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The Société Périllos, editors of some hermetic books, published one page on their website proposing an interesting story, where 19th century symbolism is mixed up with fin-de-siècle occultism, and absurdity is elevated to a level Alfred Jarry would have appreciated.
First, a little history.
Alfred Jarry became famous by writing the father Ubu trilogy, considered the first absurdist theatre plays. He also wrote "Gestes et Opinions du Docteur Faustroll, pataphysicien" (Exploits and Opinions of Dr. Faustroll, pataphysician) in 1898, published posthumously in 1911.
In this book, he inserted his main ideas on the Science of imaginary solutions in a strange symbolist tale where Doctor Faustroll navigates through land, accompanied by 27 'Livres Pairs' (equivalent books), his ape-servant Bosse-de-Nage, who could only express himself with the words "Ha ha" (probably meant as a pun to insult Jarry's Belgian friend Christian Beck who used this as a meaningless expletive) and a bailiff named Panmuphle. They travel from island to island, each one populated by a writer contemporary of Jarry and his microcosmos. In the end Faustroll goes on a little killing spree after having seen a horse's head, the surface of god is calculated and Faustroll himself appears to be the book in which his adventures are told. All of it extremely bizarre to most people, and written in an impeccable erudite French influenced by François Rabelais, French philosophy and scientific odd facts.
Jarry was much admired by dadaists and surrealists (Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst and Juan Miro amongst others) and his ideas started to proliferate amongst the happy few, creating an environment where they were bound to give birth to some sort of club. In 1948 the Collège de 'Pataphysique was founded by one man (if I told you his name I'd have to kill you). From the start and totally in the spirit of Jarry, he clouded the creation of the college in mystification. Officially the founder is a Doctor Sandomir, who became the first Vice-Curator (the ethernal Curator being Doctor Faustroll, assisted by his Starost Bosse-de-Nage), about whom only one portret is known. He was assisted by Mélanie Le Plumet (a cat), Oktav Votka and Jean-Hugues Sainmont, all avatars of the same person (I didn't tell you this).
From the beginning writers and artists who were part of the French intelligentsia joined in, and what was at first meant as a one-man mystification shifted from imaginary towards reality. The movement slowly invaded other countries, giving birth to offsprings of the College, some of them detailed on my blog.
Since 1948, the College published regularly a magazine (only available to members) under the leadership of three other Vice-Curators elected by an unique elector (who was chosen by all members - a system not unlike the complex elections of the Doge of Venice): Baron Mollet (who used to be Guillaume Apollinaire's secretary), Opach (who was very real but about whom very little is known) and the present leader, Lutembi (a large crocodile in Uganda who might have died in 2007), while the secret founder kept hiding under different personalities (Sainmont ending up in a lunatic asylum after being thrown out of the College). Opach decided to occultate of the College from 1975 to 2000, effectively making a secret of all nominations in the complex ranking system. Meanwhile the publications went on, even more surrounded by a halo of secrecy, and more and more groups worldwide joined the movement.
All of this created a rather elitaristic atmosphere, and to people attracted to conspiracy theories the College might look like a very secret society indeed.
In Wallony, Belgium, Richard Tialans (1943-1995), an erudite librarian, painter, photographer and theater-maker, member of the College, created in 1969 the "Centre d'Orientation et d'Information Théâtrale" (COIT), a theatrical society, and started for his own pleasure to publish an irregular journal called the "AA Revue", a name obviously borrowed from Bosse-de-Nage. He claimed in 1991 to be read by 10 people and to have only one paid subscription. I still have a friendly letter from him refusing (damned) to add me to his list. A second paid subscription (from the New York Library) was simply refused! Many members of the College wrote quite bizarre bits for the Revue, which helped to make it a much sought after mythical underground publication. I still haven't managed to find one!
Now for the conspiracy interpretation.
It seems Belgian nobleman Philippe de Chérisey was linked to the Priory of Sion by French conspiracist Jean-Luc Chaumeil. The writer of the Société Périllos, André Douzet, claims to have been approached by people with a new document concerning rather personal writings by de Cherisey.
And this was none other than AA Revue # 123, which next to a French translation of Immermann's Baron Munchhausen, published three texts for in total 25 pages by the same Philippe de Cherisey: "Catalog of common circumflexes", "Circumflexes of names" and "Circumflex and Umlaut".
Because of the secrecy of the publication, Douzet even issued doubts whether there had been other issues. The date, from the pataphysical calender, "Absolu 107", was seen as another hermetic sign. (1)
Douzet adds 123 to 107 and wonders what 230 means. The word 'vulgar' next to actual date is interpreted correctly as "meaning that they are using the ordinary calendar system as compared to a more sacred calendar, like that of some organisation or society", and through the use of another calendar "the reader may think that this publication is created by 'initiates'", but the author goes on to refer to the Masonic calendar. Then there's the title of the publication. Douzet wonders whether this is the secret review of the enigmatic AA. And the editor goes by the strange name of 'Richard Tialans', for Douzet obviously a pseudonym! And as out of three texts, three are by de Cherisey, Douzet extrapolates this is all a mystification… but one to cover the real editor, de Cherissey and his secret agenda. de Cherissey might have published this review as part of a disinformation scheme, in the same vein as Dan Brown's books.
Douzet then elaborates on his doubts on the amount of publications as no one within the 'esoteric France' community ever heard of it. "This document appears to be almost totally unknown and unstudied". (2)
(1)The Collège issued several versions of the calendar, all based on the first one proposed by Jarry in his two almanachs of 1897 and 1901. Erroneously Douzet mixes up the first calendar by Jarry, which used the Christian year, and the later editions developped by the College, where the 'Pataphysical Era start on September, 8, 1873, the birthdate of Jarry. What remains is that the Pataphysical calendar used thirteen months, twelve lasting 28 and one lasting 29 days. They are: Absolu, Haha, As, Sable, Décervelage, Gueules, Pédale, Clinamen, Palotin, Merdre, Gidouille (29 days), Tatane, Phalle. Later on the College changed the names of the saints and holidays.
(2) And for obvious reasons… I recieved a list from Tialans with the aformentioned letter and can assure he did publish more than 200 issues from 1969 to 1991. Most used the Christian date, but N° 78 to 126 used the 'pataphysical calendar.
Four covers found online, #109-110, 123, 166 and 202-203.
Then the inquiry takes a leap forward: Douzet discovers the 'Pataphysical calendar was developped by Alfred Jarry. The apostrophe in front of the P is another mystery to him. But the concept of 'Pataphysics in relation to metaphysics as metaphysics is in relation to physics, confirms the belief that it deals with a realm beyond soul and spirit. And the author utters the very pataphysical (inconscious, hence without apostrophe) "Ubu is in their interpretation both God and the Devil. And it is hence obvious that this discipline is at the same time both utterly serious, and totally laughable – absolutely absurd and philosophically essential."
And then he totally looses his marbles. "And what are we to make of the fact that Alfred Jarry provides his "father Ubu" with a mistress, and gives her the name Madeleine – Magdalene? Does it not sound similar to that old Cathar ideology, in which they too believed that there was an "other god", to use the words of Yuri Stoyanov, whom was deemed to be female, and which in the region of the Languedoc, by the local Cathars, was apparently identified with Magdalene (…)". And he goes on, comparing the riddles in the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery with the grotesque plays featuring père Ubu.
Now the order of AA, not to be confused with uncle Al's A:.A (or is it?) was supposedly a hermetic order in 17th and 18th century France and consisted exclusively of priests.
One of the two main sources about the AA is a book published in 1775, 'L'AA Cléricale', published by 'Mysteriopolis'.
The other source is count Henri Bégouen's, "L'AA de Toulouse aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siecles, d'après des documents inédits" (1913), a recent reprint of which I bought last month. Bégouen was a French archeologist, and this is his only work outside of his field.
The AA is linked to the "Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement" (Company of the blessed sacrament"), a French catholic secret society, self-proclaimed charitable society, and a militant association for the defence of the Church founded in 1630 and abolished by Louis XIV in 1660.
The AA might have existed prior to the dissolution of the Compagnie, but it took over some of its goals in an even more secretive way. The name AA is unclear. Maybe it comes from the alchemy, where AaA means 'amalgamate'. Others think it's shorthand for Associatio Amicorum. Or it might mean 'Amis', the plural of friend just as 'MM' in French means 'messieurs', plural of sir and 'CC' means the plural of consul. Bégouen discovered 29 cities in France where a secret AA society regularly convened. The mystery of the AA was such that it might appear as a hoax, and its central 'secret' goal remains unknown. It has been compared to an intelligence agency.
From RH-forum:
"There is mention of a password, how to envisage the self-destruction of the cell, to destroy all traces of its existence, to pass from action to silence if there is the slightest doubt. You can wonder whether terrorist organizations practice such a level of secrecy. This type of moral convention is of such an inconceivable rigor that the only framework in which this document could come about is that of a fanatical sect… or of a movement that was elected to safeguard a frightening secret."
"At the same time, behind this congregation or visible company, there was another occult one. It was the true AA, whose existence was a mystery and the name of the members an even greater mystery still. There were several political characters among them. The meetings were secret and certain members, in particular Prince de Polignac, only went to them in disguise. For on being allowed into this association, it was necessary to swear to absolute secrecy, to promise a blind obedience with passwords which no-one else knew."
"The AA is the best candidate for the framework in which Saunière and his closest allies operated; membership of the AA could explain the extreme level of secrecy that Saunière adhered to – at the same time being instructed on how to maintain that secrecy so that his "double life" would never be known."
From Philip Coppens' website
"The reference is so enigmatic that you might suspect you had become a character in a detective novel! The "with permission" reference is just one in a long series of incredible details. Is it a hoax? A joke? Have these documents been falsified, as has been the case in some instances in the mystery of Rennes-le-Château? "
At the end of his article on the aforementioned Perillos website, Douzet thinks he found the link: as de Cherissey became involved with the story of abbé Saunière, who might have been part of the AA, it's only fitting that he should write in a publication called AArevue; and as such, for Douzet, both the mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau and the College of Pataphysics are both smokescreens, part of a larger secret: the AA society. Or how a mystification can become a conspiracy in the mind of the gullible.


