This is not only a H.323 topic, but since H.323 also uses TCP connections, it applies to H.323 as well:

To detect network errors and signaling connection problems, you can enable TCP keep alive feature. It will increase signaling bandwidth used, but as bandwidth utilized by signaling channels is low from its nature, the increase should not be significant. Moreover, you can control it using keep alive timeout.

The problem is that most system use keep alive timeout of 7200 seconds, which means the system is notified about a dead connection after 2 hours. You probably want this time to be shorter, like one minute or so. On each operating system, the adjustment is done in a different way.

After settings all parameters, it's recommended to check whether the feature works correctly - just make a test call and unplug a network cable at either side of the call. Then see if the call terminates after the configured timeout.

Linux systems

Use sysctl -A to get a list of available kernel variables
and grep this list for net.ipv4 settings (sysctl -A | grep net.ipv4).
There should exist the following variables:

net.ipv4.tcp_keepalive_time:   time of connection inactivity after which
                               the first keep alive request is sent
net.ipv4.tcp_keepalive_probes: number of keep alive requests retransmitted
                               before the connection is considered broken
net.ipv4.tcp_keepalive_intvl:  time interval between keep alive probes

You can manipulate with these settings using the following command:

sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_keepalive_time=60 net.ipv4.tcp_keepalive_probes=3 

    net.ipv4.tcp_keepalive_intvl=10

This sample command changes TCP keepalive timeout to 60 seconds with 3 probes,
10 seconds gap between each. With this, your application will detect dead TCP
connections after 90 seconds (60 + 10 + 10 + 10).

FreeBSD and MacOS X

For the list of available TCP settings (FreeBSD 4.8 an up and 5.4):

sysctl -A | grep net.inet.tcp

net.inet.tcp.keepidle - Amount of time, in milliseconds, that the (TCP) 
connection must be idle before keepalive probes (if enabled) are sent.

net.inet.tcp.keepintvl - The interval, in milliseconds, between 
keepalive probes sent to remote machines. After TCPTV_KEEPCNT (default 
8) probes are sent, with no response, the (TCP)connection is dropped.

net.inet.tcp.always_keepalive - Assume that SO_KEEPALIVE is set on all 
TCP connections, the kernel will periodically send a packet to the 
remote host to verify the connection is still up.

therefore formula to calculate maximum TCP inactive connection time is 
following:

net.inet.tcp.keepidle + (net.inet.tcp.keepintvl x 8)

the result is in milliseconds.

therefore, by setting
net.inet.tcp.keepidle = 10000
net.inet.tcp.keepintvl = 5000
net.inet.tcp.always_keepalive =1 (must be 1 always)

the system will disconnect a call when TCP connection is dead for:
10000 + (5000 x 8) = 50000 msec (50 sec)

To make system remember these settings at startup, you should add them 
to /etc/sysctl.conf file

Solaris

For the list of available TCP settings:

ndd /dev/tcp ?

Keepalive related variables:
- tcp_keepalive_interval - idle timeout

Example:
ndd -set /dev/tcp tcp_keepalive_interval 60000

Windows 2000 and Windows NT

Search Knowledge Base for article ID 120642:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/120642/EN-US

Basically, you need to tweak some registry entries under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesTcpipParameters

Most H.323 vendors did not implement encrypting the signaling connection with TLS. They only encrypt the media (RTP). But you can use the two GNU Gatekeepers to encrypt you call signaling even when your endpoints don't support this natively.

Suppose you have 2 locations and want to connect them securely over the public internet.

GnuGk can encrypt call signalling between those locations using TLS and encrypt the media (RTP) using H.235.6 (AES encryption). 

