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Vitex2 Memory Foam Pillow Giveaway!
Every Mom needs one thing, and that is a GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP!! Thanks to Nature's Sleep for sponsoring this great giveaway, for one Vitex2 Memory Foam Pillow!
Check out Cute-Ecakes review HERE!
Win one for yourself in this easy giveaway! Simply complete the Rafflecopter form below for several chances to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
59 comments:
- courtney said...
My princess needs the best sleep she's 10 months old n needs all slleep she can get to keep up with her siblings
- April 23, 2012 at 10:05 AM
- jill24295 said...
I share a bed with 2 standard poodles and a husband. Anything that makes my night's sleep better is worth it's weight in gold!
- April 23, 2012 at 12:37 PM
- esjmommy said...
All three of my kids take turn waking me up LOL....so I would say me.
- April 23, 2012 at 1:04 PM
- Diane Bielawa said...
I am getting veeeeeery sleepy!!
- April 23, 2012 at 1:10 PM
It depends on what's going on, but I have finals coming up so I need all the help I can get :)
- April 23, 2012 at 1:28 PM
It depends on what's going on, but I have finals coming up so I need all the help I can get :)
- April 23, 2012 at 1:28 PM
- neelz said...
My hubby has trouble sleeping every night. He snores a lot...i really need this for him
- April 23, 2012 at 2:23 PM
- Portulaca61 said...
I am the one in my house that needs a good nights sleep! I have fibromyalgia, and I have chronic pain. So it is difficult for me to get comfortable. I would love to try this pillow to see if it could possibly help me!
Thanks for the opportunity to win!!! - April 23, 2012 at 3:38 PM
- Unknown said...
My husband has a herniated disc in his neck and needs this desperately. We just don't have the money to buy him one. It would truly be a blessing to him if I were to win this for him.
- April 24, 2012 at 12:49 AM
- honeygirl586 said...
oh boy do i need sleep i get like 3 hrs at a time ...thats so bad but i just keep waking up ..this would be a life saver ..gle1
- April 24, 2012 at 1:43 AM
- linder said...
Oh well, I don't have twitter, love my memory foam pillow.
- April 24, 2012 at 1:57 AM
- Lisa Markson said...
I do I have back and neck probems
- April 24, 2012 at 2:15 AM
- Jody @ The Laslink said...
With a 7 week old infant... definitely me! ;)
- April 24, 2012 at 2:17 AM
- Erin said...
I have a 2 and a 3 year old and a 6 year old... I could use this the most
- April 24, 2012 at 1:02 PM
Thanks for the chance, win or not! :)
- April 24, 2012 at 1:06 PM
- Lindsey Gipson said...
Mama needs a good nights sleep.. lol.. I am a full time student, with at police officer for a husband.. an eleven month old and an eight year old... I have forgotten what good sleep is! :)
- April 24, 2012 at 1:06 PM
I really need this pillow. The bed is uncomfortable with my ruptured disc and the pillow is uncomfortable for my painful neck triggering migraines. I'm up and down ALL night long EVERY single night. Something has to be comfortable enough for me to sleep through the night.
- April 24, 2012 at 1:14 PM
- benz1171 said...
My hubby and me.
- April 24, 2012 at 3:57 PM
- steffie said...
i do!! i have severe back issues!! i hurt really bad at night, so its hard to sleep. thanks for the chance to win this!! id love to have a whole bed made of memory foam!
- April 24, 2012 at 9:53 PM
- 2jetsmom said...
My Husband! He works seven days a week, 365 days a year, delivering the newspaper at 4:00 am every morning!!
- April 25, 2012 at 1:01 AM
- April 25, 2012 at 1:36 AM
- justnatalie said...
ME! I could use a good night's sleep... on a private island, just say'n ;) thanks for the opp!
- April 25, 2012 at 1:38 AM
- pinktaz60 said...
Betsy Rubendall Barnes
My hubby needs a good night sleep in our house :) - April 25, 2012 at 1:40 AM
- evie said...
i need a good nite sleep with 3 little 4 legged girls, sleeping with me i need some sleep
- April 25, 2012 at 1:44 AM
- Hartley25 said...
My husband would need this more than me.
- April 25, 2012 at 7:00 AM
I do! I let my husband sleep while I take care of the baby all night
- April 25, 2012 at 10:32 AM
- Mary Shoemaker said...
meeeeee!!! TY 4 giveaway!!
- April 26, 2012 at 2:02 PM
I do! I watch 6 small children of the day by bed time its hard for me to sleep so a good pillow might just do the trick Thanks for the give away its awesome :)
- April 26, 2012 at 2:25 PM
- Dianna said...
My sweet heart hubby needs a good night sleep--sooooo--badly he might sleep 1-2x a week to be awaken by the alamr clock--other nights he's up at 3-4 am trying to rest in his chair--he's disabled from the neck to waist from injuries while in the service.....Thanks for the giveaway
- April 27, 2012 at 12:26 PM
I can't sleep I try anything
- April 27, 2012 at 7:50 PM
- william saylor said...
I need a good nights sleep but suffering from insomia for several weeks. I need all the help i can get.
- April 27, 2012 at 7:51 PM
Alicia S.: I need the goodnight sleep in our house. Mom makes it all happen!
- April 27, 2012 at 7:51 PM
- cbowlingtn said...
I do - I have chronic migraines.
- April 27, 2012 at 7:57 PM
- nataliaellin said...
my hubby and i both need some well deserved sleep but as a mommy i get what i can!:)
- April 27, 2012 at 7:58 PM
Everyone in the house! lol
- April 27, 2012 at 8:39 PM
- monicaandrew said...
me, me, me
- April 27, 2012 at 9:23 PM
I need a good night's sleep because I'm always sleeping on the couch instead of my bed!
- April 28, 2012 at 11:21 AM
- Sandy Luffy Nguyen said...
I need a comfy pillow for my goodnight sleep! Thanks for this giveaway!
- April 28, 2012 at 9:12 PM
- April 28, 2012 at 9:13 PM
- Barbara Tryon said...
I need the sleep because I have neck problems, thanks for doing this giveaway
- April 28, 2012 at 9:22 PM
My teenage son could use a new pillow to get a good night sleep.
firstname.lastname@example.com - April 28, 2012 at 9:23 PM
- Ronda Patrick said...
me, me and me!!!! : ) Momma's never get enough sleep!
- April 28, 2012 at 9:30 PM
- dindagail said...
I would have too say that I need a good night of sleep. New baby in the house....sleep would be so nice on new comfy pillow's! Thanks 4 the chance!
- April 28, 2012 at 9:30 PM
- Emilie C said...
my bf for sure
- April 28, 2012 at 9:43 PM
- Gina N said...
I could definitely use a good night's sleep with a new pillow as my pillows are getting old and lumpy! :-)
- April 28, 2012 at 9:45 PM
- Unknown said...
My girl sleeps with me every night, and I can't think of any better reason for her to need a great pillow and a good night's sleep! LOL
- April 28, 2012 at 11:07 PM
- naomi said...
I would love to have this, I have neck problems from a car accident I was in years ago, so this would be great to have this pillow
- May 2, 2012 at 11:35 AM
I need a good night sleep. Between my husband that snores sometime and my five kids. I definatly need more sleep.
- May 2, 2012 at 11:46 AM
- Biki said...
I always need a good night sleep. Stress and random things wake me up so I feel like I get only a portion of the hours I know I did sleep.
- May 2, 2012 at 1:06 PM
- Bobbie said...
My fiance has a horrible time sleeping. im sure this would do the trick
- May 2, 2012 at 1:36 PM
- sweepinmomma123 said...
I definitely need a good nights sleep. I suffer from osteogenesis and osteoperosis and it is very hard for me to get comfortable enough to sleep well.
- May 2, 2012 at 2:53 PM
- TheeFlower said...
My husband. He works long hours and our cat loves to wake us up in the early hours. He doesn't sleep well at all usually :(
- May 4, 2012 at 10:39 PM
- Evey30 said...
My husband has a hard time sleeping, so if I won this it would go right to him.
- May 4, 2012 at 10:44 PM
- tracey berthiaume said...
me, i do not sleep well
tracey berthiaume
email@example.com - May 4, 2012 at 10:59 PM
I am in serious need of a good nights sleep!!!!
- May 6, 2012 at 2:42 PM
me! my husband snores
- May 7, 2012 at 9:36 PM
- Monika said...
Me lol! I might sleep a straight four hours but after that I wake up every hour on the hour til I I just cant take it any more.
- May 7, 2012 at 10:15 PM
- maryo said...
i need a good nite's sleep have trouble finding the right pillows they all have problems
- May 7, 2012 at 11:20 PM
Me, I can always use help getting a good nights sleep!
- May 7, 2012 at 11:22 PM