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Naruto Online Level 55 - Ninja Exam. Midnight Blade
Naruto Online Level 55 - Ninja Exam. Midnight Blade
A must-play online Naruto MMORPG of fans, Naruto Online is now live! Here, you can collect your favorite ninjas, apply amazing mystery skills, follow in the footsteps of Naruto and experience the legendary tale yourself.
Naruto Online Level 55 - Ninja Exam. Midnight Blade Tips
Round 1: Use Neji's Mystery skill jutsu on Tsunade multiple times to cause damage. Naruto uses standard attack and combos. Everybody else uses standard attacks until Tsunade is defeated.
Round 2: Use standard attacks against Tsunade to clear this round.In MMORPG Game If Naruto takes a Critical Hit, restart because his damage is too serious to continue.
Round 3: Tsunade will use her Mystery skill jutsu. Use Midnight Blade to end her skills. Use Zabuza's Mystery skill jutsu on her too. Naruto uses combos to take out Tsunade.
Katsuyu enters the match after Tsunade's defeat
Round 1: Use Naruto to create some shadow clones. Katsuyu's attack lands on the clones. Continue using standard attacks until the round is cleared.
Round 2: Katsuyu will use his Mystery skill jutsu. Use Neji to end his skills. Your other units use standard attacks until the round is cleared.
Keep repeating the previous strategy to pass the level. You can end Katsuyu's skill once every two rounds. Use Naruto's clones to resist Katsuyu's damage. In Naruto Online, obtaining and improving your equipment is a big part of cultivating your battle strength. For instance, installing a magatama on your equipment can multiply its base attributes. Magatamas are divided into 9 levels according to their qualities. Every four common magatamas can be combined to form one higher-level magatama, e.g., four Level 3 magatamas form one Level 4 magatama. Magatamas are also classified according to their enhancement attributes: Life, Attack, Defense, Ninjutsu, and Resistance, which correspond to the forehead, weaponry, armors, scrolls, and accessories, respectively.
Using magatamas is one of the pathways to enhancing a player's battle strength. The so-called magatama is actually a gem that helps you increase power. So, how do you get magatamas?
Method 1: Ninja Exams You obtain a magatama every time you pass a level. The more levels you pass, the higher level the magatama you get.
Method 2: Group Wheel You can also acquire magatamas by spinning the Lucky Wheel in the Group System. The first spin of the day is for free. After that, you need to pay group contributions in order to spin.
Method 3: The Shop Players can buy various kinds of magatamas in the Shop. You only need to spend a small amount of ingots or coupons!

subset: commoncrawl


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When to automate: Economical controllers ease the entry point
With automation becoming more flexible, smaller lot sizes can make it practical to profitably automate what previously was considered only for hand assembly. Modular, flexible embedded PCs, programmable with one software platform, can lower the entry point for when to automate.
Even with smaller lot sizes it can be practical to profitably automate what previously was considered only for hand assembly. Here are considerations when looking at what and when to automate.
The engineer in me says, always automate, but the businessman side asks, why and what is it going to do for my business? What is my return on investment? If you want your machines to have sub-micron level accuracy and repeatability beyond what a human can do, then automate. From a cost-benefit analysis standpoint, if automating increases throughput and productivity, you may want to consider it, but if the driving force is only to reduce headcount and there are no other quantifiable benefits, it may not make sense.
Automating smaller modular machines that didn't previously have automation is more feasible today than ever before, whether a retrofit or entirely new machine. Some obvious key advantages of automating are increased throughput and productivity, improved quality or predictability of quality, accountability, improved performance, enhanced speed, precise measurement, and reduced costs overall. Another key benefit is data-traceability, tying factory floor systems directly into manufacturing execution software (MES) systems, which provides more accurate tracking of throughput. From experience, you might be thinking that all these additional capabilities come with a hefty price tag, but you might be surprised to know that deciding to automate smaller systems doesn't have to break the bank.
Numerous options are available when seeking a more cost-effective approach to automating without sacrificing reliability or performance. With the small controller renaissance well upon us, a variety of new compact controllers are available that are low cost, but still maintain high performance by traditional industry standards.
Smaller controllers, same platform
Selecting a smaller controller is a great starting point. Although small, such PC-based controllers are more than capable of producing enough power and performance for many machines in the field, especially those sitting on the line of whether to automate or not. The integration of smaller controllers can also lead to the discovery of new "small machine" niches, creating more options for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and end user to apply automation with compelling results.
Incorporating smaller controllers from a vendor with a unified programming environment can facilitate easier migration paths down the road when considering higher performance controllers because one software platform is used throughout the product line—simply switching to a different level of controller does not require a software platform change. Embedded PCs are quite cost-effective, especially when compared against traditional PLC solutions. Users can expect to pay between $470 and $1000 for a robust small controller.
Controllers also can integrate fieldbus communications and PLC functionality for prices between $200 and a little over $600 depending on the fieldbus and level of performance. The same programming software provides the option to program in all the languages established in IEC 61131-3. Using any of these controller options to automate a smaller system is a highly cost-effective and reliable way to introduce more automation into applications and still achieve an impressive return on investment (ROI).
– Mark Lewis is manager of technical services, Beckhoff Automation. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, CFE Media, Control Engineering and Plant Engineering, firstname.lastname@example.com.
Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our CFE Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.


