text:
Последовательность без простых чисел — это последовательность целых чисел, не содержащая каких-либо простых чисел. Как правило, при этом предполагается, что последовательность задана той же рекуррентной формулой, что и для чисел Фибоначчи, но с другими начальными условиями, и все члены последовательности должны быть cоставными числами, не имеющими общего для всех членов делителя. Таким образом, последовательность этих чисел определяется путём выбора двух составных чисел a1 и a2, для которых наибольший общий делитель НОД(a1,a2) = 1, и таких, что для n > 2 не имеется простых чисел в последовательности, полученной из формулы
 an = an − 1 + an − 2.

 Последовательность Вильфа
Наверное, наиболее известная последовательность без простых чисел была найдена  с начальными членами

 a1 = 20615674205555510, a2 = 3794765361567513 ().

Доказательство, что любой член этой последовательности не является простым, основывается на периодичности модулей членов последовательностей, подобных последовательности Фибоначчи, по конечному набору простых чисел. Для каждого простого числа из этого набора p позиция, в которой член последовательности делится на p, повторяется по некоторой повторяющейся схеме, а различные простые числа из набора образуют перекрывающиеся схемы, дающие покрывающее множество для всей последовательности.

 Нетривиальность
Требование, чтобы начальные члены последовательности были взаимно простыми, необходимо для нетривиальности последовательности. Если мы позволим, чтобы два начальных члена делились на некоторое простое число p (например, положив  и  для некоторых x и y, больших 1), очевидно, что  и все последующие члены последовательности будут делиться на p. В этом случае, конечно, все члены последовательности будут составными числами, но по тривиальной причине.

Порядок начальных значений также важен. В биографии Пала Эрдёша «», написанной , цитируется последовательность Вильфа, но с переставленными начальными значениями. Результирующая последовательность остаётся свободной от простых чисел только примерно для ста первых членов, а 138-ой член с 45 десятичными знаками  439351292910452432574786963588089477522344721 является простым ().

 Другие последовательности
Известны несколько других последовательностей без простых чисел:
 a1 = 331635635998274737472200656430763, a2 = 1510028911088401971189590305498785 (Последовательность A083104 в OEIS; Грэм, 1964)
 a1 = 62638280004239857, a2 = 49463435743205655 (Последовательность A083105 в OEIS; Кнут, 1990)
 a1 = 407389224418, a2 = 76343678551 (Последовательность A082411 в OEIS; Николь, 1999)
Последовательность этого типа с минимальными начальными членами (известная на текущий момент) найдена Максимом Александровичем Всемирновым
 a1 = 106276436867, a''2 = 35256392432 (Последовательность A221286 в OEIS; Всемирнов, 2004).

Примечания

Литература

  (Всемирнов Максим Александрович)

Ссылки
 Problem 31.  Fibonacci- all composites sequence. The prime puzzles and problems connection.
 «Primefree sequence» PlanetMath

Целочисленные последовательности
Теория чисел
Рекуррентные соотношения

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Light coffee crème ice cream with swirls of coffee soaked sponge.
A dessert well-known by dessert lovers around the world, we have created an ice cream that employs the traditional ingredients of mascarpone, cocoa, coffee and Masala wine. Delicious!
Milk and milk products, egg, gluten, tree nuts: hazelnut.


During hot seasons, it is very important to have air conditioner because it helps to provide a cool environment at workplaces and homes. Energy bills can increase when the air conditioning systems fail thereby creating a miserable environment at workplaces and home. It is therefore very necessary to choose the right air condition repair company as trying to repair an air condition problem by oneself might cause some complications. Tips should be followed when looking for an expert to repair the AC of one's home and they must have skills and tools to perform that function.
The professionals are educated from certified institutions thereby having adequate training to undertake the job perfectly. The tune-ups of the professional technicians from the AC repair company are always more thorough and they always understand everything that needs to be addressed during the repair. The the client saves up the money to buy a new air conditioner because the professionals from the AC repair company repair the air conditioner back to its normal working state. One needs a company certified to repair the air conditioner before choosing the wrong one. When an AC repair company has a certification and a license, it means that they are well qualified to give out the services of repair to the general public at a given standard.
Experience is normally very important to consider as the repair company that has been in the business for the longest time should be recommended. The workers in the repair company should be checked if they are qualified to undertake what the company is doing and if they are always given proper training over time. The air conditioner will be working at the right standards and quality services will always be offered by the right experts only if they are qualified. The staff serving the customers and answering their query have to be accommodating and have good customer care skills.
The AC repair company should have reliable contacts that their customers can reach to them easily and have an attitude that will make the customer feel comfortable. Cost of the services should also be considered as one can't hire a repair company that is very expensive and out of reach.


text:
Triplax flavicollis är en skalbaggsart som beskrevs av Lacordaire 1842. Triplax flavicollis ingår i släktet Triplax och familjen trädsvampbaggar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Trädsvampbaggar
flavicollis


