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Botanist's aim: revive New York ecosystems
| New York
Paul Mankiewicz, a biologist, botanist, and erstwhile philosopher, has a vision for New York City. He calls it "zero discharge": Not a drop of water should escape from the city without first making something grow.
Rainwater should be caught and used to cultivate greenery. "Gray water" from showers, baths, and sinks should irrigate rooftop gardens. Trees dotting streets are good, but a belt of grasses and shrubs lining roadways would better catch and utilize runoff. Restored wetlands around the city would filter any water that escapes. All water entering the city should pass through a natural system on its way out.
"What you have to do is bring the land to life," he says. "Our footprint is not an abode for life. It's the opposite; it's sterile."
Mr. Mankiewicz, executive director of the Gaia Institute in New York and treasurer of the city's Soil and Water Conservation District, has designed ecosystems for 30 years. He had a hand in the city's very first "green streets," patches of greenery sprouting up alongside roadways in recent years, and the Bronx's first green roof.
Now he's working with the city on a pilot project to restore oysters and mussels, keystone species, to city waterways. His guiding principle: Living systems can achieve naturally what humans endeavor to do artificially. Dirt can hold water and sequester heavy metals. Soil microbes and plant roots – "the symbiosis that runs the terrestrial biosphere," he says – can digest the carbon-based molecules that collect in the average city gutter.
"You have to rethink the permeable and impermeable," he says.
Beneath every square meter of soil run 15 to 20 miles of fine plant roots and perhaps 10,000 miles of filament-like fungal roots. Between 10 million and 10 billion microbes inhabit each cubic centimeter of soil. The right kind could decompose motor oil and gasoline, which are common in urban runoff. A cubic centimeter of humus, the fine, dark grains in soil, contains 2,000 square meters of surface area that binds to toxic heavy metals, like mercury.
Standing beside a 300-square-foot Bronx green street he helped design, Mankiewicz expounds on the value of living soil. Normally, the city has to treat runoff before releasing it into waterways. But this patch of green could absorb much of the 50,000 gallons of runoff generated here yearly. (Soil sensors will measure just how much.) Multiply that by some 2,000 green streets now in existence, and the result is some 100 million gallons of water not going down storm grates.
Over the years, Mankiewicz has emphasized the critical role of simple dirt, says Robert Alpern, an adviser in the city's Department of Environmental Protection under former mayor David Dinkins: "His major contribution has been to sensitize everybody in the bureaucracies to the potential of soils as a filtration and infiltration medium for storm water."
On St. Simon Stock Elementary School's rooftop garden (finished in 2005), Mankiewicz explains the greatest hurdle to greening the city's 35 square miles of rooftops: The average cubic foot of dirt weighs between 100 and 120 pounds, around three times the load for which most roofs are engineered.
So he designed his own soil, substituting ground polystyrene (Styrofoam) for much heavier sand and clay. The result, patented as GaiaSoil, weighs 10 pounds per cubic foot and can hold twice its weight in water. The next problem: New York gets about 40 inches of rain yearly, but it doesn't come evenly. A recent dry spell has left some of the Little Blue Stems, one of perhaps 25 native species atop St. Simon's roof, looking forlorn.
He notes the nearby boy's bathroom. City dwellers pay $2 per 100 cubic feet of water, and $3 to treat it. Why not save $3? Gray water from the sink could be fed to the garden via solar-powered pump. He has to convince the city it's safe first. "I want it so that people can build green roofs without the Department of Health worrying about it," he says.
Mankiewicz grew up Bloomfield, N.J. When he was young, Bloomfield farmers grew vegetables to sell in New York City. He himself sold tomatoes from his mother's garden door-to-door. But urban sprawl eventually did away with the fields. "All the areas I grew up with that were beautiful were paved over," he says.
He earned a BA in philosophy from the New School for Social Research and a PhD in biology from City University of New York, among other degrees. In the 1980s, he spent lots of time at St. John the Divine, an Episcopal cathedral in Morningside Heights and a hotbed of environmental thinking.
James Parks Morton, sometimes called "the green dean," presided over and encouraged the religious-environmentalist ferment for 25 years, ending in 1997. He recalls one project in particular: Inside a bay of the soaring gothic cathedral, by some accounts the world's largest, Mankiewicz constructed a living model of the Hudson River ecosystem: several 20-foot-long tanks filled with fish, "various green stuff," and blue crabs.
"It was incredible, people saying, 'My God, in a church?' " recalls Mr. Morton. "That was the point, to say that [the environment] is a deeply important, religious concern."
In the 1980s, Mankiewicz itched to apply his ideas on ecosystem design to the real world. "People were saying, 'interesting idea,' but no one was doing anything," he says. So in 1995, he incorporated the Gaia Institute, a nonprofit. "Nothing was going to change, otherwise," he says.
It was an unusual move, says Dominick Basile, Mankiewicz's PhD adviser at Lehman College in the Bronx. Most biologists choose the reliable paycheck of research or academia. But Mankiewicz and his wife, Julie – both of whom Dr. Basile describes as "brilliant" and "dedicated" – chose to "spread the gospel" of biology. "I really worried about them," he says. "They've made some considerable material sacrifices."
Says Mankiewicz: "If you want quick money, never get into the green-roof business." For 25 years, the overriding problem was lack of interest from on high. City officials favored a hard engineering approach – chemicals and machinery – to solve issues like storm water runoff. Now that's changing. "People are just [now] getting it," he says.
The city now has 2,300 green streets, a program begun under mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the 1990s. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has pledged to surpass 3,000 by 2017. MillionTreesNYC aims to plant
1 million more trees throughout the city in coming years. (The current tree census: 592,130.) It's all inching the city closer to Mankiewicz's "zero discharge" dream. "It would change the local climate," he says, "and that would be magnificent."


