Join LAFD for All-Star Night of Comedy to Benefit 'Operation Gratitude'

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Firefighters Say: Change Your Clock, Change Your Batteries!

Firefighters know the importance of home fire safety. That's why the men and women of your Los Angeles Fire Department urge you to change all of the batteries in your home smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when you change your clocks back to Standard Time this weekend.

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 AM this Sunday, November 3, 2013 - and all clocks should be set back one hour - after you change the batteries in your life saving devices!

So you know about the "Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery ®" campaign, but...
Do you know when your smoke alarms should be retired?

Yes, we said "retired." Think about it. Your smoke alarms work every minute of every day. After millions of sensing cycles, they should be retired. To learn more about the service life of smoke alarms and more ways to keep your family safe from fire, please visit:


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department



LAFD Responds to Ill and Injured from LAX Shooting

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Fire Department aided six persons ill or injured as the direct result of a shooting incident at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Friday morning, said LAFD Battalion Chief Armando Hogan. Hogan explained that five patients were taken promptly by ambulance to area hospitals, while a sixth person declined medical care.

Summoned by airport officials at 9:28 AM on November 1, 2013 to Terminal 3, Fire Department personnel arrived quickly to an active shooter incident, to find the assailant quickly neutralized and scene secured by law enforcement officials.

During the prompt triage, treatment and transport of the five patients, LAFD joined a Unified Command with the Los Angeles Airport Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, as the airport premises were combed for additional hazards. With none discovered, LAFD transitioned to the role of an "assisting agency", as law enforcement officials continued their active investigation.

In the twelve hours that followed, LAFD strategically deployed more than 125 personnel on a rotating basis to serve the tens of thousands who were isolated within or refrained from reentering the 3,425 acre airport property. Working closely with American Red Cross volunteers, firefighters distributed water, snacks and information to as many persons as possible.

Throughout the day, LAFD Paramedics medically evaluated an additional 27 persons not involved with the shooting, who suffered illness or minor injury while evacuated from, sheltered within or waiting to deplane into terminals at the nation's third busiest airport. Thirteen of those persons were taken to areas hospitals by LAFD Ambulance for further evaluation.

No further details were made available regarding the age, gender, condition, affiliation or circumstances involving those who were ill or injured.

Those seeking additional information are asked to contact the Los Angeles Airport Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security - Transportation Security Administration and LAX Airport Administration.
Dispatched LAFD Units: E51 RA51 E95 RA95 EM4 BC4 RA63 RA62 EM9 DC1 BC18 E295 T95 E5 E205 E263 T63 BC722 TM8 TM1 RA64 RA66 RA894 RA94 RA43 RA892 EM18 TM5 RA58 BC9 DC718 HL1 E63 E94 E266 T66 E292 T92 H3 RH114 T90 E290 JT4 CM3 CP3 RA62 RA11 RA29 RA11 RA29 RA29 RA892 RA867 RA894 RA257 RA95 RA63 CS3 RA29 CP2
Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

What Type of Smoke Alarms Are In Your Home?

Smoke Alarms Save Lives!Did you know there are different types of smoke alarms that are better at alerting you to different types of fires?

Ionization smoke alarms are sensitive to small smoke particles in the air, produced by fast-burning fires. Photoelectric smoke alarms use beams of light and sensors to detect larger smoke particles produced by smoldering fires.

The Los Angeles Fire Department and U.S. Fire Administration recommend dual-sensor alarms that function as both.

Since a working smoke alarm can save your life, it's important to test every smoke alarm in your home monthly by activating the test button. Change the batteries in all of your smoke alarms at least once a year, perhaps when you change your clocks for Daylight Saving Time.

And finally, your smoke alarms work every minute of every day. After millions of sensing cycles, they can become less sensitive. It is important to replace any smoke alarm in your home that is more than 10 years old.

For further information, visit:

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

LAFD Offers Halloween Night Safety Checklist

In addition to our earlier list of tips for Halloween week preparedness, your neighborhood firefighters ask you to take a moment now - before nightfall - to review this checklist:

BEFORE NIGHTFALL ON HALLOWEEN:

  • A good meal prior to parties and trick-or-treating will discourage youngsters from filling up on Halloween treats.
  • Consider fire safety when decorating. Do not overload electrical outlets or block doors with holiday lighting or special effects.
  • Avoid the use of candles. Battery powered lamps and chemical glow sticks are a much safer alternative.
  • Quickly test smoke alarms and identify the location of fire extinguishers.
  • Always keep Jack O' Lanterns and hot electric lamps far away from drapes, decorations, flammable items or areas near children and pets.
  • Plan and review with children the route and behavior acceptable to you.
  • Do not permit children to bicycle, roller-blade or skateboard.
  • Agree on a specific time when revelers must return home.
  • Along with flashlights for all, older children and escorts should carry a phone.
  • Secure, segregate or otherwise prepare household pets for an evening of frightful sights and sounds. Be sure that all dogs and cats are wearing collars and proper identification tags.
  • Remind all household drivers to remain cautious and drive slowly.
  • Adult partygoers should establish and reward a designated driver.

WHEN TRICK-OR-TREATING:

  • A responsible adult should always accompany young children on neighborhood rounds. Do not allow escorts to chat on the phone or use headphones.
  • Remind Trick-or-Treaters:
    • Use a flashlight and glow sticks, to see and be seen by others.
    • Stay in a group, walk slowly and communicate where you are going.
    • Only trick-or-treat in well known neighborhoods at homes that have a porch light on.
    • Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.
    • If no sidewalk is available, walk at the farthest edge of the roadway facing traffic.
    • Never cut across yards, use alleys or run between parked cars.
    • Never enter a stranger's home or car for a treat.
    • Obey all traffic and pedestrian regulations.
    • Always walk. Never run across a street.
    • Only cross the street as a group at intersection crosswalks. Always look left, right and left again to assure safety before proceeding.
    • Remove any mask or item that will limit eyesight before crossing a street, driveway or alley.
    • Don't assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters.
    • Make eye contact with drivers. Just because one car stops, doesn't mean others will.
    • Never consume unwrapped food items or open beverages that may be offered.
    • No treats are to be eaten until they are thoroughly checked by an adult at home.
    • Law Enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.

AFTER TRICK-OR-TREATING:

  • Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.
  • Try to apportion treats for the days following Halloween.
  • Although sharing is encouraged, make sure items that can cause choking (such as hard candies), are given only to those of an appropriate age.

We hope this checklist and earlier posted tips for pre-Halloween planning help keep your family safe. The Los Angeles Fire Department wishes you a Happy Halloween!


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

Fire Rips Through Encino Mansion; Injures 2 LAFD Captains & 2 Firefighters

ENCINO - Over 100 Los Angeles Firefighters battled a huge blaze raging at an Encino home that injured two Captains and two Firefighters on October 30, 2013.


At 3:44 PM the LAFD received multiple 9-1-1 calls for a Structure Fire burning at 4440 Balboa Boulevard, south of Ventura Boulevard, in the hills northeast of the Encino Reservoir. As firefighters hurried up curvy narrow roads, a daunting plume of smoke could be seen in the distance, prompting responding firefighters to radio, "Loom Up", alerting the additional resources responding there was a working fire. They arrived to find a large three-story above ground Tudor style home at the end of a long steep private driveway with heavy fire on the third story. Additional resources were immediately requested as firefighters began a relentless aggressive interior fire attack.

