Dixie Carter resorts to pleading with fans to DVR Impact if they can't watch it live on Twitter

Source: www.sbnation.com --- Sunday, March 14, 2010 via img.thesun.co.uk View full size photo » Perhaps the only good news TNA got this week was that the replay of Impact in their old Thursday night time slot drew an impressive 1.0 rating. Unfortunately this strong rating apparently didn't make Spike TV change their minds about the replay only being for one week only, as Dixie Carter wrote the following on Twitter 14 hours ago: " TNA iMPACT! will NOT re-air on Thursdays. If you can't watch LIVE Mondays 9-11pm ET on SPIKE, please DVR it. PLEASE RT". Knowing TNA, I'm sure they forgot to tell the one million or so people watching their replay this salient fact and Dixie Carter had to make a desperation tweet to get the news out to her 34,000 followers on Twitter. Well, that's sure to make a huge difference to their Monday night rating! Forward planning is obviously not TNA's strong point. ...

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What's Wrong With The FCC's Consumer Broadband Test?

The FCC recently published some tools to let consumers measure some internet characteristics. The context is the FCC's "National Broadband Plan". I guess the FCC wants to gather data about the kind of internet users receive today so that the National Broadband Plan, whatever it may turn out to be, actually improves on the status quo. The motivation is nice but the FCC's methodology is technically weak. There are several goals to which the National Broadband Plan ought to aspire: That consumers have a subjective sense that their use of the internet is fast and without unacceptable delays. I picked a subjective standard here for reasons to be discussed later in this note. That reliability of consumer access is high and that the time for providers to detect, diagnose, and repair problems is low (and not expensive to providers.) It seems that these matters of reliability are routinely ignored, yet they are of paramount concern, particularly as the internet becomes more and more a part our health and safety systems; it will be a sorry day if someone picks up their internet based VoIP phone to call 911 and the link (or some necessary ancillary service, such as DNS) is down for an extended repair. That consumers' have a real foundation to believe that their use of the net is private and not being used either to generate marketing data about them. This note will address only the first of these goals. The first thing that is wrong is that the FCC's tools are not well focused with regard to exactly what parts of the internet they are measuring. And second, the measurements that are taken are too vague to be of more than anecdotal value. I've drawn up a simple diagram to illustrate. This is a simplified diagram, it is intended to focus on that part of the net of concern to the National Broadband Plan. In particular it looks at the part of the net that represents the "internet" product sold by today's Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The arrows in this drawing are interfaces where these clouds join, they are not communications lines. This diagram shows things as connected clouds because that more accurately represents the things that make up the way that user's connect to the internet. The basic parts of the diagram are these: User Network: Many users today, and probably nearly all users in the future, will have networks, often wireless, within their homes. The quality and traffic of those networks will have a substantial effect on consumer's perceptions of net quality (and ISPs will bear increasing non-reimbursed costs when their customers have troubles in his part of the net.) However, except with regard to the maintenance issue, the user's home network cloud ought to be considered neither as part of either the National Broadband Plan or of the FCC's Consumer Broadband Test. User Access Link and User's ISP Cloud: I have shown the provider ISP's path as two parts. First is the part that runs from the router of "modem" at the consumers home or office to the provider's first IP router. The second part is the provider's internal "backhaul", i.e. the IP network inside the provider. It is important to consider these two parts separately. User Access Link: This is the part of that today's ISPs advertise to consumers; this is the part about which the claims of umpteen megabits/second download are made. In general the User Access Link is the IP "hop" between the user's home modem or router and the first IP router within the ISP. Often this "link" is composed of several communications technologies. For example what appears to the consumer to be an Asymmetrical DSL link (ADSL) might be composed in full or in part of ATM or other non-IP switching technologies that exhibit many of the congestive and impairment behaviors found in IP networks. There may be MPLS paths that simply do not show up in "traceroute". Moreover, the User Access Link may have an IP Maximum Transmission Unit size that is less than the 1500 bytes that is presumed by a considerable amount of end-user network applications and protocol stacks; that difference can have a substantial negative impact on some forms of network traffic (video) and almost none on others (VoIP). The User Access Link should not be considered as a private path that is not shared with other users' traffic. User's ISP Cloud: This is that portion of the ISP that carries traffic to and from customers User Access Links. Some resources that are critical to user perception of network speed may be located here, most particularly domain name system (DNS) resolvers, web caches, email servers, and the like. For small ISPs the "ISP Cloud" might be as simple as a small Ethernet at the provider's facility; for larger ISPs the "ISP Cloud" might be an national or international network of substantial size and power. Internet: This is the vast landscape of the internet except for those content providers with which the ISP entered into special traffic exchange arrangements. Private Peering to large content providers: This is often where the largest of the large network traffic sources and sinks are to be found. This is the land of Google/YouTube and of content distribution networks. Content to/from users might be able to flow via the internet to those places but in order to provide faster access and to give the large content providers better control over the quality of their products both ISPs and large providers often prefer to create these kinds of special peering relationships. This is a game for big players; small ISPs and smaller content providers are often not able to play at these tables. (Please note that I am using the word "peering" in a way that may be different from its use in settlement-free peering between ISPs.) The portions of interest to the FCC's National Broadband Plan are the part between "A" and "B" and between "A" and "C". These are shown inside the yellow box. So what does all of this have to do with the National Broadband Plan in general and the FCC's Consumer Broadband test in particular? First of all, we must recognize that a user's perception of network quality and speed is a complex function that involves the entire path between the user and the remote service. Many protocol stacks and applications can degrade badly even if one seemingly small aspect changes. For example, the speed with which domain name system (DNS) queries are answered is often a major, or even the dominant, component of how quickly web pages are fetched and rendered. Indeed with the increasing number of "analytics" web bugs and links to "share" content the number of DNS queries involved in a page fetch can be quite surprising. And DNS responsivity is a matter that involves more than mere bandwidth. Other applications degrade for other reasons. VoIP is often made incomprehensible by even small amounts of packet reordering, something that can occur quite often as a result of certain wireless technologies, load-balanced pathways, or routing behavior. And applications that use large packets, applications such as high quality video, can be badly affected by fragmentation of packets due to link MTU values of less than about 1500 bytes. There are many characteristics that play a part. Among these are Quality of Service (QoS) handling, queuing disciplines and drop policies in routers, and congestion handling in protocol stacks. Moreover there are an increasing number of protocol "accelerators" that try to obtain better user performance by abandoning the protocol etiquette algorithms that are built into well implemented TCP stacks. Those accelerators may create local benefits to their users, as long as the number of such users is small, but they damage the experience of other users. The National Broadband Plan tends to be involved only with the "User Access Link" part of my drawing. Yet the FCC's tests tend to lump all the parts of the drawing into one number thus masking the contribution of each part. A national broadband build-out that does not deal with the entire system will be a waste of time and money. A user whose ISP has a magnificent broadband User Access Link but inadequate backhaul and connectivity to the internet at large is a user who is going to be dissatisfied. Thus for the FCC's tests to be meaningful they need to do two things: They need to isolate and separately report the attributes of the User Network, the User Access Link, the User's ISP Cloud, and the degree of private peering to large content providers. The attributes that are measured need to be much deeper than "bandwidth" and "latency" and "jitter". I would recommend that the FCC look at the way that tools like PathChar and Pchar construct a detailed hop-by-hop analysis of network paths. Those tools require many thousands of packets over many tens of minutes for each hop in a path. In my own work I began (but never completed) a project to design a protocol to enable the fast and inexpensive measure of paths characteristics for proposed packet flows. That work is visible on the net at http://www.cavebear.com/archive/fpcp/fpcp-sept-19-2000.html.