text:
Lot # : 72 - 2006 International 4400 Tandem Chipper Box Truck
Online Only Auction
Price Realized Not Uploaded
Shipping Not Available
9/6/2023 - 9/27/2023
Bidding Notice:
Auction Terms: 10% Buyers premium for Cash, certified funds or wire transfer. No titles will be released until funds are cleared. vehicles must be paid for within 3 days of Auction close.
Auction Notice:
Previews and Inspections: Saturday September 16th and Tuesday September 26th 10am-4pm Location: 724 Route 100 Bechtelsville, PA 19505
Auction Information
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Notice: Financing terms available may vary depending on applicant and/or guarantor credit profile(s) and additional approval conditions. Assets aged 10-15 years or more may require increased finance charges. Financing approval may require pledge of collateral as security. Applicant credit profile including FICO is used for credit review. Commercial financing provided or arranged by Express Tech-Financing, LLC pursuant to California Finance Lender License #60DBO54873. Consumer financing arranged by Express Tech-Financing, LLC pursuant to California Finance Lender License #60DBO54873 and state licenses listed at the this link. Consumer financing not available for consumers residing in Alaska, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Vermont, Hawaii, or Wisconsin. Additional state restrictions may apply. Equal opportunity lender.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Daniel Moran has dedicated his career to developing the best brain-computer interface, or BCI, he possibly can. His motivation is simple but compelling. "My sophomore year in high school," Moran says, "a good friend and I were on the varsity baseball team. I broke my arm and was out for the season. I was feeling sorry for myself when he slid into home plate head first and broke his neck.
"So I knew what I wanted to do when I was 15 years old, and all my career is just based on that."
Moran, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science and of neurobiology in the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, is young enough that his career has coincided with the rapid development of the field of brain interfaces. When he began, scientists struggled to achieve lasting control over the movement of a cursor in two dimensions. These days, his aspirational goal is mind control of the nerves and muscles in a paralyzed arm.
A typical primate arm uses 38 independent muscles to control the positions of the shoulder and elbow joints, the forearm and the wrist. To fully control the arm, a BCI system would need 38 independent control channels.
The latest from Moran's lab
There are four types of brain-computer interfaces: EEGs, where the electrodes are outside the skull; microelectrodes, where the electrodes are inserted in the brain; ECoGs, grids of disk-like electrodes that lie directly on the brain, and, Moran's choice, EECoGs, grids of disk-like electrodes that lie inside the skull but outside the dura mater, a membrane that covers and protects the brain.
Moran has just completed a set of experiments with MD/PhD student Adam Rouse to define the minimum spacing between the EECoG electrodes that preserves the independence of control channels. Together with Justin Williams at the University of Wisconsin, he has built a 32-channel EECoG grid small enough to fit within the boundaries of the sensorimotor cortex of the brain.
His next step is to slip the thin, flexible grid under a macaque's skull and to train the monkey to control — strictly by thinking about it — a computational model of a macaque arm that he published in the Journal of Neural Engineering in 2006.
This might sound like science fiction, but in 2006, Moran and his longtime collaborator Eric Leuthardt, MD, a Washington University neurosurgeon at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, had demonstrated that a young patient, in the hospital for surgery to treat intractable epilepsy, could play the video game Space Invaders just by thinking about it.
Daniel Moran
Moran's biomechanical model of a monkey arm includes 38 musculotendon units. Given an arm position, it will calculate the joint angles, joint torques, musculotendon lengths and muscle forces needed to place the arm in that position. Moran plans to train a monkey to control the virtual arm by thought alone.
Of course, the virtual arm is a much more ambitious project. Only two degrees of freedom (two independent control channels) are required to move the Space Invaders' cursor in a two-dimensional plane.
The arm, on the other hand, will have seven degrees of freedom, including rotation about the shoulder joint, flexion and extension of the elbow, pronation and supination of the lower forelimb, and flexion, extension, abduction and adduction of the wrist.
(The monkey will not be harmed in this experiment, but instead will be persuaded by a virtual reality simulator to treat the virtual arm as though it were its own.)
Using the virtual arm, Moran showed that the classic task that has been used to study motor control for 20 years, called center-out reaching, does not adequately separate out the control signals that add up to an arm motion, making it difficult to determine which part of the brain is controlling which element of the motion.
So the monkey will instead be asked to trace with its virtual hand three circles that intersect in space at 45 degrees to one another, like interlocked embroidery hoops. Because this task better separates degrees of freedom, it will make it easier for the scientists to map cortical activity to details of movement, such as joint angular velocity or hand velocity.
Should this experiment be successful, and Moran fully expects it will be, he eventually would like to connect his EECoG BCI to a new peripheral nerve-stimulating electrode he is developing together with MD/PhD student Matthew R. MacEwan. By connecting these two devices, they will create a neuroprosthetic arm: that is, a paralyzed arm that can move again because the mind is sending signals to peripheral nerves that stimulate muscles to expand or contract.
Neuroprosthestics like the one Moran and colleagues are designing may one day help people suffering from spinal cord injury, brainstem stroke or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which paralyzes the body while leaving the mind intact.
The background
BCI has been slow to develop in part because early scientists worked with two "platforms" that have turned out to have serious limitations: EEG systems that measure brain signals through the skull and arrays of microelectrodes inserted directly into the brain.
EEG systems have a series of drawbacks related to the distance between the electrodes and the scene of the action. They have poor spatial resolution, the signals do not contain detailed information, and the signals are weak.
Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience/ University of Wisconsin-Madison
Anything for science. This man is wearing one of the denser EEG rigs and you can tell he doesn't feel a bit silly.
"Here's the deal," says Moran. "The brain is about an inch below the surface of your scalp, which in recording terms is a long, long way away. When you're on the surface of the scalp, it's kind of like being five blocks from Busch Stadium. You can't hear anything unless someone hits a home run and all 60,000 fans scream simultaneously.
"For an EEG, you need the neurons in a chunk of cortex about the size of a quarter screaming at the same time in order to record anything. And the primary motor cortex, the thin strip of the brain that controls the skeletal muscles, is so small you're only going to get a few control channels up there."
There are other drawbacks to EEG as well. For example, it takes many training sessions (roughly 20 to 50 half-hour sessions) to learn to control an EEG BCI.
Still, Moran and colleagues write in a review article in Neurosurgical Focus, EEG BCIs perform better than is sometimes supposed. They allow accurate control of a computer cursor in two or three dimensions and so far they are the only systems that have achieved clinical use (in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal cord injury).
Microelectrode arrays
The traditional alternative to an EEG platform has been an array of microelectrodes whose tiny tips are implanted a few millimeters into the motor cortex.
In 2008, research done by Moran's postdoctoral advisor Andrew Schwartz, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh was featured on 60 Minutes. Using a microelectrode array, Schwartz was able to give a monkey control over the movement of an arm in space and the opening and closing of a gripper (the white object at the end of the arm). A video of a monkey feeding itself with the arm is available at the CBS website.
Microelectrodes were implanted in both monkeys (in the 1970s) and in humans (in 1998), and were very successful — but only for a short time.
They suffer from what is probably a fatal drawback: The insertion of the electrodes initiates a reactive cell response that promotes the formation of a sheath around the electrode that electrically isolates it from the surrounding neural tissue.
Some labs are investigating biomaterial coatings for electrodes or drug delivery systems that would prevent this foreign body response, but these efforts are still preliminary.
No needles
In working with penetrating microelectrodes, scientists made several discoveries that had interesting implications.
The first systems recorded the action potentials in single neurons, but in the 1980s, scientists discovered that populations of neurons in the motor cortex could be used to control the direction and speed of movements in three-dimensional space.
These small assemblies of cortical cells synchronize their activity to produce high-frequency local field potentials, called gamma waves, that resemble signals from nearby single-unit microelectrodes.
In short, the gamma waves from neuronal populations can substitute for the action potentials from individual neurons. This meant it wasn't necessary to poke anything into the brain to get a useful signal. Instead, a sheet of disc-like electrodes could be laid on the surface of the brain. This kind of device is called an electrocorticographic (ECoG) brain-computer interface.
Moran was able to piggyback his first ECoG experiments on human epilepsy monitoring taking place at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
"Our first ECoG experiments in 2004 were done with people," he says. "Patients with focal (localized) seizures that cannot be controlled with medication are regularly implanted with ECoG grids so that surgeons can pinpoint damaged portions of the brain for removal without disturbing healthy tissue."
In 2006, Moran and Leuthardt attached an ECoG grid, implanted in a 15-year-old boy to monitor seizures, to a computer running the game Space Invaders.
In order to move the cannon right, the subject thought about wiggling his fingers and to make it move left, he thought about wiggling his tongue. "He could duck and dive and had pretty elegant control of the video game," Moran says, "and he made it to level three on the first day."
In the video, the subject can be seen wiggling his fingers, but this behavior soon drops away, Moran says. The brain adapts and instead of imagining "wiggle fingers" the boy imagines "cursor right."
Intuitively, you would think that signals from the motor cortex would provide the best control for tasks involving movement. But even this turned out not to be true. In 2007, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison reported that patients were able to teach themselves to modulate gamma-band activity either by imagining hand, foot or tongue movements, or by imagining a phone ring tone, a song or the voice of a relative. In other words, they were able to train neurons in the auditory as well as the motor cortex to control movement.
A thin sheet slipped under the skull
All of this was very exciting. What if, Moran wondered, the brain was completely plastic and populations of neurons could arbitrarily be reassigned to control movement in different directions in space?
If neuronal populations could be reassigned, maybe more electrodes could be crowded into a grid without losing independent control of movement along different axes in space.
If the electrodes were shrunk as well as moved closer together, he wondered, how far could you go? How many degrees of freedom could you bring under the brain's control?
And why not make the implants safer as well? Instead of laying the electrode grids on the brain's surface, why not lay them on the dura mater, the outermost of the three membranes surrounding and protecting the brain and spinal cord.
In 2009, Moran published the first studies of epidural electrocorticography (EECog — not to be confused with ECoG). Recording sites over the motor cortex of monkeys were arbitrarily assigned to control a cursor's motion in the horizontal and vertical directions as the monkey traced circles on a computer screen.
In the latest set of experiments, Moran sought to define the minimal separation between electrodes that preserved independence of control. Once a monkey gained control of the cursor, the initial electrodes were abandoned and control was given to two electrodes that were closer together. The next week, the control electrodes were closer still.
Moran found that the electrodes, which initially were a centimeter apart, maintained their independence until they were only a few millimeters apart. "So now that we know how many electrodes we can pack into an area, we have some idea how many degrees of freedom we'll be able to control," he says.
Together with Williams, he designed a 32-channel EECoG supported on a sheet of plastic thinner than Saran Wrap that sucks down to the dura and sticks like glue. He can hardly wait to test it with the virtual arm.
"I like doing basic research and I want to continue to do basic research," Moran says, "but I also really want to solve the problem and help people. Someone's got to get the technology translated to the marketplace, so we're trying to do that as well.
"Eventually," he says, "we'll have a little piece of Saran Wrap with telemetry. We'll drill a small hole in the skull, pop the bone out, drop the device in, replace the bone, sew up the scalp and you'll have what amounts to Bluetooth in your head that translates your thoughts into actions.
"My passion is for paralyzed individuals," he says, "but you can see down the road that a lot of people will want one of these devices."