Some firefighters had to hike equipment a 1/4 mile uphill to the structure and utilize chainsaws to strategically cut several holes in the sturdy wood shake shingle roof to reduce heat, smoke, fire and gases inside the structure. Additional firefighters ensured no one was inside the burning structure by performing a rapid search and rescue of the 7,779 square-foot home. A group of firefighters formed a Rapid Intervention Company and stood by with Firefighter/Paramedics in the event any of their own needed immediate rescue. Additional companies ensured flames didn't spread to nearby structures or brush, while others protected and saved what the homeowner referred to as "important belongings" in his home office. Firefighters long and relentless attack forced them to utilized entire air bottles, then go outside the blaze to get new bottles so they could reenter the fight.

Over 125 firefighters, under the command of Assistant Chief Patrick Butler, fully extinguished the flames in two hours and 20 minutes. The Los Angeles Fire Department remained on scene through out the night.

Two fire Captains, one with a significant extremity injury and the other with dehydration, and two Firefighter/Paramedics, one with chest pain and the other with a moderate extremity injury were transported to local hospitals. Only one firefighter was released back to duty that day, the others required further evaluation and treatment. No civilians were injured. Two pet dogs were found beyond medical help on the third floor.

The cause of the afternoon blaze is considered accidental in nature but remains under active investigation. The estimated dollar loss is still being tabulated.
Dispatched Units: E83 RA83 E88 T88 E288 RA88 E109 EM9 BC17 BC10 E100 E293 T93 E39 E93 T39 E239 DC3 EM11 BC15 UR88 T27 E227 UR27 E3 BC5 RA827 E273 T73 E90 RA93 RA100 EM4 H0D H5 EM10 E87 E298 T98 AR2 EA1 RA99 RA39 RM3 E12 E289 T89 E98 E60 RA73 RT83 RA90 T37 E237 BC10 T5 E205
Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

LAFD Handles a Haz-Mat Fire in San Fernando

SAN FERNANDO - The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) including a Hazardous-Materials (Haz-Mat) Team battled a small fire on October 30, 2013 in a one-story commercial building that prompted a precautionary evacuation of three city blocks. Three people suffered minor injuries.

LAFD Handles a Haz-Mat Fire in San FernandoAt 9:09 AM the LAFD responded to a Chemical Investigation inside a one-story commercial building at 1133 Celis Street, doing business as Envision Life CALIFA. The owner had accidentally spilled a 55-gallon drum of 50% percent hydrogen peroxide solution, a strong oxidizer (a 3% solution is common for medical use). It slowly began reacting with the petroleum products in the carpet and approximately one hour into the incident it spontaneously combusted. Smoke and gas began to emit from the structure. The scene was upgraded to a Hazardous-Materials incident and additional personnel were immediately requested.

Firefighters then ensured all occupants were out of the structure, took immediate precautions with Self Contained Breathing Apparatus to protect themselves from any harmful smoke, and evacuated nearby businesses as a precaution. Additional crews made a swift interior fire attack and strategically cut holes on the roof for ventilation. The flames were quickly extinguished and the water runoff was contained so as not to affect the environment. Over 75 firefighters, under the command of Assistant Chief Don Frazeur, handled the incident.

A total of three city blocks were evacuated as a precaution while the extensively trained hazardous materials firefighters assessed the severity of the problem. The evacuated area was scaled down in the afternoon, but some evacuations were still in effect near the business while arrangements were made to dispose of the hazardous material. The incident was soon declared "static" and turned over to the building owner, the City of San Fernando, and the Los Angeles County Health Haz-Mat department.

A total of three men suffered minor injury, all declined to be transported for hospital treatment. The 64-year-old owner of the business was treated for burns to his hands; a 36-year-old man was treated for smoke irritation; and a 30-year-old man was treated for eye irritation.

The cause was considered accidental and the dollar loss was estimated at $40,000 ($20,000 structure and $20,000 contents).
Dispatched Units: T75 E275 E87 SQ87 BC702 JT5 JT6 BC722 RA875 RA75 E287 T87 E94 E95 EM15 E98 E298 T98 E7 DC3 BC12 T94 E294 HM94 HM75 SQ95 RA87 RA894 DC1 AR1 BC15 AR2 E39 E289 T89 RA81 RA70 EM10 EM17 RA94 RT83 RA83 E90
Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

Don't Let Scary Become Deadly: Help LAFD Prevent Halloween Fires

The celebration of Halloween is anything but a holiday for firefighters in Los Angeles and across our nation. Along with senseless injuries, such as alcohol related car crashes and trick-or-treaters struck by vehicles, is an increase in fires that can cause injury or take lives.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, for each year between 2009 and 2011, an estimated 11,300 fires were reported to Fire Departments in the United States over a three-day period around Halloween. These fires caused an estimated 30 deaths, 175 injuries and $96 million in property loss.


Halloween fires occur most frequently in the late afternoon and early evening hours, peaking during the dinner hours between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Fires then begin a slow decline, reaching their lowest statistical point between 4:00 AM and 7:00 AM.



The leading causes of Halloween residential fires include cooking (43%) and heating (15%). Careless and inappropriate action also leads to Halloween fires, as does the use of candles, hot lamps and overloaded electric circuits near highly flammable seasonal decorations.

The Los Angeles Fire Department asks you to survey your home for holiday hazards, and to take the steps necessary to keep your home and family safe this Halloween.


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

30 Seconds of Prevention: Know How to Prevent Kitchen Fires and Burns

The Los Angeles Fire Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department are joined by the world renowned Grossman Burn Centers in asking you to take just..

30 Seconds of Prevention

...to keep your family safe from kitchen fires and burn injuries. Inspector Tony Akins of the Los Angeles County Fire Department explains:


Prevent Kitchen Burns and Fires

  • Cooking aromas entice children and pets to dangerous areas of the kitchen.
  • Enforce a child and pet free zone at least 3 feet from your stove and ovens.
  • Never serve or sample hot food directly to children from the stove top.
  • Cook on back burners whenever possible, and turn pot handles away.
  • Avoid dangling cords from cooking appliances.
  • Keep your stove top clean and flammable kitchen items away.
  • Carry and serve hot foods and liquids carefully in your home.
If You Suffer a Burn Injury

  • Cool the burn with water. Do not apply ice, butter, ointments or home remedies.
  • Cover the burn with a clean dry cloth.
  • Contact a healthcare professional promptly. For a serious burn call 9-1-1.
With a focus on preventing kitchen fires and burn injuries, our month-long campaign addresses the leading cause of reported home fires and related injuries requiring medical care. Your hometown and neighborhood firefighters and staff at the Grossman Burn Centers encourage you to learn more at:



Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

Panorama City Apartment Fire Kills Woman and Injures 3

PANORAMA CITY - Firefighters quickly extinguished an apartment fire, where a woman was found deceased and three others were injured, on October 28, 2013.


