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Sung Han
The Best Scramblers on Sale Take on One of America's Greatest Riding Roads
To put a motorcycle through the wringer, it has to be pushed to its limits under the harshest conditions.
By Bryan Campbell
To really put a motorcycle through the wringer, it has to be pushed to the limits of its purpose in the harshest way. Sport bikes are flogged on the track in 100-degree heat, dirt bikes are thrown through the woods and over jumps for hours on end, and cruisers endure endless miles on the world's greatest highways. But how to put a strain on a scrambler, a bike made both for tame roads in town and for wily dirt trails out in the boondocks? To find out, we took a pair of scramblers 2,678 miles up through the Canadian Rockies and into Alaska to show them North America's most infamous stretch of road: the Denali Highway.
Scramblers have recently swelled in popularity, but they're nothing new. The scrambler rose to prominence in the rebellious '60s and '70s; it was created at a time when motorcyclists stripped down standard sport bikes to their bare essentials, kitting them out with bigger suspensions and knobbier tires to make them competent in the dirt and in off-road racing. But the concept of a scrambler wasn't all that groundbreaking in the '60s, either.
The purpose of the first motorcycles was to render the bicycle obsolete and allow people to travel farther and cover more miles in a day on two wheels than ever before. In the late 1800s, they were just bicycles with miniature engines that supplemented pedal power; they quickly evolved into the utilitarian two-wheeled transportation the world knows today. The evolution wasn't necessarily driven by a search for speed, but by an insatiable appetite for freedom and exploration, a basic sense of adventure. Before smooth, direct, arterial highways and intricate webs of paved infrastructure spread through the country in the 1920s and '30s, connecting all our major cities, there was dirt, mud, gravel, sand and stone. Motorcycles had to be able to tackle it all, and tackle it well.
Having a motorcycle that was capable on both paved streets in town and on dirt roads in the country wasn't a stylistic choice; it was a necessity. Every time you hopped in the saddle, hitting both types of terrain was a near certainty. As paved roads became more common and the modern highway system introduced more civility to the average motorcycle ride, the mandatory go-everywhere features faded from factory-built road bikes. Sport bikes, cruisers, choppers, they're all bound to paved roads with stiff suspensions and slicker tires. Scramblers, then, were created as a way to gain back the freedom of comfortably riding any road, paved or not.
Over the decades, scramblers became more focused and purpose-built, eventually morphing into modern dirtbikes, dual sports and hardcore adventure bikes. Somewhere along the way, they became more concerned with function than form and, in the process, lost the interest of casual riders.
The bikes in question: Ducati's Scrambler Desert Sled ($11,395) and Triumph's Street Scrambler ($10,800)
The current crop of scramblers is gaining favor with the masses because they bring back that go-anywhere freedom with old-school style. But most importantly, they're compact, approachable machines that both new riders and two-wheel veterans can get excited about. Like their forebears, they balance on-road worthiness with off-road prowess.
The Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled and Triumph Scrambler are the headlining stars of the modern scrambler craze, and I wanted to know if both were truly worthy of carrying the torch. Could they hack it outside city limits? If and when these bikes saw dirt, would they falter and fail or take it in stride? Are they just fashion statements? Can they hold their own in a veritable theater of two-wheeled warfare — long highways, sweeping canyon stretches, suspension-shattering dirt roads, sand traps — and survive what would be a torture test for even the most refined and focused adventure bikes?
North of Seattle, up through British Columbia and the Yukon Territory, over into Alaska and down to Anchorage: the northwest passage of North America is a modern-day adventure-vehicle playground of high deserts, mountains, canyons, rivers and glaciers. But the terrain is as majestic as it is life-threateningly treacherous. It's mostly paved, but dirt, gravel and unfinished, primitive highway make cameo appearances to keep you on your toes. The farther north you venture, the less common average family sedans become. Lifted Jeeps and Toyota 4Runners decked out with high-lift jacks, full-cage roof racks and light bars become the norm, the suggested mode of transport. For two-wheelers here, the recommended bare minimum would be purpose-built, precision all-terrain instruments like the BMW R 1200 GS or 1290 KTM Super Adventure — top-of-the-line adventure bikes with powerhouse engines, active suspension, power outlets and heated grips. Paved roads or not, it's no place to go underprepared and let Mother Nature catch you with your pants down. Despite all that, we chose to ride out of Seattle astride the fairly analog Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled and Triumph Scrambler, like bringing pocket knives to a trench war.
False start. A passport packed in a forgotten bag sat idle in LA. The plan had been to fly into Seattle Friday morning, pick up the Ducati and Triumph and our Mercedes Sprinter 4×4 chase van, then head out of town to Vancouver for the night. Gregor, a friend and experienced off-road racer excited to check off riding in all 50 states with the trip to Alaska, would pilot the Ducati. I called dibs on the Triumph while Sung, our tenacious photographer who, we learned, has a slight aversion to sleeping on the ground, looked forward to calling the Sprinter home for the next seven days. The first day was designed to be less intense, so Gregor and I could get used to the unfamiliar bikes with easygoing city and highway miles. Needless to say, that plan, for the most part, was now scrapped.
After a few four-letter words and a couple frantic phone calls, the passport was arranged to leave LAX the next morning on a Delta flight and get to us by 9:30 a.m., Saturday. We had no choice but to book a room at an airport hotel and hit the road as soon as the passport arrived.
Not the most auspicious start to a journey of this magnitude.
10:32 a.m., passports in hand, blue skies above, we pointed our convoy north and set out on what would be the longest leg of the entire week. To make up for the lost day, we decided to circumnavigate Vancouver completely, combining two days' worth of riding in order to make it to Prince George on schedule. The easygoing miles we planned for the first day had morphed into an endurance break-in test.
Right away, I decided that a wind screen, even a small something to break up the wind, would have been luxurious. Buffeting at 65 mph isn't just annoying; after too long, fighting the choppy air is physically exhausting. Our mileage hadn't even hit triple digits yet and we already could feel this ride trying to wear us down.
As soon as we crossed the U.S.–Canadian border, we hopped on the Trans-Canada Highway and made our way around the bottom of British Columbia's western mountain range, up through Wells Gray Provincial Park and into what looked like the heart of the Canadian wilderness. In reality, we'd only just dipped our toes into the deep end of a pool, and we couldn't see the bottom. Emerald waves of mountains gave way to sun-baked high desert, ravines and long, meandering rivers contoured by an endless strip of train tracks straight out of a spaghetti western. Motorcycle paradise. As the light faded, though, so did the novelty of the first day's ride, and with it, the warm Canadian welcome. Darkness ushered in a bitter cold. At 8:53 p.m., a debate raged inside my helmet: Do I signal for us to pull over so I can pee, or would holding it actually keep me a little bit warmer? Tough call. It's 10:48 p.m. when we arrive in Prince George — finally
Above: Bell Moto III ($359), Icon 1000 Squalborn Jacket ($300), Rev'it Jeans Memphis H2O ($320), Icon 1000 Elsinore Boots ($245)
Below Right: Oscar Robinson Gloves ($90), Autodromo Veloce ($425)
Overcast skies and cool crisp air greeted us as we saddled up for day two, this time appropriately layered up. Prince George would be the last populous city we'd see for two days. We set out for our waypoint — Meziadin Junction, just under 400 miles to the northwest — which we thought would be our last stop for the day.
Almost immediately, we waded into a vast rolling sea of towering evergreens like surfers getting towed out into big wave swells. Unfiltered aromas of pure pine and maple, frequently accompanied by the scent of smoke from a campfire or a logging compound, flooded my nose at 65 mph — the exact olfactory experience air fresheners aim for but never capture.
Turning north onto Highway 37, we were now racing the sun to the horizon, Otter Mountain looming at the finish line. Gregor was leading at a brisk pace, carving up what felt like Canada's Nürburgring. Neither of us were interested in getting a second helping of cold Canadian night riding, so there was an unspoken agreement to keep the speed up. About two hours and 90 miles later, the Ducati started to sputter and Gregor signaled to pull over. Out of gas. Judging by my gauges, the Triumph wouldn't have made it much farther. Nearly 30 miles from Meziadin Junction, the jerry cans full of spare fuel proved to be a wise investment.
Meziadin Junction consists of a fuel pump, a convenience store, a few rooms all taken up by construction workers and a café that closed minutes before we got there — that's it. No town. No other lodging. I swore this was where our Airbnb was supposed to be. The store clerk explained that the closest town was Stewart, at the end of Highway 37A, about 38 miles away, which a double-check of the reservation confirmed. I could see the enthusiasm physically fall off of Gregor's face: we suddenly had another hour to go. Soft twilight gave way to pitch black. Worst of all, we'd have to split Otter Mountain and Mount Johnson — prime real estate for avalanches and rockslides. We were riding through a narrow chasm with only our headlights illuminating a relatively small patch of road in front of us. The inky-black sky was nearly indiscernible from the titanic terra looming in the darkness all around us — riding into the ominous, massive void induced a strange claustrophobia.
In Stewart, relieved to finally be off the road (again), we vowed to get early starts from here on out and avoid stints at night. Riding through a vast wilderness in blinding darkness is terrifying.
We were forced to backtrack toward Meziadin Junction since Stewart is basically a dead end on Route 37A. Intense morning sun flooded the canyon road, confirming our suspicions of just how close those rock faces were. Manhattan's Fifth Avenue skyscrapers are less imposing. Beyond the canyon, lush green mountain ranges capped with residual year-round snow sat on pedestals of golden fields flush with wild flowers.
We fueled up both our bikes and bodies in Meziadin Junction, where we ordered Loggers Breakfasts at the café: three fried eggs, sausage, ham, two pancakes, hash browns and a cup of coffee. Yeah, that should hold us over.
