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Hugh Jackman Applauds New Zealand Green Screen Initiative
Earlier this year, while filming for the new X-Men film Wolverine in Queenstown, New Zealand, producers for the flick decided to participate in a trial run of a new initiative designed to reduce the impact of movie production waste on the region.
The case study proved so successful, that Queenstown's government this week released a 'Green Screen Guide and Directory' tailor-made for the region and "reflecting the national industry's highly regarded, cutting edge 'green screen' philosophy."
As a result of on-site auditing and consulting, the Wolverine production managed to divert 92% of its 670 tonnes created from landfills; saving almost $55,000 in the process.
Actor Hugh Jackman weighed in on the effort saying, "It's great to be a part of a project that benefits the local economy while looking after the environment. The cast and crew really got behind this initiative, and we are proud to be a part of the new generation of sustainable filmmakers."
All future film projects taking place in the region will be provided the 'Green Screen Guide' — outlining detailed information about how to recycle in the various departments of a film production – from art and construction to special effects.
via Queenstown.com


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Yesterday I worked on site at a company drawing graphs for a Math book. As with many temp jobs, there is some sitting around doing nothing. During my downtime, I sketched ideas for how I want the kids to look in my Son of Kool Aid story for my book. I came to a design that I really like. The red checks mean parts I like and will develop further or try and use.
Here is the basic shape of the boys that I am going with. Sure there will be variations but the basic average boy is based on this sketch.
When I'm working on my comics, it amazes me the amount of pre-development you need to do for any given aspect. It's easy enough to write down "SoKA being picked on by school mates". What do all those school mates look like? I think that's often were I spend the most time staring at the screen. It's a good process, as I will get an idea. It might be "Fat Kid", then I start working out what kind of fat kid. "Mean Girl" or "Nose picker"
A friend on facebook recently asked, should he plan out all the aspects of a website, sketching it out, or a few parts, and then just start to building pages, making things up as he goes along. The over all response was, sketch it out, keeping it flexible, that making it up as you go along doesn't really work.
Planning out your art and creative process, more often then people realize, determines if you will succeed or fail.

subset: commoncrawl


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Art in General is pleased to announce the launch of six new books from the New Commissions Publication series during the New York Art Book Fair. Art in General's booth will feature the entire New Commissions series, including several new titles from the 2007-2009 exhibition seasons and three new titles from the newly designed 2010 publication series.
Books from the new 2010 series that will be available include Shana Moulton: The Undiscovered Antique; Guy Benfield: Night Store; and Isola and Norzi: Liquid Door. From previous exhibition seasons spanning 2007 to 2009 are Melanie Crean: The Luminists; Judi Werthein: Corporate Logo; and Julia Oldham: The Timber. Upcoming titles Kambui Olujimi: Wayward North; Rancourt/Yatsuk: Phase IV; Redmond Entwistle: Monuments; and Dave Hardy: It's grey, it's grey will also be available for pre-order at this time.
Producing books has been an integral part of Art in General's New Commissions Program. The program offers artists in-depth support to produce and present new work that will have a lasting impact on their practice. Since the program's launch in 2005, Art in General has commissioned major works from between four and six artists each year, providing curatorial and logistical support to realize artworks and exhibitions that range from web projects to artists' books, gallery installations to public art projects. The publication process is a vital part of this program. For most artists, the New Commissions publication is their first and serves as a distinctive way to share their work with an expanded audience. To date, 23 volumes in the series have been published, with the first 17 volumes published in partnership with design studio Project Projects.
The 2010 series marks an important moment in Art in General's publication history. Combining an artist-centered mission with contemporary design practice and independent publishing, Art in General revamped the New Commission Publication series by launching a new Designer in Residence program, through which an emerging designer is commissioned to design an annual series of books while working with a mentor. The first Designer in Residence, Mylinh Trieu Nguyen, is a Yale MFA student and past Walker Art Center design fellow. Nguyen, under the mentorship of Rob Giampetro, has worked closely with each 2010 New Commissions artist to produce a cohesive series of books that deeply engages with each distinctive project. While every book contains curatorial statements and guest essays, their formats vary, ranging from artists' travelogues to screenplays, to documentation of performances or the actual installation process, to an inventory of objects that were part of a larger project. Nguyen's work has been featured in Apartamento Magazine Issue #2 (2008), the Live Archive in The Generational: Younger Than Jesus at the New Museum (2009), the Ooga Booga Reading Room at the Swiss Institute (2010), and the Super/Prime PAVILION (Los Angeles, 2010). Her collaboration, ASDF, with artist David Horvitz explores the ideas of distribution, collaboration, and curation. Their most recent project, A Wikipedia Reader, was commissioned by the Art Libraries Society of New York for the Contemporary Artists Books Conference at the 2009 NY Art Book Fair. Nguyen's curatorial work is on view at the General Public Library until November 13 in the Storefront Gallery at Art in General.
Contributors to the new publications include: Anne Barlow, Sarina Basta, Graham Burnett, Stuart Comer, Michael Connors, Kirby Gookin, Andria Hickey, Nina Horisaki-Christens, Eve Meltzer, Christopher Myers, Paola Nicolin, James M. Thomas, Julie Rodrigues Widholm, and Michael Wilson.
Printed Matter presents the fifth annual NY Art Book Fair, at MoMA P.S.1. Free and open to the public, the Fair hosts over 200 international presses, booksellers, antiquarian dealers, artists and publishers from twenty countries, offering the best in contemporary art book publishing. For more information on the NY Art Book Fair visit www.nyartbookfair.com
Location: Booth AA14 at MoMA P.S.1, 22-25 Jackson Ave at the intersection of 46th Ave, Long Island City, Queens.


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The Field Service Technician position requires travel from site to site for service and repair of commercial food processing, bakery and other miscellaneous equipment at various food service locations. Field Service Technicians are dispatched from central offices and are responsible for the care of company service vehicles, accurate inventory of parts, clean and neat paperwork, and exceptional on-site customer service. Our field technicians are the first line of contact with many of our customers, and they are a key component in representing our company through expert service, team work, a positive attitude, and a strong desire to help out customers in need. We have a strong family of technicians and support staff throughout the entire east coast. Responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to the following:
• Daily travel to customer sites to evaluate and repair equipment
• Completing service reports, times sheets, and expense reports, etc.
• Performing periodic preventive maintenance inspections and procedures
• Interviewing store personnel to determine the need of service
• Instructing store personnel in proper operation techniques
• Responding to emergency breakdown calls whenever possible
• Participate in rotating on-call schedule
• High School Diploma, plus Post-Secondary Trade School for electrical, mechanical, and gas or equivalent experience
• Valid Drivers License must be insurable (no alcohol/drug related convictions, no excess moving violations, accidents, points or combination thereof).
• Good independent judgment, reliability, initiative, dependability
• Ability to work on roofs, scaffolds, and ladders at medium height (Approximately 30 ft.)
• Practice the proper use of hand tools, power tools and diagnostic instruments if necessary
• Well versed w/ email, internet searches and software
• Solid knowledge of OSHA regulations and guidelines
• Good verbal, writing, and reading skills including the ability to read, interpret, and apply manufacturer's instructions
• Good communication skills to comply with store personnel, as well as the ability to prioritize demands, and make adjustments
• Ability to lift up to 100 pounds
• Willingness to occasionally travel overnight
To Apply:
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their résumé that includes an email address and phone number. Due to the high volume of applicants, only those candidates who meet our qualifications will be contacted.