The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was alerted of a Structure Fire at 8:39 AM with reports of a person possibly trapped inside. Firefighters quickly arrived to 8816 Tobias Avenue to find a seven unit, two-story apartment building with smoke pouring from second story and one unit fully involved in fire.

Due to an aggressive attack, a total of 39 firefighters under the command of Battalion Chief Jack Wise, fully extinguished the fire in just 14 minutes. The bulk of flames were confined to the unit
of origin.

Sadly, during the initial Search and Rescue of the unit on fire, a 42 year-old woman was found in the hallway beyond medical help, and was determined dead. Three people suffered non-life-threatening smoke inhalation and were transported to local hospitals in Fair condition; two were brave Police Officers assisting in evacuation and the third was a 14 year-old boy, son of the deceased.

In examining the fire's aftermath, there was no immediate evidence of a functional smoke alarm within the residence due to fire damage. There was a front security door but no window bars to impair egress of the 52-year old residence, which was not equipped with fire sprinklers.

The scene was preserved for LAFD Arson Investigators and LAPD to closely examine the cause of the deadly fire. The fire remains under active investigation and the monetary loss is still being tabulated.

A positive identification - to include the age and gender - of those who died, as well as the precise cause, time and manner of their deaths, will be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner.
Dispatched Units: E81 RA881 RA81 E90 E275 T75 E298 T98 EM12 BC12 E98 E7 RA98 AR2 AR7 DC3 AR9 E98 T98 E298
Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

30 Seconds of Prevention: Heating Your Home Safely

The Los Angeles Fire Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department are joined by the world renowned Grossman Burn Centers in asking you to take just..

30 Seconds of Prevention

...to keep your family safe from burn injuries. LAFD Captain Jaime Moore explains:


Home Heating Mistakes Can Be Deadly

If You Suffer a Burn Injury

  • Cool the burn with water. Do not apply ice, butter, ointments or home remedies.
  • Cover the burn with a clean dry cloth.
  • Contact a healthcare professional promptly. For a serious burn or any emergency, call 9-1-1.
With a focus on preventing kitchen fires and burn injuries, our month-long campaign addresses the leading cause of reported home fires and related injuries that require medical care. Your hometown and neighborhood firefighters and staff at the Grossman Burn Centers encourage you to learn more at:



Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

LAFD Ralph J. Scott Fire Boat Turns 88 Today

SAN PEDRO - Today, Saturday October 26, 2013, the remarkable Los Angeles Fire Department Ralph J. Scott fire boat turned 88 years-old. Originally named Los Angeles City No. 2, she was built in 1925 for $214,000 and was involved with most of the significant fires in the LA Harbor area. The fire boat went to sea with a crew of 14 officers and firefighters and she proudly served longer than any other single piece of apparatus in the LAFD. She was later renamed the Ralph J. Scott, in honor of the city’s most innovative Chief engineer during the early 1900s.


In case you are one of the many that have not yet had the privilege of seeing inside this amazing boat, we thought we'd bring her to you with the help of Bruce Ecker, a volunteer who has taken these beautiful panoramic photos. Click on the image and drag to navigate 360 degrees.


 

Today, Old Fire Boat No. 2 sits behind active Fire Station 112 in San Pedro. The Port of Los Angeles has begun the process of developing a multi-million dollar facility to house the rehabilitated vessel. It is a beautiful new environment for the old boat, and will be adjacent to Fire Station 112 and very close to Ports of Call Village. We warmly welcome you and your family to visit this unique National Historic Landmark in person!


Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

Firefighters Urge Pre-Halloween Safety Planning

The men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department want your Halloween celebration to be memorable for all the right reasons. Our friends at Safe Kids Worldwide explain...


Help firefighters and paramedics by following and sharing these LAFD safety tips!

BEFORE HALLOWEEN:

  • Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
  • Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.
  • Secure emergency identification (name, address, phone number) discreetly within Halloween attire or on a bracelet.
  • When shopping for costumes, wigs and accessories, purchase only those with a label indicating they are flame resistant.
  • Because a mask can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic and hypoallergenic makeup or a decorative hat as a safe alternative.
  • Do not use decorative contact lenses without consulting a qualified eye care professional.
  • Think twice before using simulated knives, guns or swords. If such props must be used, be certain they do not appear authentic and are soft and flexible to prevent injury.
  • Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries and glow sticks for all children and their escorts.
  • While children can help with designing a Jack O' Lantern, leave the carving to adults.
  • Avoid Halloween related fires by purchasing small battery powered lamps or chemical glow sticks for use in decorations and costumes.
  • This is also a great time to buy fresh batteries for your home Smoke Alarms.
  • Teach children their home phone number and to how call 9-1-1 if they have an emergency or become lost.
  • Review with your children the principle of "Stop-Drop-Roll", should their clothes catch on fire.
  • Openly discuss appropriate and inappropriate behavior at Halloween time.
  • Consider purchasing individually packaged healthy food alternatives (or safe non-food treats) for those who visit your home.
  • Take extra effort to eliminate tripping hazards on your porch and walkway. Check your property for flower pots, low tree limbs, support wires or garden hoses that may prove hazardous to young children rushing from house to house.
  • Plan now to protect your pets from frightful sights, sounds and hazards.
  • Learn or review CPR skills to aid someone who is choking or having a heart attack.
  • Consider safe party guidelines when hosting an adult or office party.
Think of unique ways you can safely share the fun in your neighborhood!

PLAN FUN ALTERNATIVES:

  • Find a special event or start one in your own neighborhood.
  • Community centers, shopping malls and houses of worship may have organized festivities.
  • Share the fun by arranging a visit to a retirement home or senior center.
  • Create an alliance with college fraternities, sororities or service clubs for children's face painting or a carnival.
We hope these preparedness tips for the days leading up to Halloween are helpful in planning a safe celebration. We're pleased to offer a separate LAFD Halloween Night Safety Checklist for the hours before nightfall on October 31!


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

30 Seconds of Prevention: Basic Kitchen Safety

The Los Angeles Fire Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department are joined by the world renowned Grossman Burn Centers in asking you to take just..

30 Seconds of Prevention

...to keep your family safe from burn injuries. LAFD Captain Jaime Moore explains:


Basic Cooking Rules and Kitchen Clean-up Prevents Fires

  • Never leave food unattended while cooking on the stove.
  • Clean all cooled stove and oven surfaces once cooking is completed.
  • Follow manufacturer instructions for stove and oven cleaning and maintenance.
If You Suffer a Burn Injury

  • Cool the burn with water. Do not apply ice, butter, ointments or home remedies.
  • Cover the burn with a clean dry cloth.
  • Contact a healthcare professional promptly. For significant burns, call 9-1-1.
With a focus on preventing kitchen fires and burn injuries, our month-long campaign addresses the leading cause of reported home fires and related injuries that require medical care. Your hometown and neighborhood firefighters and staff at the Grossman Burn Centers encourage you to learn more at:



Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

Six Simple Habits Protect You From the Flu

Minimize your risk from the fluEvery year, an estimated 5% to 20% of the United States populace suffers from seasonal influenza, more commonly known as the flu. While many consider the flu "just a bad cold," in reality, each year in the U.S., it's estimated that 200,000 or more are hospitalized for flu complications and thousands will die from flu related causes.