text:
The Lackawanna Municipal Housing Authority, Lackawanna, New York, Needs to Improve Controls and Operational Procedures Regarding Its Capital Fund Program
TO:         Joan K. Spilman, Director, Public Housing Division, 2CPH
FROM:       Edgar Moore, Regional Inspector General for Audit, 2AGA
SUBJECT: The Lackawanna Municipal Housing Authority, Lackawanna, New York, Needs to
Improve Controls and Operational Procedures regarding Its Capital Fund Program
We audited the Lackawanna Municipal Housing Authority's (Authority)
administration of its capital fund program. We selected this auditee based on the
fact that the Authority pledged its future capital fund appropriations, as part of the
Capital Fund Financing Program, and incurred a $4.25 million long-term liability
to perform lead abatement and modernization work in 90 project units. The
objectives of this audit were to determine whether the Authority disbursed capital
funds and procured contracts in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) requirements.
The Authority disbursed capital funds for questionable expenditures.
Specifically, the Authority had no basis for charging management improvement
expenditures to its capital fund program, charged the same expenses for multiple
capital fund drawdowns, and could not support the eligibility of charges for
inspection costs, force account labor, and audit costs. As a result, it lacked
assurance that $195,046 in expenditures was necessary or reasonable.
The Authority did not follow HUD requirements, its own procurement policy, and
New York State General Municipal Law when awarding contracts. Specifically, the
Authority (1) accepted a sealed bid with a known mistake, (2) failed to properly
procure competitive proposal contracts, (3) failed to properly execute a
noncompetitive contract, and (4) failed to follow small purchase and sealed bid
procedures when obtaining general contracting services. As a result, more than $3
million in capital funds was used for questionable procurement expenditures, and the
Authority lacked assurance that the services contracted for were provided as
intended.
We recommend that the Director of HUD's Buffalo Office of Public Housing
instruct the Authority to (1) reimburse the capital fund program from nonfederal
funds the $7,535 in excess drawdowns and the more than $2.6 million in costs
associated with the lead abatement/modernization contract; (2) provide supporting
documentation to justify the eligibility of $676,301 in questionable capital fund
expenditures or reimburse the program from nonfederal funds any amounts not
supported; (3) seek legal advice on whether the lead abatement/modernization
contract should be rescinded in the best interest of the Authority; and (4) review
and if appropriate disapprove any future change orders associated with the lead
abatement/ modernization contract.
We discussed the results of our review during the audit, provided a copy of the
draft report to Authority officials, and requested their comments on June 19,
2009. Authority officials generally agreed with the findings and provided their
written comments during the exit conference held on June 29, 2009. The
complete text of the auditee's response, along with our evaluation of that
response, can be found in appendix B of this report.
Background and Objectives                                                         4
Finding 1: The Authority Charged Questionable Expenditures to Its Capital   5
Fund Program
Finding 2: The Authority Improperly Procured Contracts and Professional     9
Scope and Methodology                                                             14
Internal Controls                                                                 15
A. Schedule of Questioned Costs and Funds to Be Put to Better Use              17
B. Auditee Comments and OIG's Evaluation                                       18
The Lackawanna Municipal Housing Authority (Authority) is a public corporation providing 491
low-rent housing units at three housing projects located in Lackawanna, New York. The
Authority received capital fund program formula grant subsidies from the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 2007 and 2008 of $1.1 million and $1.2 million,
respectively. It also received an operating subsidy of more than $1.8 million in 2007 and
approximately $1.4 million in 2008. The Authority has been allocated an additional $1.5 million
in capital funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
In September 2006, the Authority incurred a $4.25 million long-term liability as part of the
Capital Fund Financing Program to perform lead abatement and modernization work in 90 units
in one of its projects. HUD regulations allow housing authorities to participate in this financing
element of the capital fund program. Under the program, HUD recognizes that some authorities
may not have enough funds in a single year to make all of the improvements necessary to
adequately maintain their public housing. It allows an authority to borrow private capital to
make improvements and pledge, subject to the availability of appropriations, a portion of its
future-year annual capital funds to make debt service payments for either a bond or conventional
bank loan transaction. The Authority's semiannual interest payments have already begun, and
annual principal payments are to commence in September 2009. Both payments offset capital
fund program grants.
Based on its last Public Housing Assessment System score, the Authority was found to be
substandard physical; thus, it is subjected to HUD's extended oversight. The Real Estate
Assessment Center performed two physical assessments for fiscal year 2007. For the inspection
performed in February 2008, the Authority received a Physical Assessment Subsystem score of
17 and failed the reinspection in July 2008 with a score of 15. As a result, HUD's Recovery and
Prevention Corps is planning a comprehensive review of the Authority's operations scheduled
for June 2009.
The objectives of this audit were to determine whether the Authority disbursed capital funds and
procured contracts in accordance with HUD requirements.
Finding 1: The Authority Charged Questionable Expenditures to Its
Capital Fund Program
The Authority disbursed capital funds for questionable expenditures. Specifically, the Authority
failed to prepare a management needs assessment; charged the same expenses for multiple
capital fund drawdowns; and could not support the eligibility of charges for inspection costs,
force account labor, and audit costs. As a result, it lacked assurance that $195,046 in
expenditures was necessary or reasonable. We attribute these deficiencies to the Authority's
failure to establish and implement accounting controls over disbursements that were sufficient to
ensure compliance with applicable regulations.
Failed to Prepare a
Management Needs Assessment
The Authority had no basis for charging management improvement expenditures
to its capital fund program grants since it failed to prepare a management needs
assessment. Regulations at 24 CFR [Code of Federal Regulations] 968.315(e)
provide that a comprehensive plan shall identify all of the physical and
management improvements needed for an authority. The plan should include a
comprehensive assessment of the improvements needed to upgrade the
management and operations of the authority so that decent, safe, and sanitary
living conditions will be provided.
The management needs assessment should include an identification of the most
current needs. Items identified should include management, financial, and
accounting control systems of the authority; the adequacy and qualifications of
personnel employed by the Authority in its management and operations; and the
adequacy and efficacy of resident programs and services. In addition, the
management needs assessment should include a preliminary cost estimate for
addressing all the needs identified without regard to the availability of funds.
The Authority was unable to provide us with such an assessment. Thus, it did not
have the framework for charging management improvement expenditures to its
capital fund program.
The Authority charged $127,137 in management improvements to its 2005, 2006,
and 2007 capital fund program grants from the sample expenditures reviewed.
The expenditures represented costs pertaining to the salary and expenses of a
recreational leader, resident activities, and nonresident services. The Authority
was unable to provide sufficient documentation to support that the charges met
the eligibility requirements for management improvements. Since the Authority
failed to prepare a management needs assessment and was unable to provide
evidence that the charges were allowable, we consider the $127,137 in
management improvement charges to the program to be unsupported pending an
eligibility determination by HUD.
Charged the Same Expenses to
Support Multiple Drawdowns
The Authority charged the same expenses to support multiple drawdowns to the
capital fund program. A review of capital fund drawdowns during the period July
2005 through June 2008 disclosed six excess drawdowns totaling $7,535. For
example, an invoice in the amount of $3,850, dated September 21, 2007, for
electrical work was charged to a capital fund drawdown on February 29 and May
13, 2008. Regulations at 24 CFR 85.20 require that fiscal control and accounting
procedures be sufficient to permit the tracing of funds to a level of expenditures
adequate to establish that such funds have not been used in violation of the
restrictions and prohibitions of applicable statutes. Auditee officials
acknowledged that their accounting procedures at the time made them susceptible
to weaknesses in this area. We attribute the multiple drawdowns to inadequate
accounting controls. Accordingly, we consider the disbursement of $7,535 in
capital funds to be ineligible.
Eligibility of Expenditures Not
The Authority charged $60,374 in expenditures to the capital fund program that
were not supported. For the sample of capital fund drawdowns reviewed, the
Authority did not provide adequate support that inspection costs, force account
labor costs, and audit costs were eligible. For example, the Authority charged
$38,998 for the total salary of the clerk of the works to architectural/engineering
and consultant fees. The supplement to HUD Handbook 7475.1 provides that
construction supervisory and inspection costs incurred during construction are
considered front-line costs. For those authorities that use their own personnel to
carry out this function, a time sheet will be required to substantiate the
construction supervisor's time. Only actual documented costs pertaining to
construction supervision activities, such as inspections incurred during the
construction phase, can be charged directly. However, the Authority did not
maintain time sheets to substantiate the clerk of the works' time.
In addition, the Authority charged $18,961 in force account labor to its capital
fund program without adequate support. The support did not provide that the
costs were reasonable or eligible to be charged to the program. For example, in
relation to ineligible costs, the support provided, such as contractor cost estimates
and timesheets of the Authority's maintenance staff, did not distinguish whether
the costs were for routine maintenance or capital improvements. OMB [Office of
Management and Budget] Circular A-87 defines reasonable cost as cost that does
not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under the
circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the cost.
Also, the Authority charged $2,415 for auditing services that did not relate
directly to capital fund program grant audits but, instead, related to routine
operational accounting services. Regulations at 24 CFR 968.112(k) provide that
eligible costs are limited to the portion of the audit costs that are attributable to
the modernization program.
The Authority did not establish and implement adequate accounting controls to
ensure that capital fund expenditures complied with applicable regulations. As a
result, $195,046 in questioned costs was charged to the capital fund program
without assurance that the costs were necessary and reasonable. We attribute
these deficiencies to the Authority's failure to establish and implement accounting
controls over disbursements that were sufficient to ensure compliance with
applicable regulations.
instruct the Authority to
1A.    Provide documentation to justify the $127,137 in management
improvement expenditures so that HUD can make an eligibility
determination. Any unsupported costs determined to be ineligible should
be reimbursed to the capital fund program from nonfederal funds.
1B.    Prepare and maintain a management needs assessment identifying the
Authority's most current needs including but not limited to management,
financial and accounting control systems of the Authority, and the
adequacy and efficacy of resident programs and services. The
management needs assessment should include a cost estimate for
addressing all identified needs without regard to the availability of funds.
1C.    Identify in its annual statements and performance and evaluation reports
management improvement expenditures in relation to the Authority's
needs assessed so that HUD can make a determination of eligibility.
1D.   Reimburse the capital fund program from nonfederal funds the $7,535 in
excess drawdowns pertaining to electrical work, accounting services, and
tenant employment and recreational activities.
1E.   Establish and implement written accounting procedures that address the
roles and responsibilities of accounting staff, including performing
monthly reconciliation of capital funds and reviewing drawdown requests
to ensure compliance with applicable program regulations.
1F.   Provide documentation to justify the $60,374 in inspection costs, force
account labor, and audit costs charged to the program so that HUD can
make an eligibility determination. Any unsupported costs determined to
be ineligible should be reimbursed to the capital fund program from
nonfederal funds.
1G.   Provide continuing education to ensure that all Authority staff and board
members involved with the capital fund program grants are familiar with
laws and regulations, thus strengthening the controls to ensure that only
eligible and supported costs are charged to the capital fund program grants.
Finding 2: The Authority Improperly Procured Contracts and
The Authority did not follow HUD requirements, its own procurement policy, and New York State
General Municipal Law when awarding contracts. Specifically, the Authority (a) accepted a sealed
bid with a known mistake, (b) failed to properly procure competitive proposal contracts, (c) failed to
properly execute a noncompetitive contract, and (d) failed to follow small purchase and sealed bid
procedures when obtaining general contracting services. As a result, more than $3 million in capital
funds was used for questionable procurement expenditures, and the Authority lacked assurance that
the services contracted for were provided as intended. We attribute these deficiencies to the
Authority's not establishing operational procedures to implement its procurement policy to ensure
compliance with applicable regulations.
Sealed Bid Accepted with
Known Mistake
As part of HUD's Capital Funds Financing Program, the Authority received $4.25
million in bond proceeds for lead-based paint abatement and modernization of 90
units at one of its projects. Review of the Authority's contract award and
administration process determined that the Authority accepted a sealed bid for the
lead abatement/modernization work with a known mistake pertaining to $400,000 in
additional plumbing work. Specifically, the contractor did not include the cost of
installing toilets, sinks, tubs, faucets, cleaning drains, and other plumbing-related
work in its bid for work pertaining to the lead abatement/modernization project.
Although the mistake was acknowledged by the contractor in correspondence with
the architect/engineer and officials for the project, the Authority did not follow New
York State General Municipal Law when awarding the lead
abatement/modernization contract.
Section 103 of the New York State General Municipal Law requires the withdrawal
and rebid of bids containing mistakes; however, the Authority accepted the bid and
awarded the $3.4 million contract. Rather than withdrawing the bid and initiating
the bid process again, the Authority opted arbitrarily to go against the advice of its
own legal counsel and awarded the bid containing the mistake. In doing so, it
inappropriately restricted competition.
