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CONVERSATIONS WITH REMARKABLE MINDS
The US State Department, its changing role and mission, and the loss of America's influence in the world
Colonel Lawrence (Larry) Wilkerson is a retired US Army Colonel and the former chief of staff to General Colin Powell while he was Secretary of State. He is currently a Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Government and Public Policy at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Col. Wilkerson started as an assistant to Gen. Powell an 1989, and remained with him through his term in the Bush administration. He has been an outspoken critic of the Iraq War, the Bush and Cheney White House, including his own preparation of what became Powell's infamous 2003 presentation regarding Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction to the UN. He has had a very distinguished career having been trained in the Army, Marines and Navy. Col. Wilkerson is a frequent commentator on radio television programs including The Ed Show on MSNBC, the Real News Network, PBS, Democracy Now and others. He has also been featured in several important documentaries, including "Why We Fight", "The Israel Lobby", and "No End in Sight." In 2009 he received the Sam Adams Award for Integrity in Intelligence.
Today is February 26th and like always The Gary Null Show is here to inform you on the best news in health, healing, the environment
Trump's infrastructure plan and what it will mean to our land, water, soil and future
Mary Grant is the Director of the Public Water for All Campaign at Food and Water Watch, a nonprofit public advocacy organization that stands up against corporations to assure healthy food, clean water and land protection for all. The organization's campaign promotes universal access to safe water by promoting sustainable and affordable public provision for water and sewer utilities. As a policy analyst, Mary is working against the privatization of our nation's water under the Trump infrastructure plan. She has a degree in environmental sciences from Duke University, and Food and Water Watch's website is FWWatch.org
On this episode of The Gary Null Show, Gary sets most of his time a side to teach you about all the latest news in the world to help you live the healthiest you can be.
Gary Has A New Special For You: Cardio Stuff, 500g
Nutrients that are friends with YOUR HEART
Proprietary Blend of: Organic Oatmeal, Brown Rice Bran, Oat Bran, Red Wine Extract, Flax Seed (cold Pressed), Sunflower Lecithin, Papaya Juice, Blackberries, Bananas, Hawthorn Berries, Grape Seed Extract, Ginkgo Biloba, Panax Ginseng, Cayenne, Apple, Cocoa, Green Tea (Decaf), Blueberries, Pomegranate, Almond, Flax Seed Oil (Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Vitamin C, Turmeric Extract (Curcumin), Vitamin E, Reishi Mushroom, CoQ10, Quercetin, Resveratrol, Chocolate flavor, Stevia Extract, Magnesium Citrate, Potassium Citrate, Organic Inulin
Vegan • Gluten-Free • Non-GMO
The relationship between school shootings, suicides and psychiatric drugs
Dr Charles Gant has practiced integrative and functional precision medicine and functional genomics to treat chronic medical and addiction and psychiatric disorders for over four decades.He has pioneered many of the nutritional, metabolic, neurotransmitter and hormonal balancing, and detoxification treatments for substance use and other mental disorders. Dr. Gant currently practices functional medicine and genomics and mindfulness-based psychotherapy at the National Integrated Health Associates in Washington, DC and is the Chief Science Officer at the Academy of Functional Medicine. In the past he has been a hospital medical director and a medical and psychiatric consultant for many substance abuse and mental health clinics and hospitals throughout Central New York. Dr Gant received his medical degree from the University of Virginia Medical School, and his Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia Pacific University. He is authored several books, including the more recent text "ADD and ADHD: Complementary and Alternative Medicine." His website is at NIHADC.com
Dr. Guy McPherson is a professor emeritus of Natural Resources, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona. He has specialized in forest resources, energy decline and climate change and its economic consequences. In the past he has also taught at Texas A&M and University of California at Berkeley. Having become disillusioned with the American university environment and academia, and after attempts by university officials to silence his outspokenness about the human causes of climate change, Guy abandoned his tenured position as a full professor for ethical reasons of conscience. He is the author of several books, the latest co-written with Carolyn Baker entitled "Extinction Dialogs: How to Live with Death in Mind." He is also the co-host of the radio program Nature Bats Last heard every Tuesday evening at 3 pm Eastern time on the Progressive Commentary Hour. His website is GuyMcpherson.com
Conditions in Syrian and American and Israeli attacks on Assad's forces
Vanessa Beeley is a British investigative journalist who has focused on the conflicts in the middle east – particularly in Syria, Gaza and Yeme. She is an associate editor of 21st Century Wire and was member of a peace finding mission to Syria and organized by the US Peace Council. Vanessa was in Aleppo during and after its liberation after the city had been captured for almost 5 years by western backed Salafist terror organizations last year. She is credited with having exposed the fraud behind the faux charitable, volunteer organization the Syrian Civil Defense or better known as the White Helmets, which was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize and was featured in the documentary that recently received an Oscar award. She is also a contributing writer for the Global Campaign to Return to Palestine, the Dissident Voice and manages the website The Wall Will Fall in London, where she blogs about her travels and reports from the Middle East. She just recently returned to Paris from Damascus where she was doing investigative research. Her websites are TheWallWillFall.org and 21stCenturyWire.com