text: > > Not sure why the timer is so lousy, > > I had to make the array large to get a reasonably accurate time: > > This is indeed another interesting point. I'd really like to understand it. > In addition when I re-run stream the rates vary quite a bit despite > the high loop count (50) and very small std dev (min & max are pretty close). One useful question is what kernel are you running? Running (e.g.) FC 1 and the 2.4 kernel one would expect to get a wide range of times because that kernel was more or less broken on X86_64 duals. I would see vastly different times for the same job run in multiple instances on the system, which would certainly increase the spread. I haven't observed this at all on FC2 (2.6 kernels) and so far FC3 is behaving itself on the AMD64. I've got a nasty cold and will probably stay tucked up with my laptop at least part of the day (it generates enough heat to function as a sort of hot-water bottle:-). I may try to run a couple of application-level benchmarks on metatron to get a rough idea of timings in mixed code. My microbenchmark results suggest that it will do pretty well in my Monte Carlo program because it involves sqrt, ln, exp and some trig per site in a lattice problem and is hence heavily CPU bound (as opposed to memory). If the CPU really does these things 2x-3x faster than a P4 AND has a higher clock than most of what I have available at home or at work, I will a happy camper be. BTW, anyone who tried to visit the benchmaster site I posted earlier and found the download link broken -- this was pointed out offline and it is all fixed now. I'm working on making all the stuff I build and maintain yum-downloadable, and my onsite php functions had to be hacked to support the requisite repository structure. There are binary rpm's for centos 3.3 (i386 only, which will probably work for RHEL even without a rebuild), FC2, FC3, and RH 9 (i386 only), as well as source RPMs and tarballs to match. I'd be very interested in feedback on how these work as straight RPMs. I've tested a download/install on a few of my own systems and they seem to work for me. Of course, the real fun in having a benchmarking program is being able to recompile it and play with things, but there is also at least some virtue in running the exact same code on multiple platforms. rgb -- Robert G. Brown http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/ Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305 Durham, N.C. 27708-0305 Phone: 1-919-660-2567 Fax: 919-660-2525 email:rgb at phy.duke.edu


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Categories > TV > Joan of Arcadia
Put Away Childish Things
0 reviewsThe third episode for an imaginary season three. Joan is confused about her relationship with Ryan, and her family have their own problems. Can she trust her friends to help?
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) ? Stargazers of the world are getting a treat this weekend.
On Saturday and again Sunday, Venus, Jupiter and Earth's moon converge for a brilliant night show.
Venus and Jupiter already are lining up in the western sky. In mid-February, the two planets were 20 degrees apart from a viewing perspective. The gap narrows to 10 degrees by month's end.
A crescent moon joins the show this weekend for a triple combination. The celestial encounter will be visible from around the world at twilight. The moon will appear closer to Venus on Saturday and closer to Jupiter on Sunday.
The moon then retreats from view, but Venus and Jupiter keep drawing closer. The two planets will be just 3 degrees apart by mid-March.
NASA: http://tinyurl.com/7b8vt6w


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China acts to chill interest in independent films
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities have disrupted an independent film school, shut down two film festivals and harassed organizers of a third in recent months, say independent filmmakers, who see the actions as part of a general clampdown on freedom of expression.
Filmmakers whose edgy themes contrast with the rosier images of the country's mainstream industry are accustomed to censorship of content deemed to show China in a negative light.
But independent filmmakers say authorities now appear to be trying to chill the sharing and discussion of their films, amid a broader clampdown under Chinese leader Xi Jinping on public discourse that could potentially undermine the country's one-party rule, including the arrests of bloggers who post sensitive material and activists who have accused officials of corruption.
"They just want us to make films about food, clothes, entertainment. They don't want people to think, they don't want people to have the freedom to express themselves, they don't want people to have independent and free ideas," said Yang Lina, an independent documentary maker whose first fictional film — about urban Chinese women — debuted at Rotterdam's international film festival this year.
"We are upset, but also find it absurd," Yang said.
Yang was speaking during the Beijing Independent Film Festival that runs through Saturday. Police came to last week's opening and ordered the event cancelled, although organizers kept the festival going by changing some locations and programs, said Wang Hongwei, one of the festival's creators. He said few people were coming because they didn't know it was still on or were scared.
"They don't like people with interesting ideas gathering together," said one of the jurors, Zhen Zhang, a cinema studies professor at New York University.
Other festivals fared worse. In March, the Yunnan Multi-Cultural Festival in southwest China, an influential platform for documentaries, was cancelled. In November, attendees at the 10-year-old China Independent Film Festival in eastern Nanjing were similarly frustrated. Nanjing organizer Wang Fei said the festival's financial backers withdrew support under pressure from authorities.
Last month, police ordered the closure of China's only independent film school, the Li Xianting Film School in Beijing, saying that it was "promoting anti-social ideology," said filmmaker and faculty member Cui Zi'en.
Organizers of the school — set up four years ago because Chinese university film departments consider independent cinema to be a form of dissent — were forced to hold the 40-day course at two other locations, one in a neighboring province and another in an undisclosed part of the capital, Cui said.
Thirty students ranging in age from their 20s to 60s were staying at a hotel in Beijing on the first day of the semester when police and officials from the Industry and Commerce bureau came and told them the school was illegal, Cui said. Police took them to train stations and told them to return home, but teachers later arranged for the students to be taught elsewhere.
"When I heard all the students had been taken away, I thought: 'How can China become so frightening?'" said Cui, who has made more than 30 films, most shown in the United States and Europe and none in China.
The Public Security Ministry, Beijing police and the Industry and Commerce bureau did not respond to requests for comment.
Authorities' targeting of film forums and festivals "is really part of a broader, civil society development that is going on in China," said David Bandurski, founder of Hong Kong-based Lantern Films and producer of four independent Chinese films.
"It's not just about films, it's about activism, it's about being tied in and participating in social issues and using film as a medium to explore those, so that's what they are really interested in nipping in the bud," said Bandurski.
The government has detained at least 55 activists since February in a wide-reaching crackdown on dissent, including ideas such as "Western constitutional democracy" and "universal ideals," Human Rights Watch said in a report Thursday.
China's mainstream movie industry is supported by the government, which sees growth potential in the world's second-biggest film market, but censorship or the expectation of it means films are often confined to safe storylines.
In the 1990s, independent filmmaking was an offshoot of mainstream film culture, but a decade or so later, artists, journalists and academics started exploring digital filmmaking, bringing new themes, such as examining poverty in rural areas or exposing the country's detention system.
Such films are rarely screened inside China except at small clubs. Some have gained critical acclaim outside China, such as Wang Bing's 9-hour "West of the Tracks," which documents the lives of workers in a decaying industrial area of China. Wang's latest film, "'Til Madness Do Us Part," will be shown at the Venice Film Festival next Wednesday. None of Wang's films have been screened in his own country.
"It's not that Chinese filmmakers are going to stop making independent films, but it is certainly worrying that these avenues inside China for screening films and for sharing and talking about films have really come under attack," said Bandurski, also a researcher at the University of Hong Kong's China Media Project.
Chinese authorities "want to manage and control the perception of China and I think that's counter-productive," he said.
AP journalist Isolda Morillo contributed to this report.