At the time of this report, the Authority had paid more than $2.2 million for the
contracted abatement/modernization work. In addition, it did not maintain
documentation, including cost analyses, to justify $406,324 in change orders to the
contract. The Authority had increased the original contract amount by
approximately 13 percent and significantly modified the scope of services to be
provided, which may have been an attempt for the contractor to compensate for the
bid mistake. Accordingly, we consider the use of more than $2.6 million in capital
funds to be ineligible. Further, the Authority should be prohibited from using
program funds for the remaining contract balance of nearly $1.2 million for
unfinished work, $26,686 for unfinished change order work, and $532,262 for
projected future change orders, thereby realizing a total cost savings of more than
$1.7 million. The Authority should be instructed to seek legal advice on whether the
contract should be rescinded.
Improper Procurement of
Competitive Proposal Contracts
The Authority failed to properly procure a competitive proposal contract for
architectural/engineering work. It did not provide evidence to support the
reasonableness of an architectural and engineering contract and failed to
administer the terms of the contract totaling $227,260. Contrary to regulations at
24 CFR 85.36, the Authority failed to maintain records sufficient to detail the
significant history of the procurement action. Specifically, the Authority did not
perform a cost analysis, which is required when the elements of estimated cost are
part of the evaluation to select the service contract. In addition, the Authority was
not able to provide evidence of a negotiation of price. Its procurement policy
provides that negotiations shall be conducted with offerors who submit proposals
determined to have a reasonable chance of being selected for award. There was a
large discrepancy between the proposed fee and the awarded fee.
Also, the Authority did not properly execute the terms of the contract.
Specifically the Authority did not (1) define the scope of work in writing and
request that the architect provide a detailed cost breakdown to perform the work,
(2) perform a cost analysis to document the cost reasonableness of the
architectural and engineering cost breakdown, (3) develop a finding of fact to
document the rationale for award of the work, (4) issue purchase orders for most
of the work, (5) ensure that something of value would be received for the services
paid, and/or (6) pay the vendor based on the terms of the contract. The lack of a
defined written scope of services to be performed prevented the Authority from
determining whether the contractor performed according to the Authority's
intentions. Further, the Authority was unable to determine whether the most
economical approach was used in procuring the services since it did not perform
an analysis of the cost reasonableness. Consequently, we consider the use of
$227,260 in capital funds to be unsupported pending a HUD eligibility
In addition, the Authority failed to properly procure a competitive proposal
contract for auditing services. Contrary to regulations at 24 CFR 85.36, the
Authority did not advertise for the auditing services and did not identify the
relative value of the evaluation factors. Thus, the Authority's evaluation and
award process appeared to preclude open and free competition. When
professional services can be obtained by competitive conditions, proposals should
be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources to permit open and free
competition and to ensure that adequate information is available to evaluate
significant factors, such as the price of the contract and the contractor's ability to
perform the services. Accordingly, we consider the use of $1,500 in capital funds
for auditing services to be unsupported pending a HUD eligibility determination.
Improper Execution of
Noncompetitive Proposal
The Authority failed to properly execute a noncompetitive contract for accounting
services performed during 2006 through 2007. By not executing a contract, the
Authority did not obtain a legally binding document that would protect it against
nonperformance by the accounting firm. Further, failure to execute a contract
precluded the Authority from identifying the actual services expected to be
completed. Although the Authority executed a contract in 2008 with the same
firm, it did not maintain evidence to support the basis of sole source contracting.
In 2008, the Authority failed to meet the requirements for procuring
noncompetitive contracts in accordance with its own procurement policy and
regulations at 24 CFR 85.36, which require written documentation to justify the
Authority's rationale for its method of procurement and that cost analyses be
performed. As a result, we consider the use of $32,929 in capital funds for
accounting services to be unsupported pending a HUD eligibility determination.
Failure to Follow Small
Purchase and Sealed Bid
The Authority failed to follow the procedures for small purchases and sealed
bidding when procuring general contracting work. Although the Authority
remained within its small purchase procurement policy threshold limitation of
$50,000 for eight payments made to a general contractor, it did not obtain price or
rate quotations from three qualified sources for five payments totaling $30,550 in
accordance with 24 CFR 85.36. In addition, it appeared that the Authority
circumvented the appropriate procurement process when procuring roofing work.
Specifically, the Authority paid $71,190 under three invoices for the same scope
of work performed during July 2007. The inclusion of identical work under three
invoices raises the question as to whether the sealed bid process was
circumvented by splitting the work within the confines of the small purchase
threshold limitations. Accordingly, we consider the use of $101,740 in capital
funds for general contracting work as unsupported pending an eligibility
determination by HUD.
In addition, the Authority did not maintain adequate procurement documentation
to support the solicitation of bids or its method of bid solicitation for $125,361 in
appliance purchases contrary to 24 CFR 85.36. Further, contrary to requirements
in HUD Handbook 7460.8, the Authority failed to enter into a contract for the
recurring appliance purchases. As a result, we consider the $125,361 in
appliances purchases as unsupported costs pending an eligibility determination by
HUD.
The Authority had not established the operational procedures to implement its
procurement policy to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations. As a
result, it lacked assurance that more than $3 million in capital fund expenditures
was necessary or reasonable and that the services contracted for were provided as
intended. This lack of oversight by the Authority to ensure that capital fund
contracts were awarded in a prompt, fair, and reasonable manner is a major
concern in light of the Authority's having received an additional $1.5 million in
capital funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Thus,
the Authority should seek legal advice on whether the lead abatement /
modernization contract should be rescinded, and review and disapprove any
future change orders related to this contract, thus resulting in a realized program
cost savings.
2A.    Reimburse the capital fund program from nonfederal funds for the
$2,608,258 in ineligible lead abatement/modernization contract costs.
2B.    Seek legal advice on whether the lead abatement/ modernization contract
should be rescinded in the best interest of the Authority, thus resulting in a
cost savings of $1,224,652 for the remaining contract balance.
2C.    Review and if appropriate disapprove any future change orders associated
with the lead abatement/modernization contract. By rejecting the future
change orders, a projected cost savings of $532,262 will be realized.
2D.    Provide documentation to justify the $488,790 in unsupported contract
costs ($227,260 for architectural/engineering services, $1,500 for audit
services, $32,929 for accounting services, $101,740 for general
contracting work, and $125,361 for appliance purchases) so that HUD can
be ineligible should be reimbursed from nonfederal funds. If the
accounting services are determined to be ineligible, HUD should instruct
the Authority to terminate the contract.
Our review focused on whether the Authority disbursed capital funds and procured contracts in
accordance with HUD requirements. To accomplish our audit objectives, we reviewed relevant
HUD regulations, program requirements, and applicable laws. In addition, we analyzed the
Authority's obligation and disbursement of capital funds in HUD's Line of Credit Control System.
We reviewed HUD's administrative files and monitoring reports for the Authority's capital fund
program. We conducted interviews with the Authority's staff to gain an understanding of the
internal controls related to the administration of the capital fund program. We also reviewed the
Authority's program policies and procedures, five-year and annual plan, annual audited financial
statements, board of commissioners minutes, budgets, general ledgers, and Line of Credit
Control System drawdown vouchers related to the capital fund program.
For fiscal years 2006 through 2008, we selected a nonstatistical sample of six contracts to
perform a thorough review of procurement documentation including the award process and
administration. For the periods June 2006 through August 2006 and December 2007 through
February 2008, we selected a nonstatistical sample of 20 capital fund drawdowns totaling
$863,520 and representing about 28 percent of the Authority's capital fund program to review
the eligibility and support of the expenditures.
The review covered the period July 2005 through June 2008 and was extended as necessary. We
performed audit work from October 2008 through May 2009 at the Authority's office located at
135 Odell Street, Lackawanna, New York.
Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient and appropriate
organizing, directing, and controlling program operations, as well as the systems for measuring,
Program operations – Policies and procedures that management has
Validity and reliability of data – Policies and procedures that management
has implemented to reasonably ensure that valid and reliable data are
obtained, maintained, and fairly disclosed in reports.
Compliance with laws and regulations – Policies and procedures that
Safeguarding resources – Policies and procedures that management has
The Authority did not have adequate controls over its program operations
and compliance with laws and regulations when it did not establish adequate
accounting controls to ensure that costs charged to the capital fund program
were eligible and when it did not establish operational procedures for
implementing its procurement policy to ensure compliance with applicable
regulations and HUD program requirements (see findings 1 and 2).
Recommendation          Ineligible 1/    Unsupported      Funds to be put
number                                     2/       to better use 3/
1A                              $127,137
1D               $7,535
1F                                $60,374
2A           $2,608,258
2B                                                $1,224,652
2C                                                  $532,262
2D           _________          $488,790          _________
Total          $2,615,793         $676,301          $1,756,914
that are specifically identified. If the Authority implements our recommendations for
rescinding the lead abatement/modernization contract and disallowing any future change
orders associated with the contract, it will ensure a cost savings to its capital fund
Comment 1   Officials for the Authority agree that an updated management needs assessment
was not prepared, but contend that HUD's Regional Office approved the budget
each year reflecting the salaries and other expenses with no request for an updated
management needs assessment. HUD's approval of the budget would be based on
the assumption that the items in the budget were in agreement with the
management needs assessment. Since an amendment to the comprehensive
annual plan, which includes the management needs assessment, was not submitted
by the Authority, HUD would not have been aware that the items in question (that
may have been in the budget) were not in the management needs assessment. The
Authority is required to maintain an updated management needs assessment on-
site and have it available for HUD review. Nevertheless, the Authority could not
provide a management needs assessment that identified the items in question
during the review.
Comment 2   Officials for the Authority agree that clerical errors were made, but state that the
errors were subsequently corrected and the Authority did not draw funds for the
same expenses more than once. We were not provided with evidence that all of
the multiple drawdown errors were subsequently corrected. However, capital
funds were indeed drawn for the same expenses more than once. As such, the
$7,535 is still questioned.
Comment 3   Officials for the Authority state that the allocation of the clerk of the works' time
was appropriate and the expenses were approved by HUD. Although the HUD
approved annual plan included a sub-item called inspection services in the "Fees
and Costs" budget line item, to which this employee's salary was charged, the
Authority has not maintained time sheets to substantiate that the clerk of the
works' time pertained only to construction supervisory activities, such as
inspections, to warrant being allocated to the capital fund program.
Comment 4   Officials for the Authority contend that the $18,961 in force account labor
charged to the program, consisting of overtime costs for unit painting and patch
work, represents properly categorized capital improvements. HUD Handbook
7485.3 G permits the use of capital funds for force account labor to perform
modernization activities. However, the support provided was not adequate to
determine whether the clean up and painting of vacated units is a normal
operating activity or a capital improvement, thus, the $18,961 charged to the
program is considered unsupported.
Comment 5   Officials for the Authority agree that the $2,415 for auditing services charged to
the capital fund lacks adequate supporting documentation. Thus, the Authority
needs to provide supporting documentation to justify the auditing services to
HUD during the audit resolution process so that HUD can determine its
eligibility.
Comment 6     Officials for the Authority state that the Authority's counsel advised that they
could permit the contractor to withdraw its bid and then rebid the lead-based paint
and modernization project, but they could not modify the bid to correct the
plumbing mistake. Officials contend that since the successful bidder was willing
to stand by its original bid, without modification, the authority had the right under
law to accept that bid. Regardless of the officials interpretation of its legal
counsel's advice, the opinion issued by its counsel and Section 103 of New York
State General Municipal Law require the withdrawal and re-bid of proposals
containing mistakes.
Comment 7     Officials for the Authority contend that the change order documentation, which
was reviewed, approved and maintained by its architectural/engineering firm, was
not requested by the auditors. However, in response to repeated requests,
Authority officials failed to provide the documentation to support the cost
reasonableness of the change orders. The absence of these documents was
discussed during our review, at the end of our onsite fieldwork, and at the exit
conference. Further, it should be noted that in accordance with HUD regulations,
the Authority's contract officer, and not the architectural/engineering firm, is
responsible for reviewing and approving change order documentation, including
cost analyses. Nevertheless, if any additional documentation exists it should be
submitted to HUD's field office officials for review during the audit resolution
Comment 8     Officials for the Authority question the $1.7 million in cost savings contending
that aside from the cost of obtaining a legal opinion resulting in possible
litigation, the lead abatement and renovation work would still have to be
completed by another contractor. The fact remains that, contrary to New York
State Law, the Authority awarded the contract with a known bid mistake and in
doing so, inappropriately restricted competition. The best course of action going
forward is for the Authority is to seek legal advice to determine the appropriate
