Sports

2006 Stanley Cup Final Preview

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Although the weather outside doesn’t make you think of hockey, the Stanley Cup Finals start tonight. The matchup must be a complete nightmare for Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the NHL. Edmonton hasn’t been a standout team since Wayne Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles, and people don’t exactly think of hockey when they hear North Carolina. TV ratings will be dismal, though that’s nothing new for the league. It will be a good series though. Both teams have absolutely crazy fans who will be crazy, and they both play an exciting type of hockey.

I’ve lived in Calgary most of my life, so writing about Edmonton is like a New Yorker praising the Red Sox, or a Michigan fan speaking highly of the Buckeyes. A win in Edmonton would kill me (My Canada doesn’t include Edmonton), but at least according to oddsmakers they’ll have to come from behind to do it. The Hurricanes are lukewarm -140 favorites to win the series, but you can make a strong case for a win by either team. The series is eerily reminiscent of the last final: an energetic, high-achieving Alberta team riding a hot keeper in a matchup against a solid, offensively gifted southern team. Last time, my Flames put in a lot of effort, but were eventually outmatched. It remains to be seen if history repeats itself.

Here are eight factors to consider when making your plays in this series:

1) Rested or rusty? – Edmonton beat Anaheim in five games, giving them nine days off before the finals began. That time allowed them to heal injuries and get over the flu, which had hit the team badly in the last series. It also allowed them to get caught up in the chaos sweeping Edmonton and media attention in Canada (and elsewhere to a lesser extent). We will quickly know which factor will impact the team the most. They’ve ridden a wave of momentum this far, but can that momentum survive such a long break? New Jersey swept the Rangers in the first round, took a bye week, then lost to Carolina in five. They seemed like a completely different team. Anaheim crushed Colorado four straight, but then the Ducks went down with barely a squawk against Edmonton. They had eight days off. The above is not good.

2) Best defenseman: Chris Pronger is hands down the best defenseman on the ice in this series. Although he had an inconsistent first season in Edmonton and a terrible showing for Canada in the Olympics, Pronger is playing like the beast he is in the playoffs. He has pinned opposing offensive threats in all three series thus far: Pavel Datsyuk, Joe Thornton and Teemu Selanne. He has been averaging an incredible 31 minutes per game, and is Conn Smythe’s clear favorite for playoff MVP if he wins Edmonton. He’s impressive in his own zone, but he also controls incredibly well, and he has 17 points in 17 games. Carolina will have to find a way to contain Pronger, or avoid him, if she wants to win.

3) Best small forward: Not only is Eric Staal the best small forward in this series, he is the leading scorer in the playoffs and is quickly becoming one of the best players in the league. He is an offensive machine and creates a difficult matchup for any team. Pronger will be on him like a glove, and Staal has yet to face a defender of his caliber in this postseason, so it will be telling, and key to Carolina’s fate, how he responds to that. He’s only 21 years old, so his response to that attention and the pressure of the series will be key, but he’s passed every test to this point. An interesting side note: Both Pronger and Staal were selected by the Carolina/Hartford franchise second overall in the draft: Staal in 2003 and Pronger 10 years earlier.

4) Veteran Presence: Both teams added veterans this year to stabilize the team and add the calming presence they needed to get to where they are. The new players complemented the long-time team members in both cases. In Edmonton, Michael Peca and Pronger were joined by team captain Jason Smith and plucky fan favorite Ryan Smyth. Carolina added former Oiler Doug Weight and Mark Recchi to help Rob Brind’amour, who is having a big postseason run, keep the locker room in line. So neither side will have an advantage when it comes to staying positive if things start to go wrong.

5) Goaltending – The goaltending situation couldn’t be more different for the two teams. The Oilers picked up Dwayne Roloson from Minnesota at the trade deadline. He was horrible for the rest of the season, but he’s been amazing in the playoffs. He’s 36, so he was already shaving when 22-year-old Cam Ward of Carolina was born. Martin Gerber was the starter going into the playoffs, but Ward got the opportunity from him and made the most of it. He was Carolina’s goalkeeper of the future, and the future is apparently here. Neither team has a real advantage, unless the starters have problems or get hurt. Gerber can easily replace Ward and the team won’t suffer much, if he does, while Edmonton’s backup situation is a mess.