Many people are classified as high risk for the flu by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These groups include the elderly, young children, caregivers - including firefighters, and people with chronic illness. Vaccination is valuable for everyone, but it is especially important for those who are considered high risk. In addition, it is recommended that any person in close contact with someone in a high-risk group get vaccinated.

Flu can also burden the health care system, including Los Angeles Fire Department Paramedics, who already transport nearly 600 people to area hospitals each day with a multitude of illness and injuries.

That's why the men and women of the LAFD encourage you to practice six simple habits that can minimize your risk:

  1. Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
  2. Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
  3. Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
  4. Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
  5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
  6. Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
Speak with your physician today about getting a flu vaccination or using antiviral medication. The LAFD encourages you to share this message and distribute free 'Healthy Habits' literature with those closest to you.

Getting a vaccination and practicing these Six Simple Habits can be a lifesaver for you and those you love. To learn more, visit:

FLU.gov


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

Docker on EC2 Micro and maintaining storage growth

Docker on EC2 Micro and maintaining storage growth


If you use docker for integration or continuous testing, you may be re-building images. Every command issued through docker keeps a commit of the fs changes, so disk space can fill up fast; extremely fast on an EC2 micro instance with 8GB of EBS.

Scrounging around the issues in the docker project on github, I ran across a thread talking about solutions for the storage growth. I took it and expanded a bit.

Below is the output of past and present docker commands. Anything with a status of "Up for x minutes", those are presently running docker commands. Anything with Exit 0 or other Exit values are ended and can be discarded if they are not needed, such as you do not need to commit the changes to a new image. In the screenshot below, you can see a re-build of the mongodb image. There are two commands the Dockerfile issued that stored commits and they can be discarded.

$ sudo docker ps -a



TO DELETE UNUSED CONTAINERS: 


$ sudo docker ps -a | grep 'Exit 0' | awk '{print $1}' | xargs docker rm

​This will find any container with a "I have no error" exit status and delete them. Note: There may be other exit statuses depending on how well an image build went. If some of the commands issued in the Dockerfile are bad or fail, the status field will have a different Exit value, so just update the piped grep command with that string.




TO DELETE UNUSED IMAGES: 


$ sudo docker images | grep 'none' | awk '{print $3}' | xargs docker rmi

This will find any images that are not tagged or named. This is typical when an image is re-built. For example: if you have a running container based on an image that was re-built, `docker ps` will show that container with a hash for its image name. That just means the container is running an old (and referenced) image. Once you stop the container and replace it with a new one, running the above command will find it and remove it from the file system.








Calculate your car loan monthly payment in advance

Before applying for any loan in any bank or private financial institution, it is better to calculate the equated monthly installments (EMI). This is because you have to make proper decisions about your family budget that should not be affected due to your monthly payments. For your convenience, the State Bank of India (SBI) has featured their SBI car loan EMI calculator on their official website. You can make use of that calculator to know your anticipated EMI.
The SBI car loan EMI calculator is extremely easy to use. First you decide how much loan you require to buy a car. The car you are going to purchase may be either a new car or a used one. According to your requirement you choose your loan amount and the repaying period of the loan. Get the Interest rate from your local SBI according to the period you have chosen. The interest rate on a car loan varies as the repaying period. After deciding the best suitable repaying period you feed the loan amount, interest rate and the loan repaying period in the SBI car loan EMI calculator.


Summary: The SBI car loan EMI calculator will offer you the exact EMI you have to pay to the SBI for your car loan.

Closures, javascript and how

From the wiki article, a closure (computer science) is a function or reference to a function together with a referencing environment-- a table storing a reference to each of the non-local variables of that function.  

Closure-like constructs include callbacks and as such, are important in asynchronous programming.  Here is a simple example in PHP that uses a closure as a callback to compute the total price of a shopping cart by defining a reference table for the callback function and including variables tax and total:



The concept of closures in javascript is important to understand because you might not even know you're using it.  If you write in coffee-script classes or do classical inheritance patterns in vanilla javascript or even write callbacks in general for asynchronous programming, you are probably using closures.  The following example is a starting point for classical inheritance in javascript.  This shows how to hide private variables.  It doesn't use "new" but the pattern is very similar.



According to Effective Javascript: 68 Specific Ways To Harness The Power of Javascript, there are three essential facts regarding closures:
  • JavaScript allows you to refer to variables that were defined outside of the current function
  • Functions can refer to variables defined in outer functions even after those outer functions have returned
  • Closures can update values of outer variables

Knowing this, we can do some fun stuff in Node.JS with asynchronous programming.  With closures, we can pull a document collection from a NoSQL database, manipulate the results, and push it to an array stored via closure in the parent scope.



Hopefully you will use closures to your advantage, especially when developing in javascript, be it server side or client side or even in the database (Postgres with v8).


Accurate EMI calculations as never before

When we think of buying a new car and getting it financed, the first question that comes to our mind is EMI! But with the availability of Sbi car loan emi calculator this is no more a question of worry
People can bank on SBI easily. Sbi car loan emi calculator offers you solution in no time. In the turbulent times sbi car loan emi calculator can assist you when you find yourself stuck in a doubtful situation or unknown circumstances.

Sbi car loan emi calculator calculates the figure of EMI much before hand and enables you to calculate the total figure you would be spending to purchase that dream car of yours. The EMI’s calculated are after considering the interest so charged on the balance which reduces daily.


Summary: SBI, has many car loan schemes to offer. All you need to do is calculate wheteher you are eligible for this car loan or not using sbi car loan emi calculator. 

SharePoint 2013 - 503 Unavailable after March 2013 PU

SharePoint 2013 recently had two cumulative updates released:  March 2013 PU mandatory update, and the June 2013 CU.  I wont go into the details of obtaining these patches or running them.  Basically, you'll need a lot of down time to run the patches, as they take a while.  With that said, lets assume the patches ran, updated and completed.  Lets also assume you have already run the product configuration wizard after each patch to update the database.

For me, I had to run the patch a few times.  Due to randomness (or maybe just sloppy closed source coding) SharePoint CUs tend to fail.  The good thing, is that they either succeed 100% or fail completely (leaving SharePoint more or less in an OK state.  Luckily for me, I did not have any issues running the product configuration wizard.  I've seen and heard of instances where product configuration wizard fails, but its usually a clean up task that fails and isnt a big deal.

After I updated the March 2013 PU, I ran into a 503 unavailable for central admin and my site collections.  Instead of finding an immediate resolution, I plowed forth and installed the June 2013 CU with success.  Unfortunately after the database upgrade and a SharePoint server reboot, I was still getting a 503 error when trying to access SharePoint.

After a bit of googling, I found a working solution to this particular problem.  Load up IIS Manager and head to the Server Application Pools.  As per this post and for me, all of my Application Pools were stopped.  Without hesitation, I started every stopped pool, restarted IIS and once again was able to access Central Admin and my Site Collections.



