried, then thumped his chest, inviting them back up to slobber his face while he roared with laughter. When he was thoroughly soaked, they nosed his pockets for treats.
A stick of a man shuffled onto the foot of the dock.
Clyde turned. "Mawhnin', Jed!"
"And a fine one it is," Jed replied, his voice quavery and old. The Labs dashed to form a furry entourage around him. "That doesn't look like a dog you've brought me today."
It took a moment to realize he meant me and another to wonder if I'd just been insulted — I was here to replace him, after all. But I sensed he'd meant no harm and have been called worse anyway.
"Nope," Clyde agreed. He busied himself unloading boxes while Jed and the dogs approached. I'd seen enough arthritic animals to recognize the ginger gait in a human — I guessed his old joints screamed fair Jesus when the weather turned damp, probably most days in this climate. When he finally reached us, Jed offered a thin hand that I shook with care, and the introductions were done.
"See you in a week," he told Clyde, who nodded, stepped off the dock and untied the boat. As it motored away, Jed said, "Let's go. I have a lot to show you and I'm not getting any younger."
There was only one house on Dog Island, a sprawling wood affair on a gentle grass slope overlooking the sea. It was wrapped by a wide porch held down by a dozen grizzled dogs baking in the sun. A Golden Retriever, frosted nearly silver, tail-tapped a reserved greeting as we passed through, but the rest slumbered on, oblivious. "Hey, Pete," said Jed. "How's the old fella?" Jed turned to me. "Pete really runs this place — I don't do anything without his say-so." A pillowpadded rocker with a tattered book beside it told me the dogs weren't the only old ones who passed long, slow afternoons up here. We entered a tidy, bright kitchen. I accepted his offer of coffee to be polite, but in my experience no one made worse java than old men. The watery, bitter crap I was expecting, however, turned out smooth and rich. Jed gently lowered himself into a chair at the sturdy wooden table. He took a sip, started to speak, then reconsidered and had another.
"Not sure where to start," he finally said.
"How about the beginning?" Jed laughed. "This island has too long a history to tell right now and you can read all about it in the library anyway." He looked around the kitchen and out the window, considering the place. "Guess if you have enough money, anything's possible."
He laughed again. "No, I'm just the caretaker. The Director handles the business, but the money isn't hers, either. There are plenty of rich folks who like the idea of this island and would rather spend their money on dogs than on people."
"Do they come here?" I asked envisioning hordes of weekend pet owners with chips on their shoulders and attitudes up their —
"Nope. Never met 'em. Haven't even met the Director — not this one, anyway. The one who hired me…well, she's moved on." He glanced out the back window up a forested hill rising behind the house. "I doubt the contributors actually know where this place is. The only person I ever see is Clyde when he brings supplies or a new dog."
"How many live here?" "One hundred. No more, no less."
I'd worked in larger facilities, but not solo. "That's enough." I remembered the Lab clones from the beach. "Learning the names must take a bit." A thought occurred to me. "Do they even have names?"
"Giving a new dog its Island name is important," Jed said. "They're starting new, happier lives here and finding the right name is part of that. Some names will come to you right away, others take longer. If Fi-Fi or Toodles pops into your head, keep thinking." He waved a hand. "You'll learn. One of 'em farts, you'll know who did it and what they ate that made 'em do it." He gestured at a thick notebook on the table. "I've written down most of what I do, how things work and what doesn't."
"On the mainland. You got big trouble, call Clyde and he'll fetch 'im out, but you'll learn to handle the little stuff yourself. I've done more stitching than I can remember and splinted my share of broken bones." A chorus of yips outside interrupted us. Jed's eyes rolled. "Heelers! OCD, every frigging one of 'em. Only the gun shuts them up."
I followed him to the barn and helped wheel out a tennis-ball launcher. Jed cranked it up. "Near ruined my arm before I thought of this," he laughed. Thwupp! A green rocket streaked down the hill. A dozen dogs raced after it. One came up with the prize and the others circled back, eyes gleaming. Thwupp! They ran again, sleek bodies flying over the grass. Thwupp! Thwupp! Thwupp! Dogs and balls everywhere. Two heelers jumped for the same one and collided in mid-air. The dogs fell to the ground and the ball sailed untouched in between. Jed and I fell, too, clutching our sides, laughing. The dogs were up again immediately and we fired another volley. After an hour they'd finally had enough.
"I love the gun!" I said and fell back into the grass. "I could get used to this."
Jed held up a hand. "Talkin' to the paw!" He gazed across the sea of happy, panting dogs to the sea of water that separated us from the world of humans.
"I can't imagine not being here anymore," he said. "Not taking care of them. But I'm too old now. They deserve better."
"I'm not sure why the Director picked me," I replied, "but these dogs will want for nothing while I'm here."
Jed nodded. "That'll do."
I memorized Jed's notebook over the next two months. It made caretaking straightforward, though not easy. I slept deeply each night surrounded by the porch dogs who'd made it clear that the king-size bed was communal property. I didn't mind the company, although some nights "gastrointestinal challenges" among them forced me to evacuate.
According to the calendar stuck to the refrigerator with bone-shaped magnets, it was late August when one evening I'd finished all the chores with some daylight still left. I'd been meaning to investigate the library for the history of Dog Island, so I ventured through the doorway marked Canis Libris.
Inside was every book ever written about dog breeds, caring for dogs, or caring about them. Many were familiar and good but not of interest tonight. Past them was a hodgepodge of homemade binders. I selected the first one, dated 1820. Inside, penned in black ink on pages of stiff parchment, were sketches that stole my breath. An Irish setter: "Lucy 1812-1820." A bull mastiff: "Theodore 1808-1820." A mixed-breed with a big smile and gentle eyes: "Henrietta 1817-1820." I sat on the floor and paged through a baker's dozen. Some had lived long lives, others short ones or maybe they had just been old when they arrived here and got their Island names. I closed the book and pondered that Dog Island had existed for nearly 200 years, an impossibly well-kept secret. I had considered myself plugged into the dog community but never heard a whisper. Yet here I was, and here, two centuries ago, had lived another caretaker who commemorated her charges with these amazing sketches. I sagged against the bookcase, overwhelmed by inadequacy. I could fill a bowl and scoop poop, but drawing even stick figures was beyond me.
The volume for 1821 held eight more sketches and 1822 had nine. The following year had 34. Bad luck? Disease? The dogs looked healthy but maybe the caretaker had sketched them in their prime. The volume for 1837 was full of poems, and I surmised that a new caretaker had arrived. This rhyming love was less intimidating; I could work with words. I skipped decades, looking for different caretakers. Each had recorded in his or her own way the island's history, which I realized was not about the people who made it possible but the dogs who made it necessary. One caretaker did needlepoint. Another shot Polaroids. I put the volume back and left the library to join the snoring old dogs on the bed. Words that would paint their pictures and tell their stories were swirling through my mind already, and I fell asleep smiling.
I smiled much of the next day watching the dog's antics. Seeing no reason not to start right away, I stuck pen and paper in my pocket to capture random thoughts I found particularly endearing. There was so much to tell and my heart soared as I mentally teased the words into place.
I stopped smiling at dinner when one bowl of food remained uneaten. I knew whose it was without looking, and my heart sank as I went out onto the porch. Pete lay in his spot beside the padded rocker. His tail did not greet me as I came out or when I spoke his name. Tears streamed down my cheeks and I cursed my naïve scribblings as if my eagerness to write them had made Pete's heart stop beating. I knew it wasn't true, but felt I had let him down anyway. I resolved to write his story the best ever as I wrapped his cold body in a blanket and went to radio Jed. "It's Pete," I said when he answered.
Rain was threatening at dawn and I was afraid that Jed and Clyde wouldn't come, but an hour later the boat nosed alongside the dock and I tied the bowline to a cleat. Clyde shut down the engine and helped Jed ashore. "Are you coming?" I asked Clyde.
The craggy man shook his head. The bigger they are, the harder they cry.
"Where's Pete?" Jed asked.
"On the porch." I didn't add that I'd spent the night in the padded rocker beside him knowing Jed would have done the same.
"Why don't you get the ATV," he suggested.
Cradling the swaddled bundle, Jed climbed onto the seat behind me and directed me behind the house and up the forested hillside onto a road I hadn't had time to explore yet. We bumped along in silence, climbing steadily, finally emerging from the forest into a grassy clearing. I released the throttle in surprise. Hundreds of small stone markers spiraled in to a larger monument that rose from the middle. The clearing overlooked a steep drop-off to the sea. I killed the engine and in the sudden silence heard waves pounding below. Jed climbed off and I followed him to the monument. The markers closest to it were dated 1820. On the side facing the ocean was carved, "Here lie the dogs who made this world a better place by being in it."
Jed walked out from the monument until he found an open spot among the smaller stones. He set Pete down and took the shovel from me. I tried to help but he gently pushed me aside. When the hole was ready he laid Pete at the bottom. Beside the body Jed placed a threadbare squirrel toy, a rawhide chewie and a tattered copy of A River Runs Through It. I added a sweater of mine I'd taken to wrapping around Pete each night. When the hole was filled, Jed stepped back. "I call this the Stepping- Off Place," he said. He paused, perhaps trying to voice thoughts he'd never spoken aloud before, at least not to another human. "I want to — need to — believe that from here they go to a better place. One that's perfect for dogs, not just an island hidden from the rest of our world."