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John Paul II and the End of the Cold War
The peaceful social movement that toppled Soviet communism began with the Pope and the spiritual renewal of the Polish people.
"But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations." — John Adams, "Letter to Hezekiah Niles," Feb. 13, 1818
What John Adams observed about the American Revolution of the 1770s was also true about the Polish Revolution of the 1980s that helped bring about the end of the Cold War.
Before there was a Solidarity trade union with 10 million members that ultimately toppled Soviet Communism, there was a revolution in the minds and hearts of the Polish people that made Solidarity possible.
In August 1980, striking shipyard workers in Gdansk, Poland, sparked a wave of strikes across the entire country. They demanded the reinstatement of fired shipyard worker Anna Walentynowicz, better working conditions and the right to form independent trade unions.
The strike ended peacefully on Aug. 31, 1980, when the workers and the government signed a landmark agreement that included the right to form independent trade unions.
Two weeks later, Solidarity was born, and within 16 months more than 10 million Poles joined.
Nine years later, in June 1989, Solidarity candidates won overwhelming victories in the first semi-free elections in Soviet-occupied Eastern Europe in 40 years and formed the first non-communist-led government in the Eastern bloc. Five months later, the Berlin Wall fell, and, in December 1991, the Soviet Union disappeared.
But what was the revolution in the Polish hearts that led them so decisively to embrace Solidarity and endure nine years of hardship, including martial law and murder, to see this peaceful revolution through to fruition?
It became evident to my wife, Callista, and me while working on the documentary film Nine Days That Changed the World that spiritual factors were decisive, especially the nine-day pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II to Poland in June 1979, just 14 months prior to the August 1980 strikes.
As the world joyfully anticipates the upcoming beatification of Pope John Paul II on May 1 and remembers and celebrates his life of holiness, it's worthwhile to remember how his Christian witness also fundamentally reshaped the political landscape of the 20th century.
We learned about the significance of John Paul II's 1979 pilgrimage during a trip to Europe in 2008, when we were conducting interviews for our documentary Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous With Destiny. We traveled to Gdansk, Poland, to interview President Lech Walesa, and then to Prague to visit with President Vaclav Havel.
Both presidents described the Pope's role as critical and agreed that his 1979 pilgrimage to Poland was a decisive turning point in undermining communism.
President Walesa recalled that when Poles "felt so totally discouraged and so helpless, there came John Paul II. … He awoke the people. … He organized the people."
In his famous sermon before 1 million Poles assembled in Warsaw's Victory Square on June 2, 1979, the Pope asserted that man cannot understand himself fully without Jesus Christ and that "therefore, Christ cannot be kept out of the history of many in any part of the world."
The people responded with 14 minutes of applause and in one voice sang Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat (Christ conquers; Christ reigns; Christ governs), dramatically affirming that God was sovereign, not the state.
When asked to explain the meaning of these 14 minutes of applause, Wladyslaw Stasiak, chief of staff to Polish President Lech Kaczynski, said:
In this [sermon], the Pope gave meaning to words, gave meaning to history, gave meaning to the faith of the people. … That was the rebirth. The Pope said the words have their proper meaning. If you are talking about something, it means something. If you are talking about Jesus Christ, it means that you are really talking about Jesus Christ. If you are talking about this country, you really cannot understand this country without Jesus Christ, without Christianity. This was something fundamental. This was something which deeply, very deeply, radically, changed the way of thinking of the majority of the society.
Millions of Poles, almost one-third of the nation, turned out to see Pope John Paul II in person during his June 1979 pilgrimage, while the rest of the country followed his pilgrimage on television and radio.
Polish historian Marek Lasota is unequivocal about the impact of the pilgrimage:
Solidarity, there is no doubt in anybody's mind, is the result of the Pope's pilgrimage of 1979. These hundreds of thousands, or millions, of people that met together in Warsaw, Gniezno, Czestochowa, Krakow, Nowy Targ, Wadowice and also Auschwitz understood that this [Solidarity] is the right road. That really, when we're all together, we are a force, and the enemy [the communists] is helpless.
In his sermon on the last day of his 1979 pilgrimage, Pope John Paul II summed up the great choice that lay before his Polish countrymen and women:
A human person is a free and reasonable being. He or she is a knowing and responsible subject. He or she can and must, through the power of personal thought, come to know the truth. He or she can and must choose and decide. … So, before going away, I beg you once again to accept the whole of the spiritual legacy which goes by the name of "Poland," with the faith, hope and charity that Christ poured into us at our holy baptism. Do not on your own cut yourselves off from the roots from which we had our origins.
Two years later, the verdict was in. Notwithstanding the power of propaganda and state-sponsored terror, more than 10 million Poles signaled that they would seek change in their country by pursuing the path of social solidarity with faith, hope and charity. The Solidarity labor union and social movement achieved a peaceful revolution in 1989 that toppled Poland's communist dictatorship, and ultimately hastened the downfall of all the other dictatorships across Eastern Europe.
But the Polish revolution of 1989 was first won in 1979, with the words of Pope John Paul II and the change in moral conviction within the hearts of the Polish people that his words, prayers and pilgrimage inspired.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista are hosts and executive producers of the documentary film Nine Days That Changed the World

subset: commoncrawl


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By GuardSys
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If your company already has an burglar alarm system in South East London, there are several good reasons to switch to Business NSI approved burglar alarms from Guard Security Systems.
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Building owners and managers in South East London are also encouraged to install Business NACOSS approved burglar alarms for their tenants. This type of investment ensures the peace of mind of tenants and also saves you money in the long run in terms of liability or damage to property.
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A guitar licks goldmine awaits you in an incredible rock collection, the 200 Rock Licks: Guitar Licks Goldmine DVD (Hal Leonard).
The DVD, which is available now at the Guitar World Online Store. is jam-packed with killer lead lines, phrases and riffs personally taught to you by professional guitarists Greg Harrison, Matthew Schroeder and Troy Stetina.
From classic rock to modern metal, each and every authentic lick includes: a walk-through explanation by a professional guitarist; note-for-note on-screen tablature; normal and slow-speed performance demos.
Total running time: 4 hours, 14 minutes.


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Community Webinars in March and April: Getting Started with Forms, Common Data Services, Media Controls, PowerApps In-depth, and more!
We have an exciting selection of webinars coming up over the next few months! Whether you're new to PowerApps or an application expert — or anyone in-between — we've got the perfect free webinar for you, featuring experts from both Microsoft and your community.
In the past you've asked for us to try some different platforms for our webinars, and this Spring we're pleased to announce the addition of YouTube live video to our lineup! Subscribe to my YouTube channel to get automatic updates and reminders, or use the "Subscribe and join live" links below to be taken right to the event. Please note that all webinars are listed in Pacific Time.
Getting Started with PowerApp Forms by Audrie Gordon
Take your form designs to the next level with PowerApp Form controls! In this webinar you'll learn to:
- Optimize Forms for Mobile Phone Formats (targeting: finger-friendly and fast to complete)
- How to Customize Controls and Set Your Own Default Values (or Calculations)
- How to Configure Cascading Dropdown Lists
- How to Patch Data for Unstructured Form Formats
Subscribe and join live!
When: 4/11/2017 10:00 AM PT
Getting Started with the Common Data Services by Jono Luk
This topic is based on requests from early webinars! The Common Data Services (aka CDS) is a relatively new and unique opportunity for managing data. We will learn about the value of CDS for many purposes and how to make the most of the out-of-the-box entities, as well as learn some basic principles around when to, and how to, create your own custom entities!
Register today!
When: 4/18/2017 10:00 AM
About Jono Luk
Jono is the Group Program Manager for the Common Data Service, the data and app platform for the Microsoft Dynamics 365 service and applications. The CDS is tasked with enabling the broad spectrum of business customers and partners, from citizen developers to high-end ISVs, to adopt and thrive on the Microsoft business app platform. As GPM, Jono is responsible for the definition, development and execution of the product vision and usage of the CDS, with a focus on feature and business development for the Core Entity Model, Data Access, Data Integration & Connectivity, Security/Trustworthiness and Collaboration & Productivity, Admin and ISV scenarios.
Rebuilding an InfoPath Designer form in PowerApps
This webinar covers a real world scenario of how a business solution built using InfoPath Designer can easily and successfully be rebuilt and enhanced in PowerApps.
The demo includes showing the 'behind-the-scenes' i.e. how the app has been built.
• Demonstrate the InfoPath Designer form then demonstrate its replacement in PowerApps
• The PowerApps demo includes using Radio buttons that update SharePoint List items and cascading dropdowns.
• Finally, using this demo emphasize how PowerAps can update two SharePoint lists using the same app, something InfoPath Designer cannot do.
About Daniel Christian
Daniel Christian has over 11 years of SharePoint experience starting with SharePoint Portal 2003 . His area of expertise includes SharePoint On-Premises architecture, maintenance and administration, SharePoint Online administration. He is a big fan of building no-code solutions and reporting. Currently, he is focused on PowerApps and its integration using Gateway with SharePoint Server 2013 and 2016. Besides writing blogs, Daniel enjoys working with musical holiday lights and photography. Here's the YouTube playlist of his 2016 holiday lights.
When 4/25/2017 10:00 AM
Connecting to On-Premises data from PowerApps by Archana Nair And Dimah Zaidalkilani
With six months of producing PowerApps applications inside of Microsoft and with our largest customers, the team has amassed a series of best practices, tips, and tricks for PowerApps development. In this week's webinar, Archana Nair and Dimah Zaidalkilani will walk you through best practices for using on-premises data gateways for connecting to on-premises data from PowerApps. You will learn how to get started and configure the on-premises data gateway, build apps easily connecting to on-premises data, troubleshoot connectivity issues and hands on demos.
Subscribe and join live!
When: 5/16/2017 10:00AM
Webinars for related products:
Introducing a New Flow Feature to Better Enable People-based Automation
Subscribe and join live!
When: 4/20/2017 10:00 AM
Microsoft Flow best practices and examples for Business Analysts by Jon Levesque
Subscribe and join live!
When: 5/2/2017 10:00AM
Using R Script with Power BI by Leila Etaati
Register today!
When: 3/30/2017 12:00PM
Marketing Insights with Power BI webinar by Ken Puls and Miguel Escobar
Register today!
When: 4/06/2017 10:00 AM
Deep dive into data modeling using Power BI desktop and SQL Server Analysis Services
Subscribe and join live!
When: 4/13/2017 12:00PM
What's New, Exciting, and Coming Next for Power BI Embedded by Aviv Ezrachi
Register today!
When: 5/18/2017 10:00 AM
Power BI visualization best practices by Marco Russo
Subscribe and join live!
When: 5/31/2017 10:00AM