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Qualification: PhD
Background Information
I am Dr. Felistus Hildah Makhamara, a Lecturer at the Department of Human Resource Management in the School of Business at Kenyatta University. A highly self- motivated lecturer and Researcher in Human Resource Management. As a lecturer , I endeavor to lead the department to realize operational excellence in all its core activities. In performing my core duties as a lecturer in the department of teaching, examining, researching, mentoring and guiding them to achieve their goals. Before joining the Department of HRM I have been an Assistant Registrar to the Dean in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences where I have been a secretary to various boards i.e. Linkages board, Secretary to School Management Board, Secretary to the School Research and Travel Grant, Chairperson of the School ISO Quality Team, among others. I have been incharge of all the postgraduate students at the school monitoring assessing their Thesis/project progress and documentation among others.I have also had a key role in the design and delivery of a range of modules on the HRM postgraduate and undergraduate degree programmes at the School. And I am a member of two professional boardies and supervisor of Masters students at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
Areas Of Specialization and Interest
- Training in Strategic Human Resource management practices in public sector
- Administration and management matters
- Student Mentorship in Higher Education across cultures
- Public relations and communication in higher education
Conference Paraticipation And Community Service
- 2001 – International Conference on Transformation of Higher Education Management and Leadership for Efficacy in Africa, held at Kenyatta University.
- 2002 – Served as Secretary to the Association of African Universities (AAU) Conference, held at Safari Park Hotel.
- 1993-2003- Served as Secretary to the Management Board Seminars for Kenyatta University, held in Mombasa.
- 2000 – National Conference on Higher Education for Human Development in Kenya. Held at Kenyatta International Conference Centre.
- 1999- National Conference on Student Leadership Delinquency, Guidance and Counseling and Pastoral Care in Schools, held at Kenyatta University.
- 2005 – Grant Proposal Writing Workshop organized by Kenyatta University and National Council for Science & Technology held at Kenyatta University.
- May, 2009 – Customer Care Skills Workshop organized by Centre for Capacity Building and Development at Kenyatta University.
- January 2012 - Curriculum Development Committee for School of Humanities and Social Sciences workshop held at Kenyatta University Conference Centre.
Publication Of Articles
- Makhamara F,H, Prof. Namusonge, G.S. (2013) Factors Influencing Employee Participation in Public Institutions; ', Strategic Journal of Business and Change Management vol. 37, 96-122.
- Makhamara, F.H., Waiganjo E.W., Kwasira, J. (2016) Influence of Strategic Employee Voice on Employee Performance in the Health Sector in Kenya;, Strategic Journal of Business and Change Management, ISSN 2312-9492.
- Makhamara, F.H., Waiganjo E.W., Kwasira, J. (2016) Influence of Strategic Recruitment and Selection on Employee Performance in the Health Sector in Kenya;, Strategic Journal of Business and Change Management, ISSN 2312-9492.
- Makhamara, F.H., Mwathe J. (2017), The Influence of Strategic Employee Welfare Services on Employee Performance in Level Five Public Hospitals In Kenya, (Submitted for Publication)
Professional Affiliations And Consultancies
- Full member: Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM)
- Associate Member: Kenya Institute of Management (AKIM)
- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology – Consultant
- Mt. Kenya University Associate Consultant.
Last Updated on Thursday, 10 May 2018 12:23