I held up a hand. "Talkin' to the paw."
Jed didn't smile but a little light came back into his eyes.
Over the next two years, I made several trips to the Stepping-Off Place. I didn't call Jed again — it was my responsibility now. Afterward I'd return to the house and write each dog's story for Canis Libris. Between those sad days were many more filled with hard work and great contentment. I was taught that to merely sit on the stream bank with dry feet was to miss the point of water; it needed to be thoroughly splashed through to fulfill its purpose on earth. Beach sand had many purposes — like scratching one's back, hiding special treasures to dig up, or just being run across. I learned that there is a sound to the joy in life and it is Thwupp! Thwupp! Thwupp! And I strove to perfect the art of baking my bones on the big porch while contemplating the meaning of the universe — or just taking a long, well-deserved nap. Days passed, seasons turned and a few years went by. Then Clyde called. "It's Jed."
Clyde rode with me up to the clearing this time. He helped me dig a grave just inside the line of trees at the back edge where I saw that the markers were larger and fewer. When the work was done, neither of us could think what to say. Clyde produced two bottles of beer and we drank in silence while the ocean crashed against the rocks below and the grass rippled. From somewhere on the island first one dog voice rose, then another, then a chorus. "That'll do," I said.
I never ran out of Island names for the new arrivals. Never resorted to Fi-Fi or Toodles or ran out of the right words to tell their stories in Canis Libris. Clyde's son took over the boat and was so much like his father I sometimes forgot that he wasn't. My hands slowly became gnarled, unhelpful things and I sometimes napped entire afternoons away on the porch, but it wasn't until my eyesight went that I knew it was time to call the Director.
She was a he now, a man I'd never met. "I have just the person in mind," he said. I taught Keira as Jed had taught me and Pete had taught him. I was eighty when I went back to the world of humans and I lived there for a dozen more years, but my heart never left Dog Island. Eventually I returned to join my fellow caretakers at the Stepping-Off Place, where together we wait at the door between our world and theirs, holding it open, hoping one day they'll return to make ours a better place by being in it.


text:
If you are looking for an updated version of DCPcrypt try either
I've not tried either of them (and I'm told they are quite different to each other – no idea which is closest to the original)!
DCPcrypt has finally been retired (except for the versions above). I've been developing it since 1999 and from 2007 (or so) it has been developing code rot as I've not had time to update it. It was good while it worked but now there has come a point where I can't guarantee that it will work correctly (or securely) under recent versions of Delphi.
For the curious, the code is still available below. However, I don't recommend anyone to use it any more.
- DCPcrypt Demos — Two demos for use with DCPcrypt v2.
- DCPcrypt v2 for Delphi 2009/2010 — same as v2 beta 3 but update for Delphi 2009/2010 (additional unicode string encryption).
- DCPcrypt v2 for Delphi 2007/2009 — same as v2 beta 3 but update for Delphi 2009 (old).
- DCPcrypt v2 Beta 3 — RECOMMENDED: The very latest version with full(?) documentation.
- DCPcrypt v1.31 — The last of the "old style" library series. All the implementations work correctly however it is recommended that you use the v2 beta.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hi everyone,
I have made a series of upgrades to the forum software that powers this site and there are a few things you should all be aware of.
First of all I, highly recommend that you add the following email addresses to your "allowed" senders list for your ISP so that emails don't get blocked by your spam blocker software.
They are as follows:
1. email@example.com
2. firstname.lastname@example.com
Also, you might notice some new features sprinkled throughout the site. Some of the more relevant ones are:
* Private message notifications now contain the sender, subject, and body of the actual private message that was sent to your inbox.
* The inbox, sentbox, and savebox each have a counter to show you how many messages are in each of those boxes. This should help keep your inboxes nice and tidy
* All inbox, sentbox, and savebox quotas have been increased from 250 to 400 allowed messages in each.
* Add image to post feature - this is a new enhancement that came with the upgrade of the forum software. I could have disabled it to force users to upload to our built in gallery but it's actually a convenient tool and I think you'll enjoy it. You will see this option anytime you go to compose a message. It uses a free third party image hosting service but please be aware that if the image isn't viewed for 30 consecutive days, it will be deleted automatically. If you want to host an image for an indefinite period of time, use the ShaveMyFace Gallery.
Thats about it. There are probably a few other enhancements that I neglected to mention but I'm sure you'll find them on your own
Recent forum upgrades
This area is reserved for special announcements from forum administrators and moderators.
1 post • Page 1 of 1
Recent forum upgrades
1 post • Page 1 of 1


text:
The following dialogue continues an on-going cyber-discussion between two cultural philosophers, Dr. Sherry Ackerman and Dr. Guy McPherson.
ACKERMAN: Wow! I don't leave the homestead all that often. And, when I do, I don't go that far. But, today I had occasion to venture out into mainstream culture for the afternoon and I was flabbergasted.
The mainstream has never been my thing, but, Guy, I'm telling you that it's plunged even further into madness. Sheer madness. There's nothing out there that has anything to do with real life. It's an entirely constructed false culture.
I live here on the homestead and there's life all around me.
There are living plants in the gardens, animals in the paddocks and active people working with the soil, trees, water and solar patterns. Everything's connected in a very practical, necessary way. Kitchen garbage goes to the chickens who then give us eggs. Livestock manure is composted for the gardens that give us our food. Solar energy fuels our living quarters, heats our water, and cooks our food. If any part of the chain of life breaks down, we're all impacted.
Conversely, mainstream culture is dead.
It's packaged, sterile, predictable, isolated (perhaps alienated is closer to the truth), and lifeless.
People lack enthusiasm (which, by the way, in Greek, means "filled with the gods"), are unanimated (anima, in Latin, means "soul"), disconnected and stressed. Time, which is a manmade construct, governs mainstream culture's machinations. Products are old, boasting incredible shelf-lives. Prices are high, and the proceeds go directly to The Man, instead of to any real person(s). Conversation is superficial; factory food proliferates; gas belching machines, with single occupancy, are everywhere; dumps are brimming and so is psychotherapy.
Derrick Jensen makes a strong distinction between "real life" and "culture". He says that most people have the two confused. I would agree. Culture is something that people have created. Real life is there irrespective of human intervention. I think it's really important to examine this distinction because a lot of current initiatives are aimed at trying to preserve culture at the expense of real life!
McPHERSON: You summarize the predicament so well, Sherry, it's difficult for me to add a thing. But, rarely at a loss for words, I'll give it a try.
Television anchor Edward R. Murrow is credited with this expression:
Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar.
Murrow understood the power of television to misinform the masses.
It's a strategy that's worked brilliantly on every front — but none more pronounced than the all-important issue of global climate change. Seeking "balance" on the idiot box means presenting two sides to a one-sided issue until it's too late to address the crisis.
Climate chaos is only a small part of the big story, though it's among the phenomena poised to cause our extinction within a single human generation.
As you point out, we turn toward mass culture and away from reality. In addition to triggering climate chaos, we've initiated the Sixth Great Extinction, and we revel in its acceleration as one more sign of progress.
Furthermore, we continue to ratchet up the madness of human-population overshoot on an overpopulated, overheated, increasingly depauperate planet. Environmental degradation proceeds apace as we gleefully trade in living soil for smart phones, clean air for fast computers, potable water for high-definition televisions, healthy food for industrial poison, contentment for exhilaration, decent human communities for hierarchical death camps, and life for death.
All the while, we take truth-tellers to task while looking to corrupt governments for leadership. Truth is treason in an empire of lies and the people, largely convinced they're consumers instead of citizens, keep seeking guidance from the television and nourishment from GMO-tainted faux food, all while seeking happiness from exhilaration instead of introspection.
My heart aches to the breaking point.
Industrialized humans are destroying every aspect of the living planet with all the joy one would expect from homicidal maniacs. We don't think about what we're doing. If we did, we wouldn't. Or perhaps, driven by a culture of madness promoted by our contemporaries, we would.
ACKERMAN: I agree with you on all points and find the whole conundrum quite interesting.
I can't muster up any interest in mainstream culture and, thus, can't fathom why people are so fascinated with it.
I love the simplicity of my life: my gardens, animals, quiet contemplation, and slow pace. I like not being chained to a contrived schedule, a phone, a commute, or debt.
I like feeling healthy from eating home-grown, clean food. I like sleeping well at night after a day in the fresh air. I like swimming in the alpine lake down the road at sunset. I like sitting outside in the evening, with a good book.
I feel like my life is so rich and good and I certainly don't feel that I'm doing without anything.
I experience my life as rich and full. Yet, I don't have most of the things that most Americans crave. I don't, for example, have a TV, or a cell phone (let alone a smart phone!), or a microwave (I cook in a solar oven, actually), a fancy new car, air conditioning, designer clothing, or a credit card.