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2010 Best Theme Park Attraction nominee: Fantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios

By Robert Niles: Theme Park Insider readers have rated Fantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios as the top seed in the Best Live Show bracket of the 2010 Best Theme Park Attraction Tournament. Fantasmic! opened at the then-Disney-MGM Studios in 1998, following the original Disneyland version of the show, which has been playing on the Rivers of America in Anaheim since 1992. (A third version will open at Tokyo DisneySea next year.) Fantasmic! presents highlights from many classic Disney films, in live action and animation projected on water screens in front of a massive outdoor stage. Mickey Mouse provides the focus for the show, as it's his dream that brings together all these classic Disney moments, culminating in his fiery battle with Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent. The Walt Disney World version of the show plays in Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, which was built for the show. The other big difference between the two versions has been the frequency with which it plays. Until last year, when the schedule was cut back, the Disney World version played nearly every night, unlike the California version, which plays only during summers and holidays. The shows differ in a few other ways: The Disney World version plays a few minutes longer, due to additional clips of villains. And the final character flood takes place on Steamboat Willie's steamship, instead of on the Mark Twain, as it does in Disneyland. To me, the Mark Twain's always been more visually impressive than the smaller Steamboat Willie ship, but the Florida version fits better within the theme of the show. A black-and-white Mickey piloting Steamboat Willie's boat makes sense. Mickey on the Mark Twain... not so much. Despite playing in a massive theater (with room for more than 9,000 visitors), Fantasmic! remains a tough "ticket" most nights, making various dining packages at park restaurants that guarantee a Fantasmic! seat popular options. This show's enduring popularity made it an obvious top seed, but in which bracket? The show's use of recorded voices and programmed effects would suggest it might be an animated show, but with dozens of live character actors and technicians bringing the show to life each night it plays, ultimately I placed it within the live show bracket. The show's use of pyro and water screens also makes it a difficult one to film, but I've embedded the best version I've found on YouTube to date for your Monday-at-work time-killing pleasure: Please tell us your thoughts about Fantasmic!, and its chances within the Best Live show bracket, in the comments.

