text:
In his new role, Hoskins will be responsible for the facilitation and coordination of Airbus Americas activities and interests relating to safety, regulation and certification standards, human factors and operational matters. He and his team work closely with customer airlines, the FAA, the NTSB, ICAO and other governmental and industry groups. Hoskins will report to Barry Eccleston, President and CEO of Airbus Americas.
Eccleston says, "This position requires a lot from any individual: professionalism, experience, dedication to safety and the industry, intregrity and involvement. Bill has led with all of these qualities for the past eight years at Airbus Americas and throughout his career and we wish him well when he begins his retirement in July. I am confident Craig has the same qualities and will lead Airbus Americas safety efforts into the future."
Yannick Malinge, Director of Product Safety for Airbus in Toulouse, also praises Bozin for "his relentless support to the Safety goal and his dedication to supporting Airbus' safety goals worldwide through his interaction with the Toulouse-based safety organization. We look forward to the same interaction with Craig."
Hoskins comes to Airbus Americas from JetBlue Airways, Corp., where he has been in various roles since 2003. Most recently, he was the Vice President, Chief Safety Officer and A320 Captain. He brings with him 31 years of aviation experience in military and civilian roles in flight, maintenance and safety operations. Prior to JetBlue, he was at Northwest Airlines for three years as a pilot and Human Factors analyst. From 1980 to 2000, he was with the United States Coast Guard as Chief of Safety, Human Factors Specialist and Lead Check Airman. Hoskins holds a Master of Science degree from Almeda College & University in Boise, Idaho; a Bachelor of Science degree from Charter Oak State College in Newington, Connecticut; a Certificate in Safety Management from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles; and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Safety Officer Course in Fort Rucker, Alabama. He is currently a member of the Air Transport Association's Safety Committee in Washington, D.C.Hoskins, originally from Baxter, Minnesota is married with two adult children. He currently resides in Orlando, Florida, and he and his wife are looking forward to relocating to the Washington, D.C. area for his new role.


text: Editing Mark Johnson 0 CLICK HERE TO LOG IN OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT {{sidebar individual | image = Mark Johnson.jpg | imagecap = Mark Johnson (2371) | gender = [[Male]] | species = [[Human]] | status = Active | datestatus = 2374 | marital_status= [[Marriage|Married]] | spouse = [[Johnson's wife 001|A coworker]] | actor = [[Stan Ivar]] }} __NOTOC__ '''Mark Johnson''' was a [[male]] [[Human]] [[civilian]] who lived during the mid-[[24th century]]. In [[2371]], he was engaged to marry [[Starfleet]] {{dis|Captain|rank}} [[Kathryn Janeway]]. ({{VOY|Caretaker|The Disease}}) As a [[engagement gift|gift]] to mark their [[engagement]], he gave Kathryn a copy of ''[[Dante's Inferno]]''. ({{VOY|Shattered}}) Following the loss of the {{USS|Voyager}}, Johnson was devastated, but he held out hope that Janeway and the rest of the crew were alive longer than most people did. Eventually he realized that he was clinging to a [[fantasy]]. He began living his life again, meeting people and letting go of the past. Kathryn Janeway had a picture of Mark and her [[Irish Setter]] [[dog]], [[Mollie]], in her ready room aboard the ship. ({{VOY|Eye of the Needle|Prime Factors|Elogium|Initiations}}) In [[2372]], [[Q]] salaciously encouraged Janeway to forget Mark in favor of him, as part of an attempt to persuade her to rule in the [[Q Continuum]]'s favor during [[Quinn]]'s [[political asylum]] proceedings. ({{VOY|Death Wish}}) In early [[2374]], six months after [[Starfleet Command]] had declared ''Voyager'' lost with all hands, Johnson married a [[Johnson's wife 001|female coworker]]. He was relieved when it was revealed four years later that ''Voyager'' hadn't been destroyed and was in fact trapped in the [[Delta Quadrant]]. He sent a letter to Janeway, telling her what had happened in his life and that he was sorry. He additionally told her that her dog [[Mollie]] had given birth to a [[Pets Mollie litter|litter]], and that he found homes for most of the puppies, and the others got along well with his [[Pets Mark cats 001|kitten]]. Although saddened, Janeway did not blame him and [[logic]]ally had expected that he would have moved on by then. ({{VOY|Hunters}}) In [[2375]], a falsified letter transmitted to Janeway by an [[telepathic pitcher plant|alien lifeform]] was supposedly from Johnson. This letter had him being engaged rather than married and stated that the engagement had broken off. ({{VOY|Bliss}}) ==Appendices== === Appearances === * {{VOY}} ** {{e|Caretaker}} ** {{e|Eye of the Needle}} (photograph) ** {{e|Prime Factors}} (photograph) ** {{e|Initiations}} (photograph) ** {{e|Elogium}} (photograph) ** {{e|Persistence of Vision}} (illusory) ===Background information=== Mark Johnson was played by [[Stan Ivar]]. His surname was never said aloud on screen, but it can be read from the "Dear John" letter Kathryn received in "Hunters". The [[VOY Season 2 DVD]] trivia text version of {{e|The 37's}} gives his name as Mark Hobbes Johnson. In the first draft script of "Caretaker", Mark was described as "''a civilian man [...] who is used to this flurry of activity from the woman he loves.''" ===Apocrypha=== The [[Jeri Taylor]] novel ''[[Mosaic]]'' contains additional information about Mark, namely that he was born in the year [[2333]] in [[Bloomington]], [[Indiana]] and raised by traditionalist parents in an agricultural community. It goes on to reveal that when he was six, he lost a pet dog and he had a very difficult time getting over it, and while a youth, he went by the name "Hobbes" (his full name being ''Mark Hobbes William Johnson''). Furthermore, it states that he attended The Meadows school and when he was nine, he began taking tennis lessons with Epkowicz, but refused to quit even though Epkowicz told him to. Two years later, he was taking lessons with coach Cameron, who also coached Kathryn Janeway. In 2349, Johnson was swimming with Kathryn Janeway in a cave system under Olympus Mons on Mars. When trying to find an entrance to an underground cave, Johnson was pulled into a trench and Janeway saved his life by helping him get out. In 2351, Johnson began attending Indiana University. He still played tennis occasionally, but he was a part of the school's prestigious swim team. He graduated from Indiana with a degree in philosophy. By 2359, the novel explains that Johnson was part of a respected philosophical symposium based in South America called the Questor Group. By then, he had decided to switch to using his first name, "Mark". In an [[alternate timeline]] featured in the ''[[Star Trek: Myriad Universes]]'' novella ''[[Echoes and Refractions|A Gutted World]]'', ''Voyager'' was never stranded in the Delta Quadrant and Janeway and Mark were married by [[2373]]. He was widowed when the ship was destroyed in that year by the [[Cardassian]]s. ===External links=== *{{mbeta}} *{{Startrek.com|mark}} {{DEFAULTSORT|Johnson, Mark}} [[de:Mark Johnson]] [[es:Mark Johnson]] Loading editor Humans Insert: – … ° à é ö ¼ ½ ¾ ← → ↑ ↓ • † ‡ Sign your name: – ~~~~ Wiki markup: [[Category:]] {{w|}} {{wikipedia|}} {{real world}} {{image paramount}} {{IMDb-link|type=name|page=|name=}} {{TOS|}} {{TAS|}} {{TNG|}} {{DS9|}} {{VOY|}} {{ENT|}} {{DIS|}} {{film|}} {{incite}} #redirect [[]] {{USS|}} {{USSr|}}   <gallery> File: File: File: </gallery> {{dis||}} {{DEFAULTSORT:}} This field is a spam trap. DO NOT fill it in! Retrieved from "https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Mark_Johnson" Edit summary Preview Mobile Desktop Show changes

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Difference between revisions of "Michigan State Visit Data"
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If you meant how did we achieve the deployment, I would say through the library cooperatives and the Library of Michigan and Merit.