I don't use airports anymore. I don't go to shopping centers or malls (or even supermarkets). I don't eat out. I rarely drive my truck (I bicycle) unless I'm hauling something. And, I don't feel as if I am going without anything. I feel that I am living a really full, abundant life.
It's interesting, though, to observe the reactions of the WWOOFers (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) each year. In my mind's eye, I think they're stepping into paradise and being offered a real gift of leaving behind the madness of the mainstream. That's why, invariably, when they begin to complain about things like not getting their text messages, or having a sufficiently robust social life or being able to eat copious amounts of Thai food, I just shake my head and wander off in disbelief. I can't even imagine trading the sanity and serenity of life here on the homestead for any of that. W
hen I watch a herd of deer grazing in the meadow, I'm content. I can't even get this into a comparison ratio with having an iPod (or whatever).
My whole thrust lately has been re-skilling — to learn the simple, creative techniques that my grandparents knew for growing food, home repairs, resource conservation, making clothing, and preparing herbal medicines.
My idea of preparing for the future is to relearn skills from a simpler, saner time when neighbors helped neighbors (instead of hiring professionals for every little job), and bread was eaten straight from the oven — still warm.
McPHERSON: As humans, we lived durable lives on Earth for two million years. Contrary to the arrogant and disparaging term, the Stone Age was a time of great abundance.
Neolithic humans knew each other and they knew the plants and animals with which they shared the area. They had minimal impact on the lands and waters that supported them. The people of that era spent a few hours each week doing what we call work — making sure the members of the community were well-hydrated, well-fed, and warm.
In contrast to the first couple million years, we've pursued growth for the sake of growth only during the last few thousand years: As Edward Abbey pointed out forty years ago, such an approach represents that of cancer. Along the way, we've destroyed the living planet while creating a depauperate world. And now we disparage or ignore the way humans lived when we truly were part of the world, rather than living as we do now, apart from the world.
I'm sad about our recent past and I'm inspired and invigorated about our future. Embarking on this new paradigm, which resembles the truly old, durable paradigm, translates to a life of abundance, as you've described. And we don't even need smart phones to secure our happiness.
Back to the future
ACKERMAN: You have stated it very well, Guy.
We're going back to the future. This is going to require a real change in consciousness for humans. We're going to have to honestly and authentically care about all life — not just that of our own species.
This means stepping out of acquired habits of competitiveness, accumulation, resource depletion and all other forms of egoistic I-ness.
It means becoming content with simplicity.
It's interesting: I use WWOOF interns here at my place every year. Invariably, they start the growing season with an overly romanticized vision of what constitutes simplicity. They wax poetically about their "readiness" to embrace a more simple lifestyle — until the honeymoon wears off.
And then, without fail, their conditioned passions plague them. They miss their smart phones, microwaves, fast-food, automobiles, lengthy showers and late night outings. This is the bifurcation point: they have to either rally up and shift into what it takes to live without creating such a large carbon footprint or they need to admit that they are really not ready to take on that task. Sure, it looks good on paper, but …! Or, it's interesting to talk about conceptually — to sit around and intellectualize about — but …!
To get back to the future, we need to walk the talk. The time for thinking about this stuff is over. It's time to do it.
McPHERSON: I love the WWOOF program and when I speak to college-age students I encourage them to pursue such opportunities instead of wishing the future suits their degree in marketing.
The latter wish demands ongoing military engagements to retain a future similar to the recent past. Never mind the morality of these pursuits — as Americans, we've never seemed to mind — we know empires fall, and we know the current empire is in serious decline. But our profound sense of entitlement, which transcends generations in this country, keeps us shackled to the feel-good notion of infinite growth.
Why it's wrong to "support the troops"
I have a few thoughts about the thoughtless support of imperialism, as reflected in this country's rallying cry of "Support the Troops."
Supporting the troops is pledging your support for American Empire. Supporting the troops supports the occupation of sovereign nations because might makes right. Supporting the troops supports wanton murder of women and children throughout the world. And men, too.
Supporting the troops supports obedience at home and oppression abroad. Supporting the troops throws away every ideal on which this country allegedly is founded. Supporting the troops supports the ongoing destruction of the living planet in the name of economic growth. Supporting the troops therefore hastens our extinction in exchange for a few dollars.
Supporting the troops means caving in to Woodrow Wilson's neo-liberal agenda, albeit cloaked as contemporary neo-conservatism (cf. hope and change). Supporting the troops trumpets power as freedom and fascism as democracy.
Your comment about going back to the future makes me wonder whether we've forgotten about America's cultural revolution. It's as if we never questioned the dominant paradigm in an empire run amok; as if we never experienced Woodstock and the Summer of Love, bra-burning hippies and war-torn teenagers, Rosa Parks and the Cuyahoga River.
We're right back in the 1950s, swimming in culture's main stream instead of questioning, resisting, and protesting!
I encourage every act of resistance, and also most alternative paths. If that path includes WWOOFing or backpacking or driving into the end of the world as we know it, I'm a fan. In contrast, I detest the idea of dreamily swimming in the powerful cultural current of the main stream.
The time for action
ACKERMAN: We're on the same page.
The time for going to conferences, watching videos and having think-tanks is over. It's time for action. Conceptual activism is just another way that people swim dreamily in the current of the mainstream.
"Oh, ain't it awful" isn't going to get us anywhere. Neither are all-night conversations about psuedo-solutions. What has to happen is an unprecedented amount of Unplugging from The Man. Walking Away from Empire.
The Cassandra Syndrome is a term applied to situations in which valid warnings or concerns are dismissed or disbelieved. This is where we stand in psycho-history. The writing is on the wall and the warning has been sounded, but most Americans are reticent to make any significant behavioral changes. We've been too comfortable for too long.
I want to loop back to the beginning of our conversation, Guy, and take another look at Jensen's distinction between real life and contrived culture. It's a critical distinction and most people have them confused.
If we're going to move into a new paradigm we're going to have to be very clear that we're a part of real life and not merely cogs in the endless manufacture of contrived/conditioned culture. This poses, for most, a serious existential crisis. But, it's only through that kind of deep angst and discomfort that most people are going to truly commit to walking away from culture and participating in real life.
McPHERSON: Knowing culture will lead us astray, we nonetheless invite scorn when we seek the truth beneath the cultural current of the main stream.
Culture does not have answers to meaningful questions. But skepticism for the sake of skepticism is no virtue, either.
In sum, then, it's difficult to know what to believe, and whom to trust, but it's clear we're surrounded by lies.
During our finest moments, we don't believe the media, the politicians we elect (from the very small slate of candidates selected for us), or the CEOs and NGOs to whom we give our money. Awash in misinformation yet surrounded by culture's unrepentant, never-ending message, we vacillate between cynicism and swimming in the powerful current of culture.
Most Americans turn to neoclassical economists for information about the industrial economy, but that approach is rife with danger, as explained by this old joke:
Four shipwrecked economists wash ashore on a deserted tropical island. The first Asian economist says, 'I'll gather wood and start a fire to keep us warm and cook our food.' The second Asian economist says, 'I'll find water.' The third Asian economist says, 'I'll find food.' The American economist sits down, smiles, and says, 'When you've got that all taken care of, I'll consume whatever you produce. You're darned lucky I'm here: Without me, the entire system falls apart in a hurry.'
In response to the misinformation associated with imperial living — not to mention the lies I was telling myself about the irredeemably corrupt system in which I was ensconced — I've moved from imperialist city educator to rural sharecropper in very challenging step. This move was driven by many factors, including the profound (and profoundly late) realization that we live immorally, buying and selling nature's bounty at an imperialist whim.
The transition to living as part of the world, rather than apart from the world, has been accompanied by rewards too numerous and varied to list here, although you've articulated them in The Good Life and summarized them in your opening statement (above).
ACKERMAN: You point to the very real vacillation that we make between cynicism and denial. The solution lies, of course, somewhere in-between the two. I think that we should talk again soon, Guy, with an eye toward the perennial question of T.S. Eliot in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock:"
So how should I presume?
–Sherry L. Ackerman PhD., and Guy McPherson for Transition Voice


text:
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text:
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text: There isn't a lot of information out there on Kayla Synz, but here is what I can tell you about her. She was born on April 20th in San Francisco California, she's got blond hair and measures 34C-27-36. She's only been in the industry a year, but she has made her mark as on of the sexiest MILFS out there.


text:
Miramas, France: Despite the fact the new 7 Series was launched at the beginning of the year, BMW is already set to expand the model range. Toward the end of this year, the new V12-powered 760i will arrive with a new eight-speed automatic transmission. The better news, at least for us denizens of the Great White North, is the addition of BMW's sophisticated xDrive all-wheel-drive system to the 750i. This is a first for the 7 Series and something that's destined to become very popular because of the ability it adds to an already sure-footed sedan.
Under normal circumstances, xDrive splits the power 40/60 front to rear. The beauty is that because the system monitors a number of different sensors (steering angle, throttle position, yaw and so on) xDrive is proactive, which means it begins to redistribute power before the car loses traction.
