Malaysian team

We took this picture after attending a meeting with higher officials from Malaysia Government & Political Leaders, Kualalumpur, Malaysia.

Always use good news for a boost: “the sky was the limit”

It’s also a cautionary tale, on the consequences of basking in past glory. Head down, keep on pedalling hard. But, for the time being, let me enjoy!

As I mentioned a few days ago, I’ve been working to get closure on an issue or two left unfinished at work when I retired.  My sincere thanks to RDML Rob Wray for his exceptionally perceptive and gracious communications with me.  For a nuclear engineer, he remains a remarkable gentleman.  I wish him and MSC all of the best moving forward into the future.

Today, this is what I did:

1) Fixed the network cable run out to Cathie’s office.  This run was damaged (cut) at some point, but for conducting family business I feel it is so worthwhile to be on a wired network.  Cathie is online, her Time Capsule is working, and the wireless from her TC is also up.

2)  Fixed Cathie’s Garmin 205W GPS.  At some point, the maps got borked and it was quite an ordeal to get them unborked.  This included 1.5 hours with Darrell S on tech support, much of the time with him Cytrixed into my PC.  Maps now work, coast to coast.

3)  Reset a Linksys wireless router  we had laying around for Nick’s office.  I wasn’t even close to recalling the passwords, so pushed the button.  He is now online via that router, although I told him he needed to configure it to provide proper security.

So now we have three networks, three wired access points, three wireless access points, one network printer, and Jeebus only knows how many PC’s running.  Comcast was quite happy to take our $10/mo and provide up to 4 dynamic IP addresses.  I do so hope that all this stuff keeps running.

Next up is unborking our home theater system.  This will likely involve more carpentry than electronic wizardry.  Our 4 years old Sony projection TV is failing.  Equally aged Sony AV receiver is hopelessly obsolete.  All of this is propped up on cinder blocks and plywood.  More to follow.

G’nite all, and may God continue to bestow his Blessings on America.

Went out and started a new wall today only to be rained right off so made a series of prints onto tshirts.

If you want to buy one of these prototypes at £8.00

(Inc P+P within the UK.)

let me know via email: betarok75@yahoo.com

Peace!

]]> http://betarok75.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/beta-blackbook-rok-16-11-09/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:55:55 +0000 betarok75 http://betarok75.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/beta-blackbook-rok-16-11-09/

Super cool night in with AZID AND POIS!

Strictly ink..no pencil milarky.

Our November’s recipe for the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club (a.k.a MSC) is Sweet Potato Cupcakes,  selected by Karen from Karen’s Cookies, Cakes, & More. You can find the recipe on her Cupcake book, page 243.

While some people may not really be too excited with this recipe,  I was absolutely on board with the idea of using sweet potato in cupcakes. Sweet potato is soo… delicious, roasted on its own. I think it shouldn’t even be considered vegetable. And I was right… I  loved them! They were absolutely fabulous: fluffy, crumbly, and has that nice hint of that sweet potato flavor that I love. The candied pecan and marshmallow topping was even better, it’s a really nice change from the regular frosting… but still look so elegant, and delicious. I love the crunchy pecan on top of the marshmallow, although I have to admit that I had a little issue with making the caramel syrup for the pecans.  Thanks Karen for a great selection, I’d be making these again in the future!  Don’t forget to check out how everyone else in our group is doing; there are some absolutely creative creations out there!

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NOTE : Please mention Job code in subject/Post, when apply.

Job Code : SE-SGT

Post :  Sales Engr/Sr. Sales Engr/Prod Mgr APPLY NOW

Qual :M.Sc in life sciences or any relative

Exp : 1-4 Yrs in sales of analytical/lab instruments.

Location : Delhi

Salary : Rs.  8,000-20,000 P.M.

Company : Shiva Global Teknologies

Please see more vacancies at All vacancies @ APS

Ada banyak gelar pendidikan dinegeri ini.. ada SH (Sarjana Hukum), SPd (Sarjana Pendidikan), SE (Sarjana Ekonomi), dan lain sebagainya. apabila kita kuliah dengan sungguh-sungguh dan mengeluarkan segala kemampuan dengan “darah dan cinta”, bisa dipastikan gelar-gelar itu dapat kita raih dalam waktu yang relatif singkat..!

Tapi dari sekian banyak gelar diatas, hanya ada satu gelar yang tidak diinginkan oleh mahasiswa-mahasiswa di kampus saya.. yaitu gelar MSc. sepertinya gelar itu menjadi momok yang menakutkan buat mahasiswa.. karena secara tidak langsung ini menyangkut masa depan para mahasiswa itu sendiri..

kenapa gelar MSc bisa bikin mahasiswa di kmpus ketar ketir??

Jadi begini ceritanya, sodara-sodara…

Hari itu, kira-kira jam 2 siang.. siSayah sedng  berkuliah ria dengan dosen yang cukup favorit dan menjadi idaman setiap mahasiswa (ceilaaah). Dalam menyampaikan ilmunya kepada kami, beliau selalu membawakannya dengan ringan dan penuh humor.. yaaah, pkonya mantap deeh..

Tapi ada yang beda dengan Pa Dosen hari ini, beliau sepertinya sedang kurang enak badan atau apaa gtuh. soalnya ngajarnya jadi serius banget, gan.. sampai membuat saya manggut-manggut (baca = tidur pulaaas) pas dia menerangkan tentang topik “etika profesi”.

Sampai kulh ampir selesai saya juga masih ngantuk tuh dipojokn kelas.. tapi tiba-tiba rasa kantuk itu hilang setelah Pa dosen ngomong : “Naaah, sebagai ganti UTS kali ini, ada tugas buat kalian niiiih!”  

Beeeuh, ini nih yang saya ga demen. Dikasih tugas.. haha.. mana ada sih yang seneng dikasih tugas? ga digaji pula.. hehe (Piis Pa dosen).

Setelah itu Pa dosen ngomong lagi : “Buat kalian yang tidak serius mengerjakan tugas ini, bisa dipastikan gelar kalian saat wisuda nanti adalah MSc” kata Pa Dosen sambil tersenyum penuh makna. (dalam hati saya bertanya2 apa maksud dari senyumannya itu )

Tiba-tiba ada temen saya yang nyeletuk : “Ko bisa Pa? mana mungkin di kampus ini lulusannya ada yang bergelar MSc??”