If you meant how did we achieve the deployment, I would say through the library cooperatives and the Library of Michigan and Merit.
==Michigan Focus Group Session==
==Michigan Focus Group Session==
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**Ways to tap into I2 and other networks for a faster speed
**Ways to tap into I2 and other networks for a faster speed
**501(c)3 organization
**501(c)3 organization
Latest revision as of 12:47, 2 April 2007
- 1 Follow up
- 2 Michigan Focus Group Session
- 3 Meeting Notes
- 4 Elaine Logan
Follow up[edit]
Don Wood @ MERIT[edit]
I think it has been a long process for Michigan. I think there are a number of factors. The staff has to be good. Learning how to build and operate fiber is not easy. There is lots of local learning (people, procedures, etc) involved in building fiber. Then having a quality outreach staff that is trusted by the community is key. We have asked our community to trust us as we helped put consortiums and partnerships together. I guess it is that we in all aspects of life - get the right people together and turn them loose!
Sheryl Mase @ Michigan Library[edit]
I would say public demand for resources that use ever increasing bandwidth and forward thinking librarian response to this demand.
If you meant how did we achieve the deployment, I would say through the library cooperatives and the Library of Michigan and Merit.
Kim Fedewa--Michigan Economic Development[edit]
Hello Mark,
My experience with this subject is very limited. I was impressed by the amount of work that Mr Boersma was responsible for with the deployment of broadband throughout the state. I had not realized that MDIT was so involved with that task. Out of all of the items I heard at the meeting, that is what struck me the most.
Elwood Downing from MERIT[edit]
- In some respective, having a decentralized governmental approach in Michigan has been helpful, because it has forced the/each community to address broadband deployment. The communities have come together to work as a collaborative to get the ears of: federal government, state government, vendors, and public non-profit community agencies such as Merit Network. This is the approach that Alpena, Petoskey, Hillsdale, and Muskegon have done.
- Another factor is that Michigan was one of the very first states to offer 'free' public Internet access to the community through Merit Network via the Ameritech Rebate Case. As part of this grant, Merit provided toll-free 800 service to K-12 schools, public libraries, and community colleges, and offering training statewide in conjunction with Ameritech. Along with the Library community, Merit provided free access to K-12, Libraries, and Community College user community.
- Michigan is the state where the Internet was managed, i.e. the NSFNet backbone was managed by Merit, before the commercialization of the Internet in April 1995.
- Michigan is the state where the birth of Internet2 and Internet2's corporate offices are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Because of the above factors, I believe that Michigan citizens understand the importance of networking and sharing of resources and information. These factors will continue to drive the importance of broadband.
"Further, please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any additional thoughts on broadband connectivity to public libraries."
- Last Tuesday, 3/20/07, Merit was invited to meet with Capital Area District Library (CADL) to be part of a network planning discussion. Libraries today, need at minimum a T1, 1.5M bps, of connectivity in order to deliver and participate in the rich media and video conferencing capabilities for their community. CADL has a total of 13 locations in the Lansing, Michigan area. Out of their 13 locations they have two locations that are using about 500K of sustained bandwidth. If they are planning to broadcase events from one library location to the other locations they would need an additional 384K [minimum] for video conferencing.
- And lastly, I would urge ALA and Gates Foundation to provide support to help libraries build tomorrow's network so that the infrastructure can support the Librarians and Technology Directors to think about the possibilities of using the network for learning in creative ways.
768K bps defined as broadband minimum for Libraries[edit]
- In Michigan, provisioning of a 768K telco circuit connection is the same cost as a T1 (1.5M bps)circuit. When Merit places an order for a fractional T1 service with the Telecommunications provider in Michigan they install a T1 circuit to the Library. However, it is the Internet Service Provider that will provision the through-put on the circuit to be 768K bps instead of a full T1 1.5M bps.
- From the report Merit provided as part of the "Michigan Profile for ALA-OITP site visits" on page 10 the libraries listed on this page are attached at 1.5M bps or higher. Video conference services [384K for standard and 1M to 5M bps for High Definition] along with rich content media and sharing of resources alone can utilize a T1 [1.5M bps] very easily.
Michigan Focus Group Session[edit]
Version: March 20, 2007 - Notes from Bob Bocher
1. Describe your current network. How is it configured? How much bandwidth do you have? How do you get it? What does it cost? How is it funded? Is it scalable?
Martha Pitchford, Lakeland Library Cooperative: Some issue RFP because of E-rate. Have 6-8 phone companies to deal with. Cooperative serves 1.2 million population. Annual ISP costs is $276,000, which member libraries pay.
Lise Mitchell, Chippewa River District Library: E-rate is critical to connectivity. Have four phone companies. Pay twice for circuit when it is handed off between AT&T and Verizon. Often takes 6 months to get added bandwidth. When AT&T split a circuit and some is now provided by Verizon, our cost doubled.
James Seidl, Woodlands Library Cooperative: Have 36 libraries in the cooperative and all connect independently from each other. No cooperative WAN. Some use DSL, Cable, dedicated circuit. Speeds from 768K to 3MB. Costs are "All over the board." Some have MERIT; one library connects via their MAN; one library (with its branches) needs to work with four different telcos.
Roger Mendel, Mideastern Michigan Library Cooperative: Decentralized connectivity, like Woodland. Some use their local telco. One library does wireless via Vonnage. Cooperative does some E-rate follow-up to ensure libraries complete their forms.
Suzanne Dees, Superiorland Library Cooperative: Have 63 libraries. It's a 7 hour drive from one end of the cooperative's service area to the other. Use interactive video for communication; cooperative with Regional Educational Media Center (REMC, their K-12 regional cooperative.) Have Sirsi/Dynix. Their libraries use five different ISPs. Twelve libraries on MERIT. Some have just 256K and three libraries are at 3MB. One library uses wireless provided by Charter, their local cable company. Also have a telemed network. Very dependent on E-rate. Libraries pay $5,370-$8650 annually for connectivity (pre-discount), excluding MERIT frame-relay circuit fee. $108,000 total annual cost. Bottom line: "Our connectivity allows us to do what we need to do vs. what we want to do."
Andrea Michelini, The Library Network (TLN): Have 58 libraries in five counties in the SE part of state. TLN serves 30% of state's population. Well connected: 42 libraries have T1, 3 have 3MB, 13 have fiber. Have been laying down fiber since May 2006 for head end and 13 sites. (Lease fiber, AT&T owns it.) This WAN is used for Net access and for shared ILS (Sirsi/Dynix) by 55 libraries. TLN is a member of MERIT and AT&T is underlying carrier. Most MERIT costs paid by individual libraries. All libraries have E-rate on the circuit but not Net access because most do not filter.
2. What do you use your bandwidth for?
2a) Internet connectivity – describe uses
2b) Internal operations – describe uses
2c) ILS/PAC – describe
2a: All the "usual stuff" like email, surfing the Web, etc. Seeing more access to videos, gaming, and electronic books (e.g., OverDrive). Libraries must address the changing nature of the Internet, and respond as needed to changing patron demands on what they access. Some cooperatives host their member libraries' Websites.
2b: Almost all facets of library work, including backend processes like book ordering, are dependent on the Internet. "Our staff try and get their work done by 3pm because after that response time drops to zero."
Network technician was certain a hacker was causing our bandwidth problems. Turns out it was just "normal" library traffic.