When travelling at speed, the system relaxes the power split (20/80 front to rear). Conversely, matting the gas sees the system lock the centre differential. This splits the power evenly front to rear and banishes unwanted wheelspin. The 750i's system is as seamless as it is proficient.
Naturally, there's a top-flight electronic stability/dynamic traction control system (DSC with DTC). This electronic overseer not only does the usual understeer/oversteer correction in conjunction with xDrive (it alters the power split to compensate for any wayward tendencies), it also features something called Performance Control.
This safety extension uses the brakes to physically turn the vehicle into a corner. For example, if the driver encounters understeer in a left-hand bend, the system does two things — it applies the left rear brake, which turns the car into the corner, and it ramps up the power output to counter drag cause by the brake application. The system has three modes — on, DTC mode and off. The last setting is all but redundant because the DTC mode is so good at what it does. In practice, it reduces the car's natural understeering tendency because it allows the back end to drift out a little before reining things in.
When it comes to the 750i xDrive's driving dynamics, they are superb. Unlike so many large cars, this one does not feel like a yacht. Credit the stiff chassis, dialled-in active suspension and Dynamic Drive Control.
There are four modes in all. Comfort and normal are self-explanatory. Moving to the sport mode does a number of things. As well as firming both compression and rebound damping, it remaps the transmission so each gear is held a little longer, and it sharpens throttle response. The neat part is the driver can customize the settings through the iDrive system. One can select the suspension and steering facets alone, just the powertrain changes or both.
Beyond that is the Sport+ mode. It sharpens everything while cutting back the electronic stability control's intervention point. In this mode, the 7 Series feels surprisingly spry on its P245/45R19 front and P275/40R19 rear tires. Remember, this is a full-bodied and portly sedan that tips the scales at more than 2,100 kilograms.
The xDrive model features the same 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 as in the regular 750i. This motor is not only sublimely smooth, it packs a hellacious punch when the gas is nailed. The secret boils down to the turbochargers nestled in the vee between the banks. When they spool up to speed, which happens in a hurry, the engine produces 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque anywhere between 1,800 and 4,500 rpm, which allows the 7 to run to 100 kilometres an hour in approximately 5.5 seconds.Pushing the new 750i xDrive around BMW's proving grounds in Miramas and through the foothills north of the facility proved the car's dynamic advantages go well beyond the ability to drive all four wheels. In normal mode, the 750i xDrive did understeer on the wet and slippery handling track.
However, the softer suspension settings took the sting out of the rough roads encountered on the run through the hills — this is the setup for someone who's had a long, hard day at the office.
Engaging the Sport+ mode significantly changed the car's driving characteristics. Relaxing the stability control's intervention point and reducing the amount of power going to the front wheels makes the all-wheel-drive 7 feel more like its rear-drive sibling. There was less understeer on the track and it pulled out of a hilly hairpin with more authority. When a spirited drive is the order of the day, this is the right mode.
Adding the ability of xDrive to the usual accoutrement that defines the 750i is a smart move because of the manner in which it all comes together. BMW expects 80% of 7 Series buyers to tick the all-wheel-drive option box when ordering their cars. I would if it was my money on the line.


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It's time for the 'Occupy Movement' to get motivated again, and to target cyber-space as much as Wall Street or Bay Street.
That's the word from Web activists, citizens advocacy groups, privacy commissioners and even the 'father of the Internet', Tim Berners-Lee.
Individuals and organizations around the world are speaking out against CISPA,the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act.
That there is another legislative acronym threatening online data privacy and personal security so soon after SOPA and PIPA, you might think it's an April Fool's joke.
It even has the same punch line - civil liberty and personal privacy in all of our online communications, blog postings, photo sharing and social networking will be sacrificed to big government, as well as the service providers, aggregation companies, and data mining corporations that operate, monitor and monetize the Internet.
Opponents warn that the U.S. legislation (old and new alike) would let those entities intercept your emails and text messages, and to save, store, share, modify or prevent them from reaching their destination, all under the rubric of 'stopping cybersecurity threats'.
So, organizations around the world, including here in Canada, are united against the proposed bill, and its impact on countries and 'Net-izens outside the U.S.
They say the proposed legislation uses "dangerously vague language" to define what data can be collected, who can collect it, when and why.
And while it is a U.S. law, it still has direct and immediate implications for Canada (should it pass as configured).
That's due to the little known but highly impactful Canada-US agreement known as Beyond the Border: A shared vision for perimeter security and economic competitiveness.
That deal maps out the integration of border management, trade facilitation and increased security between the two countries.
It means that a U.S. cybersecurity strategy adopted today may well become a Canadian cybersecurity strategy tomorrow.
Canadian Privacy Commissioners have expressed similar concern that programs adopted under that initiative will lead to an unjustifiable loss of privacy for Canadians, and they've issued a joint statement to that effect.
Even Berners-Lee, the oft-credited 'inventor of the Internet' has waded into the fray, with his own warnings about CISPA's far-reaching impact:
"[CISPA] is threatening the rights of people in America, and effectively rights everywhere, because what happens in America tends to affect people all over the world," he said in an interview.
"Even though the SOPA and PIPA acts were stopped by huge public outcry, it's staggering how quickly the U.S. government has come back with a new, different, threat to the rights of its citizens."


text:
I'm trying to do an in depth edit of the game for balance purposes. For starters I want to accomplish the following:
1) Edit bonus officer skills/dates of birth/death so that they are more in balance with the rest of the officers, dont show up all at once, and have family ties where warranted.
2) Edit bonus officer and created officer starting forces. I have over 320 unique historical and fictional officers adding balance to forces such as Shi Xie, Ma Teng, etc. Starting a new game and deploying all these officers by hand is a daunting task!
3) Edit force behaviors to focus on early domestic development, instead of the zerg. I feel Koei did a bad thing with automatic troop renewal, and the large numbers of troops immediately available create early unbalance. This can be moderated by deploying policies to each force in a similar way that the player can deploy policies to their other cities, loosely directing development.
I am encountering a few problems.
1) I cannot save the data. It sees the game, and the edits show up in game as long as I keep the game open. But if I close it, the edits are gone.
2) When I try to edit forces and affiliations, it wont even allow me to save. Just gives me a big red X when I try.
3) The behaviors are present, but dont seem readily modifiable, perhaps its just that this wasnt added into the English translation of the tool?
Does anyone here know how to use this tool who can provide some assistance? I've been a fan of this series for almost 30 years now and what I really want out of this game is an environment that provides an in depth challenge from the start, with a game that actually progresses through the various events while actively playing, not idling and hoping the AI doesnt 'win' the game within a decade.


text:
Release of antivirus database updates (required to protect your computer/server/mobile device)
Providing technical support over phone / web
Release of patches for the application (addressing detected bugs)
Hardware requirements for the Security Server of Kaspersky Security 8.0 for Microsoft Exchange Server MP2 CF1 match those of the Microsoft Exchange server.
Depending on the application settings and usage, you may need a lot of free disk space for Backup and other service folders (with default settings, Backup folder may occupy up to 5120 MB).
To install Kaspersky Security 8.0 for Microsoft Exchange Server MP2 CF1 Security Server, one of the following operating systems is required:
The following software is required for Kaspersky Security 8.0 for Microsoft Exchange Server MP2:
Please note: Exchange x32 servers are not supported.
One of the following database management systems:
Hardware requirements
Intel Pentium 400 MHz or faster (recommended: 1000 MHz);
500 MB of free disk space to isntall the application.
Software requirements:
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text:
C.D.S. Newsletter June 2012
Feature articles...
This issue focuses on underfloor air distribution (UFAD) and how it is implemented in TRACE™ 700. We address the following frequently asked questions:
- What is underfloor air distribution (UFAD)?
- How do stratification and underfloor plenum heat transfer affect space conditions?
- How is space stratification calculated in TRACE 700 with underfloor plenum heat transfer?
- How do I model UFAD systems in TRACE 700?
Also in this issue...
- Courses Available for LEED Credential Maintenance
- Frequently Asked Support Question
- Meet the C.D.S. Support Staff ... Rob Jordan and Mayra Reyes
What is underfloor air distribution (UFAD)?
Underfloor air distribution systems deliver conditioned air to the
space through diffusers mounted in a raised floor.
Unlike traditional systems, in which complete mixing results in equally distributed temperatures, UFAD systems create a temperature gradient, with a cooler mixed-air region in the lower portion of the space and a higher temperature region in the upper portion (Figure 1). This stratification, along with the thermal performance of underfloor plenums, are key drivers in load calculations for UFAD systems.
The potential benefits of a UFAD system include improved thermal comfort due to local direct control of supply airflow and reduced ventilation rates because of higher zone air-distribution effectiveness due to stratification.
While in reality many conventional air distribution systems experience some stratification, in TRACE™ 700 overhead distribution systems are assumed to provide well-mixed spaces whereas UFAD systems result in stratified spaces. TRACE™ 700 has been able to run UFAD calculations since version 6.2 in December 2008.
Figure 1
How do stratification and underfloor plenum heat transfer affect space conditions?
Space stratification is a simple concept in which several layers of
air at a range of heights have different temperatures. In the case of
UFAD systems, temperature stratification in the conditioned space will
result in higher temperatures at the ceiling (higher than the room
thermostat set point), which will change the heat transfer dynamics in
a room and between floors.