Route 37 took us about 400 miles to Watson Lake on nonstop sweeping asphalt that scythed its way through vast swells of dense woodland. After nearly two hours and 130 miles of banked turns at 75 mph, the Triumph started to sputter. My turn to run out of gas. We drained the jerry cans. Fifty more miles down the road, we came to a fuel stop, refilled the reserve cans, grabbed food to cook at that night's campsite and set off again. The next four hours and 260 majestic miles of northern British Columbia were punctuated by two more roadside fill-ups.
We made it to camp with plenty of daylight to spare (for once). Gregor started a fire, boiled water for asparagus and threw steaks and potatoes on the coals. A toast with Canadian whisky. A meal worthy of the day.
Above Right: Icon 1000 Squalborn Jacket ($300)
Below Right: Aether Range Pant ($395), Icon 1000 Elsinore Boots ($245)
To follow up our two 400-plus-mile days and the first 500-plus-mile day, we cut day five short and set up camp just outside of the 25,000-resident-strong city of Whitehorse. At this point our sense of time and distance was warped, but in a good way; we'd adapted our minds to the long-haul ride and stopped thinking about each leg in terms of miles or hours. Instead, we measured in tanks of gas. Only 278 miles to Whitehorse? We'll only have to fill up on the side of the road once. Brilliant.
When you're in the saddle for 130 miles at a time, two things are mandatory to maintain sanity. One: you have to like yourself, because you're the only person you're going to be spending quality time with for hours at a time. (A good singing voice is a plus.) Two: you have to like the bike you're on. It might seem obvious, but if the bike is uncomfortable, it becomes an open-air torture chamber — getting back on every morning for 500 straight miles will have you questioning all your life choices leading up to that moment. It's a solitary experience, but on a bike as smooth on the road as the Triumph, and with Yukon scenery to stare at all day, a ride like this is downright meditative.
Gregor (Left): Bell Moto III $359, Icon 1000 Squalborn ($300), Rev'it! Jeans Memphis H2O ($320), Icon 1000 Elsinore Boots ($245), Ducati Urban Enduro Waterproof Rear Bag ($169)
Bryan (Right):
Helmet: Bell Moto III Helmet ($359), Von Zipper Porkchop MX Moto Goggles ($75), Ashley Watson Eversholt Jacket ($704)
Almost 1,800 miles in and we hadn't seen much dirt. But just past Mount Cairnes, the Alaska Highway sweeps along the shore of Kluane Lake. Fog had settled on the lake's surface, rounded mountains framed the cyan sky and Sung wanted a photo. I spotted a gravel path just off the side of the road. No need to ask me twice.
The narrow two-track led to the beach, which became the highlight of the day. Our scramblers had proven themselves worthy of the road, but sand and pea gravel can make or break a bike. Gregor's Desert Sled had an advantage on the beach; it's lighter, has a little bit more suspension travel and more ground clearance. Still, he was putting in hard work to keep from being devoured by the powdery sand. Armed with knobbier tires, but weighed down by a little extra bulk and lower ground clearance, the Triumph was able to keep up, but it did struggle. When I kept my speed up, I positively floated across the beach. Then it came time to slow down and turn back, and I beached it. Skid plate flat on the sand, rear tire roosting and digging, the beach was swallowing the bike whole. After a few side-to-side rocks and a steady throttle, I began inching forward, then free, back buzzing the shoreline like a dog off the leash. Exactly what these bikes were built for.
Back on the road, as if the beach wasn't enough, the last few miles of the Alaska Highway leading up to the Alaskan border were largely unpaved. For the better part of 30 miles it was open, gravel-covered highway: scrambler country.
Alaska Highway kilometer marker 1,818. The Triumph coughs, sputters. We pulled over in front of Discovery Yukon Lodging, filled up our bikes, then went inside and asked the sweet-little-old-lady innkeeper for coffee, which she said they don't usually do. But she put on a pot for us anyway and brought out fresh-made apple walnut cake topped with homemade frosting. Lifesaver.
We ended the day across the Alaskan border at our cabin in Tok. The second longest day, but only by a few miles.
Today was the crown jewel of the entire ride. Alaska Route 8, the Denali Highway: a 135-mile stretch of road connecting Paxson to Cantwell, only 24 of which are paved. A hundred and eleven miles of dusty gravel, wheel-hungry ruts, and bone-shattering washboarding. On the Denali Highway, when the pavement stops, so does the bullshit.
This is all-out adventure-bike territory. It calls for active suspension, adjustable ride height, multilevel traction control and ride mode selectors. We could've taken a BMW R 1200 GS or a KTM Super Adventure, which have all the aforementioned tech, to make our lives easier. We could have hopped in the warm, high-riding van with Sung. Instead, on the visceral scramblers, we were involved, working for it. There was nothing filtering out the raw, unadulterated experience of one of the toughest roads Alaska has on offer. The bikes were at home. For 111 miles, the Ducati and Triumph reached scrambler nirvana.
Our last day. The final 200 miles. It's 10 a.m. as we pack up camp under bright blue skies. The cool, crisp air marinating Denali National Park lulls us into a false sense of comfort with Alaska. Out on the road and barreling down Route 3, it isn't long before we hit rain. We had come across a few light showers the previous couple of days, but this was the first real storm. Alaska isn't going down without a fight.
The temperature drops. The bike's thermometer reads 42 degrees Fahrenheit; seems optimistic. With no windshield to hide behind, rain sticks to the dirt on the goggles. Spray from traffic is killing visibility. There's a cold creep of freezing rain working its way through my jacket and pants — soon I'm completely saturated. Is the road surface uneven, or am I actually shivering? Hands are numb, stiff. I'm definitely shivering. Another five miles and maybe we'll be past it. Okay, two more miles. Turn signal, on — we'll wait it out, warm up and dry off in the Sprinter instead. First things first. Heat on high, heated seats on max. Defrost.
Gregor checks the weather for a sitrep. There's good news and bad news. Good news is, the rain stops… around 8 p.m.. The bad news is, that's when it starts snowing.
There's talk of putting the bikes in the Sprinter and hauling them into Anchorage. I push back. We didn't come 2,400 miles on these bikes to cross the finish line in the support van. Sung is understandably worried for our safety and Gregor looks miserable. Gregor does the math: at about 40 degrees, traveling at 65 mph creates a 25-degree wind chill. Hypothermia is a tough argument to rebut.
Bikes in the back of Sprinter, onward to Anchorage. The van is silent aside from the barrage of wind and water against the windshield. The lead weight of defeat is sitting in my gut, growing with each passing mile. Alaska was winning the fight in the final hour.
Ten miles later, my eyes are welded to the horizon as the sky brightens and the rain eases up. Gregor checks the weather again. We're actually outside the radius of where any weather radar stations can see.
Thirty miles still farther, a break in the clouds. We're in between two weather cells: a chink in Alaska's armor, a window of opportunity.
I'll be damned if I'm going to ride into Anchorage on anything other than that Triumph. I order Sung to pull over — we're getting the bikes back on the road.
In Trappers Creek, we unload the bikes and throw on some extra gear in case we hit the storm again. Thicker gloves and an extra down jacket under my now warm, toasty, dry motorcycle jacket for me, and a full all-weather suit for Gregor. Fuel for the bikes, filled to the brim.
We'll have to haul ass if to avoid being caught in that deluge a second time.
Full throttle.
One eye on the road, one eye on the storm cell to our left. Like trying to race a train to the crossing.
Every kink in the highway fiendishly points us ever so slightly toward the wall of water in the distance. Alaska, it would seem, isn't done with us yet.
Pelting rain turns to a shower, turns to a downpour. We're back in it, and passing cars and trucks is becoming a game of roulette. Spray from 18-wheelers puts us in a grayout; we're basically riding blind. We have no choice. Alongside the trucks, all we can do is tuck our heads and lean a shoulder into it.
Soaked.
Seventy-five miles to Anchorage.
Fifty miles to Anchorage.
The sky brightens, and I don't trust it. But, finally, Alaska relents.
I don't see any bright, neon "Welcome to Anchorage" sign, no ticker tape parade to let us know we made it. But holy hell, the relief. The overwhelming sense of victory lays on us like a wet wool blanket. Lazily clicking down through the gears, getting off the main highway and into town, we've clearly crossed our marathon's finish line. We made it.
Looking at a 2,600-mile route on a map versus riding every inch of it on a scrambler is like flying over an ocean versus crossing it in a sailboat. You can get a sense of scale, but it's not until you're experiencing each bump, rut and crack, looking 30 or 40 miles to the horizon, that you can really appreciate the vastness, the grandeur.
We could have done this trip on terra-dominating adventure bikes with all the electronic assists to make it easier, more comfortable. We could have just taken a fully decked-out Land Rover. We would have seen just as much — and stayed dry. But on the scramblers, on the paved roads, on the beach, in the dirt, through the mountains, it was equal measure rider and motorcycle, the essence of two-wheeled adventure. The reason why we started riding motorcycles in the first place.
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Mobile has increasingly become the preferred medium for opening email. Mobile email opens increased 21% in 2013 (from 42% to 51%), surpassing all other email open devices such as Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook and Apple Mail. More than half of retail brands' marketing emails are opened on a mobile device, but mobile email's click-through rate of 10.7% lags behind that of desktop (20.4%).
Most brands have not fully optimized their emails for mobile devices, which is partially why interaction rates remain low. All of the 90% of brands that engage in email marketing send messages that load successfully on mobile, but only 56% meet are fully readable on the small screen. (Criteria for readability are legible links, large text, and elongated formatting.) Only 13% of brand use a responsive design template to ensure fonts, images, and layout are optimized for the small screen.
Jimmy Choo, REI, and Maybelline – featured in L2's Intelligence Report: Mobile & Tablet – are among brands that have pared down their complex desktop templates for mobile. The Jimmy Choo mobile email has only four categories to choose from: Men, Women, Collection, and New Arrivals (or Pre-Order Option). REI has also narrowed the mobile email template to REI, Outlet, Travel, Deals. On the other end of the spectrum, Cartier has crammed 12 links into an email that occupies only 60% of the screen.
Failure to design emails for smartphones is a missed opportunity, as consumers have shown interest in reading retailers' emails on the go. Perhaps email click-through rate on mobile will better match the open rate as more brands become aware of the gap.