text:
Ontario Red back in gold medal game; Leslie scores game-winner in overtime thriller
by Melissa Boisvenue
After an unbelievable comeback by Quebec, it was Ontario Red to win Saturday's second semifinal in the end, with Rebecca Leslie (Ottawa, Ont./Ottawa, PWHL) notching the game-winner in a thrilling overtime period to secure a 4-3 win and a berth in Sunday's gold medal game.
Both teams played a solid game, and the sportsmanship between the two was evident from the first puck drop to the final whistle.
After a scoreless first period, enthusiastic Quebec fans in blue wigs shouted, "lets go, Quebec!" as the teams skated onto the ice for the second period. Taytum Clairmont (Waterloo, Ont./Toronto, PWHL) shot at Quebec's net but hit the post, but Nadine Edney (Mississauga, Ont./Mississauga, PWHL) quickly recovered the rebound and scored the first goal of the evening at 2:30 in the second.
The Ontario Red momentum continued to build as Amanda Pantaleo (Markham, Ont./Toronto, PWHL) scored 39 seconds later. Ontario Red continued to put the pressure on Quebec, and Amanda Titus (Stittsville, Ont./Ottawa, PWHL) put away the third goal of the game to give Ontario Red a 3-0 lead at 7:12 in the period.
Ève-Audrey Picard (Longueuil, Que./St-Laurent, RSEQ) saw an opening during Quebec's power play, and sent a slap shot towards Kassidy Sauvé (Whitby, Ont./Whitby, PWHL), but the level-headed goaltender made a glove save.
"I knew I had to make those crucial saves, and I had to keep my team in it," Sauvé said after the game.
But the third period belonged to Quebec.
With Ontario Red leading 3-0, Quebec wasn't going down without a fight. Élizabeth Giguère (Quebec City, Que./ Stanstead College, Canadian Prep) scored her team's first goal of the night with help from Alyson Matteau (Blainville, Que./ Northwood School, U.S. prep).
Two quick goals by Alexandra Labelle (St-Louis de Gonzague, Que./ St-Laurent, RSEQ) and Julia Yetman (Pierrefonds, Que./ Ouest, Midget AAA) tied the game up at 3-3.
Quebec's three goals in less than two minutes put them back into the game. The strong goaltending by both teams would send this game to overtime. Ontario Red had nearly twice as many shots on net as Quebec; Sarah-Maude Labrecque (Granby, Que./Sud, Midget AAA) kept Quebec in the game with 41 phenomenal saves at the end of regulation.
The tension continued to build into the ten-minute overtime period. Ann-Sophie Burns (Portneuf, Que./ Est, Midget AAA) saw a scoring opportunity, as her team was on the power play, and fired a slap shot toward the Ontario Red net, but Sauvé caught it midair.
Both teams showed true determination and confidence on the ice, Leslie's crowd-wowing unassisted game-winner likely sent chills through all the hockey fans in the building.
"I was headed towards the bench, but hoping to get a last shot on the net," Leslie said. "I noticed that some of the defence was stepping back towards their goalie, so I took my shot."
The exciting win sends Ontario Red back to the gold medal final, which they missed out in for the first time last year. Ontario Red faces off against provincial rivals Ontario Blue at 4 p.m. MT, with the match-up airing on TSN2 at 8 p.m. MT/10 p.m. ET.
"Our team has come together really well; our goal is almost here," Leslie told Hockey Canada following the semifinal game. "We know Ontario Blue really well, so we know they are going to work hard. It's going to be a great game."
› Summary


text:
I am posting some musings by a digital security expert on the subject of China acceding to the post of leading the U. N. Agency that governs the internet. Too few people know what the arguments are, and this remains an arcane subject. Beijtlich breaks it down and tells why it should matter to Americans.
Years ago, I interviewed internet security expert Richard Bejtlich for my thriller The Blogger of Kashgar set in Xinjiang. He is the man who wrote the report that exposed the PLA's role in major internet breaches of American corporations. I began following him. This is an excerpt from Beijtlich's Tao Security Twitter feed. He is an expert on digital security, strategic thought, and military history.
Quick Thought on Internet Governance and Edward Snowden from Richard Beijtlich's Tao Security Blog
I am neither an Internet governance expert nor am I personally consumed by the issue. However, I wanted to point out a possible rhetorical inconsistency involving the Internet governance debate and another hot topic, theft of secret documents by insiders, namely Edward Snowden.
Let me set the stage. First, Internet governance.
Too often the Internet governance debate is reduced to the following. One side is characterized as "multi-stakeholder," consisting of various nongovernmental parties with overlapping agendas, like ICANN, IANA, IETF, etc. This side is often referred to as "the West" (thanks to the US, Canada, Europe, etc. being on this side), and is considered a proponent of an "open" Internet.
The other side aligns with state governments and made its presence felt at the monumental December 2012 ITU World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) meeting. This side is often referred to as "the East" (thanks to Russia, China, the Middle East, etc.), and is considered a proponent of a "closed" or "controlled" Internet.
Continuing to set the stage, let me now mention theft of secret documents.
One of the critiques of Edward Snowden involves the following. He stole documents on his own accord, claiming he had the right to do so by the "egregious" nature of what he found (or was sent to find). Critics reply that "no one elected Edward Snowden," but that the programs he exposed were authorized by all three branches of the US government. Because that government is elected by the people, one could say the government is speaking on behalf of the people, while Snowden is acting only on his behalf.
Here's the problem.
If you believe that elected governments are the proper forum for expressing the wishes of their people, you should have a difficult time defending a "multi-stakeholder" model that puts groups like ICANN, IANA, IETF, etc. on equal footing (or even above) representatives of elected governments. If you believe in the primacy of the democratic system, you should also believe forums of elected representatives are the proper place to debate and decide Internet governance.
That chain of logic means Western democracies who support representative government should view government-centric bodies like the ITU in more favorable light than they do presently. After all, who created the UN? Where is the organization's headquarters? Who pays its bills?
You probably detect the "escape hatch" for the multi-stakeholder proponents: my use of the term "elected governments." If a regime was not properly elected by its people, it should not have the right to speak for them. This applies to governments such as those in the People's Republic of China. Depending on your view of the legitimacy of the Russian election process, it may or may not apply to Russia. You can extend the argument as necessary to other countries.
The bottom line is this: be careful promoting multi-stakeholder Internet governance at the expense of representation by elected governments, if you also feel that Edward Snowden has no right to contravene the decision of a properly elected American government.
PS: If you want to know more about the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), try reading Summary Report of the ITU-T World Conference on International Telecommunications by Robert Pepper and Chip Sharp.


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Mayor Villaraigosa took another hit today from the Los Angeles City Council, but Department of Water and Power ratepayers will take a hit, too. We get reaction from downtown business interests and environmentalists. Also, will dropping five days from the school year be a hardship on working parents? On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, much-awaited parliamentary elections have divided Iraq between two strong leaders with similar goals but no desire to compromise. Can either one form a government before violence increases again? Will US troops be able to pull out on schedule?
Banner image: LA DWP's Pine Tree Wind Farm, the nation's largest municipally-owned wind farm, delivers 120 MW of clean, renewable energy to Los Angeles, eliminating 200,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. © Los Angeles Department of Water and Power