Figure 2 depicts a room air temperature profile that EnergyPlus uses in its room air model method UCSD UFAD Interior Underfloor Air Distribution. This model is also used as the basis for the TRACE™ 700 room air temperature profile for UFAD systems. This illustration is important as it determines the parameters for load calculations in the space.
Figure 2
The average occupied zone is from the ankle level (4") to the head
level (67"). In an ASHRAE Journal article on UFAD calculations,
Bauman and Webster [1] state that the temperature difference
calculated from the head to the ankle cannot exceed the limit of 5°F.
This 5 degree maximum difference is defined as the acceptable comfort
condition for standing occupants in a stratified room. Since the
temperature differential is so low, UFAD systems provide supply air at
higher temperatures when compared to overhead systems.
Furthermore, since the temperature can be drastically different at certain heights, the radiant contribution of the room loads can have a major effect on temperatures in the room and plenums. Including the radiative heat transfer from the ceiling to the floor and the conduction through the raised floor into the supply plenum, there will be a 35% to 45% heat gain into this supply underfloor plenum and a net heat loss from the return plenum of 10% to 15% [1].
To summarize the important factors for analyzing UFAD systems, as cool supply air passes through the underfloor plenum, it is exposed to heat gain from both the floor slab below and the raised floor above. This heat gain can be large and result in a temperature gain to the supply air inside the plenum. This will then lead to a possible increase in supply airflow to counter the heat gain.
[1] Bauman, F. and T. Webster. "Cooling Airflow Design Calculations for UFAD." ASHRAE Journal (October 2007).
How is space stratification calculated in TRACE 700 with underfloor plenum heat transfer?
The UFAD algorithm in TRACE 700 is derived from research by the
Center for the Built Environment at the University of California as
well as some methodology in the EnergyPlus program.
Please contact C.D.S. Support for more information about TRACE 700 UFAD calculations.
How do I model UFAD systems in TRACE 700?
For more information about UFAD systems, including how to model them in TRACE 700, refer to the TRACE 700 User's Manual (pp. 4-84 through 4-87). A PDF of the manual can be accessed from TRACE 700 by selecting Help > Documentation > User's Manual.
Courses Available for LEED Credential Maintenance
On-demand courses are available on the Trane.com Continuing
Education offering, including courses that qualify for 1.5
LEED-specific continuing education (CE) hours from the U.S. Green
Building Council (USGBC). As part of USGBC's credential maintenance
program, LEED APs are required to earn 30 CE hours biennially, 6 of
which must be LEED-specific. View the course offerings at www.trane.com/continuingeducation.
Course Spotlight: High-Performance VAV Systems
This course will discuss design and control strategies that can significantly reduce energy use and ensure proper ventilation in VAV systems. Topics include ventilation system design and control, optimized VAV system controls, cold air distribution, and other energy‐saving strategies. [Runtime 75 minutes]
Frequently Asked Support Question
What does the return airflow represent in the Checksums reports?
TRACE 700 defines return airflow as the volume of air returning from the conditioned space (not the portion of the airflow returned to the coil). The return airflow typically travels through a plenum or ductwork, although room direct configurations are also possible for certain system types. The volume of return airflow is used to size the return fan (if one is being modeled). A portion of the return air is typically exhausted out of the building through the system exhaust and the remaining volume is returned to mix with the outside air. If you want to determine the volume of return air that is mixing with the outside air, you simply subtract the exhaust air cfm from the return air cfm shown on the appropriate Checksums report.
Return airflow
The initial condition of the air leaving the room return grilles will equal the room condition. Therefore, the following will be true at point A in the return airflow:
- Return Air Dry Bulb = Design Room Dry Bulb
- Return Air Specific Humidity = Design Room Specific Humidity
TRACE calculates the return air temperature based on the selected return air path, calculated return airflow and the calculated loads to the plenum. Calculated plenum loads are based on user inputs. For example, assuming a plenum return, the following will be true at point B in the return airflow.
- Return Air Dry Bulb = [Plenum Airflow * Plenum Dry Bulb + Return Airflow Lighting Load + Return Airflow Misc. Load + Return Airflow Solar Load]/ Plenum Airflow
It is important to note that the use of corridor, ducted, or room direct returns will use different (but very similar) equations. Also, if a return fan is installed in the plenum, the return air temperature increase caused by the fan will need to be added to the Return Air Dry Bulb calculated at point B.
C.D.S. is growing ... software sales continue to grow as the focus
on energy and cost savings becomes increasingly important. Our staff
has nearly doubled in the last two years, giving us more manpower to
provide world-class customer service, conduct training, and develop
new features for our software.
We're excited about all the fresh and diverse new talent we have. Their experiences range from new graduates to seasoned HVAC professionals. When new marketing engineers start in C.D.S., they attend the Trane Graduate Training Program, an intense, 16-week course that covers HVAC fundamentals, systems, and products. When they return to C.D.S., they go through additional software and support training to better serve C.D.S. customers. Marketing engineers also conduct C.D.S. software training sessions.
To help you get to know us, we'll be introducing our new staff members to you in this and upcoming C.D.S. newsletters.
Rob Jordan joined C.D.S. as a marketing engineer in January 2011. After graduating with a civil engineering degree in 2007 from Colorado State University, Rob spent three years working for a boat manufacturer as a sales and design engineer. Originally from La Crosse, he spends the majority of his time enjoying the outdoors by biking, playing soccer and tennis, or water/snow skiing.
If you had to live in a TV show for a month, which show would it be and why?
I would live in Planet Earth so that I would be able to travel around to the most pristine locations on Earth. If you're unfamiliar, the locations vary from the jungle to deserts to caves.
If you could invite any three people (living or dead) to a dinner party, who would it be and why?
- Yvon Chouinard – Has an amazing life story starting his company, Patagonia.
- Richard Branson – Incredible journey that he made to be who he is today, amazing stories.
- Jim Morrison – One of the most interesting personalities in recent history.
Mayra joined C.D.S. as a marketing engineer in March 2011 after
working for 3½ years in sales for the Trane office in Tijuana,
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechatronics Engineering from the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Mexico City. Outside of work, Mayra enjoys traveling, art, reading, and crafting.
What is your most prized possession?
I love my freedom in every sense.
My favorite thing about working in C.D.S. is…
Interacting with our customers—I have always enjoyed helping others. When I was in sales, it was greatly satisfying to be able to help my customers find better solutions. In C.D.S. I can also help customers deal with their everyday work, brainstorming solutions for different situations.
Contributors: C.D.S. marketing engineers Kit Fransen, Ray Slaughter, Rob Jordan, and Mayra Reyes
C.D.S. Newsletter October 2012
C.D.S. Newsletter April 2012


text:
"Electrifying… finely argued and brilliantly written." —Christopher Hitchens, Slate
"Provocative… A fascinating analysis." —Dwight Garner, The New York Times
"[A] scary… close reading of domestic propaganda [that] goes a long way toward explaining the erratic behavior and seemingly bizarre thought processes of Dear Leader Kim Jong Il." —The Wall Street Journal
"Myers' book is worth buying and reading." —The Quarterly Review
"The definitive book on the subject." —The Atlantic
"There are few books that can give the world a peek into the Hermit Kingdom.The Cleanest Race provides a reason to care about how those in North Korea see themselves and the West. It is possibly the best addition to that small library of books on North Korean ideology."
—Andrei Lankov, Far Eastern Economic Review
"Myers renders great service to the global foreign policy establishment with his lucid and well documented profile of the North Korean polity. If only it were made mandatory reading for all the stakeholder leaders, particularly the American establishment, who feel compelled to deal politically with North Korea. Maybe then, Myers' wisdom might lead them to adopt the only possibly policy toward North Korea that will work: that of 'benign neglect.'"
—Mike Gravel, US Senate 1969-1981
"In his new survey of North Korean propaganda, The Cleanest Race, B.R. Myers insists that the ongoing support of the North Korean public for the regime doesn't reflect any great faith in communism. Instead, he argues, it is rooted in a kind of paranoid racial nationalism adapted from the Japanese fascism that flourished before World War II…. Myers feels that the racialism at the heart of the regime's ideology will sustain it even as it fails to provide the prosperity it promises."
—Laura Miller, Salon.com
"The text offers a clear picture of the peculiar worldview of this profoundly inward-facing country, its character and continuous subtle alterations, and its under-appreciated ramifications in world affairs." —Reference & Research Book News


text:
A Foreword On Spiritual Healing & Unity
By Yogizilla
Hey gang!
Today we have a simple poll (well two, actually) that I'd like everyone to take a few minutes out to take. Whether you consider yourself religious or not, share your thoughts. For the atheists and agnostics out there, think of this as an opportunity to do some personal development and/or spiritual healing.
For me, personal development and spirituality are very much part of what it means to be a geek. After all, we don't really grow until we realize just how tiny we are in the grand scheme of things. It's only when we unite that we truly accomplish special things.