Ya bisa az… kalau kalian nilainya “C” mulu, kalian bisa dipastikan bergelar MSc alias……

“ Mahasiswa Spesialis C ”

Setelah kata itu terucap, kelas jadi hening sejenak, tapi tiba-tiba kelas seperti bergoyang oleh tawa anak-anak.

Haha.. bisa az nih dosen becandanya…

siSayah yang sejak tadi terkantuk-kantuk, akhirnya cenghar (baca = segar) kembali.

buat akang-akang atau teteh-teteh yang bergelar MSc “beneran”. jangan tersungging yaaa.. ini hanya banyolan mahasiswa-mahasiswa yang sedang dipusingkan dengan tugas akhirnya.

Gambar : http://4z1z4h.wordpress.com

Waarin onderscheidt een goed restaurant zich tegenwoordig? De kwaliteit is vaak eenheidsworst, dus zal het Unique Selling Point in andere factoren gezocht moeten worden. De gast in zijn jas helpen bijvoorbeeld, zoals de secretaris onlangs na jarenlange droogte 2x binnen 14 dagen mocht ervaren. Maar het blijft een druppel op een gloeiende plaat.  Originele gerechten verzinnen? Ook lastig, want door de overweldigende invloed van buitenlandse noviteiten als tapas, churrascaria, sushi of taco’s kijkt een gemiddelde eter niet gauw meer van zijn bord op.

Wellicht biedt de website www.puuruiteten.nl in de toekomst u een makkelijke manier om eens op een ander lihanboutje te bijten, mits u affiniteit koestert ten aanzien van de biologische keuken. Er staat een lijst gepresenteerd met verantwoorde eetgelegenheden in heel Nederland. Ook op de getoonde informatie kunt u vertrouwen: initiatiefneemster Jeannette van Mullem heeft de restaurants al voor u bezocht met de checklist in de hand. Ieder restaurant heeft een kwalificatie van redelijk tot zeer duurzaam gekregen en is voorzien van een prijsindicatie.

Ook voor de rest van uw biologisch levensonderhoud kunt u de site aanwenden: er kan namelijk ook gezocht worden op duurzame boerenmarkten, winkels, overnachtingen, webshops en kookworkshops. Minpuntje is echter wel dat de vulling nog lang niet optimaal is. Iedereen kan zelf een door hem opgedane pure ervaring doorgeven, maar mevrouw Van Mullem heeft natuurlijk geen zeven magen om alle aangemelde gelegenheden te testen. De detailinformatie per restaurant daarentegen is uitstekend verzorgd. We krijgen bijvoorbeeld info over het MSC-predikaat voor duurzame vis, en voor hoeveel procent (bij benadering) de groente, het vlees of de sappen biologisch zijn.

Dit initiatief sluit goed aan bij de levenswijze van de secretaris die sinds enige tijd alleen nog biologisch vlees (behalve dan de spekjes, want die zijn kennelijk niet verantwoord te produceren) en MSC-vis eet. De inhoud kan nog wel een kwantitatieve boost krijgen, dus hopelijk weet naast geiten wollen sokken drager en Groen Links-aanhanger ook de door de klimatologische onheilstijdingen bang geworden doorsnee-burger de weg naar puuruiteten.nl te vinden!

Everyone is entitled to their own stupid opinion.  Here’s mine…

Matt Vanda (41-9 with 22 kayos) definitely has some assets going into Friday night’s fight with Phil Williams in Hinckley: He’s faster on his feet, he has tons more experience, he’s got the confidence that only comes from accomplishment, he is well coached, and he’s been punched more times without any evident result than 99.999% of people on this planet.

Vanda’s extensive list of past opponents isn’t exactly a “who’s who,” but it definitely shows what he’s made of – especially considering that in 50 professional fights, nine of them losses, Vanda has only been knocked out once, and that was from a busted eardrum.  Vanda always seems to enter the ring fit and ready, and those with the benefit of a close vantage say that he seems as motivated and devoted to his craft now as ever.

Finally, Vanda has the benefit of a really excellent coach.  World class he may or may not be, but Ron Lyke has the respect and admiration of many boxing industry professionals.  Take it from one who has scrutinized his ring-demeanor closely: Lyke is calm and collected in the corner between rounds, and his advice to his fighters is always sensible and direct.

Phil Williams (11-1 with 10 kayos) has fewer advantages, but the ones he has are significant.  Williams is the naturally bigger man, he has vaporizing power in both hands, and more than one person has reported to me after encountering Williams in the gym that Williams is sharper and more fit than ever before.

After fighting almost his entire career as a light heavyweight, Williams recently announced his intention to move down and campaign in the super middleweight division.  For this fight Williams has agreed to a catchweight of 165#, which seems reasonable for him but definitely on the high side for his opponent.

Williams also has the benefit of knowing that this fight can either put him on the map or break him.  How so?  Because Williams’ signature win to date is a 7th-round TKO of formidable but undeniably faded veteran Antwun Echols.  Vanda, in contrast to Echols, is at his peak.  Vanda has also won his last two fights.  So a win against Vanda would instantly double or triple Williams’ name recognition.  The Drill well knows what this fight can do for him, and he is determined to ride the wave.

So who will win?  I am convinced that despite his toughness and fitness, Vanda has just bitten off more than he can chew here.  More than once we’ve heard that Vanda preferred to stick with the junior middleweight class, yet here he is taking a fight at 165#.  The Predator has only fought at so high a weight once in his career, and though it was a win, it came against 19-15 Ted Muller, who had lost eight straight bouts going in.  And though Vanda may move more deftly and have more ring savvy than the comparatively less experienced Williams, he isn’t that elusive.  Williams only needs to catch Vanda once to stun him and then it’ll be all but over.  I project that William will win by kayo some time between the start of the fourth and the end of the sixth.

And now for my weasel move: If Williams doesn’t catch Vanda by the end of the sixth, I think Williams’ chance for a win dries up into dust and blows away just like the notorious Brandon Burke did back in June of 2007.  In that case, at the start of the seventh round you can change my prediction to Vanda win by any sort of decision.  You see, the late rounds are Vanda’s territory, and I just can’t see Williams keeping up with him for ten long, grueling, activity-filled rounds.