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Locke, James | |
Altland, James | |
Frantz, Jonathan |
Submitted to: Journal of Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 5/10/2010 Publication Date: 6/15/2010 Citation: Locke, J.C., Altland, J.E., Frantz, J. 2010. Suppression of Zinnia Powdery Mildew in the Greenhouse with Silicon-containing Media Amendments. Journal of Phytopathology. 100:S74. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: We have previously reported that supplemental silicon supplied in hydroponic solution or soilless media can reduce the incidence and severity of powdery mildew (PM) on zinnia. This research reports the use of 1) silicon-containing organic amendments, 2) mineral compositions high in silicon content, and 3) drenched potassium silicate solution as delivery systems for silicon to zinnia grown in a peat-based growing medium. Efficacy varied with silicon concentration and/or availability in the amendments, amount of amendment supplied, and the disease pressure. Three of the amendments; rice (Oryza sativa) hulls (RH), chopped miscanthus grass (Miscanthus x giganteum) straw (MS), and chopped switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) straw (SG) reduced severity of PM ratings after three weeks but the degree of reduction decreased with increasing exposure time for all three. After 6 and 8 weeks, only RH and MS provided substantial reduction in disease. Declining protection correlates with a declining level of silicon in the zinnia leaf tissue and may correspond with a depleted silicon supply in the medium. Constant application of potassium silicate solution provided the best protection suggesting the need for a continuous supply of silicon to the leaf tissue and negating the potential of a slow-release supply of silicon from the amendments or an accumulated reserve of silicon in the zinnia tissue. Additional approaches are being explored to extend the usefulness of silicon supplementation in suppressing mildew. |


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Although Collective Upcycle's Holiday '12 pop-up shop does not officially open until next week (check out the opening party on Tuesday the 27th) you can get a sneak peek of what will be available during Cleveland's Winterfest TODAY! Celebrate Small Business Saturday by purchasing items handmade from upcycled materials by local crafters!
The Milk Belly Princess and I took some Fuzzy Wigs, pins and hair clips down to this season's location in the Colonial Arcade (also known as the Colonial Marketplace) at 530 Euclid Avenue. Here is Miss Princess with our basket full of Fuzzy Wigs:
All of the loveys in the basket are made with the sleeves of cashmere sweaters and are very soft and cuddly. I'm not sure if all of the dolls this season will be made this way, but I'll see what I can do.
Although Princess was excited to drive out to CU with me and took great pleasure in selecting her own dancing horse ornament made by the amazing Kris Barnes, her attention span was short. I wanted to walk around the store,take pictures and read the artists' stories on their hang tags and business cards, but she wanted to get home and hang her horse on the tree.
The opening party for this season's pop-up shop is Tuesday November 27th from 6-8 PM. You can read detailed information about dates, hours and parking for Collective Upcycle here. I will be at Tuesday's party and plan to take more pictures. For now, I'll leave you with a couple I managed to take on my way out the door.
These vinyl collage trees really caught my eye. Volunteering at Zerolandfill, I saw LOTS of vinyl wallcovering. and I love how the artist grouped similar colors together. I also appreciate how these trees are for sale, but double as seasonal decor in the shop.
This little pin made me smile. I admire anyone who can take small, discrete findings and transform them into something so endearing.


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NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices for The Week Ending 09-19-08
Weekly NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Table of Contents (TOC)
All NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
Extension of Expiration Date for PA-06-012 (STTR) and PA-06-013 (SBIR) -- Manufacturing Processes of Medical, Dental, and Biological Technologies
National Institutes of Health
Announcing Initial Implementation Timeline for Enhancing Peer Review
National Institutes of Health
BAA ANNOUNCEMENT: "Innate Immune Receptors and Adjuvant Discovery" BAA-NIAID-DAIT-NIHAI2008037
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
RFP Announcement: Rapid HIV Point-of-Care Diagnostic Device for Resource-Limited Settings - BAA-NIAID-DAIDS-NIHAI2008027
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
RFP ANNOUNCEMENT: Statistical and Clinical Coordinating Center for Autoimmune Disease Clinical Trials (SACCC-ADCT)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
RFP Announcement: Bioinformatics Resource Centers for Infectious Diseases - NIH-NIAID-DMID-AI2008038
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Salary Modification of NIDA-Supported Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (K24) Grants
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Notice to Clarify the Expiration Date for RFA-DA-09-002 - Medications Development Centers of Excellence (P50)
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Change in Locus of Review for NIDDK Individual NRSA Fellowship Applications (F30 and F32)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Notice of Suspension, NLM Knowledge Management and Applied Informatics Grants (G08)
National Library of Medicine
NIMH Policy Update for Career Awards (K-Series)
National Institute of Mental Health
Notice of Change of Scientific Contact and Correction of Page Limits for RFA-NR-09-001 and RFA-NR-09-002
National Institute of Nursing Research
Medicinal Chemistry Services for Neurotherapeutics: Request for Information (RFI NS-08-024)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Darth Daddy
Written by: Josh October 26 2011 I have historically (history […]
I have historically (history being one year) let Bub pretty much walk all over me. Sometimes literally.
I put up with a lot of malfeasance, always chalking it up to that whole 'lack of knowledge of the world' thing.
He's a terrible eater. My personal habits are by no means a paragon of dining etiquette, but this kid makes me look good. When he doesn't particularly care for the entree du jour, he flips his plate over with a bored sigh. If he's really into it, he goes into this sweeping motion with both hands, thusly clearing said content onto the floor en masse. Let's see you do that at a restaurant, & watch how far you get, Bub.
He throws food on the floor with smug looks, I pick it up. If it's dry (bread-like activity), he can have it back. If it's banana-esque, depending on current tile conditions and personal hunger level, I usually eat it. I bet he takes some baby schadenfreude out of that. But waste not, want not, I always say. And we no longer have an ant problem.
Sometimes he spits food in my face. This usually makes me laugh; not the best deterrent, to be sure. In a bold act of defiance, I once tried spitting food back in his face, but that backfired big time. He thought it was hilarious, spat back at me four-fold, and I couldn't really say squat. Plus I had to clean pureed zucchini out of his hair.
He smacks me in the face. Sometimes I bleed, other times just bruise. One time he got me in the cornea; I wore an eyepatch for a week, adopted the moniker Baldbeard, made idle threats of crawling the smallest plank you'll ever see, meeting Davy Jones' locker, whatever that is. It's an expression of love I tell myself. I fell down the steps again, Itell my friends. Okay, you're right, we don't have any steps. But luckily I also don't have any friends, so, you know, clean conscience and all.
Sometimes he clubs me with things. Anything, really. Spatula, CD case, whatever is in reach. Wooden blocks hurt; I can confirm that rumor. Music class has taught him to bang on things. What he lacks in rhythm, he makes up for in vicious repetition. He's got a toy hammer, and it's no fun to be the nail, let me assure you.
But times they are a-changing, Bully Bub. I've started fighting back, standing my ground. And it appears to be working. He no longer flips his plates over. Rarely does he drop food on the floor, spit food or steal my lunch money. I credit all this to a stern tone, simple inflection, lots of bass.
He knows his name now, and I know how to use it threateningly. Darth Daddy. 'Bub, I am your father.' That's actually true, so that helps my credibility.
It started with him playfully entreating the broiler to a game of hide and seek. With cold weather coming, we have already started the Radiatior Diversion Campaign. So far it's going well. He does actually hear us. He doesn't always listen, is still insanely determined to actually get his entire bodily unit inside the toilet bowl. But he's hearing us, and that's a start.
And like Sonny said in A Bronx Tale: 'I'd rather be feared than loved.' Okay, maybe not. It's a tough call. A toss-up, really, game-time decision. I haven't even resorted to his middle name yet; I'm saving that for a real doozy. That should blow his devious little mind.


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The College reserves the right to cancel any class, course or section of a course for which the minimum number of students fail to enroll. Owens Community College reserves the right to make such changes in course and program offerings as may be deemed necessary by the Administration and the Board of Trustees.
*Use the course filter to search for Ohio Transfer Module (OTM) approved courses by selecting type "OTM".