 Configuration for GNU Gatekeeper 1 (prefix 01)

[Gatekeeper::Main]

[RoutedMode]
GKRouted=1
H245Routed=1
CallSignalPort=1720
AcceptUnregisteredCalls=1
; make sure H.245 gets tunneled for TLS
H245TunnelingTranslation=1
; add AES media encryption if the endpoint doesn't encrypt itself
EnableH235HalfCallMedia=1
; only allow encrypted calls
RequireH235HalfCallMedia=1
; change the media key after 2^31 operations
EnableH235HalfCallMediaKeyUpdates=1

[Proxy]
Enable=1

[ModeSelection]
0.0.0.0/0=PROXY
; only use routed mode for local calls
192.168.0.0/18=H245ROUTED

[TLS]
EnableTLS=1
PrivateKey=/path/to/server.pem
Certificates=/path/to/server.pem
CAFile=/path/to/rootcert.pem
Passphrase=MySecret
CheckCertificateIP=1

[Gatekeeper::Auth]
FileIPAuth=required;Setup

[FileIPAuth]
; allow all calls from local network
192.168.1.0/24=allow
; only allow TLS encrypted and authenticated calls from elsewhere
any=onlyTLS

[RasSrv::PermanentEndpoints]
; the GnuGk in the other location, serving prefix 02
1.2.3.4:1300=remote-gw;02

[EP::remote-gw]
; use TLS to call remote GnuGk
UseTLS=1 

Configuration for GNU Gatekeeper 2 (prefix 02)

[Gatekeeper::Main]

[RoutedMode]
GKRouted=1
H245Routed=1
CallSignalPort=1720
AcceptUnregisteredCalls=1
; make sure H.245 gets tunneled for TLS
H245TunnelingTranslation=1
; add AES media encryption if the endpoint doesn't encrypt itself
EnableH235HalfCallMedia=1
; only allow encrypted calls
RequireH235HalfCallMedia=1
; change the media key after 2^31 operations
EnableH235HalfCallMediaKeyUpdates=1

[Proxy]
Enable=1

[ModeSelection]
0.0.0.0/0=PROXY
; only use routed mode for local calls
192.168.0.0/18=H245ROUTED

[TLS]
EnableTLS=1
PrivateKey=/path/to/server.pem
Certificates=/path/to/server.pem
CAFile=/path/to/rootcert.pem
Passphrase=MySecret
CheckCertificateIP=1

[Gatekeeper::Auth]
FileIPAuth=required;Setup

[FileIPAuth]
; allow all calls from local network
192.168.1.0/24=allow
; only allow TLS encrypted and authenticated calls from elsewhere
any=onlyTLS

[RasSrv::PermanentEndpoints]
; the GnuGk in the other location, serving prefix 01
1.2.3.5:1300=remote-gw;01

[EP::remote-gw]
; use TLS to call remote GnuGk
UseTLS=1 

Other options

You could also configure the remote GNU Gatekeeper as a neighbor, but beware that the RAS traffic between neighbors will show meta data (whois is caling who) in clear text! 

See the GnuGk manual section on TLS for more details and examples how to generate the OpenSSL certificates. 

 H323Plus 1.27.2 and PTLib 2.10.9.4 have been released.

Changes in H323Plus:

- support for Alpine Linux for smaller container images
- crash fixed on invalid RTCP packets
- memory leaks fixed
- GetCrytoMasterKey() restored that got lost in 1.27.1
- better support for cross-compiling
- various updates for newer compilers
- some smaller bug fixes

https://www.h323plus.org/source/

Changes in PTLib:

- support for Alpine Linux
- better support for cross-compiling
- various smaller bug fixes

https://github.com/willamowius/ptlib/releases

In South Kensington they take their fashion so seriously, that if you find yourself on the District/Circle line platform wearing something untrendy, TfL have got you covered. 

Gap are a bit mainstream though. Surely a jumper from somewhere more boutique would have been more fitting?

¿Para que navegador diseño mi sitio? Parece difícil la pregunta, pero no, la respuesta es simple, PARA TODOS. Bueno, si usted se refiere a por que navegador se puede guiar par diseñar su sitio para que los robots de búsqueda lo vean bien, pues pruebe un Lynx... :-) si, en serio, creo que esa es una vista más cercana de cómo ven los robots de búsqueda los sitios, pero bueno, hablando realmente en serio, la realidad es que....

El trabajo SEO en los primeros años de su desarrollo se caracterizó por el uso de diversas técnicas dirigidas a "engañar" a los robots de búsqueda. Esas técnicas fueron dejando de funcionar a partir del desarrollo de los robots de búsquedas que cada día son mas sofisticados y son capaces de detectar desde textos invisibles para el usuario hasta la existencia de textos no legibles por personas ...