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Food Blog Addiction: Are you in its grip?

Hi, I’m Sasa and I’m a Food Blog Addict. Food Blog Addiction (FBA) is a disease with a rapid onset. FBA has seven stages. Whether it's you or a loved one that needs help, please don't be afraid to reach out. Do you stay awake past your bedtime because you can't tear yourself away from food blogs? Have you ever let family and friends eat cold food so you can get "the perfect shot"? Do people's eyes glaze over when you start discussing speedlights, styling and props and widgets? Yes? Then read on, you're not alone. Stage One: Complete Oblivion The first stage of the addiction is barely worth the label “stage.” We include it here just to illustrate that all FBA victims do in fact experience normality before their illness, though if you meet a victim after the onset, this may be difficult to imagine. FBA is not a genetic predisposition, nor can one be born with FBA. FBA can be avoided by a) not learning to read or b) never using the internet. Some types are not prone to FBA and may therefore be exempt form the above restrictions. This group includes people who think of “food as fuel,” and the visually impaired who cannot see the provocative photographs which are used to lure readers in by the food bloggers (FBs). Conversely, some types are more prone to succumbing to FBA. Generally these people already enjoy discussing food and may have more than the average number of cookbooks or even a subscription to a food magazine. Stage one is a blissful state, a carefree time when “cooking” is neither a competitive sport nor an event requiring military level planning and execution. “Dinner” means pasta, or maybe a stir-fry. The idea of photographing food seems absurd and not a little mad. Desserts may be bought at the supermarket (!) and cakes are baked only occasionally. The same dish is often cooked repeatedly. Stage Two: Stumbling Across an A-List Food Blog This is generally an innocent mistake and at this stage, the perpetrator still has pure intentions. The reasons for this unhappy accident may include searching for recipes for a special occasion such as hosting a family event or dinner party. Some cases of referral to food blogs by a sufferer to a new victim have also been recorded. The victim may come across sites that stun and immobilise her with photographic splendour (suspects include Tartelette, Canelle et Vanille and La Tartine Gourmand), reel him in with innocuous and chatty yet beguiling prose (Smitten Kitchen, Steamy Kitchen, Simply Recipes) or, worst of all, promote personal identification with the writer (Orangette, The Wednesday Chef, Joy the Baker). Stage Three: Going Through the Archives in Chronological Order This stage is also known as “the point of no return.” After perusing the original article, the victim is compelled to scroll down the page to read more. The page ends. Eventually, in unsated desperation, she clicks through to the archives. Generally, upon finding that there are several years worth of posts, the panic subsides and, if there is time to do so, she settles down to read. If this is not possible, the first symptoms of a gnawing anxiety appear. The page is bookmarked for later perusal. This anxiety is called “FOMO” (fear of missing out) and will be discussed in more detail further on. Stage Four: Absorption and General Neglect The victim may now start to show signs of unhealthy behaviour. Often he will stay up very late reading through archive after archive of food blogs. The dangerous “link system” that food blogs have set in place ensure an almost endless supply of material. Everyday tasks such as washing, eating and communicating with others in the household may be neglected or performed only perfunctorily. Oddly, at this stage, not much cooking is done. Addicts may resort to devious means to secure time to read including feigning illness or claim to be otherwise incapacitated. Stage Five: Thinking About Setting Up a Blog of One’s Own Sometimes, this stage is confused with remission or a disappearance of symptoms. The victim has generally satisfied her desire to read and read and returns, outwardly to a normal life, though she may make offhand remarks about starting a blog or do research into blogging platforms. Occasional relapses into stage four can still occur if the victim finds new blogs that she feels she cannot live without devouring in their entirety. FOMO is still a real danger and she will, more often than not, install an RSS reader so that she can keep up to date with any new posts that appear on her favourite blogs. Stage Six: Actually Setting Up a Blog This stage is characterised by endless monologues concerning the pros and cons of various blogging platforms, for example regarding their ease of use versus flexibility and attempting to discuss technical details that most non-sufferers have no interest in (whether widgets’ tendency to slow page loading is worth the added functionality and so on). Once again he will spend an inordinate amount of time hunched over the computer, this time reading through forums regarding blogging, blogging platforms and photography. Some victims display an urgent desire to buy expensive camera and/or lighting equipment. Stage Seven: Full Blown Addiction The victim in the throes of stage seven never cooks the same thing twice. She spends hours scanning ingredient lists and shopping and refuses to eat before photographing the meal to within an inch of its life. She appears distracted at odd hours and writes things down secretively in a notebook - these are probably notes about an upcoming post. FOMO continues to grip her and she may be reluctant to be without internet access for any length of time. The victim leaves comments on other blogs and joins a community of other addicts, none of whom seem to be aware that FBA is a serious disease that can shorten attention spans or prolong them to the point where functionality ceases, cause the victim to spout egregiously concerning said subject and otherwise completely reorder their lives and the lives of those around them. www.sasasunakku.com Thai Food Recipes.