2c: Jim: Have ILS (Autographics) outsourced in California. When patron's download videos, ILS response time suffers and sometimes fails (i.e., times out). New Gates PCs have fostered amazing use but there is no bandwidth. About three cooperatives have shared ILS. Where there is a shared ILS, there is more help on technical issues from the cooperative. Cooperatives send tech help if they run a shared ILS. Central ordering of parts, etc. Keep all hardware (e.g., routers) homogeneous.
3. What would you like to do with your Internet Connection that you cannot do with your current environment?
• VPN; remote network and router diagnostics and PC management (push out service pack upgrades, etc.); staff email; MySpace; gaming; wireless access for patrons; distance education (interactive video); VoIP
• Our server was hacked and used to house Japanese pornography. Staff not versed on security issues. Small libraries do not have trained staff. Cannot expect the library director to do this!
4. Is your bandwidth sufficient? If no, what problems does the insufficient bandwidth cause for your staff and patrons?
• Some services can only be used at home because of library bandwidth issues. This is very frustrating.
• Use packet shaping tools (e.g., Packeter) and caching to address bandwidth issues.
• Let the ISP address bandwidth. They deal with the phone company to get us more bandwidth.
• Phone companies do not care or are unresponsive to our needs.
• Slow access makes patrons stay at the PC longer increasing lines and frustration from patrons waiting for access. Some patrons complain that other patrons are just using the Internet for frivolous reasons, like gaming.
• Can have best bandwidth in the world, but the wiring in your building has to be good all the way down to the PC. Infrastructure in old buildings – cat 5 – is now old and the $$$ to change wiring, switches, routers all need to be replaced.
5. What would you consider sufficient bandwidth? How did you arrive at that amount?
• Insufficient bandwidth is determined by the number of irritated patrons
• Any more than a 10 second wait is too long
• The definition of sufficient bandwidth: "When you click, it happens."
• There are so many factors in this puzzle: ILS, LAN, patron use, problems "down the line, etc.
• Filtering can add to overhead.
• Just general patron and staff frustration
6. If you had more bandwidth, what would you use if for? What is your vision for your library's connectivity?
• Adequate fiber throughout the state
• Patrons being allowed to do what they want to do
• Patrons coming in or using from home and being happy with what they get (and telling legislators!)
• UP – five ISPs – main are Merit and Charter. They won't talk to each other! The library is trying to get them to work together so the data does not have to go to the Chicago NAP and back. (At Friday mtg, MERIT said they are working on this.) Competition is not necessarily good for cooperation.
7) What are barriers is getting more bandwidth?
• State failed to take a statewide role in this. In mid-90s governor did not view a state network as a function of government.
• State economy is in bad shape, libraries facing major budget reductions. Libraries have lost millages and had to close branches, etc. State wants to cut state aid to public libraries (and cooperatives) by 50%. People have lost jobs and are looking to move out of state. Need infrastructure for high tech jobs. Manufacturing is gone. Michigan Works! Offices are sending folks to libraries but not paying anything to support this. Libraries are very willing to collaborate, but others do not seem to reciprocate
• Libraries at the mercy of the local phone companies
• E-rate does not allow us to pull our own fiber. Must lease this, which is not a good long-term situation.
• Michigan – grass roots state – local control – would not have wanted a statewide network in years past. Slow to get the schools to understand how the Internet would be a good thing. Separate cultures not used to cooperating. Privitization may not be working.
8. E-rate: What role does e-rate play in high speed access for public libraries?
8a) Who applies for the E-rate funds?
8b) How does CIPA impact?
• Only 7 of our 34 libraries file (for POTs). Too much paper work and follow-up work for smaller libraries
• Getting $300-400 is not worth the effort
• Some don't want to filter
• Cost as most important factor works against MERIT as ISP and some libraries have had to select different ISP
• Always having open 2-3 years worth of applications and forms. This is very confusing
• Have to lease fiber, but sometimes its better to own it
• Phone companies not cooperative
• Library pays $1,000 to a third party to file E-rate paperwork
• ISPs not required to offer E-rate discounts, and some don't
• The accumulation of paperwork and length of time from paperwork to discounts is troubling
9. Who at the regional or state level provides you assistance in analyzing your needs and getting you more bandwidth?
• MERIT does a good job on bandwidth usage
• Most ISPs fairly good at tracking bandwidth usage
• No real state-level help
• Library cooperatives with WANs offer some level of help to their member libraries
10. If the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation were to offer assistance in getting more of US public libraries with higher bandwidth, what would be most helpful?
• Develop or provide bandwidth tools, circuit testing, etc.;
• Develop standards and benchmarks on connectivity
• Funds for planning statewide cooperation
• Model after a state that is doing it well. Parties involved – not used to working together. Maybe we need to do just libraries. County commissioners not re-elected go away, new ones don't have the same priorities. Term limits cause the legislature to turn over and there is a constant re-training effort (sigh). Schools march to a different drummer.
• Funds to provide shared, sustained technical expertise. Someone who can come to our library to help. Cannot expect library director in a small library to have this level of technical expertise. Need more than WebJunction
• Address huge difference in knowledge between sizes of libraries
• Address issue of libraries needing to deal with telco providers
Meeting Notes[edit]
2/15/07 - Thursday morning:
Meeting with Nancy Robertson, State Librarian
Sheryl Mase, E-rate coordinator and Director of Statewide Services, State Librarian
Randy Dykhuis, Michigan Library Consortium
Libraries in Michigan are not centralized – some have strong regional cooperatives (13 of them), some have no cooperative or partnership at all. Some libraries run by the county, some city, some local community.
Tried to establish a statewide library network several years ago – never happened; instead focused on e-rate.
7 of the library coops are members of MERIT, the university-state-run backbone network. Each coop makes its own telecom plans.
The Library Network (TLN – Eastern Michigan) and Lakeland are largest library coops – often aggregate demand. TLN serves 58 libraries, 30% of state, were able to pool money to pay AT&T to build fiber
The Upper Peninsula (UP) is surprisingly well-connected, largely due to the organizational efforts of Suzanne Dees.
Michigan Library Consortium (MLC) formed 30 years ago to create content for Michigan libraries, such as on-line catalogue system (OCLC), MelCAT
Michigan's strategy was to focus on buying content and then hope the connectivity would follow. However, they now would like to buy databases with videos but does not think there is enough connectivity
Former Governor reluctant to build statewide library network, concerned about competing with private sector – preferred to give incentives to carriers to build the network, resulted in patchwork of regional networks.
Today Michigan faces severe budget constraints, little money to create a statewide network, even if it wanted to.
Many pockets of Michigan have no BB – outside of Ann Arbor, Big Rapids
Greatest Barriers to BB?:
1. technical expertise in libraries is lacking, this need is sometimes filled by the regional coops
2. financial – no funds to expand bb capacity, e-rate has helped, but more is needed
Focus Group
The UP depends on one pipe into and out of the region – carries all banking, telephone calls, as well as libraries' traffic. Some traffic has to be routed out of Michigan through Chicago.
Libraries BB was adequate until video – class lectures, videoconferencing, distance learning – exhausted all capacity quickly. Staff can only do Internet work until 2 p.m. until students arrive. NYPublic Library has wonderful historical videos.
Rural libraries don't have the staff or technical options to put in their own VPNs or packet shaping technologies or security. Regional Library consortiums at least put in technicians and can provide remote management to help libraries.
Is there a problem with the middle mile, or only the last mile? Regional consortiums often use the ISP to negotiate middle mile solutions with carriers. ISP can negotiate better because they aggregate demand and can talk technical needs with carriers
In rural areas, there may not be any middle mile and no ISP – may only have a direct local connection from library to backbone. Very expensive because of the distance. Postalized rates help, but may not be available depending on contract with local carrier.
Many libraries have been holding back on wireless because bringing more laptops into the libraries creates even more congestion on the network. Traveling salesmen often use libraries.