text:
A fond farewell to 2012… or should that be 'Au Revoir'?
December 17th 2012
As we rush to the end of a very speedy 2012, I thought I would review the year through the lenses of my 42 blogs. From RiRi to the Spice Girls and Bedouin Tents to Scottish Islands, it's clear that LEYF has had an eventful year.
Back in January 2012, we started the year with interest rate rises, higher unemployment, problems in the Eurozone, freakish weather and the promise of deflation. Quite frankly, we needed neither Nostradamus nor the I Ching for predictions on how to navigate the year, as such things seem to be regular occurrences nowadays – and all evidence indicates that 2013 will begin along very similar lines. These realities have meant a year of keeping our noses at LEYF just above the waterline, with a great deal of pressure on the front line in our nurseries to keep occupancy up and debt down. Not the easiest task, even with the stalwart support of our Central Office team. Consequently, the debate about child poverty remained live throughout the year and featured in my blog at least six times. Just to remind you, my I Ching reading for LEYF for 2012 said:
Work on what has been spoiled;
Has supreme success;
It furthers one to cross the great water,
Afterwards there is order
Not so far from the truth then as we consider progressions and challenges over the past 12 months!
Earlier in the year we began preparing for the Olympics and, like any good organisation, we had a plan. Luckily, we never had to use it. Instead, like James Bond we whisked across London on foot, bus and 'Boris Bike' – and in the case of our Facilities Manager April running, as we brought our own special light (in the shape of our very own Olympic-style torch) to every LEYF nursery, and in so doing created a piece of art that exceeds anything the Turner Prize has ever honoured.
The issue of feminism was raised early this year with the celebration of Little Women's Christmas in January. While we focused on parents continually throughout the year, we also examined the role of mothers who got bashed for wanting to work. Our annual Margaret Horn Lecture was given over entirely to examining how we can help women excel in the workplace. The criticism against mothers felt like a re-run of the 1970s, prompting this working mother to resurrect my old Spare Rib and Virago books. Ah, such nostalgic memories for the days of 'Reclaiming the Night' marches in London.
Humanising capitalism was also a key theme of the year. Occupy London made its rather biblical mark on the steps of St Paul's cathedral in direct response to the moral failing of banks, as they thrived to the benefit of overpaid staff and the detriment of the poor. Social Enterprise featured in the media as a palatable version for transforming the way we operate. We were proud therefore to be the first social and childcare business to win the 'Transformational Change' category of the National Business Awards; a sign of things to come perhaps? Much will depend on the growing availability of social finance and the jury is still out on that.
Leadership was a subject of debate as Boris retained the crown of London's Mayor and Bob Diamond lost his sparkle. For a while we were able to think more publicly about the importance of good, wise and steady leadership. Sadly, with the phone hacking scandal, the Leveson Report and poor leadership at the BBC unmasked, we saw and heard a lot about unsustainable leadership and not enough about how to lead with integrity, honesty and as a true custodian of the nation's interests. Radio 4's Women's Hour seems to be trying to re-balance this with a bid to name the 100 most influential women leaders. I just hope they think outside the box and not rely on the same old… (Question Time comes to mind!)
Meanwhile, there were changes in Early Years – such as the new Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), a fresh Ofsted regime and the change of Government Minister. Other things remained unchanged however, particularly the issue of how to make childcare affordable. This unfortunately remains unanswered and unanswerable, unless we strip down the effective management of funds and its reallocation against societal objectives of what we want for our children.
My blog will always feature things we do and try-to-do at LEYF. Some areas of note have included developing the notion of cultural capital, particularly with regards to language, art, music and food. Just last week, the Ofsted report said that children from deprived homes were still not achieving a level playing field with their more advantaged peers. It also indicated the gap could be as wide as 19 months by the time they get to school. It's a shocking statistic and one that everyone at LEYF feels we can positively affect. Hence our growth strategy, with the aim of replicating what has been dubbed 'the LEYF sum'; where a child spends a minimum of 15 hours a week for 36 months in a high quality LEYF nursery, with additional support for parents to help develop a good home learning environment. It was the theme of our heart-warming Staff Conference where we were joined by six Scottish colleagues and Paul Brannigan, lead actor of the Angel's Share – a film that summed up the plight of so many young people who had a poor start in life. It's certainly one for the Christmas present list.
So as this year draws to a close, our nursery children, parents and staff are all enjoying festive concerts, parties and family events to mark the Christmas season. As part of this, our nurseries are visiting local care homes to allow the children in our care to bring songs of good cheer to their older neighbours. It truly gladdens my heart, as loneliness, isolation and the separation of the generations are the biggest failing of our modern society.
Next year maybe the importance of childcare will be on everyone's lips. Amidst scenes of the Christmas nativity and the expectation of the birth of a Royal baby in the New Year, our future as a nation may yet take on a golden glow. I wonder, will the three wise men include Mr Gove, our Secretary of State for Education, bringing with him gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh – or better still, funds and positive policy? Will our star rise in the sky and shine a light on what we do? We will have to wait and see. In the meantime, I best be quick if I'm to write that letter to Santa…
Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year!
…till 2013.


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Sean Connery's fourth Bond film, Thunderball, slips from the peak of From Russia with Love and Goldfinger, but still provides plenty of thrills of the brand only 007 can provide. Reclaiming his spot as director from Guy Hamilton, Terence Young once again proved his knack for large-scale action with this watery adventure. Though at 131 minutes, Thunderball is also a bit waterlogged, it effectively follows the now-established Bond formula with beautiful women, a smooth, strange villain (Adolfo Celi's eyepatched Emilio Largo), and widescreen spectacle.
Thunderball also holds an infamous place in Bond history due to the legal wrangling that has perpetually surrounded it. The screenplay is credited to Richard Maibaum and John Hopkins, but the story is credited to Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham and Ian Fleming, the three men who originally developed it as a failed screenplay before Fleming turned it into a novel. A legal settlement with McClory made possible the unofficial remake Never Say Never Again, with Connery returning to the role of Bond twelve years after abandoning it (McClory nearly made a second remake, with Timothy Dalton, in the late 1990s).
Bond's mission involves finding atomic bombs stolen from a NATO plane. With the world held hostage, Bond must track the weapons, held by SPECTRE mastermind Largo, with the help of the baddie's "kept woman" Domino (Claudine Auger). Thunderball's memorable opening begins with a closeup of a coffin bearing a "JB" monogram and ends with 007 taking flight on a jet-propelled backpack (a stunt performed by an Army operator wearing a working model). Underwater brawling with spear guns and sharks and the exciting transformation of Largo's ship, the "Disco Volante," contributed to the film's visual appeal (it would win an Oscar for special effects).
Thunderball includes appearances by series regulars Bernard Lee ("M"), Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny), and a delightfully testy Desmond Llewelyn ("Q"); CIA ally Felix Leiter also returns, in the colorless form of Rik Van Nutter. Ken Adam again supplies the stunning sets, and Maurice Binder the colorful title sequence, set to Tom Jones' brilliant hoot of a title tune. Aside from the watery adventure, Thunderball may be most memorable for the continued refinement of the dangerous game of the hero letting the villain know Bond's on to him. The dynamic leads to delicious, barely veiled verbal jousting, as when Bond comments to Largo, "That gun. Looks more fitting for a woman." "You know much about guns, Mr. Bond?" Largo asks. Bond replies, "No, but I know a little about women."
Part of the new Blu-ray wave of Bond releases, Thunderball looks stunning in a full-HD transfer of the Lowry Digital restoration, along with the full suite of extras from the recent DVD Ultimate Edition (with two key featurettes kicked up to full HD!). Without sacrificing the filmmaker's original intent, this ultra-widescreen 2.35:1 transfer makes the decades-old film look good as new. A frame-by-frame process leaves Thunderball looking spotless, colorful, tight, and gloriously detailed. As remastered in DTS-HD 5.1 Master Lossless Audio, the film's soundtrack has never sounded so good on home video. Fox deserves kudos for including not only a creative 5.1 mix but the film's original mono track, so purists can make up their own mind as they view and review this old favorite.
As with all of the Bond titles, Thunderball comes with a staggering array of bonus features. The audio commentary narrated by Bond historian John Cork gathers comments (recorded separately) by director Terence Young, actors Luciana Paluzzi, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, Rose Alba, and Molly Peters, composer John Barry, special effects technician Bert Luxford, production designer Ken Adam, and underwater specialist Ricou Browning. The track covers the cast and crew, stunts, effects, story and script development, underwater photography, and the score. A second commentary with editor Peter Hunt and co-writer John Hopkins again has Cork as a host, with Hunt and Hopkins recorded separately. Particularly nifty is a break in the narration so we can hear the movie's original theme song played over the credits; later, we get samples of the international dubs for a few sequences.
Declassified: MI6 Vault begins with the 1965 NBC TV special "The Incredible World of James Bond" (50:50). The show includes film clips, a few comments from Fleming, some set footage from Thunderball, and some making-of material. "A Child's Guide to Blowing Up a Motor Car" (17:07) is a 1965 Ford Mustang promotional film that includes behind-the-scenes footage of a car explosion from the film. "On Location With Ken Adam" (13:07) presents Adam's home movies of location scouting and the like narrated by the man himself. "Bill Suitor: The Rocket Man Movies" (3:54) similarly has Suitor narrate footage of his stunt flights in the rocket pack. "Thunderball Boat Show Reel" (2:50), introduced by Michael Wilson, is a vintage piece produced for a 1965 boat show. Of particular historic interest: an alternate version of the movie's climactic underwater sequence. Selling Bonds comprises three original 1965 TV commercials: "007 Raincoat" (0:32), "007 Slacks" (0:34) and "007 Action Pack Toys" (1:01).
007 Mission Control Interactive Guide includes "007," "Women," "Allies," "Villains," "Mission Combat Manual," "Q Branch," and "Exotic Locations." This selected scenes menu offers "extra," except for the opening credits without text (3:00) and, in "Locations" (3:18) a set of clips narrated by Maud Adams.
Mission Dossier begins with the "The Making of Thunderball" (27:31), narrated by Patrick Macnee. Participants include Llewelyn, Adam, Browning, Paluzzi, Peters, Maxwell, Young, associate producer Stanley Sopel, Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton, actors Martine Beswick and Sean Connery, chief draftsman Peter Lamont, special effects supervisor John Stears, and production buyer Ron Quelch. The doc covers the legal wrangling that led up to production (and that has caused problems for decades), the selection of cast and crew, the underwater photography, the opening sequence, stunts and effects, boats and sets, locations, and the movie's eventual reception. Also narrated by Macnee, "The Thunderball Phenomenon" (30:59) focuses on the film's media blitz and impact, with talking heads Maxwell, Peters, Stears, Paluzzi, Beswick, Llewelyn, Lamont, writer Richard Maibaum, Ian Fleming Foundation president Michael Van Blaricum, UA art director Donald Smolen, James Bond 007 Fan Club president Graham Rye and ABC News correspondent Bill Diehl. "The Secret History of Thunderball" (3:47) explains the differences between various releases of the film, including overdubbed vocals and various scene deletions.
Ministry of Propaganda includes three Trailers (two from the film's original theatrical release; one for a double bill re-release of both Thunderball and You Only Live Twice), five TV Spots, and 10 Radio Spots. An Image Database includes 150 photos in 11 sections.
Review gear: |
Panasonic Viera TC-P55VT30 55" Plasma 1080p 3D HDTV
Oppo BDP-93 Universal Network 3D Blu-ray Disc Player
Denon AVR2112CI Integrated Network A/V Surround Receiver
Pioneer SP-BS41-LR Bookshelf Speaker (2)
Pioneer SP-C21 Center Speaker
Pioneer SW-8 Subwoofer


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[gigs], whose foundation-based PC cooling project we covered earlier, has posted his initial test results. There was a large debate going back and forth in the comments as to whether or not this would work, and hopefully this should clear most of it up. He used a 150W fish tank heater to simulated his system's heat output, and used a quiet fish tank pump to keep the water flowing. Over 8 hours, he was able to maintain a constant temperature 16° C (61° F). While not quite frigid, this would definitely provide ample cooling for normal operation with some headroom for overclocking.
Chart of results after the jump.
[thanks to gigs for getting back with real data so soon]


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The quest for 100% whole wheat Nirvana continues
I'm determined to make the Whole Wheat recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice work. This will be my 3rd try.
Got started last night.
I put together the soaker with stone ground rye flour. It was 4.25oz flour to 6oz water. Covered, left on the counter.
Then I put together the poolish. I used KA whole wheat flour. 6.75oz flour, and 6oz water. The directions say to "mix the flour and yeast, and add the water until it forms a thick paste. Stir only enough to hydrate the flour."
First problem: 6oz of water was not even enough to pick up all the flour. I had to at least double the water to make something that didn't resemble Play-Doh.
I got it to a "thick paste" consistency, and waited a few hours for the first bubbles. I then popped it in the fridge, where it waits for me now.
More to come, hopefully with pictures!