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In you, O Lord, have I put my hope; let me never be shamed.
Keep me safe in your righteousness, and come to my help; give ear to my voice, and be my saviour.
Be my strong Rock, the strong place of my salvation; for you are my Rock, and my safe place.
O my God, take me out of the hand of the sinner, out of the hand of the evil and cruel man.
For you are my hope, O Lord God; I have had faith in you from the time when I was young.
You have been my support from the day of my birth; you took me out of my mother's body; my praise will be ever of you.
I am a wonder to all; but you are my strong tower.
My mouth will be full of your praise and glory all the day.
Do not give me up when I am old; be my help even when my strength is gone.
For my haters are waiting secretly for me; and those who are watching for my soul are banded together in their evil designs,
Saying, God has given him up; go after him and take him, for he has no helper.
O God, be not far from me; O my God, come quickly to my help.
Let those who say evil against my soul be overcome and put to shame; let my haters be made low and have no honour.
But I will go on ever hoping, and increasing in all your praise.
My mouth will make clear your righteousness and your salvation all the day; for they are more than may be measured.
I will give news of the great acts of the Lord God; my words will be of your righteousness, and of yours only.
O God, you have been my teacher from the time when I was young; and I have been talking of your works of wonder even till now.
Now when I am old and grey-headed, O God, give me not up; till I have made clear your strength to this generation, and your power to all those to come.
Your righteousness, O God, is very high; you have done great things; O God, who is like you?
You, who have sent great and bitter troubles on me, will give me life again, lifting me up from the deep waters of the underworld.
You will make me greater than before, and give me comfort on every side.
I will give praise to you with instruments of music, O my God, for you are true; I will make songs to you with music, O Holy One of Israel.
Joy will be on my lips when I make melody to you; and in my soul, to which you have given salvation.
My tongue will be talking of your righteousness all the day; for those whose purpose is to do me evil have been crushed and put to shame.


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Moscow, November 29, Interfax – The Moscow Patriarchate has called on Orthodox countries, including Russia, not to change in dialogue with the European Union under its influence, but suggest that the EU change instead.
"Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Greece, Serbia, and Bulgaria – representatives of the most powerful civilization – could well demand that the Western members of the Council of Europe begin forming a renewed organization from scratch, changing a lot of what is characteristic of the Western part of Europe and is not characteristic of its eastern part, when entering the Council of Europe, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the head of the Synodal Department for Church and Society Relations, said in an article published on theInterfax-Religion.ru website.
Likewise, any negotiations with the EU should now begin "with a question as to how the EU is ready to change to be able to become a common house not only for the western, but also for the eastern socio-political tradition on a parity basis, not with docile hearing of someone's instructions," he said.
"The western democracy model is now used by a minority of the population of our planet, and it should eventually be realized as an indication that this model is not the only model and that insisting on its universality, especially that all peoples and all legal and political systems should adjust to it is, to put it mildly, unfair and unjust," Father Vsevolod said.
Any country which have string traditional religions (Orthodox, Islamic, or other) should ask members of this union when attempts ate made to toughly change its legal system or in any negotiations on the accession to a specific interstate union: "Maybe they should change, especially as regards their values and legal and political traditions, before making alliances with countries where powerful religious and moral traditions are present?"," Father Vsevolod said.
He also cautioned Western elites against forcing their traditions on the majority of the world's countries, including on the issue of same-sex marriage, recalling that several countries, primarily Greece, are having serious debate of the decision made by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights on November 7, which states that the Greek law under which marriage is only possible between heterosexual partners discriminates against same-sex couples.
Source: Interfax-religion


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Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
About The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966
San Saba, Tex. (1873-1966)
- Title:
- The San Saba news. [volume] : (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966
- Place of publication:
- San Saba, Tex.
- Geographic coverage:
- Publisher:
- Melton & Millican
- Dates of publication:
- 1873-1966
- Description:
- Began in 1873.
- Ceased Mar. 17, 1966.
- Frequency:
- Weekly
- Language:
- English
- Subjects:
- San Saba (Tex.)--Newspapers.
- Texas--San Saba.--fast--(OCoLC)fst01261224
- Notes:
- Archived issues are available in digital format as part of the Library of Congress Chronicling America online collection.
- Description based on: Vol. 3, no. 6 (June 17, 1876).
- sn 84022097
- 10280475
- 2151-3961
- Succeeding Titles:
- Related Links:
- Holdings:
- View complete holdings information
- View
- First Issue Last Issue
The San Saba news. [volume] November 25, 1876 , Image 1
San Saba County News, The San Saba News and The San Saba Weekly News
On New Year's Day 1873, at a time when Indian raids frequently visited the region, the San Saba County News debuted as the first newspaper in West Texas. Col. William T. Melton founded the weekly paper, after spending his youth apprenticing in the printing trade and establishing the Lampasas Dispatch in 1870. Melton's San Saba paper quickly became known as the San Saba News and began circulating beyond the county lines to areas bereft of local journalism. Indeed, because the nearest competing newspaper was 45 miles away, the News achieved a relatively large circulation. After Melton departed for Concho County in 1879, the new publisher, Doug Landrum, articulated some of the San Saba County News' virtues: its advocacy for the "farmer, stockraiser and laboring man, who produce the wealth of the country"; its attention to the markets and other financial news; and its "faithful record of passing events on the Texas frontier."
In 1880, the News appeared as a thin, large-format newspaper: each edition measured 22 by 32 inches, with only 4 pages in total. Its 500 subscribers paid $2.00 annually. The publishers, including J.E. Vernor, retained the original title until at least 1890 (though on occasion they issued the paper as the San Saba Weekly News).
In another attempt to satisfy its wider readership, the News also maintained a group of correspondents, including reporters in Llano, McCulloch, Concho, and Tom Green counties in 1880. During the 1890s, W. J. Millican of Bend, Texas, became involved as a correspondent. A prominent pecan grower and future president of the Texas Pecan Growers' Association, Millican would eventually lead the News' coterie of correspondents (32 strong in 1941) as president of its Correspondents' Club.
By 1893, the previously independent News had adopted a Democratic stance and scaled its formatting back to 4 pages measuring 20 by 26 inches. At a lower annual rate of $1.50, its circulation increased to 612 readers. Also circa 1891, after a change in ownership, the paper reverted back to its original handle, the San Saba County News. For at least two decades afterward, the San Saba County News continued under the leadership of G. H. Hagan, followed by U. M. Uluth Mitchell "U.M." Sanderson, and later William A. Smith (a former San Saba County Judge). Eventually, the paper returned to the title the San Saba News and remained so named until 1966, when it merged with the San Saba Star to form the San Saba News and San Saba Star.
Provided by: University of North Texas; Denton, TX