Georgia has "evergreen Automation – cheap ILS system (?)
Libraries really need a "Geek Squad" to help them put together and manage BB network. Libraries could really use a technology advocate, someone who knows how to work with the technical people at the carriers to make sure the needs are met.
Gates did it right with computers – sent a technician along with the computers to help install and set it up.
Gates funded NPower – did not take off. Circuit Rider would be a better middle step (this is not the ultimate solution, but it would help)
NOTE: Texas set aside $80,000 (?) of LSTA money to create a technical assistance staff to work with the libraries.
Michigan E-Library (MeL): Susan Davidsen, MeL Coordinator
This is a wonderful content portal for Michigan students and patrons. Has links to several on-line databases for free. Has excellent video lectures on health and wellness, legal information (court decisions), tutoring and educational videos. Many other databases and information. Very well-organized and useful. But this means even more demand and more BB is necessary to make use of it. Would like to subscribe to more video and audio services, but without sufficient broadband, the investment in subscriptions would be underutilized
Anyone with a valid Michigan driver's license is eligible to sign on. Library can sign on automatically (no password) with a static IP address.
Lunch with Dave Vehslage – Verizon:
Verizon serves many rural areas of Michigan – left over from GTE acquisition. Michigan passed a deregulation bill in 2005 and a video franchise bill in 2006. Verizon is not seeking legislation in 2007 – nothing particular on its agenda. Verizon prefers that state government not seek to promote greater broadband initiatives. The market is working and will meet the demand if it is there. Many areas have BB available but do not know it or are not using it.
The Michigan Broadband Development authority has been a failure. It has authorized loans for BB where BB is already available, instead of focusing on unserved areas. It has written off $14 million of the $50 million loan it received from the Housing Dept. (from hiring staff and consultants and other overhead). BB Dev't Authority has not been re-authorized and will go out of business this summer.
Verizon is not a part of the telephone association in Michigan. Disagreement over universal service is one reason.
3/15/07 Meeting w/ Lynne Draschil
Lynne works for the Department of Information Technology (DIT) within the state. She is responsible for external relations with counties and munincipalities, application development.
Michigan is successful for connecting because the state is proactive in working with providers and working to increase coverage, libraries are successful because of collaboration with state libraries
3/16/07 - Friday morning meeting with
George Boersma, Director of Department of Information Technology (DIT)
Coffiann Hawthorne, Deputy Legal Counsel and Policy Advisor to Michigan Governor Granholm
Monica Martinez, PUC Commissioner
Kim Fedewa, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
DIT works with local government and universities to move the Governor's agenda forward on BB (and health care and other technology-based issues)
Focus on wireless – works with cities to implement municipal wi-fi networks, also looking at using MDOT (Dept. of Transportation) towers for BB and cellular antennas. Is conducting a survey of communities to determine underserved areas, and working with Development Authority.
PUC – not much cost-based regulation left after legislation 2 years ago removed much of its ratemaking authority or oversight because of competition; retains oversight of interconnection issues (CLEC-ILEC) and customer disclosure;
PUC has been looking at helping 2 new BB over power line (BPL) applicants seeking RUS funding. NARUC BPL task force issued study on the issue.
PUC also notes that ALLBAND, a rural ILEC, is deploying fiber to the Home with RUS funding.
Video franchise act passed last year with many of the same provisions as in California. AT&T has been delayed in getting of the mark with video deployment in the state.
Cofiann Hawthorne – advisor to governor, liaison between Governor and state agencies
Main focus is on bridging the digital gap, especially in 8 cities with highest poverty rates, also focused on workforce development and opening libraries to help citizens have BB access and apply for jobs.
[following comments are made by different participants at the meeting]:
Looking very closely at Kentucky – admires its "feet to the ground" approach Bulk of Michigan homes can receive BB (AT&T 75%, cable 90%, Verizon only 35%)
Demand may not always be there to support BB investment. Many consumers feel that gas for their snowblowers is more important than BB connections.
Oakland County – one of 3d richest in the country – does not have BB in some places, is putting in its own wireless BB network.
Gov. also announced BB goal of 2007 (same as Pres. Bush)
BB Dev. Authority has used all its money, AT&T/Verizon not as interested in the program
Metro Act in 2002 helped to streamline process for using rights-of-way; created standard rate for compensating cities.
In general, policy has shifted away from promoting competition to promoting BB build-out in unserved areas.
Michigan is setting up "local collaboration groups" (?) to work with communities to get feet on the ground
Anybody in Michigan can receive BB from satellite – a little more expensive, but it is available.
MIDEAL – state contracts for services from carriers, muni governments can purchase access to state services through the LinkMichigan contract. State network is with AT&T, cities can choose to use state network or use it as leverage to negotiate a better rate from carriers.
Biggest Barriers to BB deployment?:
1. education – many consumers don't understand the need for BB or the value of it, or don't know that it is available.
2. money
more and more carriers are choosing wireless as the least costly BB technology.
Leadership comes from the Governor, who sets the agenda aligns the agencies priorities with hers. The governor has several agendas "Cities of Promise"-getting industrial cities onto the new economy.
Libraries fit into many of these agendas
- In one city of promise, they are trying to re-open a closed library
- Realizes they are a place to provide education
Michigan success factors include for broadband includes the hands-off approach the government has taken, bundling helping to lower prices (cost effective to add on broadband) and the evolution of technology to lower the cost
Views barriers as customers not knowing what can be done w/ broadband, so not much demand out there. The other major barrier to broadband is money
Thinks they have been successful at broadband deployment, but difficult to gauge success. They think the government does a good job of promoting broadband through the broadband development authority (and the tax credit to telcos in exchange for them not shutting down the BDA)
B&M Gates Interventions
- Get as big of a pipe as possible
- Show the value of libraries
- get people in to use the pipe
- get people in to use the pipe
- Upgrades in computers and hardware
- Education of librarians and patrons in broadband
- Increase space in libraries for computers
Challenges to more deployment includes multiple service providers, low ROI in some areas
Thinks Gates foundation could encourage the service providers could deploy; thinks there is a way to incentivize the deployment (not sure what form this incentive would come in), and help with up-front costs
Chris Horak – Michigan Cable & Telecom Assn.
Cable is deploying BB to 91% of homes at 5 – 10 Mbps speeds 58% of homes can get telephone service over their cable systems.
Sometimes cable companies provide free cable drops or cable modem drops into schools or libraries. Cable is likely to continue these connections voluntarily once the new video franchise law takes effect – good advertising.
The old days of asking for free service from the cable companies as a condition of franchise agreements have ended. Now policy-makers need to be more creative.
Most of the time, cities' entry into the telecom business is unwise. Cities forget the annual costs of running and maintaining a network, have limited expertise when the system goes down. The private carriers are much better at this.
The BB Dev't authority fell flat, lost $14.5 M, will lose $1 million more, in staff expenses. Also, the need was not there. Most loans were given in Lansing, Grand Rapids, other areas where 2 or 3 BB providers already existed. The market is working.
Metro Act has worked (standardized rights-of-way). Each city was charging different amounts for rights-of-way usage.
Cable is not pursuing any legislative agenda right now.
Believes best way is to bring all providers in together to work out solutions, perhaps using successful library consortiums to explain to rural libraries how to aggregate traffic.
Scott Stevenson - Telecommunications Association of Michigan Jon Peterson, AT&T Michigan Donna Burke, AT&T Michigan
TAM represents 36 of 38 telephone companies in Michigan (not Verizon)
Believes most companies are deploying BB, some to 100% of consumers. Demand is driving deployment, and companies are meeting that demand.
Michigan is as competitive as any state in the country. Cites Air Advantage and WildBlue as competitive wireless BB providers.