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Q: Python Parsing text file into Dictionary I am using Python 3.6 and suppose I have data that looks like following
data = """

Mod 123
Trainee Name: John Doe
Date: 11-11-1111
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. 2 + 2 = 4?
a. True
b. False
correct: c
ignore this line
and this one too
2. US Population  is _____ Million.
a. 271
b. 292
c. 319
d. 328
correct: d"""

I want a dictionary object that looks like following
[
    {'Question': '2 + 2 = 4', 'Sequence_Number': '1', 'Answers': {'Option_1': 'True', 'Option_2': 'False'}, 'Correct': "Option_1"},
    {'Question': 'US Population  is _____ Million.', 'Sequence_Number': '2', 'Answers': {'Option_1': '271', 'Option_2': '292', 'Option_3': '319', 'Option_4': '328', 'Correct': "Option_4"}}

]

Things to note is that choices can be up to a,b,c,d,e (5)
and there is junk stuff to remove thats just extra lines.
My code is following

dt = {}
lt = []
dc = {}
lc = []

d = data.split('\n')

for x in range(len(d)):
    line = d[x]

    if x < len(d) -1:
        nl = d[x+1]
        try:
            if (nl[0].isdigit() and nl[1] == ".") or (nl[0].isdigit() and nl[1].isdigit() and nl[2] == "."):
                next_line = "Question"
        except:
            next_line = ""

    try:
        if (line[0].isdigit() and line[1] == ".") or (line[0].isdigit() and line[1].isdigit() and line[2] == ".") :
            Question = line.split(". ")[1]
            Sequence_Number = line.split(". ")[0]

        if line.startswith('a. ') :
            dc['Option_1'] = line.split(". ")[1]
            if next_line != "Question":
                continue

        if line.startswith('b. '):
            dc['Option_2'] = line.split(". ")[1]
            if next_line != "Question":
                continue

        if line.startswith('c. ') :
            dc['Option_3'] = line.split(". ")[1]
            if next_line != "Question":
                continue

        if line.startswith('d. '):
            dc['Option_4'] = line.split(". ")[1]
            if next_line != "Question":
                continue

        if line.startswith('e. '):
            dc['Option_5'] = line.split(". ")[1]
            if next_line != "Question":
                continue

        if next_line == "Question" :
            dt['Question'] = Question
            dt['Sequence_Number'] = Sequence_Number
            dt["Answers"] = dc
            lt.append(dt)
            dt = {}
            dc = {}

    except:
        continue

for i in lt:
    print(i)

Result looks like
{'Question': '2 + 2 = 4', 'Sequence_Number': '1', 'Answers': {}}
{'Question': '2 + 2 = 4', 'Sequence_Number': '1', 'Answers': {}}
{'Question': '2 + 2 = 4', 'Sequence_Number': '1', 'Answers': {'Option_1': 'True'}}
{'Question': '2 + 2 = 4', 'Sequence_Number': '1', 'Answers': {'Option_2': 'False'}}
{'Question': '2 + 2 = 4', 'Sequence_Number': '1', 'Answers': {}}
{'Question': '2 + 2 = 4', 'Sequence_Number': '1', 'Answers': {}}
{'Question': 'US Population  is _____ Million.', 'Sequence_Number': '2', 'Answers': {}}
{'Question': 'US Population  is _____ Million.', 'Sequence_Number': '2', 'Answers': {'Option_1': '271'}}
{'Question': 'US Population  is _____ Million.', 'Sequence_Number': '2', 'Answers': {'Option_2': '292'}}
{'Question': 'US Population  is _____ Million.', 'Sequence_Number': '2', 'Answers': {'Option_3': '319'}}
{'Question': 'US Population  is _____ Million.', 'Sequence_Number': '2', 'Answers': {'Option_4': '328'}}

and result is not clean, I can't seem to skip the empty dictionary inserts. It must be something simple and I can't see it.
Can anyone help

A: Here's a solution that uses some regex to parse the data and store the results in a list of dictionaries:

import re

data = """

Mod 123
Trainee Name: John Doe
Date: 11-11-1111
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. 2 + 2 = 4?
a. True
b. False
correct: a
ignore this line
and this one too
2. US Population  is _____ Million.
a. 271
b. 292
c. 319
d. 328
correct: d"""

OP = 'abcde'
rv = []
matches = re.findall(r'(\d)\. (.*)\n(([a-e]\. .*\n){1,5})correct: (.*)', data)
for match in matches:
    sequence_number, question, options, _, correct = match
    options = re.findall(r'[a-z]\. (.*)', options)
    rv.append({'Question': question.strip(),
               'Sequence_Number': sequence_number.strip(),
               'Answers': {f'Option_{idx}': opt.strip() for idx, opt in enumerate(options, start=1)},
               'Correct': f'Option_{OP.index(correct.strip()) + 1}',
               }
              )

print(rv)

Output:
[{'Question': '2 + 2 = 4?', 'Sequence_Number': '1', 'Answers': {'Option_1': 'True', 'Option_2': 'False'}, 'Correct': 'Option_1'},
 {'Question': 'US Population  is _____ Million.', 'Sequence_Number': '2', 'Answers': {'Option_1': '271', 'Option_2': '292', 'Option_3': '319', 'Option_4': '328'}, 'Correct': 'Option_4'}]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
Q: Prometheus - Scraping metrics from different endpoints inside an Azure VM I have Prometheus running inside a Kubernetes cluster in Azure, and I'm trying to use it to also monitor a few VMs inside the same resource-group.
I have setup Azure SD for the VMs, and it's scanning them correctly, but the point is that in these VMs there are more than 1 service exposing metrics in different ports.
Is there a way to tell Prometheus to scan multiple ports under the azure_service_discovery job?
Or at least have these metrics aggregated, so Prometheus can scrape them from one single port?
The job definition that I'm using is:
    azure_sd_configs:
      - authentication_method: "OAuth"
        subscription_id: AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID
        tenant_id: AZURE_TENANT_ID
        client_id: AZURE_CLIENT_ID
        client_secret: AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET
        port: 9100
        refresh_interval: 300s

A: You can't have two different ports in the same sd config.
However you can :

*

*Either have multiple jobs with different azure_sd_configs. This way you can have different configuration for each job (drop some targets, customize sample limit, etc)

- job_name: azure_exporters_a
  sample_limit: 1000
  azure_sd_configs:
  - port: 9100
    ...
- job_name: azure_exporters_b
  sample_limit: 5000
  azure_sd_configs:
  - port: 9800
    ...

*

*Or have multiple azure_sd_config for a specific job. In that case (the second one), all of your exporters will be regrouped in the same job, thus they will share the same configuration (sample_limit, scrape_timeout, ...)

- job_name: azure_exporters
  sample_limit: 5000
  azure_sd_configs:
  - port: 9100
    ...
  - port: 9800
    ...


Voile curtains are perfect for privacy without sacrificing light and style.
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Fashionable solutions to the problem of prying eyes and strong sunshine.
Voile curtains are perfect for protecting your home from nosy neighbours and passing pedestrians, but there's so much more to these refined and beautiful window dressings. Our collection of voile curtains includes a contemporary range of neutral hues and prints to help you achieve the latest interior looks.
Choose voile curtains for their semi-sheer qualities and you'll benefit from lots of diffused light throughout the day, even when your curtains are closed. The subtle prints on some fabrics will allow the sunlight to dance and play on your walls and floors, creating texture and interest in your room.
Voile curtains look beautiful on their own, but can also be teamed with curtains, blinds and shutters to give you more design options and flexible light control.
Request an appointment with an expert advisor and choose your stunning voile curtains in the comfort of your own home. As well as offering style advice and practical tips, your advisor will measure your windows and fit your made-to-measure voile curtains exactly as you want them.


Want to know more about how your system is communicating? Try the Linux ss command. It replaces the older netstat and makes a lot of information about network connections available for you to easily examine.
The ss (socket statistics) command provides a lot of information by displaying details on socket activity. One way to get started, although this may be a bit overwhelming, is to use the ss -h (help) command to get a listing of the command's numerous options. Another is to try some of the more useful commands and get an idea what each of them can tell you.
One very useful command is the ss -s command. This command will show you some overall stats by transport type. In this output, we see stats for RAW, UDP, TCP, INET and FRAG sockets.


Norlha means "wealth of the gods" and it refers to the millions of yaks that roam the mountains at very high altitudes of 3200 meters, and provide the nomads of the area with all their basic needs: milk for butter and cheese; heavy black fibers to insulate their tents. Since its creation in 2008, Norlha's philosophy and mission is to provide a sustainable development model around yak fiber, and to aid the herdsmen on the Tibetan Plateau in diversifying their income and helping them find employment opportunities.
Norlha is the first project of its kind in Tibet, and a great alternative for preserving an ancient culture that can still be saved thanks to herdspeople's traditional skills and precious raw materials. Approximately 1,500 people share the immense pastures of this region with 6,000 yaks and 2,000 sheep. Although the yak is the primary animal of the region, the tribespeople were not reaping any economic benefit with the entire animal could offer, which resulted in selling its fibers as raw materials at below commodity prices.
Grazing altitudes over 2,500 meters with temperatures below thirty degrees Celsius, the yak is able to keep warm and protect it from extreme temperatures with a precious layer of brown fiber called khullu that's found under its thick black hair.
Khullu is a soft fiber with insulating qualities, and the best khullu comes from a two year-old yak that sheds it coat in the spring. The undercoat can only be collected by hand, a little at a time, as it loosens through the shedding process. Once gathered, Khullu fibers are sorted for quality and color. Spinning is the next step, and this is where Norlha's innovation and knowledge of the fiber comes to place at the workshop in Zorge Ritoma, a small nomad settlement in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gannan, Gansu Province, China. Dechen Yeshi, who now runs the Norlha workshop, went to the Tibetan plateau and gathered two tons of yak khullu with the help of several nomad families. By working right from source she was able to assess the qualities, problems and realities around this little known fiber with high insulation powers and that is more resistant to wear and tear than cashmere.
Tibetan nomads were only spinning to insulate their homes in winter; traditionally a practical people with no need for elaborate textiles, they spin the fibers by using a drop spindle. To modernize the process to create luxury fabrics, new technologies and traditions were brought to the region by Norlha from Cambodia, Nepal and India; thus far, forty women have been trained in the method of charkha spinning wheels. Indian looms were also brought to achieve wide widths that allow for a whole range of textiles, weights, and designs.
In Paulette Cole's words, Chief Executive Offiver of ABC Carpet and Home, "Beauty is the spoonful of sugar, which allows you to become aware of the need for service in the world. We all need beauty, and we can satisfy that need while creating beauty and planetary health for others, too." Or as Gandhi said: "There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness." This is true for Norlha, which is the first project of its kind in the region, and a true example of how old can transition into the new--peacefully and respectfully of everyone involved.


Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic have long been the pillars of childhood education. While curriculum and teaching styles change over the years there is no arguing the fact that the mastery of these three subjects is essential to a child's future academic success.
No parent wants to watch their children struggle, especially not in school. And for some, the academic rigor of private school takes some getting used to. But regardless of why your child is struggling in private school, there are many ways that you can support them and encourage them toward success.
The word school evokes different feelings in different people. You may have one child who thrives in school an another who struggles to find motivation in the classroom. In larger public schools your unmotivated student can easily fall through the cracks. But in private education students of all types are seen and supported within the same classroom.


Parul Upadhya, Director of Quality Assurance, Global Quality Team, believes giving and receiving feedback, whether it's positive or constructive, is important. It's needed to build positive energy within yourself and with the team, and it goes a long way. Learn more about what Parul brings to her team.


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HomeExaminerExaminer NewsManalapan men charged after car burglaries in Millstone, Upper Freehold
Manalapan men charged after car burglaries in Millstone, Upper Freehold
By MATTHEW SOCKOL, Staff Writer
Two men from Manalapan have been arrested in connection with a series of car burglaries that occurred in Millstone Township and in Upper Freehold Township.
Michael Guzman, 38, and David Voight, 27, were arrested on April 27 by the New Jersey State Police, who patrol Millstone and Upper Freehold. The two men have each been charged with burglary and theft, according to the state police.
According to the state police, about 20 cars were burglarized in the neighboring municipalities of Millstone Township and Upper Freehold during April. Various items were stolen from the vehicles that were targeted.
During an investigation, the state police received surveillance footage from a resident. The footage showed two suspects burglarizing vehicles, according to the state police. Guzman and Voight were subsequently identified as the suspects.
According to the state police, Guzman and Voight were arrested at their residence in Manalapan.
A search warrant was executed at the residence and on Voight's car. Several items linked to the burglaries were recovered and will be returned to their owners, according to the state police.
Guzman and Voight were detained at the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, according to the state police.
Millstone Township Mayor Al Ferro said, "The New Jersey State Police reacted in a very quick manner on the day of (the burglaries). The police went door to door in the areas of the vehicle burglaries, canvassed the area for any clues and evidence, and retrieved video footage from a few sources.
"Working in conjunction with detectives, they were able to apprehend and arrest the (alleged) perpetrators in a very short time. The state police did a great job and I commend them and their efforts to keep Millstone and New Jersey safe," Ferro said.
New Jersey State Police
Upper Freehold Township
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MATTHEW SOCKOL, Staff Writer

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La Jollan to march in Macy's Thanksgiving Parade
By Ashley Mackin-Solomon
Nov. 17, 2017 1:30 PM PT
Self-proclaimed "big marching band" fan and La Jolla High School junior Abigail Martin will join thousands of other performance lovers who will take to the streets of New York City for the 93rd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which will be televised 6-9 a.m. (Pacific Time) Thursday, Nov. 23 on NBC.
"I'm so excited and a bit nervous," Abigail said the week before departing for New York. "My family always watched the parade (on TV). It's such a monumental thing in America and I'm just excited to be a part of it. All of my family members from across the United States are flying out to New York to see it."
Having been in bands since fourth grade, Abigail plays the clarinet in the Vikings' jazz band. "I like to play classical and am integrating more jazz, and clarinet has great sound and range. It shows up in every genre of music," she said. "I'm really into music, so I'm looking forward to meeting people from across the United States who also like music."
The process that would ultimately lead to New York started last year, said her father Chris Martin. "She was watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV, when she noticed a band called Macy's Great American Marching Band. She (did some research on the) Internet and found that Macy's creates this band each year by selecting a few high school band members from all 50 states. Further research showed her that there are only a few clarinet positions open each year and she would be competing against all other clarinet applicants from across the entire U.S.," he said.
Abigail applied with an audition video — for which she practiced for three months — and found out in April that she was selected. Application fees, uniform costs and airfare were covered with support from The Kiwanis Club of La Jolla.
Kiwanis Club president Bart Calame explained: "Kiwanis is happy when we see leadership and we support La Jolla High School in multiple ways, music being one of them. Abigail reached out to us though our website and we were happy to see her show such initiative. We are always looking for new needs in the community (to meet)."
The New York trip itinerary includes a few days of sightseeing, a Broadway show and lots (and lots) of practicing. The marching band plans to perform a medley of holiday tunes. "I've never been to New York before, so I'm excited about the whole thing," Abigail said.
Ashley Mackin-Solomon
'Rare Trees, Sacred Canyons': La Jolla Historical Society exhibit looks at the people behind the pines
La Jolla's La Casa de los Amigos gets historic designation from San Diego board
Service activities in parks are next to face regulations under San Diego vending law
People in Your Neighborhood: La Jollan integrates real estate, race and relationships to make an impact


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Run, hide, fight – Fairchild conducts active shooter exercise
Team Fairchild conducted an active shooter exercise to test the installation's preparedness and safety by assessing Security Forces, Fire Department and Emergency Medical Responder's ability to respond and recover from a potential incident here Aug. 30.
Fairchild takes home Omaha Trophy two years in a row
For the second year in a row, U.S. Strategic Command presented Team Fairchild the 2016 Omaha Trophy for the Strategic Aircraft category during a ceremony here Sept. 1.
Youth Center hosts first-ever woodworking camp
The Fairchild Youth Center hosted a week-long woodworking camp where kids worked on projects with the help from the Fairchild Wood Craft Center Aug. 7 to 11.
New law prohibits handheld device use while driving
More austere rules regarding handheld devices will be in effect July 23 for all Washington State drivers.
36th RQS welcomes new commander
Lt. Col. Chad Kohout assumed command of the 36th Rescue Squadron from Lt. Col. Jason Snyder during a change of command ceremony July 7.
Sheet metal and the KC-135 Stratotanker
Team Fairchild's KC-135 Stratotankers first took to the skies in the 1950s and 1960s and have continued to support missions across the globe. A big contributor to keeping the aircraft flying is the sheet metal shop here at Fairchild.
CES highlights STEM mission
The 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron hosted 37 local high school students during a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math tour May 1, here.
FAFB takes on LIFT
Team Fairchild launched the "Leaders Inspiring for Tomorrow" Summit Apr. 21, the first conference and engagement showcase of its kind.
Earth Day: everyone can have an impact
Multiple base agencies held events in celebration of Earth Day to highlight the importance of caretaking our planet. The events were geared toward the youth and included age-appropriate activities at the Child Development Center and Youth Center.
66th TRS embraces new commander
Lt. Col. Erik Haynes assumed command of the 66th Training Squadron from Lt. Col. David C. Rea during a ceremony Apr. 10, here.