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Government imposes fracking moratorium
The State Government has announced a ban on any further approvals on fracking in new coal seam gas exploration wells.
Fracking uses high pressure gas to fracture coals and rock seams deep underground to release natural gas.
There is no coal seam gas production in Victoria at the moment, but 24 exploration licences have been issued over the past few years.
Five shire councils across the state have been calling for a moratorium and a study into the effect of fracking on water supplies and the environment.
Energy and Resources Minister Michael O'Brien says moratorium will remain in place while it waits for a national approach to be developed.
"We're expecting to see the results of that national work reported to energy ministers in December," he told ABC local radio.
"Frankly it wouldn't make much sense to give approvals now for hydraulic fracturing to take place when that may be superseded by new national regulations as soon as December."
The Opposition says temporary ban does not go far enough.
Labor's Upper House Member for Eastern Region, Matt Viney, says the issue should go to a select committee.
"We believe that it's a good thing to allow the community to make submissions to the Parliament through a select committee to establish and clarify community concerns," he said.
Cam Walker from Friends of the Earth says a moratorium would be positive, but it must apply to existing exploration wells.
"There are really deep community concerns that new coal proposals, coal seam gas operations in general, the greenhouse gas emissions that would come regardless of whether you frack or not," he said.
"So simply putting a moratorium on future fracking operations will not make this problem go away."
Deputy Premier Peter Ryan says the Government has decided to take a cautious approach.
"What we've now engaged in is the process of making sure that for those who do want to search for it, they are now subject to a regime which we think is much much more appropriate to contemporary needs," he said.


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by Jeff Miller
When nearly everything you see or read seems to carry the same message, it is time to take a deeper look. The mainstream thought now seems to include an obligatory nod to the "mess in Europe" featuring their clueless leaders, the fiscal cliff, the recessionary US economy, and the upcoming hard landing in China.
Wow! It does not take much to convince the punditry that investors should all step aside until after the election.It is reminiscent of early 2009, when everyone searched to explain relentless selling in the absence of any fresh news. I started writing a four-part series and only finished three before things changed.
When it is least expected, something might go right.
I'll offer some more thoughts on this in the conclusion, but first let's do our regular review of the events and data from last week.
Background on "Weighing the Week Ahead"
There are many good sources for a list of upcoming events. With foreign markets setting the tone for US trading on many days, I especially like the comprehensive calendar from Forexpros. There is also helpful descriptive and historical information on each item.
In contrast, I highlight a smaller group of events. My theme is an expert guess about what we will be watching on TV and reading in the mainstream media. It is a focus on what I think is important for my trading and client portfolios.
This is unlike my other articles at "A Dash" where I develop a focused, logical argument with supporting data on a single theme. Here I am simply sharing my conclusions. Sometimes these are topics that I have already written about, and others are on my agenda. I am putting the news in context.
Readers often disagree with my conclusions. Do not be bashful. Join in and comment about what we should expect in the days ahead. This weekly piece emphasizes my opinions about what is really important and how to put the news in context. I have had great success with my approach, but feel free to disagree. That is what makes a market!
Last Week's Data
Each week I break down events into good and bad. Often there is "ugly" and on rare occasion something really good. My working definition of "good" has two components:
- The news is market-friendly. Our personal policy preferences are not relevant for this test. And especially — no politics.
- It is better than expectations.
The Good
The US economic data last week was actually pretty good.
- The Greek election was the best possible news, opening the way for a reasonable compromise solution. The New Athenian is a great source, covering the various possible outcomes.
- The Fed paved the way for further action. The official policy extended Operation Twist as I (and most others) expected. In the press conference (apparently ignored by many who heard what they wanted to hear) Bernanke was quite clear in stating that the Fed would not be stopped by politics. The disparity between the economic forecasts and stated objectives is clear — the subject of several questions. Bill McBride at Calculated Risk thinks this means action at the August 1st meeting, but he notes that others see a further delay. See also top Fed watcher Tim Duy's analysis.
- The Conference Board's leading indicators recorded a surprising gain of 0.3. See Steven Hansen's analysis.
- The most important housing data showed strength — especially building permits. (See Calculated Risk for the good charts and analysis. Bonus! Shadow demand is increasing).
- The G20 meetings were positive for the Europe situation. The coverage of these meetings in the regular financial media is so bad that it is almost impossible to track the progress. If you want to track progress, you need to have good sources. Here is a key point from the Council on Foreign Relations:
'What were the main takeaways of the summit?
The two key takeaways are: first, the additional commitment of funds to the IMF by the large emerging markets, which indicates that they have accepted to continue a longer-term process of IMF quota reform, despite the Obama administration's inability to get Congressional approval for the 2010 agreement before the October 2012 deadline. Secondly, it is the detailed commitment of the euro area, which "will"–rather than intend, or should–"take all necessary measures to safeguard the integrity and stability of the area, improve the functioning of financial markets and break the feedback loop between sovereigns and banks."'
- Sentiment is more negative than in early 2009 (via Bespoke).
- Conditions in Europe have improved. You would never know this unless you looked at data instead of headlines! I read FT Alphaville to follow this news, and so should you. Spanish bond yields are the single simplest measure of progress:
Scott Grannis notes this as well as swap spreads, adding more good charts. He writes as follows:
"The 10 bps decline in swap spreads in the past week or so is impressive by itself, and more so since it takes swap spreads back to the levels of late July last year, when the Eurozone crisis was just beginning to heat up. The ECB's liquidity injections have managed to restore a lot of confidence and liquidity to the Eurozone financial market, and that is an essential first step to allowing the crisis to play itself out."
The Bad
Most of the economic news reflected weaker than expected results. This continues the pattern of sluggish growth we have seen for several months.
- Even the highway bill despite bipartisan support, seems to be stalled.
- Earnings estimates are falling. The Q212 estimates for the S&P 500 have declined dramatically (via Reuters). Dr. Ed. has a helpful chart showing the decline for the quarterly estimates. The overall estimate is still a healthy increase over last year, but it bears watching.
- The Philly Fed Index had an alarming decline. For years I have expressed little confidence in this indicator — one region, with no information on the sample, response rate, margin of error, etc. It also is a diffusion index, so it shows direction rather than level. We all know that the direction is lower. The market is pretty uncritical about this. See Steven Hansen's discussion for a comprehensive analysis and a lot more history.
- Chinese Economic Data are Suspect. This is a repeat item from last week, but with new evidence. At the moment the concern is that the Chinese government (not known for Freedom of Information) might be overstating growth. Fair enough, but the motives and biases may not always be clear. There are many reasons for understating growth. They may simply wish to disguise motives, perhaps acquiring assets cheaply. Here at "A Dash" we are equal opportunity skeptics.
- Home Loans are Declining, despite lower rates. The problem? Potential borrowers cannot qualify (from Dr. Ed.)
The Ugly
Are the Chinese taking over Toledo?
Actually, I don't think this is bad news, but it was sent to me by one of the many active emailers who make sure that investors are able to find the worst in anything. The story about foreign purchases of US real estate is an old one for veterans. A highlight is the Japanese purchase of the famous Pebble Beach Golf course in 1990.
As long as the US has a trade deficit, our trading partners will make investments in US assets.
The Indicator Snapshot
It is important to keep the current news in perspective. My weekly snapshot includes the most important summary indicators:
- The St. Louis Financial Stress Index.
- The key measures from our "Felix" ETF model.
- An updated analysis of recession probability.
The SLFSI reports with a one-week lag. This means that the reported values do not include last week's market action. The SLFSI has moved a lot lower, and is now out of the trigger range of my pre-determined risk alarm. This is an excellent tool for managing risk objectively, and it has suggested the need for more caution. Before implementing this indicator our team did extensive research, discovering a "warning range" that deserves respect. We identified a reading of 1.1 or higher as a place to consider reducing positions.
The SLFSI is not a market-timing tool, since it does not attempt to predict how people will interpret events. It uses data, mostly from credit markets, to reach an objective risk assessment. The biggest profits come from going all-in when risk is high on this indicator, but so do the biggest losses.
Tim Duy has a nice update on financial stress, including the SLFSI and some alternatives. He has expert analysis and helpful charts.
The C-Score is a weekly interpretation of the best recession indicator I found, Bob Dieli's "aggregate spread." I'll explain more about the C-Score soon. We are working on a modification that will make this method even more sensitive. None of the recession methods are worrisome. Bob also has a group of coincident indicators. Like most of the top recession forecasters, he uses these to confirm the long-term prediction. These indicators are also not close to a recession signal.
For comprehensive recession forecasting we recommend the RecessionAlert team. They have reverse-engineered the ECRI approach and improved on the recession forecasting power. Since they have not gotten the mainstream recognition they deserve, you can still enjoy the advantage from their methods. You should consider subscribing for more detailed reports covering various time frames and GDP forecasting. They have also initiated a new service — the Shadow Weekly Leading Index. If you like the ECRI approach, you can get an advance read before their weekly announcement. The most recent take on the ECRI approach suggests a 37% recession probability. If there is no improvement, there might be a warning in two or three months — still not close to the ECRI's own prediction.
Doug Short has a complete history of the ECRI call, updates from fresh data, a list of sources, and the famous Short Charts that you would expect.
Our "Felix" model is the basis for our "official" vote in the weekly Ticker Sense Blogger Sentiment Poll. We have a long public record for these positions. This week we switched to "bullish." Last week we noted that the "neutral" call was marginal. Remember that these predictions, although made each week, are supposed to represent expectations over the upcoming month.
[For more on the penalty box see this article. For more on the system ratings, you can write to etf at newarc dot com for our free report package or to be added to the (free) weekly ETF email list. You can also write personally to me with questions or comments, and I'll do my best to answer.]
The Week Ahead
I was correct last week in my prediction both about the FOMC decision and the week-long focus. This week has more possible themes, including the Supreme Court decision on health care and speculation about the European Summit.
There are three housing reports including new home sales (Monday), Case-Shiller home prices (Tuesday), and pending home sales (Wednesday). Taken together with last week's housing data, these could be interesting.
In order of importance, we have the regular Thursday report on initial jobless claims, consumer confidence (Tuesday), personal income and spending (Friday), and durable goods (Wednesday). There are various regional Fed reports during the week, but they will be less important unless we get a big change like last week's Philly survey. The Chicago PMI is interesting as an early read on the national ISM number, especially when there is a weekend in between as is the case next week.
Trading Time Frame
Our trading positions were unchanged last week. We remain 2/3 invested in long positions. Felix is not a range trader, but is excellent at getting on the right side for big moves. There are several highly-rated sectors in the penalty box, while the inverse ETFs are at the bottom of the chart. I expect to add new long positions during the week.
Investor Time Frame
The successful investment strategy differs markedly from trading. It is especially important to establish good, long-term positions when prices are favorable. I tried to explain the most important concept for individual investors in this article about the Wall of Worry. I have had many emails from people who had a personal breakthrough in their investing when they understood this concept. If you missed it, I urge you to take a look. You can contrast this with the many pundits who claim miracles of market timing.
The big threat is for investors is the apparent safety of bond funds. The consensus expectation is that rates are rising, as shown in this clever and important chart from Doug Short:
Each line represents the forecasts for a new year. You can see that the consensus of economists expects interest rates to move much higher. Unless you think you are smarter, you might want to pay attention.
If that happens, I outlined last week why you should be worried about holding bond funds instead of individual bonds. It is the biggest investor threat right now.
Right now the market is giving you two things:
- Plenty of great stocks that are as cheap as they were at the market bottom in 2009, on a price-to-earnings basis. To pick two examples, I buy Apple (AAPL) and Caterpillar (CAT) on day one for every new client. There are many others.
- Good dividend stocks where you can sell short-term calls. I am doing this as a "bond substitute" providing the yield we need in a low-rate environment. I am targeting 8-9% returns on this approach, and achieving it through an up and down market cycle. You can, too, but it takes some work.
Investors who play these themes will do well, regardless of the headlines.
Final Thoughts on Possible Surprises
The investor quest for yield has taken sector valuations to extreme levels. Take a look at this chart from Bespoke.
No wonder we see tech stocks as cheap.
There are several sources for a surprise in the next few weeks.
- The Supreme Court health care decision will provide clarity. Business leaders have complained about a lack of predictability. If the law is struck down, many will celebrate immediately and certain health sectors will rally. Even if it is maintained, the rules will be known.
- Housing is showing signs of bottoming. Many forget that the economy will be 1 to 1.5% better on GDP merely by avoiding further declines. If the 2.25 million people under age 34 decide to move out of the basement and into their own homes, it will be even better.
- European Summit decisions. Since the consensus now is that these are all meetings with no substantive progress, the stage is set for a surprise. Most US investors might be surprised to learn that the European leaders actually have access to all of the same information they have, via newspapers printed in other languages.
- Increased confidence from lower fuel prices.
These are just the most obvious. Readers are invited to suggest other ideas. Please try for something new!
Related Articles
Investing articles by Jeff Miller
Other Recent Investing Blog articles
About the Author
Jeff Miller has been a partner in New Arc Investments since 1997, managing investment partnerships and individual accounts. He has worked for market makers at the Chicago Board Options Exchange, where he found anomalies in the standard option pricing models and developed new forecasting techniques. Jeff is a Public Policy analyst and formerly taught advanced research methods at the University of Wisconsin. He analyzed many issues related to state tax policy and provided quantitative modeling which helped inform state and local officials in Wisconsin for more than a decade. Jeff writes at his blog, A Dash of Insight.