There is no one policy change that has made a difference. Michigan has adopted a number of measures in the last few years that collectively improve the chances for investment in Michigan:
Michigan Telecom Act – which reduced regulatory oversight by PUC
Video Franchise Act
Metro Act
Tax policy change – replaced an antiquated value-added tax with a depreciation table that saves the company substantial funds
Demise of UNEP
AT&T is steadily increasing its BB deployment because of these measures.
Some cities are building their own networks, competing with AT&T.
State government should take a "stakeholder" approach – don't tell the industry what to do, need to engage industry in a dialogue
The BB Dev't Authority created a huge scandal, a good example of what NOT to do.
Telecom Association would be happy to engage in more dialogue with the libraries, suggested participating at each other's conferences.
Key Recommendations:
1. promote greater conversation, can help libraries identify their needs and help industry meet those needs
2. libraries should have a technology plan, AT&T is not willing to throw money at a problem until the library has a plan to use it.
3. provide an unbiased consultant to help libraries understand its needs.
Elaine Logan[edit]
Elaine is the chair of the Library of Michigan Board of Trustees. By default she has had the longest running trustee. She is a special library background. Works for Phizer for 15 years, UM Dearborn and GM Lawyers.
- Thinks that this type of research is critical for the
- The disperate ways that libraries are funded make it less efficient and effective for them to get good connectivity
- Are trustees knowledgeable?
- Intellectually they know of the connectivity study, but there is not guarantee that they fully understand the problem
- Not at the forefront of the legislature advocates minds
- Works through the Governor and the Director of the HAL agency
- Go to public hearings
- Background on the board of trustees
- We try and mix the board to have representation from all sorts of libraries (public, academic, special and school), legislator members and geographic represenations
- State library focuses on public libraries and school (but academics and special still wants to partner)
- Advisory board to state librarian and the director of HAL (state librarian). Does not supervise activities. Helps do reviews and select candidates.
- Advise and investigate issues that are critical to the state libraries
- But do not get into day to day management
- Make proclamations and publish position statements, etc.
- Appointed by governor
- Does not have a mix of rural libraries, etc.
- Primarily discusses libraries issues in general
- How successful are the libraries are deployment?
- Spotty and room for improvement (did not examine b4 call and asked us about focus group
- How does the board assist?
- Advises state lib on administering Gates and LSTA Grant
- Provided resources once they get connected
- Focus on getting content; not equipment and connections
- How much priority do you place on broadband? Do you have a policy statement? Philosophy?
- This would be possible, but given latest round of budget craziness (libraries recently experienced a 50% reduction
- Gov. Granholm has a priority to build an educated workforce.
- Connectivity to public libraries could be a part of Granholm's plan
- Do legislatures on library board have library background?
- Most recent appointees are best that we have as far as getting them to be an advocate
- In the past they have helped advocate and sponsor some activities
- B&M Gates Interventions
- Should be some great collaborative environment for public libraries where they can plug in at a low rate
- Ways to tap into I2 and other networks for a faster speed
- Background
- 501(c)3 organization
- serves bandwidth to the research and education community
- Orginally formed to hook-up mainframes at the big 3 universities (Michigan State, Wayne State and U. of Michigan)
- Managed the backbone for NSFNET
- Connects various entities
- Higher Ed
- Libraries
- Government
- Hospitals
- Participates in advanced router research
- Has an emphasis on providing quality connectivity
- Better @ doing their job than a standard ISP
- No mandate to connect anyone
- State of Michigan had a pot of money in early 90s and were wondering how to connect entities to the Internet
- So they funded MERIT to put in dial-up modem access in several communities
- Eventually, the need increased, so they began deploying broadband to entities
- Usage of MERIT by institutions began to decline in late 90s early '00s
- MERIT was expensive and they could get it cheaper elsewhere
- Technology
- Leases backbone
- Connects people to backbone via circuits provided by Telcos or deploys their own fiber
- Beginning to run a facilities-based service
- Lease a facility and wires for 20 years w/ infinite right to use (that is a contract negotiation whereby they can use the fiber even if the original entity is sold)
- Co-builds some facilities w/ others
- Has also begun stringing their own fiber
- Does not allow members to connect via cable companies
- MERIT would like to maintain end to end control of the network, but cable companies will not allow them
- However, they do lease some fiber from Charter (a cable company in Michigan)
- Has an emphasis to build a community between K12 and libraries
- Fiber
- If entities build and own their own fiber, then they cannot get E-Rate
- So MERIT will build it and lease it to them for 3-5 years to recover costs
- Then there is only a maintenance fee for the entity to own the fiber
- Also connects entities via Opti-man From AT&T
- Funding
- Fee for service
- Grants for research
- Owned by 12 public universities in Michigan
- 1 time cost to get connected
- Partners with organization to determine service level and then they make it happen
- Entity must pay for telco circuit (but MERIT has negotiated the rates and helps maintain)
- After an entity exceed 7.5 Mbps, they look to deploy fiber b/c it costs about the same as a T3
- Has levels of services provided by AT&T
- 1-2-3 Net, a CLEC, undercuts AT&T so they use them to connect
- Services
- Entities can have a full Class 'C' subnet
- Educational meetings
- Internet (both commodity and I2)
- However, no libraries are connected to I2 yet
- Working to bring them online once they have sufficient bandwidth
- Peers w/ 12 other networks to reduce costs
- E-Mail (for fee)
- SPAM and anti-virus (for fee)
- Video conferencing (for fee)
- Security consulting
- NOC Services (management of packets from end to end)
- Governance
- 12 public universities that own MERIT form a board of directors
- Advisory council of affiliate members
- Affiliate members are any entity that is connected but is not one of the 12 public universities
- Best Practices
- Best when libraries and other entities can pool their services
- Fiber is best connection method (no incremental telecom cost to make it go faster & it pays for itself within 2-3 years)
- Bringing stakeholders together to collaborate
- Thinks that it is important to build tomorrow's network today instead of today's network
- For MERIT, it is no longer about the network;
- They have a stronger emphasis on community, delivery of quality services and looking to figure out ways to increase tests scores in schools
- Community is Key
- Looks to remove bandwidth problem from their connected entities
- What about telcos?
- MERIT provides better service
- Emphasizes the public good in having technology in education
- According to telcos, bandwidth is bandwidth
- But is important to consider what it is that you are getting when you buy bandwidth
- Challenges
- Outreach and explaining the value of MERIT
- Financially-trying to keep costs low and quality high
- Strategic decisions on where to invest (E.g. made a large investment in UP that has paid off but sacrificed a higher ROI elsewhere)
- No Fiber deployment everywhere they would like to go
- Dealing w/ power companies to ensure access to the right aways
- Michigan law helps b/c if they don't make the way available in time, they can hire someone to move the lines on the poles to make way for their wires
- Bandwidth allocation
- Run utilization graphs to determine when customers need to upgrade
- Talkes with members to determine what their future needs will be
- Help gague bandwidth needs based upon needs of organizations when they connect them
- Run utilization graphs to determine when customers need to upgrade
- barriers to Entry on MERIT
- Fixed costs
- MERIT helps with transition
- B&M Gates Interventions
- Influence regulators and pay funds to allow libraries to own their own connections
- States w/out a non-profit ISP like MERIT needs one
- Distribution of IT
- Help assess where broadband is
- Build tomorrows network today—no point in having to re-build in a few years


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1 Jn 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Christians are unwelcome in many countries and are being persecuted for their faith. Post those prayer requests here.
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This is the first volume of the Neil Young Archives series of box sets, produced by Neil Young himself. Volume I covers the period from his earliest recordings with The Squires in Winnipeg, 1963, through to his classic 1972 album Harvest and beyond, including studio and live tracks with the legendary Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Neil Young with Crazy Horse.