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Cognition Laboratory ExperimentsJohn H. Krantz, Hanover College, email@example.com |
Index Attention Automaticity Memory Mental Imagery Language Decision Making Perception Statistical Concepts |
Instructions for the
Variable | Settings |
Number of Trials | The number of trials in the conditions from 5 to 100 |
Number of Practice Trials | The number of practice trials, during which the participant will practice the primary tracking task only. From 0 to 50. |
Practice the Secondary Task | Click to allow the secondary task to occur during the practice trials. Currently no data from the secondary task is collected. |
Duration of the Trial | The length of each trial in seconds. From 10 to 120. |
Variables for the primary tracking task. | |
Range angle varies | The range that the direction of the motion of the dot to be tracked can change with each update from 0 to 360. The smaller the angle variation, the more direct the movement of the dot and thus easier to follow. The larger the angle variation the more random the movement of the dot. |
Speed of Dot | How fast the dot moves (pixels per update, from 1 to 50) |
Size of dot to track | The diameter of the dot (in pixels, from 1 to 20). |
Size of target box | The size of the target box that you must keep the dot in during tracking (in pixels, from 2 to 200). |
Give Tracking Feedback | Use color to indicate tracking performance. Cyan means dot is in the box, yellow means the dot is out but not at a great distance, red means the dot is far from the box. |
Variables for the secondary letter detection task. Only those variables that refer to a given type of secondary task will be visible. | |
Generic Secondary Task Parameters | |
Secondary Task Stimulus Type | Select what stimuli are going to be used for the secondary task. Either letters or single frequency tones. |
Percentage of targets | The probability that each letter presented would be a target (from 0.01 to 1.0). |
Duration of stimulus | How long the letter is presented (from 25 to 1000 msec) |
Average time between Stimuli | The average period of time after the end of one stimuli to the presentation of the next stimulus (from 25 to 4000 msec). |
Variation in ISI | The range that the time between letters can vary (from 0 to 1.0 proportion of the average time between letters). |
Response window | The time after the presentation of the target letter, during with the participant must make a response for it to be counted as a response to the target and not a mistaken response (from 250 to 3000 msec). |
Next are letter secondary task related variables | |
Set the targets and distracters | These button allow the setting of the strings used for the targets and distracters. Clicking on either button will open a window where the number of items can be set by entering a text window at the top. Then the items can be placed in each other other text fields on the window. Clicking the done button at the bottom of the window completes the setting of the items. |
Font Size | The size of the letters that are presented (from 12 to 64 point) |
Rel X Pos | The relative position in the x-axis of the letter on the screen from the left side. (0.1 is one-tenth the way across the screen to 0.9 or nine-tenth the way across the screen). |
Rel Y Pos | The same as above but in the y axis starting with the top of the screen. |
Next are sound secondary task related variables | |
Frequency of Target | Sets the frequency of the tone that will be the target (100 to 5000 Hz). The button below this slide will place a sample of the tone. Remember that the stimulus duration variable influences how it will sound. |
Frequency of Nontarget | Same as above but for nontarget sound. |
After you have finished making your settings, press the Done button at the bottom of the screen. The Dual Task experiment screen will then be presented. A start bar will be at the top of the screen at every trial and instructions for that trial will be in the center of the screen. The instructions will indicate what the target stimuli will be. If text is used, the targets will be printed with the instructions. If sound stimuli are used, buttons at the bottom of the screen will play both the target and nontarget stimuli. Practice trials, if any will occur first.
Press the space bar to begin the trial. To track simply move the move around the screen and the box will follow. If you use feedback, the box will be cyan when the dot is in the rectangle and no tracking error will be recorded. At the end of a practice trial, your total tracking error, in pixels, during the trial will be given to you. To respond to the targets, press the left mouse button.
The actual experimental trials are the same except that during the tracking, the secondary task stimuli are presented. If the target stimulus(i) is presented on the screen, click the mouse button to indicate that you have perceived that a target stimulus has been presented. At the end of these trials, no feedback is given.
At the end of the experiment your results will be presented. You will be given your average tracking error, the average proportion of targets that you responded to, and the relative number of nontargets responses you make relative to the number of targets presented. You can get your responses for each trial by clicking on the Trial Data button at the bottom of the screen.
Click here to start the experiment.


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BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's varsity indoor track teams turned in another great performance last week, with the boys finishing first in total team points and the girls coming in third.
The Decatur boys finished with 89.58 team points to take first in the meet last Wednesday, and collected a few individual firsts along the way. Greg Petersen led the Seahawks with a first-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles, a first in the high jump and a second in the triple jump. Spenser Cardenas was sixth in the 55-meter hurdles and sixth in the triple jump. Ian Bresnahan was fifth in the high jump.
Kyle Kelly was third in the 300, while James Mapp finished fourth and Devon Kee finished sixth. Kee was also tied for sixth in the 55-meter dash. Chris David finished second in the 500, while Lance Ward was fourth and Dan Winters was fifth. In the 800, Ward was third and David was fifth. The Seahawks were also strong in the relays, finishing second in the 4×200, the 4×400 and the 4×800.
On the girls' side, the Seahawks finished third overall with 67 team points. Cape Henlopen was first with 90 points and Milford was second with 75.5. The Decatur girls also turned in some great individual performances. For example, Christine Timko was first in the pole vault, while Kacie Moore was third.
Jessica Galuardi was third in the 55-meter hurdles, while Isabella Iampieri was sixth. Layla Fowler finished second in the 500, Annie Brown was third in the high jump, and Lauren Buckman was sixth in the 3,200. Chloe FauntLeroy had a great meet, finishing fourth in the 1,600 and second in the 800. The Decatur girls were also strong in the relays, finishing first in the 4×800, second in the 4×400 and fifth in the 4×200.