So, I had this floating in my brain this morning, and thought I'd bang it out. It was going to end kind of depressing, because I'm in a depressed mood. But it's Donna, and I just couldn't give Donna a sad ending. Couldn't do it to the Doctor either. So, happy ending all around. Please tell me if you think this could be linked on the doctor_donna comm.
I don't know if I can still say I'm on hiatus. I don't think I am. I'm just not getting things written. I don't have a muse I guess right now. Bear with me please, I may get more little plot bunnies. There's also the upcoming time crunch as Cheeky is finally going to start getting the help she needs, and she might be switching preschools.
Have you ever had that feeling that you're alone? Absolutely and unequivocally alone? That no one understands? No one knows? No one. Not even you. Except for that little niggling in your head that says you do know. You're not alone, and there is someone who understands. You just don't know who that person is. You did at one time, but you can't remember. There's a large portion of your life you can't remember. You don't know why, and no one tells you anything that might help you remember. In fact they go out of their way to convince you to not want to remember. It exhausts you and you just want to stay in bed, stay asleep where you dream and you think you remember.
That is how Donna Noble feels every day. She wakes every morning with the thought that somewhere out there, there is someone who understands what she's feeling and someone who could help her to solve her memory problems. She's determined to find this person, though she knows she'll have to do it alone. She's asked her family. Her mother frowned, slammed her teacup down on the table, stood and told her to get her head out of the clouds, and look for a decent job, before storming out of the kitchen. Her Gramps just shook his head sadly, patted her hand, and said that perhaps it was best to let things be as they were and move on.
It's no use to ask her friends. She doesn't have any anymore. They disappeared when she woke up with missing memories. Her mum won't tell her why either. She tried to talk to Nerys once, but she couldn't walk away fast enough. Donna swore she heard the word "freak" muttered under her breath. She remembers her fiancé, and that he vanished, along with her place of employment, but thinking about him makes her feel humiliation and then a surge of rage she can't explain. Dwelling on it makes her head hurt, a golden shimmer flits across her eyes, and she gets dizzy.
This morning it feels a little different. She can't explain why, it just does. She had the most intense dream she'd had since this all started. She's always had dreams since the incident. They've been bizarre, sometimes sad, sometimes happy, but always they had the sense of being real. Like that was reality and her waking life was fake. Last night she'd dreamed of a man and a box, something that's never happened. Usually there was color, and unfamiliar landscapes, and even more unfamiliar people? Species? Things? She wasn't sure, but she didn't think they were human. Or even from Earth. Which when she thought about that, in the mornings, she usually needed a dose of paracetamol.
But last night, a man had appeared beside what she could only describe as a blue police telephone box. She knew though, that it wasn't just a phone box. It was special. Donna twitched, wincing as she touched her temples. No. Not it. She. The blue phone box that wasn't a phone box was a she. And the man with it, was not just a man, he was…he was… Donna groaned as the image of the man got clearer. Tall, thin, (and for some reason she wanted to call him a skinny streak of nothing) wearing a brown pinstriped suit and Converse (Converse?), Spiky brown hair that stuck up in every direction. Sideburns, and…the eyes. Soulful brown eyes that told of extreme age, and untold sadness. Donna whimpered as she sunk to the floor, the golden shimmer increasing in opacity. Those eyes spoke of sadness directed at her. Why her? Why would he feel sad about her?
Bigger on the inside was the next thought that she had. The blue phone box appeared again, this time the door on the front of it…her…swung open and she gasped as the unfamiliar yet familiar sight of a large console room came into view. She cried out as the throbbing ache that normally accompanied the times when she put a little extra thought into her dreams increased to migraine proportions. Faintly outside of these thoughts, she felt something touch her body, and then she thought maybe she heard her Gramps speaking.
A portion of her mind seemed to burst forth, and demand her whole attention. The man's face increased in clarity, and just as her body seemed to ignite with heat she didn't know was building, she found she knew the man and his name. He was a Time Lord. The last of the Time Lords, and his name was…the Doctor. She could hear his voice in her head fully now, and it was calling to her to do something. Do something with the heat and energy now infusing her body. Reg…reg…regen…regener…regenerate. She was rising up, she felt that. Like she was floating.
The Doctor had taken the TARDIS to the vortex after going to Cardiff and explaining to Jack what he'd had to do to Donna to keep her alive, and that he was going to try for a solution. Jack was angry with him, but seeing how utterly destroyed the Doctor was over it, he calmed himself and walked with the Doctor to the TARDIS. He promised to watch out for Donna, and get regular updates from Wilf. Sylvia, he realized would not be all that cooperative and it was best to avoid her unless it was an emergency. He'd watched the TARDIS dematierialize and hoped the Doctor would be able to find a solution. Someone as brilliant as Donna Noble was, and who'd done what she'd done, saved the universe, should remember it. And he knew other things, that he felt were better for them to learn on their own. If the Doctor managed to help Donna.
The TARDIS spun in the vortex, mourning Donna, and waiting. Her Time Lord was taking his own sweet time to work on the issue. The ringing of the Doctor's mobile startled him out of his brooding, and he grabbed it. It was Jack saying Wilf had called about Donna having dreams. The Doctor said the dreams were normal. Jack asked if he'd come up with anything, the Doctor said not yet.
When Jack again called, this time passing on the message that Donna was asking questions about her missing memories, the Doctor got a little panicked, but said as long as no one told her anything, then it should be alright. He was looking, and the TARDIS had a few thoughts as well.
The fourth phone call from Jack had the Doctor taking the TARDIS to Cardiff, the TARDIS making the decision herself to materialize around the immortal man to save time, and move herself to Chiswick, the back garden of the Noble house. Wilf had called saying Donna hadn't come downstairs at her usual time, and when he'd gone to check on her, shed been slumped on the floor, hands at the side of her head, moaning. Her skin that was visible under her jim jams had a gold sheen to it.
The Doctor had burst into the room, dropped to his knees beside Donna, and put his hands on her contact points. He saw she'd broken through the blocks he'd put in her mind to contain the Time Lord consciousness, and blamed himself for not making them strong enough. He felt a not so subtle nudge from the TARDIS, to move on, and help Donna do what needed to be done. He picked her up, and ran as fast as he could to the TARDIS and laid her in front of the open panel next to the console. Extra energy flowed from the panel into Donna's body as the Doctor stepped back. "Regenerate," he said over and over, louder and louder until he was shouting it, and Donna's body ignited into golden flames.
Wilf ran forward yelling for his granddaughter, but Jack pulled him back. He moved the old man over by the Doctor who stood trembling, and whispering "Please," by the jump seat. The three men stood there as the TARDIS worked with the Time Lord consciousness to rewrite Donna's DNA and regenerate her. It seemed to go on forever, but in reality was a matter of moments. When it was over, Donna's body, which had been tensed up with the energy, relaxed against the grating, and she let out a small moan. The Doctor lifted her carefully and carried her to her room, where he laid her on her bed, covering her with the blanket the TARDIS has laid out on a nearby chair. The Doctor sat in the chair, and settled in to wait for Donna to wake up. Jack and Wilf went back to the Noble house, both figuring it would be best for just the Doctor to be there when Donna woke, to not overwhelm her.
Donna shifted, feeling a soft bed beneath her, and a softer blanket covering her. Her eyes fluttered, and as consciousness returned to her, she prepared herself for the usual headache that accompanied really intense dreams. But as she opened her eyes, she remembered something was going to be different. And hadn't she woken up once today already? Confused she tried to sit up, only to find her muscles didn't want to work right, they felt like she'd been through an extreme exercise regiment she hadn't trained for, they were so sore. Her chest felt tight and her pulse was entirely too fast. Oddly, her head didn't hurt, there was just a residual ache. She gasped as she registered that the room was not hers, at least not the one in her mother's house. This was like the room from her dreams. And…and…there was singing. But not singing she could hear, no, this was inside her head. She pushed herself up on her arms, sitting up, wincing as she did so. She looked around, and then gasped as her eyes landed on the sleeping figure of the man from her dreams. The Doctor. Her pulse raced faster, and she gasped suddenly unable to breathe. She reached up with one hand to clutch at her chest, her other arm unable to hold her up, gave out, and she fell back on the bed with a loud panicked cry.
Donna found herself relaxing in the Doctor's embrace, and let her head loll back on his shoulder. Her mind began to clear, her memories reasserting themselves with every calming breath she took. By the time she was calmed down, her breathing relaxed, her heartbeats slowed, all of her memories had returned. She knew where she was, with whom she was, and thanks to the TARDIS speaking in her mind, she knew what had happened. It was a bit like waking up from a long slumber. Her life between the events on the Crucible, and now seemed like a foggy dream. This was reality. And, as she felt herself flush with a bit of embarrassment, she remembered the feelings she'd began developing for the Doctor after the events on Midnight. She'd sworn then, to keep them secret, since the Doctor wouldn't feel that way about her, and she now resloved to keep them secret once more. Though she recalled, he had called her "love". She shook her head, to dispel the thoughts, which made the Doctor let her go, and she missed his touch. Sighing, she turned to face him, and see where they went from here. She saw the look in his eyes, and her resolve melted. And she discovered kissing him was everything she had thought it would be.
When Donna shifted in his arms, the Doctor took that to mean she wanted him to let go of her, so he did, and he missed the feel of her in his arms. He wondered if she'd still not want "any of that nonsense" and thought about being able to love her as he wanted to. He wasn't aware that she'd turned to face him, but he heard her small intake of breath, and his hearts soared when she took his face in her hands and kissed him.
Jack and Wilf came back to the TARDIS to check on Donna and the Doctor as they hadn't heard anything for several hours. They went to Donna's room, expecting to see Donna possibly still asleep, and the Doctor in the chair. Or perhaps Donna awake and the two of them talking. What they weren't expecting was to see Donna and the Doctor in a tight embrace, thoroughly kissing each other, while hands explored ginger hair, and the skin beneath a pinstriped suit. Wisely the two men backed quietly away from the doorway, and went to the kitchen to prepare some food. Eventually the other two would be hungry, and what better way celebrate, than a four course meal.
*sighs* Yet another very real possibility for what could have been. Have I ever told you you're good at these fix-its?
Thank you! =) I'm so glad you liked it. I found I like to try coming up with ways to correct RTD's mistake.
Four courses to start perhaps? =D They could always make more.
Great job!! I hope you do write more. I love your stories!
Apparently, she was still ginger, since he was running his hands through her ginger hair, and Wilf recognized her.
Loved how Wilf and Jack found them. I agree with Tkel Paris, two Time Lord appetites, four courses will probably be just an appetizer! Hope they are making plenty of tea, too.
Thank you for the comments, and I'm glad you liked it.
I always love it when Donna can remember and those two finally realize what the rest of the universe had been trying to tell them all along -- they belong together! And this way, it should really be the forever she promised.
I have to agree. I missed those little clues. But my mind was on my story as well as this one. lol.
My theory on why that would be is that it was the inside being re-written and that was a huge job because it involved species change, the outside was perfect as it was. All the energy was needed for her to become Time Lord. Even the TARDIS had to help. She knew her Ginger Lady was an excellent match for her Thief, just exactly what he needed.
As Ten would say, "Oh, YES!"
Poor Donna at the beginning. Who can blame her for pushing her memory to the limit like that.
Btw, I might need to come back and revise this as my thumping head insists this comment lacks something... Okay, quite a lot.
Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it. =) I agree. Donna has and always will belong in the TARDIS with the Doctor.


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Q: When sharing calendars on iCloud, how do I show other people that I'm occupied, but not why? Now that I will be able to share iCal calendars (e.g. on iCloud, MobileMe), for events that are marked as private is there a way to make other people only see that I am occupied at a certain time but not why? Can I somehow make an event private?
If this still will not be possible, what is the current workaround for this? How could I set up this scenario?

A: The availability picker on Lion (when it even works) only shows the binary status with your busy times blocked.

The CalDAV request to show busy times just shows that you are busy, not why.
If you don't share private events (or keep that secure with a password to subscribe), your event details are as secure as anything on a web server with controls before you can retrieve the data. (not perfect security, but not wide open to anyone)

A: As a workaround, you could move the private events to separate calendar, also published, but configured as above. Of course your subscribers would need to add it to their subscription.

A: The issue being raised is bigger than MobileMe or iCloud.  It's fundamental to how we all work today.  If we aren't all on the same google docs account or the same exchange infrastructure we need to be able to share calendar information.
There are a couple of good solutions that I have used and seen people use in the past.

*

*Use Google Calendar and have iCal sync - share the Google Calendar and enable Sharing but check "Share only my free/busy information"  This solution works on all platforms and is free.

*Use tungle.me.  It syncs with iCal and gives your people a nice purple-y interface

*Change the way you calendar slightly (sounds strange but I know someone who did this).  Create a separate calendar that you will share with people and on that calendar you (manually) block out your free/busy time.  The benefit of this is that you have total control and there is no extra syncing.