6) Special Teams: There’s a battle of the Titans when Edmonton gets a penalty, which they’re much more likely to do than Carolina. The Hurricanes have the best power play in the playoffs, while Edmonton has outperformed every other team when it comes to penalties. Obviously, both teams will not be able to get away with it. Whichever side comes out and sets the tone early will have an impact on the series. Edmonton can avoid the situation by showing more discipline than they have so far, but that’s unlikely given their aggressive style of play.

7) Home ice advantage: Both arenas are as noisy as any in the league, so the home team should have an advantage. Carolina has taken advantage of home cooking, going 6-1 since losing its first two games at home against Montreal. To make things interesting, Edmonton has been strong along the way. They have gone 6-3, including three wins at Anaheim. The ice in Carolina is going to be horrible, soft and unpredictable, so Carolina could have an advantage there, like Tampa Bay did in 2004. Carolina has home court advantage to start the series, if they can capitalize on that, they should be able to get ahead.

8) Underrated Players – Both teams have players who don’t get the ink to match their game. Cory Stillman has 19 points in 18 games for Carolina. His presence has meant teams can’t focus on Staal. His experience and presence are also as valuable as his offense. Stillman is defending his Cup victory with Tampa Bay in 2004. For Edmonton, the pleasant surprise has been Shawn Horcoff, their No. 1 center who has 17 points in 17 games. He continues to play the game that he discovered this season. Both players will be key to their team’s success, and whoever plays better could make the difference in the series.

The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of Doc’s NHL Drafting Service.

Tours Travel

Hitting the links in western Ventura County

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Choose from five public golf courses with spectacular ocean and mountain views in the Ventura CountyWest cities: Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura. They’re all about an hour’s drive north of Los Angeles, but feel like a million miles away, especially when combined with local pub and restaurant offerings.

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Arrive in town early for a hearty breakfast at Pete’s Breakfast House, known for its buttermilk pancakes and homemade strawberry jam. Enjoy a morning round of golf at Olivas Links, an 18-hole championship golf facility designed by Forrest Richardson. Chosen as the “Best Municipal Golf Course in the Nation” for the last three years by golf week, this 6,818-yard course features a rolling links-style layout defined by coastal grasses and natural habitat. However, you can choose to play on the next course, Buenaventura. At just over 6,000 yards at a par 70, it emphasizes course management and is a shooter’s delight. With classic shapes and designs from the 1930s, the course is a step back in time. It will be a difficult choice to make.

For lunch, relax at the Aqua Beachfront Bar. Located in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, and as the name suggests, it’s right on the beach. The afternoon is yours to soak up the sun on the sand or perhaps rent a bike for a ride along the beach bike path. At night, go to the Greek in the port to enjoy the best Mediterranean food. Then enjoy a standup routine at the Ventura Harbor Comedy Club.

Oxnard

Another early day begins with breakfast at Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut, one block from the beach in Oxnard, then to one of two beautiful fields in River Ridge. The Vineyard offers magnificent panoramic ocean views, while Victoria Lakes boasts beautiful water features, curved grass/poa greens, and Greg Norman hybrid Bermuda tees and fairways.

A perfect post golf outing is the Mullin Automobile Museum. It celebrates the Art Deco movement in automotive design and is open two Saturdays a month when you can see award-winning Bugattis, Voisins, Dealges and other French cars from the 1920s to 1940s. In the evenings, Cabo Seafood & Grill’s menu includes Mexican seafood, homemade tortillas and delicious margaritas.

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Camarillo. Choose one of two fantastic courses to end your golf getaway. Sterling Hills in Camarillo is surrounded by lush avocado and citrus groves. This 18-hole championship golf course includes natural features that take advantage of the natural topography. Camarillo Springs is at the base of Conejo Mountain, just off Highway 101. Designed by Ted Robinson, its views include towering rock formations and gentle natural springs.

Before heading home, top off your weekend with a “Blarney Burger” and one of 14 beers on tap at Brendan’s Irish Pub in Camarillo. A relatively new restaurant, it is owned and operated by two Irishmen who have created an environment comparable to the best pubs in Ireland.