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Posts tagged 'science'
Embracing failure: How research projects are like startups
As an academic who's spent time in the startup world, I see strong similarities between the nature of a scientific research project and the nature of a startup. This boils down the fact that most research projects fail (in a sense that I'll describe), and even among the successful projects the variance is extremely high — most of the impact is concentrated in a few big winners.
Of course, research projects are clearly unlike startups in some important ways: in research you don't get to capture the economic benefit of your work; your personal gain from success is not money but academic reputation (unless you commercialize your research and start an actual startup, but that's not what this post is about at all.) The potential personal downside is also lower for various reasons. But while the differences are obvious, the similarities call for some analysis.
I hope this post is useful to grad students in particular in acquiring a long-term vision for how to approach their research and how to maximize the odds of success. But perhaps others including non-researchers will also find something useful here. There are many aspects of research that may appear confusing or pathological, and at least some of them can be better understood by focusing on the high variance in research impact.
1. Most research projects fail.
To me, publication alone does not constitute success; rather, the goal of a research project is to impact the world, either directly or by influencing future research. Under this definition, the vast majority of research ideas, even if published, are forgotten in a few years. Citation counts estimate impact more accurately [1], but I think they still significantly underestimate the skew.
The fact that most research projects don't make a meaningful lasting impact is OK — just as the fact that most startups fail is not an indictment of entrepreneurship.
A researcher might choose to take a self-interested view and not care about impact, but even in this view, merely aiming to get papers published is not a good long-term strategy. For example, during my recent interview tour, I got a glimpse into how candidates are evaluated, and I don't think someone with a slew of meaningless publications would have gotten very far. [2]
2. Grad students: diversify your portfolio!
Given that failure is likely (and for reasons you can't necessarily control), spending your whole Ph.D. trying to crack one hard problem is a highly risky strategy. Instead, you should work on multiple projects during your Ph.D., at least at the beginning. This can be either sequential or parallel; the former is more similar to the startup paradigm ("fail-fast").
I achieved diversity by accident. Halfway through my Ph.D. there were at least half a dozen disparate research topics where I'd made some headway (some publications, some works in progress, some promising ideas). Although I felt I was directionless, this turned out to be the right approach in retrospect. I caught a lucky break on one of them — anonymity in sanitized databases — because of the Netflix Prize dataset, and from then on I doubled down to focus on deanonymization. This breadth-then-depth approach paid off.
3. Go for the big hits.
Paul Graham's fascinating essay Black Swan Farming is about how skewed the returns are in early-stage startup investing. Just two of the several hundred companies that YCombinator has funded are responsible for 75% of the returns, and in each batch one company outshines all the rest.
The returns from research aren't quite as skewed, but they're skewed enough to be highly counterintuitive. This means researchers must explicitly account for the skew in selecting problems to work on. Following one's intuition and/or the crowd is likely to lead to a mediocre career filled with incremental, marginally publishable results. The goal is to do something that's not just new and interesting, but which people will remember in ten years, and the latter can't necessarily be predicted based on the amount of buzz a problem is generating in the community right now. Breakthroughs often come from unsexy problems (more on that below).
There's a bit of a tension between going for the hits and diversifying your portfolio. If you work on too few projects, you incur the risk that none of them will pan out. If you work on too many, you spread yourself too thin, the quality of each one suffers, and lowers the chance that at least one of them will be a big hit. Everyone must find their own sweet spot. One piece of advice given to junior professors is to "learn to say no."
4. Find good ideas that look like bad ideas.
How do you predict if an idea you have is likely to lead to success, especially a big one? Again let's turn to Paul Graham in Black Swan Farming:
"the best startup ideas seem at first like bad ideas. … if a good idea were obviously good, someone else would already have done it. So the most successful founders tend to work on ideas that few beside them realize are good."
Something very similar is true in research. There are some problems that everyone realizes are important. If you want to solve such a problem, you have to be smarter than most others working on it and be at least a little bit lucky. Craig Gentry, for example, invented Fully Homomorphic Encryption mostly by being very, very smart.
Then there are research problems that are analogous to Graham's good ideas that initially look bad. These fall into two categories: 1. research problems that no one has realized are important 2. problems that everyone considers prohibitively difficult but which turn out to have a back door.
If you feel you are in a position to take on obviously important problems, more power to you. I try to work on problems that everyone seems to think are bad ideas (either unimportant or too difficult), but where I have some "unfair advantage" that leads me to think otherwise. Of course, a lot of the time they are right, but sometimes they are not. Let me give two examples.
I consider Adnostic (online behavioral advertising without tracking) to be moderately successful: it has had an impact on other research in the area, as well as in policy circles as an existence proof of behavioral-advertising-with-privacy.[3] Now, my coauthors started working on it before I joined them, so I can take none of the credit for problem selection. But it's a good illustration of the principle. The main reason they decided this problem was important was that privacy advocates were up in arms about online tracking. Almost no one in the computer science community was studying the topic, because they felt that simply blocking trackers was an adequate solution. So this was a case of picking a problem that people didn't realize was important. Three years later it's become a very crowded research space.
Another example is my work with Shmatikov on deanonymizing social networks by being able to find a matching between the nodes of two social graphs. Most people I talked to at the time thought this was impossible — after all, it's a much harder version of graph isomorphism, and we're talking about graphs with millions of nodes. Here's the catch: people intuitively think graph isomorphism is "hard," but it is in fact not NP-complete and on real-world graphs it embarrassingly easy. We knew this, and even though the social network matching problem is harder than graph isomorphism, we thought it was still doable. In the end it took months of work, but fortunately it was just within the realm of possibility.
5. Most researchers are known for only one or two things.
Let me end with an interesting side effect of the high-skew theory: a successful researcher may have worked on many successful projects during their career, but the top one or two of those will likely be far better known than the rest. This seems to be borne out empirically, and a source of much annoyance for many researchers to be pigeonholed as "the person who did X." Let's take Ron Rivest who's been prolific for several decades not just in cryptography but also in algorithms and lately in voting. Most computer scientists will recall that he's the R in RSA, but knowledge of his work drops off sharply after that. This is also reflected in the citation counts (the first entry is a textbook, not a research paper). [4]
In summary, if you're a researcher, think carefully about which projects to work on and what the individual and overall chances of success are. And if you're someone who's skeptical about academia because your friend who dropped out of a Ph.D. after their project failed convinced you that all research is useless, I hope this post got you to think twice.
I may do a follow-up post examining whether ideas are as valuable as they are held to be in the research community, or whether research ideas are more similar to startup ideas in that it's really execution and selling that lead to success.
[1] For example, a quarter of my papers are responsible for over 80% of my citations.
[2] That said, I will get a much better idea in the next few months from the other side of the table :)
[3] Specifically, it undermines the "we can't stop tracking because it would kill our business model" argument that companies love to make when faced with pressure from privacy advocates and regulators.
[4] To be clear, my point is that Rivest's citation counts drop off relative to his most well-known works.
Thanks to Joe Bonneau for comments on a draft.
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Selfish Reasons to do Peer Review, and Other Program Committee Observations
I've been on several program committees in the last year and a half. As I've written earlier, getting a behind-the-scenes look at how things work significantly improved my perception of research and academia. This post is a more elaborate set of observations based on my experience. It is targeted both at my colleagues with the hope of starting a discussion, as well as at outsiders as a continuation of my series on explaining how the scientific community functions (that began with the post linked above) .
Benefits of doing peer review. Peer review is often considered a burden that one grudgingly accepts in order to keep the system working. But in my experience, especially for a junior researcher, the effort is well worth the time.
The most obvious advantage of being on a PC is that it forces you to read papers. Now if you're the type that never needs external motivation to get things accomplished, this wouldn't matter to you — you'd do literature study on a regular basis anyway. But many of us aren't that disciplined; I'm certainly not.
There are also insights you get that you can't reproduce by having perfect self-discipline. PC work gives you a raw, unfiltered look into the research that people have chosen to work on. This is a 6-month-or-so head start for getting on top of emerging trends compared to only reading published papers. You also get a better idea of common pitfalls to avoid.
Finally, peer review is one of the rare opportunities to read papers critically (it is harder with published work because it doesn't have as many loopholes). This is not a natural skill for most people — our cognitive biases predispose us to confuse good rhetoric with sound logic.
Which type of meeting? I've been on PCs with all three types of discussions: physical meetings, phone meetings and online. I think it's important to have a meeting, whether physical or phone. I learn a lot, and the outcome feels fairer. Besides, quite often one reviewer is able to point out something the others have missed. Chairs of online-only PCs do try to elicit some interaction between reviewers, but for hard-to-explain but easy-to-understand reasons, the bandwidth in an interactive meeting tends to be much higher.
Phone meetings are suitable for smaller conferences and workshops. In my experience, members mostly tend to go on mute and tune out except when the papers they reviewed are being discussed. I don't necessarily see a problem with this.
In physical meetings, I've found that members often make comments or voice opinions on papers they haven't really read. I don't think this is in the best interest of fair reviewing (although I've heard a contrary opinion). I wonder if a strategy involving smaller breakout groups would be more effective.
The one advantage of not having a meeting is of course that it saves time. I've found that the time commitment for the meeting is about a third of the reviewing time (for both physical and phone meetings), which I don't consider to be too much of a burden given the improved outcomes.
Overall, my experience from these meetings is that members act professionally for the most part without egos or emotions getting in the way. While there is inevitably some randomness in the process, I believe that the horror stories of careless reviewers — everyone has at least one to narrate — are exaggerated. One possible reason for this misunderstanding is that there is a lot that's discussed at meetings after the reviews are written, and often this feedback doesn't make it into the reviews.
Problem areas. Finally, here are some aspects of PCs that I think could be improved. I have deliberately omitted the most common problems (such as an untenable number of submissions and low acceptance rates) that everybody knows and talks about. Instead, these are less frequently discussed but yet (IMO) fairly important issues.
Lost reviews. Since reviewers aren't perfect, sometimes bad papers with persistent authors manage to get published by being resubmitted to other venues until they hit a relatively sloppy panel of reviewers. The reason this works (when it does) is that past reviews of a recycled paper are "lost". This is a shame; it wastes reviewer effort and lowers the overall quality of publications.
Community boundaries. As a reviewer I've started to realize how difficult it is to publish in other communities' venues. As an example, at security conferences we often see papers by outsiders that have something useful to say, but are unfortunately inadequately familiar with the "central dogma" of crypto/security research, namely adversarial thinking. [1] While I can see the temptation to reject these papers with a cursory note, I think we should be patient with these people, explain how we do things and if possible offer to work with them to improve the paper.
Unfruitful directions. Sometimes research directions don't pan out, either because the world has moved on and the underlying assumptions are no longer true, or because the technical challenges are too hard. But researchers naturally resist having to change their research area, and so there are lots of papers written on topics that stopped being relevant years ago. The reason these papers keep getting published is that they are assigned for review to other people working in the same area. I've seen program chairs make an effort to push back on this, but the current situation is far from optimal.
In conclusion, my opinion is that peer review in my community is a relatively well-functioning process, albeit with a lot of scope for improvement. I believe this improvement can be accomplished in an evolutionary way without having to change anything too radically.
[1] The crypto/security community essentially derives its identity from adversarial thinking. Incidentally, I feel that it is not always suitable for privacy, which is why I believe computer scientists who study privacy should stop viewing ourselves as a subset of the security community.
An Update on Career Plans and Some Observations on the Nature of Research
I've had a wonderful time at Stanford these last couple of years, but it's time to move on. I'm currently in the middle of my job search, looking for faculty and other research positions. In the next month or two I will be interviewing at several places. It's been an interesting journey.
My Ph.D. years in Austin were productive and blissful. When I finished and came West, I knew I enjoyed research tremendously, but there were many aspects of research culture that made me worry if I'd fit in. I hoped my postdoc would give me some clarity.
Happily, that's exactly what happened, especially after I started being an active participant in program committees and other community activities. It's been an enlightening and humbling experience. I've come to realize that in many cases, there are perfectly good reasons why frequently-criticized aspects of the culture are just the way they are. Certainly there are still facets that are far from ideal, but my overall view of the culture of scientific research and the value of research to society is dramatically more positive than it was when I graduated.
Let me illustrate. One of my major complaints when I was in grad school was that almost nobody does interdisciplinary research (which is true — the percentage of research papers that span different disciplines is tiny). Then I actually tried doing it, and came to the obvious-in-retrospect realization that collaborating with people who don't speak your language is hard.
Make no mistake, I'm as committed to cross-disciplinary research as I ever was (I just finished writing a grant proposal with Prof's Helen Nissenbaum and Deirdre Mulligan). I've gradually been getting better at it and I expect to do a lot of it in my career. But if a researcher makes a decision to stick to their sub-discipline, I can't really fault them for that.
As another example, consider the lack of a "publish-then-filter" model for research papers, a whole two decades after the Web made it technologically straightforward. Many people find this incomprehensibly backward and inefficient. Academia.edu founder Richard Price wrote an article two days ago arguing that the future of peer review will look like a mix of Pagerank and Twitter. Three years ago, that could have been me talking. Today my view is very different.
Science is not a popularity contest; Pagerank is irrelevant as a peer-review mechanism. Basically, scientific peer review is the only process that exists for systematically separating truths from untruths. Like democracy, it has its problems, but at least it works. Social media is probably the worst analogy — it seems to be better at amplifying falsehoods than facts. Wikipedia-style crowdsourcing has its strengths, but it can hit-or-miss.
To be clear, I think peer review is probably going to change; I would like it to be done in public, for one. But even this simple change is fraught with difficulty — how would you ensure that reviewers aren't influenced by each others' reviews? This is an important factor in the current system. During my program committee meetings, I came to realize just how many of these little procedures for minimizing bias are built into the system and how seriously people take the spirit of this process. Revamping peer review while keeping what works is going to be slow and challenging.
Moving on, some of my other concerns have been disappearing due to recent events. Restrictive publisher copyrights are a perfect example. I have more of a problem with this than most researchers do — I did my Master's in India, which means I've been on the other side of the paywall. But it looks like that pot may finally have boiled over. I think it's only a matter of time now before open access becomes the norm in all disciplines.
There are certainly areas where the status quo is not great and not getting any better. Today if a researcher makes a discovery that's not significant enough to write a paper about, they choose not to share that discovery at all. Unfortunately, this is the rational behavior for a self-interested researcher, because there is no way to get credit for anything other than published papers. Michael Neilsen's excellent book exploring the future of networked science gives me some hope that change may be on the horizon.
I hope this post has given you a more nuanced appreciation of the nature of scientific research. Misconceptions about research and especially about academia seem to be widespread among the people I talk to both online and offline; I harbored a few myself during my Ph.D., as I said earlier. So I'm thinking of doing posts like this one on a semi-regular basis on this blog or on Google+. But that will probably have to wait until after my job search is done.
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Data Privacy: The Story of a Paradigm Shift
Let's take a break from the Ubercookies series. I'm at the IPAM data privacy workshop in LA, and I want to tell you about the kind of unusual scientific endeavor that it represents. I've recently started to write about the process of doing science, what's good and what's bad about it, and I expect to have more to say on this topic in this blog.
While "paradigm shift" has become a buzzword, the original sense in which Kuhn used it refers to a specific scientific process. I've had the rare experience of witnessing such a paradigm shift unfold, and I may even have played a small part. I am going to tell that story. I hope it will give you a "behind-the-scenes" look into how science works.
I will sidestep the question of whether data privacy is a science. I think it is a science to the extent that computer science is a science. At any rate, I think this narrative provides a nice illustration of Kuhn's ideas.
First I need to spend some time setting up the scene and the actors. (I'm going to take some liberties and simplify things for the benefit of the broader audience, and I hope my colleagues will forgive me for it.)
The scene. Privacy research is incredibly multidisciplinary, and this workshop represents one extreme of the spectrum: the math behind data privacy. The mathematical study of privacy in databases centers on one question:
If you have a bunch of data collected from individuals, and you want to let other people do something useful with the data, such as learning correlations, how do you do it without revealing individual information?
There are roughly 3 groups that investigate this question and are represented here:
- computer scientists with a background in cryptography / theoretical CS
- computer scientists with a background in databases and data mining
- statisticians.
This classification is neither exhaustive nor strict, but it will suffice for my current purposes.
One of the problems with science and math research is that different communities studying different aspects of the the the same problem (or even studying the same problem from different perspectives) don't meet together very often. For one, there is a good deal of friction in overcoming the language barriers (different names/ways of thinking about the same things). For another, academics are rewarded primarily for publishing in their own communities. That is why the organizers deserve a ton of credit for bridging the barriers and getting people together.
The paradigms. There is a fundamental, inescapable tension between the utility of data and the privacy of the participants. That's the one thing that theorists and practitioners can agree on :-) Given that fact, there are two approaches to go about building a theory of privacy-protection, which I will call utility-first and privacy-first. Statisticians and database people tend to prefer the former paradigm, and cryptographers the latter; but this is not a clean division.
Utility-first hopes to be able to preserve the statistical computations that we would want to do if we didn't have to worry about privacy, and then ask, "how can we improve the privacy of participants while still doing all these things?" Data anonymization is one natural technique that comes out of this world view: if you are only doing simple syntactic transformations to the data, the utility of the data is not affected very much.
On the other hand, privacy-first says, "let's first figure out a rigorously provable way to assure the privacy of participants, and then go about figuring out what are the types of computations that can be carried out under this rubric." The community has collectively decided, with good reason, that differential privacy is the right rubric to use. To explain it properly would require many Greek symbols, so I won't.
Privacy-first and utility-first are scientific paradigms, not theories. Neither is falsifiable. We can say that one is better, but that is a judgement.
An important caveat must be noted here. The terms do not refer to the social values of putting the utility of the data before the privacy of the participants, or vice versa. Those values are external to the model and are constraints enforced by reality. Instead, we are merely talking about which paradigm gives us better analytical techniques to achieve both the utility and privacy requirements to the extent possible.
The shift. With utility-first, you have strong, well-understood guarantees on the usefulness of the data, but typically only a heuristic analysis of privacy. What this translates to is an upper bound on privacy. With privacy-first, you have strong, well-understood privacy guarantees, but you only know how to perform certain types of computations on the data. So you have a lower bound on utility.
That's where things get interesting. Utility-first starts to look worse as time goes on, as we discover more and more inferential techniques for breaching the privacy of participants. Privacy-first starts to look better with time, as we discover that more and more types of data-mining can be carried out due to innovative algorithms. And that is exactly how things have played out over the last few years.
I was at a similarly themed workshop at Bertinoro, Italy back in 2005, with much the same audience in attendance. Back then, the two views were about equally prevalent; the first papers on differential privacy were being written or had just been written (of course, the paradigm itself was not new). Fast forward 5 years, and the proponents of one view have started to win over the other, although we quibble to no small extent over the details. Overall, though, the shift has happened in a swift and amicable way, with both sides now largely agreeing on differential privacy.
Why did privacy-first win? I can see many reasons. The privacy protections of the utility-first techniques kept getting broken (a Kuhnian "crisis"?); the de-anonymization research that I and others worked on played a big part here. Another reason might be the way the cryptographic community operates: once they decide that a paradigm is worth investigating, they tend to jump in on it all at once and pick the bones clean. That ensured that within a few years, a huge number of results of the form "how to compute X with differential privacy" were published. A third reason might very well be the fact that these interdisciplinary workshops exist, giving us an opportunity to change each other's minds.
The fallout. While the debate in theoretical circles seems largely over, the ripple effects are going to be felt "downstream" for a long time to come. Differential privacy is only slowly penetrating other areas of research where privacy is a peripheral but not a fundamental object of study. As for law and policy, Ohm's paper on the failure of anonymization has certainly created a bang there.
That leaves the most important contingent: practitioners. Technology companies have been quick to learn the lessons — differential privacy was invented by Microsoft researchers — and have been studying questions like sharing search logs with differential privacy assurances and building programming systems incorporating differential privacy (see PINQ developed at Microsoft Research and Airavat funded by Google.)
Other sectors, especially medical informatics, have been far slower to adapt, and it is not clear if they ever will. Multiple speakers at this workshop dealing with applications in different sectors talked about their efforts at anonymizing high-dimensional data (good luck with that). The problems are compounded by the fact that differential privacy isn't yet at a point where it is easily usable in applications and in many cases the upshot of the theory has been to prove that the simultaneous utility and privacy requirements simply cannot be met. It will probably be the better part of a decade before differential privacy starts to make any real headway into real-world usage.
Summary. I hope I've shown you what scientific "paradigms" are, how they are adopted and discarded. Paradigm shifts are important turning points for scientific disciplines and often have big consequences for society as a whole. Finally, science is not a cold sequence of deductions but is done by real people with real motivations; the scientific process has a significant social and cultural component, even if the output of science is objective.
To stay on top of future posts, subscribe to the RSS feed or follow me on Twitter.