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Series: Participation in the intranet, part 2
There are at least three good reasons why many companies can benefit from increased employee participation in the intranet: used properly, it leads to an increase of productivity, agility and controllability.
After consulting firm McKinsey had analyzed several thousand enterprises worldwide for five years, they published a study in 2012 drawing the conclusion that knowledge workers could increase their productivity by 20 – 25 percent, if they made proper use of social software. They found that two thirds of the potential added value of social technologies resulted from improved internal communication and collaboration, leading to employee skills better finding their way to the departments where they are needed most ('matching talent to tasks').
It is important to note that successful participation in the intranet doesn't only depend on technology but on quality and quantity of social interactions. While IT is necessary to facilitate the required speed and coverage of interactions, the exchange will only take place if supported by a culture of cooperation and the willingness to participate. According to McKinsey, this willingness to participate is decisively encouraged when executives act as role models and the use of software becomes a regular part of the work process.
Participation has, however, not only the potential to increase productivity, but it can make companies much more flexible. Change management expert John P. Kotter thinks it is critical because in times of constant change hierarchically dominated management methods aren't fast and agile enough. Hierarchical processes work well for the recurring demands of daily control of a company, but when it comes to being continually on the lookout for new solutions, they are too clumsy.
As a result, Kotter proposed to introduce, parallel to the traditional hierarchy, a second 'operating system' for companies that works like a network. While hierarchies proceed according to established rules and processes that have been optimized for the most efficient handling of known tasks, network resources can be re-assembled again and again responding to changing requirements. In a hierarchical organization, the management focuses on administration and control of the system. The management of a network, however, motivates to find new ways and is more fault-tolerant. In a hierarchy, communication is mainly top-down, in directives which are sent via the cascades of the organizational chart. The communication in networks on the other hand runs in dialogues that, according to requirements, may run criss-cross through the organizaton. What matters here, is how valuable the contribution is for the new requirement, not where it comes from.
Hierarchy and network as dual operating system
Kotter's point is not to replace hierarchies by networks, he rather wants to create a 'dual operating system' in which both organization models complement each other. Reliable day-to-day business and ongoing innovation should be able to coexist. The participation of employees plays a crucial role for the success of the network. To allow for rapid change, Kotter recommends to involve as many employees as possible on a voluntary basis. Volunteers set to work with a 'I want' instead of 'I must' attitude and contribute to cost-containment to boot. In return, they want to be involved in change, not only be affected by it. To this end, it is necessary to exert a leadership style that works with motivation and appreciation instead of delegation and budget control. According to Kotter, leaders on all levels must be involved to establish the network as legitimate part of the organization.
I consider Kotter's approach very productive because it reflects the reality of business. Every business needs hierarchies to remain efficient and capable of making decisions, especially when it has reached a certain size. And every business needs network structures in order to adapt to the ever-changing environment. Kotter presents a model in order to mediate this conflict of objectives and illustrates the crucial role of participation for companies to cope with the constant pressure to change.
However, what Kotter describes as 'dual operating system' also seems to be dualistic, because network and hierarchy are working in parallel without being truly integrated with each other. The connection between the two is primarily based on the personal union of employees who play a role in both systems and as a result have to settle the conflict of objectives in themselves. I believe that decision making hierarchy and networking culture can be reconciled in another way and by doing so improve the controllability of the organization.
Increased employee participation allows for management to gain new insights into the state of things and based on that for making more informed decisions. More informed decision making improves the controllability of the organization as a whole, but it also brings a new quality to communication controlling in particular, because with participative internal media it can be measured how messages resonate in the organization.
Closed loop of internal communication
Traditional internal communication mainly serves as the mouthpiece of the executive board. It shapes messages dealing with the 'targets', the goals and plans that management want to reach with the organization. And it coordinates the distribution of these messages along the hierarchy, from top to bottom, through the cascade and traditional internal media such as the staff magazine. While this management of messages is well tested and established, internal communication so far had little opportunity to find out how they resonate in the organization.
With the participation opportunities enabled by social software all this has changed. Now it can be determined how much of the messages has actually come through and where there is still need for reinforcement. Horizontal networking makes opinion-shaping processes visible which were in the dark before . With employees openly cooperating on the same project or exchanging views on the same field of interest ('peer-to-peer'), new internal publics emerge which serve as means for knowledge exchange but also show where the organization stands with its projects. Depending on the internal social media landscape, the actual state of things can directly emerge from observing the exchange or can be purposefully collected as social intelligence from the bottom up. Thus a targets-actuals comparison is facilitated that shows how far apart plan and reality are and what is needed to close the gap between the two. Through the communicative participation of employees a loop is generated that makes the internal communication significantly more controllable than it was with a silent audience.
However, participation in the intranet doesn't work like grasssroots democracy. There are different levels of participation and formats with active influencers and more passive followers. Internal communication has to adjust to that with appropriate models of participation, and we'll look into those over the next couple of posts in this series.


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For Henry VII, commerce and a strong commercial economy were vital factors in developing royal authority. Henry believed that if his subjects were rich (by their standards) then their support for him would grow even more as his loyal subjects would credit Henry for their increased wealth. Therefore, Henry gave a great deal of his support to developing the country's commercial base, especially overseas trade.
England had lost out to Western Europe during the War of the Roses in terms of commerce. As England was an unreliable market during this troubled time, trade was sent elsewhere to more reliable markets. Henry VII had to do what he could to once again pick up the country's commercial base. To do this he had to take on the powerful Hanseatic League that dominated trade in Northern Europe. Ships from the Hanseatic League were the primary carriers of English goods abroad – such had been the decline of English merchant shipping. Henry decided that this issue was the first that had to be resolved. Between 1485 and 1486, the Navigation Act was implemented. This act forbade English merchants from loading their goods onto foreign ships if English ships were available. An English merchant ship was described as one that had a crew that was made up of at least 50% Englishmen. In 1489 a law was introduced that stated that only English ships were allowed to be used to import goods and that a foreign ship could only be used when an English ship was not available. Henry was clearly trying to protect the English market – but what he did upset the leaders of the Hanseatic League. However, this reaction could be interpreted as a sign as to the success of Henry's measures.
To protect his merchant fleets and therefore, England's commerce, Henry VII needed a navy. However, the king could not afford a standing navy and he encouraged merchants to build ships of at least 80 tonnes that could be quickly transformed into a naval ships. Henry VII's reign is not famed for the naval capability of England. But he did leave Henry VIII the basis of a small but effective navy. A sign of the potential potency of the navy was the 'Regent'. She weighed 600 tonnes and carried 225 cast-iron guns each of which weighed 250 pounds. Henry VII was also the first monarch to build a fortified naval base at Portsmouth
Related Posts
- Henry VII equated overseas trade with an extension of his power. A successful trade policy that led to expansion abroad could only make England…


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A personal way to honor someone is by sending them a custom vase filled with their favorite flowers. Promotional vases are both a stylish and functional gift to award to both clients and colleagues. Our high quality custom imprinted vases will get used time and again to hold fresh blooms. Their stylish designs mean that these promotional vases will be placed front and center in any room, either in the office or at home, so everyone who leans in to smell a sweet scent will notice your imprinted brand.
Ranging in styles from classic to modern, our large variety of promotional vases have room for your business' logo and name to be engraved on it for a personalized touch. These custom vases are such great gifts, you should make sure that you give yourself one, too!