El registro en los principales buscadores debe ser manual, de forma tal que se puedan cumplir todos los requisitos de la forma más óptima, lo cual con una herramienta automática seria difícil de lograr. Además ya en varios no es posible la inclusión automática pues uno de los pasos del formulario a llenar solicita la escritura de una cadena alfanumérica que se muestra en forma de imagen ruidosa la cual ...

Un abuso de frecuencia en la palabra a menudo es interpretado como spam y es penalizado. Debemos mantener siempre el contenido de las Webs legible para las personas, pues además del tema de las penalizaciones de contenidos hechos solo para buscadores debemos tener en cuenta que el objetivo final de nuestras Webs e llegar a los usuarios y ofrecerles contenidos de calidad que ...

Como realizar el manejo de los pedidos a páginas inexistentes en nuestra Web ¿? Esos pedidos usualmente responderían con un error 404 con lo que se pierde una visita al sitio, e igualmente en el caso de un robot de búsqueda, lo cual podría ser síntoma incluso de una pagina que existía anteriormente que eliminamos y esta estaba indexada por un buscador. ¿Perder una visita al sitio? De ninguna manera...

Desde el punto de vista del posicionamiento Web los canales RSS nos ofrecen varias ventajas. Una es que cuando es incluida la información del canal RSS en una Web remota esto proporciona un enlace a la Web original con la correspondiente ganancia de...

Como usar las estadísticas para el posicionamiento Web? La evaluación de los resultados del posicionamiento Web es un paso requerido en dicho trabajo. A través de la evaluación se detectan que estrategias están dando resultados, cuales no, y se redirige el trabajo de posicionamiento según las necesidades. El estudio de las palabras claves y frases de entradas, y llegar a conocer con cuales hemos aparecido en las primeras posiciones de los buscadores, así como ...

Las herramientas mencionadas de análisis de registros no siempre logran diferenciar bien cuando un acceso fue generado por un robot de búsqueda, otro tipo de software, visita de usuario y otros tipos de accesos, puesto que la variedad de estos es muy grande. De ahi surge la necesidad de poder separar eficientemente las estadísticas del acceso de usuarios del resto de los tipos de acceso, pues para el análisis con miras al posicionamiento Web resulta de interés manejar estos datos por separado, ya que cada uno representa...

Virtual Bush, much like the real G.W. only with you at the controls instead of Dick Cheney.

कसरी हटाउने त pen drive तथा USB मा भएको hidden virus लाई antivirus बिना

हामीले फाइलहरु Share गर्ने क्रममा बिभिन्न खालका पेन द्रिवे तथा Memory Card हरु प्रयोग गरी रहेका हुन्छौ । त्यही Pen Drive
तथा मेमोरी कार्ड प्रयोग गर्ने
क्रममा हाम्रो कम्प्युटरलाई असर पर्ने धेरै खाले virus हरुले सताउने गर्दछन।

बिभिन्न प्रकारले सताउने virus हरु मध्ये hidden virus ले पनि सताई
राखेको हुन्छ हामीहरुलाई यो virus ले हाम्रो कम्प्युटरमा रहेको कुनै
पनि फाइलहरु लाई नदेखिने गरेर लुकाउन सक्दछ।

यस समस्याबाट हामीले कसरी छुट्कारा पाउन सकिन्छ भन्ने जिज्ञशा त सबै लाई नै लग्न सक्छ तर त्यो समस्यालाई हामीले सजिलै हटाउन सकिन्छ जबकी तल लेखिएका कुराहरुलाई follow गर्न्नु पर्ने हुन्छ।

1. सर्बप्रथम तपाईंले
कम्प्युटरको start button click गरी program मा गई notepad खोल्नु पर्ने हुन्छ|

2. तलक command line हरु टाईप गर्नु पर्नेछ ।
ATTRIB –H –A –R –S K:*.* /S /
DDEL K:*.LNKDEL K:*.VBSDEL K:
*.CMD
DEL K:*.BAT
DEL K:*.INF
DEL K:*.EXE
DEL K:*.JS
rd K:RECYCLER /S /Q
Exit

Note: यहाँ k भन्नाले तपाईंको USB Drive name हो|


3. यती टाईप गरी सकेपछी तपाईंले notepad मा टाईप गरेको फाइललाई एउटा नाम दियर navraj.exe लेखी तपाईंको कम्प्युटरको desktop मा save गर्नुहोश|