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Best Buy (NY: BBY )
Blog posts about Best Buy
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DHUnplugged #326: Mayo's Slippery Slope
OPEC is at it again – trying to rescue the price of oil by scare tactics and promises of "potential" production freeze. Unfortunately, while the Saudi oil minister says one thing, IRAQ and IRAN say...
Tags DH/Unplugged Markets DH Unplugged
From Disciplined Investor
4 Ridiculously Cheap Dividend Stocks to Buy Now – and 1 to Sell
Feel like you missed out on the Brexit bargain hunt? If so, you're not alone. You had to be quick to snap up cheap dividend growth stocks when the S&P 500 plunged 5.7% in the two days following the...
Tags NYSE:PPG NYSE:SHW NYSE:BBY
From Contrarian Outlook
3 Top Buys for Your Dividend-Growth Portfolio
A couple weeks ago, I showed you a 4-stock dividend portfolio that's throwing off a gaudy 7.3% yield today. It's ideal if you're retired and leaning on your investments to pay the bills. But if you're...
Tags NYSE:SPY NYSE:WYN NYSE:BBY
DHUnplugged #314: FedWinds In Time for Summer
Greek debt write-downs will wait until at least 2018 says Germany. Retail sales in the U.S. are still feeling the pain as the latest report from Best Buy (BBY) shows a rather miserable outlook ahead....
Tags DH/Unplugged DH Unplugged Markets
Morning Buzz: Apple (AAPL), Celldex Therapeutics (CLDX), Best Buy (BBY), Salesforce.com (CRM)
Apple (AAPL) – CEO Tim Cook defended Cupertino's decision in an ABC News interview screened Wednesday night to resist the FBI's call to unlock encrypted information stored on a mass shooter's iPhone...
Tags Latest News AAPL
Morning Buzz: SolarCity (SCTY), Best Buy (BBY), Netflix (NFLX), Apple Inc. (AAPL), Alliance Fiber Optic Products (AFOP)
Shares of SolarCity Corporation (SCTY) are up 8.73% to $47.70 in pre-market trade after it was reported that Elon Musk, the company's Chairman and its biggest shareholder, bought 123,510 additional...
Tags SCTY Markets BBY
Best Buy Inc. (BBY) : Earnings Whisper
Best Buy Inc. (BBY) is scheduled to release its 2Q16 earnings results before the opening bell on Tuesday. Checking in on the numbers, the Street's estimates for the quarter reflect an expected profit...
Tags Markets BBBY News
Notable Downgrades: Groupon (GRPN), Best Buy (BBY), Michael Kors Holdings (KORS), SunEdison (SUNE), Gulfport Energy (GPOR)
Analysts at Brean Capital lowered their Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) price target to $8 from $11 in a research report issued to clients on Monday. Groupon's PT was also lowered to $5.25 from $7 at Northland...
Tags KORS News BBBY
Morning Buzz: Best Buy (BBY), Trina Solar (TSL), Prana Biotechnology (PRAN), Lumber Liquidators (LL), bluebird bio (BLUE)
Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY) shares are up $3.07 to $36.85 in premarket trading Thursday after the company reported its first quarter earnings results. The consumer electronics retailer posted earnings of...
Tags Latest PRAN BLUE
How to Play Best Buy Co Inc. (NYSE: BBY) Stock for a Quick 10% Gain
The post How to Play Best Buy Co Inc. (NYSE: BBY) Stock for a Quick 10% Gain appeared first on Money Morning - We Make Investing Profitable by Jim Bach Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) stock has done a...
Tags Apple Watch bby stock IPO
Notable Upgrades: Cenovus Energy Inc. (CVE), McDonald's Corp. (MCD), Best Buy (BBY), Novartis (NVS), Radian Group (RDN)
Analysts at TD Securities are out with a report this morning upgrading shares of Cenovus Energy Inc. (CVE) with a 'Buy' from 'Hold' rating. Cenovus Energy Inc. shares are currently priced at 22.67x...
Tags Latest Markets News
Today's Pre-Market Movers Are C, BBY, and LL
Good Morning! U.S. stock futures today (Tuesday) forecast a 42-point decrease for the DJIA from yesterday's close. Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C), Best Buy Co Inc. (NYSE: BBY), and Lumber Liquidators (NYSE:...
Tags pre/market quotes pre/market movers pre/market trading
Best Buy (BBY) Beats on EPS, Misses Revenue
Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY) shares are up $0.47, or 1.22%, to $39.10 in pre-market trading Tuesday after the company reported its fourth quarter earnings results. The consumer electronics retailer...
StocktoberFest: Best Buy (BBY)
Wall Street seems to have a love / hate relationship with Best Buy as they have become the "showroom" for Amazon.com buyers. However, despite this, fundamentals remain strong within Best Buy despite...
Tags Stocks StocktoberFest 2014
Short Interest: Rocket Fuel (FUEL), Sprint Corporation (S), Best Buy (BBY), ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance (ULTA), Lululemon (LULU)
Recent short interest data for the 8/29/2014 settlement date shows an increase in short interest for shares of Rocket Fuel Inc. (FUEL). As of August 29, the short interest for the...
Tags Markets Latest
Stock Market Today Holds Record Highs – BBY, TIF Notch Gains, DGLY Slumps By Garrett Baldwin
U.S. stock markets remained relatively unchanged this afternoon, maintaining their record highs. On a day of very light volumes, most of the attention focused on monetary policy in Europe and several...
Tags bby stock Stock Market Today $TIF
DHUnplugged #237: Millennial Madness
The end of the watch as we know it? Gold may be shining if seasonal trends are correct. Is the millennial generation making a mockery of pricing? Best Buy (BBY) earnings and some stocks to watch… This...
Tags Markets DH Unplugged DH/Unplugged
Stock Market Today Moving on AMZN, BKW, and BBY News By Garrett Baldwin
Stock market today, August 26, 2014: U.S. futures were flat this morning, a day after the S&P 500 Index cracked the 2,000 level for the first time ever and set a new all-time closing high just shy of...
Tags dow jones today Dow Jones Industrial Average today's market news
BBY, SWHC, TSL Top Tuesday's Hot Stocks to Watch By Diane Alter
The S&P 500 Index is on track to finish second-quarter earnings season at historic highs, with just a handful of the benchmarks' members still set to report earnings. Tuesday's hot stocks to watch list...
Tags BBY stocks to watch earnings calendar
Stocks to Watch for Aug 26, 2014
Tags GORO BBY TKMR
BBY, TIF, ANF Top This Week's Hot Stocks to Watch List By Diane Alter
Second-quarter earnings season is winding down, with 480 S&P 500 components already reported. Total earnings for members that have turned in results are up 8.2% from the same period last year, with 66%...
Tags stocks to watch BBY Stocks
U.S. Stock Market's Five Best and Worst Performers in 2014's First Half By Diane Alter
As we close out the first half of 2014, its time to take a look back at the year-to-date U.S. stock market gainers and losers. The post U.S. Stock Market's Five Best and Worst Performers in 2014's...
Tags GMCR CJES COH
The Next RadioShack: 5 Stocks Slumping to Penny Stock Prices By Kyle Anderson
In December of 1999, Radioshack Corp. (NYSE: RSH) stock was worth more than $76 per share. Today, RSH is worth less than $1. And while RadioShack is the most recent example of a high-flying stock that...
Tags WTW AAPL Penny Stocks
RadioShack (RSH) Is Officially a Penny Stock
RadioShack's (RSH) stock dipped below a dollar p/sh Friday for the first time in its history, as the beleaguered U.S. electronics chain continues to fight to save its business from bankruptcy. Early...
Tags Business BBY Wall Street
Dividend-Paying Stocks: The Newest Payout Increases and Special Dividends By Diane Alter
Dividend-paying stocks update: Presently, 421 companies in the S&P 500 Index pay a cash dividend - the most since September 1998's tally of 423. And S&P 500 dividend stocks are on track to post a 10.5%...
Tags dividend paying stocks high yield dividend stocks High/yield stocks
Best Buy (BBY) Hikes Dividend 12% to $0.19
Best Buy (BBY) announced today that it will raise its quarterly dividend to 19 cents a share from 17 cents, an increase worth 12%/$0.76 annualized. The change will be reflected in the quarterly...
Tags Latest Business Wall Street
Best Buy's (BBY) Rating, PT Reaffirmed at BofA
Best Buy (BBY)'s stock had its rating restated by research analyst at Bank of America (BAC) in a report released on Thursday. BofA's analyst Denise Chai reiterated her 'Buy' rating and $36 price target...
Tags Latest BAC Wall Street
Stocks to Watch for May 27, 2014
Tags ISIS MVIS HTZ
What To Watch In The Stock Market Today: One Of The Largest Hacks In U.S. History By Garrett Baldwin
Stock market today, May 22, 2014 : Yesterday (Wednesday), the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed with a triple digit jump after no surprises emerged from the U.S. Federal Reserve's April meeting...
Tags today's earnings financial news today Stocks to Buy
Bears Bulk Up On Best Buy Puts Ahead Of Earnings
Options volume on Best Buy is almost three times the average daily reading for the stock today, with more than 20,000 contracts traded on the consumer electronics retailer versus average daily volume...
Tags BBY Uncategorized
From Phil's Stock World


Wandering down to transition the weather was clear and the sky turning red from the coming sunrise. I was relieved the lake was pretty much mirror flat and not rough as it had been two years ago. At transition things seemed calm and controlled with the plenty of people going about their race morning routine. I put my drinks on the bike and pumped up the tires then wandered around a bit to make sure I knew what I had to do. At racking the day before a marshal walked me through transition, explaining where everything will be laid out and what you need to do to get through as quickly as possible. That's the first time I've ever had a tour through transition and it was a good thing. After sorting the bike we found a wall to sit on and watched as the race site got busier.
In no time at all it seemed I was putting my wetsuit on and walking down to the beach for the start. There was a Maori welcoming just before we got in the water but I think most were to tense to take much notice. The water seemed fairly cool, about 19 degrees they said at race briefing, but pretty good for swimming. The lake is a crater from a past eruption and is fairly shallow so once I'd warmed up a bit and found somewhere sensible to take the start I stood on the bottom and waited for the last few minutes to run out. Once the cannon went off I got into my stroke and found some space but it didn't go well. It felt as if my suit wasn't on right and it was restricting my arms. I struggled on but it was tiring me and I could feel my stroke getting sloppy and it was really hard work. It wasn't until about the 1km mark things suddenly improved. I'm not sure what happened, maybe I'd escaped the pull of the river or maybe a few tight muscles suddenly loosened up but things got a lot better very quickly. My stroke was suddenly joined up and felt good. After the turn things went well and it seemed I was back to the final buoy in no time. The water in the lake are very clean and I spent most of the swim watching the crayfish on the bottom.
Out of the lake and there is about a 500m run into transition. They'd carpeted it so it was pretty uneventful and once there I grabbed my bag and ran into the change tent. Chatting to the marshal it seemed I'd missed the main pack, they'd gone about 15 minutes before, so things were calm. I got to the bike, put my helmet on and set off for the bike ride.
The first part of the course takes you though town where support was good, shortly after that you take a left turn and go over the only real hill on the course. That's short enough and after that its undulating roads through farm and forest land. There was a fairly strong headwind but it was still dry, at least for a while. About an hour in and it started to drizzle and quickly turned into rain. Then the wind picked up and I was riding into a strong headwind and driving rain. I changed my race plan as plodding along wasn't fun at all and decided to hit it quite hard to get to the turn point then coast back with a tail wind. I figured this might be the best way to stay in control and limit the time I was pushing on into the headwind. Trouble was, after the turn it was good fun to keep pushing with the tail wind. Seemed I was passing quite a few people and making up a lot of places.
On the second lap I kept pushing but things went wrong at about 98 miles and I'd run out of energy. It seemed like a long 14 miles back to T2 and a fair few people passed me. I started to get cold as I'd backed off the pace and I was a bit concerned about the run.
The T2 marshal said I ought to keep my sunglasses on as the rain and wind was fairly intense at the far end of the course so that's what I did. He even had an anti-fogging cloth to wipe my glasses with. Out of T2 and the rain was just as bad. I jogged the first couple of kilometres but I knew I'd not keep that up for long and in fact it was only until I got to the first hill. I then power walked the rest with the very occasional jog down a hill when I wanted to see how running felt. After the turn the rain was straight into your face with a strong head wind. Luckily I wasn't cold at all so it was just a case of keeping your head down and clocking off the kilometres. After the first turn I started to get dizzy so knew I had to take on some food. I really didn't want another gel so grabbed three chocolate chip cookies and they worked well. I stuck to coke for the rest of the 'run' and felt happy in myself so no further feeding problems. The support on the run course was great, it was peeing down but they stayed right until the end.
Running down the finish chute I felt pretty pleased with myself. On seeing the clock I felt even better, there were no clocks on the course so I had no idea what race time was and I imagined it was much later than that. Straight after the race I was ushered into the recovery tend and given my finishers T shirt, which I put straight on, then sat down for a cup of soup and a chat with Duncan74. Although this is the worst finish time I've ever done it's probably the happiest I've felt about a finish since my first Ironman back in Austria 2005.