What to watch for:

Phil Williams takes some steps into deeper water, taking on steel-chinned veteran Matt Vanda in the featured bout.  This fight presents a number of questions: Can Vanda handle Williams’ power?  If Williams can’t get Vanda out early, can he match Vanda’s workrate and fitness?  Does a shrinking light heavyweight get any credit for beating a swelled-up junior middleweight?

In the co-feature, Wilton Hilario takes on an opponent with a glamorous record for the first time, hoping to make a statement.  On a closer look Leon Bobo (18-3-1 with only 2 kayos) might at first seem like a patsy – he’s only won two of his last six fights and has only 2 wins by knockout – but a man doesn’t win 18 fights with only 2 knockouts unless he’s got slick moves, and Bobo has gone 2-1-1 in his last four against opponents with combined records of 53-5-2.  If Hilario wins this one, he may find himself back in the running for a fight with rival Jason Litzau, whose older brother Allen he has already TKO’d.

Undefeated prospect Ceresso Fort takes an opponent with a winning record for only the second time in his career.  In Lamar Harris Fort has a seemingly ideal match – an opponent who has won more than he’s lost, but not one with too lofty a record, one who carries a certain amount of bravado (Harris is billed as “The Prince of Pain”) but not with scary power (4 knockout wins in eleven career bouts), and one who has typically fought at or below Fort’s weight.  In sum, a build-up fight that will actually build him up.

Javontae Starks makes his long-awaited professional debut fighting under the banner of Minneapolis based  promter MSC (Midwest Sports Council).  MSC matchmaker Cory Rapacz has located a serviceable opponent for Starks in Dan Copp, who has one win but no knockouts, and whose role is to serve as a career-starter rather than a live opponent.

Supporting (untelevised) bouts are local boy Tim Taggart against St Paul’s Sam Morales – Taggart returns home to revive his career following a brief stint in Florida while Morales moves up in weight after starting his career at welterweight and fighting as low as 133#, and Zach Schumach meets Don Tierney, the two having one win between them.

In order of appearance:

• Tim Taggart (3-2 with 2 kayos) -vs- Sam Morales (3-3 with 1 kayo), super middleweights (165#), scheduled for 4 rounds
• Zach Schumach (0-2) -vs- Don Tierney (1-0 with no kayos), light middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds
• featured bout: Matt Vanda (41-9 with 22 kayos) -vs- Phil Williams (11-1 with 10 kayos), super middleweights, scheduled for 10 rounds
• co-feature: Wilton Hilario (11-0 with 9 kayos) -vs- Leon Bobo (18-3-1 with 2 kayos), super middleweights, scheduled for 8 rounds
• Ceresso Fort (7-0 with 7 kayos) -vs- Lamar Harris (6-3 with 4 kayos), middleweights, scheduled for 6 rounds
• Javontae Starks (debut) -vs- Dan Copp (1-1 with no kayos), light middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

In May this year I wrote excitedly about an application to complete a Masters at UCL. Whilst I knew there was a good chance my application would be turned down I was hoping for a small miracle. Unfortunately I learnt soon afterwards that my application would be turned down. The reasons were never given, but to be fair to UCL I could have inquired myself. Due to disappointments at the time, I simply wanted to to move on.

Four months later and I can report that my Kingston University application – for a MSC User Interaction Design – has been accepted. While the programme officially started in September I’ll be starting in January 2010. To say I’m happy would be an understatement. I’m ecstatic. Finally I can put a lot of what I’ve learnt (through passive and active self discovery) about designing great user experiences into formal practice – a systemic approach.

You also cover a systematic approach to designing interaction – one that is explicit, knowledge based and creative – and various kinds of user interface technology.
Kingston University programme description.

I’ve met my tutor via email and he’s prescribed a programme that should see me cover all the required modules in two years. The programme includes: Research Methods (1 & 2), User Factors, Experience Design (1 & 2), Usability Engineering plus three optional modules before concluding with a final project.

So, it’s going to be a busy two years while I juggle a full-time job, a family, cycling with my Masters. I’ll be making necessary adjustments in my day-to-day schedule like dropping competitive cycle racing and reducing the amount of networking functions I attend whilst including necessary time to study. My priorities for the next two years are: Family, Work and MSc. I’ll be scheduling extra time to manage my studies, including: lunchtimes, evenings and weekends.

Roll on January 2010…

With the continuing proliferation of promoters, fighters, and boxing events in Minnesota, there are two ways the local boxing scene could go:

• The market could become saturated and tickets go unsold.  In this scenario some promoters lose their shirts (and maybe their shorts) and give up on the game, or at least scale back their operations.
• The fans could respond by buying tickets, attending events, and supporting their favorite fighters with growing enthusiasm.  The fanbase grows, and this justifies the growth of the promotions.

Here’s something for Minnesota boxing fans to feel good about: so far, we’ve taken the second path.

Last week I heard from someone connected with the November 13th show at Grand Casino Hinckley that fewer than 300 tickets remained unsold.  “Is this news for public consumption?” I asked.  “Oh no, we don’t want to have a run on the last few tickets  before we figure out the seating configuration.”  Only two days later came the news that the show was completely sold out.  This is phenomenal, especially considering that this event is going to be televised.

Early indications are that the November 20th show at the St Paul Armory will be well-attended as well.  Some interesting matchmaking and two IBA belts being in play have resulted in plenty of good publicity, and there’s even talk of fans coming over from Wales to support their man James Todd in his first title bid.

The next test of the Minnesota boxing fan’s appetite will be the December 4th boxing show at Target Center in Minneapolis, which features heavyweights Joey Abell (25-4 with 24 kayos) -vs- Raphael Butler (35-8 with 28 kayos).  People associated with the show have talked boldly of their desire to exceed the attendance record (13,789) set by Duane Bobick and Scott LeDoux 1 back in 1976.  A more down-to-earth goal would be to sell-out the arena’s reduced capacity for boxing (less than 5000 seats), and I think that given reasonable promotion, this will happen.

The Fistic Mystic says:  The old cliche is that in business you’re either growing or dying.  Right now, in Minnesota, the business of boxing is growing!