A: There is a service called Tungle that seems designed to do what you need. It syncs with your calendar, but only displays your availability.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Publications Women's...
Women's Post – Women of the Week, July 5, 2010: Lianne and Andrea
by Where Parents Talk - Sep 15, 2010
Women of the Week, July 5, 2010: Lianne and Andrea
Full article: http://www.womenspost.ca
From what I can tell, parents have always loved talking about their kids. Whether it be how amazing little Johnny's winning goal at last week's soccer game was, or how young Susie wowed the crowd with her off-pitch rendition of On My Own, there is no shortage of conversation for parents the world over. These child-bearers also love to chat about how they raise their children – what feeding techniques they used, how they discipline naughty behaviour, what soap is least likely to irritate the skin of their tender gems. The internet brought with it the Information Age, and accessibility to content was (and still is) paramount. From Google to Yahoo, finding advice on how to be the perfect parent (note: no such title is held by anyone) is as easy as prepping porridge for the fruits of your loins; type "parenting" in a Google search and you'll get 69,800,000 sites referencing the term.
Now, so far as I know, parents typically have more important priorities than weeding through millions of websites to find a nugget of knowledge to apply to their habits (such as raising the child they're conducting their research for). Enter community parenting websites: Sites dedicated to farming through content and providing tilled information in easy-to-navigate, content-aware consortiums. Sites, such as Where Parents Talk.
Where Parents Talk is the fruition of an endeavour started by former broadcast journalists Lianne Castelino and Andrea Howick. In 2003, the pair launched Liandrea, a company dedicated to providing updated material for parents. Lianne had first mulled the idea in 1996, while she was taking prenatal classes with her husband. The videos her instructor used were dated, had errors, and showed practices no longer subscribed to by the medical community. "The instructor would put on the video and say the quality isn't great, and then proceed to tell us what parts to watch and what parts to ignore. I looked at my husband and said, 'I could do better.' I could not get over the fact that this is the type of preparation that was available."
Fastforward a few years, and Lianne began pitching her ideas to hospitals. Andrea was an acquaintance at the TV newsroom where they worked, and Lianne approached her, having a sense that Andrea was someone she could trust and work well with. They started Liandrea, which was a labour of love, a passion project both were intensely proud of. They produced their first video, Bringing Baby Home, about the first six months of parenthood; a how-to guide guide on care. They followed up the success of their first video with Yummy In My Tummy, and have enjoyed accolades for their work on both.
They started their first site, Liandrea.com, which was an effort to create a hub where parents could find information that was digestible and easily navigable. They taught themselves every step of the way, and were successful in tapping into the parenting site market so overwrought with content and baby blogs. A few years after the launch of Liandrea.com, Lianne and Andrea decided to rebrand and start from scratch with the help of Sari Gabbay of U2R1 Media, Inc. Why? The web had changed drastically since their first site's inception, and they needed and wanted to harness the new tools available to them to further the experience of their audience.
Where Parents Talk relaunched just a few months ago, as a "hub of information where parents can go and communicate with each other, talk to us, find the latest news on parenting, weekly videos, tips, podcasts, and the list goes on," says Andrea.
Where Parents Talk has also made the leap into social media, a forum the pair recognizes as a now inherently important tool to web ventures. Lianne and Andrea both credit social media with affording them the relationships with their audience that creates a bond and loyalty to their brand.
As I mentioned earlier, there are over 60 million sites either about or that reference parenting. So, what sets Where Parents Talk apart from the rest? "Ninety-nine per cent of parenting sites focus on moms. There is a tiny percentage of sites that focus on dads. We wanted Where Parents Talk to be an umbrella group. We have an area just for dads. It's important for us to do something new and different.
"Men have become more involved. It's the evolution of the family. Now there are daddy bloggers. They are trying to do what moms have always done," says Andrea.
Where Parents Talk has succeeded in cultivating a community atmosphere online. This was important to the duo, as Lianne explains, "Parents need and crave information. Proximity is now an issue; a lot of people are alone, prenatal classes aren't available everywhere. The heart [of Where Parents Talk] is how to prepare to be a parent, and what to do once you are."
This important and rich resource is on its way to becoming one of the most influential and easy-to-use sites for parents. Lianne and Andrea have paid their dues and have become well-versed in the online realm. Look for more content, pertinent information, and tools from this mommy duo. Where Parents Talk will ultimately be where parents talk.
Published by:Adam Mazerall, Associate Editor
What's New, What's Different?
Great tasting and healthy after school snacks
Are you looking for great "how to" parenting DVDs? Meet Lianne Castelino of Where Parents Talk
The perfect BLEND

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It is a year of change.
US as the only super power of the world made top the list.
That is done by Chicago politics and Obama.
The simple fact of transparency and clarity missing is casting doubt.
After all it is Obama's seat.
And he is the President-elected.
He has to take notice.
If not, then his ability is in question.
Or we will have a trust issue on hand.
Politics can be the best of con artist.
People can be fooled most of time.
But it is never all the time.
This makes him damaged goods now.
Let's see how long the charade will play out.
Harper may be Man of the Year in Canada.
But his political reality wipes out any claim of decency.
Senate seat is a party politics correct issue.
But the spirit of democratic process ruined.
What an educational example it is just before Xmas.
Economy situation makes perfect cover.
Check and balance is hard to carry out.
US bank bailout is a perfect example.
Harper's "institution strong" in election time is forgotten.
Only history will indicate it happened on whose watch.
The Golden Obama team didn't see the crisis coming.
That tells the outcome future.
World economic recovery needs to look somewhere else.
It is opportunity time for thinking ahead.
Posted: December 24th, 2008 under North America, Politics, Economy.


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Q: JavaScript HTTPS to HTTP iFrame Security Question I'm working on a user login system and I have come up with a solution that I wanted to run past you fine folks to make sure I wasn't about to create a giant security flaw.
Here is what we have.
You start on an HTTP page that when you click a link will open a modal window. The first link from an HTTP page when clicked will repopulate the modal with an iFrame that links to an HTTPS page. Since I can't have the HTTPS talk to the HTTP page I'm using a document.location setting on the HTTPS iframe page to make the success page HTTP. Then the HTTP page talks back to the parent window.
So:
HTTP (click) -> Opens iFrame in HTTPS -> Login over HTTPS secure on Success document.location -> HTTP success page -> window.parent.success_msg(deferred); calls to the parent window.
It's working great in all browsers so far...haven't tested IE yet, but I wanted to verify this wasn't a really terrible practice before I present it.
Thanks!

A: An iframe to an HTTPS URL within an HTTP page is really bad practice because it makes it hard for the user to get more detailed information (in particular security-related information) about that page. (Sure, you can probably right click and find a way to check the properties of the iframe, but even users who'd know how to do that probably wouldn't do it).
With an HTTPS iframe like this, you prevent the browser from displaying the usual security symbols: lock, green/blue bar and, more importantly, the address of the site (an attacker could just put their own link to their www.some-other-site.example instead of the indented site; www.some-other-site.example could have a legitimate certificate and the browser wouldn't give any alert message).
This practice is especially bad as an HTTPS iframe within a page served over HTTP, but it's not good either when the containing page is served over HTTPS. You can't easily verify the identity of the server serving the framed page either. (Sadly, this is (or at least was) what's recommended by 3-D Secure...)
If you want to do the authentication over HTTPS, switch the full page to HTTPS and then back, by giving a non-secure cookie. Of course, this isn't very secure (someone could intercept that security token, as popularised by FireSheep), but this is better in that at least, the user will be able to check that the page where they enter their credentials is the legitimate one. (This should be done carefully too, see this question.)
The best way is to stay over HTTPS without iframes after authentication if you can.


If you blog, or write web pages and articles, be sure to let your social tribes know about your best work. You might Twitter about your latest blog post throughout the day, but don't neglect your Facebook friends; you won't capture everyone's attention, but if you regularly share your work across all your people-networks you'll gain more readers and demonstrate your involvement with your social crowd.
Sharing your work across different parts of the web and with different tribes within your social crowd will give you a greater reach – it might open up new audiences to you. It makes sense to squeeze the most value from your best articles; if you've spent hours researching and crafting a detailed blog post, you don't want it to be buried on your blog when you post a wry observation or other short post. By sharing your best articles across the social web they get to live on a little longer than they might do within their original home.
Some people within your target audience might not be the subscribing type (RSS Newsfeeds still take some effort to understand) and not everyone is going to go to the effort of visiting your blog on a bi-weekly basis. But lots of people visit Facebook and MySpace every day, often at the same time of day (after work / Uni) and often multiple times throughout the day (breaks / mobile surfing). If your work is automatically syndicated to Facebook then it will appear on people's home pages (for a short time) and within your profile page.
By reaching out beyond the confines of your personal website, you're going to where the audience is, rather than expecting the audience to traipse to you. Choose your readers, and go to them!
If you use WordPress as your blogging system you should be able to install Tweet Tools and configure the plug-in so that it Tweets for you every time you publish a new blog post. I write my blogs in advance and have WordPress hold them until the early morning – when my posts are automatically published, Tweet Tools automatically tells those people who follow me on Twitter the title and the address.
You can use various applications within Facebook to pull in RSS feeds, and so your blog posts can appear in various places within Facebook. You can also create links to your best blog post as a 'posted item' on Facebook. Remember to manage any comments of conversations that start.
I think Bebo and MySpace are a little different; I think you have to make the effort to copy n paste your work in to their version of a blog. This is a little arduous perhaps, but by making the effort you're keeping your Bebo and MySpace profiles fresh, and nothing's worse then an uncared for profile page.
Be aware that people may not bother to visit your 'real' blog site, and that comments and conversations may start within the social networking site, so you may have to check several websites to keep up with your readers, which may not be appropriate for large popular blogs. But for me, it's a great way to engage with more people and expand my readership. Plenty people read my blogs because of Facebook and Twitter, and they have no interest in RSS.
Find where your readers hang out and go to them!
P.S. I wrote this using an iPhone while lodging in the woods.
This article was tagged blogging, Social, writing.
I sort of agree… which means there are provisos.
If your audience doesn't understand RSS, help them out.
I did it with an RSS how-to and my mate Brian Kelly did it with a video Google Reader how-to.
The other thing is that if you use a multiplicity of tools, you *can* end up with duplication with social media which I chatted about a while ago. I stopped my tweets going to Facebook for this reason, though I do use Twitterfeed to post my blogs to Twitter.
Of course, I need to sort out FriendFeed – which is no posting my tweets to Facebook – but at least not updating the status.