Technology

Do you really believe that cloud computing is reality?

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Remember when launching a mobile app was a must for organizations planning to go digital? Time files and the new digital wave is here to conquer the world. Now having a mobile app is just a basic need for businesses. This new wave is not limited to a single technology or product. It goes without saying that to live up to the expectations of end users, efforts must be directed in a direction that adds a value proposition to the front line of the business. A study by Forrester highlights the importance of knowing your digital predators. It also suggests that those who overlook this factor are likely to fall behind their counterparts.

This article attempts to shed light on several factors that can help make your digital journey a rich experience.

Focus on creating a personalized experience for your customers

With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), digitization is spreading everywhere. Like it or not, most business strategists take for granted that Google and Siri know best what actions we’re taking and from where. There is no denying the fact that digital assets have become so ingrained in our daily lives that life seems incomplete without them. According to many research companies, IoT will be directly proportional to customer expectations. Simply put, the faster the IoT grows, the faster and higher our expectations become. It doesn’t matter if you’re a B2B or B2C organization, your end users expect a first-class, personalized experience from your offerings. To stay ahead of their competitors, each business adopts innovative techniques that have the potential to help them add agility while bolstering the revenue-generating cycle. Not all applications are the same, just like technologies. It must be verified that you are going to invest in the right technology that can generate multiple benefits.

It is true that today’s digitally driven customers shape their perceptions based on their ability to integrate your products or services. These expectations can only be met if companies collect comprehensive information about their customers, such as their requirements, the features they are looking for, their budget criteria, and the evaluation of their demands.

All clouds are not the same shape

It is truly difficult to become part of an end user’s personal value system as it requires unparalleled agility and guts to take calculated risks. If I have to define today’s world, I would rather call it a world of sensors, real-time data analytics, connected devices, and of course cloud computing. Here’s the problem, not all cloud computing platforms follow the same metrics or are designed using a standard scale. Most public cloud hosting providers focus on building the cloud as a commodity. However, organizations that only view the cloud as a utility model are not yet able to take advantage of its full capabilities.

Related to this, a report by North Bridge and Wikibon suggests that the adoption rate of cloud computing is not only increasing due to its scalability and simplicity, but also its ability to add agility to an enterprise. The report further states that an approximately 20% increase in the rate of hybrid cloud is a testament to previous proclamations. Wikibon also predicts that within the next 10 years, hybrid cloud computing will dominate all other computing models.

Cloud security concerns don’t go away: cloud experience matters

Without a doubt, the adoption of cloud computing is on the rise, and companies from all verticals with different demands are taking advantage of it to achieve their stated goals. However, concerns related to security and the cloud experience show no signs of abating. Well, this is due to the fact that the early cloud providers were more focused on cost. Apparently, many of the CEOs now believe that cloud expertise, including security, compliance, and privacy standards, is a must for a cloud benefactor. Here, industry-wide experience in the cloud domain can help meet these challenges.

The cloud is the future

Believe it or not, we have all entered a new era of cloud computing, in which reliability and interoperability challenges are beginning to be tied to security regulation, privacy, and blocking. Enterprises today exercise considerable caution when moving their business-critical data and applications between public and private cloud instances, so that every single point of failure can be mitigated.

The next decade of the cloud will be defined by its convenience and the level of agility it brings to its end users. It would not be surprising at all if it were mentioned that a single company will leverage multiple instances of the cloud to serve its different purposes, such as marketing, accounting, human resources, and operations.

Remember, don’t go for a cheap public cloud service provider; instead, focus on selecting a bidirectionally scalable and security-compliant provider. This will not only help reduce operating costs, but also provide a way to maximize ROI. Invest in a cloud that lives up to the always-on, always-available mantra, as it will ensure room for innovation and growth.

It is time to extend your conventional position to a better and innovative cloud space without compromising any of the necessary factors for business, such as security, performance, agility, to name a few.