remedy for the remaining contracted work. While we acknowledge that the
Authority will incur costs to complete the lead abatement and modernization
work, if a legal opinion indicates that the current contract should cease, a new
contract competitively bid may reduce the costs.
Comment 9     Officials for the Authority agree that the contract with the Authority's
architectural and engineering firm was not procured in accordance with its own
procurement policy. Officials intend to seek advice from HUD on how to revise
and administer their procurement policy more efficiently in the future. As such,
the Authority needs to maintain records sufficient to detail the significant history
of future procurement actions, and provide supporting documentation to justify
the unsupported costs to HUD during the audit resolution process.
Comment 10 Officials for the Authority agree that the contract for auditing and accounting
services was not procured in accordance with procurement regulations. As such,
officials acknowledge the need to comply with procurement regulations
pertaining to competitive and noncompetitive proposals, and agree to be more
diligent in the future. Thus, Authority officials need to provide documentation to
support that the costs for the auditing and accounting services are eligible to HUD
during the audit resolution process.
Comment 11 Officials for the Authority state that one of the five questioned payments totaling
$30,550 represented payment of an invoice that covered several flooring jobs,
each of which was under $2,000 and pertained to unit turn over. Officials contend
that the second payment, representing required code compliance work discovered
in the process of performing repairs resulting from a fire, was covered by
insurance proceeds and did not involve federal funds. The three remaining
payments were for emergency repairs. However, no supporting documentation
pertaining to the flooring jobs, code compliance work, and the emergency repairs
was provided. Further, all five payments were made with capital funds. Thus, we
consider the $30,550 as unsupported pending an eligibility determination by
Comment 12 Officials for the Authority state that the roof repairs for two of the roofs included
in the $71,109 contractor payment were for emergency repairs and two were for
non-emergency repairs. However, a review of the supporting documentation
suggests that the same repair work was conducted on the four roofs
simultaneously. Thus, the officials should have procured the roof repair work
under one sealed bid process. In addition, there was no documentation provided
to support the use of non-competitive proposal contract procurement for the
emergency repairs.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Quad ESL-989
By realspin / February 23, 2017 / loudspeakers / Leave a comment
Quad's Peter Walker was absolutely right to seek a better way to make a loudspeaker. He was inspired by the failings of his flagship loudspeaker – the Quad CR Corner Ribbon – which was a bold hybrid design that used a ribbon tweeter and a conventional bass driver in a wood cabinet. One of the most advanced products of its time, it was still not quite what Walker wanted. Years of development work, allied to great innovation and huge ingenuity lead to the launch of the ESL-57 electrostatic in 1957. It was a landmark event, and legend has it that many rival loudspeaker manufacturers went away from the first demonstration of the Quad electrostatic with their heads in their hands…
Whereas the Corner Ribbon melded a ribbon tweeter and moving coil bass driver, the new ESL-57 used ingenious new push-pull electrostatic panels to cover bass, mid and treble in a seamless way. With the help of mathematician Peter Baxendall, Walker pulled off something remarkable in the great scheme of hi-fi things – it gave full-range sound with none of the cabinet colorations or drive unit issues of a conventional speaker. Using plastic film in its drive units, vibrating between two charged plates to produce sound waves, there was literally nothing else like it – the Quad Electrostatic sounded clean and detailed and open and smooth like no other of its day.
Understandably then, Quad had a real problem replacing it and the speaker stayed on sale for nearly two and a half decades. Finally in 1981, the ESL-63 appeared – the number reputedly being the year in which its development started. It was a significant progression from the '57, being the first Quad electrostatic designed for the stereo age. The previous model had been made from the start as a mono product, designed to fire into a room from the corner, and fill it with sound from a single place. The '63 by contrast was of course a full stereo design from scratch, and was used differently, placed in pairs in a listening room. For this reason, Walker spent a lot of time working on how to improve its dispersion characteristics, and came up with redesigned panels with two sets of concentric annular electrodes fed through sequential delay lines.
"That was a complete rethink, he went back to basics to produce a true point source," says Comeau. "Peter Walker came up with lots of ideas, and even at one stage thought about putting a loudspeaker in a wall but realised that it just wouldn't do for most people's homes! So then as he often did, he went back to the mathematics, and thought through the idea of a delay line – a loudspeaker where as you move up through the frequency range, the elements of the signal gradually get more delayed, so you end up with a spherical waveform emitted from the loudspeaker, a true point source. That gave him the annular rings that you see in the panels of the ESL-63 and all its successors. In the middle you've got a pair of panels which couple together to form annular rings, with high frequencies in the middle gradually moving out to midrange, then right at the outside you've got the two bass panels top and bottom. The method of panel manufacture was much more robust too, it was a real step change."
The ESL-63 was a great loudspeaker in its day, and a real improvement on the '57 in a number of ways – although arguments still rage even today about which is the better. One criticism of both was the lack of deep bass, and their inability to drive large listening rooms to high levels. During the ESL-57 days, there was a fashion for stacking them on top of one another, effectively driving four speakers as two. It produced great results, and so for Quad's replacement for the '63, this idea was developed. When the ESL-988 came out in 2,000, it was a subtle revision and update of the '63, but Quad also offered the ESL-989, which was an altogether larger electrostatic loudspeaker that promised the magic of those early stacked ESL-57s but in one piece. The '989 featured an extra pair of bass panels, but they didn't increase the bass performance simply because of the extra panel area – the considerable height increase came into effect too, acting as a force multiplier…
"The taller speaker is getting closer to being a line source in the bass," explains Peter Comeau. "This is in addition to the speaker being a point source in the midband, and it makes for an interesting combination. People stacked '57s in the mistaken belief that what they were doing was increasing panel area and sensitivity, but in fact it was far more than that. The sum of the combination was far greater than what they were trying to do – what they ended up with was something approaching a line source in the room. If you look at professional audio, where you're trying to drive power over a distance, you do that with a line source – usually with a series parallel combination of bass/midrange drivers which add up to an acoustic source bigger than the sum of its parts. In a room things are different because you haven't got a big open space to fill, so you're trying to power the room. The great thing about a line source is that it doesn't obey the inverse square law of power versus distance, once you get a reasonable distance away from it. Power drops off markedly with distance with a point source, but with a line source you reach a point where it stays the same, which can be useful, especially in terms of bass response."
The ESL-988/989 was the first attempt by Quad to produce its electrostatic speaker using modern methods. Now owned by International Audio Group, the smaller '988 was essentially a modernised ESL-63, while the larger '989 was the reinvention of the 'stacked Quad' idea. The '988 got a much-needed, more rigid cabinet with improved electronic components. The wiring in the delay lines was upgraded, and the concentration of copper in the electrodes was increased. At the same time, the speaker was tilted slightly backwards. The £4,000 ESL-989 benefitted from all the aforementioned tweaks, but thanks to its new panels had fifty percent more radiating area than the old '63 and was 40cm taller. It weighs much less than you'd expect at around 25kg, and this is partially explained by the fact that its 1,335x670x315mm cabinet has plenty of air inside. Bass is said to go down to 30Hz (-6dB), against the '988's 35Hz, with better power handling than its baby brother. Quoted sensitivity is 86dB/1w/1m and nominal impedance is said to be 8 ohms. Recommended amplifier power is 50 to 150W, although in truth at least 100W is best.
Properly placed, the Quad ESL-989 sounds like nothing else around. It sports an evenness and coherence of sound that few other loudspeakers at any price can better, and it able to drive the listening room in a way that makes most conventional speakers – again at any price – sound unconvincing. However, don't expect fireworks – this isn't a showy or a flashy sound. There's no artificial bass peak around 90Hz to give it extra bounce, and the treble isn't zingy and tinselly either. Some will find that their particular musical favourites sound slightly underwhelming, despite this great loudspeaker's many fine attributes…
The '989's neutrality and balance is highly desirable for classical music, as is its speed. There's so little overhang to transients, so everything sounds clearly delineated and spacious. There's oodles of low level detail too, and it displays wonderful subtlety in the way it handles the harmonics of brass instruments for example; massed strings are also a delight with orchestral music. Then there's the superlative stereo imaging and soundstaging; the '989 takes to you a vast space where there's music all around. Inside of this, instruments are placed with laser-like precision. This big electrostatic is also great with electronic music, sounding wonderfully clean and precise, with superb dispersion of sound all around the room and excellent rhythmic ability thanks to the panels' ability to stop and start so fast.
Some will find rock music is a little less visceral than they might like however – the treble lacks sparkle and the bass lacks slam. Electrostatic bass is great; it switches on an off like an LED, but it doesn't have the physical heft that some rockers will crave. Indeed, the ESL-989 also begins to show its own structural weakness here; its cabinet is simply not rigid enough to really convey the full dynamic impact of densely recorded rock music. You can see why the ESL-2905 that followed five years later had a substantially upgraded frame and rear bracing bar. It's not perfect then, but no loudspeaker ever is – and the ESL-989 does some things way better than its contemporary price rivals.
Like all its electrostatic predecessors, the ESL-989 is a dipole, meaning that it radiates as much sound from behind as it does in front. This means positioning is critical; each speaker needs to be a good distance away from the boundary wall, but can stand fairly close to the side wall if need be, for additional room reinforcement. The '989 is of course a floorstander and so uses the floor to give additional bass extension. "However," notes Peter Comeau, "the taller electrostatics are closer to the ceiling and you start to bring this into play, giving far more bass power and extension than it ought to have for the panel size. If people only paid attention to putting the big ESLs in a room correctly, they wouldn't need to mess around with subwoofers – because they'll go down to 30Hz with no problem…" Correctly placed, the new ESL-989 was the first ever production Quad electrostatic that was able to pull off this feat, offering all the advantages of electrostatic operation plus a deep, strong bass that gave way little to a box loudspeaker, providing it is properly positioned.
A fascinating large loudspeaker, the Quad ESL-989 was one of the great audiophile bargains of its day – when properly placed it was well able to better many moving coil speakers at several times its price. These days it's an excellent secondhand bargain – especially if you're a classical music fan – and prices start from £2,000. Go for a good condition pair that ideally has recently been serviced, you will be amazed.
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My name is Mariasol Cook and I'm a mother in prayer currently in Toronto, Canada. I have an 18 month old daughter named Izabella. I know that I'm only beginning this wonderful journey called motherhood but I have learned many things throughout this short time.
When I first found out that I was expecting I was overwhelmed and completely surprised and frightened. After 10 wonderful years of marriage I was facing a situation that would change my life completely. I was definitely not ready for it.
I had so many fears, so many doubts. I didn't know how I was going to take care and raise this being growing inside of me in the presence of God. I feared that I wasn't going to be a good mother. I feared that my relationship with my husband would change and wondered how he would react to the news. Worst of all I feared that this would get in the way of me serving God.
You see, I was so afraid because in my mind all my thoughts about having a baby were completely negative. I wasn't thinking that this unexpected situation could become a blessing in my life. Until one day, in the midst of all my fears and doubts, God spoke to me "Fear not, for I am with you." From that moment on I decided to look at this situation as a blessing, not as something negative, as a learning experience to grow even more in the presence of God and an opportunity to help me help others even more.
Having a baby was definitely a life changing experience. But, like many other problems, situation, or unexpected events that happen in our lives, the outcome depends on how we look at the situation. If you think of your children as problematic, or that they will never change, or that they've always been like that then, that's how it will be. But, if you start looking at them as a blessing, as children of God no matter what age they are, then that's who they will become. Either we let fear and doubts drown our faith and trust in this Living Almighty God or we use this faith to turn the situation into a great blessing or victory in our life. With God in our life we have the power to turn any situation around.
There's a popular saying that states that if life gives you lemons, make lemonade! I'm definitely making my lemonade!!!
This is so true! A child in a mother's life can be a great blessing if we choose to trust in God and not in our own strength and wisdom. I am a living testimony to that. Before I had my daughter I considered myself to be an impatient person towards children, but now I see how much God changed me after she was born. And this helped me in other areas as well.
And for you who think it's too late for your children to turn to God, He left us a message written in Jeremiah 31:16-17: 'Stop your crying and wipe away your tears. All that you have done for your children will not go unrewarded. They will return from the enemy's land. There is hope for your future. Your children will come back home. I, the Lord, have spoken'.
This is so true! A child in a mother's life can be a great blessing if we choose to trust in God and not in our own strength and wisdom. I am a living testimony to that. Before I had my daughter, I used to consider myself an impatient person towards children, but now I see how much God has changed me after she was born, and this helped me in other areas as well.
And for you who think it's to late for your children to turn to God, He left us this message written in Jeremiah 31: 16-17 'Stop your crying and wipe away your tears. All that you have done for your children will not go unrewarded. They will return from the enemy's land. There is hope for your future. Your children will come back home. I, the Lord, have spoken'.