text:
2009 and 2008 Northern Rhone Wines
It's always telling when producers pour their finished vintage before the one in barrel, which was the case with the red wines I was shown in virtually every cellar I visited in the northern Rhône Valley in mid-November. Presenting their 2008s before the 2009s was a not-so-tacit admission that 2008 was "a difficult" vintage, in gentle parlance, or "a disaster," as some of the more frank producers admitted. It was a cool, rainy year, with plenty of vineyard maladies to fight throughout the season. The grapes struggled to ripen and in many cases, especially in low-lying sites, they simply never got there. That problem became more exaggerated the farther north you went, according to a number of growers, which means that the vintage favors Cornas, as well as Saint-Péray.
With sardonic understatement Jacques Grange, the winemaker at Delas Frères, told me that things might not have been so rough in 2008 "if it weren't for an awful lot of poorly timed rain just before the harvest and the mildew that followed it." That rain amounted to over 300 millimeters in less than 24 hours at Hermitage on September 3 and 4, which is about 50% of what the area normally gets in a full year. According to Agnès Levet, "years like 2008 make the case that terroir is paramount." René Rostaing used virtually the same words, adding that "there's a reason why some vineyards are just better than others, and in '08 you needed proper exposure for ripeness, air movement and drainage. It's the difficult years in which the grand crus prove their worth and the lesser sites show why they aren't great. And even with great sites you still had to make severe selection." Rostaing is one of a number of producers who sold off a lot of juice before eventually bottling a single wine, which includes the fruit from his very best-situated and oldest vines.
As with any vintage, a few of the best producers were able to pull off an upset and make wines that are bright and delicious, if not destined for a long life. A number of '08s are quite tasty right now and remind me a lot of the 2004s, but with lighter body. "But you need to look out for angular acidity in 2008," said Jean-Louis Chave. "It isn't so apparent right now but it will show up more clearly in a couple of years."
The white wines of the northern Rhône fared better in 2008 than the reds but are still generally light in body and high in acidity, with less of the exotic appeal that most consumers expect, especially in their Condrieus. Some of the more optimistic producers believe that the wines will gain weight with a little bottle age, especially those who admit that their palate favors a less extroverted style of white wine, like Rostaing. "The 2008s have firm structure and pronounced minerality," he said. "So if you're drinking them any time soon you really should decant them as they need some time to open up and gain flesh."
A whole 'nother thing in 2009. There have been rumblings that 2009 is a watershed vintage for the red wines of the northern Rhône, and while a number of wines are flat-out outstanding I'm not yet ready to concur. Neither are the producers, by the way, especially those who believe that adequate structure for aging rather than flamboyantly ripe fruit is a key criterion for defining greatness. Two thousand nine was a hot year and many of the young wines I tasted, while undeniably alluring, show a ripeness and openness, not to mention moderate acidity and soft tannins, that makes me suspicious of their long-term promise. "It's a rich vintage in the north and south and you really should have picked early to get a balanced wine," Philippe Guigal told me. "You had to make sure that the sugars and subsequent alcohol didn't get away from you. That's also an issue with the white wines; a lot are very high in alcohol: 15% is pretty much the average for Hermitage and plenty of Condrieu is at 16%." That opinion was echoed by Christophe Bonnefond, who said, "2009 was a hot and dry year, with many of the wines having very high alcohol and low acidity. That's not the best thing if you like to age the wines but it does give them immediate appeal and they are definitely exuberant and flashy." Bonnefond is especially wary of cellaring 2009 Condrieus and thinks that they should be drunk soon, "for all that exotic character." Lionel Faury piled on, expressing the opinion that "it's important to watch carefully for high alcohol in 2009, especially with the white wines. There were a lot of seriously ripe grapes brought in."
If your inclination is to enjoy your wines on the young side and you enjoy ripe, fleshy fruit and soft tannins, 2009 is a definite must-buy. Said Brigitte Roch: "These wines are going to make a lot of people happy but they're really about fruit expression, sometimes at the expense of structure. Depending on how and when most people like to drink their wines, that probably isn't really an issue."
Bernard Burgaud
Domaine A. Clape
Domaine Bernard Faurie
Domaine Clusel-Roch
Domaine des Lises
Domaine des Remizières
Domaine du Monteillet/Stéphane Montez
Domaine du Tunnel
Domaine Gilles Robin
Domaine Jean-Luc et Jean-Paul Jamet
Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin
Domaine J.L. Chave
Domaine Mathilde et Yves Gangloff
Domaine Monier Perréol
Domaine Patrick Jasmin
Domaine Vincent Paris
E. Guigal
Emmanuel Darnaud
Famille Levet
Ferraton Père & Fils
Franck Balthazar
J.L. Chave Sélection
Lionel Faury
Maison Chapoutier
M & S Ogier d'Ampuis
Natacha Chave
Patrick et Christophe Bonnefond
Thierry Allemand
Cellar Favorite: 2009 Marcel Lapierre Morgon Cuvée Marcel Lapierre (Jan 2022)
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Weathers the Challenges and Changes (Oct 2021)
Cellar Favorite: 2006 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Sep 2021)
Back For More Beaujolais (Aug 2021)
Changing Perspectives in Beaujolais (Aug 2021)
Cellar Favorite: 1992 Domaine Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Côte du Py (Jul 2021)
Cellar Favorite: 2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin Grande Cuvée (Oct 2020)
Exploring Northern Rhône Whites (May 2020)
Northern Rhône: A First Look at the 2019s (May 2020)
Power and Energy: The 2018 and 2017 Northern Rhônes (Apr 2020)
Vacqueyras: The Southern Rhône's Stealth Appellation (Feb 2020)
Gigondas Maintains Its Tempo (Feb 2020)
The Riches and Richness of Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Dec 2019)
Cellar Favorite: 1978 & 1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Dec 2019)
Beaujolais: If You Want Value - You've Got It (Oct 2019)
Northern Rhône: 2016 and 2017 Reds (Sep 2019)
Cellar Favorite: 1991 Domaine Jean-Louis Grippat St-Joseph (Aug 2019)
2017 and 2018 Northern Rhône (Jul 2019)
Vacqueyras 2016 and 2015: Value and Consistency (Nov 2018)
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc: 2016 & 2017 (Oct 2018)
Cellar Favorite: 1955 Domaine Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins (Sep 2018)
Cellar Favorite: 1985 Domaine Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes (Sep 2018)
2016 Gigondas – A Slam Dunk (Aug 2018)
2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape: The Beat Goes On (Jul 2018)
Cellar Favorite: 1988 Domaine Gentaz-Dervieux Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune (Jul 2018)
Elegance Returns to the Northern Rhône in 2016 (Jun 2018)
2016 Northern Rhône Whites: Excellent but Often Scarce (May 2018)
'16 vs. '15 Northern Rhône: Heads You Win, Tails You Win (Apr 2018)
2016 Beaujolais: Hail, Yes (Mar 2018)
Cellar Favorite: 2005 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot (Mar 2018)
Cellar Favorite: 2001 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins (Feb 2018)
2015 Beaujolais: Monumental But Often Atypical (Dec 2017)
2014 Gigondas Charms While 2015 Stuns (Sep 2017)
2014 and 2015 Vacqueyras: Quality and Value (Aug 2017)
Northern Rhône: Solid '14 Reds and Outstanding '15 Whites (Jul 2017)
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc: Moving Out of the Shadows (Jun 2017)
2015 Northern Rhônes: Outstanding Wines for the Long Haul (Apr 2017)
2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Power and Balance (Mar 2017)
2015 Beaujolais Part 2: A Vintage of Richness and Energy (Jan 2017)
2015 Beaujolais Preview: Atypically Brawny but Often Excellent (Aug 2016)
2014 Beaujolais: Another Dream Vintage (Aug 2016)
A Lucky '13 for Beaujolais Lovers (Jul 2016)
The Southern Rhône's Value Play (Jun 2016)
2014 and 2013 Gigondas: Wines to Drink, Not Hold (May 2016)
Vacqueyras: Excellent Values from the Southern Rhône (Apr 2016)
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Enters the 21st Century (Apr 2016)
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reds: The Flamboyant 2014s and the Structured 2013s (Apr 2016)
2014 and 2013 Northern Rhône: Great Wines If You Can Find Them (Mar 2016)
The ABCs of Appellation Bergerac Contrôlée (Jan 2016)
Cellar Favorite: 2005 Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py (Nov 2015)
Producer Profile: Le Clos du Caillou (Aug 2015)
Producer Profile: Domaine Roger Sabon (Aug 2015)
Producer Profile: Domaine de la Biscarelle (Aug 2015)
Producer Profile: Domaine de Cristia (Jun 2015)
Vacqueyras' Promising 2013s and Ready to Drink 2012s (May 2015)
Gigondas - New Releases (May 2015)
1990 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage (Apr 2015)
Châteauneuf du Pape: The Lively 2013s and Lush 2012s (Apr 2015)
Producer Profile: Domaine de La Janasse (Feb 2015)
Current Beaujolais Releases (Feb 2015)
The 2013 and 2012 Northern Rhône Wines (Feb 2015)
Vinous To Acquire Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Nov 2014)
Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc (Sep 2014)
2013 and 2012 White Burgundies (Sep 2014)
Tuscany Part 1: Chianti, Vino Nobile and Supertuscans (Sep 2014)
The 2014 Cape Winemakers Guild Auction (Sep 2014)
Focus on Spain (Sep 2014)
The Best of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (Sep 2014)
Chablis 2013 and 2012 (Jul 2014)
2011 Bordeaux from the Bottle (Jul 2014)
Oregon Pinot Noir Update (Jul 2014)
Best New Wines from Australia (Jul 2014)
Brunello di Montalcino 2009 and 2008 Riserva (Jul 2014)
Annual Rose Roundup, 2014 Part 2 (Jul 2014)
Hungary's 21st-Century Tokajis (Jun 2014)
Annual Rose Roundup, 2014 Part 1 (Jun 2014)
Bordeaux 2013: Definitely Not the Vintage of the Century (May 2014)
California's North Coast (May 2014)
2011 Vintage Ports (May 2014)
The Best New Cotes du Rhone Releases (Apr 2014)
The Wines of Southern Italy (Mar 2014)
2011 Red Burgundies (Mar 2014)
Best New Releases from Argentina (Mar 2014)
2012 and 2011 Northern Rhone Wines (Mar 2014)
Focus on Chile (Feb 2014)
2012 Red Burgundies (Jan 2014)
2012 and 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras (Jan 2014)
Germany 2012 (Jan 2014)
New Non-Vintage Champagnes (Dec 2013)
Austria 2012 and 2011 (Dec 2013)
The Best New Wines from Washington State (Nov 2013)
Vintage Champagne (Nov 2013)
Focus on California's Central Coast (Nov 2013)
Barolo and Barbaresco (Nov 2013)
Vertical Tasting of Col d'Orcia's Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Vento Riserva (Oct 2013)
Vertical Tasting of Valentini's Trebbiano d'Abruzzo (Oct 2013)
Focus on Rosso di Montalcino (Oct 2013)
New Releases from Spain (Sep 2013)
The Best of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, and Some Chardonnays Too (Sep 2013)
The New Golden Age of Beaujolais (Aug 2013)
Annual Rose Roundup (Jul 2013)
The 2010 Clarets: A Modern Classic (Jul 2013)
2012 and 2011 Chablis (Jul 2013)
Bordeaux 2012: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (May 2013)
Annual Coverage of California's North Coast (May 2013)
The Best New Wines from South Africa (May 2013)
New Releases from Argentina (Mar 2013)
The Best New Wines from Central Italy (Mar 2013)
Vertical Tasting of Castello di Monsanto's Chianti Classico Il Poggio Riserva (Feb 2013)
Vertical Tasting of Castello di Ama's Chianti Classico Vigneto Bellavista (Feb 2013)
Vacqueyras 2011 and 2010 (Jan 2013)
2011 and 2010 Southern Rhone Wines (Jan 2013)
The Best New Non-Vintage Champagnes (Dec 2012)
New Releases from Washington State (Nov 2012)
Vertical Tasting of Quinta do Noval's Nacional Vintage Port (Nov 2012)
Annual Coverage of California's Central Coast (Nov 2012)
2009 Vintage Ports (Nov 2012)
2011 and 2010 Alsace Wines (Nov 2012)
Tuscany Part 2: The Tuscan Coast, More Supertuscans et al (Sep 2012)
New Zealand Sauvignon and Pinot (Sep 2012)
2011 Bordeaux: Dry Whites (Aug 2012)
2011 Bordeaux: Sauternes (Aug 2012)
Focus on Oregon Pinot Noir (Jul 2012)
The 2009 Clarets (Jul 2012)
The Best New Roses: 2012 (Jul 2012)
Tuscany Part 1: Chianti, Vino Nobile and Supertuscans (Jul 2012)
Best New Releases from Australia (Jul 2012)
The Bordeaux Effect (Jun 2012)
New Cotes du Rhone Releases (Jun 2012)
Focus on California's North Coast (May 2012)
2010 and 2009 Cotes du Rhone Wines (May 2012)
Best New Releases from Chile (May 2012)
Bordeaux 2011: Tales of Tannins and Terroir (May 2012)
New Releases from Beaujolais (Apr 2012)
Don't Read Between the Lines (Apr 2012)
Vertical Tasting of Trimbach's Riesling Clos Ste. Hune (Mar 2012)
The Red Wines of Northeast Italy (Mar 2012)
Occupy the Cellars (Feb 2012)
Against Wine Extremism (Jan 2012)
Vertical Tasting of Chateau Giscours (Jan 2012)
Tip Sheet for Handicapping Wines (Dec 2011)
Top New Non-Vintage Champagnes (Dec 2011)
Cava for All Seasons (Nov 2011)
New Wines from California's Central Coast (Nov 2011)
Top New Releases from Washington State (Nov 2011)
New Vintage Champagnes (Nov 2011)
A Contrarian View on Decanting (Nov 2011)
Focus on Barolo and Barbaresco (Nov 2011)
The Best New Wines from Spain, Part Two (Nov 2011)
Alba When It Sizzles (Oct 2011)
New Zealand Sauvignons and Pinots (Sep 2011)
The Best New White Wines from Italy's Northeast (Sep 2011)
It Doesn't Have To Be Rocket Science (Sep 2011)
The Best New Releases from Australia, Part Two (Sep 2011)
Best New Wines from Spain (Sep 2011)
Some Don't Like It Hot (Aug 2011)
Vertical Tasting of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (Aug 2011)
Bordeaux 2010: The Dry Wines (Aug 2011)
Bordeaux 2010: The Sweet Wines (Aug 2011)
2006 Brunello di Montalcino (Jul 2011)
New Releases from Australia, Part One (Jul 2011)
Cool Wines for Dog Days (Jul 2011)
Good Readers Drink Better Wines (Jun 2011)
The Rare Wine Company's Historic Series Madeiras (Jun 2011)
Wines Born With the Power of Speech (May 2011)
New Releases from Chile (May 2011)
Bordeaux 2010: All That Glitters... (May 2011)
Reading the Label (Apr 2011)
Focus on South Africa (Mar 2011)
New Releases from Southern Italy (Mar 2011)
March 2011 - Second Tuesday (Mar 2011)
2009 and 2008 Chateauneuf du Pape (Mar 2011)
February 2011 - Second Tuesday (Feb 2011)
January 2011 of January 2011 (Jan 2011)
Germany 2009: Everybody's Darling (Jan 2011)
2009 Red Burgundy (Jan 2011)
Focus on Argentina (Jan 2011)
Decemeber 2010 of December 2010 (Dec 2010)
Focus on the Central Coast (Nov 2010)
The Best New Releases from Spain, Part 2 (Nov 2010)
Alsace Update (Nov 2010)
New Vintage Champagne Releases (Nov 2010)
The Best New Wines from Spain, Part 1 (Sep 2010)
White Burgundy 2009 and 2008 (Sep 2010)
Focus on the Tuscan Coast (Sep 2010)
Oregon Pinot Noir (Jul 2010)
2007 Bordeaux : Don't Hate Me Because I'm Overpriced (Jul 2010)
New Releases from Australia (Jul 2010)
Chianti, Vino Nobile and Super-Tuscans (Jul 2010)
2008 Sauternes and Barsacs (May 2010)
Best New Wines from the Central Loire (May 2010)
Bordeaux 2009: The Best Ever? (May 2010)
New Releases from Chile (Mar 2010)
2008 and 2007 Red Burgundies (Mar 2010)
Focus on Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc (Mar 2010)
Germany 2008: Crisp, Pure and Refreshing (Jan 2010)
2008 and 2007 Rhone Valley Wines (Jan 2010)
The Best New Wines from Argentina (Jan 2010)
Austria 2008: Rising to the Challenge (Nov 2009)
New Releases from Australia, Part 2 (Sep 2009)
The Best New Wines from Spain, Part 1 (Jul 2009)
New Releases from Australia, Part 1 (Jul 2009)
Ian D'Agata on the Best Wines of Central Italy (Jul 2009)
Bordeaux '08: Far Better Than Expected (May 2009)
The Top Clarets of 2006 (May 2009)
Focus on Oregon Pinot Noir (May 2009)
The Best New Wines from Chile (Mar 2009)
Joel Payne on Germany 2007 (Jan 2009)
Alsace 2007 and 2006 (Nov 2008)
Austria 2007: Light, Fresh and Classic (Nov 2008)
The Best Wines of Southern Italy (Jul 2008)
2007 and 2005 Sauternes and Barsacs (Jul 2008)
2007, 2006 and 2005 Bordeaux (May 2008)
The Best Whites from Italy's Northeast (Mar 2008)
Germany 2006: An Unusual Auslese Year (Jan 2008)
Austria '06: The Year of Gruner Veltliner (Nov 2007)
New Zealand Pinot and Sauvignon (Sep 2007)
Alsace's 2005 Vintage (Jul 2007)
Ian D'Agata on Chianti, Carmignano and Montepulciano (Jul 2007)
Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume and Muscadet (Mar 2007)
New Releases from California (Jan 2007)
2005 and 2004 Chablis (Nov 2006)
2004 Alsace Wines (Nov 2006)
Peter Moser on Austria 2005 (Nov 2006)
Champagne Update (Nov 2006)
Focus on California's Central Coast (Sep 2006)
The Best New Wines from Spain (Sep 2006)
2004 White Burgundies (Sep 2006)
New Releases from the Tuscan Coast (Sep 2006)
2005 White Burgundies (Jul 2006)
The Annual Red Bordeaux Report (May 2006)
New Releases from Portugal (Mar 2006)
Focus on Northeast Italy (Mar 2006)
2003 Vintage Ports (Jan 2006)
Germany '04: A Classic Spatlese Vintage (Jan 2006)
Austria 2004:A Viticulturist's Year (Nov 2005)
Focus on Argentina (Nov 2005)
Focus on Champagne (Nov 2005)
The Best New Wines from New Zealand (Sep 2005)
Australia, Part Two (Sep 2005)
Focus on California's Central Coast (Jul 2005)
New Releases from Southern Italy (Jul 2005)
Best New Releases from California (Jan 2005)
Germany 2003: Extreme Riesling (Jan 2005)
2003 and 2002 Northern Rhone Wines (Jan 2005)
Austria's Surprising 2003s (Nov 2004)
1999 Brunello di Montalcino (Sep 2004)
Three Vertical Tastings (Sep 2004)
Focus on Sauternes/Barsac (Jul 2004)
Best of the Alto-Adige and Trentino (Jul 2004)
The Best New Wines from Australia (Jul 2004)
New Releases from Argentina (Jul 2004)
New Wines from the Central Coast (Jul 2004)
Languedoc/Roussillon 2001 (Mar 2004)
2002 Loire Valley Sauvignon Blancs (Mar 2004)
Oregon Pinot Noir Update (Mar 2004)
Focus on the Maconnais (Jan 2004)
Germany's Charming 2002 Vintage (Jan 2004)
2001 Red Wines from the Rhone Valley (Jan 2004)
Austria's Amiable 2002s (Nov 2003)
Best New Wines from Washington State (Nov 2003)
New Releases from Southern Italy (Sep 2003)
Focus on Brunello di Montalcino (Sep 2003)
1999 Tokaji Aszu Releases (Sep 2003)
The Best New Wines From Spain (Jul 2003)
2001 Sauternes/Barsac (Jul 2003)
New Wines from the Tuscan Coast (Jul 2003)
Focus on California (May 2003)
Dolcetto and Barbera (Jan 2003)
Austria 2001: Crazy, Often Remarkable (Jan 2003)
Germany 2001: Golden October? (Nov 2002)
New Releases from California (Nov 2002)
New Releases from Washington State (Sep 2002)
New Languedoc/Roussillon Releases (Jul 2002)
1999 Vintage Port (Jul 2002)
Best New Table Wines from Portugal (May 2002)
The Best New Wines from South Africa (Mar 2002)
Spain Revisited (Jan 2002)
1999 and 1998 Chianti (Jan 2002)
Germany 2000: Rot and Redemption (Jan 2002)
Austria 2000: Extreme, Often Excellent (Nov 2001)
The Best New Wines from Spain (Nov 2001)
Current Releases from California (Nov 2001)
The Forecast for Tokaj (Sep 2001)
Current Releases from New Zealand (Sep 2001)
1999 and 1998 Sauternes (Jul 2001)
Alsace 2000 and 1999 (Jul 2001)
Daniel Thomases on Southern Italy (Jul 2001)
Best New Wines from Argentina (May 2001)
Mea Culpa (Mar 2001)
Best New Table Wines from Portugal (Mar 2001)
Focus on Barbera and Dolcetto (Jan 2001)
The Best New Wines from South Africa (Jan 2001)
Germany 1999: Generous to a Fault (Jan 2001)
Champagne for Everyone (Nov 2000)
Austria Outstanding, Abundant 1999s (Nov 2000)
Current California Releases (Nov 2000)
Best New Releases from Spain (Sep 2000)
Focus on the Languedoc (Jul 2000)
Daniel Thomases on Tuscany (Jul 2000)
The Best of South Africa (Mar 2000)
New Releases from Chile and Argentina (Mar 2000)
Germany Improbable 1998s (Jan 2000)
Best New Releases From Italy (Jan 2000)
Austria's Astonishingly Successful 1998s (Nov 1999)
The Best of Rioja and Ribera del Duero (Nov 1999)
The Best Wines from Central Italy: Umbria, the Marches, Latium (Sep 1999)
Best New Wines from Washington State (Sep 1999)
The Best from Mediterranean France (Sep 1999)
Today Tokaji (Sep 1999)
The Best New Wines from Portugal (Mar 1999)
Germany 1997: Easy-Access Ripeness (Jan 1999)
Best New Wines from the Loire Valley (Nov 1998)
A Tasting of the 1991 Northern Rhones (Nov 1998)
Austria Awe-Inspiring Autumn of 1997 (Sep 1998)
Best New Wines from South Africa (Sep 1998)
Brunello di Montalcino and Other Red Wines of Tuscany... (Jul 1998)
The Best New Releases From Australia (Jul 1998)
The Best From Mediterranean France (Jul 1998)
Focus on Sauternes (Jul 1998)
1995 and 1994 Bordeaux (May 1996)
The 1990 Clarets...To Have and To Hold (Nov 1993)