Business

How to Learn About Wine History at Home

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Wine History at Home

There are several ways to learn about the history of wine. You can start by reading a book. Wine has been around for thousands of years. You can read about the origins of wine and learn about the different varieties. You can also read about the history of wine making. For example, it is not surprising that wine was discovered by a woman. A story from ancient Persepolis says that a princess was losing favor with her King when she decided to drink the juice of spoiled table grapes.

How do I learn about wine history?

Throughout history, wine has been a popular beverage for mankind. It is widely enjoyed for its great taste, nutritional properties, and psychotropic effects. It is also the beverage with the biggest impact on society. The wine trade opened up channels for new ideas to spread across Europe. Wine is also mentioned frequently in the bible. Noah and Jesus both had vineyards.

Taking an interest in wine history may even inspire you to start your own wine-tasting business. Wine is a great hobby or career choice, or it can simply be an enjoyable drink. There are a variety of books on wine and its history that are easy to read and understand. Using these books will help you enjoy your wine even more.

How to Learn About Wine History at Home

In addition to reading a book about wine history, you can also visit your local library to learn more about wine. For example, you can buy a wine sales book and learn about how the wine is sold. The Wine Book is one of the most important books on the subject. It will help you learn the history of wine, and how to properly pour it.

Wine has a rich history and is a necessary part of everyday life. It is a great way to relax after a hard day and makes a meal more complete. As a result, wine has influenced people from various cultures and countries. Even the Catholic Church uses wine as a substitute for blood in the Eucharist.

Ancient Romans also had a deep relationship with wine. The Romans used wine as payment for military services. They planted vineyards in various regions of the empire, and Europe became hooked on wine. So, the next time you pour yourself a glass of wine, remember to raise a glass to these ancient pioneers and innovators.

Cryptocurrency

PCI PIN Transaction Security Standards

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Transaction Security Standards

PCI PIN transaction security standards are required for POS terminals that process cardholder data. These standards address common threats against cardholder data including: non-compliant hardware, weak equipment controls, and poor key management practices. They also require the use of strong cryptographic keys and effective key management measures. This will ensure that the information being transmitted is not compromised and can only be accessed by authorized users.

PCI PTS is the payment industry’s standard for securing PIN-based transactions. It is a modular set of security requirements for hardware and firmware, as well as for processing entities. This standard ensures that cardholder data is protected from hacker attacks and unauthorized access. It also includes protection for cardholder data, keys, and software updates.

To ensure the security of PIN data, companies must abide by the PCI PIN Security Requirements (PTS). These standards are applicable to both offline and online payment card transactions. It is imperative that payment card transaction processors and banks abide by these requirements. Without them, the cardholder’s PIN may be stolen.

The PCI Security Council and Visa publish a list of validated payment applications. Participants must verify whether their application is on the list. If it is not, they should begin the process of acquiring an alternative PA-DSS-compliant application. This process should be completed as quickly as possible. It is worth noting that some payment applications are not included on either list.

PCI PIN Transaction Security Standards

PCI PIN assessments include a number of security measures, including encryption and key management. Additionally, PIN assessments assess the security of the POS device and payment processing equipment. These requirements are much more stringent than PCI DSS. They require security experts to assess the operational front end, encryption and decryption environment, payment processing equipment, and strict key management processes. The result is a report that typically covers over 200 pages.

Security Transaction Tax (STT) is a consequence of different tax avoidances of capital increases charge. Controling deceitful exchanges of tax avoidance was presented. The Government has reported STT in 2004 and was pertinent from October first, 2004. Likewise, the pace of STT contrasts with the sort of safety bought or sold. This duty is collected in spite of a benefit or a misfortune on an exchange. In this article, we take care of exhaustively about Securities Transaction Tax.

Protections Transaction Tax (STT) was acquainted in the year 2004 with check tax avoidance of capital additions charge. This move by the Government is to guarantee that the duty on monetary market exchanges is gathered in a spotless and proficient manner. STT is imposed on the buy and offer of protections regardless of benefit or a misfortune from an exchange.

Subsequently, the term protections incorporate all of the above with the end goal of STT demand. Also, Securities Transaction Tax is collected exclusively on the protections that exchange on the stock trade. All the off-market exchanges don’t fall under the domain of Security Transaction Tax STT.