Please click the “Read the rest of this entry »” before clicking to links… Thank you …

1 – Short explanations of basic terms

The GSM network consists mainly of the following functional parts:

• MSC – the mobile service switching centre (MSC) is the core switching entity in the network.
The MSC is connected to the radio access network (RAN); the RAN is formed by the BSCs and
BTSs within the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). Users of the GSM network are registered
with an MSC; all calls to and from the user are controlled by the MSC. A GSM network has
one or more MSCs, geographically distributed.

• VLR – the visitor location register (VLR) contains subscriber data for subscribers registered in
an MSC. Every MSC contains a VLR. Although MSC and VLR are individually addressable,
they are always contained in one integrated node.

• GMSC – the gateway MSC (GMSC) is the switching entity that controls mobile terminating calls. When a call is established towards a GSM subscriber, a GMSC contacts the HLR of that
subscriber, to obtain the address of the MSC where that subscriber is currently registered. That
MSC address is used to route the call to that subscriber.
• HLR – The Home Location Register (HLR) is the database that contains a subscription record for
each subscriber of the network. A GSM subscriber is normally associated with one particular
HLR. The HLR is responsible for the sending of subscription data to the VLR (during registration)
or GMSC (during mobile terminating call handling).
• CN – the core network (CN) consists of, amongst other things, MSC(s), GMSC(s) and HLR(s).
These entities are the main components for call handling and subscriber management. Other
main entities in the CN are the equipment identification register (EIR) and authentication centre
(AUC). CAMEL has no interaction with the EIR and AUC; hence EIR and AUC are not further
discussed.
• BSS – the base station system (BSS) is composed of one or more base station controllers (BSC)
and one or more base transceiver stations (BTS). The BTS contains one or more transceivers
(TRX). The TRX is responsible for radio signal transmission and reception. BTS and BSC are
connected through the Abis interface. The BSS is connected to the MSC through the A interface.
• MSC – Mobile Switching Center the primary service delivery node for GSM, responsible for handling voice calls and SMS as well as other services (such as conference calls, FAX and circuit switched data). The MSC sets up and releases the end-to-end connection, handles mobility and hand-over requirements during the call and takes care of charging and real time pre-paid account monitoring.

A GSM network is a public land mobile network (PLMN). Other types of PLMN are the time
division multiple access (TDMA) network or code division multiple access (CDMA) network. GSM
uses the following sub-division of the PLMN:

• Home PLMN (HPLMN) – the HPLMN is the GSM network that a GSM user is a subscriber of.
That implies that GSM user’s subscription data resides in the HLR in that PLMN. The HLR
may transfer the subscription data to a VLR (during registration in a PLMN) or a GMSC (during
mobile terminating call handling). The HPLMN may also contain various service nodes, such as
a short message service centre (SMSC), service control point (SCP), etc.
• Visited PLMN (VPLMN) – the VPLMN is the GSM network where a subscriber is currently
registered. The subscriber may be registered in her HPLMN or in another PLMN. In the latter
case, the subscriber is outbound roaming (from HPLMN’s perspective) and inbound roaming
(from VPLMN’s perspective). When the subscriber is currently registered in her HPLMN, then
the HPLMN is at the same time VPLMN.1
• Interrogating PLMN (IPLMN) – the IPLMN is the PLMN containing the GMSC that handles
mobile terminating (MT) calls. MT calls are always handled by a GMSC in the PLMN, regardless
of the origin of the call. For most operators, MT call handling is done by a GMSC in the HPLMN;
in that case, the HPLMN is at the same time IPLMN. This implies that calls destined for a GSM
subscriber are always routed to the HPLMN of that GSM subscriber. Once the call has arrived in
the HPLMN, the HPLMN acts as IPLMN. MT call handling will be described in more detail in
subsequent sections. When basic optimal routing (BOR) is applied, the IPLMN is not the same
PLMN as the HPLMN.

The user of a GSM network is referred to as the served subscriber; the MSC that is serving that
subscriber is known as the serving MSC. Examples are:

• mobile originated call – the MSC that is handling the call is the serving MSC for this call; the
calling subscriber is the served subscriber;
• mobile terminated call – the GMSC that is handling the call is the serving GMSC for this call;
the called subscriber is the served subscriber.
2 – Signalling in GSM

The various entities in the GSM network are connected to one another through signalling networks.
Signalling is used for example, for subscriber mobility, subscriber registration, call establishment,
etc. The connections to the various entities are known as ‘reference points’. Examples include:
• A interface – the connection between MSC and BSC;
• Abis interface – the connection between BSC and BTS;
• D interface – the connection between MSC and HLR;
• Um interface – the radio connection between MS and BTS.
Various signalling protocols are used over the reference points. Some of these protocols for GSM
are the following:
• mobile application part (MAP) – MAP is used for call control, subscriber registration, short
message service, etc.; MAP is used over many of the GSM network interfaces;
• base station system application part (BSSAP) – BSSAP is used over the A interface;
• direct transfer application part (DTAP) – DTAP is used between MS and MSC; DTAP is carried
over the Abis and the A interface. DTAP is specified in GSM TS 04.08 [49];
• ISDN user part (ISUP) – ISUP is the protocol for establishing and releasing circuit switched
calls. ISUP is also used in landline Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). A circuit is the
data channel that is established between two users in the network. Within ISDN, the data channel
is generally a 64 kbit/s channel. The circuit is used for the transfer of the encoded speech or
other data. ISUP is specified in ITU-T Q.763 [137].
When it comes to call establishment, GSM makes a distinction between signalling and payload.
Signalling refers to the exchange of information for call set up; payload refers to the data that is
transferred within a call, i.e. voice, video, fax etc. For a mobile terminated GSM call, the signalling
consists of exchange of MAP messages between GMSC, HLR and visited MSC (VMSC). The
payload is transferred by the ISUP connection between GMSC and VMSC. It is a continual aim
to optimize the payload transfer through the network, as payload transfer has a direct cost aspect
associated with it. Some network services are designed to optimize the payload transfer. One
example is optimal routing.