Audio in the Blu-ray edition is presented in ultra-high resolution 24-bit / 192 kHz stereo PCM state-of-the-art master quality sound, while audio in the DVD edition is presented in high resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz stereo PCM audiophile quality sound. The CD edition is presented in standard resolution 16-bit / 44 kHz stereo PCM CD quality sound.
Each of the 10 Blu-ray discs feature 1920x1080 high definition picture quality while the 10 DVD discs have 720x480 standard definition picture quality.
An interactive timeline feature, which presents an in-depth overview of Young's life and career, is in both the Blu-ray and DVD editions, The Timeline on the Blu-ray edition is enhanced with BD Live™ capability, which enables users to download additional content to their players or to external drives.
Completing Volume 1 in the Blu-ray and DVD editions is Young's acclaimed first film, Journey Through The Past, which is now available for the first time since its original theatrical release in 1973. This disc features pristine picture transfer, audio presented in both DTS-HD 5.1 surround and stereo 24-bit / 96 kHz PCM, plus archival materials.
The Blu-ray and DVD editions are sold in a durable custom display box that houses a lavish 236-page full-color hardbound book that features additional archival materials, tapes database, and detailed descriptions of the music and artwork; a foldout Archives poster, a custom keeper for the 10 sleeved discs, and more. The CD edition is sold in a custom disc keeper for the 8 sleeved discs and descriptive booklet.
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For full tracklisting, visithttp://neilyoungarchives.warnerreprise.com/shop/vol1/index.html
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Singer Arik Einstein -- Israel's "Frank Sinatra" -- died of a ruptured aneurysm Tuesday night at a Tel Aviv hospital, a hospital official said. He was 74.
Einstein was stricken at his home, complaining of shortness of breath and collapsing, and was rushed to Sourasky Medical Center where he died on the operating table just before 11 p.m., hospital director Gabi Barbash told reporters.
"Arik Einstein arrived while being resuscitated," Barbash said.
"He died as a result of a ruptured aneurysm. We operated on him, but his condition was too difficult for us to save him."
Singer Israel Gurion called Einstein "a great friend and a great singer," The Jerusalem Post reported.
"He was our Frank Sinatra," Gurion said.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said the singer-songwriter's tunes were "the soundtrack of the country."
"Arik was the greatest of them all," Netanyahu said. "We all grew up on his songs. You said 'Arik Einstein' and you said 'the Land of Israel.' He was a wonderful singer and a wonderful person."
President Shimon Peres said Einstein's was following was multigenerational and his "musical notes will continue to fill the country, even after his passing."
"He wrote his songs during our difficult days and during our uplifting moments" Peres said. "I loved his songs, and knew what many others know: there was no one else like him."
Einstein partnered with Shalom Hanoch to create the first local rock albums, the Post said. Einstein's hits included "Ani Ve'ata" (Me and You), "Sa Le'at" (Drive Slowly), Yesh Li Ahava (I Have Love) and "Oof Gozal" (Fly, Little Bird).
Einstein is survived by four daughters, two with his current wife, Sima Eliyahu, and two with his first wife, Alona, who died of cancer in 2006.
Via SyndiGate.info
Copyright © UPI, 2019. All Rights Reserved.


text: Im an artist looking into learning Java for a specific goal. I have used the painting apps and the Oekakis, but of them all I like an App called Sketcher, but it lacks what I want. I am hoping I can get pushed in the right direction as to what I should learn and what would be needed to create an online multi user paint app with tablet support. I know its daunting for someone who hasn't coded in any program, but I have the time and it is a project that has had my interest for some time now.


text:
Generating a Performance-Counter Histogram
This article may contain URLs that were valid when originally published, but now link to sites or pages that no longer exist. To maintain the flow of the article, we've left these URLs in the text, but disabled the links.
T-SQL Black Belt
Generating Histograms
Looking at histograms can help you find patterns in your data
Itzik Ben-Gan
A histogram is a statistical report that shows you the frequency of values within steps or ranges of values that fall between a certain minimum and maximum. Let's take student exam results as an example. Suppose that of 30 students taking an exam, the lowest score is 51 and the highest is 100. You want to generate steps ranging between the lowest and highest scores and count the number of results within each step to get a sense of score distribution in the class. If you wanted to generate five consecutive steps of similar range sizes, the steps and ranges would be 50 to 60, 60 to 70, 70 to 80, 80 to 90, and 90 to 100, lower bound excluded and upper bound included. The histogram would contain the steps and the number of results that fall within each step.
A histogram is a statistical report that shows you the frequency of values within steps or ranges of values that fall between a certain minimum and maximum. Let's take student exam results as an example. Suppose that of 30 students taking an exam, the lowest score is 51 and the highest is 100. You want to generate steps ranging between the lowest and highest scores and count the number of results within each step to get a sense of score distribution in the class. If you wanted to generate five consecutive steps of similar range sizes, the steps and ranges would be 50 to 60, 60 to 70, 70 to 80, 80 to 90, and 90 to 100, lower bound excluded and upper bound included. The histogram would contain the steps and the number of results that fall within each step.
Similarly, you might use histograms to analyze a sampling of values from performance counters (e.g., CPU utilization, memory) set on servers in your network. For example, suppose you record CPU utilization of a certain network server every minute and the measured values for a particular day ranged from 21 percent to 100 percent. You could generate a histogram with four steps—20 to 40, 40 to 60, 60 to 80, and 80 to 100—to find the number of samples that fell within each step. If your server was overloaded during that day, most of the samples would fall in the fourth step.
Here's a problem involving histograms; see if you can solve it before looking at my solutions. A scheduled SQL Server Agent job periodically records a sampling of performance counters for a certain network server in a table called Samples. Run the code that Listing 1 shows to create the Samples table and populate it with data. Each row contains the measurement ID (measid), when the sample was taken (dt), the measured value (value), and a filler column of 100 bytes that represents other columns in the table. (For example, you'd usually have a serverid column so that you could record measurement samples of multiple servers. For the sake of this problem, this table contains only one server's data.)
Suppose that measid 1 is CPU utilization in percent and measid 2 is memory usage in megabytes. Your users need a histogram to help them analyze the performance data of a certain measurement over a certain period of time. Your users give you the following as arguments: the number of steps (@numsteps), the measurement ID (@measid), and a date range (@fromdt—inclusive— and @todt—exclusive). Your task is to generate a histogram for the given arguments. Note that you don't have to include steps with 0 occurrences in the result. For example, say a user gives you the following arguments:
DECLARE @numsteps int, @measid
int, @fromdt datetime, @todt
SELECT @numsteps=5, @measid=1,
@fromdt='20030101', @todt='20030102'
In the Samples table, the minimum measured value for measid 1 in the given period is 26 and the maximum is 50. The number of requested steps in the @numsteps argument is 5. First, you need to calculate the lower and upper bounds of the ranges within the five steps. Because the lower bounds of the ranges aren't inclusive, your calculations should result in the following ranges: 25 to 30, 30 to 35, 35 to 40, 40 to 45, and 45 to 50. Figure 1 shows the steps and ranges for the given arguments.
You need to devise code that will tell you how many measures are in each step—in this case, your code should result in one measure matching Step 1 (26), two matching Step 2 (33, 35), and two matching Step 5 (47, 50). Figure 2 shows how your code's output should look with this specific set of arguments. Following are some solutions I came up with for this problem.