With the recent passing of Robin Williams, I think this Sunday sermon comes at a great time. We all need to be reminded of this:
You are not alone.
What is religion? What is spirituality? What is faith? I don't think those definitions and social constructs really matter as much as the basic human needs that we all share: purpose, connection, warmth, community/family, accomplishment, contentment, etc. All these things are as much about the physical and material components as they are about the unseen.
I have not heard Obi's father preach but, from what I gather, he's down to earth and will approach it from a more secular, non-denominational perspective. I think the messages will be inspiring to all if you keep your hearts and minds open.
A Message From ObioneX2
Let me know what you guys think. My dad really wants to do a sermon on Sundays. He just wants to know what time you guys would like to hear it because he wants to do be live every week.
I picked 2pm myself.
Vote Here: http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=53f0fca1e4b002fc79c2fa6e


text:
Mitsunari wrote:Aygor wrote:Mitsunari wrote:*splutter*.
You should put your old title at the bottom of your signature, I loved it Mittens!!
My signature is.. well.. not too original in a three kingdoms forum
Oh great, now Aygor is calling me 'Mittens' as well...*shakes fist at imaginary ParrotSneeze*...
I shall try and incorporate the infamous 'Cough, Splutter, Ahem' in there somewhere, just for you of course.
Sadly I cannot read any dialect or form of Chinese, so if your signature read 'Mega Mengde leads the Wei Power Ranger Force with style and an aggressive moustache' I'd be none the wiser.
It's actually part of a longer quotation which is "天下大势,分久必合,合久必分" meaning "The general trend under heaven is that there is bound to be unification after prolonged division and division after prolonged unification."


text: Black Beauty is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. The novel became an immediate best-seller, with Sewell dying just five months after its publication, but having lived long enough to see her only novel become a success. With fifty million copies sold, Black Beauty is one of the best-selling books of all time.


text:
Christina Ricci Is a Married Woman Now
Congratulations to Christina Ricci! The 'Pan Am' actress got hitched this weekend to James Heerdegen.
Us Weekly reports that the couple tied the knot on the Upper East Side in New York City at the Harold Pratt House and Peterson Hall. The ceremony took place at 7PM ET on Oct. 26, feted by family and friends. Ricci donned a high neck beaded gown with a veil covering her face. Her hair was swept into a side bun. Following the ceremony, guests were treated to a cocktail hour, dancing, dinner and dessert.
Ricci, 33, met Heerdegen, a dolly grip, on the set of her short-lived series 'Pan Am' in 2011. They confirmed their relationship in February 2012 and sparked engagement rumors when she rocked a rock in October 2012.
The 'Addams Family' actress rarely speaks about her private life, but we bet she'll at least gush about her a big day a little bit. Congrats to the happy couple!


text:
This product is temporarily out of stock. Please check back occasionally to see if the product is available again.
Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange combines antivirus and anti-spam technologies with flexible content filtering. It can be used with Exchange Server 2007, 2010, 2013 or 2016.
This donation includes a one-year subscription for use of the product, protection updates, and new product features. This product does NOT contain Microsoft Exchange software.
Benefits for Organisations:
You can use Symantec Mail Security to:
- Protect your organisation against security threats and malware transmitted through email
- Better guard against annoying and harmful junk mail and spam
Major Capabilities:
- Antivirus technologies:
- Scans both inbound and outbound email, including attachments, before any other process or client application takes effect.
- Detects viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, phishing, and denial of service attacks and acts on them according to policies specified by administrators.
- Allows administrators to develop a whitelist of trusted senders and recipients.
- Automatically updates virus definitions.
- Spam protection: Stops 99 percent of spam (unwanted bulk email).
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Events Listings
General-East Bay Through May 23
"I Like My Bike Night," First Friday of the month, 9 p.m. This monthly series brings bicycle innovators, enthusiasts, artists and organizations together under one roof, as well as encourages regular Ashkenaz show-goers to leave their cars in the driveway and arrive at the venue by bicycle instead. $8-$25.
1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 525-5054, www.ashkenaz.com.<
"ArtiFacts: A Lecture Series for Collectors," Guest curators, scholars and conservation experts from throughout the Bay Area discuss the art of collecting. First Sunday of every month, 3 p.m. $7.
Auctions by the Bay Theater-Auction House, 2700 Saratoga St., Alameda. (510) 835-6187, www.auctionsbythebay.com.<
"Free Books," Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Donate your unwanted books and receive new titles for free.
10520 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. (510) 526-1941, www.bayareafreebookexchange.com.<
"California Genealogical Society and Library Free First Saturday," 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Event takes place on the first Saturday of every month, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Trace and compile your family history at this month's open house event. Free. www.calgensoc.org.
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland. (510) 663-1358.<
"Dinner Theater Magic Show," Friday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Enter the joyous and bewildering world of illusions and magic while chowing down on a home cooked meal. Each weekend features different professional magicians. Recommended for ages 13 and older. $54-$64 includes meal.
729 Castro St., Martinez. (925) 374-0056, www.calmagic.com.<
CHABOT SPACE AND SCIENCE CENTER State-of-the-art facility unifying science education activities around astronomy. Enjoy interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, indoor stargazing, outdoor telescope viewing and films.
ASK JEEVES PLANETARIUM -- The planetarium features one of the most advanced star projectors in the world. A daily planetarium show is included with general admission. Call for current show schedule.
"Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity," Take a ride to the inside of a massive black hole and learn about the latest scientific evidence, which suggests that black holes are real. Narrated by Liam Neeson. Suitable for age 12 and older. Free with General Admission ticket.
"Sonic Vision," Friday-Saturday, 9:15 p.m. This show uses the latest digital technology to illuminate the planetarium with colorful computer-generated imagery set to today's popular music, including Radiohead, U2, David Bowie, Coldplay, Moby and more.
"Tales Of The Maya Skies," "Tales of the Maya Skies'' is a new full-dome planetarium show that explores the cosmology of the ancient Maya, along with their culture and their contributions to astronomy. Starts November 21.
"Astronaut," What does it take to be part of the exploration of space? Experience a rocket launch from inside the body of an astronaut. Explore the amazing worlds of inner and outer space, from floating around the International Space Station to maneuvering through microscopic regions of the human body. Narrated by Ewan McGregor. 25 min.
"Space NOW!", Each week, this real-time ride through constellations, stars, and planets will reflect current happenings in our sky. Space NOW! will also tie in activities going on throughout the center. This is Chabot's first daytime guided tour of the universe.
"Immersive Space: Fly Through the Cosmos," Fridays, 8 p.m. Experience the "digital universe'' in a new full-dome system. Travel to the nearest star and beyond in seconds.
"Sunshine," A 15-minute planetarium show for children ages 5 and under. In the show, Sunshine, a lovable animated cartoon of the Sun, urges the children to sing and play along with his tricks. In the process, he introduces the colors of the day sky and the other suns of the night sky. Free with regular general admission.
"Secret of the Cardboard Rocket," Take a journey through the solar system with two young adventurers who turn an old cardboard box into a rocket. Recommended for ages 5-10.
"The Search for Life: Are We Alone?" A voyage from the ocean deep to the outer reaches of the cosmos in search of life, narrated by Harrison Ford.
"The Sky Tonight," Saturdays, 8 p.m. Take a live tour of the starry sky overhead on the night of your visit. The show includes a look at constellations, planets and special celestial objects.
CHALLENGER LEARNING CENTER -- "Escape from the Red Planet," a cooperative venture for families and groups of up to 14 people, age 8 and up. The scenario on this one hour mission: You are the crew of a shuttle to Mars that has been severely damaged in a crash landing. Your replacement crew is gone, the worst dust storm ever recorded on Mars approaches, and air, food, and water are extremely low. The mission: get the shuttle working again and into orbit before the dust storm hits. Reservations required. Children age 8-12 must be accompanied by an adult; not appropriate for children under age 8. $12-$15; Does not include general admission to the Center. Reservations: (510) 336-7421.
"Chabot Observatories: A View to the Stars," This new permanent exhibit honors the 123-year history of Chabot and its telescopes. The observatory is one of the oldest public observatories in the United States. The exhibit covers the three different sites of the observatory over its history as well as how its historic telescopes continue to be operated today. Included are informative graphic panels, multimedia kiosks, interactive computer programs, hands-on stations, and historic artifacts.
TIEN MEGADOME SCIENCE THEATER -- A 70-foot dome-screen auditorium. Show times subject to change. Call for current show schedule. Price with paid general admission is $6-$7. Theater only: $7-$8. (510) 336-7373, www.ticketweb.com.
"Forces of Nature," This film showcases the awesome spectacle of earthquakes, volcanoes, and severe storms as scientists continue their quests to understand how these natural disasters are triggered.
"The Living Sea," The film celebrates the beauty, power and importance of the ocean. Produced in association with The National Maritime Center, the Ocean Film Network and Dr. Robert Ballard.