3 – GSM Mobility

Roaming with GSM is made possible through the separation of switching capability and subscription
data. A GSM subscriber has her subscription data, including CAMEL data, permanently registered
in the HLR in her HPLMN. The GSM operator is responsible for provisioning this data in the HLR.
The MSC and GMSC in a PLMN, on the other hand, are not specific for one subscriber group.
The switching capability of the MSC in a PLMN may be used by that PLMN’s own subscribers,
but also by inbound roaming subscribers; see the image the GSM user who is a subscriber of PLMN-A roams to PLMN-B. The HLR in PLMN-A transfers the user’s subscription data to the MSC in PLMN-B. The subscriber’s subscription data remains in the MSC/VLR as long as she is served by a BSS that is connected to that
MSC. Even when the user switches her MS off and then on again, the subscription data remains
in the MSC. After an extended period of the MS being switched off, the subscription data will
be purged from the MSC. When the subscriber switches her MS on again, the subscriber has to
re-register with the MSC, which entails the MSC asking the HLR in the HPLMN to re-send the
subscription data for that subscriber.

When the subscriber moves from one MSC service area (MSC-1) to another MSC service area
(MSC-2), the HLR will instruct MSC-1 to purge the subscription data of this subscriber and will
send the subscription data to MSC-2.
4 – Mobile Station
The MS, i.e. the GSM handset, is logically built up from the following components:
• mobile equipment (ME) – this is the GSM terminal, excluding the SIM card;
• subscriber identification module (SIM) – this is the chip embedded in the SIM card that identifies
a subscriber of a GSM network; the SIM is embedded in the SIM card. When the SIM card is
inserted in the ME, the subscriber may register with a GSM network. The ME is now effectively
personalized for this GSM subscriber; The image shows. The characteristics of the SIM are specified
in GSM TS 11.11. The SIM card contains information such as IMSI, advice of charge parameters,
operator-specific emergency number, etc. For the UMTS network an enhanced SIM is specified,
the universal subscriber identity module (USIM); refer 3GPP TS 31.102.

5 – Identifiers in the GSM Network

GSM uses several identifiers for the routing of calls, identifying subscribers (e.g. for charging),
locating the HLR, identifying equipment, etc. Some of these identifiers play an important role for
CAMEL.

5.1 International Mobile Subscriber Identity

The international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) is embedded on the SIM card and is used to
identify a subscriber. The IMSI is also contained in the subscription data in the HLR. The IMSI is
used for identifying a subscriber for various processes in the GSM network. Some of these are:

• location update – when attaching to a network, the MS reports the IMSI to the MSC, which uses
the IMSI to derive the global title (GT) of the HLR associated with the subscriber;
• terminating call – when the GSM network handles a call to a GSM subscriber, the HLR uses
the IMSI to identify the subscriber in the MSC/VLR, to start a process for delivering the call to
that subscriber in that MSC/VLR.
• roaming charging – a VPLMN uses the IMSI to send billing records to the HPLMN of
a subscriber.
Image shows the format of the IMSI.
• mobile country code (MCC) – the MCC identifies the country for mobile networks. The MCC is
not used for call establishment. The usage of MCC is defined in ITU-T E.212 [129]. The MCC
values are allocated and published by the ITU-T.
• mobile network code (MNC) – the MNC identifies the mobile network within a mobile country
(as identified by MCC). MCC and MNC together identify a PLMN. Refer to ITU-T E.212 [129]
for MNC usage. The MNC may be two or three digits in length. Common practice is that, within
a country (as identified by MCC), all MNCs are either two or three digits.
• mobile subscriber identification number (MSIN) – the MSIN is the subscriber identifier within
a PLMN.
The IMSI is reported to the SCP during CAMEL service invocation. The IMSI may be needed,
for example, when identifying a country; countries in North America have equal country code
(country code = 1), but different MCC (e.g. Canada = 303; Mexico = 334).

5.2 Mobile Station Integrated Services Digital Network Number (MSISDN Number)

The MSISDN is used to identify the subscriber when, among other things, establishing a call to that
subscriber or sending an SMS to that subscriber. Hence, the MSISDN is used for routing purposes.
The image shows the structure of the MSISDN.
• country code (CC) – the CC identifies the country or group of countries of the subscriber;
• national destination code (NDC) – each PLMN in a country has one or more NDCs allocated to
it; the NDC may be used to route a call to the appropriate network;
• subscriber number (SN) – the SN identifies the subscriber within the number plan of a PLMN.

The MSISDN is not stored on the subscriber’s SIM card and is normally not available in the
MS.2 The MSISDN is provisioned in the HLR, as part of the subscriber’s profile, and is sent to
MSC during registration. The MSISDN is also reported to SCP when a CAMEL service is invoked.
One subscriber may have multiple MSISDNs. These MSISDNs are provisioned in the HLR. At
any one moment, only a single MSISDN is available in the MSC/VLR for the subscriber.
5.3 International Mobile Equipment Identifier

The international mobile equipment identifier (IMEI) is used to identify the ME [or user equipment
(UE) in UMTS network]. Each ME has a unique IMEI. The IMEI is hard-coded in the ME and
cannot be modified. The image shows the structure of the IMEI. The IMEI is not used for routing
or subscriber identification.
Refer to GSM TS 03.03 [27] for the type approval code (TAC), final assembly code (FAC)
and serial number (SNR). The software version (SV) may be included in the IMEI (‘IMEISV’) to
indicate the version of software embedded in the ME. The IMEI is always encoded as an eight-octet
string. As from CAMEL Phase 4, the IMEI(SV) may be reported to the SCP.
5.4 Mobile Station Roaming Number

The mobile station roaming number (MSRN) is used in the GSM network for routing a call to a
MS. The need for the MSRN stems from the fact that the MSISDN identifies a subscriber, but not
the current location of that subscriber in a telecommunications network. The MSRN is allocated to
a subscriber during MT call handling and is released when the call to that subscriber is established.
Each MSC in a PLMN has a (limited) range of MSRNs allocated to it. An MSRN may be allocated
to any subscriber registered in that MSC. The MSRN has the form of an E.164 number and can
be used by the GMSC for establishing a call to a GSM subscriber. An MSRN is part of a GSM
operator’s number plan. The MSRN indicates the GSM network a subscriber is registered in, but
not the GSM network the subscriber belongs to. The image shows how the MSRN is used for call
routing. The MSRN is not meant for call initiation. GSM operators may configure their MSC such
that subscribers cannot dial numbers that fall within the MSRN range of that operator.