Solution 1: Using a Table of Steps
The first solution involves writing a query that generates a derived table, Steps, containing the step numbers and the range of values for each step. After you generate such a table, the solution is easy. All you have to do is join the Steps derived table to the Samples table based on the value column that falls in the step's range, group the result by step number, and count the number of rows within each group. The tough part in this solution is writing the query that generates the derived table. To generate the step numbers, you can use an auxiliary table called Nums, which you populate with a sequence of integers in the range 1 to <max_number_of_possible_steps>. Running the script in Listing 2 creates the Nums auxiliary table and populates it with 1000 integers.
To calculate the lower and upper bounds of each step's range, you need to cross-join the results of two queries: one against Nums to return the step numbers, and the other against Samples to return the minimum and maximum measurement values. The resulting query might look like Listing 3. Run this query, and note in the results, which Figure 3 shows, that the query returns the same general minimum and maximum measurement values with each step number. This is only an intermediate step in the solution; you'll use the general minimum and maximum values together with the step number to calculate the step's minimum and maximum values later.
Now you need to replace the asterisk in the SELECT list with expressions that return, besides the step number, the lower boundary (exclusive) and upper boundary (inclusive) of the step's range. The step number is easy—it's n.
The following code is the basis for constructing the expression that calculates the lower boundary:
mn + <step_size>*(n-1) - 1
where mn is the general minimum measurement value, n is the step number, and step_size is the size of the range that each step covers. You calculate step_size as follows:
By combining the two, you get
mn + (mx-mn+1)/@numsteps*(n-1) - 1
This expression would be sufficient if you always had a range of values that divides evenly by the number of steps, but this isn't always the case. The following expression uses numeric division and rounding to accommodate ranges of values that don't divide evenly by the numbers of steps:
mn + CAST(round(1.0*
(mx-mn+1)/@numsteps*(n-1), 0) AS int) - 1
You force numeric division (instead of integer) by multiplying the first operand of the division operation by the numeric value 1.0 (read, one point zero), which means that SQL Server won't truncate the fraction. You then round the result to get whole range boundaries. SQL Server then converts the result of the rounding to an integer to remove nonsignificant zeros after the decimal point. You calculate the upper boundary in a similar manner:
mn + CAST(round(1.0*
(mx-mn+1)/@numsteps*n, 0)
AS int) - 1
The only difference here is that you multiply the step size by the step number (n) and not by n-1. To test the complete query that calculates the derived Steps table, run the code in Listing 4; note that the results are identical to Figure 1.
Feel free to experiment with the arguments in this solution's code, testing how changing the number of steps affects the result, and so on. Recall that the query that returns the table of steps is only part of the solution. You now have the missing part denoted as <query that calculates steps> in the following pseudo code:
SELECT step, count(*) AS cnt
FROM Samples JOIN (<query that calculates
steps>) AS Steps
ON value > f AND value <= t
WHERE measid = @measid
AND dt >= @fromdt AND dt < @todt
GROUP BY step
Replace the missing part with the query that Listing 4 shows. Listing 5 shows the complete solution, which produces the desired histogram that Figure 2 shows. Of all the measures for the requested counter and period, divided into five steps, one measure (26) fell within the first step's range, two measures (33, 35) fell in the second, and two measures (47, 50) fell in the fifth.
If, like me, you prefer the modular development approach to simplify your code and its maintenance, you could write a user-defined function (UDF) that accepts as arguments the number of steps, measurement ID, and date range and returns a steps table. Run the code that Listing 6 shows to create the fn_steps function.
To test the function, run the following code and verify that you get the results that Figure 1 shows:
SELECT * FROM fn_steps(1, 5, '20030101', '20030102')
Now you can use the fn_steps table instead of the derived table Steps, as the code in Listing 7 shows. You get the histogram that Figure 2 shows.
Solution 2: Calculating the Step Number On the Fly
This puzzle has another solution that doesn't involve generating a table of steps; it calculates the step number on the fly. With this solution, you don't need an auxiliary numbers table. Notice the FROM clause in callout A of Listing 8, page 18. You cross-join two derived tables—one called S, containing the rows from Samples that match the provided arguments, and the other called R, containing the minimum measurement value and the whole range size. The following expression, which you write in the SELECT list, calculates the step number:
floor((value-mn) / (1.0*range/@numsteps)) + 1
AS step
This expression uses logic similar to what you used to calculate the boundaries in the previous solution. The expression (value-mn) gives you the position of the value within the range, and *(1.0*range/@numsteps)* gives you the step size. By dividing the first operand by the second, flooring the result, and adding 1, you get the step number. Now that you have attached to each row a step number matching the criteria from Samples, you can use this query in a derived table called RS so that you can group the result by the calculated step number. Listing 8 shows the complete solution, in which the outer query groups the result by step number and counts the rows for each step.
About Performance
Of the two solutions—one using an auxiliary table and a modular approach and the other calculating step numbers on the fly—the second solution is shorter and more elegant. To find out which performs better, you can use the script that Listing 9 shows to populate the Samples table with 1 million rows for testing. The rows contain measurement IDs in the range 1 to 10, with one sample per counter recorded every minute (1440 a day) and dates in the range January 1, 2003, to March 11, 2003. I compared the two solutions from Listing 5 and Listing 8, using periods ranging from 1 day to 1 month. In my tests, both solutions performed well, with the second performing a bit better both in terms of duration and in terms of I/O, so I'd probably use that one.
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CALPIRG (California Public Interest Research Group)
The California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization with a staff of policy specialists who educates the public about environmental pollution, unsafe products, false advertising, toy safety studies, the influence of special interests in politics, and recycling programs which create a demand for recycled goods.
CALPIRG combines the expertise of professionals and contributions of individual citizens to effect legislative reforms on a state and national level for safe drinking water, clean air, efficient sources of energy, food safety laws, limits on federal and state political contributions and spending, and many other consumer-related issues. Contributions to CALPIRG are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions because the organization lobbies for its own special interests.
Targets of CALPIRG: Polluting industries of mining, timber, nuclear energy, coal and oil; keeping nuclear reactors from being launched into space; and all of the subjects named in the introduction.
California Public Interest Research Group
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Greenpeace today welcomed the announcement by Royal Dutch Shell that the company will not attempt to pursue offshore drilling in Alaskan Arctic waters in 2013. Phil Radford, Greenpeace USA Executive Director said in response:
"This is the first thing Shell's done right in Alaska – calling it quits. Shell was supposed to be the best of the best, but the long list of mishaps and near-disasters is a clear indication even the 'best' companies can't succeed in Arctic drilling. Secretary Salazar and President Obama gave drilling a chance; now the responsible decision is to make Arctic drilling off limits, forever.
"Taking the lead on saving the Arctic from dangerous exploitation will not only protect the fragile Arctic ecosystem and the communities that depend on it, it will send a powerful signal to other nations that it's time to kick our addiction to fossil fuels. Drilling in the Arctic will propel us towards catastrophic climate change, so it needs to end now.
"Shell's announcement today is an admission that the millions of people around the world were right to urge Obama to keep the company out of the Arctic. Now Obama needs to listen to the 2.7 million people who have signed on to #SaveTheArctic and make Arctic drilling off-limits forever."
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What if Clinton passes on 2016?
For Democrats, there is no fallback: It's Hillary Clinton or probably a long bout of depression ahead of 2016.
With expectations hitting a fever pitch three-and-a-half years out that Clinton is running for president again, every move she makes — a video endorsing g ay marriage, a coy line about supporting a woman president — moves the excitement a notch higher. So, too, does encouragement to run from former nonsupporters — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, among others.
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Democrats openly describe their surprise at seeing such consensus around a candidate so early. The hope of retaining the White House in an open-seat election is very real — and the letdown that will set in among Democratic activists and operatives will be very deep if Clinton takes a pass on a campaign, as she may well do.
( PHOTOS: Who's talking about Hillary 2016?)