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All meals are pre-planned and offered though the Casy Food program. This means that all meal are nutritious and well balanced. We offer fresh fruits verses canned fruit. We do not serve processed foods. Menus are posted weekly so that parents can always see what their children are eating. Food allergies and special diets are not a problem! We eat meals family style and all the kids pray together before meals. All children are offered alternative food for food that they may not like and bringing your lunch is always an option.
Baby Food: We provide baby food through the Casy Food Program.


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Welcome to the 20th Annual Aztec Jazz Festival volunteer page. The primary purpose of this page is to communicate information to EHSEU volunteers in regards to the Aztec Jazz Festival. Click here for general festival information. The Aztec Jazz Festival is March 24th, 2018.
Volunteer Sign Up Pages:
2018 Aztec Jazz Festival Volunteer Positions
2018 Aztec Jazz Festival Food Donations
Dear Esperanza Entertainment Unit Families,
We would like to give a tremendous THANK YOU to everyone that has supported the Unit's activities so far this school year. Without you, our students would not be able to perform at such a high level and at as many prestigious events as they do. We are now currently preparing for the 20th Annual Aztec Jazz Festival.
The Jazz Festival, which is coming up quickly, will be held Saturday March 24, 2018 here at Esperanza High School. We expect to be hosting over 50 High School and Middle School Jazz Ensembles from around Southern California. In hosting this event, we are responsible for the safety and comfort of the students, Directors, Judges and spectators that will visit our campus, eat our food and watch the competition. Based on last year's attendance, we expect over 1000 visitors.
This is where the Unit and our Families come in; a large part of this event is feeding the masses, staffing the concession areas and performance venues. We are planning to have a grill with hamburgers, hot dogs as well as some other items. We also will be selling the usual snacks like fruit, chips, candy, drinks and others. We will need a lot of parental help with selling snack bar items, assisting with cooking on the grill, serving food, as well as staffing the check in and hospitality tables. Most of the kids, especially the Jazz students, will be assisting at the event too.
We know that the EEU seems to always ask for funds to support our activities, and it can seem difficult to monetarily support the group and the kids. With the Jazz Festival, we can make a nice profit in selling concessions as long as we can count on your help. Please remember that all of the money received with this fundraiser goes directly back to the EEU for ALL groups.
We are asking that all families participate in purchasing a couple of the bulk items listed on the following web site. https://www.volunteersignup.org/8EHPK If every family in the EEU purchases $15.00 – $20.00 worth of soft drinks, candy or whatever else is on the list, this will reduce, or eliminate the out of pocket expense of the Unit and increase our ability to make a good fundraiser GREAT! We also need, and accept, cash donations to purchase the items that require refrigeration! Last year, due to all of our generous families, we had no out of pocket expenses from the EEU! We would really like to continue this trend again this year, eliminate any expense to the EEU and have all of our items donated. There are also a few appliance items we need to borrow for the day. (See the bottom of the food list attached for non-food items we need to borrow)
Please bring non-perishable items to the Band Room and label the donation "Aztec Jazz". We need all items dropped off prior to Thursday, March 22, 2018. if you would like to volunteer your time please go to the following Web site https://www.volunteersignup.org/C4JAQ
If you have any questions, e-mail me at: firstname.lastname@example.com or call/text me at (714)306-6925.
Thank you in advance for any support you can provide!
Monica Zarske