4. अब तपाईंले कुनै पनि हिद्देन विरुस समेतको उस्ब कम्प्युटरमा हाल्नु हुन्छ र desktop मा शेभ गरियको त्यस navraj.exe फाइल लाई double click गर्नु होस् यसो गर्दा navraj.exe
लेखेको फाइल active हुन गई USB रहेको Hidden virus लाई हटाई दिने काम गर्दछ।

यती गरेपछी तपाईंले USB
मा Hidden भएका फाइलहरु सजिलै सँग
हेर्न सक्नु हुनेछ|

Both Zillow.com and Trulia.com could vanish tomorrow, completely – websites crash and stay down forever –  and it would make ZERO difference, at all, in the successful sale of any home in Austin TX, or elsewhere in the U.S. Period. There is no hardship or selling disadvantage created for sellers or their listing agents if their real estate listings do not appear on these real estate entertainment and advertising websites because it is not the purpose of these consumer portal sites to sell homes, but instead to sell advertising to Real Estate Agents. These consumer sites not only fail to cause homes to sell, the websites fail to create smarter, better educated buyers and sellers. Instead, they create consumers exposed to bad data, and too much of it. Including the ridiculous Zestimate, which everyone knows is inaccurate but which nonetheless remains the “favorite” feature of Zillow.com users, according to Zillow. ... Read more

When Sylvia and I started leasing and managing rentals in Austin in the early 1990s, the business operation was phone-based. I had a phone, answering machine, and spiral pad on a desk in our kitchen nook. All business happened there. I also had a Windows PC, a 386 with a dot matrix printer which ran the DOS version of my property management software. If you don’t know what 386, DOS or “dot matrix printer” means, you’re probably less than 40 years old. Oh, it probably had a 2400 baud modem as well, and a 50 meg hard drive. It wasn’t until 1996 that I put up my first website and started using email for business. All rental inquiries thus originated with a phone call to that one phone. It was a “single channel” communication system. Those callers either saw a yard sign or a 3-line ad in the Rentals section ... Read more

I attended the Presentation in Austin this week announcing the Beta rollout of Realtor.com’s new Agent Profiles. Austin is the only city in the US with this live, though it will soon also be turned on in the state of Rhode Island. Though not fully baked, I’ve set up my profile. The “Sold Listing are not yet populating, but should be on the map by mid October. There will also be a Team Profile. Here is what it will look like when viewing a map of Sold Listings in Austin. Pretty cool, right? Are Realtors happy about this? Many are not. The Realtor online forums are ablaze with ignorant complainers, moaning and griping about this, and how it’s “unfair” to populate Realtor profiles or Sold Maps with actual closed sales because it makes the Newbies and part timers look bad. Those of you agents complaining are missing some important data ... Read more

In an increasingly “unaffordable” Austin, it occurs to me that many of us could live way cheaper if we could just get along and live in extended family groups or roommate groups. I’ll use my own family as an example to explore this CRAZY idea for curing Austin’s affordability problem. Sylvia and I live in a home in SW Austin with a $3,000/mo mortgage. Our utilities average $250/mo for everything, plus yard care of $80 per month, and of course repairs and maintenance as needed. We intentionally downsized to this home from Westlake, because we want to live more “affordably” and we no longer needed to live in Westlake Eanes ISD after our girls graduated high school. My mom, in her 70’s, lives three blocks away in a home I purchased as investment (but for her to live in). I charge her $1,200/mo rent (market rent would be $2,000, my payment/cost ... Read more

It’s the start of 2016 and already I’ve received a few inquiries from my investor clients wondering whether they should hold on to their rental property, or sell this year. It’s a conversation I have multiple times with multiple clients each year, and it’s a question Sylvia and I sometimes ask ourselves about our own rental property. Especially given the appreciation gains of the past 5 years in Austin. So this article will walk through some of the questions you might ask yourself when contemplating whether to sell your real estate asset, based on how I look at the question with my own rental properties. The first questions to ask yourself are: 1) Do you need the money? and 2) What will you do with the money? I normally don’t make it past those two questions, because the answers for me are are “no” and “I don’t know”. For most, ... Read more