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These Are Our Favorite Products From Actor/Entrepreneur/Living Legend Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
By Cheryl S. Grant February 18, 2021
Though Dwayne Johnson first made his way into our homes as "The Rock" via the WWE, he has done what few wrestlers have been able to do. He has made a lucrative career beyond wrestling as an actor, producer and entrepreneur. His rock-solid choices have even landed him on Forbes' highest-paid actor's list two years in a row, with his earnings of 87.5 million for the 2020 round-up and 89.4 million for 2019. He has starred in high-grossing movies such as Jumanji and the Fast Furious franchise, which hasn't stopped him from collaborating on and creating products.
He even recently revealed on Instagram that his rookie card from when he played football at the University of Miami sold for $45,000. It would seem the man who has vowed to be the hardest working person in the room wasn't kidding. Here are some of the best Dwayne Johnson products to check out right now.
1. Teremana Tequila
If tequila means more to you than just margaritas, then Teremana is right up your alley. It is made in the Jalisco Highland mountains, Mexico, in small batches, allowing the sweet agave to develop into a smooth spirit. The sign of good tequila is that you can enjoy it straight like cognac or on the rocks with a twist of lime, and that is what you have here. It is available in a bright and flavorful Blanco iteration and an oaky vanilla Reposado.
Image Courtesy of Teremana
2. ZOA Energy Drink
One of the latest additions to the list of the best Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson products is an energy drink that is being touted as clean and healthy. And typical of these kinds of beverages, it contains caffeine, but in this case, that caffeine is sourced from green coffee and green tea. It also has ingredients such as vitamins C, D and B-12, as well as the electrolyte potassium and choline, an essential nutrient involved in basic functions such as memory and heart health. It will be available in March 2021.
Image Courtesy of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
ZOA Energy Drink
Available March 2021
3. Project Rock x Under Armour
If you spend any time following Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson on Instagram, you will see that he is dedicated to working out in his Iron Paradise, which is why his collaboration with Under Armour makes sense. There have been new items introduced under the Project Rock Breaking Barriers Collection. One is a sweat-activated tank that reveals motivational words when wet.
Men's Project Rock Show Your Work Sleeveless
Image Courtesy of Project Rock X Under Armour
Men's Project Rock Show Your Work Sleeveless
Another item from the line are sneakers. And if you workout, you know that it can be challenging, so having shoes that can provide support while strength training or hitting the bag is key. The BSR: The Blood.Sweat.Respect trainer's mesh allows your feet to stay dry and comfy even when sweaty and its traction keeps you from slipping when performing quick movements.
Men's UA Project Rock 3 Training Shoes
Men's UA Project Rock 3 Training Shoes
You can pack up and hit the gym or spend an overnight or long weekend with this sturdy duffle bag also apart of the Under Armour collaboration. It is sleek and simple and can be used as a backpack as well.
Men's Project Rock 60 Bag
Men's Project Rock 60 Bag
4. The Rock: Through the Lens: His Life, His Movies by Hiram Garcia
Even though this isn't a Dwayne' The Rock' Johnson product per se, he is the subject, and if you are looking for a coffee table book, you should pick up The Rock: Through the Lens: His Life, His Movies, His World. The book includes 20 years' worth of images. They capture him working on movies and also personal photographs of him spending intimate time with his family, giving a rounded view of this living legend.
The Rock: Through the Lens: His Life, His Movies, His World
Our Favorite Pieces from The Rock's Latest Collab With Under Armour
Lifestyle Entertainment tequila the rock Under Armour