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After the number of rejections the following story has received, I've worked out which song it's singing, and it's short enough that those of you who care can experience a free read of a story that never quite made it.
So, for your reading pleasure, or otherwise, a freebie:
Meanwhile, in a cubicle some way distant from the main story, a man sat back from his computer's strobing screen, loosened his tie, and experienced the type of epiphany the rest of us have to watch the right movie to believe in.
Orders died part-way up the throats of generals. Massed ranks of slavering Orc-demons checked their watches, shuffled from foot to foot to keep the circulation going, and glanced about, calculating the chances of maybe, just for a minute, dropping their battle shields and lighting a quick fag without anyone in command catching them at it. Far above, in a sky so distant it was more velvet than blue, the intercontinental bombers of the US Air Force circled in mile-wide loops like so many hungry seagulls on autopilot. Cards were dealt. Bets were placed. Coins changed hands in silent camaraderie. All except for one lonely aircraft at the periphery of the armada, where a role-playing game called 'Mafia' entered its third round.
It could all resume at any moment. The war for truth. Or freedom. Justice. You know. That one.
Any moment at all.
No longer defined by his cubicle, so insignificant to the scheme of things that I don't even know his name to tell you, not even really our hero, the man closed his boss' door for the last time, took a moment to drain the last cold swish of coffee from his cup, and dropped his security pass at the front desk. A puff of air-conditioned cold pushed him from the building forever. He inhaled the smells of the street, looked left, then right, and strode away, the cardboard box in his grasp holding the few reminders he wished to retain.
In an unnamed pass, high in a mountain range at the edge of the world, turbaned teenagers passed around spliffs and tuned a radio to catch the latest scores. Men in balaclavas clung to ropes above them, calling out "There, no there, there!" in strange accents as the static receded. Deep within the most important building in the world, a silver-haired man in a suit more expensive then your life threw a red telephone against the wall and sat with his arms crossed, glowering at the world he imagined lay outside.
Queens trumped Jacks. Shields were lowered. A tail gunner looked at his crewmates, smiled convincingly, and said "I am not Mafia" as they voted.
Nothing was over, of course. Not without some sort of resolution. It would never cease, no matter what happened at this moment. But just for this moment, this one, small moment...
After dinner, with a newly-purchased bouquet fanned out above the lip of a vase, and a half-bottle of red between them on the carpet, the man with no cubicle shared his epiphany with his wife, and held his breath.
Orc-demons stared at one another. Pilots looked up from their cards. The most important building in the world grew silent. As far as a galaxy far, far away, even as far as that, weapons were lowered. Everyone stopped, and waited, and watched.
The man's wife reached out and ran a single fingernail down the side of his jaw.
"I love you so much," she said, and brought his smile down to her lips.
A soccer ball struck the mud midway between two lines of trenches. Slowly at first, then with greater assurance, men of both sides emerged to shake hands, to hug, to swap chocolate and whiskey and photographs from home.
By the time the man and his wife turned off the lights and drew each other down onto the bed, a new game was well underway.