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The Talent Show
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Rhino is surprised by how good Carlos's singing voice is, since Carlos is shy and he rarely says anything. Cooper mentions the upcoming school talent show, and says Carlos should enter. He offers to accompany Carlos on drums. Rhino gets excited and says he could join them on guitar. Cooper is surprised and says he's never seen or heard Rhino play the guitar. Rhino says his brother CJ has been teaching him. This is somewhat true - CJ has shown him some basic chords, but Rhino is definitely not an accomplished guitarist. They decide to sign up as a group for the show.
But Rhino's in a fix. He'll either have to confess that he's not ready to perform, or he'll have to learn very quickly. He sheepishly tells Grandpa James what happened, and they decide that he made a commitment and will need to stick with it. Can Rhino balance guitar lessons, baseball and school?
RELATED SUBJECTS: Musical Instruments , School Plays, Shows, Concerts , Baseball , Honor , Elementary School
The Talent Show
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5x7 Folded Card | Thanksgiving Cards
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For Both of You at Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a day for gratitude, for sharing, for remembering the special people in our lives.
You're both thought of with love and wished all the joys of the season. Happy Thanksgiving
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Sweet Cured Bacon Hash With Cabbage
cooking time
20 minutes
cooking skill
4 people
- 200g (7oz) Sweet cured, streaky bacon rashers
- 2 Large potatoes, skin left on and cut into small chunks
- 2 Carrots, peeled and sliced
- 100g (4oz) Spring cabbage, chopped into large pieces
- 50g (2oz) Purple sprouting broccoli, well trimmed
- 1 Shallot, sliced
- 12g (½oz) Butter
- Black pepper
Preheat the grill.
Place the potatoes and carrots in a large pan of boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes, add the 'greens' and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.*
Place the bacon rashers and shallot in a large frying pan and cook until the bacon becomes crispy.
Meanwhile, drain the vegetables and either mix together or mash to combine well.
Add the potato mixture to the pan and roughly spread out. Dot with the butter and season. Place under a hot grill and cook until browned.
Either serve from the pan or turn out onto a plate and cut into wedges.
Serve with your favourite ketchup or chutney or make a nutty herb pesto by whizzing together some hazelnuts, olive oil, seasoning, basil, mint and parsley.
Serving Suggestions
Additional Information
This is also a great recipe for using up any leftover cooked vegetables – Just heat through the cooked vegetables for a few minutes in the microwave, roughly chop/mash together and use in the recipe after stage 1 *


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Tuesday, 30 September 2008
I was inspired by some ric rac coasters I saw on whipup to make some for myself. I had already been thinking I would make some quilted ones from this lovely tree mushroom squirrel fabric. I cut rough squares, hand sewed them and stuffed them with a piece of old woollen blanket to make them able to withstand lots of heat. I found it tricky to get the ricrac round the edge, I think I was probably doing it wrong (I didnt read the tutorial!), but they turned out sweet and make me smile and only took an evening to make.
Posted by hannah at 5:47 pm 3 comments:
Monday, 29 September 2008
cake day
Chocolate chip cookies, Lemon syrup cake, Praline cake, Devon apple cake and a carrot.
A few days ago we had a long-missed cake day round at my house. We used to do this more frequently but have got out of the habit!
It involves everyone baking the day before, then bringing a cake to share, and we sit about and chat and drink tea, all day. There were the usual cake day group of friends plus a few newbies as my sitting room isnt too big, but we have lost some original members to full-time employment. We had a little collection for the Christian Aid Mad Hatters Tea Party (like we needed an excuse to eat cake!) I also made cheese scones for lunch, one friend brought round fresh chives for these and another bought olives - the carrots were for the babies!
Posted by hannah at 4:27 pm 2 comments:
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
tree report
Over the summer a flock of beautiful birds have made a new home for themselves in my little fabric tree. The branches are rather crowded but no-one seems to mind. The bird pattern was from ....
and here is the progress of the weather tree after almost a month. I think I could have picked the colours better in hindsight. I will continue this year and change them for next year I think.
And Esme has been thinking about trees too, she drew this one last week.
Posted by hannah at 6:16 pm 6 comments:
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Cushion Gem Ring with Chalcedony Fashion Ring
Call for Price
In Stock | STYLE: SR23103
Available in 7-10 Business Days
A cushion cut Chalcedony gemstone is bezel set in delicate silver with beautiful milgrain and crescent details on this stunning ring.*Prices are subject to change based on fluctuations in metal prices and currencies
Spanning four decades, Tacori designs have fused classic elegance with modern inspiration, creating some of the world's most highly regarded and exquisite jewelry. The stunning beauty and intricacy of each piece of Tacori jewelry is the result of an uncompromising passion for artisanship. Handcrafted in California, these remarkably detailed rings and fine jewelry pieces become the timeless symbols of connection that join individuals and generations.


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118-118 The Number (2003/2009) – A Real Spoof Case HistoryPosted: August 11, 2012 | Author: fra30774 | Filed under: Case History, Testimonial, TV/Film, UK, Viral | Tags: 118-118, A-Team, advertising, Case History, choir, Cog, David Bedford, Flashdance, funny, ghostbusters, Got Your Number!, Honda, Keith Harris, parody, Ray Parker Jr, rocky, runners, spoof, Steve Prefontaine, the number, TV/Film, UK, Viral, WCRS |Leave a comment
118 118's advertising features two men with droopy mustaches, wearing items of clothing with 118 and two parallel red stripes on it. They have appeared in various forms. The campaign was originally launched using the two men dressed as athletic runners. Used with the catchphrase "Got Your Number!", the runners' characters featured in a high-profile advertising (created by British advertising agency WCRS).
This slogan has fallen into disuse by the marketing department of 118 118 because of the expansion of service beyond directory enquiries alone, but the slogan has lived on in the minds of the public. The use of the runners' characters is particularly noted for the legal action threatened by 1970s record-breaking runner David Bedford. 118 118 responded to this by stating that their inspiration was partly the late American runner Steve Prefontaine.
Subsequently they have appeared in a range of guises, including spoof detectives, as the company expanded on its range of services. During this period, although generally forgotten by the public, the slogan used was "We're here to help!", a different focus driven by the expansion of products offered.
2003 – Rocky Campaign
In November 2003 the commercial, called "Rocky", features the moustachioed runners jogging through London. As the pair run, the ad turns into a training scene reminiscent of the film. More than 30 moustachioed children, dressed as 118 118 runners, join the training run which culminates with the duo recreating the end of Stallone's run with hands thrust victoriously in the air at the top of a long flight of steps. "That's what happens when you help millions of people each week!" one of the runners comment… In keeping with the retro theme, the commercial also features a cameo appearance by the 80s ventriloquist, Keith Harris, and his bird puppet Orville.
Keith Martin, the account manager at WCRS, said: "The campaign has two points of focus. The first is memorability. With the old 192 service being switched off on 24 August, there will be a lot of activity and so it is all about getting 118 118 as the most memorable number for customers to use. The second aim is stature. By running these campaigns, we want to show that 118 118 is here to stay – that the company is taking millions of calls a month already. More weighting is being put on running the 60-second spot, as it adds scale."
2004 – Honda Spoof Campaign
In this addition to the series featuring the skinny athletes, they created the award-winning Honda commercial "Cog" and "Choir" created by Wieden & Kennedy London, using old bit of carpet, gym mats, a stop sign and a couple of old treadmills. It's not as high tech as the original, but it gets the message across – and probably provided a nice giggle for the advertising community. It was created for television, but Honda failed to see the humorous side and stopped the ad from being broadcast. It is now, however, available for view online and is being promoted through a viral campaign.
2006. A-Team Campaign
In February 2006 a new advertising campaign was launched in which the runners appeared in advertisements in the style of the television show The A-Team, using the A-Team theme tune with the number 118 sung over the music.
2007. Flashdance Campaign
In May 2007 a new advertising campaign was launched in which the runners trade in their 70s look for leotards and leg warmers to spoof the 1983 film starring Jennifer Beals. The two and a half minute clip features a comedy reworking of Michael Sembello's song Maniac, which featured on the Flashdance soundtrack.
2009, the Ghostbuster Campaign
Shot like a camp pop video, the 2-minute film also stars Ray Parker Jr, who appears in a number of guises, including a postman, a bus conductor and a mechanic. 60 and 40-second versions will also be broadcast. The legendary singer stars alongside the moustachioed 118 118 brothers who are back in tight shorts running round a London street helping people out. The ad ends with the trio standing on top of a mini van singing to a crowd of dancing onlookers.