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How to get your Ethernet-only gadgets on your home network
CNET explains how to get your "no Wi-Fi" home theater gadgets on your home networking without using Ethernet via power line adapters, MoCA adapters or wireless bridge adapters.
Internet and network connectivity is becoming a key feature in more and more home entertainment products--everything from TVs to Blu-ray players to audio components. But many of these products come with a big caveat: they don't include built-in support for wireless networking, or Wi-Fi.
This list of wired-only products includes such mainstream devices as TiVo, Slingbox, most entry-level Blu-ray players, many Internet-ready TVs, and the pre-2010 versions of the Xbox 360. Even pricier products such as AV receivers (including the otherwise excellent Denon AVR-1912) don't necessarily come with wireless connectivity on board. For many of these, manufacturers offer proprietary USB dongles which can cost upward of $60 or more. Others offer no Wi-Fi add-on at all.
If you end up getting a no-Wi-Fi device over the holidays, thankfully there are several solid workarounds to get your gadget on your network without dragging a cable across your living room. Even better, the first two options can potentially offer a more stable (more Ethernet-like) networking performance and you may find you connecting your Wi-Fi gadgets with an actual cable just for the increased stability.
Power-line adapters
Power-line adapters have been around for a while, but they always seem to be underappreciated. The idea is simple: instead of running separate Ethernet cabling, power line uses the existing electrical wiring system already in the walls for networking. Simply plug the adapters into outlets, connect one adapter directly to your router and the other to the device you want networked and you're set. Some models, such as the
The downside is that the power-line adapters are somewhat pricey (you need to buy at least two to make the connection), they take up an entire outlet and they can't be plugged into a power strip. Their performance also depends on the quality of your electrical wiring, so they're not going to work perfectly in every scenario (especially in older homes). That being said, we've found power-line networking to be the best Wi-Fi alternative for home theaters.
Ethernet over coax (MoCA)
If power line is underutilized, MoCA is virtually unknown. That's too bad, as it's another great Wi-Fi alternative, especially if power line doesn't work for you. The idea is similar to power-line adapters, except MoCA uses the coaxial cabling you may already have installed for cable or satellite TV. While we've personally had less experience using MoCA adapters, the Amazon user reviews for the Netgear MCAB1001 are overwhelmingly positive and it's relatively inexpensive.
Wireless bridge
A wireless bridge may be the best alternative if the gadget in question is in an area of your house that's already covered by a Wi-Fi network. A wireless bridge adapter, like the Asus WL330GE, simply "catches" the Wi-Fi signal and converts it to Ethernet, letting connect those Ethernet-only devices without a long cable run. Just note that these products often involve some elaborate setup routines (such as installing software on a nearby PC, or accessing a setup screen through a web browser) that skew towards the skillset of an advanced user. (Also notable: The
If you don't have a Wi-Fi network already set up, you can use a self-contained wireless bridge kit like the Asus WL-300wE_M to make a wireless connection from a router to an Ethernet-only device. These class of devices include two Ethernet-to-wireless transceivers, but because they use a proprietary wireless connection, they're usually plug-and-play, with little or no setup required.
There are even a few home theater devices that act as wireless bridges themselves, like components of the Sonos Multi-Room Music System. Plug in one Sonos component to an existing Ethernet connection (say, in a bedroom), and that network feed can be wirelessly transmitted to products plugged into the Ethernet jacks of the secondary Sonos unit (say, a ZonePlayer 90 or
The downsides to wireless bridge adapters are similar to downsides of Wi-Fi. Signal strength decreases with distance and physical obstacles, and wireless networks never seem to be quite as stable as wired networks. Anecedotally, some of the editors at CNET have also run into some setup issues getting wireless bridges to work, although I've had nothing but success using the Asus WL-330gE_M wireless bridge kit.
Editors' note: This story was originally published June 2, 2011.
Computing Guides
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Few NFL teams faced the read-option more last season than the Atlanta Falcons. Few teams struggled more consistently against it.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton had two of his best games of the year moving the ball up and down the field against the Falcons, averaging 29 points in two games. The Falcons did a solid job against the Washington Redskins in the regular season but struggled to get stops in the playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.
Like so many NFL teams this offseason, the Falconsnow are looking for help from the college game. The Falcons' defensive staff recently spent a day at Clemson University to get some help.
"(The Falcons) are trying to learn more about what we do and how we defend what we do," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told the media Monday, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Yet we were able to take a lot from them as well. I'd be surprised if there's an NFL team that hasn't gone and spent time with college coaches this offseason."
The Falcons will face the 49ers and Seahawks next season and also will have two games against the Panthers. Coach Mike Smith wants to be more prepared.
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"I know that our coaching staff is going to spend a whole lot of time on it because it could be the wave of the future," Smith said. "I'm not saying that it will be, but that it could be."
Like any schematic trend, the read-option isn't simply going to stay the same from year to year. The Falcons will have to be ready for what comes next. NFL defenses still should be more prepared this time around.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


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An editorial in the New York Times says: There is no question that images ridiculing religion, however offensive they may be to believers, qualify as protected free speech in the United States and most Western democracies. There is also no question that however offensive the images, they do not justify murder, and that it is incumbent on leaders of all religious faiths to make this clear to their followers.
But it is equally clear that the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest in Garland, Tex., was not really about free speech. It was an exercise in bigotry and hatred posing as a blow for freedom.
That distinction is critical because the conflicts that have erupted over depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, most notably the massacre of staff members at the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in January by two Muslim brothers, have generated a furious and often confused debate about free speech versus hate speech. The current dispute at the American chapter of the PEN literary organization over its selection of Charlie Hebdo for a freedom of expression courage award is a case in point — hundreds of PEN's members have opposed the selection for "valorizing selectively offensive material."
Charlie Hebdo is a publication whose stock in trade has always been graphic satires of politicians and religions, whether Catholic, Jewish or Muslim. By contrast, Pamela Geller, the anti-Islam campaigner behind the Texas event, has a long history of declarations and actions motivated purely by hatred for Muslims.
Whether fighting against a planned mosque near ground zero, posting to her venomous blog Atlas Shrugs or organizing the event in Garland, Ms. Geller revels in assailing Islam in terms reminiscent of virulent racism or anti-Semitism. She achieved her provocative goal in Garland — the event was attacked by two Muslims who were shot to death by a traffic officer before they could kill anyone.
Those two men were would-be murderers. But their thwarted attack, or the murderous rampage of the Charlie Hebdo killers, or even the greater threat posed by the barbaric killers of the Islamic State or Al Qaeda, cannot justify blatantly Islamophobic provocations like the Garland event. These can serve only to exacerbate tensions and to give extremists more fuel.
Some of those who draw cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad may earnestly believe that they are striking a blow for freedom of expression, though it is hard to see how that goal is advanced by inflicting deliberate anguish on millions of devout Muslims who have nothing to do with terrorism. As for the Garland event, to pretend that it was motivated by anything other than hate is simply hogwash.


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January 16th, 2018
On Monday evening, trustees voted in favour of establishing a committee to look into the option of full-year schooling. Full-year schooling means students would get the same number of days in school but with more frequent, shorter breaks in the year.
The committee will review research, look at examples of boards currently running full-year programs and consult with parents, students and staff. Getting feedback on a full-year schooling program will be an important priority of this new committee. We want to hear from you and will keep you updated on opportunities to provide your input over the coming months.
The committee is expected to report their findings in November 2018. Please note that no decisions will be made on full-year schooling until the committee has provided this report and we have heard from the public.
If you have any questions about the full-year schooling committee, please email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Scott McMillan
Chair, Board of Trustees