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Editor's note: How would you rate President Obama's first 100 days? You'll get a chance to make your opinion known at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday on the CNN National Report Card.
Supporters say President Obama is tackling an aggressive agenda, while critics say he's leaving Republicans behind.
(CNN) -- More than two years ago, a junior senator with presidential aspirations stood on the steps of Illinois' Old State Capitol in Springfield and warned of politicians who fail to live up to expectations.
"Too many times, after the election is over, and the confetti is swept away, all those promises fade from memory, and the lobbyists and the special interests move in, and people turn away, disappointed as before, left to struggle on their own," then-Sen. Barack Obama said as he announced his intentions to pursue the Democratic nomination.
Now, after 100 days in office, observers are asking the same of him: Has President Obama lived up to the expectations that candidate Obama created?
"What Obama has successfully done is keep his persona intact, which is a man of deep family values and a core moral center. And I think that people are learning to trust Obama that when he talks, he's not just articulate, but he's shooting straight," said presidential historian Doug Brinkley.
Obama won the White House campaigning on a message of hope and a promise of change. As he emerged a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, he pushed an ambitious agenda, vowing to overhaul health care, education and energy policy.
But as the severity of the economic meltdown took hold and Obama moved into the White House, his inspirational rhetoric was injected with a sobering dose of reality. Obama encouraged patience and cautioned that, "change doesn't happen overnight."
In his first 100 days, Obama laid the groundwork for many of his campaign promises and faced criticism that he's trying to do too much.
"Nobody will ever be able to accuse him of being an idle man during his first 100 days," Brinkley said. "He's clearly showing himself to be a progressive in the tradition of Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, with the moral core of Jimmy Carter."
So far Obama is showing himself to be "the same guy that we had on the campaign trail," Brinkley said.
Given the items on his agenda, Obama is living up to expectations, CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider said. "The public is patient and is not expecting to see a quick turnaround in the economy," he said.
"I count 10 major items -- jobs, health care, education, energy, housing, banks, automakers, deficit reduction, taxes and the war in Afghanistan. Plus, a pledge to take up immigration reform and climate change in the near future. Any one of those things would be a significant agenda," he said.
But some Republicans say the president has failed when it comes to his pledge to reach across the aisle.
After Democrats moved ahead with a $787 billion stimulus bill that garnered no Republican support in the House and just three Republican votes in the Senate, "That's when it became clear to me that all of this post-partisan talk and working down the middle and working together was a ruse," said John Boehner, House minority leader.
Obama's approval ratings remain high -- hovering around 65 percent. Those numbers are on par with where President Reagan and President Carter stood at this point in their presidencies. But one year later, their approval ratings dropped to about 40 percent.
Obama has maintained his popularity, Republican strategist and CNN contributor Mary Matalin said, but he's lost support from Republicans and some independents "because what he is not is what he was perceived to be in the campaign -- a centrist."
Schneider said Obama's agenda -- which includes massive government spending -- represents a challenge to the Republicans' core principle of smaller government. Republicans haven't responded to Obama's outreach, and "it's causing serious political damage to their party, he said. Watch: Is bipartisanship dead? »
Obama is not personally polarizing in part because he is cautious about divisive social issues, "but his economic policies are very divisive," Schneider said.
"Obama is the mirror image of Bill Clinton ... Voters either loved him or hated him," he said, noting that after his first two years, Clinton's policies became more moderate and consensus driven.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee last month released an ad accusing Obama of backpedaling on numerous campaign promises, calling him out for signing a spending bill with thousands of earmarks, mishandling the AIG bonus scandal and failing to rein in government spending.
PolitiFact, a Web site that has been keeping track of Obama's campaign promises, reports that Obama has kept 27 promises, compromised on seven, broken six, stalled on three, has 67 in the works and has yet to take action on another 408.
But one Republican who broke ranks to endorse Obama and also spoke at the Democratic convention says he's had no regrets.
"As president, in surprisingly short order, he has moved rather decisively to implement new directions," said former Iowa Rep. Jim Leach, who served as a Republican member of the House for 30 years.
And on areas where Obama hasn't been 100 percent in line with his campaign promises -- such as softening his stance on NAFTA and slightly extending his timeline for troop withdrawal -- Leach said Obama is making adjustments "in a very appropriately adaptive way."
"It is inconceivable that a thinking individual can agree with the president or anyone in public office 100 percent of the time," he said, adding that he thinks Obama has some prospect of "potentially going down as one of the great presidents in American history."
Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tennessee, who declined to endorse Obama before his party's convention, said Obama has met expectations thus far.
"I think every person who runs for office -- whether it's a local office, statewide office, runs for president -- we all have ideas, we all have visions, we all have a hope," Davis said. "But then acting on those is sometimes more difficult than others. But I do believe the president, during the campaign, made his visions known ... and I think he has certainly lived up to those."
Republican strategist and CNN contributor Ed Rollins said if he were a Democrat, he might give Obama an "A" on his performance.
"I think the guy has had a great start. He's pushing an agenda that obviously he ran on. He's lived up to most of his promises. You know, he's a big personality, and I don't diminish that," he said.
"I think the country wants a president they feel comfortable with. A long, hard path ahead, and hopefully, some of the stuff he's thrown out there will work because we're spending a ton of taxpayers' money," he said, noting that as a Republican he gives Obama a "B."
Brinkley said it's somewhat unfair to hold the president to a 100-day litmus test because "it takes a while to get settled in."
"He's doing a lot of bold things for as short a period of 100 days," he said, pointing specifically to Obama's economic bailouts. But, he said, there's the large caveat that only time will tell how these bold moves will play out.
All About Barack Obama • National Economy • Democratic Party • Republican Party


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Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
- 3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 1/4 cups chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1/2 pound cubed cooked ham
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- Pour 2 cans of the black beans into a food processor or blender, along with the can of tomatoes. Puree until smooth. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the onion is softened. Stir in the bean puree, remaining can of beans, beef broth, pumpkin puree, and sherry vinegar. Mix until well blended, then simmer for about 25 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Stir in the ham, and heat through before serving.


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Lots of material being generated pretty quickly. Here is a worthwhile overview from Mark Goodacre's NT blog. The post that Mark directs us to by Tom Verenna that serves as a collection of response is here (just in case you don't click through to the Goodacre post).
And alas, the archaeo-nitwits in the mainstream media are doing their level best to distort the material to create headlines and garner readers. Goodacre notes:
Meanwhile, there are plenty of reasons for dismay in the media headlines over the last twenty-four hours. If you did not read carefully on the subject, you would have no idea how tenuous these headlines are — the Telegraph says Christ's disciples' remains 'discovered' in spite of the fact that there is no mention of "Christ", his "disciples" or their "remains". Or in the case of the Daily Mail, even the reference to the disciples drops out with 'Divine Jehovah, raise up': Does discovery of coffin lid prove the resting place of Jesus is under Jerusalem tower block?
Always be wary of newspaper headlines that ask questions. The answer is almost always "No".
This is the sort of reason I do not trust Jacobovici. For those who read the comments, James Tabor and I have had a brief exchange. I just don't understand why he doesn't drop Jacobovici like a bad habit. Using the clueless archaeo-media to introduce new discoveries is only about generating cash, and that's what Simcha does. If by "professional" James means the book, then I can say I'm willing to think that will be worth reading and demonstrate some careful thought — at least his credentials give me hope there). But if "professional" refers to endorsing the use of a popular journalistic army of willful or witless distorters to filter the material for the public, I'm not on board. Any good work will get lost in the nonsense. This approach invariably generates a lot of bad thinking and erroneous conclusions that will, to many, become their truth. Since I've spent my share of time trying to inject sanity into the world of paleobabble, I have seen many times over that this cycle is very real. I know how it works and the effects it has. It is in no way responsible.
And in any event, even if one could remove the method of announcement and everything was very professional, at the end of the day, non sequiturs professionally put forth are still non sequiturs. I know that peer-reviewed material isn't immune from that problem, but review cuts down on it, and allows the writer the kind of input that helps sharpen thinking before things filter down to the uninitiated but interested non-specialists. By this method non get flagged until consumed and absorbed (and purchased) by the populace. It's the methodological equivalent to using mainstream media connections to announce a cure for cancer without clinical trials, or presenting one's off-the-radar conspiratorial theory (the academic word would be avant garde) about Zionism instead of getting critical feedback from field experts first. But that's boring and doesn't generate sales.
Again, I need to know how this is responsible. It's a simple, reasonable request.