• General Order No. 12-09: Provision for Payment of Filing Fee in Installments.
• General Order No. 13-01: Regarding the Filing of Privacy Motions in Closed Cases.
• General Order No. 13-11: Order in the Matter of Closing Court, Friday, November 29, 2013 and Tuesday, December 24, 2013.
• General Order No. 14-05: Order in the Matter of Closing Court, Friday, November 28, 2014 and Friday, December 26, 2014.
• General Order No. 14-06: Order Setting Presumptive Fee for Attorneys in Chapter 7 Consumer Bankruptcy Cases.
• General Order No. 14-07: Amendments to Local Rules and Forms Effective December 1, 2014.
• General Order No. 14-08: Amendments to Bankruptcy Rules 8009 and 8010 Effective December, 1 2014.
• General Order No. 14-09: Motions to Redact Personal Identifiers.
• General Order No. 15-01: Electronic Communication Devices - Attorney Authorization.
• General Order No. 15-05: Order in the Matter of Closing Court, Friday, November 27, 2015 and Friday, December 24, 2015.
• General Order No. 15-06: Order Regarding Amendments to the Local Rules, General Orders and Local Forms Effective December 1, 2015.
• General Order No. 16-11: Order Regarding Deposit And Investment Registry Funds.
• General Order 16-12: Order Setting Presumptive Fee For Debtor's Counsel In Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Cases.
• General Order 17-13: Order Regarding Amendments To The Local Rules, New Local Chapter 13 Plan Form and Other Local Forms Effective December 1, 2017.
• General Order 18-01: Order Regarding Adopting Amended Mandatory Form Chapter 13 Plan (Effective March 15, 2018).
• General Order 18-08: Order Regarding Recent Court Relocation and Signatures (Effective December 12, 2018).
• General Order 19-01: Order Extending Deadlines Applicable to United States Governmental Units During Government Shutdown (Effective January 2, 2019).