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This article is more than 1 year old
DARPA, US Marines team on proper flying car project
Blade Runner style sky-buggy Humvee/Jeep/Prius combo
Actually not a flying Humvee but a flying Prius
DARPA also seem to be looking at a Toyota Prius -esque electrical hybrid transmission between the prime mover - gas turbine or trendy low-maintenance heavy fuel engine - and the actual whirlers and wheels. This could help a lot with making the machine quiet, and the supplementary "advanced batteries" might deliver the peak power needed for VTOL or hover, topping themselves up at times of lower demand such as forward flight or ground driving.
Alternatively a "jump takeoff" system such as that on the Carter Copter might use inertial energy stored in spinning fans rather than electricity held in batteries to make a vertical liftoff - or both, or something else altogether might be employed.
Transformer TX is a tall order, but DARPA want it filled pronto - and they don't expect to spend much money either (not much money in a US military flying things context, anyway). A prototype intended to show the feasibility of a later production model should be in ground and flight tests no later than 2015, and cost no more than $43m plus some smaller, <$1m sums paid to develop necessary subsystem technologies.
That said, costs are to be reduced by the fact that test flights needn't be carried out with people aboard:
To mitigate the costs associated with flight certification within this program, the protoype will not be required to be flown with human occupants. Instead, automated flight within a military controlled airspace where executable scripts and/or remote control is permitted will be the recommended approach to demonstrate flight performance. It is expected that VTOL, transition between vertical and forward flight, cruise flight, ground travel, and vehicle reconfiguration will be demonstrated ... Full mission cycle demonstration is not expected, but representative critical transition elements of operation (e.g., VTOL, cruise, ground travel) will be expected with an extrapolation of fuel/energy consumption to show the ability to meet the four representative mission cycles.
Like DARPA's most famous past success (the internet), the Transformer TX would perhaps be even more significant in the civilian world than in the military. Unlike existing personal aircraft such as light planes, Terrafugia Transitions, motorised parachutes etc, it would be pretty much a Jetsons or Blade Runner flying car.
It would genuinely be able to lift off and set down in rooftops and streets, and quiet enough to do so without violating noise ordinances. It would be able to drive properly on the ground. Its robotic autopilot would remove the need for expensive, perishable piloting and instrument-rating skills which is such a burden for today's private pilots. Automated operation, in conjunction with automated air-traffic systems of the sort now in development, would have the potential to eliminate the destructive human errors which could make a sky full of flying cars undesirable.
Better still, a machine which had only cost $43m to reach flying prototype stage would also have the potential to be cheap enough, if mass produced, for fairly ordinary people to own one.
Like all DARPA projects Transformer TX is unlikely to succeed at all. Even if US Marine rifle companies one day do ride to war in handy four-man sky jeeps rather than cumbersome choppers or Humvees, that doesn't necessarily mean flying cars for all any more than Harriers or Ospreys did.
But we can still hope - and we here on the Reg flying-car desk will certainly be following the Transformer TX project with interest as long as it lasts. ®
*A US Marine rifle company has three rifle platoons and a weapons platoon plus headquarters personnel, nowadays often supplemented under ECO doctrine. Under the "rule of three" each platoon has three squads, each squad has three fire-teams and each fire-team is made up of three Marines plus a team leader. All up a USMC rifle company will have between 160 and 200 personnel, somewhat larger than a typical British Army rifle company or Royal Marine close-combat company. Despite this the US Marine company is commanded by a Captain while equivalent British units are commanded by Majors.


text: Theatre Review: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Jeff Hudson Wednesday, April 30, 2014 | Sacramento, CA Listen / download audio Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin. Barry Wisdom Musical comedy is one thing, but this show – which has been staged locally by a number of companies over the years -- is more of musical farce. And farce is fueled by improbable events and winking innuendo. This show lays out its jaunty agenda right away – you are in for a lively, slightly bawdy tale. And since this show is set ancient times, it's spiced with Roman decadence – including seven scantily clad female slaves who are quite literally available for purchase. They do a dance for a prospective customer that's not exactly something you'd find in "Mary Poppins." Don't get me wrong, the suggestive elements in this show are pretty mild compared to what you'll find in the movies these day. And some lyrics are delightfully antique, like the song in which four men rhapsodize about the ideal female domestic. (Cast) "A maid, a maid, a maid! Everybody ought to have a maid. Someone who's efficient and reliable. Obiedient, and pliable. And quieter than a mouse…" My my, how attitudes have changed. Nowadays, many Broadway shows feature feisty, independent women who ultimately get what they want. But the factors that have always made a good farce click – like overblown human vanity, and overconfident attempts at seduction – are essentially the same as they were 50 or 250 years ago. And since "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" really IS a farce, it holds up better on stage now than many of the more conventional musical comedies from the '60s. This STC production also benefits from an antic, over-the-top performance in the central role by local professional Michael RJ Campbell. He is supported by a large and energetic cast, with plenty of ridiculous costumes and nicely-choreographed disasters. The finale, with the entire cast running every which way, is a beautifully executed trainwreck that got me giggling, even though I knew it was coming. Follow us for more stories like this CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today. Donate Today


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MakeupGeek Foiled Pigments | Review, Swatches & Looks
MUG Foiled Pigments I've been meaning to review, swatch and put together some looks for these for a little while now … not enough time in a day! LOL Ugh. There are a good range of colors to choose from in this new foiled line,… Read More


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Canadian Oil Sands: Energy Security and Climate Change Concerns Can be Reconciled, Says New CFR Report
May 21, 2009 11:22 am (EST)
- News Releases
May 21, 2009—In the midst of heated debate over the future of the Canadian oil sands, a new report from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) says that prudent greenhouse gas regulations can safely limit emissions while allowing for robust development of the oil sands.
The report argues that oil sands production delivers both energy security benefits and climate change damages, but warns that both are often overstated. "For the near future, the economic and security value of oil sands expansion will likely outweigh the climate damages that the oil sands create," it says, "but climate concerns cannot and must not be ignored, and will become more important over time." Policymakers, it emphasizes, must carefully balance the two concerns.
"Smart regulation can place a fair and reasonable price on the oil sands' greenhouse gas emissions, providing the right incentive to reduce them," says Michael A. Levi, CFR's David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment and the report's author, "but ill-conceived regulation could undermine U.S. and Canadian climate and security goals." He argues that it is important to integrate U.S. and Canadian cap-and-trade systems, while warning against the risks of a Canada-only cap-and-trade scheme and against an ill-designed U.S. low-carbon fuel standard.
The Canadian Oil Sands: Energy Security vs Climate Change, the latest publication of CFR's Center for Geoeconomic Studies, explores the energy security and climate change implications of expanded oil sands production, assesses the trade-offs between them, projects the likely impact of different policy measures, and makes recommendations for U.S. lawmakers on how to craft balanced policy.
In the contentious debate about oil sands—a massive but emissions-intensive source of oil— some argue that the United States should discourage the development of oil sands because its operations generate more climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil production. Others argue that the United States should actively encourage their development because it would strengthen U.S. energy security with a supply of oil from a friendly and stable neighbor.
This report contends that both arguments are exaggerated—but neither is without merit. On the climate side, the report argues that the development of Canadian oil sands are is not the "climate catastrophe" that some claim. While oil sands' life cycle greenhouse gas emissions—those entailed in production, transport, refining, and ultimate use—are greater than those associated with conventional oil, Levi points out that the total emissions from oil sands production in Canada are equal to less than 0.1 percent of the global total—"a small piece of the [global] emissions picture."
Levi assesses six dimensions of energy security, including oil prices, vulnerability to supply shocks and terrorism, and wealth transfers to hostile states. He concludes that even while "the energy security benefits of robust Canadian oil sands production are real," the Canadian oil sands are not central to energy security. "Because oil is essentially traded on a global market, [the security benefits of oil sands are] not as large as some might intuitively assume. Oil sands exploitation will not fundamentally change the global oil picture." Nonetheless, the report finds meaningful benefits from oil sands in moderating global oil prices and in cutting damaging wealth transfers.
The report emphasizes that global economic conditions and Canadian policy will remain the major factors shaping the oil sands' future. But because the United States is the natural destination for oil sands products, U.S. policy will be important. It urges U.S. policymakers to balance its energy security and climate goals by working with Canada to promote strong incentives to cut the emissions associated with each barrel produced from the oil sands, without directly discouraging production itself.
Levi argues that U.S. policy should center on four basic elements:
• "Link U.S. and Canadian cap-and-trade systems: Fair and stable carbon pricing in Canada would help both countries reap the benefits of the oil sands while mitigating their damages. Linking the cap-and-trade systems that are likely to evolve in the two countries is the best way to do that. The United States should also ensure that Canada is able to initially provide a small number of free emissions permits to oil sands producers. This would mitigate a risk of allowing carbon pricing to raise world oil prices (delivering windfalls to low-cost producers) while maintaining most incentives for oil sands operators to cut emissions."
• "Tread carefully with any low-carbon fuel standard: The United States should design any low-carbon fuel standard—an increasingly popular potential regulation that would require specific cuts in the average emissions associated with every unit of transportation fuel—so that the oil sands, which should already face a reasonable carbon cost, are not penalized again (and perhaps much more heavily) for their higher emissions. An ill-designed scheme could burden the oil sands (along with several other U.S. oil sources) in ways that would damage U.S. energy security without providing commensurate climate benefits."
• "Focus U.S. technology support on higher-payoff areas: There may be pressure for the United States to provide funds for research, development, and demonstration efforts in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) or nuclear power for the oil sands. While basic technical cooperation is always valuable, these would generally not be U.S. dollars well spent. The scale of the other energy and climate problems facing the United States demands that U.S. energy innovation support focus elsewhere, including in CCS for power plants (a substantially distinct problem) as well as in renewables, transmission, and efficiency."
• "Resist the misuse of other U.S. environmental regulations to constrain oil sands: So long as the oil sands are expected to face a fair carbon price, the United States should resist attempts to use U.S. environmental regulations to block permitting of oil sands-related pipelines or refineries on climate grounds. Some may also try to use such regulations as a back door to dealing with the local social and environmental effects of oil sands development in Canada. Decisions on how to deal with these local effects —many of which can be disturbing—should be made by the affected communities in Canada rather than forced by outside U.S. action. The direct effects of pipelines and refineries on communities in the United States should be dealt with on the same basis as the effects of other oil-related infrastructure."
For full text of the report, visit: http://www.cfr.org/canadian_oil_sands/
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Michael A. Levi is the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at CFR. He is director of the CFR program on energy security and climate change and was project director for the CFR-sponsored Independent Task Force on Climate Change. Levi was previously fellow for science and technology at CFR, and, before that, a nonresident science fellow and a science and technology fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of two books, On Nuclear Terrorism and The Future of Arms Control, and is a frequent contributor to newspaper opinion pages and magazines. Levi holds a BSc from Queen's University (Kingston), an MA in physics from Princeton University, and a PhD in war studies from the University of London (King's College).
Council Special Reports (CSRs) are concise policy briefs that provide timely responses to developing crises or contribute to debates on current policy dilemmas. CSRs are written by individual authors in consultation with an advisory committee. The content of the reports is the sole responsibility of the authors.
The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries.
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Dec 18, 2010 | |
Auburn's College of Veterinary Medicine designated Center for Translational Cancer Nanomedicine |
(Nanowerk News) The National Institutes of Health has designated Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine a Center for Translational Cancer Nanomedicine. The five-year, $1.7 million award is part of a larger, $13.5 million grant from the NIH National Cancer Institute which established a Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence. | |
Auburn University researchers will work with a multidisciplinary team of scientists, industry and government partners to develop new nanotechnology-based strategies for treatment of lung, pancreatic and breast cancers. Studies will involve both the design and testing of new nano-therapeutic strategies and related delivery systems. | |
Valery Petrenko (left), principal investigator of Auburn's Center for Translational Cancer Nanomedicine, is shown with researcher Olusegun Fagbohun. | |
"The human body is naturally programmed to protect itself against cancer using its powerful immune system," said Valery Petrenko, a professor in Auburn's Department of Pathobiology and principal investigator for the center. "Unfortunately, different environmental and genetic factors can affect this ability. As a result, millions of people all over the world suffer and die from various cancer diseases." | |
In the U.S. alone, more than 1.5 million new cancer patients will be diagnosed and more than 0.5 million will die this year. | |
"To respond to this challenge, our goal is to develop a nanotherapeutic defense system that will be more powerful than the immune system in its ability to recognize and destroy appearing cancer cells in the human body," said Petrenko. "Our concept is based on the use of our proprietary phage display system - a collection of genetically engineered nanoparticles, or 'magic bullets' - that exceed the repertoire of natural antibodies and immune cells a thousand times. From this collection we select particles that specifically recognize cancer receptors and convert these particles into nanomedicines that destroy tumors." | |
Auburn researchers will work with recognized scientists from prominent institutions including Northeastern's Vladimir Torchilin, who will direct the center, Mansoor Amiji, Sri Sridhar and Craig Ferris; Harvard Medical School's S. Nahum Goldberg; Tufts University's Alexey Degterev ; and Nemucore Medical Innovations' Tim Coleman. | |
At Auburn, Petrenko established a research program focusing on the concept of phage-driven drug delivery. "I am very happy our team could receive the support to translate our novel concept for production and clinical practice," he said. |
Source: Auburn University |