"Dinosaurs Alive," A global adventure of science and discovery, featuring the earliest dinosaurs of the Triassic Period to the monsters of the Cretaceous, "reincarnated" life-sized for the giant screen. Audiences will journey with some of the world's preeminent paleontologists as they uncover evidence that the descendents of dinosaurs still walk (or fly) among us. From the exotic, trackless expanses and sand dunes of Mongolia's Gobi Desert to the dramatic sandstone buttes of New Mexico, the film will follow American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) paleontologists as they explore some of the greatest dinosaur finds in history.
"The Human Body," This show explores the daily biological processes that go on in the human body without our control and often without our notice. This amazing story is revealed in detail on the giant screen.
"Cosmic Voyage," A breathtaking journey through time and space. Zoom from the surface of the Earth to the largest observable structures of the Universe and back down to the sub-nuclear realm, a guided tour across some 42 orders of magnitude. Explore some of the greatest scientific theories, many of which have never before been visualized on film.
Center Admission: $9-$13; free children under 3; Movies and evening planetarium shows: $6-$8. Telescope viewing only: free. Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (510) 336-7300, www.chabotspace.org.<
DUNSMUIR HOUSE AND GARDENS HISTORIC ESTATE Nestled in the Oakland hills, the 50-acre Dunsmuir House and Gardens estate includes the 37-room Neoclassical Revival Dunsmuir Mansion, built by coal and lumber baron Alexander Dunsmuir for his bride. Restored outbuildings set amid landscaped gardens surround the mansion.
ESTATE GROUNDS -- Self-Guided Grounds Tours are available yearround. The 50 acres of gardens and grounds at the mansion are open to the public for walking Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Booklets and maps of the grounds are available at the Dinkelspiel House. Free.
GUIDED TOURS -- Docent-led tours are available on the first Sunday of each month at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. (except for July) and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. $5 adults, $4 seniors and juniors (11-16), children 11 and under free.
Dunsmuir House and Gardens, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland. (510) 615-5555, www.dunsmuir.org.<
"Oakland Artisan Marketplace," Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The City of Oakland and Cultural Arts & Marketing Department presents a weekly market featuring fine arts and crafts of local artists. Free. (510) 238-4948, www.oaklandartisanmarketplace.org.
14th Street and Broadway, Oakland. <
"Oakland Artisan Marketplace,"' Saturdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The City of Oakland and Cultural Arts & Marketing Department presents a weekly market featuring fine arts and crafts of local artists. Free. (510) 238-4948, www.oaklandartisanmarketplace.org.
115 Embarcadero, Oakland. <
"Spring Fling," May 15, 6:30-10:30 p.m. Venture off the island for a night of art, wine, music, food and fun. $25-$30.
55 Fourth St., Oakland. (510) 465-5900.<
Grupo Raiz, May 15, 8 p.m. $20-$25.
"Foodshare," May 16, 7 p.m. Event features cutting edge work by young people and their adult mentors to build a more just and sustainable food system in the Bay Area. $15.
"Ohana," May 20, 7:30 p.m. Program features Asian American music, poetry and performance from local talent. $5-$8.
Andres Alejandro, May 21, 8 p.m. $13-$15.
Bang Data, May 22, 8:30 p.m. $10.
"Revolutionary Ecology," May 23, 7 p.m. Program recognizes the 20th anniversary of the bomb attack on Earth First with activist Judi Bari with speakers, music and film. Free.
3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 849-2568, www.lapena.org.<
"NanoZone," Discover the science of the super-small: nanotechnology. Through hands-on activities and games, explore this microworld and the scientific discoveries made in this area.
"Forces That Shape the Bay," A science park that shows and explains why the San Francisco Bay is the way it is, with information on water, erosion, plate tectonics and mountain building. You can ride earthquake simulators, set erosion in motion and look far out into the bay with a powerful telescope from 1,100 feet above sea level. The center of the exhibit is a waterfall that demonstrates how water flows from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Bay. Visitors can control where the water goes. There are also hands-on erosion tables, and a 40-foot-long, 6-foothigh, rock compression wall.
"Real Astronomy Experience," A new exhibit-in-development allowing visitors to use the tools that real astronomers use. Aim a telescope at a virtual sky and operate a remote-controlled telescope to measure a planet.
"Biology Lab," In the renovated Biology Lab visitors may hold and observe gentle animals. Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
"The Idea Lab," Experiment with some of the basics of math, science and technology through hands-on activities and demonstrations of magnets, spinning and flying, puzzles and nanotechnology.
"Math Around the World," Play some of the world's most popular math games, such as Hex, Kalah, Game Sticks and Shongo Networks.
"Math Rules," Use simple and colorful objects to complete interesting challenges in math through predicting, sorting, comparing, weighing and counting.
HOLT PLANETARIUM Shows on Saturdays and Sundays. Programs recommended for ages 6 and up unless otherwise noted. $2.50-$3 in addition to general admission.
"Mysteries of Missing Matter," Investigate the complexity of the universe and learn why astronomers now think that most of the matter in our universe mysteriously invisible to us.
"Journey to the Moon," Experience a time traveler's view of the changing shapes of the moon as it waxes and wanes in the planetarium. Ages 4-7.
"Constellations Tonight," Learn to identify the most prominent constellations of the season in the planetarium sky with a simple star map.
$5.50-$10; free children ages 2 and under. Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. University of California, Centennial Drive, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org.<
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE Exploring cinema from the Bay Area and cultures around the world, the Pacific Film Archive offers daily film screenings, including rare and rediscovered prints of movie classics; new and historic works by world famous directors; restored silent films with live musical accompaniment; retrospectives; and new and experimental works. Check Web site for a full schedule of films.
"First Impressions: Free First Thursdays," first Thursday of every month. Special tours and movie presentations. Admission is free.
Single feature: $5-$8; Double feature: $9-$12 general. PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. (510) 642-5249, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu.<
"Lunch Poems," First Thursday of the month, 12:10-12:50 p.m.
2600 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. (510) 642-3671.<
USS HORNET MUSEUM Come aboard this World War II aircraft carrier that has been converted into a floating museum. The Hornet, launched in 1943, is 899 feet long and 27 stories high. During World War II she was never hit by an enemy strike or plane and holds the Navy record for number of enemy planes shot down in a week. In 1969 the Hornet recovered the Apollo 11 space capsule containing the first men to walk on the moon, and later recovered Apollo 12. In 1991 the Hornet was designated a National Historic Landmark and is now docked at the same pier she sailed from in 1944. Today, visitors can tour the massive ship, view World War II-era warplanes and experience a simulated aircraft launch from the carrier's deck. Exhibits are being added on an ongoing basis. Allow two to three hours for a visit. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to climb steep stairs or ladders. Dress in layers as the ship can be cold. Arrive no later than 2 p.m. to sign up for the engine room and other docent-led tours. Children under age 12 are not allowed in the Engine Room or the Combat Information Center.
"Limited Access Day," Due to ship maintenance, tours of the navigation bridge and the engine room are not available. Tuesdays.
"Flight Deck Fun," A former Landing Signal Officer will show children how to bring in a fighter plane for a landing on the deck then let them try the signals themselves. Times vary. Free with regular Museum admission.
"Protestant Divine Services," Hornet chaplain John Berger conducts church services aboard The Hornet in the Wardroom Lounge. Everyone is welcome and refreshments are served immediately following the service. Sundays, 11 a.m.
SPECIAL EVENTS -- Closed on New Year's Day.
"Family Day," Discounted admission for families of four with a further discount for additional family members. Access to some of the areas may be limited due to ship maintenance. Every Tuesday. $20 for family of four; $5 for each additional family member.
"Flashlight Tour," Receive a special tour of areas aboard the ship that have not yet been opened to the public or that have limited access during the day.
"Living Ship Day," Experience an aircraft carrier in action, with simulated flight operations as aircraft are lifted to the flight deck and placed in launch position. Some former crewmembers will be on hand.
"Heroes of the Pacific," May 16, 3:30 p.m.-8 p.m. The USS Hornet pays tribute to the soldiers who survived the desperate days of the Pacific Campaign with a screening of the finale of the HBO miniseries "The Pacific,'' along with guest speakers, including some of the Hornet's very own World War II veteran crew who will share their experiences.
$6-$14; free children age 4 and under with a paying adult. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Pier 3 (enter on Atlantic Avenue), Alameda Point, Alameda. (510) 521-8448, www.uss-hornet.org.<


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There's been a little bit of buzz about David Heinemeier Hansson's announcement that Josh Peek has joined Rails core and is about to wrap up his GSoC project making Rails finally be thread-safe. To be honest, there probably hasn't been enough buzz, and there's been several misunderstandings about what it means for Rails users in general.
So I figured I'd do a really short Q/A about what effect Rails thread-safety would have on the Rails world, and especially the JRuby world. Naturally there's some of my opinions reflected here, but most of this should be factually correct. I trust you will offer corrections in the comments.
Q: What does it mean to make Rails thread-safe?
A: I'm sure Josh or Michael Koziarski, his GSoC mentor, can explain in more detail what the work involved, but basically it means removing the single coarse-grained lock around every incoming request and replacing it with finer-grained locks around only those resources that need to be shared across threads. So for example, data structures within the logging subsystem have either been modified so they are not shared across threads, or locked appropriately to make sure two threads don't interfere with each other or render those data structures invalid or corrupt. Instead of a single database connection for a given Rails instance, there will be a pool of connections, allowing N database connections to be used by the M requests executing concurrently. It also means allowing requests to potentially execute without consuming a connection, so the number of live, active connections usually will be lower than the number of requests you can handle concurrently.