text:
Bayer opens first SeedGrowth Centre in Africa
The SeedGrowth Centre has the potential to help farmers in the region to not only secure, but significantly increase their yields in key crop.
Johannesburg, August 25, 2016 – Bayer South Africa has opened its first multi-million rand SeedGrowth Centre, the first of its kind for the company in Africa, at its Production Facility in Nigel outside Johannesburg. The opening of the centre is a reconfirmation of Bayer's commitment to the agricultural sector in the region and is one of only 16 other such centres in the world.
Bayer's SeedGrowth Centre is set to provide a series of advantages for every player in the seed treatment value chain, including high-quality coatings, innovative products and powerful application equipment all linked to services and advice taylormade to specific customer needs. The result: higher productivity, profitability and sustainability of farming. In addition, onging research will allow Bayer to provide customized solutions to seed companies as well as provide crop benefits such as improved plantability and pest/disease management to farmers.
Speaking at the opening, Dr Klaus Eckstein, CEO and Head of the Crop Science Division for Bayer in Southern Africa said, "We have the opportunity to provide the latest in research at a local level to support our farmers to compete globally. We believe that through Seed Treatment we now have the tool to truly add value to the developing farmer through an innovation such as seed treatment which can comfortably increase yields by 30 % per hectare and more, specifically in the Southern African region. At Bayer, we believe that growing Seed Treatment in Africa is critical in order to support farmers to be commercially viable."
The centre will be supporting the industry further by:
Training seed company production staff in the principals of stewardship
Supporting Seed Companies in upscaling processes in a pilot plant environment
Acting as a base for research in terms of optimising seed treatment technology
Demonstrating how Bayer's equipment works and what equipment will fit customer facilities
"The whole is more than the sum of its individual parts. That's the secret of the added value that Bayer's SeedGrowth Centre will offer stakeholders in the seed treatment business including breeders, seed companies, research facilities , advisors and of course farmers. By taking a holistic view of the seed treatment business, we can offer customers added value that will grow their business," adds Eckstein.
"Our SeedGrowth Centre brings together significant technological, scientific and manufacturing resources to support sustainable agricultural initiatives and global product stewardship. We are excited to open a facility that not only enhances research and development efforts, but also benefits the entire agriculture community for sustainable future growth," concludes Eckstein.
Bayer: Science For A Better Life
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2015, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of EUR 46.3 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.3 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.com or www.bayer.co.za
Tasniem Patel
E-Mail: tasniem.patel@bayer.com
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
https://www.bayer.co.za/en/media/bayer-opens-first-seedgrowth-centre-in-africa.php


text:
Facebook, Google and WhatsApp to strengthen encryption of user data
PRIVACY: The stand-off between the US law enforcement and tech companies over encryption seems set to expand beyond the current FBI-Apple case: the Guardian reports that at least Facebook, Google and Snapchat are working on added encryption features in their products. Facebook has already facing trouble in Brazil, where its executive was arrested earlier this month after WhatsApp informed local investigators that they didn't have the technical capability to access drug traffickers' communications. (15.3.2016)
Teemu Henriksson
E-Mail: teemu.henriksson@wan-ifra.org
The news publishing industry is experiencing transformation at an ever-growing pace, with new policy issues arising as the landscape changes.
We will be examining policy discussions that will define the news publishing environment of the future, the key topics being internet governance, privacy and copyright. Click here to learn more about our work.
WAN-IFRA Media Policy team and experts.