Sbi Car Loan EMI Calculator Assist You In Managing Your Money

Every car loan has EMIs associated with it. Calculating EMIs well in advance helps you to plan your budget accordingly. Sbi car loan emi calculator is one such device which is designed to provide you with the idea so that you can calculate your car loan EMIs that you need to pay to the bank after purchasing the car loan. Sbi car loan emi calculator is present on the website of the State Bank of India which will give you an idea on as to what are the policies of the bank along with the amount that you need to pay in terms of EMIs.
Sbi car loan emi calculator will make you well acquainted with the process of availing the car loan and will also help you understand the terms and conditions of the car loan policy provided by State Bank of India.


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State Bank of India has a renowned reputation as compared to most of the banks in terms of their lending policies be it a car loan, housing loans, etc. The policies of the State Bank of India (SBI) have always taken care of the welfare of its customers in every possible way.
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Getting Car Loans Were Never This Easy

Planning to buy a new car in this quarter? Wash your worries away with SBI car loan EMI calculator. SBI, is one of the largest financial solution providers in the country that helps people plan their future expenses.
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New study explores efficacy of vasectomies

For the estimated 80 million domestic cats that are kept as house pets, there are as many roaming free.

Those numbers shouldn't be surprising, considering the rate at which felines are able to reproduce. I've previously written about the overpopulation issue with cats and dogs, and getting these numbers in check has been the focus of many. Spay and neuter programs and protocols are helping to make progress.

First, understand that from a biological standpoint, we are in a battle with pets. Reproductive success drives evolution, pure and simple. It's the strongest biological factor in any species. Biology has a way of taking over, jumping any hurdle that is put in its path and compensating. The pets themselves have no control over their biological drives, and therefore can't curb their behavior when it comes reproducing.

Comprised of a clowder of free-roaming cats that are the descendants of unaltered tame cats somewhere in their ancestral line, the social structure is by no means random: at its core, it has at least one sexually-active dominant male and fertile females who are often well-bonded and who will help care for their respective litters and each other. Colonies are often formed around shelter — be it a wooded area, abandoned house, under a porch area that doesn’t get that much foot traffic or something else — and a food source of some sort.

Because of their unique resiliency, feral cat colonies have posed a special challenge. The structure and reproductive patterns of these groups have piqued the interest of researchers and got them thinking: Could the way that a feline in a feral colony is sterilized impact the overall numbers of new litters that are born?

First, TVHR is not a common way to address feral cat populations. Trap, neuter and release TNR on the other hand, is a more widely-accepted approach to controlling feral cat colony populations, and for a lot of reasons.

Because TVHR isn’t put into use as much and because the life span of feral cats is far shorter — an average of three years as opposed to the 15 that their Indoor Positioning System — it’s been difficult to extrapolate the long-term data that helps to give some solid numbers that researchers would be looking for. Each computer run simulated the feral cat population over 6,000 days, tracking individual cats on a daily basis, thus predicting effectiveness of TVHR.

Those two things are very advantageous: the cats don't reproduce, and because they no longer produce reproductive hormones, behaviors like fighting, spraying and howling are reduced, addressing the needs of the community-at-large. Behaviors like those would be troublesome to anyone who lives in close proximity to a feral colony.

A possible advantage to vasectomy as opposed to neuter procedure is that though the tube that carries semen is cut, the animal retains their testicles and their reproductive hormones. For that reason, upon being returned to the colony, the cat preserves his dominant position and can continue mating with females without producing kittens — and quite possibly protect their turf from other male competitors that are “intact”.

Conversely, a neutered male loses his dominant position in the colony, and the next most dominant male takes his place — and the cycle continues. It's important to note that when a female cat that has not been sterilized mates with a male that has had a vasectomy, she enters a 45-day pseudo-pregnancy, dipping the chance of fertile mating even further.

Your DSLR probably came bundled with a standard 18-55mm lens. This is a solid jack-of-all-trades that sports a nice wide angle and reasonable focal length. However, any photographer worth their salt needs to bolster their kit with a few additional lenses — otherwise you might as well have stuck with a high-end compact camera. In almost all cases, the type of lens employed will have a bigger effect on image quality than the camera itself.


For most photographers, a telephoto zoom lens makes the most sense for your next purchase. Most DSLR models offer affordable 55-200mm lenses that are great for capturing faraway action, such as animals at the zoo.

An ultra-wide-angle zoom lens is also worth putting on your shopping list: this will allow you to take great panoramas without any tedious stitching and are also great when you need to capture everyone in crowded group photos, making them a staple of wedding photographers. On the other end of the spectrum is the macro lens with a fixed aperture: these let you get up close and personal with the camera’s subject and are a great way of documenting nature.

One of the simplest ways to improve your DSLR’s performance is to install the latest firmware upgrade. These are usually available on the manufacturer’s website and may include everything from improved auto-focus tracking to recording RAW video files. Firmware updates are also free, which is good news for photographers on a budget.

In addition to official vendor updates, you can also find custom, third-party firmware for many DSLR models. These are capable of super-charging your camera with a wide range of features that the manufacturer didn’t include.

No really. Many dismiss 3D as a fading fad, but when it comes to user-created content the technology is more than just a gimmick. It’s capable of adding a whole new dimension to your photos both literally and figuratively. Imagine watching your baby’s first steps in a format that you can almost reach out and touch — it might seem vaguely cool now, but what about in twenty years when you kids have flown the coop? Adding 3D functionality to your DSLR will make your recorded memories far more tangible.


One recent example is the Kúla Deeper: a snap-on hardware accessory that allows you to create 3D photos and movies. The accessory adds a pair of mirrors on either side of your DSLR lens for dual image capture. The Kúla Deeper works with most regular DSLRs although viewing the results naturally requires a 3D-compatible display. Charmingly, there’s also an Anaglyph mode which lets you watch the movies with a pair of retro red-and-blue 3D glasses. Bless.

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Defining casual luxury

I love its change of seasons and the energy that the younger generation of emerging designers bring to the table. Also, when purchasing piece after piece of boutiquery, the texture and colour of fabric is what informs me and gets me charged. Retail should, for the most part, be enjoyable, regardless of whether you're buying a lipstick or a car; and more than anything else, that is what I want for every person that walks through our doors. Life is kind of tough for everyone right now; everyone's a bit hard-pressed, so when you have that opportunity or that moment to have that interaction, they should be made to feel good; to be left with a great impression.
I must say, through this business I've met some great individuals. I aspire to turn my customers into friends. It's nice to be able to say to them "How are your kids?", "How's your family?" or "What happened last weekend?" Boutiques are able to connect to customers in a way big department stores or shopping online can't, so it's important to me to be afforded the privilege to cultivate those relationships.

 I don't like to dress up, I've left that behind me, now. I really only dress up when I have to; whatever function requires me to and, thankfully, I don't go to a lot of those. I love a casual look that I can start out in the morning and can take me right into the evening, because when life takes over, I seem to always be going by the 'seat of my pants'. The concept of going home to change rarely happens for me very well and fortunately, I'm good with that. I like to have pieces in my wardrobe that meet the requirement of a full day: work, lunch, dinner, if I have to meet up with friends for a night out. Jamaica's relaxed lifestyle and the fact that I don't work corporate allow me to fully exercise my casual tastes.