Q: Why is this important? Don't we have true concurrency already with Rails' shared-nothing architecture and multiple processes?
A: Yes, processes and shared-nothing do give us full concurrency, at the cost of having multiple processes to manage. For many applications, this is "good enough" concurrency. But there's a down side to requiring as many processes as concurrent requests: inefficient use of shared resources. In a typical Mongrel setup, handling 10 concurrent requests means you have to have 10 copies of Rails loaded, 10 copies of your application loaded, 10 in-memory data caches, 10 database connections...everything has to be scaled in lock step for every additional request you want to handle concurrently. Multiply the N copies of everything times M different applications, and you're eating many, many times more memory than you should.
Of course there are partial solutions to this that don't require thread safety. Since much of the loaded code and some of the data may be the same across all instances, deployment solutions like Passenger from Phusion can use forking and memory-model improvements in Phusion's Ruby Enterprise Edition to allow all instances to share the portion of memory that's the same. So you reduce the memory load by about the amount of code and data in memory that each instance can safely hold in common, which would usually include Rails itself, your static application code, and to some extent the other libraries loaded by Rails and your app. But you still pay the duplication cost for database connections, application code, and in-memory data that are loaded or created after startup. And you still have "no better" concurrency than the coarse-grained locking since Ruby Enterprise Edition is is just as green-threaded as normal Ruby.
Q: So for green-threaded implementations like Ruby, Ruby EE, and Rubinius, native threading offers no benefit?
A: That's not quite true. Thread-safe Rails will mean that an individual instance, even with green threads, can handle multiple requests at the same time. By "at the same time" I don't mean concurrently...green threads will never allow two requests to actually run concurrently or to utilize multiple cores. What I mean is that if a given request ends up blocking on IO, which happens in almost all requests (due to REST hits, DB hits, filesystem hits and so on), Ruby will now have the option of scheduling another request to execute. Put another way, removing the coarse-grained lock will at least improve concurrency up to the "best" that green-threaded implementations can do, which isn't too bad.
The practical implication of this is that rather than having to run a Rails instance for every process you want to handle at the same time, you will only have to run a certain constant number of instances for each core in your system. Some people use N + 1 or 2N + 1 as their metric to map from cores (N) to the number of instances you would need to effectively utilize those cores. And this means that you'd probably never need more than a couple Rails instances on a one-core system. Of course you'll need to try it yourself and see what metric works best for your app, but ultimately even on green-threaded implementations you should be able to reduce the number of instances you need.
Q. Ok, what about native-threaded implementations like JRuby?
A. On JRuby, the situation improves much more than on the green-threaded implementations. Because JRuby implements Ruby threads as native kernel-level threads, a Rails application would only need one instance to handle all concurrent requests across all cores. And by one instance, I mean "nearly one instance" since there might be specific cases where a given application bottlenecks on some shared resource, and you might want to have two or three to reduce that bottleneck. In general, though, I expect those cases will be extremely rare, and most would be JRuby or Rails bugs we should fix.
This means what it sounds like: Rails deployments on JRuby will use 1/Nth the amount of memory they use now, where N is the number of thread-unsafe Rails instances currently required to handle concurrent requests. Even compared to green-threaded implementations running thread-safe Rails, it willl likely use 1/Mth the memory where M is the number of cores, since it can parallelize happily across cores with only "one" instance.
Q: Isn't that a huge deal?
A: Yes, that's a huge deal. I know existing JRuby on Rails users are going to be absolutely thrilled about it. And hopefully more folks will consider using JRuby on Rails in production as a result.
And it doesn't end at resource utilization in JRuby's case. With a single Rails instance, JRuby will be able to "warm up" much more quickly, since code we compile and optimize at runtime will immediately be applicable to all incoming requests. The "throttling" we've had to do for some optimizations (to reduce overall memory consumption) may no longer even be needed. Existing JDBC connection pooling support will be more reliable and more efficient, even allowing connection sharing from application to application as well as across instances. And it will put Rails on JRuby on par with other frameworks that have always been (probably) thread-safe like Merb, Groovy on Grails, and all the Java-based frameworks.
Naturally, I'm thrilled. :)
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Q/A: What Thread-safe Rails Means
There's been a little bit of buzz about David Heinemeier Hansson's announcement that Josh Peek has joined Rails core and is about to wrap up his GSoC project making Rails finally be thread-safe. To be honest, there probably hasn't been enough buzz, and there's been several misunderstandings about what it means for Rails users in general.
19 comments:
Great summary, thanks for writing it up!
- Michael Letterle said...
IronRuby will reap the same benefits as JRuby. Awesome write up!
- Barry Kelly said...
Concurrency is having more than one operation active (but possibly all suspended) at a time. Parallelism is having more than one operation making forward progress at the same time. Don't confuse the two.
Because Ruby is green-threaded, and a thread may be switched out when a request is blocked on IO, the requests are in fact able to run concurrently. It's just that they're not running in parallel.
- Greg said...
Honestly, I'm skeptical that Rails is going to be thread safe anytime soon. There is just too much stuff floating around that isn't thread safe, and with posts like this:
I can't help but wonder if the Rails core team is oblivious to what it even means to be thread safe.
Thread safety from the rendering code to the caching system down to the data tier is something that needs to be taken into account architecturally, it's hardly something that you can bolt onto a framework like Rails in a few weeks.
Throwing a few mutex around loggers and database connections is only part of the battle, there are undoubtedly plenty of race conditions with ActiveRecord since with it's lack of an identity map and optimistic locking. Beyond that, Rails requests do not operate transactionally on the db side. To perform an atomic increment on an activerecord model's column naturally (model.column += 1) and having it behave correctly is a long way from happening. Rails applications generally don't even have error handling code for cases where there is an aborted transaction due to deadlocks (an expected condition in a transactionally sound system), nevermind actually implementing it correctly to re-run the unit of work. The only reason they get away with it is that most apps running Rails don't give a damn about data consistency, and hence, don't use multi-statement transactions, and hence, don't take out many locks at once, and hence, don't deadlock.
So, I think we can probably see an implementation of Rails that we might be able to run across multiple threads, but it's going to be a long time before that implementation is going to be free enough of threading issues to be truly called "thread-safe." I pity those who early adopt this one!
- khelll said...
That's the best thing i ever heard !!!
- AkitaOnRails said...
I've been hearing about Josh's work since RailsConf. Great news he was able to make it through.
This article answers lots of questions so I took the liberty to already translate it into Brazilian Portuguese. Here is goes: http://www.akitaonrails.com/2008/8/17/tradu-o-o-que-rails-2-2-thread-safe-significa
another reason to choose jruby:
basically even if rails is thread-safe that won't allow thread-safe updates for mysql. on the other hand jruby(jdbc) just works
- Matth said...
Unfortunately, this:
"If a given request ends up blocking on IO ... due to DB hits ... Ruby will now have the option of scheduling another request to execute."
Is not correct, at least not for database client libraries like MySQL/Ruby, which call blocking C APIs, and block the Ruby whole interpreter.
We need a lot more work on non-blocking client libraries before Rails will be able to get much from thread-level concurrency IMO.
- Ray Krueger said...
Great post, thanks!
- Unknown said...
Thank you for exciting article!
I've translate it into Japanese,
which is available at:
Please let me know if you have
any inconvenience.
Thank you again.
- Unknown said...
Technically true, but there's something you're not considering: Ruby O/RMs spend close to half their time in the interpreter. So Just because you're inside AR doesn't mean you're necessarily in blocking client driver IO.
DataMapper sees quite a big boost from multiple threads because of this very issue.
It's also true the boost isn't anywhere near what it might be with native threads or asynchronous drivers though.
With the help of non blocking DB drivers for MRI [1] [2] This could be great news, since even MRI will be able to benefit [albeit 1.9, but hey, we do what we can].
[1] http://oldmoe.blogspot.com/2008/07/faster-io-for-ruby-with-postgres.html
[2] http://github.com/tqbf/asymy/tree/master
If you want a real thread safe solution in Ruby, look at Merb + datamapper. They've been doing that for a while now.
A blog idea for you: so how would we be able to run jruby on rails as one threaded instance?
Does it mean the dispatcher needs to be adjusted for this to happen or is there something that already works for this?
- Roger Pack said...
@pope: just download rails 2.2 when it comes out and run it on jruby. Should work out of the box--I think, and across all cores.
- AkitaOnRails said...
I've translated this awesome article into brazilian portuguese: http://www.akitaonrails.com/2008/8/17/tradu-o-o-que-rails-2-2-thread-safe-significa
- bparanj said...
What about File Upload? Is Rails 2.2 capable of handling multiple file uploads without tying up the Mongrel processes?
- Igor Minar said...
You bet that we are thrilled!
Great write up Charlie.
@bparanj http://m.onkey.org/2008/9/13/rails-does-not-block-on-file-uploads