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Almost two weeks have gone by since the arrival of hostages and heroes from the Conquest of Dorne, since then anger has seethed in curt word and wrathful glances amongst those who compete for the love of the commons and the Iron Throne. The King's Peace was shattered, however, when Ser Sarmion Baratheon appeared in the training yard with naked blade in his hand, his ire keen on the full plate mail clad Ser Doran Dondarrion.
Harsh words were tossed at the Blackbolt of Blackhaven by the Stormbreaker, calling him both liar and murderer for his deeds on the Boneway. These insults were met with confusion from Ser Doran, whom at the time was meeting with his sister Lady Carmella Dondarrion. The Stormbreaker then denounced the Blackbolt, stating he claims honors that are not his to claim, and that everyone knows not to trust a kinslayer. At this Lady Carmella was outraged, being this is the first time she had heard of the Blackbolt slaying their uncle, Ormond Yronwood.
Carmella Dondarrion went on to assault her brother, in which the Blackbolt reached up his armoured gauntlets to stave off the blows from his younger sister. Ser Doran called for Carmella's sworn-sword, Ser Amond the hedge knight of Oldtown to remove his sister from the yard.
The Stormbreaker, sheathing his sword, proceeded to verbally assault the black armoured Dondarrion knight, calling him helpless and not worth fighting. Ser Doran erupted in tears of anger and grief, partly due to the barbed words spoken by Carmella, and his own sword found its way to his hand. The marcher knight dropped his visor on his great helm to hide his shame and tears, and demanded that Ser Sarmion return his blade to his hand. The Stormbreaker continued to refuse, and the Blackbolt marked him a coward in front of the gathering crowd that had now grown quite large.
Repeatedly Ser Doran called for Ser Sarmion to take up arms as the half-dornish knight prepared for battle, but his order continually fell on def ears. Ser Jaesin arrived at the scene, calling them both out and telling them that the king would not stand for such barbaric displays. After which the Lannister quickly departed to fetch the Hand of the King.
Ser Richard Harte, Commander of the City Watch, showed up to look for the guilty, but Ser Doran had already departed in frustration as the crowd mocked him for his public display of emotion. Ser Sarmion gave his apology to Ser Richard, as the old knight of the City Watch called for the crowd to disperse.


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Text description provided by the architects. The Bloor/Gladstone Branch library project is a renovation and addition to a listed heritage library in downtown Toronto. The architects were commissioned to design for an additional 12,000 sqf, bringing the collection and facilities to a level consistent with that of a Toronto District Library. The final design includes major renovations to the existing building as well as the construction of an addition.
The original u-shaped plan features a central hall flanked by two symmetrical, reading rooms. These spaces are elevated approximately six feet above sidewalk grade. To honour the heritage building, the main entry remains in its original location. In order to achieve a fully barrier free institution, the central hall floor slab has been dropped to the lowest level. As a result, the public now enters into a transformed, triple high atrium space from a lower level plaza two feet below sidewalk grade. To access this plaza, one can either descend four steps or walk along one of two barrier free, sloped walkways to the east and west of the main entry.
The new addition is conceived as having two fundamental elements: a raised glass pavilion and a stone base. The limestone base is an extension of the existing terra cotta podium. This element facilitates a strong compositional connection to the heritage structure and helps to organize and control programmatic elements on site. The addition is a transparent, contemporary counterpoint to the existing heritage structure. A pavilion in constant dialogue with its surroundings, a place to read, to view the city and to be seen involved in the programs offered within.
Throughout the library, conscious attention was paid to the juxtaposition of old and new material systems. The existing building employs the use of heavy masonry structure and historic plaster detailing. New insertions are constructed primarily of exposed steel structure, aluminum support and tempered glass. The aesthetic of the detailing is decidedly quiet in an attempt to reinforce and display the historic building and the library program itself.
A conceptual approach of visibility was applied to the library design with the intent to offer the public and staff clear site lines throughout the building. To achieve this, major incisions were made into the fabric of the existing masonry building and new partition walls have been constructed primarily of tempered glass. Further to this, the use of abundant functioning, atrium space creates vertical and diagonal views throughout the facility. The overall intent of this approach is to communicate the culture of the library to the staff, the users and the public at large.
Sustainable initiatives include updated energy efficient mechanical systems and lighting throughout, two green roof systems, a reduction in city storm water demand, permeable paving along exit paths, significant planting of domestic shrubs, grasses and 19 new trees, the use of low v.o.c. materials and large extents of energy efficient glazing for an abundance of natural light throughout.
This project transforms a tired heritage library into a functioning, interactive, contemporary institution. Since its opening in 2009, the Bloor/Gladstone Branch has met with public approval and praise and circulation has more then doubled. The level of finish, detail and design resolution elevates the community library to a level commensurate with other significant cultural institutions, a level which illustrates the fundamental importance of access to information in the world's largest library system, the Toronto Public Library.


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Game Description
Hobbit Village was once a peaceful place, but tragedy struck when a hobbit named Sam found a magical artifact. Unintentionally plunging the village into a terrible war, Sam became hated and despised by his friends and neighbors. Now the war is over, but the village still blames Sam. Determined to help the suffering hobbits, he partners with a witch named Alice to restore the village and drive away the darkness around it.
- An exciting story about a witch, a hobbit, and their friends as they fight to save the village
- 74 challenging match-3 levels
- 20 village upgrades to build with materials gathered from 5 islands
- A beautiful soundtrack to set the stage for Alice's quest


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The 2008 Western States 100, scheduled for June 28, has been canceled by organizers due to fires on the course and hazardous air quality. It is the first time in 35 years that the race has been canceled.
The following email was sent by the race to its participants on Wednesday, June 25:
northern California in recent days and the health risks that have been associated with these wildfires. The Board of Trustees of the Western States Endurance Run has consulted with many of our local and
state race partners, including the U.S. Forest Service and the Placer County Air Pollution Control District, in coming to this decision. We apologize to our runners for any inconvenience this decision has created.
The race's organizers are currently working on a revised schedule of runner activities for Thursday and Friday in Squaw Valley, and these details will be made available soon. Although there will be no race
for the first time in our 35-year history, we still wish to make this experience as meaningful as possible for our runners. Activities will include annual events such as runner check-in for goodie bag pickup on
Friday morning, the pre-race briefing and raffle on Friday afternoon, the showing of Western States documentaries on Friday night, and a special gathering of runners commemorating the race's start on Saturday.
Since the beginning of more than 840 wildfires statewide, 312 wildfires in northern California and more than 3,200 lightning strikes in the Tahoe National Forest alone on June 21, the race's organizers have
worked closely with a variety of local, county and state agencies in determining the best course of action for our race. It has become apparent that given our race's paramount concern – the safety or our
runners – holding this year's race would pose too great a risk to our runners, to our aid station personnel and to our volunteers. Given the close proximity of at least two fires that are within two miles of our
race course and a critical access road, as well as the deteriorating air quality stretching from our start in Squaw Valley to Auburn, Calif., the board has determined that cancellation, rather than postponement
or the use of an alternative course, represents the safest and most prudent decision for our 2008 event.
Our decision was based on three factors:
1. Proximity of the fire to the race course, which has the potential to impact the safety of runners, aid station personnel and volunteers at any point during the race.
Fire projections indicate that the Westville Fire has the potential to reach the Foresthill Divide Road by the weekend; in addition, the Peavine Fire could reach Last Chance and Mosquito Ridge Road, possibly
compromising access in and out of these areas. In a statement, Jan Cutts, District Ranger for the American River Ranger District, said, "In addition to the potential direct impact by the fires, (the race's cancellation)
is based on safety concerns surrounding the increased number of vehicles on the road and congestion associated with the Run. We see hundreds of vehicles on the Foresthill Divide Road and Mosquito Ridge
Road for this event each year. That's just too many additional vehicles when we've got fire-fighting equipment and personnel using the same roads for fire suppression operations. … Safety is our overriding
concern and we felt we could not provide a safe environment for this year's Run because of the unprecedented fire activity in the area."
2. Air quality deterioration.
Placer County Air Pollution Control District officials have issued an air-quality advisory. Air quality specialists with Placer County are advising individuals to reduce their exposure to the unhealthy air, and that
includes vigorous outdoor activities. Medical representatives from the Western States Board have consulted with several physicians regarding their expert opinion on running a 100-mile trail race through
rugged country through such unhealthy air; the consensus has been that such an activity would not be recommended, with the potential for serious health risks – even for the most highly trained of athletes.
As a point of reference, a high level of pollution is 35 micrograms of material; in Auburn on Wednesday the level was 10 times that amount, according to figures from Placer County. In addition, Placer County
Air Pollution Control District officials have characterized the air conditions as extremely hazardous and the worst recordings the area has had in more than 10 years.
In a statement, the Placer County Public Health Officer, Air Pollution Control Officer and Director of the Office of Emergency Services, all concurred with the decision to cancel this year's run:
"The current situation in Northern California with respect to poor air quality and active fire danger is unprecedented. Within Placer County there are three active fires burning in the American River watershed,
two of which have potential to impact the Western States Trail directly. These fires, as well as ones burning outside of the American River watershed to the west and north are creating unhealthy smoke
concentrations throughout the foothills. This has necessitated county public health officials to issue advisories recommending a curtailment of voluntary outdoor activities that include strenuous physical
exertion. These recommendations include reducing exposure to smoke." Added Tom Christofk, Placer County Air Pollution Officer: "The widespread smoke throughout Northern California is forecasted to
remain as long as the wildfires continue to burn and the weather conditions do not substantially change. The poor air quality conditions being experienced in Placer County are expected to persist through
the weekend and impact elevations from the valley to Tahoe. High particulate matter concentrations affect respiratory and cardiovascular systems negatively, and I concur with the decision to cancel the Run
from a public health perspective as we have been issuing health advisories recommending the limiting of outdoor physical exercise until conditions improve."
3. Safety of our runners.
For 35 years, the Western States 100 has been predicated on our runner's safety. As stewards of the race, the Western States Board has always recognized that running 100 miles over snow, through high
elevations, into infernal canyons and through the dark of night can pose great challenges for even the most skilled of runners. Couple the challenging nature of our run with the existing combination of close
proximity of wildfire, potential volatile fire activity that could cut off key access points to the course as well as some of the most unhealthy air the region has seen this decade, and the decision was made in
recognition of our preeminent goal – the safety of our runners.
For all of you, today's news is disappointing. Since the lottery was held in December, you have trained with remarkable diligence and focus to get to this day. You have dreamed big and made countless
personal sacrifices to prepare for one of the greatest days any trail runner can ever have. As a group, the Western States Board would like to commend you for your dedication and devotion not only to the
preparation that is required for our race, but to the community of trail runners of which we are all a part. You are members of a special group, one that relishes challenge, constantly strives to improve the
limits of what is believed possible, and seeks the special kindred spirits of others who revel in the beauty of our sport. We have been honored to have your name as part of our race's start list this year.
We would be remiss if we did not publicly thank the men and women of the American River Ranger District, particularly Jan Cutts and Ed Moore, for their consultation and constant flow of updated information
regarding this very challenging fire situation. The City of Auburn, City Manager Bob Richardson, and officials from Placer County, in particular Tom Christofk, Placer County Air Pollution Control Officer, and
Dr. Richard Burton, Placer County Public Health Officer, have also been invaluable sources of information and advisement. Thanks to all of these trail partners.
In the coming days, we will announce details regarding entries for next year's race, which will be determined in a fair and equitable manner. It should be noted that per our race rules, all race entries are
Thank you again for your participation and interest in the Western States 100. We hope that we will see you in 2009.
Tim Twietmeyer
Western States Board President
Greg Soderlund
Race Director