She has said she has yet to make up her mind, but few in the party believe that. The Clintons' ambition and the chance to make history as the first female president, they figure, will overpower any reticence about another grueling campaign or spending her golden years carrying the burdens of the world's weightiest job.
But if they're wrong, there is no obvious replacement. And the party would be looking at a mad scramble to fill the Clinton void.
"We would be at sea in a lifeboat with no food, no water and no land in sight," said one veteran Democratic operative who has worked on presidential campaigns, and who, like most people interviewed for this story, asked for anonymity to speak candidly about the former first lady. "There is no Plan B."
It would be, the operative said, a "gut punch" to the Democratic party.
Another senior Democrat agreed, saying, "There's Hillary, and then there's, like, Plan K. There is no B or C or G or whatever."
Such assessments wouldn't sit well with Democrats who are looking at 2016 as the understudies to Clinton — Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Vice President Joe Biden, to name a few.
"She's freezing the field," said Howard Dean, the 2004 presidential hopeful whose seeming inevitability as the party nominee caused angst among the establishment and helped spark a "Draft Hillary" effort. "And there are a bunch of people out there [who might run otherwise]."
Pelosi succinctly summed up the expectations of her party when she told USA Today last week why she expects Clinton to wage a second presidential campaign.
( Also on POLITICO: 2016 Latino poll: Clinton, Rubio lead)
"I don't know why she wouldn't run," Pelosi, who was muted at best about Clinton in the 2008 campaign, told the paper. "She's prepared. She's well-known. She's highly respected. She knows she could do the job very, very well."
What's more, the super PAC "Ready for Hillary," which is being informally advised by longtime Clinton ally Harold Ickes, is attempting to create a key element she lacked when she ran her campaign of inevitability in 2007 — a movement vaulting her forward.
If she doesn't run, there will be stages of grief — and then a scramble on both sides. Republicans will be invigorated either way: If Clinton runs, they will use her, as they have historically used the Clintons, to incite the base and raise money. If she doesn't, they will be emboldened about their chances.


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And that's to say nothing of the countless enemies who are hilariously camp purely through their sheer ludicrous nature. Yes, these guys are more intriguing, entertaining and enjoyable to face off against than a million Grufty McBig-Guns, so here we give you our run-down of the best seven around (and the ones who are almost as good, but not quite).
A camp bad guy list without Vega would be like a cheese sandwich without the cheese or bread. Street Fighter II's bosses may sometimes be known as the Four Divas, but only one of them lived, breathed and minced that title all 24/7, 365. As much as we love the Street Fighter cast like brothers and sisters, in truth every one of them is a big fat stereotype of some kind (insert E. Honda joke here), so the preening, effeminate second boss was only ever going to take the camp to pioneering, hitherto unimagined levels.
He was a showboating matador. He was a gymnastic poser. He was incapable of wiping his nose without letting out a high-pitched squealing yelp, and he was more narcissistic than two clones of Narcissus having sex in a room full of mirrors.
Above: Vega's finest hour, battling Chun-Li in the Street Fighter II anime movie. Almost a girl fight. It all kicks off around 3:40
All of which made Vega one hell of an opponent. After all, it's one thing being beaten up, but being beaten up by a damnably skillful, prancing egotist who follows up the kicking by pointing out how much prettier than you he is? That's just embarrassing.
Notable also-ran
Poison midget Ramon Salazar was that most annoying of camp bad guy archetypes; the cowardly weakling. With a creepily shrunken stature, the frilly little git was all too aware of his physical inadequacy when compared to Leon, and so avoided a direct confrontation until absolutely inescapable.
In the grand tradition of camp, bastardly wimps, he sniped Leon with rasping pithy venom at every opportune moment, but only ever risked such a confrontation when safely out of punching distance. His preening aristocratic ego dictated throughout that he was all about the bitchiness but never about backing it up with evidence of his superiority. Why Leon didn't just shoot the sanctimonious little sod in the head is beyond us, but whatever the reason, Salazar was free to spend the entire castle section of Resi 4 pompously flexing his self-aggrandising arrogance from behind the safety of his tricks, traps and foot soldiers.
Above: 5 seconds later, he stopped cackling and began his new life as a reddish brown puddle.
Unable to handle a straight fight, he evaded Leon time and time again, letting Ganados, monsters and spike-bottomed pits do the work for him, all the while revelling in his own foppish, self-assumed superiority. Unfortunately, he eventually made the slight error of forgetting that that it's unwise to leave rocket launchers lying around near a man who survived Raccoon City. Thus his supposed ascension to parasite-powered, tentacle-thrashing demon god was cut rather short - provided you chose to handle the boss fight that way - by way of a ballistic explosive to his cocky little face. After so many hours of chasing the smug sod through the castle, no pay off could have been more satisfying.
Notable also-ran
And to make matters worse, the cheap bastard used a gun against a man with a whip and an unarmed woman. The origin of his all-important camp factor? They may have been abhorrent scum in real life, but years of watching Herr Flick in UK sitcom 'Allo 'Allo have rendered us unable to view fictional Gestapo as anything other than, well, this. Small, bumbling, plastic Gestapo doubly so.


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August 7, 2013
Grant to test community coaching to reduce obesity in youth
Submitted by Nancy B. Peterson
A coach's role is familiar — he or she calls the plays to win.
And while coaching often is associated with athletics, a Kansas State University researcher has proposed a similar strategy — community coaching — to help create an environment in which children are better able to choose health-promoting foods and physical activity.
The goal is to help youth maintain a healthy weight and active lifestyle, said Paula Peters, who along with her team landed a five-year, $4.5 million research grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, or NIFA, to test community coaching as an effective method in reducing obesity in youth in seven states.
Doing so also should help reduce the incidence of chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and some cancers, that are associated with obesity, she said.
Peters was first hired as K-State Research and Extension's children's nutrition specialist, and now serves as assistant director of extension, family and consumer sciences.
In seeking an answer to a perennial question: How can we teach children to make better choices?, Peters and her team suggested a comparative study in which two communities with similar demographics are awarded funding — $5,000 a year for four years — to improve nutrition and physical activity education, resources and policies in their community.
The grant effort is targeting 4-year-olds who are at an age when they are beginning to make some of their own food and activity choices, Peters said.
The grant process will involve working with people making the decisions about the opportunities available to this age group, and not the children, she said.
Participating communities were selected through an application and review process. Each community will be provided a grant-developed tool kit, and asked to choose one plan of work to enhance nutrition education and one plan of work to encourage health-promoting physical activity.
Both will be expected to work with community coalitions — others who provide services to youth within the community — but one also will have a community coach added to their team.
Pre- and post-program testing will be conducted over a four-year period for communities with and without a coach as a comparative review of the value of intervention, and also the value of intervention with the addition of a community coach.
"We're hoping to make a difference," said Peters, who is working closely with Sandy Procter, a K-State Research and Extension nutrition specialist and state coordinator for the USDA's expanded food and nutrition education program, or EFNEP, and family nutrition programs, as the grant project coordinator for Kansas.
Procter's responsibilities also include working with the six other participating states — Indiana, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin — to ensure consistency.
To date, she has worked with the states to develop the application forms, selection and other grant processes, and nutrition and health tool kits for participating communities.
According to Procter, the grant is a good fit for extension, which has a history of sharing relevant resources from the university with citizens and building successful community coalitions.
Peters and Procter also have been working with Dan Kahl to orient and train community coaches.
Kahl, who introduced the community coaching concept to Kansas PRIDE communities, is the former co-coordinator for the statewide community development effort, and is now working with K-State's Center for Engagement and Community Development.
Local coaches will be expected to provide the leadership to help communities learn to do the homework and weigh decisions that will yield benefits for their youth and families now — and in the future, Peters said.