6 Basic Services

All activities that may be done in the GSM network, such as establishing a voice call, establishing
a data call, sending a short message, etc., are classified as basic services. In order for a subscriber
to use a GSM basic service, she must have a subscription to that service.3 The handling of a basicservice is fully standardized. Hence, a subscriber may use a basic service in any GSM network
she roams to, provided that that basic service is supported in that network. The HLR will send
a list of subscribed basic services to the MSC/VLR, during registration. When a GSM subscriber
initiates a call, the MS supplies the serving MSC with a set of parameters describing the circuitswitched
connection that is requested. These parameters are the bearer capability (BC), low-layer
compatibility (LLC) and high-layer compatibility (HLC), as will be described below. The MSC
uses the BC, LLC and HLC to derive the basic service for this call. The rules for deriving the basic
service from LLC, HLC and BC are specified in GSM TS 09.07 [55]. The MSC then checks whether
the subscriber has a subscription to the requested basic service, i.e. whether the subscription data
in the VLR contains that basic service. If the service is not subscribed to, then the MSC disallows
the call. The basic service is not transported over ISUP.

When a CAMEL service is invoked, the MSC reports the requested basic service to the SCP. The
SCP may use the indication of the requested basic service for call service processing. Examples
include:
• video calls may be charged at a higher rate than speech calls;
• for data calls and fax calls, the CAMEL service shall not play any announcements or tones.
Basic services are divided into two groups: tele services and bearer services.

6.1 Tele Services

Table 1.1 provides an overview of the available tele services (TS);

6.2 Bearer Services

Table 1.2 provides an overview of the available bearer services (BS). The two bearer service groups
are sub-divided into a variety of bearer services with different characteristics.

6.3 Circuit Bearer Description

Bearer capability, low-layer compatibility and high-layer compatibility are descriptors of a circuitswitched
(CS) connection. When a GSM subscriber initiates a call, the BC, LLC and HLC are
transported from MS to MSC over DTAP. The MSC includes the parameters in the ISUP signal to
the destination. These parameters are also reported to the SCP during CAMEL service invocation.
That enables a CAMEL service to adapt the service logic processing to the type of call. The image
shows the relation between LLC, HLC and BC on the DTAP and the corresponding parameters
on ISUP.

• Low-layer compatibility – the LLC is transported transparently between the calling entity and
called entity; it may be used by the respective entities to adapt codecs for interworking purposes.
LLC describes mainly characteristics related to the data transfer.
• High-layer compatibility – the HLC is also transported transparently between the calling entity
and called entity; it is used to describe the requested service, such as telephony, Fax, video
telephony, etc.
• Bearer capability – the BC describes the characteristics of the 64 kbit/s circuit requested for
the call.

7 Supplementary Services
Supplementary services (SS) in GSM are a means of enriching the user experience. An SS may,
for example, forward a call in the case of no reply from the called party, bar certain outgoing or
incoming calls, show the number of the calling party to the called party, etc. In order to use an
SS, a GSM user needs a subscription to that SS. The subscription to supplementary services is
contained in the HLR and is sent to the MSC/VLR during registration. The supplementary services
are fully standardized. A GSM subscriber can therefore use her supplementary services in any GSM
network, provided that the network supports these supplementary services, and have the same user
experience.

Supplementary services may be provisioned for an individual basic service or for a group of
basic services, e.g. a subscriber may have barring of all outgoing calls for all tele services and all
bearer services, except SMS (tele service group 20). Such a subscriber is barred from establishing
outgoing calls (except emergency calls), but may still send short messages. Some supplementary
services may be activated or deactivated by the user. Examples include call forwarding and call
barring. An operator may decide to bar certain subscribers or subscriber groups from modifying
their supplementary services.

Table 1.3 shows the Supplementary Services. They are combined in service groups. Subscriptions
are per individual Supplementary Service. The right-most column indicates the GSM technical
specifications (TS) that specify the service requirement for the respective Supplementary Service(s).
The chapters on CAMEL Phases 1–4 describe the interaction between CAMEL and the various
supplementary services. Not all GSM networks support all supplementary services. Many of
the supplementary services in GSM have equivalent supplementary services in ISDN. The ISDN
supplementary services are described in ITU-T recommendations.

At first, I thought I would write a general post about theme cruises and compare culinary themed cruises on various cruise lines as an example. As it happens, I never seem to end up writing about my first idea. It changes into some other thing and I vow to save the original idea for another post. This would fall under that category.

MSC Cruises offers a number of different theme cruises in such diverse categories as Opera, Country Music and Polka themed cruises. I also know that MSC isn’t as well known in the U.S. as other cruise lines. MSC is entirely European owned, employs over 12,000 people and has 10 ships operating various itineraries in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and other parts of the world. I assumed that the theme cruises are offered for the American market on Caribbean sailings. That isn’t entirely true. For example, I found an Astral themed cruise on the Melody in March of 2010 and was surprised to find that the theme events are only conducted in Portuguese and German. The ship sails from Salvador de Bahia, Brazil and the cruise ends in Genoa, Italy. Obviously, the sailing caters to a Brazilian market and many Brazilians speak German as well as Portuguese, the national language of Brazil.

I corresponded with Gail Nicolaus, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for MSC Cruises to try to find out how and why MSC chooses certain themes. According to Ms. Nicolaus, the Marketing, Sales and Revenue Departments meet and discuss various ideas for particular themes as well as possible sailing dates that would perform well together. The process has to combine creative thinking; itineraries that lend themselves to a particular theme and in the end will be successful with the passengers as well as a good revenue generator for the cruise line. Passengers, travel agents and consumers are surveyed to find out what they like or dislike and what they wish would be offered. Coordination of what will take place onboard; the when, where and how activities will be conducted are also taken into account. The Corporate office and the Marketing Department of MSC in Ft. Lauderdale both handle event creation and booking performers. Big Band and Baseball themes have been successful for MSC. This year, they’ve added Country music, Latin music and Polka cruises as well as other themes. MSC aims to become well known in the United States and attractive pricing and interesting theme cruises have helped the line towards that goal.