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General tips
1. Lo-fi space cadets Harmonic 33 use GMedia's excellent M-Tron to help create their retro soundscapes. It's an emulation of that tape-based proto-ROMpler, the Mellotron, as used by The Beatles, Radiohead et al. If you'd like to get the same kind of feel without spending, a free Mellotron emulation is available: MelloSound. Set its attack and release times to long values, and then douse with a little reverb for instant organic vibes.
2. If your synthesizer has an oscillator sync mode, use a modulation source to vary the pitch value of the master oscillator and create squelchy techno sweeps. The amount that you change the pitch of the master oscillator controls the extremity of the sweeping effect. You can get different timbres by transposing the master oscillator to a different octave. If you're using an LFO to control it, try changing the LFO's wave shape to create different effects. If the effect is too extreme, reduce the pitchbend range of the master oscillator.
3. You can get classic C64-style chords out of any synthesizer with a built-in arpeggiator. Simply create a patch based around a pulse wave, play a three or four note chord and turn up the arpeggiator speed until the sequence begins to sound like a chord rather than a series of individual notes. Adjust the arpeggiator's length or gate to get the sound you want, and add a slow pulse width modulation sweep to get that crunchy SID-chip vibe.
4. When creating synth leads, it's possible to get a lot of movement simply by detuning oscillators against each other. Set up two saw waves and detune one by 40-60 cents. When you play the patch back, note how each key modulates at a different speed. Extra voices using the same oscillator wave shape and detuned between the two can be added for an even phatter sound. This effect works well with saturation, chorus and unison, so if your synth has these, give them a whirl.
5. Remember, you can automate most controllers these days, not just filter cutoff. For instance, try varying the filter envelope amount instead for a similar effect.
6. Many synths feature noise oscillators, which can be used to create swooshy filter sweeps. They can also be employed to add a percussive element to your patches that works particularly well with darker, more filtered sounds. If you feel your synth patch needs more definition, try gradually adding to the amount of noise in the mix until the desired effect is achieved. This kind of sound works particularly well with a quick low-pass filter envelope.
7. The Minimoog is one of the most sought after synths of all time. Some owners got even more filtered goodness out of it by feeding its outputs into its inputs, resulting in the signal being filtered again. You can achieve a similar effect on a synth with two filters by setting them up in serial mode, and switching them to the same filter cutoff frequency. If your synth has a saturation stage that can be applied between the filters, try using it to add a little warmth to the tone. A different effect can be created by separating the filters ie, having them at different cutoff levels. The second filter should be more severe than the first for this effect to be noticeable.
8. Band-pass filters might sound weedy when fixed to a particular cutoff level, but if you give them a bit of movement they can be used to create some dynamic noises, so use an envelope or LFO to control the filter's cutoff level. Using a band-pass filter will result in only a small frequency band output, so you may want to try layering another more full-bodied patch underneath to fill out the sound.
9. If all this synthesis is getting too much and you feel you need to add a natural element to your sound, try layering it with a more organic patch from a ROMpler. For example, doubling a bass part with a double-bass patch can add definition and vibe to a relatively uninspiring sound.
10. If you feel you can't get the right sound using just one synth, try layering up a couple of synth parts to create a single sound, or bouncing your work down to an audio channel for further processing. Bouncing a part down as audio allows for a level of editing accuracy that can be hard to achieve using the synth's controls.
11. Some synths are capable of infinite release times, or at least very, very long release times - handy when you're programming sounds and need to tweak a lot of knobs.
12. Get an old-school synth effect with your audio and samples using mda Tracker from mda-vst.com. This clever plug-in detects the pitch of a signal and replaces it with a simple oscillator tone. To create random-sounding computerised noises, turn the Dynamics, Glide and Maximum settings up to full, and set the Transpose value to 24 semitones. Set the Mode to Square, then adjust the Trigger amount to taste.
13. A big part of a synthesizer's sound comes from the processing and effects applied to it. If you have a synth part that sounds cheap because the synth's built-in reverb is of low quality, use a better quality one as a send effect. This way you can use it on all your synths without maxing out your CPU. If you want a different effect on each synth, try using two reverb sends - one short, one long - in varying amounts for each instrument.
14. Many synths feature a 'unison' mode, which thickens up the sound by layering detuned oscillators. If your synth doesn't feature a unison mode, but does offer multiple oscillators, you can achieve this effect yourself manually by simply turning on a few voices and detuning them until your sound has a sufficient amount of body.
15. Before the advent of hi-tech computer music technology, producers often had to improvise in order to get the right sound for a track. For instance, the rapid bass part on Donna Summer's electro-disco classic I Feel Love was created using a delay rather than high-resolution sequencing. If you feel you're in a creative rut, try using effects in unusual ways to help you come up with something new.
16. When using a delay plug-in that introduces distortion into the feedback loop (like the excellent ET-200, available from device.arcanedevice.com), automate the feedback amount (here labelled Intensity) to increase quickly just before the sound you're passing through it has disappeared. This will turn it into a scream reminiscent of old-school analogue sci-fi effects.
17. To get an old-fashioned spring reverb effect, ideal for retro space effects, turn your reverb plug-in's room size down low, crank the reverb time up until the tail of the sound is suitably long, and turn up any damping controls to make the effect sound more lo-fi. Adding a delay effect afterwards can create a bigger sound, but don't overdo the feedback level or you may lose the reverb's characteristic sound.
18. Some synths, such as LinPlug's Albino 3, have a chord mode. With this, you play a chord, and then all subsequent key presses trigger that chord, transposed to whichever note you hit. This effect can be replicated in most sequencers using MIDI effects, such as Chorder in Cubase and Chord in Live. Try arranging it to trigger multiple octaves of the same note to get an instant big sound.
19. If your sequencer doesn't offer a chord mode, you can at least create intervals by detuning your synth's second oscillator by the desired number of semitones. Detuning seven semitones creates classic fifths, but try fourths, sevenths and other intervals to get different feels.
20. Programming sounds with your mouse is all well and good, but a MIDI controller with a few knobs can make the process more pleasurable. Plug-ins like Reaktor and Z3TA+ enable you to set the upper and lower limits of a knob's range, which can be helpful when trying to fine-tune a sound. If your synth has a MIDI learn function, assign the same knob to a couple of values to make dynamic changes to a sound.
Programming tricks
21. When programming shorter or more percussive patches such as leads and bass, the attack part of the sound is what gives it most of its character. A fast pitch or frequency modulation amount envelope can be used to add dynamism and punch - if your synth enables you to adjust the envelope's contour, experiment with its shape to get the right feel.
22. If you have a synth with a filter capable of self-oscillation, ie, one that starts producing its own pitched signal when the resonance is turned up above a certain level, this can be used to easily create your own FX. Tie the filter's cutoff frequency to an LFO, and automate the cutoff level and LFO speed to create abstract other-world FX.
23. A classic effect that uses self-oscillation involves turning up the filter's resonance so that it self oscillates, then modulating it with an envelope with the sustain level set to zero and a short decay time. This creates a disco-tastic synthetic plop that can be further tweaked by changing the envelope's attributes, or through the addition of chorus of saturation FX.