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What is Plink? Is Plink legit or a scam? My Plink review (updated 9/2012). Update, 9/11/2014: Plink has closed, read more here.
Date founded: January 2012
Who can join? Anyone with a Facebook account and a debit or credit card
How does Plink work? Plink is a free rewards program that allows you to earn points redeemable for gift cards when you use a registered debit or credit card to make purchases at participating restaurants, movie theaters, and gas stations. They are also piloting Target stores. You can only register one card, so choose the one you use most often. Plink rewards are in addition to any other rewards your debit or credit card may offer you.
Participating merchants include Taco Bell, Burger King, Quiznos, Arby's, Dunkin' Donuts, Red Robin, Outback Steakhouse, 7-Eleven, and the Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters (Regal Cinemas, Edwards Theatres, and United Artist Theatres).
Available rewards start at the $5 level and include gift cards to Walmart, Kohl's, Barnes and Noble, Regal Cinemas, Macy's, Overstock, Zappos, and American Eagle.
Company background: Plink was co-founded by two of the executives behind Memolink, one of the first online rewards program. Plink is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the National Restaurant Association. The company received $3 million in funding in July 2012 from an investment firm that also helped to fund LivingSocial, Advertising.com (later sold to AOL), and many other tech firms. This follows an April 2012 angel investment round netting the company over half a million dollars. Obviously some people with deep wallets feel this company has serious potential.
My take: Although initially hesitant to give out my bank login and password in order to register my credit card, I was reassured by the fact that the founders are well-known veterans of online rewards programs. Since signing up in January (it's September 2012 as I write this), I've had no problems with account security or unauthorized use of my registered card. My experience with Plink has been completely positive and I've been paid by them multiple times.
I highly recommend Plink – it offers a simple way to earn free gift cards for dining out and going to the movies — something you'd do anyway — and these rewards are on top of any other debit or credit card rewards that come directly from your card issuer.
Related Articles: Now Earn Free Gift Cards at Plink and 4Loot as Facebook Credits are Phased Out


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Reducing Your Risk
A risk factor increases your chance of getting a disease. Some risk factors can be avoided, such as smoking. Other risk factors you may have no control over, such as your genetic make-up. If you have a risk factor for erectile dysfunction that you can and do change, you may reduce your risk.
To reduce your risk of becoming impotent:
- Manage your medical conditions.
- Talk to your doctor about changing medications.
- Maintain a healthful diet and exercise program.
- Quit smoking.
- Do not use recreational drugs.
- Consider counseling.
Manage Medical Conditions
Some cases of erectile dysfunction are due to chronic diseases of the lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, nerves, arteries, or veins. With your physician's help, you can manage conditions that could affect your ability to have an erection, such as high blood pressure , diabetes , cardiovascular disease, and depression.
Talk to Your Doctor About Medications
If you suspect that your medications may be the problem, ask your doctor about changing or adjusting them. Medications for the following conditions are most commonly associated with erectile dysfunction as a side effect:
- High blood pressure
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Schizophrenia
Maintain a Healthful Diet and Exercise Program
Eat a healthful diet , one that is low in saturated fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Begin and stick to a regular exercise plan. Choose exercises you enjoy and will make a regular part of your day. Strive to maintain an exercise program that keeps you fit and at a healthy weight. For many people, this includes walking or participating in an aerobic activity for 30 minutes per day. Exercise also can help you manage stress. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.
For more information about beginning an exercise program, click here .
Quit Smoking
Excessive tobacco use can also damage penile arteries. Quitting smoking reduces your risk of erectile dysfunction.
For information about quitting smoking, click here .
Do Not Use Recreational Drugs
Chronic use of alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs, like cocaine, speed, or heroin, often causes erectile dysfunction, along with decreased sexual drive.
Consider Counseling
Psychological factors, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, account for 10%-15% of erectile dysfunction cases. Counseling can help you manage or prevent these emotions and interpersonal conflict. You may also want to try couples counseling.
Special Considerations
Before quitting any medications, and even alcohol or tobacco if you are addicted, consult with your doctor about the safest way to do it.
American Academy of Family Physicians website. Available at:
American Urological Association Foundation website. Available at:
Guay AT, Spark RF, Bansal S, et al. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists medical guidelines for clinical practice for the evaluation and treatment of male sexual dysfunction: a couple's problem. 2003 update.
Endocr Pract.2003;9:77-95.
Sivalingam S, Hashim H, Schwaibold H. An overview of the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Webber R. Erectile dysfunction.
Clinical Evidence.2005;13:1120-1127.
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