As you mature, I think one tends to learn more about oneself and what we naturally prefer and so, with that said, I like to be comfortable; that's my thing. I don't want to have to be constantly readjusting my outfit once I'm out the door, I want to be left to concentrate on the other things in my life that need to get done. I don't have a lot of clothes nor a huge wardrobe, but I like timeless pieces that I can keep and wear over and real time Location system. I know many people don't like to wear the same thing twice, but I definitely play favourites. Whenever a much-loved piece 'dies', I'm really saddened and find myself organising the hunt for its swift replacement.

They're not playing slots or video poker. No, they're trying their hand at upcoming games such as "Titanfall" and "Ryse."

This is the GameStop Expo. The world's largest video game retailer first organized the gathering of its most passionate customers last year during its annual meeting of store managers. While the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles is no longer open to the public, the GameStop Expo offers everyday gamers a chance to preview upcoming titles and hardware.


The expo's more than 5,000 attendees waited in snaking lines inside a cavernous Sands Expo hall early Wednesday to test-drive Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4, the next-generation systems due out this November. "Call of Duty: Ghosts," "Titanfall," "Ryse: Son of Rome" and "Battlefield 4" were among the most popular games on display.

"I'm here to see and play all the next-gen consoles and games for myself," Shawn Smoak, a 22-year-old self-professed "Sony fanboy," said while waiting to try out "Titanfall." "You can read everything you possibly can about them online, but until you actually get your hands on the controller, you don't really know anything. That's what this is all about."

Beyond the expo hall in meeting rooms at the Venetian casino and Sands convention center, more than 5,000 managers from company's nearly 4,500 stores in the U.S. spent three days learning all about how to sell new games and hardware to customers like those at its expo. The retailer currently boasts about 25 million members in its PowerUp Rewards program.

GameStop launched the gamer gathering last year after the Grapevine, Texas-based company's international divisions successfully hosted their own events. (Last year's EB Games Expo in Australia welcomed more than 30,000 attendees.) Admission for Wednesday's event ranged from $20 for student tickets to $100 for VIP access that included early entry.

"We didn't want to be in the live events business," said GameStop CEO Paul Raines. "This was something that was pulled out of us. The customers wanted it. The PowerUp Rewards community was asking for us to give them an opportunity to see new products and games. People love it because this is the only place where they can play `Titanfall' right now."

Frazier, a black sociologist at Howard University and the first black president of the American Sociological Society published the first edition of his book in France in 1957 and it was later translated into English and a second edition was published in 1962. Much of the book is dated as the size and importance of the black middle-class has dramatically increased over the past 50 years. Blacks have become an integral part of all areas of American life up to and including the presidency of the United States. Yet the perception of exclusion remains. Forty years after the publication of "Black Bourgeoisie," Ellis Cose published "The Rage of a Privileged Class" that was a look at the black middle-class. In it he details the frustrations of black professionals who in spite of their greatly improved status in American society still felt marginalized.

In spite of the passage of the civil rights laws of the 1960's and progress made by blacks over the last 50 years, events such as the Zimmerman trial reveal to what extent we are still two separate societies. The explanation that would be given by most black commentators is the persistence of racism. The basis of disparate impact law is the notion that if imbalances exist in the numbers of minorities in an occupation, the starting assumption is that the reason is racial prejudice. By analogy, if a white Hispanic shoots an unarmed black teenager, the reason is racial animus and the burden of proof is on the white to prove otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Remembering Martin Luther King

The final refrain of Martin Luther King Jr.'s most famous speech will echo around the world as bells from churches, schools and historical monuments "let freedom ring" in celebration of a powerful moment in civil rights history.

Organizers said sites in nearly every state will ring their bells at 3 p.m. their time Wednesday or at 3 p.m. EDT, the hour when King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington.Commemorations are planned from the site of the speech in Washington to the far reaches of Alaska, where participants plan to ring cow bells along with church bells in Juneau.


 "When we allow freedom to ring - when we let it ring from every city and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, `Free at last, free at last, great God almighty, we are free at last," King said in closing.

On Wednesday, bells will answer his call from each of the specific states King named, as well as at other sites around the nation and the world. At the Lincoln Memorial, President Barack Obama and former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter will join members of the King family and indoor Tracking. John Lewis, who also spoke at the March on Washington, in ringing a bell that hung in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., before the church was bombed in 1963, organizers said.

International commemorations will be held at London's Trafalgar Square, as well as in the nations of Japan, Switzerland, Nepal and Liberia. London Mayor Boris Johnson has said King's speech resonates around the world and continues to inspire people as one of the great pieces of oratory.
"The response to our call to commemorate the March on Washington and my father's `I Have a Dream' speech has been overwhelming," King's daughter, the Rev. Bernice King, said in a written statement.Some of the sites that will host ceremonies are symbolic, such as the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, Kan., a monument to the landmark Supreme Court case that outlawed segregated schools in 1954. Bells will also be rung at Lookout Mountain in Tennessee and Stone Mountain in Georgia, a site with a Confederate memorial that King referenced in his speech.

In the nation's capital, numerous organizations and churches will ring their bells at 3 p.m., including the Smithsonian Institution on the National Mall. Washington National Cathedral will play a series of tunes and spirituals on its carillon from the church's central bell tower, including "Lift Every Voice and Sing," "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory," "Amazing Grace," "We Shall Overcome" and "My Country `tis of Thee."The Very Rev. Gary Hall, the cathedral's dean, said bell ringing is a symbol of freedom in the nation's history and that many churches are trying to answer King's call to be faithful to the roots of the civil rights movement.

"It's a kind of proclamation of our aspirations for the expansion of freedom for all people," he said. "It's always important to remember that the civil rights movement started largely as a church movement. ... It was essentially a group of black clergy with some white allies."


King preached his final Sunday sermon at the National Cathedral in 1968 before traveling on to Memphis, Tenn., where he was assassinated. King had been turning his attention more toward economic inequalities with his Poor People's Campaign, moving beyond solely racial issues to talk about all poor people and high unemployment.

His presence at the commemorative ceremony Wednesday will embody the fulfilled dreams of the hundreds of thousands who rallied there 50 years ago for racial equality - and will personify the continued struggle for that elusive goal.

When he became president, Obama blasted through a heavy barrier that many before him had only pushed against. But his presidency has been marred by racist backlash and his administration has found itself refighting battles already thought won, such as ensuring equal access to the polls.

Obama is expected to speak just after an organized ringing of bells by churches and others at 3 p.m. EDT, the time when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his spellbinding "I Have a Dream" speech. Obama will be joined by former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton at the memorial's steps. Other luminaries include Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, daughter of President Lyndon Johnson, who signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

A march, led by a replica of a transit bus that civil rights leader Rosa Parks rode when she refused to give up her seat to a white man in 1955, and an interfaith service also were planned for Wednesday morning. A march held Saturday drew tens of thousands to the Lincoln Memorial.


Obama considers the 1963 march a "seminal event" and part of his generation's "formative memory." A half-century after the march, he said, is a good time to reflect on how far the country has come and how far it still has to go.

 The first lady spoke Tuesday before a screening of the documentary "The Powerbroker: Whitney Young's Fight for Civil Rights." It follows Young's rise from segregated Kentucky to leader of the National Urban League during the 1960s.

Young was one of the organizers for the 1963 March on Washington, which featured Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. Mrs. Obama is scheduled to join President Barack Obama as he makes a speech Wednesday commemorating the 50th anniversary of the march.