每天都下超大雨，好爽。

我要火速寫四區。

C區重點在丹絨柏勒巴斯港（Port of Tanjung Pelepas, PTP），主要作為馬新兩國的第二運輸通道（Second link），是一個自由貿易區。另外當然就是忽然名聲大噪，但是參觀價值還是很低的濕地公約世界遺產保護區（RAMSAR World Heritage Park），也是亞洲大陸最南端–Tanjung Piai 。

D區是柔佛另兩大港–巴西古當（Pasir Gudang）以及丹絨浪塞（Tanjung Langsat）。巴西古當作為馬來西亞主要的重工業區，估計在計劃下也不會有太大的變革，會繼續發展它現在的造修船工業；丹絨浪塞港最主要的發展藍圖包括科技園和Kim-Kim區域集散中心的建設，也將會是國內生物燃料（Biofuel）研究中心所在。

B區Nusajaya，將成為柔佛新的行政中心。因為比鄰馬新第二通道，非常多新加坡人在Nusajaya置產。目前這裡蓋了滿滿的中高級住宅區以及超級市場，包括Jusco、Tesco、Giant，依這樣的情勢，Carrefour進軍也是遲早的事。不要驚訝當你知道這些超級市場都建在一起，步行可達。我不知道新山人的消費能力原來這麼高，而且有這麼多東西要買！好吧，很明顯大家要搜刮的是新幣……但也還是買不了這麼多吧！

除了高級住宅區，Nusajaya將發展成新的醫療中心、教育中心，還有指名為“國際”旅游業服務的休閒度假村和一個工業物流集群（Industrial logistic cluster）。我發現報告裡面說，教育中心的課程會包括表演藝術耶，都快哭了。要把它印下來，以後沒有的話就去吵架。我還去了號稱新山未來最高級的住宅區–Horizon Hills，的休閒俱樂部。是真的還蠻多有錢人的，兩排車望過去，最便宜的是benz 320，跑車3台，Jaguar一隻。可見在治安還沒搞好的JB，最低調的華麗首選還是BMW和Volvo。然後發現絕大多數是新加坡車子，只有十分之一是馬來西亞車牌，並且吉隆坡車占一半。

連同A區，這四區將整合成特別經濟走廊（Special Economic Corridor, SEC）。在這個綜合發展計劃（CDP）中，本來的構想是將之發展成自由通行區（Free Access Zones, FAZ）。這其實是隸屬在另一個計劃–Special Overlay Zones–之中的政策，還滿復雜的。反正當中引起最大爭議的就是在這個自由通行區中，新加坡國民可依商務及居住理由自由進出馬來西亞，不需攜帶護照。個人是覺得蠻扯的，我們已經達到歐盟的程度就是了，更何況他們還不一定領情。而且新加坡對伊斯干達計劃的投資額和參與程度實在很大，影響國家主權的疑慮也沒有得到解決，我著實不想為了賺錢把新山賣掉。但無論如何，這政策後來被推翻，真是太棒了！

最後就是E區，士乃–士古來（Senai-Skudai），包括士乃國際機場、貨物集散中心、聯運中心（multimodal centre）和MSC數碼城。這區我也很關心因為我就住在裡面。士乃機場設計圖去年就已經看過了，在整修中的小機場看著模型感覺還蠻熱血的，新的機場接駁車路線（機場–士古來–百萬鎮–新加坡）也已經開始運作。公車司機面試時應該沒料到要開這麼遠的接駁車吧。但我想這是不錯的服務，應該可以爭取到更多乘客，尤其是住在新山郊外的人，到士乃半小時，到樟宜二小時，不用比較就會馬上轉投它的懷抱。而且亞洲廉價航空的航點越來越多，服務也真的滿好的，又很便宜，士乃機場鎖定我這種年輕的貧窮背包客就沒錯啦！

其實伊斯干達計劃裡除了五大區域建設外，還有包括基本設施、治安重振，和州內主要河流的維護工程計劃。有幾項像河流、綠色建築（Green Building）我蠻有興趣的，找到資料再說。

Jag jublar även om jag vet att många kommer att fnysa åt de konsumenter som uttryckt sina åsikter i senaste Cooprapporten.

Vad är det för fel att vara “politiskt korrekt” om man tycker att

• Det är viktigt att läsa innehållsförteckningen för att ta reda på eventuella tillsatser. Endast 12 % har inte påverkats av tilllsatsdebatten.
• Men hela 75 % upplever att innehållsdeklarationerna är otydliga.
• Närproducerat är viktigt för det allra flesta.
• 85 % väljer närproducerat för att korta transportsträckorna och 79 % för gynna lokala producenter. 
• Nästan samtliga, 93 %,  menar utrotningshotade fiskar vill man undvika att köpa. 

Undersökningen grundar sig på nästan 44 000 svar som medlemmar i Coops medlemspanel avgivit under året. 

Du väntar vi bara på att Coop ska gå före med tydligare märkning, uppmana producenterna minska på tillsatser, gynna lokala odlare, märka och givetvis även ta in färsk fisk som uppfyller Kravs eller MSC regler. Och framförallt satsa på butiker där människor bor och med ett bra sortiment av mat . Det räcker inte med “CoopNära”  eller för den delen vissa “CoopKonsum” butiker där butiksytan fylls med chips, läsk och enportionsrätter. 

Varför tror man att folk går på att bil måste vara förutsättning för att kunna välja ekologiskt, klimatsmart, tillsatsreducerat och ett stort utbud av mat. Faktiskt så är det så att största transportposten är den mellan butik och hem. Matens åksjuka är det vi konsumenter som bidrar mest med.

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) –

By

Laura Mandaro

, MarketWatch

Some timely investing strategies attempt to profit from this distaste. Foreign stocks, bonds and currencies, along with commodities, tend to rise when the dollar declines.

What M&A activity says about the bull market

An uptick in deal flow probably say …

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By

Laura Mandaro

, MarketWatch

Some timely Investing strategies attempt to profit from this distaste. Foreign stocks, bonds and currencies, along with commodities, tend to rise when the dollar declines.

What M&A activity says about the bull market

An uptick in deal flow probably says more about the credit markets than equities, argues Barrons.com’s Bob O’Brien.

Even many true-blue American companies, such as Coca-Cola Co.


/quotes/comstock/13*!ko


/quotes/nls/ko

(


KO




54.65


,

+0.06

,

+0.11%

)

, can take advantage of a falling greenback because so much of their sales come from overseas.