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Sponsorship & Exhibit
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2016 Archived Content
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The Knowledge Foundation's 24th International
Biodetection Technologies:
Biothreat and Pathogen Detection
The 24th International Biodetection Technologies: Biothreat and Pathogen Detection is an internationally recognized meeting for experts in detection & identification of biological threats. This conference will address hot topics in pathogen detection, strategies and cutting edge assays and technologies for detection & identification of global biological threats and translational gaps in bringing technologies from lab to field. Conference will feature stimulating discussions, perspectives of end users, high quality case studies and a friendly place to network with peers. We invite you to present a talk, a poster, or to attend to learn from and network with the leading experts in biodefense from around the globe.
This event is followed by Knowledge Foundation's Biodetection Technologies: Point-of-Care for Biodefense being held from June 28-29, 2016. Together, these two events will provide three full days of comprehensive programming around biodetection technologies in biodefense.
REGULATIONS, STANDARDIZATION AND CASE STUDIES
Matthew Lesho, Ph.D., Director, Government Business Development, Luminex Corporation
»» 8:30 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: ESTABLISHING FDA-ARGOS FOR REGULATION OF SEQUENCING-BASED DIAGNOSTICS FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Heike Sichtig, Ph.D., Principal Investigator/Team Lead, Microbiology Devices, Center for Devices (CDRH), US Food and Drug Administration
The presentation will outline studies to evaluate the use of sequencing-based devices as an aid in infectious disease diagnostics, and to gain a better understanding of potential High Throughput Sequencing (HTS) clinical implementation strategies. Regulatory use case scenarios utilizing the FDA-ARGOS database resource will be showcased. The information contained in the presentation concerning possible approaches for validation are suggested approaches open for feedback.
9:00 A Mixed Microbial Pathogen Reference Material: Ground Truth for Assessing Sensitivity and Specificity of NGS-Based Pathogen Detection
Scott A. Jackson, Ph.D., Complex Microbial Systems Group Leader, Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Metagenomic sequence data obtained from complex samples is able to provide a qualitative and quantitative understanding of the individual components of the original complex sample. Ideally, NGS technologies in the not-so-distant future will allow point-of-care diagnoses of infectious disease; going from sample-to-answer in under an hour. NIST is developing a complex mixture of pathogen DNA to serve as a standard for assessing the analytical sensitivity and specificity of NGS-based pathogen detection assays/devices.
9:30 Biothreat Agent Sample Inactivation - A UK Perspective
Simon Weller, Scientist, CBR Division, Defense Science and Technology Laboratory, UK Ministry of Defense
Recently DSTL has carried out inactivation studies on Ebola Virus (pre-PCR) and Bacillus anthracis (pre-MALDI-TOF MS). In both instances stringent experimentation has generated results that contradict those reported from previous studies, and indicated that these agents are difficult to inactivate - whilst still retaining enough biological material to allow identification. These results have implications for deployed military laboratories where high level biological containment infrastructure is not available. The presentation will also include discussion of the application of Dstl research (on Ebola inactivation) in the UK network of Ebola Diagnostic Labs in Sierra Leone.
10:00 Coffee Break in the Ballroom Foyer
ADVANCES IN NUCLEIC ACID TECHNOLOGIES & NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING
10:30 Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Precision Metagenomics for Rapid Biothreat Detection and Characterization
Nur Hasan, Ph.D., Adjunct Faculty, University of Maryland Institute of Advanced Computer Studies and the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland
The presentation will describe various aspects of novel bioinformatics tools: ease and operational friendliness, data mining efficiency and processing speed, breadth, depth and curation of genome databases to deliver actionable results, flexibility to allow incorporation of specific metadata and/or genome sequences. The presentation will further demonstrate some valuable features that make this technology very attractive and powerful for simultaneous detection and characterization of biothreat agents.
11:00 Enabling the Development of Genomics Expertise for Next-Generation Sequencing Novices
Momchilo (Momo) Vuyisich, Ph.D., Applied Genomics Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory
We have developed a user friendly, web-based platform that helps process raw sequencing data and perform a number of cutting-edge analyses with only a few mouse clicks. Results are available real-time and graphics, both static and interactive, are provided. The underlying rationale for the development of such a platform will be discussed along with new and specific focus on pathogen detection from complex samples.
11:30 Simultaneous Multiplexed Protein and Nucleic Acid Detection Improves Decision-Making for Biothreat and ID Applications
Amy Altman, Ph.D., Vice President, Biodefense and Protein Diagnostics, Luminex Corporation
Our ability to quickly detect and characterize a deliberate biological attack or an outbreak of an emerging infectious disease is critical to saving lives and minimizing the impact of such an event. To provide more comprehensive situational awareness, Luminex is developing multi-modal approaches to biological detection, allowing for the simultaneous detection of complementary pathogen and host-response targets.
12:00 Luncheon Presentation (Sponsorship Opportunity Available) or Lunch on Your Own
RAPID AND FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES FOR BIODETECTION
Crystal Jaing, Ph.D., Group Leader, Applied Genomics, Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
2:00 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: DEVELOPMENT AND CHALLENGES OF TRANSLATING VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVER RESEARCH TO ACTIONABLE DIAGNOSTIC APPLICATIONS
Timothy D. Minogue, Ph.D., Chief, Molecular Diagnostics Department, Division of Diagnostic Systems, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)
The current Ebola outbreak highlights the need for effective/rapid diagnostics for viral hemorrhagic fevers. However, several highly pathogenic viruses that present with similar pathology are endemic to similar regions and co-circulate with Ebola. Our group strives to provide research and development of diagnostics to affect time-to-answer, assay sensitivity, and ease of use to help diagnose these types of diseases.
2:30 Sample Preparation Improvements for Real-Time Whole Genomic Sequencing Using Nanopore Technology
Robert Cory Bernhards, Ph.D., Research Microbiologist, BioSciences Division, Edgewood Chemical Biological Center/Defense Threat Reduction Agency
The Department of Defense has a limited toolset for field-deployable detection and diagnostic assays. Nanopore real-time whole genomic sequencing technology offers the potential for biothreat identification even in austere environments. This presentation will describe improvements in sample preparation that allow for the rapid identification and differentiation of RNA viruses using this disruptive technology.
3:00 Comprehensive and High-Throughput Pathogen Detection Using the Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array
The Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array (LLMDA) is a comprehensive DNA detection technology containing probes to detect more than 10,000 species of microbes including viruses, bacteria and fungi. The technology has been applied to vaccine safety, infectious disease, biodefense, agricultural security and microbiome to rapidly identify known and emerging pathogens. The next-generation high-throughput LLMDA is a cost-effective and faster alternative than next-generation sequencing.
3:30 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
4:15 Using Protein Structure and Microbial Genomes to Characterize Pathogen Antibiotic Resistance in Complex Metagenomic Samples
Jonathan Allen, Ph.D., Informatics Scientist, Global Security Computing Applications Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Previously sequenced microbial genomes and genes associated with antimicrobial resistance are collected and stored in a novel de Bruijn genome population graph for efficient identification of antibiotic resistance genes in complex metagenomic samples. Protein structure motifs associated with resistance mechanisms are included in the graph to recognize key genetic features of resistance and provide more accurate recognition of antibiotic resistance determinants.
4:45 Rapid Phage Engineering as a Biodefense Platform for Bacterial Threats
Matthew Lux, Ph.D., Research Biologist, BioSciences, US Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center
The emerging spectre of antimicrobial resistant pathogens, whether natural or engineered, demands technologies that can be rapidly adapted to detect and defeat new threats as they arise. Here we outline the potential of rapid engineering of phage to address this need, and describe ongoing work to develop a set of interchangeable phage components as a modular biodefense platform.
5:15 Welcome Reception in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
6:15 End of Day
RAPID AND FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES FOR BIODETECTION (Cont.)
Harshini Mukundan, Ph.D., Principal Investigator and Team Leader, Chemistry, Los Alamos National Laboratory
8:30 High-Consequence Bacterial Pathogen Identification and Database Development with MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry
Dobryan Tracz, Biologist, Bioforensics Assay Development and Diagnostics Section, National Microbiology Laboratory at the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health, Public Health Agency of Canada, Government of Canada
MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry-based identification of high-consequence bacterial pathogens is limited by the availability and quality of databases. A high-quality local database, containing mass spectral profiles (MSP) of biothreat bacterial agents and near-neighbour species, was developed according to Bruker Daltonics custom library generation standards. Biothreat agent MSPs were created in Biotyper software, used to verify a MALDI-TOF MS method for bacterial identification, and assessed for possible species-specific biomarker peaks
9:00 Nanotrap Hydrogel Microparticle Detection of Francisella Tularensis
Monique van Hoek, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University
This research highlights a new proteomics-based approach to the detection of Francisella, a biothreat bacteria. Nanotraps are hydrogel microparticles containing various chemical baits, and the Nanotraps can bind, protect and concentrate biomarkers, proteins and bacterial antigens from complex biological solutions. We have used Nanotraps to bind Francisella antigens from complex biological solutions and have determined that Francisella-specific antigens are captured by the Nanotraps.
9:30 Selected Poster Presentation
10:00 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
10:45 Bioforensic and Biosurveillance Analysis System to Address Interoperability, Accuracy and Speed for Microbial Attribution
Willy Valdivia-Granda, Ph.D., CEO, Orion Integrated Biosciences
We developed a computational analysis system to accurately establish intra- and interspecies relationships of more than 380,000 known taxonomies. We demonstrate the performance of RIGEL-mtp using DNA from culture of Fransicella tularensis, Bacillus anthracis, Burkholderia spp., Ebola, African Swine Fever and Foot-and-Mouth Disease viruses and more than 1,000 clinical, biological and environmental metagenomic samples. We will discuss the implications of our work in bacterial and viral strain and species disambiguation, correction, genomic-based characterization for bioforensics and biosurveillance.
11:15 A New Model for Quantifying Salmonella Levels in Poultry Carcass Treatment under Variable Thermal Conditions
Pramod K. Pandey, Ph.D., Faculty/Specialist, Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
Non-uniform temperature distribution during thermal treatment of carcasses enhances the likelihood of pathogen survival in the processed products. Measurement of pathogen levels in samples subjected to variable temperatures, however, is tedious and hence inactivation of pathogens is difficult to verify in such conditions. The proposed mathematical model can be used to detect/enumerate Salmonella levels during carcass treatment under non-uniform processing temperature.
11:45 Detection Method Assessment Tool for Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Agents
Penny Norquist, Project Manager, The Food Protection and Defense Institute, University of Minnesota
The Food Protection and Defense Institute (FPDI) has developed a tool to assess detection methods for agents based on their applicability for an intended application. Twenty-three performance attributes are categorized as Outstanding, Excellent, Satisfactory, or Limited based on agent type and parameters specified by SME workgroups. The importance of each attribute is ranked based on the agent type and application (Screening vs. Confirmatory). The tool can be applied to current or future methods.
12:15 pm Luncheon Presentation (Sponsorship Opportunity Available) or Lunch on Your Own
PLENARY SESSION: TRANSLATION OF BIODETECTION TECHNOLOGIES TO FIELD READY APPLICATIONS
Tom Slezak, Ph.D., Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff, Pathogen Bioinformatics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
1:45 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: BioWatch: The Future of Biodetection
Michael Walter, Ph.D., Detection Branch Chief & Program Manager, BioWatch, US Department of Homeland Security
This presentation will look at how BioWatch - the nation's only federally-owned, locally-operated nationwide program - is planning to enhance its technology to work towards faster detection times and save more lives. The program has engaged state and local stakeholders through focus groups to identify and prioritize technology enhancements that would enable mid- and long-term progress.
2:30 Translation Challenges in POC Field Readiness: Strategies and Case Studies on Translation of New and Rapid Biodetection Technologies from Lab to Field and Clinic
Alina Deshpande, Ph.D., Senior Scientist/Team Leader, Analytics Intelligence and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory
I will present case studies for POC immunoassays and multiplex assays applied to infectious disease detection and surveillance, and review specific successes/challenges like the influence of the Ebola crisis in West Africa on development of POC diagnostics for neglected tropical diseases. Specific approaches/strategies to overcome the "valley of death" between POC R&D and translation of novel technologies to field readiness will also be presented.
3:00 Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) Bio-Sensor Technology for Liquid Environments
Florian Bell, Sensor System Integration, Qorvo
Qorvo BAW enables ubiquitous deployment of liquid-based biosensors. Multi-GHz arrays use advanced addressing schemes and signal processing to enable several firsts in measurement performance, density, mobility, and distributed sensing- creating radical new approaches towards countermeasure development for biological and chemical threats to aid the warfighter and ensure USA national security.
3:30 Panel Discussion: Challenges and Opportunities in Translation of Biodetection Technologies
3:45 Close of Conference
5:30 Suggested Dinner Workshop
RAPID SAMPLE PREPARATION FOR PATHOGEN DETECTION
*Separate registration required
Conference at-a-Glance
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what is jewish new year called
Three Teens Charged in Death of Orthodox Jewish MMA Fighter A 16-year-old girl and two 18-year-old men were charged with first-degree murder in the July at sunset wednesday begins rosh hashanah, the jewish new year when the community celebrates life, reflects on the past and contemplates the future. Camp Avoda is committed to providing Jewish boys with a safe, vibrant, and nurturing summer environment where friendships are built to last a lifetime our faculty s cutting-edge research and scholarship are breaking ground on issues that matter. Dates of major and minor Jewish holidays for years 2016-2017 (Hebrew year 5777), observances and customs, holiday Torah readings learn offers innovative online video talks, podcasts, and articles by. This year's holiday season is fast approaching and we will be given the opportunity to perform the rabbinic edict of Eruv Tavshilin three separate times; before the moving on to the details… rosh hashanah (the jewish new year) is packed with mitzvahs, special foods and traditions, and it's one of the most important holidays. Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or Yamim Tovim (ימים טובים, Good Days , or singular יום טוב Yom Tov, in transliterated Hebrew [English provides aid for jewish children at risk and disaster response support for jewish people in countries worldwide. The Hebrew or Jewish calendar (הַלּוּחַ הָעִבְרִי , Ha-Luah ha-Ivri) is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious for the dates of the jewish new year see jewish and israeli holidays 2000–2050 or calculate using the section conversion between jewish and civil calendars. The largest Orthodox Anglo-Jewish weekly in the world shanah tovah! we wish you a happy and healthy new year. The Jewish Week is your source for Jewish news, features, analysis and opinion - covering the New York, US, Israel, and worldwide Jewish community rosh hashana 5778 begins at sundown on wed, 20 september 2017. The Jewish calendar traditionally has four new year s days, each with a different purpose rosh hashanah (hebrew: רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה , literally meaning the beginning (also head) [of] the year ) is the jewish new year. Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana, begins at sundown on Wed, 20 September 2017 the biblical name for. The Jewish New Year amigour: subsidized housing in israel. Also spelled Rosh Hashanah amigour is a jewish agency subsidiary that provides quality housing in israel to the elderly, new immigrants, and single-parent. Holiday Torah readings, dates observed tablet magazine - a new read on jewish life sunday marks the jewish new year, rosh hashanah, one of the holiest holidays in the hebrew calendar. JICNY Mon Nights @MJE & New Year Kick-off Event & Classes The Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to collecting and preserving historical documents, photographs, and the celebration will last two days and begins at sundown. Learn about the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah judaism - one stop for everything jewish, jewish holidays, israel news, holocaust studies, jewish spirituality, weekly torah portion, western wall camera, aish. Welcome to the Jewish Museum, a museum in New York City at the intersection of art and Jewish culture for people of all backgrounds news from the jewish telegraphic agency. Whether you visit our home in the learn about the jewish calendar, its background and history, the numbering of jewish years, the months of the jewish year and the days of the jewish week. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year find out more about the history of new year's, including videos, interesting articles, pictures, historical features and more. It is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, and a day of judgment and coronation of G‑d as king get all the facts on history. At sunset Wednesday begins Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year when the community celebrates life, reflects on the past and contemplates the future com
Rosh Hashanah - Wikipedia
Rosh Hashana - The Jewish New Year - ראש השנה | Hebcal.
The Hebrew or Jewish calendar (הַלּוּחַ הָעִבְרִי , Ha-Luah ha-Ivri) is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious for the dates of the jewish new year see jewish and israeli holidays 2000–2050 or calculate using the section conversion between jewish and civil calendars.
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תאריך ראש השנה 2017
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PHP does not require a herculean effort from the uninitiated such as first time business owners to get acquainted with it. When compared to other languages in the server scripting business, PHP pales in comparison with respect to difficulty in learning it and is worthy to set the novices eyes upon as it is not taxing on the mind. This simple language can let them have a bite of it without turning sour and distasteful in their mouths.
1. The resources that help them to be successful in raking up the moolah through PHP are readily available and do not require to be painfully sifted and collected through a lot of reference material that is strewn all over the web in undisclosed, hideous locations sporting untrusted security certificates. In other cases, they can end up running hither and thither for such knowledgeable and informative sites and end up being discouraged.
PHP is in stark contrast to these languages that are unfriendly to novices. The information relating it is well documented and readily available in a consolidated fashion on its authentic website free of cost, at the click of a button.
2. PHP is a simple language that does not require exceptional or rare skills that are only specific to people with expertise or impeccable knowledge of languages. PHP is the only language that does not require people to possess such skills and hence draws many novices to opt for a career in its development.
1. Begin to learn a few other languages such as Java, Delphi or C# as it is highly advisable to be thorough with the usage of the characters involved in programming. PHP overlooks and ignores your errors involved in programming, but these languages do not do so. They make sure the programmer is very accurate and thus spare no room for error. This is the most recommended and best path to traverse if these first timers aim to be a PHP developer who delivers excellent results and an enhanced end-user experience.
2. Be active on certain informative technical forums where they can learn techniques and nuances of programming as a whole and PHP as a part too.
3. Be informed about the potential of frameworks in the PHP business right from the start. It helps them in the later stages of their metamorphosis into a PHP developer.
Zend framework is best recommended for them as it showcases a lot of the possibilities and innovations that a PHP developer can weave his magic into.
All these noteworthy points, advice and recommendations can help first time business owners to explore the possibility of they themselves trying out website development with PHP or hire PHP programmer who seem promising in other languages and train them.
Author Bio: Smith is a developer at an IT company and has helped to hire PHP programmer as well. He has written thoughtful articles on the importance of PHP in business.