And the real estate journey continues … Sylvia and I started Crossland Real Estate in Jan 1993, and remained independent until we sold our property management portfolio in 2004 and “retired” for a year. We didn’t actually formally retire … more of a sabbatical … as we were still in our 40s with kids 9 and 12. But we did take a year off from active real estate “production”. We weren’t sure whether we wanted to remain in real estate forever or not. I started a telecom services company and dabbled in Business Brokerage, both of which were interesting pursuits worthy of a full effort, and which I could have succeeded at doing, but after some time off from the daily real estate routine, something happened… The phone rang. It was Real Estate. It wanted us back. Sometimes distance from something brings perspective and a renewed appreciation of it. So, ... Read more

Should you enroll in a Real Estate investment seminar in Austin or your home town? Be very careful if you do. Understand the risks and what you are paying.

New York Times columnist Paul Sullivan recently wrote about this DJ posing as a financial advisor. It was one of those setups like you see on TV. They removed his dreadlocks and body piercings, put him in a suit, taught him some basic scripts like “a 401K is the way to go“, and had him meet with actual financial clients to discuss their financial needs and how he can help. When he went for the “close”, all but 1 client said they would work with him. He had zero experience, no qualifications (though I’ll bet his conversational skills helped). But since he looked the part and knew some buzz phrases, and the prospective clients didn’t know the right questions to ask, he was able to win their trust just by being nice and personable. The point of the experiment was to illustrate that the vast majority of financial clients do ... Read more

As the owner of a business where 100% live answer is not possible or cost effective, I do receive my fair share of angry voicemails from people wanting to talk to a human right now. It’s kind of interesting actually. I received this one just recently. Many would just delete it, as I usually do with rude voicemail tirades. We receive all manner of unbelievably incoherent, garbled and plain crazy voice messages from people. But as a blunt-spoken no-BS type of person myself, I appreciated this voicemail. I played it proudly for my wife. And I played it for my assistant, “listen, … this is great!” And now I’m blogging about it. The caller scolds me with the blunt, to the point assertion, “if no one is available you get no sales“. Listen to it again yourself. It’s perfect! It’s the kind of communication I respect. Clear, concise, to the ... Read more

Update August 2018: The Austin Board of Realtors has Discontinued use of the Coming Soon Status. It caused more trouble that it was worth. Austin Realtors can now enter For Sale listings into the Austin Central Texas MLS before the listing is ready for showing. For up to 14 days prior to the “Active” date. And, therefore, buyer agents and buyers can get a “heads up” on listings that are (supposedly) about to come onto the market live in the MLS. What Problem Does This Solve? During Austin’s red hot seller’s market of the past 5 years, it had become increasingly frustrating for Buyer Agents and Buyers trying to operate in a low inventory market. We heard tales of buyers literally driving zig zag through neighborhoods looking for “Coming Soon” signs. Every new listing that popped up live in MLS became a Red Alert fire drill, as I wrote about ... Read more

What effect does "negative cash flow" real estate have on the growth of your Net Worth over time?

Historically in Texas, homes have appreciated at 4.5% annually (according to Texas A&M Real Estate Center). This is the expected appreciation we use when making real estate investment assumptions as well. For example, a $200,000 home would increase in value to $209,000 if appreciation was 4.5% for that year. If you wanted to save for 1 year a 5% downpayment for a $200,000 home in Austin, you would save 5% of the future value of the home, not the current value. You would save for a $209K purchase, $10,450, not $10,000, if saving just for 1 year. Starting in about 2012, homes in Austin have appreciated at a much greater rate, closer to 8% annually. This makes it harder to save for a down payment, like chasing a vanishing horizon. Also, there are no more $200,000 homes. The median value of a home in Austin is now about $400,000 if ... Read more

The Austin real estate market has begun to level off and slow down a bit, but that fact is not yet fully reflected in the market statistics, other than Days on Market creeping up. Nevertheless, Median Sold price is up to $322K, an increase of 8% over August 2017. I see more price drops coming across the listing update feeds I follow as well, and I also see more “back on market” listings.  This softening of the Austin real estate market may more fully appear in the September through December stats as I expect Days on Market to keep rising and price increases to slow. Real Estate cycles in Texas have traditionally run 4 to 7 years. We’re in year 7 of a continuous increase in prices, which is outpacing the very strong job growth Austin has enjoyed over the same period. But prices have run away from wages. Austin ... Read more