Bento is reinventing how businesses manage B2B payments in the digital world. Bentos financial operating platform enables businesses to issue physical and virtual payment credentials to people and systems without introducing risk while providing companies unprecedented control and visibility over their B2B expenses and company spend. Open APIs, and White Label partnerships extend these control and management benefits to automate payments well beyond expenses alone.
We are a small construction company who specializes in maintenance of apartment buildings. Our crew used to buy materials everyday for jobs and come into office for re-reimbursement checks every couple days. Now they are not loosing time in the field and book keeper isn't having to stop in the middle of something to review receipts and cut a check. We have also seen saving in 'returns'.. with crew using cards refunds are issued to the cards, not given in cash. The tagging feature allows job cost tracking at a quick glimpse as well. Controlling spend limits etc is great and if needing adjusting (i.e. a larger purchase) can be done in seconds and the crew in the field then immediately can use card with the change. I would like to see a quicker fund load when doing a bank transfer and a larger transfer limit, but otherwise no complaints!Time and money saving, great control of spending from anywhere, snap shot of job costs thanks to 'tag' feature.
Time and money saving, great control of spending from anywhere, snap shot of job costs thanks to 'tag' feature.
Would like a quicker transfer time or loads from bank and a larger limit per day in transfers.
As an administrator, I am able to assist our local or traveling employees at the office on my desktop, or at home from the app. Easy to make any adjustment (in real-time, no delay) to any users daily/weekly/monthly allowance and spending category, or turn off the card if lost, stolen, or for misuse. Reports are easily downloaded for monthly reconciliation. Ease of use at office or home. Immediate access and ability to adjust a users funds, categories, or turn the card off. Report is simple to download for monthly reconciliation process. Users can see their limits quickly via app.
Ease of use at office or home. Immediate access and ability to adjust a users funds, categories, or turn the card off. Report is simple to download for monthly reconciliation process. Users can see their limits quickly via app.
Bento cards have simplified our business spending immensely We can now offer company credit cards to our employees as one of their benefits All cards are immediately controllable and suspendible if lost or stolen or upon termination Spending limits allow for control of funds and restriction of categories The customer service can't be beat! They will work until it is solved and never leave you hanging! The only negatives would be to have an integration with QuickBooks, which is in the works, and international purchasing ability-also in the works!Functionality and ease of use Customer Service-Senam is outstanding!
Functionality and ease of use Customer Service-Senam is outstanding!
I have no complaints at all about anything on the Bento software. The easiest part of my job by far.
One thing I would suggest improving is to allow us to use our own categories that can match our accounting software or link it to our Quickbooks. I was not able to do this last year (2016) and have not looked to see if I am able to do this now - maybe a newsletter if this issue has been fixed?
Cards can be set up for different purposes, such as fuel/gas, individual employees, specific projects, office expenses, petty cash, and more.
Fuel cards set up through Bento can be used at any gas station, rather than being limited to 'in-network' gas stations, and additional spend categories can be enabled or disabled by the business owner as required, including car rentals, vehicle repairs, and meals.
Expenses are displayed visually on the dashboard in real time, organized by card/person and spend category, with adjustable date ranges and the ability to drill down into transaction details.
A full list of transactions can be viewed, and users can filter the transactions shown by date, type, card, tag, or category, or search for specific transactions.
Users can select spend categories for each card to control where transactions can be made, with options including amusement & entertainment, business services, gas stations, professional services, restaurants, repair services, travel & transportation, and more.
Two alert types are generated automatically, for declined transactions, and for low balances, with users able to select which alerts they wish to receive.
Below are some frequently asked questions for Bento for Business.
Q. What type of pricing plans does Bento for Business offer?
Q. Who are the typical users of Bento for Business?
Q. What languages does Bento for Business support?
Q. Does Bento for Business support mobile devices?
Q. Does Bento for Business offer an API?
No, Bento for Business does not have an API available.
Q. What other apps does Bento for Business integrate with?
Q. What level of support does Bento for Business offer?


New GDP Regulations in Europe: What Does This Mean for M&A?
On the 25th May 2018, a new data protection regulation (the General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR) replaces the Data Protection Directive with the aim of protecting the personal data and privacy of EU citizens. It must be adhered to by all companies conducting business in the EU, regardless of the location in which they operate.
So, in the context of M&A activity, how will this affect you? One of the changes places a heavier emphasis on the privacy of a company's customers; therefore, companies will be scrutinised on how they collect, store, use and transfer personal data. The knock-on effect this then has is that during a transaction, an acquirer will carry out even more comprehensive checks on the target, examining internal data protection systems and processes and undertaking checks on contracts with suppliers and subcontractors, which must comply with the new regulation.
This is in an acquirer's best interest, as they inherit any existing data protection liabilities from the seller post-sale and the penalties for a breach are steep, attracting a maximum fine of either €20m, or 4% of global turnover, depending on whichever figure is highest.
It also will have an effect on the communicating of personal data during the due diligence process between an acquirer and seller. Personal data can now only be disclosed if the acquirer can show a legitimate interest. While in the M&A process, an acquirer can prove that they do have a legitimate interest in the data this is unlikely to extend to every individual involved in the business, instead just encompassing members of the organisation such a managers. Care then has to still be taken to not personally identify any individual outside of this remit, so a seller must make sure they are cautious not to identify individual customers or employees and suitably anonymise this data.
When personal information is disclosed, safeguards must be implemented, such as putting non-disclosure agreements in place and making sure information is kept secure in a data room. At Benchmark International, these safeguards are commonplace already, helping to facilitate a smooth, compliant transaction. At the due diligence stage where more comprehensive checks are undertaken Benchmark International can assist with this, and does so already, as clients are encouraged to gather the information required at an early stage, when it can be gathered at a steadier pace, and any potential breaches in regulation can be rectified. Benchmark International can also pre-empt requests from an acquirer and provide a list of required documentation in anticipation of this request list.
Ensuring these steps are followed to maintain compliance ahead of a transaction is not only important in keeping an acquirer interested but, could even be beneficial in terms of value, as a business showing GDPR compliance could command a premium valuation in comparison to their non-compliant counterparts.


Support us as we develop open source industrial machines and publish the plans to the world.
The longterm goal of Open Source Ecology (OSE) is the complete development of the Global Village Construction Set (GVCS) – a modular, DIY, low-cost, high-performance platform that enables fabrication of the 50 different Industrial Machines that it takes to build a small, sustainable civilization with modern comforts.
Donations to OSE directly support the research and development of the GVCS by purchasing prototyping materials and supporting the developers.
For less than it costs to go to the movies, you can make a meaningful contribution to the completion of the GVCS.
We believe the completion and publication of the 5o machines in the GVCS will mark a huge milestone in the advancement of our civilization. If you do not have time but would like to offer financial support – the True Fans program is for you. Please consider pledging a small donation monthly. Our goal is to grow our community to 1000 True Fans to sustain and expand this project.
Open Source Ecology (OSE) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Contributions or gifts to OSE are deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.
As a thank you to our contributors, True Fans of 6 months or more receive 25% off workshop tuition and can participate in a monthly video hangout with other True Fans and OSE Founder, Marcin Jakubowski.
Select an option between $10 and $100 per month. If you would like to donate a different amount, please contact us.
Thank you to those already participating as True Fans. Your contribution is meaningful.


Get banged like never before with Blush Novelties Loverboy's Mr. Jackhammer! He's the perfect size with 8.5 inches total length, 6 inches insertable length and 1.5 inches of width. His catcalls as you walk bye invite you to the best bang of your life. Take him home today to moan and scream louder than his jackhammer. Made of PVC, it's body safe, fragrance and Phthalate free, and easy to clean! Just wash with warm soap and water, or your favorite toy cleaner, before and after every use. Pat dry with a soft towel before storing. Length: 8 inches. Insertable Length: 6 inches. Width: 1.5 inches. Product Weight (without package): 14.5 ounces.


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Breckenridge sings Honeypot's praises!
Topics: Client Work
Honeypot Children's Charity has long been Breckenridge's charity of choice—and what better way to sing its praises than to (once again) design their annual Christmas Carol Concert programme, tickets and flyers.
Based in Honeypot House in the New Forest, Hampshire, and Honeypot Pen y Bryn (Top of the Hill) in Wales, Honeypot provides holiday play breaks and outreach support to young children who spend their time outside school caring for compromised family members.
Since its founding in 1996, Honeypot's been the only UK charity to offer such consistent support for children aged five to 12 across the South East, Greater London, Wales and (sometimes!) Scotland.
Much needed fun and relaxation is supplied by indoor and outdoor activities—not to mention new friendships. There's also a Honeypot Playbus that takes play sessions to where the children live.
Breckenridge also champions Honeypot at networking events, and our Chairman and PR Director, Colin and Angela Breckenridge, will be warbling their hearts out at this year's Honeypot Carol Concert in the magnificent Norman pile that is Romsey Abbey.
Have we gone on a bit? That's only because Honeypot has our hearts, and we are both delighted and proud to play our part in supporting this charity at a time of year that has children fizzing with excitement.
Why not come and carol with us? Superbly designed tickets are available...
Contact Kate Browning: 023 8089 0002 / kate@honeypot.org.uk
Oh, and a big thank you to our Senior Designer, Diarmid Langley, for flexing his design-muscle on our annual Honeypot contribution.
Looking forward to singing Honeypot's praises with you!
"The Honeypot Children's Charity's vision is for every child to make the most of their one chance at childhood."