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This is a great assignment for teachers interested in teaching about the remarkable life of Sojourner Truth, as well as her most famous speech Ain't I a Woman? This is a great activity for Black History month or just for regular curriculum in the Sectionalism & Reforms unit or the Antebellum unit.
©Founding Fathers USA. All rights reserved by Founding Fathers USA. This product is to be used by the original downloader only. Additional teachers must purchase their own license or TpT's multiple license option.
If you enjoy this product, please check out Founding Fathers USA's other great products and low prices. Some of my best-sellers are below:
#1 Bestseller: Land & Northwest Ordinances of 1785-87: Make Your Own Township!
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These are my weeks-long unit (including PPT, 2 notes packets, activities, study guides, and tests ... everything comes with an answer key).
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Food caterer cuts delivery fee in Chicago!
June 4, 2009
ordercorner food delivery
Great News!
Ordering great food from Burrito Beach just got easier and cheaper.
You can order breakfast, lunch or dinner delivered using www.ordercorner.com and there will be no delivery fee from Burrito Beach. They have a low minimum of $50 and great prices.
Take a look at the food delivery menu for Burrito Beach. You can place your order from here too.
They have a delicious fiesta taco bar that they will deliver and set up as a "make your own taco bar" right in your office. You can have a chicken, ground beef, pulled pork or a vegetable taco bar with the all of the fixins for as little as $6.99 a person.
So if you are in the Chicago area and are looking for good Mexican food at a price that will meet your budget then place your order today!
You can place your order online or call 1-866-926-7637 and have a catering specialist handle it for you.


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Long ago, the brave knight Béranger hailing from a valley nestled in the French Alps, was on his journey home after a victorious battle in Brittany. During his travels Béranger met an intelligent, beautiful, and charming lady from Poitou named Mélusine. She grew to love Béranger as he turned out to be as gentle and caring as he was brave. The two romantics were wed that spring in Poitou and Mélusine gladly began her move to Sassenage, the location of Béranger's large castle and estate.
While everything about these newlyweds appeared to be perfectly ordinary, Mélusine had only become adept at hiding a part of herself from the rest of the world. She was a siren fairy. While bathing, a tail would replace her legs. Mélusine was a sight to behold in the water; her hair glowed, her eyes brightened, her voice sang clear and strong, and her tail was a scintillating aqua blue marvel.
As soon as she stepped out of the water Mélusine would go back to being human, but if ever anyone were to behold her in siren form, she would be cursed to remain a siren forever. Mélusine had been considering a permanent siren identity to be a desirable option as she had recently experienced a series of underwhelming and disappointing suitors. Believing she would never find a man as kind, strong, and hard working as Béranger she soon changed her mind upon getting to know him. Mélusine now feared the possibility that he would discover her secret. Thankfully, the customs of the time made it easy for Mélusine to continue to hide her alternate identity from her beloved Béranger. Even married men and women rarely witnessed each other bathing.
As the couple traveled from Poitou in western France to Sassenage in eastern France, spring turned to summer, and they arrived at Béranger's estate during the hottest time of the year. Béranger went right to work helping his hired hands and extended family care for the large estate and ready it for a fall harvest while Mélusine settled in and explored her new surroundings.
The majestic mountains of the Vercors surrounding Sassenage were full of caves containing refreshing springs. One day as Mélusine was trying to escape the heat, she slipped into one of these caves and noticed the inviting waters beckoning her to take a dip. She assumed her siren form and began singing for she was immeasurably happy in her new life and enjoying her bath.
Béranger working in a nearby field heard his wife's lovely voice echoing through the mountains and into the valley. He decided to take a rest from his labors to pay her a surprise visit and followed the sound of the singing. Neither of the two fully understood what was happening as Béranger entered the cave and his eyes fell first upon his wife's clothes, then her bathing, and finally the siren's tail. He cried out her name in shock and she turned around with tears in her eyes, for she now realized her fate was sealed.
Mélusine told Béranger she loved him but that she was now consigned to a life in the caves' springs. The two embraced and wept, Béranger collected Mélusine's tears which were now small stones that she claimed could heal maladies of the eyes and he left the cave too painful to return to. He engraved her image, a beautiful siren, on the stones of his castle.
Sirens are immortal, so while Béranger eventually passed away Mélusine lives on. The network of caves and springs are complex and Mélusine has become good at hiding, much the way she hid her fateful secret from Béranger. The sound of her cries for him are impressive and terrifying as they whistle through the mountains and valleys. Some think it is the wind, but you can still find small, clear stones in the caves of Sassenage which some have said can heal the eyes.


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Andrew Jackson - The Worst President The Cherokee Ever Met Andrew Jackson is often considered one of the best American Presidents ever. However, the Cherokee feel a little differently...
From the site:
The title of worst US president is hotly debated and is most often awarded to Andrew Johnson or Warren Harding. Many polls and studies rank Andrew Jackson in or near the top 10 best presidents. However, to many Cherokees Andrew Jackson is without a doubt the worst US president. Some Cherokees would rather carry two ten-dollar bills or twenty one-dollar bills than carry a single twenty-dollar bill. Why? Because the US has chosen to commemerate Jackson's presidency by putting his face on the twenty dollar bill.
So why is Jackson so disliked by the Cherokee? Oddly enough, at one point the Cherokee were allies with Andrew Jackson. It was at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend where Andrew Jackson's famous story really began. He was considered a hero after his victory in this battle against the Creek Indians, a victory he would not have attained had it not been for his Cherokee allies who fought alongside him.
Several years later in 1828 Andrew Jackson was elected president. His popularity and subsequent election are largely attributed to his pro-Indian removal platform. Once in power he began to allow whites to move onto Cherokee land. He also allowed Georgia to extend state law to include the Cherokee Nation. This called into question Cherokee sovereignty and declared their government and laws void.
In 1830 Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. Gold had been discovered on what was Cherokee land in western Georgia and the white settlers wanted to get the Cherokee out of the way. In Jackson's own words, "[The Indian Removal Act] will place a dense and civilized population in large tracts of country now occupied by a few savage hunters." Jackson painted a picture of the Cherokee as illiterate, uncivilized "savage hunters" even though 90% of the Cherokee Nation could read and write in Cherokee (many could also read and write in English) and were farmers.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
All Things Cherokee
Posted by M at 6:20 AM
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ELEV8 Pitch Night
November 9, 2016 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pmNo cost to you
Join Innovation Factory on November 9, 2016 for ELEV8 Pitch Night!
ELEV8 is a new event by iF where companies who have a product in-market (or close to launch) present their company in an investment-style pitch presentation. It's designed to help connect our partners, volunteer mentors and the broader Hamilton community with some of our up-and-coming startups.
ELEV8 Pitch Night is open to the public and attendees will have the opportunity to observe eight 5-minute presentations from local innovators, and network while enjoying delicious appetizers! This month's presenters include: 20/20 Optimeyes, Nanophyll, Gene Blueprint, Grow-A-Seed, Eatable, GenZ, Enhanced Medical Nutrition, and Penta Medical.
You may remember our Innovation Nights – well, we're taking that concept and elevating it by having thriving startup clients pitch investment-style for the chance to take home a $250 or $750 prize!
The ELEV8 Pitch Night will be held in the conference rooms inside McMaster Innovation Park.
Interested in pitching at ELEV8 Pitch Night? All startups pitching November 9 are clients who are working with Innovation Factory and being coached by our mentors. To become a client, you can fill out an intake form, come in for an intake meeting and get the ball rolling! As a client of iF, you'll have the opportunity to take part in programs and events like ELEV8 – who knows, maybe you'll be pitching at our next one!
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Scruffy Digi Stamp
Christmas Elves Collection Digi Stamp
this little guy is fantastic
I like the green you chose and the shadding o n it :)
You really got the speed coloring down, didn't you? Thanks for another fun entry!
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Elland-raised Graeme Wilson raised the bar even higher yesterday by winning a sixth Yorkshire Merit bowls title at Broad Oak, Huddersfield.
The 49-year-old beat Tom Hanson (Myrtle Park) 21-20 in an epic final to add to his previous wins in the prestigious event in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2015.
Nobody else has won more than three Yorkshire Merit titles with Wilson's long-term Yorkshire teammate Robert Hitchen, from Halifax, one of those to achieve that.
Wilson lives across the Pennines nowadays but still earned his place in the field for the 123rd running of the event via Saturday's Halifax area qualifiers. He plays for all-conquering Elland WMC in the Halifax League on Wednesday evenings as well as recent Yorkshire Cup winners Lower Hopton.
Wilson opened with a 21-8 win over Stuart Thompson of Pontefract BC and then beat Michael Hick of Mirfield Old Bank, James Hanson of Pudsey BC and Wayne Moseley of Crosland Moor BC by 21-19 in the semi-final.
Tom Hanson came through the top half of the draw, beating Gareth Coates (Akroydon Victoria) 21-13 in his opener and then accounting for Kieren Smith (Rothwell BC) and Nathan Dobson (Littlemoor) before edging past Liam Griffin (Lower Hopton WMC) 21-20 in his last-four contest.
Wilson and Tom Hanson were locked together at 15 across in the final. Wilson went 19-17 up, only for Hanson to take the next three chalks to move to the brink of victory. Wilson was not to be denied, however, making a single for 20 across before winning the deciding end.
Two other Halifax League players, Robert Holmes (Elland WMC) and Stuart King (Asa Briggs), lost in the last 32.