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Not long ago, any start-up hoping to create the next big thing on the Internet had to invest sizable amounts of money in computing hardware, network connectivity, real estate to house the equipment, and technical personnel to keep everything working 24/7. The inevitable delays in getting all this funded, designed, and set up could easily erase any competitive edge the company might have had at the outset.
Today, the same start-up could have its product up and running in the cloud in a matter of days, if not hours, with zero up-front investment in servers and similar gear. And the company wouldn't have to pay for any more computing oomph than it needs at any given time, because most cloud-service providers allot computing resources dynamically according to actual demand.
With the computing infrastructure out of sight and out of mind, a start-up can concentrate its attention on launching and improving its product. This lowers the barriers to entry, letting anyone with an Internet connection and a credit card tap the same world-class computing resources as a major corporation. Many of the most popular and successful Internet services today, including Netflix, Instagram, Vine, Foursquare, and Dropbox, make use of commercial clouds.
These clouds might seem a bit ethereal to their end users, but they in fact require some very down-to-earth facilities. Their stadium-size data centers are immensely costly to construct, and, not surprisingly, most are run by giant corporations like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Each offers a variety of service models, depending on exactly how the customer interacts with its cloud-computing environment.
The lowest-level model is known as infrastructure as a service, or IaaS, which outfits each customer with one or more virtual machines running on the cloud provider's physical equipment. One actual computer might, for example, simulate five different virtual computers, each leased to a different customer. In addition to leasing such virtual machines, an IaaS provider may include a choice of operating systems to run on them. Notable examples of such IaaS clouds include Google's Compute Engine and Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud.
At a higher level of abstraction are platform-as-a-service, or PaaS, clouds. These include an environment for developing the online applications that are to run on the provider's equipment. Customers don't have to manage virtual machines. They just create their applications using various software libraries, application-programming interfaces, and other software tools such as databases and middleware, and then one or more virtual computers are spun up automatically as needed to run all of this. Examples of PaaS clouds are Amazon's Elastic Beanstalk, Google's AppEngine, Microsoft's Azure, and SalesForce's Force.com.
Some cloud-computing providers put all their hardware eggs in one data-center basket [blue]. Others employ multiple data centers networked together [orange]. The logical extension is a peer-to-peer cloud made of individual computers [yellow].
The computers in some P2P networks resemble gossiping office workers. Gossip-based protocols allow information to flow reliably, even if some computers leave the system and break previously established links [orange lines].
Gossip-based protocols are used to maintain an unstructured peer-to-peer network of individual computers, some of which do the work of one customer [orange] while other combinations serve different customers [blue and yellow].
At a still-higher level are software-as-a-service, or SaaS, clouds. Their customers know nothing of the underlying infrastructure or computing platform: They simply use some Web-based application or suite of applications to handle the task at hand. This is probably the model of cloud computing that most people are familiar with. It includes services like Apple iWork, Gmail, Google Docs, and Microsoft Office 365.
But is this the only way cloud computing can work? At the University of Bologna, in Italy, we've been investigating a very different strategy to do cloud computing without those giant centralized facilities at all—using peer-to-peer technologies of the kind sometimes associated with shady file-sharing operations. Their use here, though, could help democratize cloud computing. Our prototype software is still at a very early stage, but its development and similar successes by researchers elsewhere show real promise.
Placing the physical infrastructure for a cloud-computing operation where it's usually found, in a single massive data center, has definite advantages. Construction, equipment procurement, installation, and maintenance are all simplified, and economies of scale reduce costs. On the other hand, a single large data center consumes an enormous amount of electrical power, often comparable to what you'd need to run a small town, and dissipating the waste heat it generates is usually a big headache.
Perhaps the most serious shortcoming, though, is that a centralized cloud-computing facility can end up being a single point of failure, no matter how cleverly it is designed. Redundant power supplies, backup power generators, and replicated network connections help, but they can't protect absolutely against catastrophic events such as fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods.
Another drawback of centralized clouds is that their geographic location, which may be best for the owners, may not be best for the customers. This is the case, for example, when governments place restrictions on sensitive data crossing national borders. A data center located in one country may then be off-limits to customers in some other countries.
Cloud-service providers have increasingly addressed these concerns by using not just one but several far-flung data centers connected through fast private networks. Doing so not only protects against local catastrophes, it also provides customers with more options for locating their data.
What would happen if you took this trend in geographically distributing cloud infrastructure to its logical conclusion? You'd end up with clouds made up of millions of individual computers distributed across the globe and connected through the Internet. We would call this a peer-to-peer (P2P) cloud because it shares many of the characteristics of various P2P systems developed for file sharing, content distribution, and the payment networks of virtual cryptocurrency schemes such as Bitcoin.
In principle, a P2P cloud could be built using the ordinary computing, storage, and communication equipment found now in people's homes, with essentially zero initial investment. Broadband modems, routers, set-top boxes, game consoles, and laptop and desktop PCs could all contribute. The challenge is to turn this motley collection into a coherent and usable cloud infrastructure and offer its services to customers. You also have to ensure that the salient features of clouds—on-demand resource provisioning and the metering of service—are maintained.
This would surely be tough to do, but think of the advantages. First, there would be no single entity that owns or controls it. As with most other P2P applications, a P2P cloud could be created and operated as a grassroots effort, without requiring the permission or consent of any authority. People would choose to participate in a P2P cloud by installing the appropriate client software on their local machines, and the value of the resulting cloud infrastructure would be commensurate with the number of individuals who are contributing to it.
A second advantage comes from the fact that a P2P cloud's components are small, individually consume little power, and well distributed. This drastically reduces concerns about local catastrophes. It also removes the usual worries about heat dissipation. Although such P2P clouds couldn't provide the quality-of-service guarantees of a Google or an Amazon, for many applications that wouldn't much matter.
The idea of creating a huge computing resource from a large number of loosely coupled machines is not new. This has long been done, for example, with volunteer computing, where people execute applications on their personal computers on behalf of others. Volunteer-computing systems usually require you to install certain software, which then runs when your computer has no higher-priority tasks to do. That application then uses your spare computing cycles to fetch and process data from some central server and upload the results back to the same server when it's done.
This strategy works well for many scientific problems, for which a central controller can farm out pieces of the desired computation to workers that operate independently and in parallel. If one fails to return a result within some reasonable period, no problem: The same task is simply handed out to some other volunteer worker.
The Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) is a popular volunteer-computing system that can load and run different client programs. Examples of projects found on the BOINC platform include SETI@home (to analyze radio signals from space in the search for extraterrestrial transmissions), Rosetta@home (to calculate how proteins fold), and Einstein@home (to detect gravitational waves).
Another type of volunteer computing is known as a desktop grid. In conventional grid-computing projects, multiple high-performance computers in different locations are harnessed to work together on a single problem. Desktop grids allow people to contribute the processing power of their personal computers to such efforts. BOINC supports desktop grids, as does EDGeS (Enabling Desktop Grids for e-Science), a project of several European institutions that is based on BOINC, and also XtremWeb, a project of the French National Center for Scientific Research, the French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation (INRIA), and the University of Paris XI.
So the first task for any P2P cloud is to keep track of all functioning and online devices enrolled in the system and to dynamically partition these resources among customers. And you have to do that in a completely decentralized manner and despite churn.
To deal with such challenges, many P2P systems make use of what are called gossip-based protocols. Gossiping, in this context, is when the computers linked together in a large, unstructured network exchange information with only a small number of neighbors. Gossip-based protocols have been extensively studied and have been used to model, for example, the spread of malware in a computer network, the diffusion of information in a social network, even the synchronization of light pulses in a swarm of fireflies. Gossip-based protocols are appealing for P2P clouds because they are simple to implement and yet enable complex global computations to take place efficiently even in the face of churn.
So when we built our prototype system at the University of Bologna, which we call the Peer-to-Peer Cloud System (P2PCS), we included several decentralized gossip-based protocols. They are used for figuring out what equipment is up and connected, monitoring the overall state of the cloud, partitioning the resources available into multiple subclouds, dynamically allocating resources, and supporting complex queries over the set of connected computers (for example, to identify the most reliable ones). Creating those capabilities was an important first step. But there are still many other requirements for a practical system, only some of which we have attempted to tackle.
If all the equipment is owned by a single organization, building a P2P cloud with it should be straightforward, even if the bits and pieces are located in different people's homes, as might be the case with broadband modems or routers operated by an Internet service provider or set-top boxes operated by a cable-television company. The computing devices will be all pretty similar, if not identical, making it easier to configure them into a single computing environment. And because the equipment's one owner presumably installs the P2P-cloud software, you can be reasonably confident that the data and computations will be handled properly and according to the organization's security policies.
This is not true, however, if the P2P cloud is made up of a diverse collection of different people's computers or game consoles or whatever. The people using such a cloud must trust that none of the many strangers operating it will do something malicious. And the providers of equipment must trust that the users won't hog computer time.
These are formidable problems, which so far do not have general solutions. If you just want to store data in a P2P cloud, though, things get easier: The system merely has to break up the data, encrypt it, and store it in many places.
Unfortunately, there is as yet no efficient way to make every computation running on untrusted hardware tamper-proof. For some specific problems (such as mining bitcoins), verifying the results is significantly faster than computing them, which allows the client to check and discard faked results. For those problems that do not have an efficient verification procedure, the best way to detect tampering is to compare results for the same calculation coming from independent machines.
Another issue, common to all P2P systems, is that there must be appropriate incentives to get enough people to cooperate and to discourage free riding. Otherwise, the system is bound to degenerate completely. Coming up with incentives would be easy enough for a company that uses its own devices to create a cloud. That company might have a monetary incentive for creating such a cloud, and the people housing the equipment might have an incentive to keep connected to it because they get better service that way.
Volunteer-computing systems don't enjoy the luxury of having such incentives in place. But they typically have such laudable objectives that getting people to contribute their free CPU cycles is not a problem. Who would not want to help make history when SETI@home, which has been around since 1999, detects the first extraterrestrial radio transmission? For volunteer P2P systems of other kinds, though, the incentives have to be carefully worked out.
Developments are admittedly at an early stage, but several research projects and a few commercial systems that have hit the market suggest that P2P clouds can indeed be built and used productively, at least for certain purposes.
Our work on the P2PCS, for example, demonstrated that it is possible to use gossip-based protocols to handle the dynamic allocation of resources and the basic monitoring of the system. Other researchers—at the University of Messina, in Italy (Cloud@Home), at INRIA (Clouds@Home), and associated with the European Union's Nanodatacenters project— have been exploring similar concepts.
The Nanodatacenters project is particularly interesting. The researchers involved worked out how to form a managed P2P network from a far-flung constellation of special home gateways controlled by Internet service providers. Because these "nanocenters" are near end users, the network can deliver data much faster than a few large data centers could.
Some commercial distributed-storage solutions are also based on P2P computing principles. An early version of Wuala's cloud backup, for example, allowed users to trade space on their hard disks. Sher.ly offers a similar service but is oriented toward the business sector: It allows companies to use their own machines and infrastructure to create a secure, always-on private cloud to share files internally. There are also a number of open-source P2P systems for distributed file storage (such as OceanStore, developed at the University of California, Berkeley) or computations (such as OurGrid, developed mostly at the Federal University of Campina Grande, in Brazil).
These pioneering experiments are still few and far between compared with traditional cloud environments. But if they succeed, and if researchers can find ways to deal with the hurdles we've described here, you could easily find yourself making use of a P2P cloud in your daily routine. You might not even know you're doing it.