Wow, 24 months of inventory for DT Condos as of June 20, 2024. This is extraordinary. And we see an inverted price pattern on the right side of this chart telling us at a glance that listings are over-priced for demand. (Mine is one of them). In a *rising* market, Actives can be priced higher than Pendings, which are priced higher than Solds (skate to where the puck will be).  In a declining market, those price relationships result in a 2 year inventory. Pricing has to catch the falling market. As I am my own seller on my Seaholm unit, I ask myself, should I cut the price by 10%, or hold tight and wait for the market to rebound in perhaps two years? FYI – ChatGPT create this chart upon my instructions. Charts like this tell stories that are easy for buyers and sellers to understand.

In July 2024, the Biden-Harris administration made a significant move to bolster the United States’ energy security by purchasing 4.65 million barrels of crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). This acquisition is part of a broader effort to replenish the SPR, which had been significantly drawn down in response to the global energy crisis triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) confirmed that this latest purchase brings the total amount of crude oil secured for the SPR to over 40 million barrels since the administration began its replenishment efforts. The DOE has been able to procure this oil at an average price of $77 per barrel, which is nearly $20 less per barrel than the average sales price during the emergency releases in 2022. This strategic purchasing not only ensures a good deal for American taxpayers but also maintains the operational readiness of the SPR. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm emphasized the administration’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s energy security while securing favorable terms for taxpayers. She noted that the DOE has successfully accelerated the return of nearly 5.5 million barrels initially slated for later in the year, further maximizing the...

India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) recently announced the discovery of five new oil and gas sources, marking a significant development for the country’s energy industry. These discoveries were made in multiple regions, both onshore and offshore, and promise to strengthen India’s position in the global energy landscape. One of the most notable discoveries is the PURN-1 well, located in block CB-ONHP-2019/1. This well was drilled to explore the hydrocarbon potential of the Olpad and Kadi formations. During testing, the well produced viscous oil after heat treatment, establishing the presence of oil and gas in the area and opening up new exploration opportunities. Another important discovery is the West Matar-2 well, drilled in the Matar Addl area. This well explored the hydrocarbon potential of the Hazad Formation and resulted in the production of oil and gas in commercial quantities. This discovery is significant as it establishes the commercial viability of the GS-6 and GS-8 sands in the West Matar field. In the offshore sector, ONGC made a promising discovery in the B-56-2 well located in the Tapti-Daman area off Mumbai. This well explored the hydrocarbon potential of the Panna and Bassein formations and produced gas in commercial quantities. This...

The US oil and gas industry is experiencing a paradoxical trend: record-breaking production levels coupled with a significant decline in employment. Despite the United States achieving unprecedented oil and gas output, the number of jobs in the sector has been steadily decreasing. This decline is not driven by climate policies or the rise of clean energy but rather by the industry’s relentless push for efficiency and the cyclical nature of the market. According to recent data, oil production in the US has increased by 5% since 2019, reaching an average of 13.4 million barrels per day. However, employment in the oilfield sector has dropped nearly 20% from pre-pandemic levels. The oil and gas extraction industry employed approximately 112,000 people in 2022, a significant decrease from previous years. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this trend, leading to a loss of nearly 200,000 jobs in the sector, a 20% reduction in the total workforce. Although there are signs of recovery, with projections suggesting a rebound in employment levels by 2027, the current job market remains challenging for many workers. The industry’s focus on efficiency means that fewer workers are needed to produce more oil. This shift has resulted in job losses across various...

In 2024, Libya’s oil industry is navigating a complex landscape marked by both significant challenges and promising opportunities. The Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) has set ambitious goals to increase production capacity to two million barrels per day within the next three to five years. Currently, the country produces approximately 1.3 million barrels per day, with plans to boost this by an additional 100,000 barrels per day by the end of the year. Despite these aspirations, Libya’s oil sector continues to grapple with political instability. The country faces ongoing clashes between rival governments, which have historically disrupted oil production and exports. In recent years, these conflicts have led to the shutdown of key oil fields and ports, severely impacting the nation’s oil output and revenues. However, there are signs of recovery and growth. The NOC is preparing to launch its first oil and gas licensing round in nearly two decades, aiming to attract international investment and revitalize exploration activities. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance production and reduce the burning of associated gas by 83% by 2030. Additionally, Libya is making strides in infrastructure development. A notable project is the $600-million oil refinery near the El...