"For every Dr. King, there is a Whitney Young or a Roy Wilkins or a Dorothy Height, each of whom played a critical role in the struggle for change," she said before the screening at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, part of the White House complex.

Mrs. Obama said she learned from the documentary that Young drew from his intelligence and sense of humor to face discrimination and challenges. He worked with three presidential administrations, community leaders, business executives and regular citizens to champion for race relations.

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Babysitter sexually abused young boys

Thomas Curley, 73, of Cedar Road, Ribbleton pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to 14 counts of historic abuse dating back to the early nineties. Two of the charges were attempted rape, the other 12 were indecent assault.The frail pensioner, who appeared in the dock on crutches, escaped a life term because his offences over a 12-year period - which also involved a third, unconnected, boy - were committed before sentencing rules were tightened up.

Two of the victims, now adults, were in court as Judge Pamela Badley told Curley: “The family trusted you and the way you repaid that trust was to perform acts that these days would be called rape.“You don’t see yourself as a child sex offender. You don’t see yourself as presenting a potential risk to children. But your pattern of behaviour is such that young people have been at risk from you and will be in the future.”

Curley befriended the family and then set about abusing the eldest of the two boys on an almost daily basis when he was just six.Most of the offences, said prosecuting barrister Jeremy Grout-Smith, happened when he was babysitting, or when he called to take the children to school. He also assaulted the boy on a fishing trip and when he accompanied him on his paper round.

When the victim reached 16 and threatened to kill Curley with a knife, he turned his attention to the boy’s younger brother, abusing him several times a week for between 18 months and two years.“He was a trusted, close family friend,” said Mr Grout-Smith. “He won the family’s trust and gained free access to their home.”

The court heard Curley became more physical and aggressive and at times grabbed the eldest boy by the throat or tied his hands before abusing him.The impact on the family, said Mr Grout-Smith, had been ?“devastating.” The abuse had a “catastrophic” effect on the eldest brother in particular. He felt Curley owned him and made him feel worthless and full of self-loathing. He turned to drink and drugs to cope with the abuse and Indoor Positioning System.

The youngest brother felt he was “a piece of meat,” was stripped of his confidence and was disgusted with himself. He too turned to cannabis.“The whole family has been tortured by Curley’s evil conduct towards the boys,” added Mr Grout-Smith. Defending Curley, who had previous child sex convictions dating back to 1955, Jane Dagnall told the court her client had himself been a victim of abuse as a child. “He is at risk of self-harm and has made suicide attempts in the past,” she said.

Judge Badley told him he was guilty of “depraved and disgusting behaviour towards children.”The older brother, she said, “was only six when he had the misfortune to be put in close proximity to you. His family have gone through agonies of regret over this.“I have considered whether a life sentence is available, but there are no complete rape offences here so I must move on from that.

“Despite you advanced age I am of the opinion that there is a significant risk to the public. This is a lengthy sentence and it is certainly one where your victims will be counting the days.”

The last time Dan Braniff fomented a seniors’ revolution, he was a sprightly 74. This time he’s a less nimble 82, but the issue compels him to sound the bugle again.

His first crusade ended in victory, although it took a change of government to get it. In 2005, Braniff and a few friends — “five old geezers” as he put it — launched a campaign to persuade former prime minister Paul Martin to allow married seniors to split their retirement income equally, reducing their tax bill. They managed to enlist 2.5 million people.

Braniff expects this battle to be bigger. Pensioners across Canada will be sideswiped if Ottawa gives American telecommunications giant Verizon privileged access to the Canadian telecommunications market. Many have a large portion of their savings invested in Bell, Rogers and Telus.

As a former executive of Bell Canada, Braniff is more exposed than most. But he is by no means alone. Robert Farmer, president of the Canadian Federation of Pensioners, which represents a quarter of a million retirees, fired off a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, warning that the failure of any of the big three Canadian telecommunications companies would bring “irreparable harm to all pensioners.”

Bernard Dussault, former chief actuary of the Canada Pension Plan, issued an analysis calling seniors the forgotten victims of the government’s scheme to intervene in the telecommunications market. “The three wireless incumbents represent a core investment for most Canadian pensions, savings plans, RRSPs, RRIFs and numerous nest eggs,” he wrote, pointing out their market value had dropped by about $15 billion since Aug. 9.

No one is accusing the government of deliberately putting the incomes of pensioners at risk. But federal officials would be trading seniors’ security for the possibility of lower cellphones rates under the rules the Tories have set for next year’s wireless spectrum auction.


Industry Canada has stipulated that Bell, Rogers and Telus would each be restricted to bidding on 25 per cent of the 700-megahertz band (which provides the highest-speed service). New entrants, such as Verizon, would be allowed to bid for 50 per cent of the new frequency.

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How the Video Game Sacked Its Rivals

The year was 1988. George Michael’s “Faith” was top of the pops. “Roseanne” was the number-one show on TV. Bruce Willis, starring in “Die Hard,” still had hair. As a sophomore at Bowdoin College, I was rocking a wicked moustache. And a game called “John Madden Football” from Electronic Arts slipped onto the market for the primitive consoles and computers of the era.

On Tuesday, the Madden franchise turns 25, with versions of “Madden 25” for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and next-generation consoles going on sale. Madden stands pretty much alone, with EA’s wallet ensuring few others will be able to match its might in licensing National Football League teams and players or bearing the development costs to set industry standards in motion graphics and realism.

It wasn’t always that way. The original Madden game was several years in the making, and when it came out, it was essentially a football version of the stats-and-blocky-graphics hit, “Earl Weaver Baseball.”

In 1988, it was the most-realistic pro football simulation out there, but because there were no NFL team or player licenses for football computer games, teams were only loosely based on the Hands free access. Players were colored blips on a green-and-white-lined screen. Play success was based on stats. You could only play one-off exhibition games, but you could store those games in progress on a floppy disk.

Even then, you could see the possibilities. That has long been the hallmark of the EA game, as it took out competitor after competitor. Does anyone remember Joe Montana Football, also an EA game? NFL 2K? NFL Game Day? NFL Fever? NFL Blitz? They were all roadkill under the wheels of the ever-growing Madden team bus.

I remember playing Madden for the first time in a computer lab. I wasn’t hooked. It wasn’t as good or easy to play as Earl Weaver Baseball, and in 1991, I switched briefly to Joe Montana Football. That was a more arcade-like experience, with fewer choices and easier-to-master computer controls.

But with a great leap in computer processing power, I switched back to Madden — now cool enough to have just one, single name — in the mid-1990s. I bought and played each annual update religiously, reveling in the ever-improving and more-realistic graphics and gameplay.

I also cussed over some of the developers’ decisions to change controls or introduce new features that scratched the shine off the user experience or marred gameplay. EA and developers are under constant pressure to innovate what’s basically the same game, year after year. Some years, they succeeded. In others, they failed.