From the earliest days of recorded history, conflict has been an integral part of human life. Although conflict and crisis are painful, they are visible and vital signs of the perpetual work of the church and society. Viewed in this light, they become sources of growth and gifts to be pressed into service.
The trouble with Jesus was—and is—that he stands in the midst of conflict, and allows the conflict actually to live in him even though it tears him apart, in order that new life might be born. The trouble with Jesus was—and is—that he invites us to follow where he has led.
Newly revised and expanded, this book is not a how-to manual for problem-solving, but a hopeful and creative reflection on the positive aspects of conflict in our relationships and institutions, as demonstrated throughout scripture in the life and ministry of Jesus, the early church, the church today, and within ourselves. For those willing to embrace conflict and the work that it requires, the result is a celebration of the community that God has given us.
Conflict is frightening. It threatens our sense of control and upsets our notions of order. It touches our vulnerability and reveals uncomfortable realities. Therefore, we tend to deny conflict, or we try to manage it, tame it. In fantasies of ultimate control, we banish conflict altogether. . . .
But the ways of God in the real and quite tangible world in which I live are obviously not the same as my ways. In this world, I am rarely in agreement with others and God obviously tolerates much more untidiness than I find comfortable. This conflict, which is with me every hour and becomes quite apparent hundreds of times a day, arouses fear within me. I want to be in control, and yet I cannot be in control.
SAM PORTARO is the Episcopal Chaplain to the University of Chicago. He is the author of several books, including Brightest and Best, Daysprings, and Crossing the Jordan.