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), a state-owned entity, recently acknowledged its substantial debt of $6 billion to petrol suppliers. This admission, made in early September 2024, marks a significant development in the Nigerian oil industry, which has been grappling with various challenges. The debt revelation came after months of speculation and denials. The NNPC’s financial strain has been attributed to the gap between fixed pump prices and international fuel costs, exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidies in 2023. This policy change led to a sharp increase in petrol prices, with motorists now paying over 45% more per litre. The financial burden has had a ripple effect on the NNPC’s operations and the broader oil industry. Suppliers have reduced the volume of petrol provided to the NNPC, resulting in a six-week-long petrol scarcity across Nigeria. This scarcity has caused significant disruptions in daily life and economic activities, highlighting the critical role of the NNPC in ensuring national energy security. Despite these challenges, the NNPC reported record crude oil sales of N14 trillion ($8.6 billion) in 2023, a substantial increase from the previous year. However, the company’s ambitious target of achieving two million barrels per day of crude oil production...

According to the latest GlobalData report, the oil and gas industry is experiencing a slowdown in its energy transition efforts. The report highlights that despite the growing global emphasis on sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, the pace at which the oil and gas sector is adopting renewable energy and other green technologies has decelerated. This slowdown is attributed to several factors, including economic uncertainties and fluctuating oil prices. Investment Shifts and Challenges The report points out that while there has been a significant investment in renewable energy projects, the overall commitment from major oil and gas companies has not met the expected levels. Companies are facing challenges in balancing their traditional fossil fuel operations with the need to invest in cleaner energy sources. The economic pressures and the need to maintain profitability in a volatile market have led to a cautious approach towards large-scale investments in renewable energy. Ravindra Puranik, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, commented on the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on energy security. He noted that the resultant supply chain disruptions have driven countries towards readily available fossil fuels, thereby boosting oil and gas demand. Puranik also highlighted that the push for energy self-reliance and high...

Learn how to use a Google Sheet to track product prices on Amazon shopping websites and get email alerts when the prices go down or up.

The post How to Use Google Sheets as an Amazon Price Tracker appeared first on Digital Inspiration.

Studies say 97% of spam (no, not Spam) happens because you posted your email address to a web page somewhere...The Obfuscator to the rescue! The Obfuscator converts your email address into an encoded string that spambots can't read, but web browsers and email programs can! For convenience, your obfuscated string is automagically copied to the clipboard.

New in Version 1.0.1:

- Fixed trailing newline issue when copying data to the clipboard (thanks Ben Kazez!)

I am officially a freelancer, doing business as Newfangled Telegraph. If you need a widget developed, now is the time to contact me!

A few of you, loyal IP Locator users, have written to let me know that the widget is not working. IP Locator gets its geolocation information from DNSStuff.com. It appears that DNSStuff.com has moved to a subscription model for most of its services. I have written to R. Scott Perry, the owner of the site and asked him what is to become of IP Locator in light of this change. Scott and I have enjoyed a good working relationship since I approached him 2 years ago and asked if he would like to collaborate on the widget. I will post an update here as soon as I know more. Thanks for your understanding. –Andrew

Do you want to build a portfolio website for your small business or personal project but don't know how to get started? Find the answer in the free eBook.

The post How to Create Portfolio Website for Your Small Business [Free eBook] appeared first on MonstersPost.

More and more people prefer staying at home to work. And, yes, today we will have a small talk about it.

The post Home Based Business Guide + free checklist appeared first on MonstersPost.

In the bustling world of e-commerce, inclusivity is not just a trend but a necessity. As the digital landscape evolves, it's imperative to ensure that online stores are accessible to all users, including the elderly and those requiring disability aids. Let’s we'll delve into actionable tips to make your Shopify e-commerce store user-friendly for these […]

The post Crafting a User-Friendly Shopify Store for Elderly and Users with Disabilities appeared first on MonstersPost.

Has anyone seen my hubby? He should be somewhere in the vicinity of DC. If you see him, tell him to get back home so he can start writing again!

Meanwhile….

I am soooo glad summer has finally drawn to a close. It has been one we will not soon forget.