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Shotgun Necklace (Pick Your Color)

$15.00 Designed and laser cut & etched from acrylic. 3"L & comes with an 18" silver plated necklace. Please state your COLOR CHOICE by sending me an email after purchase or during checkout :) *Available in mirror colors only.

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Dress for sale (Port Leyden) $30

This dress was only worn once. Excellent condition. Size small. I was about 5'4" and 110 when I wore it. I'm selling the dress for $30 or best offer. Contact: heathaxheatha@aim.com PLEASE, no spam! Pictures below...

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Motor Nissan Frontier (Gilbert) $500

For sell all the motor for NISSAN FRONTIER 98-00 Twin Cam 16val 4 cilynder, The price is $500 OBO only cash. If you interesed please call me at 480 824 3046 (128*136*2043) thanks..

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Seat for Silverado/Taho (gilbert) $250

For sell Seat for Chevy Silverado or Taho. The price is $250 OBO only cash. If you interesed please call me at 480 824 3046 (128*136*2043) thanks..

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2011 Ford Mustang GT rocks out with 412 horsepower, 26 mpg highway

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Ford 2011 Ford Mustang GT - Click above for high-res image gallery When it was first announced that the 5.0-liter engine was making a return to the 2011 Ford Mustang, none of us here at Autoblog were really that concerned with the fuel economy. We were all about the horsepower, and at 412 ponies underneath the hood, the 5.0 doesn't disappoint. Ford, however, was thinking about appearances and earth-hugging as well, and managed to make the 2011 Mustang even more efficient than the 2010 model despite all that extra extra power. According to the numbers released today, the new Mustang GT gets 17 miles-per-gallon city and 26 mpg highway with the six-speed manual and 18/25 mpg with the six-speed automatic. These numbers are not only a huge improvement from the 2010 Mustang with the 4.6-liter V8 (15/23 mpg w/manual, 15/22 mpg w/automatic), but they also best the figures achieved by the Chevrolet Camaro SS - 16/24 mpg when equipped with a manual and 16/25 mpg with the automatic. As reported earlier, the 2011 Mustang V6 claims top honors against its Camaro counterpart as well with an impressive 19/31 mpg in six-speed automatic form. So what accounts for the improved fuel economy despite the increase in displacement and horsepower? According to Ford, having an extra gear in the car's transmissions play a large role in addition to the Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) that can quickly adjust the intake and exhaust valves. Read more about the Mustang's powertrain improvements for 2011 after the break. Gallery: 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 [Source: Ford] Continue reading 2011 Ford Mustang GT rocks out with 412 horsepower, 26 mpg highway 2011 Ford Mustang GT rocks out with 412 horsepower, 26 mpg highway originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Sale - Reusable Grocery Bag PDF Sewing Pattern with Bonus Sewing Lesson

$3.99 You will absolutely adore this grocery bag! Not only is it green and earth-conscious, it is beautiful too. Make it with your favorite designer fabrics and you have a gorgeous bag that makes a statement. Because the bag is not fully lined, it is lightweight and will fold down to a very small size AND it only takes 1 1/4 yards of fabric to make! The seams are reinforced to make it durable even for your biggest jobs (like two gallons of milk!). While making this bag, you will learn how to make a curved gusset. You will also receive a bonus Faux French Seam Tutorial with your purchase! The instructions are illustrated and explained in detail to assure a beautiful end result. Yardage requirements: View A (All one fabric) 1 1/4 yards of fabric View B (with contrast gusset) 1 yard of fabric A 1/4 yard of contrast fabric B This pattern is a PDF file that will be emailed to you within 24 hours of payment (with a few exceptions that can be found in my shop policies). All you need is a PDF reader and a printer to assemble your pattern. This pattern is copyrighted. Please do not sell it or distribute it. Please contact me if you are interested in selling your finished bags.

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