This passionate story explores the human condition and the complex relationship between fathers and sons. Offering humor and virtue, the film follows Rick Cree on a journey to the small town in eastern Kansas where his father grew up. Hoping to gain understanding and wanting to avoid the same estrangement he felt with his own father, Rick brings his son along. It's a story of regret, reconciliation, and redemption told with grace and care.


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DVIDS – News – 2nd Marine Division Marines Participate in Continuing Promise 2022
Posted by sultanIn GadgetsLast Modified 2 months ago 2 months ago
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJON, North Korea – U.S. Marines from 2d MARDIV, II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) deployed in support of Continuing Promise 2022 to provide humanitarian civilian assistance to our partners in the Caribbean, Central and South countries. America.
About 90 Marine personnel from 1st Battalion, 8th Marines (1/8), 2nd MARDIV are providing additional security for the mission's final stop in Haiti for the Continuing Promise 22 deployment. II MEF is ready for trained Marines that can be deployed at short notice.
The Continuing Promise mission included direct medical care and expeditionary veterinary care, training and expert exchanges on various medical and humanitarian relief/disaster relief topics and leading workshops on women, peace and security.
Continuing Promise 2022 has already made mission stops in four countries: Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Honduras. 2d MARDIV Marines joined this deployment for the fifth and final stop in Haiti.
As they supported Continuing Promise 2022, Marines from 1/8 helped set up medical treatment facilities, provided security and screening assistance alongside Haitian National Police and other allied host country personnel, and, when needed, escorted patients to appropriate facilities. : care
"The ability of 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment to deploy Marines in support of Continuing Promise 2022 is an outstanding example of how 2nd Marine Division remains ready for operations around the world," said 2d MARDIV Gen. , Brig. Calvert Worth. short notice, 1/8 was seamlessly integrated into the US 4th Fleet to participate in this humanitarian civil support mission. It is their ongoing preparation for global deployment through rigorous training and engaged leadership that has made this possible."
For more images, stories and b-roll of Marine Unit 2, please visit https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/2MARDIV.
Media content for the latest Continuing Promise 2022 updates will be posted on the Continuing Promise 2022 DVIDS feature page at https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/Comfort2022.
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Award winning Plainfield #202 Schools! Updated and gorgeous home featuring designer touches in every room. So many recent "news". New professional paint, new laminate wood flooring, new furnace, new A/C, newer appl. Spacious Living Room flows into the formal Dining Room. Kitchen includes Breakfast Area that leads out to the deck and fenced back yard. Large vaulted Family Room offers plenty of space for relaxing and entertaining. Updated 1/2 Bath on main floor. 3 Bedrooms on the 2nd floor include a beautiful Master Suite with full updated Bath. Full Basement, partially finished with complete framing and includes a roughed-in Bath. It wouldn't take much to finish it. Huge backyard includes party deck just in time for your summer enjoyment and BarBQs. You will LOVE this home! Great Schools! Unbelievable Price!
I am interested in 3811 Landings Road, Joliet, IL 60431.