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The video Kony 2012 has gone viral with lightning speed, with the claim that massive "awareness" can bring down a brutal African warlord who kidnaps children. We look at the source of the half-hour production's appeal and why it might be counter-productive. Also, talks between President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron are clouded by events in Afghanistan. On Reporter's Notebook, increased gasoline prices may be damaging President Obama's poll ratings, but does any president have the power to make a difference?
Banner image: Screen grab from Kony 2012, in which Jason Russell talks with his son, Gavin, about Joseph Kony


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ASPIRE: Advanced Support Programs for Innovative Research Excellence funding program
The ASPIRE program offers USC faculty an opportunity to compete for funding in three primary tracks, each designed to bolster research excellence at the university. ASPIRE-I funding is designed to support faculty seeking to develop a new research project for which they ultimately plan to seek external funding. Track II is intended to encourage interdisciplinary, collaborative research among at least three faculty representing a minimum of two USC colleges or schools. ASPIRE III funding supports the procurement of multi-user research equipment and/or facilities to enhance USC's research infrastructure.


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Burnley recorded their third Championship victory in a row as Sam Vokes and Danny Ings netted in a 2-0 win at Millwall.
The Clarets leapfrogged Millwall in the table and underlined their promotion credentials with a goal in each half at The Den on Saturday.
Vokes opened the scoring with a neat finish following some excellent wing play from Junior Stanislas and Danny Ings made sure of the points with a close-range header.
It moves Sean Dyche's Burnley up to eighth while the Lions, now with only one win from six in the league, are down to ninth.
The visitors spurned a superb chance to take the lead when Vokes capitalised on a poor clearance from David Forde, but Ross Wallace and Dean Marney got in each other's way as they looked to get on the end of Vokes' cross.
Undeterred, they pushed forward again and got their reward with 19 minutes gone.
Stanislas latched on to James Henry's misplaced pass, nutmegged Jack Smith and delivered a low cross from the byline which Vokes turned home at the near post for his third of the season.
The setback failed to stir the lacklustre Lions into life and Ings almost took advantage of more slack defending, cutting inside before firing over the bar.
It was Burnley's turn to switch off at the back next, Stanislas the culprit as he gifted possession to Henry, only for the midfielder to lift his effort clear of the bar.
Jason Shackell had to be more alert to clear Martyn Woolford's shot off the line after Kieran Trippier failed to deal with Smith's cross.
New signing Nathan Tyson, on loan from Derby, was introduced for the second half but it was Henry who caused the problems early on.
On the hour mark, and against the run of play, the away side doubled their advantage. Trippier provided the delivery and Ings the headed finish.
Having kept clean sheets in their last two league victories over Sheffield Wednesday and Crystal Palace, Burnley switched to playing on the counter-attack in a bid to make it three on the spin.
The hosts struggled to create openings despite throwing bodies forward, but they were almost undone at the other end as Trippier launched the ball downfield and Ings controlled brilliantly before clearing the bar with only Forde to beat.
Trippier cleared Trotter's goal-bound shot off the line late on to preserve Burnley's two-goal advantage and compound Millwall's frustration.


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Media Workers Killed in 2012: Mohammad Amir
- Document source:
18 December 2012
ARY Television
September 21, 2012, in Peshawar, Pakistan
Private ARY TV news channel employee Amir was killed while driving a news crew to cover violent protests in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Protesters were demonstrating against a film denigrating the Prophet Muhammad.
Amir died in a local hospital from injuries he sustained when three bullets hit the vehicle, according to The Associated Press and local news reports citing ARY TV broadcasts. While some local news reports said police were responsible for the shooting, local authorities told journalists an independent inquiry was needed to identify the source of fire.
Media Support Worker: In 2003, CPJ began documenting the deaths of vital media employees such as translators, drivers, fixers, and administrative workers.
Disclaimer: © Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.


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This Christmas, I presented my wife with a new Mac mini. I honestly wasn't sure if she'd be even slightly interested in switching to the Mac, but I figured if she showed no interest in it, I could hold onto it myself or simply return it. To my surprise and delight, my wife was very much interested in the Mac mini and was eager to switch. And starting about midway through Christmas Day, she started hounding me about setting it up. That's a good sign.
This conversion deserves a bit of background. I am, as you may know, one of the more prominent Windows-based writers on the Web. This simple fact makes the notion that I'd buy a Mac for my wife seems like an April Fools joke, I know. But the truth is, I've owned one or more Macs since summer 2005, and I'm a big fan of Mac OS X, albeit one who is perhaps more honest about the system's shortcomings than the typical Mac fanatic. That said, Apple's computer systems are viable for a wide range of users, including graphic artists, photographers, and other creative types. And a truly simple system like the Mac mini is perfect for the mass market, those people who simply need email, Web access, and word processing.
My wife is such a person. Indeed, she shares none of my love of technology, and approaches a computer the way one should approach a computer, I guess, as a tool that's required to get a job done. Her job, in fact, is writing. She writes and edits articles for Boston Home & Garden magazine, and also for various health-related publications. She does a lot of research on Google, uses Microsoft Word for editing and writing, and corresponds with coworkers and friends via email. Like me, she works from home.
Ah, I can hear you thinking, but she has a Windows expert at home ... Isn't that perfect for tech support? Perfect for her, perhaps, but not so perfect for me. Our offices are not in the same part of the house, for starters, and that makes it harder for me to monitor her system regularly as I do with the many machines in my own office. When I do get up to her office, I'm always surprised by how many alerts and updates there are, waiting for someone to acknowledge them. She's just not particularly interested in PC housekeeping.
The truth is, her computers have always been problematic. And like a typical office worker in any company, she puts up with the small abuses of Windows on a regular basis. She's learned to simply reboot when things stop working. She accepts that sometimes printing or network access just don't work for any logical reason. And the constant air turbine-like sound that emanates from her Dell PC? That's just how PCs sound, she thinks.
Well, no more. As the new and even exciting center of her computing experience, my wife's Mac mini was ready to go. Well, almost. The stock 512 MB of RAM was a bit paltry for my tastes, so I had also ordered a 1 GB replacement memory stick, which I installed into the little white box the day after Christmas. That task was a bit difficult, as it turns out, because Apple engineered the tiny Mac mini case without screws, and you need to use a putty knife to wedge the thing open, a scary task given the delicate nature of the device. Installing the memory was a piece of cake, once the case was open, but I had another difficult time getting the case back together, which requires a deft positioning of the two halves. After three aborted tries, it snapped back together, good as new.
Before putting the Mac mini in my wife's office, I decided I'd set it up downstairs with a spare monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and install various Apple software updates and configure the system a bit. Like a champ, the Mac mini booted right up with my PC-centric hardware, and I was pleased to discover that the device featured a 1.5 GHz microprocessor, not the 1.42 GHz version I had ordered. (Many other Mac mini customers have noted this surprise upgrade.) After downloading about 90 MB of Apple updates, and taking my wife for a short tour of the UI, I installed Microsoft Office for Mac 2004 and switched the machine over to Apple's Mighty Mouse.
At this point, it was time to bring over her documents, email, calendar/scheduling information, and other data. This can be a hairy task, depending on how you proceed. Those who purchase a Mac at an Apple retail store can take advantage of a free service in which an Apple guru at the store will copy your data over for you. Unfortunately, I had purchased the mini through Apple.com, so I had to do these conversions myself. Since I've tested various PC-to-Mac synchronization tools over the years, however, I knew where to start.
The documents were the easiest to transfer, since we have a home network. Prior to the mini, my wife stored all of here documents on our home server, but I figured this would be a good time to move them to the local hard drive so she could utilize Apple's Backup software, which lets you backup to iDisk (Web-based storage that's part of a .Mac subscription) and other locations. To copy her documents to the Mac mini, I simply connected to the network share courtesy of Mac OS X's integrated Windows networking, and drag and dropped her documents into her new Documents folder.
Email and calendaring are decidedly more difficult. My wife had been using Microsoft Outlook for both, and had various email accounts configured in that application. Configuring Apple Mail for these accounts was drop-dead simple (even for her Hotmail account, which requires a third-party add-in called MacOS X HTTP Mail Plugin), but then I had to actually get her previous email, contacts, and calendar information from Outlook to the Mac. The email would need to be moved into Apple Mail, contacts would go into Apple Address Book, and calendar info needed to be copied into Apple iCal.
There are many, many ways to migrate this data, but opted for Little Machines' Outlook2Mac, a wonder $10 shareware program that exports Outlook email, contacts, and calendar information into various formats, including those required by the Apple applications cited above. My wife has an unbelievable amount of email archive folders, so the conversion took a while, but once I had the appropriate data files in a folder on the PC, I could simply copy them to the Mac and then import them into the appropriate applications. This worked pretty well overall, though there is some clean up work yet to be done: Some contacts contain slightly mangled information, while all of the calendar items were imported into a single iCal calendar.
Moving Internet Explorer (IE) Favorites to the Mac was even easier, since my wife will be using Mozilla Firefox going forward. First, I installed Firefox on the PC, and let it convert her Favorites and other settings. Then, I simply copied the Firefox Bookmarks.html file (which is stored in C:\Documents and Settings\[user name]\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[profile name] by default) to the Mac (where it's stored in /Users/[user name]/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/[profile name] by default). Voila, she's up and running with all her saved Web addresses.
Looking forward, I'm interested to see how well this switch goes.


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Bangor ( BANG-gor) is a city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Penobscot County. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's third-largest settlement, behind Portland (68,408) and Lewiston (37,121). Modern Bangor was established in the mid-19th century with the lumber and shipbuilding industries. Lying on the Penobscot River, logs could be floated downstream from the Maine North Woods and processed at the city's water-powered sawmills, then shipped from Bangor's port to the Atlantic Ocean 30 miles (48 km) downstream, and from there to any port in the world. Evidence of this is still visible in the lumber barons' elaborate Greek Revival and Victorian mansions and the 31-foot-high (9.4 m) statue of Paul Bunyan.
Abraham Lincoln School, Admiralty Village, Bangor Community & Economic, Bangor Gardens, Bangor Housing Authority, Bean Group, Broadway Historic District, Capehart, Chapin Park, Cumberland Foreside, Downtown Bangor, East Bayside, East Deering, East Newport, Fourteenth Street School