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If setup fails, we can recommend a speaker factory reset and a new setup through the speaker web interface.
Perform a factory reset to clear all settings on your Libratone speaker.
- Switch OFF your Libratone speaker and wait 1 minute
- Maintain logo button pressure and switch ON your Libratone speaker (don't release the logo button until you see a solid yellow light in the logo button)
- Your Libratone speaker will initiate the startup process
- no light (10 sec) > maintain logo button pressure
- fast yellow > maintain logo button pressure
- solid yellow > let go of the logo button
- Speaker reset is initiated and your Libratone speaker will start pulsing yellow
- Speaker is ready in setup mode when the logo button is either RED fast pulsing or shows a white blink-pulse-blink sequence
Set up the speaker using its web interface.
- Open Wi-Fi settings on your iPhone/iPad/Mac/PC and connect to the Libratone network (Libratone XXXXXX)
- Start your internet browser
- Enter 192.168.1.1 in the URL and press Enter
- On the Libratone setup page choose your home Wi-Fi network and enter the Wi-Fi password
- Press "Apply settings"
- Your Libratone speaker will restart (logo button on your Libratone speaker will start pulsing yellow)
- Setup is completed when the speaker starts pulsing white. Speaker is ready to be played to through AirPlay.
TOP 3 RECOMMENDATIONS IF SETUP FAILS (RED pulsating logo button)
- On Wi-Fi router: Use wireless standard 802.11g (2.4 GHz) (5 GHz not supported)
- On Wi-Fi router: Select WPA2 security + AES encryption (WEP is not recommended)
- On Wi-Fi router: Avoid all special characters in name eg. (:-_/*!"?=.æøüé) Use only numbers and letters in router name/password and speaker name.
Click here to get the complete list of requirements and recommendations.


text: "Experience Matters" I believe that buyers and sellers want an honest professional who demonstrates integrity, market knowledge and a willingness to work hard to help them reach their goals. For over 26 years I have specialized in the Markham/Unionville and Stouffville markets guiding over 1100 families through the selling and buying process. Let me show you how my experience, my commitment to excellence and understanding of the real estate market, will truly make a difference for you. I promise to always have your best interests at heart and welcome the opportunity to meet with you without obligation.


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Before fossil fuels, Earths minerals kept CO2 in check
University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaRichard Zeebe of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology studied levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the past 610,000 years using data from gas bubbles trapped in Antarctic ice cores. They used these records, plus geochemical data from ocean sediments, to model how carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by volcanoes and other natural sources is ultimately recycled via carbon-bearing minerals back into the crust.
When carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise, the chemical reactions that break down silicate minerals at the Earth's surface are accelerated. Among the products of these reactions are calcium ions, which dissolve in water and are washed to the ocean by rivers. Marine organisms such as calcareous plankton and mollusks combine the calcium ions with dissolved carbon dioxide to make their shells (calcium carbonate), which removes both calcium and carbon dioxide from the ocean, restoring the balance.
The researchers found that over hundreds of thousands of years the equilibrium between carbon dioxide input and removal was never more than one to two percent out of balance, a strong indication of a natural feedback system. This natural feedback acts as a thermostat which is critical for the long-term stability of climate. During Earth's history it has likely helped to prevent runaway greenhouse and icehouse conditions over time scales of millions to billions of years — a prerequisite for sustaining liquid water on Earth's surface.
"Before anthropogenic emissions were added to the equation, the system was nicely balanced," says Zeebe. "But this has changed. The average man-made increase in atmospheric CO2 from fossil fuel burning and deforestation over the past 200 years is about 14,000 times faster than the long-term average change over the past 610,000 years."
Previous researchers had suggested that such a system existed, but Zeebe and Caldeira's study provides the first observational evidence supporting the theory, and confirms its role in balancing the carbon cycle. But because it operates over such a long time scale—the time scale over which landscapes are eroded and washed to the sea—this geological feedback system offers little comfort with respect to the current climate crisis.
Carbon dioxide is added naturally to the atmosphere and oceans from volcanoes and hydrothermal vents at a rate of about 0.1 billion tons of carbon each year. Human industrial activity and destruction of forests is adding carbon about 100 times faster, approximately 10 billion tons of carbon each year. "We are currently releasing fossil fuels from long-term reservoirs that usually store carbon over millions of years," says Zeebe. "The natural long-term feedbacks which remove carbon from the atmosphere are way too slow to keep up with the pace at which we release it. We cannot expect that those feedbacks will protect us from climate change and ocean acidification in the near future. This will take tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. "
Zeebe, Richard E., and Ken Caldeira. Close mass balance of long-term carbon fluxes from ice-core CO2 and ocean chemistry records. Nature Geoscience, Advance Online Publication, April 27, 2008.
For more information, visit: http://http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v1/n5/index.html


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Error for Morse
what happened?
Came running in on a line drive, till he realized he overran it, leaped, and it went well over his head.
Billingsley is only 27. How old are you?
Desmond with a base hit
morse owes us.
Cuts the lead in half? 2-1 ballgame? wtf?
bob carpenter is awful.


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Hazardous Painter Certification
This course meets the requirement of the Alaska Department of Labor (DOL) for certain painters to obtain a hazardous painting certificate. According to 08 AAC 061. 800 persons who perform hazardous painting operations must attend an approved 16 hour course and obtain a certificate from the DOL. Renewal courses(8 hour) and certification are required every 3 years thereafter. The course provides instruction on the health and safety hazards of typical paint operations; engineering controls, work practices and PPE. Hands-on training consists of qualitative fit tests, setting up push-pull ventilation and using air flow measurement tools.


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As I watch a great number of my fellow Americans and virtually all of the mainstream media descend further and further into irrational and immoral hysteria — regularly calling the president of the United States and all of his supporters Nazis, white supremacists and the like; harassing Republicans where they eat, shop and live; ending family ties and lifelong friendships with people who support the president; declaring their opposition to Trump and the Republican Party the "Resistance," as if they were American reincarnations of the French who fought real Nazis in World War II; and so on — I ask myself: What is going on? How does one explain them?
Here are some answers:
1. Naivete
Many Americans are naive, about life, about good and evil, and about America. They don't realize how rare America is and how good they have it. This mass naivete was vividly expressed by the reaction of tens of thousands of mostly white middle-class Americans to then-candidate Barack Obama in 2008, when he was campaigning in Columbia, Missouri. Obama announced, "We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America."
I frequently play the recording of Obama's statement on my radio show not only to explain a basic difference between right and left — the left believes America needs to be fundamentally transformed, while the right thinks America needs to be incrementally improved — but also for people to hear the crowd's reaction.
Very few contemporary American recordings are as depressing as the ecstatic and prolonged cheering the crowd gave that terrible promise from Obama. I believe it is not an exaggeration to say that had he announced a cure for cancer, the cheering could not have been louder and probably would not have been longer.
Why would middle-class Americans — people who have more affluence, more opportunity, better health, better health care and more liberty than almost anyone alive in the world today, and certainly than anyone who ever lived — thunderously applaud a call to fundamentally transform their decent country?
One answer — one of many, as we will see — is naivete.
Earlier this year, I had a debate/dialogue with two left-wing students at the University of California, Berkeley. I thought debating left-wing students, rather than giving a speech, would accomplish two objectives: deter left-wing protesters from disrupting my appearance and enable young people at Berkeley and around the world (via the internet) to hear differences between right and left clearly spelled out. Both aims were achieved.
My final question to them was "Do you believe people are basically good?" Without a moment's pause, both students said yes.
I told them they think that way because they live in such a decent country. It is easy to remain naive in America, where most are insulated from the suffering inflicted on so much of humanity in deeply corrupt, poverty-stricken and war-torn societies. Nevertheless, given the way humans have treated one another throughout history, and only two generations after Auschwitz, only the naive can believe people are basically good. And since no Western religion (i.e., any religion based on the Bible) has ever posited that people are basically good, this naivete is abetted by secularism, which allows for the pursuit of knowledge but destroys wisdom.
Only the naive — or willfully ignorant — could equate support for Donald Trump with Nazism. Are most Israeli Jews Nazis? Are a third of America's Jews Nazis? (Many on the left would probably answer yes, which gives you an idea how mean and sick many on the left are.)
2. Boredom
Boredom, at least in our time, is the most overlooked source of evil. In the past, before people went to college and abandoned religion — the two greatest reasons there is so much moral idiocy in our time — people knew how dangerous boredom was. "Idle hands are the devil's workshop" was a commonly used aphorism that wouldn't even make sense to most young people today.
By bored I am not referring to a lack of things to do. There is more opportunity to do and experience things today than ever before. By bored I mean a deep boredom of the soul, what the French call "ennui." This is the boredom that emanates from lack of purpose and a yearning for excitement.
The combination of affluence and secularism produces boredom as surely as the combination of hydrogen and oxygen produces water. Without affluence, people have a built-in purpose: obtaining food and shelter, supporting oneself and one's family, etc. And religion, with or without affluence, likewise has always provided people with meaning. Without religion, therefore, purpose is often lost. Add to that the number of people who are not married and do not have children (also a result of the combination of affluence and secularism) and you remove another universal source of meaning.
A disproportionate percentage of those on the left (not traditional liberals) do not lack for material needs, have no religion and are single and/or childless. Those left-wing screamers you see in restaurants, the left-wing mobs on campus, the left-wing "antifa" thugs and the left-wing Black Lives Matter demonstrators who close down bridges and highways do not generally consist of married people with children who attended church the previous Sunday.
These people find this lack of purpose assuaged by leftism. It provides meaning and excitement, a very heady combination.
These are a few explanations. In Part II I will offer others.
Photo: Bartosz Brzezinsk