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MLS complete their investigation into Andrew Putna and issue statement
MLS have completed their investigation into Putna for racist remarks
By Lucas Muller@lucaswmuller Nov 11, 2021, 8:26pm MST
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Lucas Muller | RSL Soapbox
Major League Soccer have released a statement in regards to the allegations of racist remarks from Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Andrew Putna.
The league concluded that Putna made derogatory remarks in regards to a teammate's national origin at training. MLS is requiring that Putna undergo diversity and inclusion training before he can rejoin the team. Real Salt Lake have confirmed that Putna is not currently in market.
Putna's future at RSL remains unclear. From the statement above, it seems that the league is considering his time away from the team during the investigation to be the sum of his punishment. In theory, he could play for RSL again once he completes the diversity and inclusion training, though it is unlikely. Since the league did not remove him from RSL via a wavier or termination of contract, he's still considered an RSL player. Once the roster freeze concludes the day after the MLS Cup Final, Real Salt Lake will be able to sell him or even buy-out his contract.


AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. An "AV" certification mark is a significant rating accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence. A lawyer must be admitted to the bar for 10 years or more to receive an AV rating.


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The Hop Farm Festival 2013 Initial Line-Up Announced!
Latitude Festival 2013 Announce Initial Line-Up
60 First Acts Confirmed For Melt! Festival 2013
A Week In Music - The Cribs Look Back Over A Decade, Palma Violets Cause A Stir, Adam Ant's Awkward Return, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Hitting The Road
By Hayley Avron in Music / Festivals on 28 January 2013
The Cribs Palma Violets Shout Out Louds Bastille Matthew Herbert The White Album The Joy Formidable Adam Ant Sinkane Darwin Deez Yeah Yeah Yeahs Selena Gomez Beyonce Knowles
A Week in Video... Wakefield's indie rockers The Cribs release 'Leather Jacket Love Song,' a nostalgic look back at their last decade of existence as a band. The video inter-splices archive footage of one of the brothers' early gigs at Ossett Town Hall in Yorkshire, with the Cribs circa 2013 observing their younger selves. The Cribs' sounds hasn't altered a great deal over time, but their popularity seems to show no signs of wavering; their commitment to their DIY roots remains strong and even with Ryan breaking out with his new band Exclamation Pony, we reckon there's a few years left in The Cribs yet.
Palma Violets have been causing a stir, with their accessible, psych-tinged garage rock. The video for 'Step Up For The Cool Cats' is a vaguely trippy, home-video style shoot; footage of the band playing is mixed with footage of them driving around in a car together, looking like it's being played back on an old TV set. The band have gained a lot of attention since playing recent slots with London based Savages. It looks like 2013 could well be their year.
Continue reading: A Week In Music - The Cribs Look Back Over A Decade, Palma Violets Cause A Stir, Adam Ant's Awkward Return, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Hitting The Road
Sinkane - Mars Album Review
By Andy Peterson in Music Reviews on 22 January 2013
As someone who writes a bit about music, I'm entitled to an opinion about it and you can choose to disagree. I reckon 2012 was a massively underwhelming year for the popular art form, full of releases primed for the download generation, stymied by filler and adopting en masse a risk free, generic, after you policy of being the least worst option. There were exceptions of course, notably from the likes Efterklang, Django Django and Falty DL, but the levels of unwarranted enthusiasm surrounding the release of a new track from David Bowie and the fact that the hottest tickets in town were for the one remaining quarter of Kraftwerk should tell you all you need to know about the lack of a sustainable talent pool.
Of course, new bands will emerge in 2013, new bands always do. If there's any justice (a cliché I've always promised myself I'd never put in ANY review I ever wrote) Sinkane should be one of them, not because they have the skinniest jeans and all the right remix credits, but because they're actually really good. Normally when a critic says that it means they satisfy the hack's need for hipness by association, but although Mars will probably get very good reviews in all the right places, they win because they're diffidently making something that satisfies body and soul, a rare quality amongst the previously mentioned homogeneous mass of banjo/synth toss.
Well, I say Sinkane are a band, but that's only true when on the road. At home they're just Ahmed Gallab, who created most of this second album himself, reportedly playing at least four instruments on each track. The son of two exiled Sudanese parents who moved to the US in 1989, he lived an itinerant existence as a youth, eventually washing up in Ohio, where he became the only skate punk loving Muslim in his school year. All this was the unlikely basis for a post college career which has consisted of building the Sinkane project whilst playing with the likes of Caribou, of Montreal and Yeaysayer (some of which guest here). Which brings us up to date, more or less.
Continue reading: Sinkane - Mars Album Review


22 August 2018 – Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has awarded Integral Consulting Services, Inc. (Integral) a contract to provide IT Service Desk Support Services. Integral will provide Tier-1 and Tier-2 service desk support services across the agency to full-time employees and contractors. This contract, with a base period of 11 months, requires Integral to support users at CPSC'sBethesda, MD, Rockville, MD, Gaithersburg, MD, and remote locations across a variety of hardware and software disciplines. In addition to Tier-1 and Tier-2 support, Integral will provide an assessment of the CPSC's overall service management landscape, including tools, processes and procedures.
Integral was awarded the contract in August 2018 after a competitive procurement process that included a presentation of Integral's corporate capabilities and proposal.


The lovely hamlet that is the city of Thousand Oaks is located in the center of the Conejo Valley in Ventura County. Thousand Oaks is only 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean, and it is situated against the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains. One of the best factors about the surrounding area of Thousand Oaks, California is that 15,000 acres of that land is publicly owned. With that much accessible and majestic space, that only means of miles of hiking and biking trails. The town of Thousand Oaks, California became incorporated in 1964 and is considered a master planned community that is well on its way to gaining metropolitan status as well.
Thousand Oaks, California may not match the glitz and glamour that it's southern neighbor, Los Angeles, possesses yet it does have something that the City of Angels does not. It is the spring training center for the Dallas Cowboys, and for all of the transplanted Texans that are now residing in Southern California, this is great news. One of the most explosive and dynamic economic juggernaut of Ventura County is Thousand Oaks California. The reasons for this are many with one being economic diversity of the Thousand Oaks area as well as the many businesses and job creation that is currently going on in this coastal community.
Thousand Oaks is the site of a plethora of dynamic Fortune 500 companies that are as diverse as the day is long. There are businesses such as Amgen Inc. and the bioscience division of Baxter Healthcare Corp., which are two of the international leaders in the biotechnology industry field. There is also General Dynamics Corp. which is a yet another international high-technology juggernaut as well as General Motors regional office. The telecommunication giant Verizon has its regional office in Thousand Oaks, California and this makes for a very splendid work opportunity for all the white and blue collar employed residents of the area.
The history of Thousand Oaks reads like a James Joyce novel as it has so many interesting facets for each decade and is a book that keeps on being written. There are expansive shopping opportunities while in Thousand Oaks such as the Oaks Shopping Center that includes Nordstrom's, Macy's and a JC Penney, as well as an 11 screen movie theater. There is so much going on in Thousand Oaks California it is hard for the residents to decide what to do in this wonderful cultural community. The average median income for a working family of three is among the highest in all of California. This stems from the fact that there is a professional sports franchise that practices here, the Dallas Cowboys, and that all the service related industries, that spring forth from caretaking an NFL National Football League franchise, are economically immense. Any residential quarry that is steered toward Southern California will be one that is well worth the trip.