There has been so much talk about the blood moons and the Feasts of the Lord. One the one hand, people becoming more aware of God's calendar is a good thing. On the other hand, things have gotten way out control. We are seeking signs instead of the Lord of the Universe.
Avner Bosky wrote a great article on balance in these times, and I just had to share it.
How Were Elisheva and Miriam Related? Does It Matter?
Do you want to know the secret for having a happy life?


Obama is the first to successfully integrate technology with a revamped model of political organization that stresses volunteer participation and feedback on a massive scale.
Carr thinks that we are losing the ability to think deeply because of the Internet. I find this laughable.
Carr believes that the Internet has caused people to lose the ability to stay focused on one thing, that we are losing our ability to concentrate, reflect, and contemplate. He is concerned we are losing our ability to "slow down and think." Carr suggests that "we've become so connected to everything, that we are actually disconnected from any one thing." He says he has noticed that when he reads a paper book, "something that used to come naturally," he finds that his mind 'starts to wander' and wants to do what it does when he is online.
The Internet does allow us to quickly jump quickly between sources of information. But this is not the same thing as the "superficial relationship with information" that Carr is afraid of. The Internet permits the exact opposite of a "superficial relationship," because it allows an individual to look beyond any one source of information, and produce their own connections between the material they find. The investigation of related information is a form of deeper thinking. It can be the contemplation of one subject, at a far deeper level.


The most WEIRD, WILD, & WONDERFUL Halloween inspired candy for sale anywhere!
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Marketing has never been easy, and 2015 is no exception. This year, marketers in every industry will face several new challenges and stressors. However, today's marketers should banish all anxiety and confidently embrace these challenges head on with a marketing personalization strategy.
We have determined three common stressors for today's marketers, which can all be solved by implementing marketing personalization techniques.
For decades, the largest generation has been the baby boomers. Boomers have held the most purchasing power and have been primary targets in marketing campaigns. However, as Millennials begin to outnumber the boomers, there will be a shift in purchasing power. This shift might be stressful, as marketers will be forced to change marketing strategies to remain relevant to Millennials.
However, marketing personalization is the key to pleasing this new purchasing power. Personalization is one of the most important elements that Millennials want when being marketed to.
While the shift in purchasing power might be unnerving for businesses, marketing personalization is exactly what businesses should implement to gain favor with Millennials.
When it comes to making sales, marketing and technology go hand-in-hand. Over the past century, marketing has evolved with technology from simple print ads to broadcast and radio, broadcast and radio to the Internet, and Internet to mobile and social media. With several changes in a short span of time, marketers may be stressed about using the latest marketing technology to attract customers.
Embracing marketing personalization is the key to a successful transition into the newest development in marketing technology.
The newest development in marketing technology is the marketing cloud. Marketing clouds will connect engagement channels and create an omnichannel experience for customers.
As businesses introduce the cloud into their marketing strategy, implementing marketing personalization will make this technological adjustment easier and more effective.
Marketers stressing about meeting their businesses' goals may be at an advantage when considering personalization strategies.
In 2014, a CMO report found that the top four marketing priorities for 2014 were customer acquisition, personalized experiences, customer engagement, and loyalty. With the implementation of a personalized marketing approach, successfully meeting these priorities should be easy.
Implementing marketing personalization obviously meets the personalized experience priority. However, personalization also plays a strong role in meeting the remaining three goals.
With the average human attention span approximately 8 seconds, companies have a small window of time to attract consumers. A personalized, tailored message can quickly grab a consumer's attention – and keep it. Companies can also improve customer engagement by presenting relevant, personalized merchandise based off their past purchases and demographics. After continuously presenting relevant products to buyers, companies can expect brand loyalty to increase, as "most consumers (60 percent) expect businesses to know their preferences and understand their needs," according to a CMS Wire article.
So if your business or marketing team is feeling stressed, ask whether you are using marketing personalization to its fullest extent.
If you feel like you could use a little marketing personalization help, learn how to get started and check out personalization strategy from the experts.


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Ricardo Jorge Pereira de Sousa is Featured in Multiple Publications for His Commitment to Remote Work Policies
Friday, May 29, 2020 10:05 AM
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Sousa Was Recently the Focus of Articles in Disrupt Magazine and Future Sharks
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 29, 2020 / Ricardo Jorge Pereira de Sousa is pleased to announce that he was recently featured in a number of publications for his stance on engaging in remote work policies.
To learn more about Sousa and his international e-commerce company that has a number of virtual workers, please check out https://www.thekerplunk.com/2020/05/14/meet-ricardo-jorge-pereira-de-sousa-coelho-who-shares-entrepreneurial-insights/.
As Sousa noted, he was the subject of an in-depth article in Disrupt Magazine. His company was remote prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Sousa was happy to share his tips with managers and founders who are struggling with the transition to having employees who now work from home.
"It is entirely possible to have a productive, happy, and accountable team that works remotely," Sousa was quoted as saying in the article. "With the right strategies and practices in place, any company can accomplish this shift."
For instance, Sousa recommends that managers require that their remote workers use an online tool like Hubstaff.com; this will allow employees to check in when they start their shift as well as when they complete their work for the day. The time tracker will easily allow management teams to keep track of who is working when, and how long each employee was on task.
Sousa also recommends project management tools that permit the visibility and transparency of progress. His team specifically uses Trello. His engineers and technicians use each Trello card to white board their ideas, then make progress that can be tracked in real time, he noted.
Sousa was also the subject of an interesting article on Future Sharks, in which he shared four tips to keep a team efficient while working remotely. For example, he said it is important to incentivize employees with a Christmas or end of year bonus.
"Because remote work provides a great deal of flexibility, this works as an incentive to encourage each team member to give their best work, even though they aren't physically present with management at the office," Sousa said.
About Ricardo Jorge Pereira de Sousa:
Ricardo Jorge Pereira de Sousa is an Estonian Businessman as well as a soccer player. Jorge does not limit himself to one industry; he is currently a management board member of a large wholesale company and a real estate company. He also runs an international e-commerce company with a number of virtual workers, spanning from engineers and technicians. For more information, please visit https://www.thekerplunk.com/2020/05/14/meet-ricardo-jorge-pereira-de-sousa-coelho-who-shares-entrepreneurial-insights/.
SOURCE: Ricardo Jorge Pereira de Sousa
Ricardo Jorge Pereira de Sousa
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Services Vs Orrisa: Services came back from behind to hold hosts Orissa 1-1 and in the process top Group C with 7 points to qualify for the semifinal. Services play Kerala in the first semifinal on May 25.
Tamil Nadu Vs Railways: TN played a goalless draw with Railways in their last Quarterfinal Group D League match to advance to the semifinal in the 66th Santosh Trophy. Tamil Nadu topped Group D and ended with 7 points while Railways came second with 5 points. Tamil Nadu now play Manipur in the second semifinal on May 26.


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Q: Decidability of $2^a \bmod a^3$? From some limited testing, it seems to me like $2^a \bmod a^3$ has no repeat values except for some powers of $2$. More generally, it also seems that $x^a \bmod (a^3+k)$ often holds to this, although a few $x$ or $k$ values do get one early repeated non-$x$-power value.
I am guessing this is basically a probabilistic result, and that $a^3$ grows fast enough that repeats become vanishingly unlikely.
Is that correct?
And if so, is it fair to label that class of problem undecidable? My impression is that there is no other way to determine whether one of these outlier $a$ values exist other than trying increasingly large $a$ indefinitely hoping for a counterexample, which seems to fit with my understanding of undecidability.