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TSS Tip
This product and other similar products are marketed for use with Tarantulas and Scorpions though it isn't actually suitable as they will not consume it. It is better to use a normal water bowl with just water (No sponge!) that has been left to stand overnight. Other than that is ideal for Livefoods, Cockroaches, Millipedes and a whole host of other invertebrates.
Bug Gel is an ideal, safe and hygienic way to offer water to your feeder insects and invertebrate pets. It prevents drowning, reduces chances of Bacterial infections and prevents spillage. Water Gel is completely safe for your invertebrates to eat and is not harmful to the prey the insects are then fed to. The Water Gel is made from natural spring water and has no added dyes or chemicals.
How to use:
Place a small amount of Water Gel in a shallow dish inside the Feeder Insects enclosure. Make sure you only use as much as can be eaten in one day and
Water, Polyacrylamide Gel
Water Bowl
Livefood Water Gel
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Do you have emphysema but still want to get life insurance? If that's you, then you are in the right place. Keep reading this article for a brief overview of applying for life insurance with emphysema. We'll help you understand:
- The basics of emphysema.
- What will happen when you apply for life insurance after benign diagnosed with emphysema.
- What rates to expect.
- What to do if you're life insurance application gets denied.
- And how to find the best life insurance company that you can qualify for.
So, without further ado, let's dive right in by first explaining exactly what we mean by being diagnosed with emphysema.
What is emphysema?
Emphysema is a medical condition that is usually defined by when ones' alveoli (air sacs in the lung) become inflated beyond their capacity for regular intervals. This "over inflation" will impact the way you breathe and may actually change the way your lungs look and function.
Causes of Emphysema.
Like most lung-function diseases, smoking is the most often the leading cause of emphysema.
Treatment for Emphysema.
Once you know you have emphysema (and realistically, before you ever get it), the number one thing you can do for your lung health is to STOP SMOKING.
This will:
- Slow down the deterioration of your lungs
- Possibly even improve lung function
Next, you may be prescribed bronchodilation medications that help you breathe more easily. This may be an inhaler that you take at regular intervals or that you take in case of an emergency. Some doctors will also prescribe steroids or antibiotics. Worst case scenario: You may need surgery, including a lung transplant.
***Important Reminder***
At this point we usually like to remind people that we here are InsuranceBrokersUSA aren't doctors of medical specialists of any kind. We're just a bunch of life insurance agents. So if you think you may have emphysema or any other medical condition for that matter and you have questions about it, go see a doctor!
We're not going to be able to diagnose your condition or help you out in any way. But…If you've already been diagnosed, and you're looking for life insurance well then, now you're talking. This is what we're good at!
Applying for Life Insurance with Emphysema
Any sickness that impacts the functionality of a major organ like the lungs will be a problem when it comes to applying for life insurance. With emphysema, you will not qualify for a preferred rate or even a standard rate. However, you may qualify for a Table A rating.
What is a Table A rating?
Table rates are life insurance rates usually reserved for "higher risk" applicants who can still qualify for traditional term or whole life insurance, they just can't qualify for a Standard or Normal rate.
Now there are 10 different "Table Rates" an individual can qualify for ranging from Table A all the way to Table J. The good news is that Table A is the "best" table rate that there is (AKA will have the lowest prices), and many individuals with emphysema can often qualify for them.
How to get a Table A rating with Emphysema?
If you:
- Are responding well to treatment,
- Have shown improvement in lung functionality,
- Are not showing signs of lung function deterioration,
- And you have STOPPED SMOKING FOR AT LEAST 1 YEAR!
Then you may get a Table A rating.
If not…
Then you could get any of the other Table ratings, B-J. This will all depend on your symptoms, treatment response and so on.
In some cases, you may get denied.
This is particularly true if you have been diagnose with emphysema and you continue to use ANY tobacco product. In fact, most if not all traditional term or whole life insurance policies will automatically decline anyone who has been diagnosed with emphysema and continues to use any form or tobacco or nicotine.
If your emphysema is really bad, then a life insurance company may see it as life threatening. In this case, they will reject you for a term or whole life insurance policy as well.
If you are rejected…
You may want to consider another life insurance company. Not all life insurance companies will view stages of emphysema in the same manner. This is also why it's important to get professional help when applying for life insurance.
To get the best rate…
You need to have some knowledge of the life insurance industry. You may only qualify for a Table H rating with one company, but another company will offer you a Table B rating. Wouldn't you prefer the table B rating which would probably mean paying a whole lot less for your insurance?
If so…
Then the best way to get it is to seek out professional help when applying for your life insurance policy. Now here at JustBuryMe, we'll do all the leg work to help you get the best possible rate on life insurance with Emphysema.
We know what different life insurance companies offer and how they will rate people with emphysema, depending on their symptoms and severity.
Now.. we may not be able to magically offer you a preferred rate, but we will be able to help you find a good rate considering your circumstances.
And if it turns out that…
You simply can't qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy, we also have plenty of alternative life insurance products such as guaranteed issue life insurance policies that you may still qualify for.
Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance
This may be your best and only bet for a life insurance policy. It may not offer you everything that a term or whole life insurance policy does, but it's still enough to make sure your family and loved ones are not stuck with the bill of your final expenses (i.e. last medical expenses plus funeral and burial/cremation costs).
Why you still need expert help for guaranteed issue life insurance.
Not all guaranteed issue life insurance policies are the same, and not all work for all people. This is why when you call JustBuryMe, we'll do our very best to find the life insurance company that offers the policy that is right FOR YOU.
All of our recommendations are personalized to the needs of our clients. We hear you out and make our recommendations based on your needs.
So, what are you waiting for? Give us a call today and see what we can do for you!


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Food To Nourish: Nut Butter - Hemp Seed
Hemp seeds are a gift of nature. This small seed packs a huge nutritious punch and adds a lovely nutty texture to this spread. It has been teamed it up with activated and organic sunflower seeds and pepitas, as well as a pinch of sea salt. The hemp seeds aren't activated as they do not contain any phytic acid and so don't require activating.
Ingredients: Organic activated pepitas, organic activated sunflower seeds, organic hemp seeds [25%] and sea salt.
ALLERGEN ADVICE: May contain other tree nuts and peanuts from processing line.


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Posts Tagged 'Ian Hunter'
Crossed Fingers – Ian Hunter
At the age of seventy seven, a lot of Rock Stars are putting there feet up having their slippers brought to them and settling into their favorite Rockin' chair. Not Mr. Ian Hunter. The Rockin' chair has been chopped up for more...


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Bring on the summer vibes with this wedge sandal. The wedge heel and ankle strap styling makes this pair perfect for flowy maxi skirts or cropped denim outfits.
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Step into chic design with the pump. A wedge peep toe and layered straps bring retro inspiration to these party-ready heels! PU upper material Lace-up...View full product details
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Sweet and summer, the wedge shoes are the perfect platform sandals for all the casual warm weather. These sandals are a must-have item! Synthetic upper...View full product details
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These platform sandals are simple in style, with woven patterns accented on the upper and a comfortable insole. PU upper material Slip-on closure Comfortable platform Open...View full product details


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Formerly Yoshukai Karate Canada, Seienjuku Karate Canada Honbu Dojo presents an opportunity to experience authentic Japanese style karate training.
We are dedicated to preserving traditional aspects of martial arts through hard training combined with etiquette and discipline. Seienjuku karate classes consist of rigorous cardiovascular, core strengthening, and stretching exercises along with intense body conditioning and effective full-contact fighting and self-defense techniques. Students can further participate in classes of traditional kata and Ryukyu Kobudo (Okinawan weapons). Private lessons are also available by appointment.
We are currently accepting students 14-years of age and older, and all students are welcome regardless of previous martial arts experience. Whether it be for fitness, confidence, personal safety, or developing martial arts skill and knowledge, everyone will benefit by training.
Please come join us, osu!
Seienjuku Founder, Masakata Wakatsuki Sensei presenting association and Canada Honbu Cho designation certificate to Greg Turnbull Sensei at the Osaka Jr. Karate Championships, August 20, 2017 in Osaka, Japan.
9th Annual Victoria Cup Karate Tournament
Saturday, May 4, 2019
** NEW LOCATION** Royal Oak Middle School
751 Travino Lane, Victoria, BC, V8Z 3G4
2019 Entry Form
2019 Victoria Cup Tournament Rules
Agreement and Release of Liability