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Q: Loading a heap analyser with LD_PRELOAD, and global scope objects in C++ We have written a heap analyser (for reference known as lib_debug) which overrides free and malloc (and others), primarily to monitor for errors such as memory leaks in our applications, which are deployed on a PPC system running Linux. lib_debug is compiled as a shared library, which is loaded with LD_PRELOAD as and when needed.
This debugger has worked great up until now; whenever malloc is called, a memory monitor singleton is created on the stack, which reports on any un-freed memory when this singleton goes out of scope on exit.
However, one of our applications now allocates a std::vector at the global scope. It appears that this global vector is being created before our heap analyser is, and most importantly destroyed afterwards. Hence, once in main if we insert anything into this vector, lib_debug thinks we have a memory leak on shutdown.
To illustrate, this is what I believe the sequence of events is:

*

*LD_PRELOAD loads the symbols from lib_debug;

*std::vector is created on stack at global scope;

*lib_debug initialisation occurs - malloc has been called somewhere, which causes the actual heap analyser singleton to be created on the stack;

*Enter main;

*std::vector::push_back() occurs, allocating memory on the heap;

*main exits;

*The lib_debug heap analyser singleton goes out of scope, which sees that the vector hasn't freed its memory - reports error;

*The vector goes out of global scope, releasing its memory;

*Program terminates.

Therefore, is there any way we can guarantee that our LD_PRELOADed singleton is always the last thing to be deleted, and therefore catch every single free that occurs in our application?

A: This works if you are using GCC as your compiler. You can define a function in your library to act as a constructor, so that code gets executed when your library is loaded.
static int initialize_lib_debug () __attribute__((constructor));

static int initialize_lib_debug () {
    /* ... */
}


ASSSSCAT is the Upright Citizens Brigade's improv juggernaut that has played to critical acclaim and sold out audiences across the country.
So what exactly is ASSSSCAT? Well, it starts with a group of improv comedians currently working in film and television taking the stage accompanied by a special guest monologist. Some guest monologists are talented celebrities, others are screwed up weirdos. Either way, they usually have great stories to tell. We take a suggestion from the audience, then the show begins.
The special guest shares off-the-cuff thoughts, feelings, and personal remembrances inspired by the suggestion. The improvisers in turn use this impromptu monologue as fodder for a series of high octane, balls-to-the-wall improvised sketches that have made this show one of the longest running improv shows in the history of the world.
Featuring a rotating cast of: Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh, Sean Conroy, Jon Gabrus, Mary Holland, Lauren Lapkus, Jessica McKenna, Betsy Sodaro, Joe Wengert and Zach Woods, plus special guest improvisers and monologist.
Saturday ASSSSCAT tickets may be purchased in advance.
There are no physical tickets to claim, simply show your receipt (printed or displayed on a mobile device) and ticket holder's photo ID for admission to the show. We will begin checking in customers roughly 20 minutes before showtime. Pre-paid tickets unclaimed 5 minutes before show time may be redistributed. Late arrivals may not be granted entry due to disruption of the performance. Please allow time for traffic, weather and parking.
Most Sundays ASSSSCAT is FREE but reservations are not accepted.
Customers arriving before the theatre is open for seating (roughly 15 minutes before showtime) will be asked to line up outside the theatre.
Seating is general admission (first-come, first served) so patrons first in line will have first choice of seating.


There continues to be a great deal of conversation in the business world regarding "creativity and innovation". And what has been discovered throughout all this conversation is that it's not about how creative you are, it's about how you are creative. Ingenuity drives the business model.
A recent newcomer to the conversation is "improvisational comedy". Improvisational comedy allows for translation of unpredictable input into scenes, persona, perspective, and emotion, thus creating a virtual playground for the mind, body, and soul. It's a different way of seeing, being in, and translating the world - including the world of work. Many companies are seeing the benefits of merging this art form with business thinking to drive business solutions.
Rather than teach creativity and innovation as structured content, I rely on the creative and innovative platform of improvisation to provide that unique vantage point of true boundary-less thinking.
Yes, and… Yes, and… means that you accept whatever is offered to you. Character, location, story line – it doesn't matter. Your response is Yes, and… then you simply add to what you are given.
Pay attention, listen, stay in the moment! You can't plan anything. You can't control anything. You just have to see where the scene leads you. And the best way to do that is by listening to what you are given. Focus on what you are offered, not on what you want to say.
Trust. You have to believe in yourself, in your partner, and in the scene. Trust that something magical will come to you when you need it. Trust that your scene partner will set you up for success.
Find your unique voice. It's the perfect place to practice being who you're not, so you can figure out who you are. You have permission to try on a plethora of personas in a safe setting. I guarantee you will gravitate toward who you are, or who you're meant to be. Maybe your gift is sarcasm, or you radiate pure happiness – find out where you add value and do more of that.
Create executive presence. Being confident and comfortable on the business stage takes deliberate practice. Executive presence is as much about finding your voice as it is about how you use it. It's about how you engage with others, how you invoke emotion, how you show authenticity.
Share compelling stories. Storytelling is a nuanced art. It's the packaged content of voice and executive presence. And it is quite possibly the center of the human experience. That is why organizations all over the world look to storytelling as the most promising tool for sustaining organizational culture.
Drive creativity and innovation. Innovation does best in environments where ideas simply flow. There are moments of absolute brilliance that you stumble upon while you're busy "making theater out of thin air". Embrace serendipity.
Understand exposure to risk. You basically have a free pass to mess up and nobody will care; it just doesn't matter. The pressure is removed if we don't feel we can fail. Error is endlessly diversified.
Maintain a sense of humor. The world is fast paced, business is complex, and life is serious. It can be overwhelming. Maintaining a sense of humor tends to put all things in perspective.
Improve Thru Improv workshops can be designed to "unpack" competencies, behaviors, team dynamics, or personal idiosyncrasies. It's all in the framing. Workshops can be structured for half day, full day, or even multi-day delivery, and can accommodate a wide range of participant base.


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Data is now a basic necessity like water and electricity
Access to Netflix should be a human right — or at least that's what Netflix would have us believe.
In a letter written to the Federal Communications Commission in the US, but expressing opinions applicable globally, the film and TV streaming company said: "Data caps (especially low data caps) and usage-based pricing discourage a consumer's consumption of broadband, and may impede the ability of some households to watch Internet television in a manner and amount that they would like."
For most people Netflix is something they subscribe to in addition to watching traditional broadcast television, but for a growing number of viewers, Netflix and services like it are becoming their main viewing option. As more and more people eschew watching linear television channels in favour of binge-watching the latest season of House of Cards, the question of data and specifically limits on that data are becoming an important issue.
According to the TAM ratings for July, Irish adults watched on average just over three hours of television every day in July. For those watching free-to-air channels like RTE and TV3, or with a subscription to Sky, Virgin Media or Eir, the amount of TV being watched does not effect the amount of money they pay. It is essentially an all-you-can-view deal.
That is not the case with Netflix. As well as paying the €7.99 basic subscription fee, viewers are required to also have a decent broadband connection in order to stream the content, and make sure they have enough data as part of their plan to ensure they can watch the amount of content they want.
If we take the average Irish adult as an example, a Netflix subscriber would have watched around 95 hours of TV and film during the month of July. In order to stream this much content in standard definition would require a data limit of 66GB. Watching it in high definition (which requires a Standard subscription costing €9.99) would mean chewing through up to 285GB of data for the month. For Ultra HD (which requires a €11.99 subscription), 95 hours of TV would constitute 665GB of data.
And that is before you do anything else online like browsing the web, sending emails, downloading photos, or any of the other dozens of things people now do on a daily basis through their laptops, smartphones and tablets.
Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood in the Netflix original House of Cards
For those lucky enough to have access to the fibre broadband network in Ireland, then data limits are not a major problem, as most packages today promise unlimited downloads, which means you can stream all seven seasons of The Good Wife back-to-back and not have to worry about reaching your limit.
However, in Ireland there is a great divide between the haves and the have nots when it comes to broadband, and for those without access to superfast connections, data limits are a real problem.
According to the most recent Central Statistics Office figures, 38% of households in Ireland get online using a mobile broadband connection, a figure which rises to 50% in the west of the country where access to fixed line broadband is typically not as good.
For people relying on these mobile broadband connections, streaming the average amount of television using a service like Netflix is simply not possible, with data limits of at most 55GB imposed on such plans.
While saying that access to data is as important as water and electricity might seem hyperbolic, in a world where over 70% of the Irish population now uses a smartphone and 64% have a Facebook account, it is clear that access to the internet is becoming a must have for people rather than a luxury.
Netflix app
As the Irish economy becomes increasingly reliant on digital businesses, and as Irish businesses seek to plug into a global online marketplace, data is already a vital utility for businesses - but for consumers, it is fast becoming just as important.
From parents being able to connect to family in locations across the globe through services like Skype, to students having access to the wealth of information available online, data is at the heart of an increasing part of our everyday lives.
Limiting such access is a punishment based primarily on geography, limiting the opportunities for those who cannot access unlimited broadband packages.
Of course Netflix has a big reason to push for the removal of data caps and should it succeed, the burden will fall on the internet service providers and mobile operators who provide the bandwidth people use. However according to Netflix's letter to the FCC, congestion isn't a problem for ISPs the the reason they impose data caps "as a way to align consumers' use of the network with what they pay."
Netflix original series Making a Murderer
The price of data is dropping but it is still not at the level of utilities like electricity or water which everyone sees as a basic necessity to live. For data to reach this point, prices will have to reach a level where the vast majority of people can afford to have an unlimited supply of it.
While some of the problem is down to the broadband infrastructure in Ireland, it is also down to the way we think about data, as a luxury rather than a necessity — and that is something which is going to change radically in the next decade and Netflix may finally gets its wish of unlimited data for all.