For this column, I hark back to earlier versions of Madden, giving you the five memorable features, good and bad. I am leaving out the amazing advances in graphics that we’ve seen through the years, because new and faster hardware have largely made that all possible for pretty much every game.

from the very first version, Madden was about customization, however simple-structured. Back then, there was a blank team you could name, and a roster you could populate, providing ratings for the players. I remember the roster crashed regularly on my PC, and I was forever trying to figure out how to save the roster I had spent hours building before the next crash. Now, customization of rosters or creation of players (first seen in Madden NFL 1996) is all very visual and is handled through menus and icons. You can make your player look any way you want, give him tattoos, gear, rtls, helmet styles and fit him out with other purchased or unlocked kit. Player ratings can be set and adjusted whenever you like. You can earn boosts. Ultimate Team, the online customizable team you assembled through card packs, trying to improve skills and chemistry, first appeared in 2010 and has become a favorite mode for online gamers.

Madden NFL 1999 first let you step back and think about more than calling plays. Using the new franchise mode, you could behave like a general manager, trading players, signing free agents and carrying your new team through over several seasons. Several seasons later, Madden NFL 2004 added owner functions, like letting you bring in consultants to advise on your franchise decisions and set ticket prices to draw in crowds. Madden NFL 2006 recognized that super-rich players could also make or break a franchise and let you take control of your career from your rookie year to the Hall of Fame via Superstar Mode. Madden started letting you play head-to-head with other gamers in Madden NFL 2003, but it wasn’t until Madden NFL 2010 that you could finally take your franchise online and play it against other players. This year, Madden 25 has merged Superstar Mode and the Online Franchise mode, letting you hop between coach or player without having to start a new dynasty. And Owner Mode is back as part of the Connected Franchise feature.

In the real game of football, a quarterback has multiple choices for receivers. In the early days of electronic football games, it wasn’t like that. You locked in one play for one receiver and hurled the ball in his general direction. If he was covered, you either ran the ball or threw it out of bounds. Then came Madden NFL 1994 and the introduction of choice. Early icon passing was done via multiple, tiled windows through which you picked a receiver. That has since been gradually improved and modified to let you pick any receiver you want, on the fly, with a single button push on your controller. Precision passing, both as a named feature and a refinement of the single-choice pass, was a welcome refinement. Just like in the NFL, the quarterback can do a touch or lob pass with a tap of a button or fire a bullet by holding the button down and slightly alter the receiver’s route with a touch of a stick, allowing him to reach around, behind or in front of a defender. The subtlety makes all the difference in a skilled player’s hands and has made Madden inherently more-realistic and fun.

Less fun was the introduction of the Vision Cone in Madden NFL 2006. Supposedly tied to the quarterback’s skill level and tendencies, it totally skewed the game in an unrealistic direction, favoring pocket passers. Great passers had a cone that encompassed nearly everything, from sideline to sideline, while scrambling and running quarterbacks were nearly blind when they stepped back to pass, meaning they were far more-likely to be off-target. Good thing that cone disappeared without a further word and hasn’t been seen since.

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Mutoh America Exhibits

Mutoh will be introducing a new G7-enabled process control solution for its ValueJet family. Working in conjunction with ColorMetrix Technologies and SA International, Mutoh will demonstrate an enhanced version of its ColorVerify process control software with G7-based calibration, providing its users with an advanced set of tools for ensuring consistent color reproduction over time.

The new ValueJet 1617H - 64" hybrid printer prints on both rigid and roll substrates, with CMYK plus white ink, up to a half inch thick. Perfect for any sign shop looking to expand applications, increase production and save floor space. Print packaging prototypes, trade show graphics, POP signage, vehicle wraps and indoor and outdoor signage. The VJ1617H will be show in Mutoh's booth as well as the "Inkjet Candy Store," booth 1631.

Mutoh will also be demonstrating print/cut solutions with the new ValueCut Cutting Plotters. Available in three different cut widths, the ValueCut plotters are ideal for home, office and professional users providing the finest cutting quality with unsurpassed tracking capabilities. All models come standard with a roll support system for Indoor Positioning System, perfect tracking and multi-segment registration for long run cut job accuracy.

With the new ValueJet 1617H, Mutoh will also be presenting printing demonstrations on the ValueJet 1624 - 64" and 1324 - 54" printers. With blazing print speeds up to 600 sqft/hr (VJ1624), the VJ1624 and VJ1324 include a two year warranty, SA International FlexiPrint software and take-up system. Both printers have Smart Printing features including: Intelligent Interweave print technique that virtually eliminates banding, ValueJet Status Monitor app for remote printer monitoring, and can both printers can be equipped with Mutoh's SpectroVue VM-10 on-printer spectrophotometer for easy customized profile creation. The ValueJet 1624 printer is known as the "Wrapper's Choice" printer for speed, size and quality. Mutoh will be showcasing vehicle wrap tips and tricks at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily.

Mutoh will also be partnering with the Printerverse, booth 5440, providing an interactive booth for print professionals that includes seminars, meet and greets, social media forum and more.

An iPad or laptop, along with a cell phone or smartphone, will be a staple in some students’ backpacks this fall, as a growing number of districts now allow students to bring their own electronic devices with them to use in school.Once banned from school, schools are now recognizing today’s students are tomorrow’s digital citizens, and have adopted “bring your own device” policies.

The policy is new for Carlisle Area, Cumberland Valley and East Pennsboro Area school districts this year. Mechanicsburg Area School District piloted it last year, and is expanding it this year.Lower Dauphin, Northern York and West Shore school districts adopted the practice last school year, and Derry Twp. and Harrisburg Academy have had “bring your own” practices for two years.

Hazen said young people have some form in technology in their hands almost constantly. “For them to come to school and suddenly disconnect” isn’t realistic, he said. “School shouldn’t be a technology- free zone. We should try and incorporate it as best we can in daily practice.”
At Cumberland Valley, the reaction to the “bring your own device” policy was “very positive” when it was unveiled last spring, said Amy Lena, district supervisor of curriculum, instruction and indoor Tracking.“Of course there are some people who are a little nervous, because we don’t know what it will be like on a full scale,” she added.

But students “need to know how to be digital citizens. By allowing them to bring devices into the classroom, they can learn to use them in a real world situation,” Lena said. Students will learn how to evaluate Internet sites, and learn why some are not appropriate or credible as sources.

At Lower Dauphin High School, students can use cell phones “door-to-door,” Hazen said. “We allow teachers to regulate how they manage their classrooms, rather than making it a blanket rule,” Hazen said.

“It has worked really well in terms of students knowing what the rules were,” Hazen said. “Putting them away for tests – the kids get that.”One of the first uses in Cumberland Valley classrooms will be to allow students to provide immediate feedback or answers to teachers, either through their Internet-ready device or response pads the district purchased.

Students will also be able to type their work directly on their electronic tablet or laptop. That answers the questions posed by students who had been asking why they have to do a rough draft on paper, rather than type it, Lena said.“We will also save money, since we will not need to print as much, and can give it to them electronically,” she said. “We still will have.

devices available, since not everyone will be able to bring them right away.” But the district doesn’t have enough to give to every student, which is where the “bring your own” initiative helps.Lena said she isn’t sure how many students will be bringing their devices. The district did a survey on home Internet access, which showed most have some type of device at home.

As to whether the policy will highlight difference between the affluent and less fortunate, Lena doesn’t foresee it being an issue.

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