All of these assets can get an easy boost from Currency translation. When the dollar falls, another Currency rises.

commodities generally gain when the dollar loses because they are priced in dollars. Buyers of these commodities must spend more dollars to own an ounce of gold or a barrel of oil when the greenback is worth less.

And a U.S. company that sells goods in pesos, for example, gets a bonus when it translates those earnings or its share price into dollars.

Dollar daze

These trends have been in place since March. That’s when a surge in demand for stocks and currencies in countries seen as coming faster out of recession — such as Brazil — triggered a slide in the greenback.

Many analysts say it will be tough for the dollar to rebound much while the Federal Reserve keeps Interest rates near zero percent and extends its special cash programs –two conditions that make the dollar attractive as a Currency to borrow rather than Buy.

See related story on dollar carry trade.

/quotes/comstock/11j!i:dxy0



DXY



76.35


,

+0.47

,

+0.61%

The dollar Index


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(

<A href="http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/index/DXY" title="US Dollar Index Future – Spot Price”>
DXY




76.35


,

+0.47

,

+0.61%

)

, which measures the U.S. dollar against a basket of its rivals, has fallen 14% since early March, when it had been trading near three-year highs.

The losses are even steeper against currencies from countries that export a lot of commodities, and which are expected to benefit from a coming wave of infrastructure building.

Since early March, the greenback has lost about 30% against the South African rand, 26% against the Australian dollar and 23% against the Brazilian real.

Meanwhile, emerging markets stocks — as measured by an Exchange-traded fund that tracks the MSCI Emerging Markets Index


/quotes/comstock/13*!eem


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(

<A href="http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/fund/EEM" title="iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF“>
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39.85


,

+0.03

,

+0.08%

)

– have surged 81%. Oil futures have doubled from their February lows.

“The market is focused on emerging markets leading the world out of recession now, which is not helping the dollar,” said Richard Batty, global Investment strategist at Standard Life Investments, which manages about $200 billion in assets.

Here are five ways to take advantage of further drops in the U.S. dollar:

1. Currencies.

Exchange-traded funds from Rydex Investments, WisdomTree Investments, Invesco PowerShares and others provide direct exposure to foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.

See related story on currency ETFs.

Interest in currencies has increased over the past year after asset classes that were supposed to perform independently, such as stocks, corporate bonds and real estate, crashed together, said Anthony Welch, a portfolio manager at Sarasota Capital Strategies, a wealth manager in Florida.

With foreign Exchange trading, “It’s always one currency versus another. There’s always something going up,” said Welch, who helped start The Currency Fund


/quotes/comstock/10r!forex

(


FOREX




10.50


,

-0.03

,

-0.28%

)

in May to capitalize on this burgeoning Interest.

Other mutual funds focused on currencies include Franklin Templeton Hard Currency Fund


/quotes/comstock/10r!icphx

(


ICPHX




9.72


,

-0.04

,

-0.41%

)

, Merk Hard Currency Fund


/quotes/comstock/10r!merkx

(

<A href="http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/fund/MERKX" title="Merk Hard Currency;Inv”>
MERKX




12.21


,

-0.04

,

-0.33%

)

and Rydex Weakening Dollar 2X Strategy Fund.


/quotes/comstock/10r!rywdx

(


RYWDX




20.31


,

-0.29

,

-1.41%

)

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Source: Five ways to profit from the weaker dollar – MarketWatch

Vi åt fiskgratäng igår och jag kan inte låta bli och tipsa om detta recept som jag gjorde för DN.s provkök för några år sedan. Just den här med fransk senap, dill och dragon var särskilt populär när mina barn var små.

Innan du förkastar mitt förslag till middagsmat betänk att hemlagad fiskratäng går snabbare att få klar än den färdiga frysta! Även om du använder dig av fryst fisk. Givetvis är den hemlagade dessutom mycket godare och billigare.

Idag skulle i första hand ta antingen en MSC märkt fisk (de med den lilla blå fisken) t.ex. sej, alaska pollok, hoki eller en kravmärkt torsk. 

Och självklart kan du istället för lätt creme friache ta Kravmärkt creme fraiche. Vill du ändå ha en smal gratäng  nöj dig med några matskedar och späd med lite mjölk.

So, it’s 847P and it feels like it’s about 1130P right now. Despite the wave of tiredness that just hit me, I feel fortunate in the fact that I still have two solid hours of work I can get in this evening. I just knocked out one presentation in my Health & Population seminar this evening and it actually went pretty well! After so many years of business classes/public speaking, I seemed to have forgotten that I actually enjoy speaking in front of people when I have a good grasp on my topic (one reason that a career in academia/university teaching has been of interest to me). I have one more presentation tomorrow morning, followed by preparation for a third presentation for Monday. Despite the fact that I have had to relinquish my rights to a social life, I actually kind of enjoy having work to do. I feel like I’ve finally been pushed into grad school mode and I can really start to bring my ‘A’ game on a daily basis. Also, there is a reward to finishing this load of work: tomorrow night I get to hit up an Arsenal game with a friend and finally see the Emirates stadium (Chris, if you’re reading this, that statement may be perceived as sacrilegious considering my mandatory alignment with Manchester United) and Thursday night, I’m hitting up the Apollo Victoria theatre with some fellow MSc kiddos to catch a showing of ‘Wicked‘! I think that those two nights of social re-integration will help me re-focus for a weekend of presentation prep work and paper-writing.

My goal for this weekend is to a) prepare a kickass presentation for Monday’s seminar and b) write my formative essay for my Health & Population class. I figure if I post this on my blog for the world to see, I’m semi-accountable to someone/everyone. If, on Monday, I have to write about how I still have essays to write, I will feel entirely defeated.

On an even brighter note (speaking of things to look forward to): Nine days until Rome! I think that all of this writing and academic reading has fried my brain. The excitement and reality that I get to take a jaunt to Italy in one short week has yet to fully hit me.

Hope all is well in the world! Feel free to send some love my way — getting comments always puts a smile on my blogging face.

Side note //  Two other things put a smile on my face today: One – I finally tried the Hare Krishna food on campus today and it was way better than I had envisioned.  Two – I got an email from my dad that used the term ‘OMG.’ Hahah. Love it. Dad, I know you’re reading this: OMG, I love you. <3.

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