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6/8/2017 - By Zachary Farrington
Saltmarsh welcomed 10 exceptionally qualified accounting students to our office on June 1st and 2nd for Beacon, the firm's first summer leadership program. The dynamic, two-day program paired fundamental leadership training with team building and out-of-office activities to offer a 360-degree view of what it is like to work in the accounting field and be a part of the Saltmarsh team.
Students representing the University of West Florida, the University of Florida, Pensacola Christian College, Auburn University, and Troy University participated in this leadership and development program, which was the first of its kind offered by the firm. After learning about the history of Saltmarsh and our firm culture and vision from President Lee Bell, the students and staff had the pleasure to hear David Brown of Studer Group speak on Leadership in the Office: Making Others Better; Making It Last.
Afterwards, the students tasted the famous local fare at McGuire's Irish Pub before returning to the office for a tour of the building. The rest of the day was packed with a panel on Leadership in the Community which featured State Representative Frank White, Hong Tran of Baptist Health Care, Scott Grissett of The Andrews Institute, and John Gormley of BBVA Compass. "At the heart of Saltmarsh is client service, and what better way to serve the client than to instill those values in interns and employees who can grow with the firm" noted White. John Heer of P3 Leadership followed the panel with an informative seminar on Servant Leadership in the Office. After a busy day, the students had an opportunity to relax and enjoy a Pensacola Blue Wahoos Game for our annual Saltmarsh Family Night at the Ballpark.
Beacon's second day focused on the culture and team at Saltmarsh, as many shared their personal experiences and perspectives to give students a taste of what a career in professional services is really like. IT shareholder, Stephen Reyes moderated an interactive panel of Saltmarsh professionals as they shared their testimonials and discussed their experiences among each other. "I felt this Q & A panel was the best possible way to learn about the real day-to-day tasks and life of the firm," said Madison Foster, sophomore at Auburn University. Whether they worked in Tax, Audit, Financial Institutions Consulting, Investment Management, or Information Technology, all agreed that the culture of Saltmarsh was a unique one that spans across the firm's varying service lines.
The students spent the rest of their day enjoying the food and festivities of Pensacola from Flounder's Chowder House and V. Paul's to the beaches and Grand Fiesta Parade which celebrates the city's rich history. Clint Allen, a junior at Troy, remarked that "This leadership training has been second to none." Saltmarsh counts it our privilege to have provided these students an opportunity to learn about leadership values they can use wherever their career takes them.
Our professionals have the depth of experience, industry knowledge and worldwide resources to help you reach your goals. We put your success above all else as your trusted advisor.
Saltmarsh offers a full range of professional services to accommodate your needs – from tax planning and accounting services to information technology and employee benefits consulting.
Saltmarsh serves individuals and businesses. Personal attention, access to the right professionals and rapid response is how we serve.
(850) 243-6713
(407) 203-8990
(615) 661-0885
(850) 435-8300
(813) 287-1111
(800) 477-7458


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2011 started off like almost any other year has over the course of my 13.5 years of service with my current employer.
Mid-way through January, a co-worker and I were invited to accompany our boss to Montreal on business to meet some of our Quebec-based team members. It was the first time I had visited the city where our corporate headquarters are based on official business.
Travelling, although it hasn't been something I've frequently done and it's only been to local offices around Ontario up until this point, has been a part of my job as Fibre Network Administrator that I have enjoyed the most. For me, these all-day or overnight excursions were best experienced with co-workers – especially seasoned management who I admired for their knowledge and passion for this industry. My boss of 13 years was one of those people.
Our Montreal adventure was by far the best work-related trip I had taken over the past decade. First of all, it was the first outing that required flying and I won't be shy in saying I love to take to the skies. Second, I love Quebec so any opportunity to visit that beautiful province in Canada is one I jump at. The trip was a perfect balance of work, learning, networking, and leisure.
Upon returning to Toronto, my boss drove my fellow co-worker home and then dropped me off at the train station. There was something final about that moment. I didn't know it yet and perhaps at the time I hadn't sensed it, but I think it was there. A few days later after 37 years of employment, he and other managers and senior management were let go.
Many throughout the organization were emotionally shocked by these cuts. For me, it had been almost devastating. Of all the changes and departures over the span of my career at this company, our boss had always been one of the few aspects of our day to day business, that hadn't changed.
It took a few months and meeting up with my former boss over dinner and drinks - seeing him happier and more relaxed than he had possibly been in a long time, to get over the drastic change and the emptiness that seemed to loom around the office.
Not only did we immediately welcome a new boss to our department, but after summer it was announced that a second design department was to be created, which opened up a new management role.
I won't beat around the bush when I say that I had hoped that in 5 years or so, I might be in a position to qualify for my boss's position upon his retirement. The problem was that I had assumed that that was an opportunity in the somewhat distant future. I wasn't prepared for this sudden opportunity.
My manager had always been good at encouraging me and making it known when others noticed my efforts and my potential for future growth within the organization. His direct report had also been good at promoting this growth by having someone on his team organize management training for managers and others in leadership type roles. Unfortunately, he had moved on the year previously and I hadn't taken the initiative to pursue further training myself.
I hadn't updated my resume in 10 years and after struggling with it for a week I realized had I went through the practice of keeping it up-to-date all of this time, I would have seen for myself how outdated I was becoming.
I had lost my boss, wasn't even given the opportunity to interview for a position I at least though I would be considered for, and my marriage was ending. Perhaps there were a few very important 'things' in my life I had taken for granted.
The brutal realization had set in – I was 38, and out of date. Was I past my best before?
A month or so ago it was announced that a long-time employee was retiring at the end of the year after 37 years. A big to-do was to occur for both employees during work hours, and members of the community afterwards as her role was on the community television/relations side of the business.
I was looking forward to this event. Not about this cherished and well-respected member of our team retiring, but about the celebration of life and accomplishment. Although the year was busy and stressful at times as the changes amongst our organization settled, it wasn't a bad 2011 all-in-all. When I first heard about this retirement party however, I immediately thought it would be a very fitting and positive way to move into the new year.
This woman is regarded with high esteem both throughout the company and around the community. 37 years is a long time and what she accomplished and the changes she has witnessed within the telecommunications industry, was something for employees new and old, to reflect on. They were lessons to take with them through their own careers.
When someone of that tenure retires or moves on in another fashion, those moments often turn into company history lessons. I have always been a history buff so I personally enjoy these get-togethers. I feel we all benefit in a team-building fashion when co-workers gather in large numbers such as this. There is also great value in having employees within our organizations who have seen the company evolve over a long period of time, to both learn from and mentor younger generations.
It was an emotional goodbye with many touching speeches. She is a classy woman and although I only worked with her on a few projects over the years, I have great admiration and respect for her both through our interaction, and the words that others around the corporation have spoken of her over the years.
The company was suffering a big loss, but many left that afternoon and evening surely inspired and moved. She is an example of the type of person and leader many of us strive to be. The kind of respect and affection felt towards her as both a colleague and friend, is something she worked very hard to earn over four decades.
We should be so lucky to have people go to great extents to wish us well one day, when we move on to different careers or the well deserved days of family, travel, and relaxation - to one day be celebrated in this manner.
Lessons learned? Always stay updated and remember that every day, makes up the memories your family, friends, and co-workers will remember you by when you're gone. The time is now to leave a lasting impression - to inspire.
New Years resolutions? To not be outdated. I am not sure in what fashion I will begin the operating system upgrade, but with my oldest daughter in French Emersion and hopefully my youngest headed down that path as well, maybe brushing up on my French wouldn't hurt – especially seeing as how our corporation is based out of Quebec. It's something I have been thinking about for a few months now.
One of my biggest dreams going forward as a soon to be single father, is to involve my kids in as many aspects of my life as possible. Learning a second language just seems like the perfect balance of work advancement and something that will benefit my girls in their learning.
My year went from a football stadium I loved being somewhat saved, the loss of my boss, my father and I watching as our favorite hockey team won the Stanley Cup for the first time in my lifetime, to the end of my marriage, to inspiration as we said goodbye to an admired co-worker.
The new year will be one of new beginnings, changes and challenges for my family and I but I truly believe that with all the hard lessons I have had to learn in 2011, that I am much better equipped to take a large leap forward both in fatherhood, and in business.
Happy holidays to everyone. May the new year be one of many dreams come true for you and your family.