So, since Craig has been a bit busy, I decided to put my thought down on a subject that was brought to my attention a while back. I shall call it “Things That Annoy Instructors”.

#1. Coming in late to class and missing the very important warm up – and setting up weights can be a bit distracting. I must say though that it doesn’t always bother me. I just usually say hello to the person and move on!

#2. Leaving before the very important cool down. I know that some people have to leave because of jobs, etc., but the cool down is extremely important. Also distracting can be when weights are being put away as we instructing. However, on Fridays, there is a class right after ours so I will sometimes start putting our weights away while Craig teaches so we are not late getting out.

#3. This is what annoys me the most. When a new person comes to class and we try to go over proper form, and they are not paying the least bit of attention. Usually they are chatting with a friend or adjusting the weights on their bar instead of listening. Personally, I find this to be pretty rude. It makes me feel like I’m wasting my time, yet it is for their own benefit that we do this!

#4. When only 2 people show up to class!


Well – I think that is it. But in all fairness, I will try to put down what I think is annoying to participants.

#1. When the instructor is late.

#2. When the instructor is too ‘chatty’.

#3. When they have a sub.

#4. When we foul up the choreography.

#5. When I keep talking about my shoe fetish.

#6. When Craig and I act like Lucy and Ricky.


Did I miss anything? Hope not!

BTW – Craig will get the 63 review out soon.

Every now and again a track shows up on a release that becomes a favorite - not just in class, but in a general Tami's favs or Craig's CD Rock iPod playlist. And then we feel like we got a little somethin' for nothin' - we had to buy the release anyway, and now we've got some bonus music for the road.

So one fine day we noticed a pattern - Seems whenever Pink (aka P!nk) turns up on a release, it's a pretty sure bet it'll be one of those bonus songs for us. Let's take a look:

Most Girls (Pump 38) - Besides being one of Tami's favorite ab songs, this class favorite gets the job done with one of the shortest - yet challenging - routines in the arsenal.

Lady Marmalade (Pump 39) - Pink teams up with Christina Aguillera, Lil' Kim, and Mya for an update to this classic Labelle tune that hit #1 on the charts clear back in 1975. Whether you love or hate the tune, you gotta admit this ab workout has something for everyone with an exquisite blend of crunches, reverse crunches, and lat work.

Get The Party Started (Pump 42) - Hardly a year later Pink shows up again - this time it's a combo-laden triceps workout on one of the all-time classic releases. If this one's in your instructor's library, chances are it makes a regular appearance on the class agenda.

Who Knew (Pump 60) - After a long hiatus, the first of two tracks from her long-awaited I'm Not Dead album returns to Pump as one of Craig's all-time favorite tricep tracks. The music may be sweet, but the tricep dips that top off this torture test make presses look like child's play.

I'm Not Dead (Pump 61) - Although it's the title track from the aforementioned album, you probably won't hear this song on the radio since it was never released as a single. Which is just as well... At 5:44, it's by far the longest chest track in nearly thirty releases - and by the time it winds down we've had all we can handle!

Vedic support for and against the concept of Jesus' connection to Vedic culture.

De maand begon rustig voor mij, terwijl de kinderen in Torrevieja waren, en daarna een weekje in Londen was ik aan het werk. De tweede week van Augustus begon eindelijk mijn ‘echte’ vakantie. Ik vertrok naar Nederland. Ik zal daar … Lees verder →

We hadden een lekkende kokosnoot waar ik een orchidee in geplant had. Het gevolg was dat er een tijdje langzaam water uit druppelde nadat ik het plantje water gegeven had. Het gevolg was dat de kast lelijke kringetjes kalk vertoonde, … Lees verder →

What parts do you think I would be wise to save and not sell since they will inevitably fail on my fit? keep in mind, the donor is automatic, the new one is manual, so the transmission won’t fit....

Germany, end of 2013: dark clouds hanging over the heads of analog musicians. A popular music magazine found out that the number of rehearsal rooms and venues for young bands is significantly decreased. Especially the situation for rehearsal rooms is dramatically: too less, too expensive, too dirty and hard to reach. But in cultivated countries there should be room for many different types of culture not only mainstream ...

Wlindeque wrote about Anima unveiled: This piece moved my heart, tranquility, nostalgia and magic. Thank you