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RPS At E3: Star Wars - The Old Republic
A new class for BioWare's forthcoming Star Wars MMO was revealed today: the Smuggler. Described by BioWare as, "The Han Solo fantasy," the Smuggler is a ranged fighter who makes cunning use of a freshly revealed cover system. More details, plus a reaction to our seeing some fantastic battles, below.
The thing I want to report most of all is just how bloody beautiful the game looks. Stylised, it's one of a number of games around at the moment that appears to have taken its inspiration from concept art. SWTOR's world looks as if it were created with a watercolour paintbrush. The vistas of the Smuggler's lush world, or the barren wastes in which a Bounty Hunter stalked, were just breathtaking. Not just because of the sheer volume of detail, but the artistry with which it's presented. It's pretty special.
But back to that new class. The Smuggler has his Han Solo-style blaster pistol, and lacking any heavy armour, is reliant on more tactical, stealthy play. This is realised through a cover system unlike any other MMO. When approaching trees, rocks, buildings, and so on, a crude faint green blocky figure appears, indicating places the player can lock into to take the cover. This is apparently not unique to the Smuggler, but certainly won't be available to all classes. It was quick-n-simple, letting the blaster fire be aimed at multiple enemies easily and with more safety. Of course, the Smuggler needs to be able to do something if the enemy gets too close, and one of his melee options was revealed today: he can kick a baddie in the groin, then shoot him in the head. Nice.
Once again the emphasis could not have been more firmly stated as being on story. And once again, we were shown a ton of really awesome looking battles. The ddifference between BioWare's claims for the power of the narrative in The Old Republic, and what's being shown, is always a little disjointed. But it's understandable. When you've got a game that can present battles that look quite so stunning as those shown in LucasArts' Jedi temple today (no, really, they've build a faux-stone Jedi temple in the corner of a small upstairs room of the LA Convention Center), you can see why they'd not want to demo you someone having an extensive chat with an NPC, no matter how emotional the consequences.
However, it's important to report that we were shown an important choice moment. The game's dialogue is 100% voiced - a first for an MMO, and a task too gargantuan to bear thinking about - so decisions aren't as simple as dismissing a screen of text. Decent actors delivering their pleas always add significance. We were shown a level in which a Sith and a Bounty Hunter had fought their way to the bridge of a Republic ship. Killing the captain was a choice put into our hands, and of course the vote went with his death. Sith, after all. The consequences of this action are apparently far reaching, and in this instance led to a tremendous space battle going on outside the window.
There's no going back on moments like that. Saving that captain's life would have taken the plot in a whole other direction, and it's one the bloodthirsty player would never know without playing the game over again from the start. No saving and reloading in an MMO. Quite how such moments are handled when played in a party is not being divulged just yet, but we're assured it's all worked out.
Leading up to this decision was a quite remarkable fight. SWTOR is designed to let you fight two, three or four enemies at once without certain doom. The fight for the bridge saw the Sith player perform some really splendid moves to take out multiple targets, including a Force Jump that let him target enemies on the other side of the sizeable level, and leap into them, lightsabre slashing as he landed. Force Choke also provided a grisly ending for a tough Jedi enemy, who had been impressively weakened by the Bounty Hunter who set him on fire with his flamethrower. He was now hovering in midair on his jetpack, taking pot shots. Good times.
The emphasis on story means there's also a strong focus on morality. Whether you're Republic or Sith, you can still be a bastard (I have been promised that there will be plenty of opportunities to make some completely horrendous decisions) or a do-gooder. And with Dark and Light come unique abilities unavailable to those who fail to be as lovely or as evil as you. At one point the Sith character had a bar on screen explaining that he was "channelling hatred". Ooh.
SWTOR boasts a bunch of firsts. As mentioned, it's the first MMO to have every line recorded. It's also the first MMO to offer conversation choices (although I think there's a couple of others in development that are planning the same). And it's the first MMO that will have a truly unique experience depending upon which side you take. BioWare were keen to once again point out there's not a single quest common to the Sith and the Republic. When asked why they're not making Knights of the Republic 3, their reply is that this is it, and it's KotOR 4, 5, 6 and 7 as well.


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To Autumn
"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease;
For Summer has o'erbrimm'd their clammy cells."
Well the poetry is all, of course, thanks to John Keats and is the first verse of his 'Ode to Autumn'. As an aside, the pink flower picture above is proof that Dahlias can be bee-friendly despite being unscented. Indeed Dahlia centres almost always reveal themselves before the flower goes over, however ornate, decorative or pom-pom shaped the flower is. You will only frustrate the bees if you cut or dead-head them too early (which I know you'll do for competition blooms!). If you leave the dieing heads on for a bit longer the bees will thank you.
Anyway, in this time of lots of 'brown' in the garden - mud, bare earth, dead heads on roses, general 'over' plant material and fallen leaves that still need clearing, I thought some colour and remembrance of recent past glories was in order.
And I haven't really blogged Autumn. The colours have been fabulous and it has been so mild and gentle on the plants still in flower.
Indeed things in the garden are behaving very strangely. Friends here already had daffodils out in December. I have them out now, along with Saxifrage that really needs to wait until later. And I still have last year's Geums, Geraniums and Roses in flower plus re-appearing Knautia macedonia 'Melton Pastels' and Clematis buds everywhere. I do hope these later frosts won't completely knock them out because they should really be resting at the moment and saving their energy for later in the year.
And six of the Armeria lovelies below (which I bought on an impulse as fillers) have flowered non-stop since March 2015 when I planted them in the terrace walls. They look like better-flowered chives in pink, red and white. The flowers are sort of papery and pre-dried from the start so they last really well too - even when cut. These little charmers are amazing value all round really.
So, post the poetry, I thought I'd give you just a few more Autumn pictures. They don't fit the other verses of Keats' ode so it is basically a photo blog from here on in - which I am sure you'll be grateful for - instead of the 'many thousand plus words' I normally end up writing.
This plant nearly got dug up a hundred times this Summer as it so resembled a thistle weed. And then, in October (much too late really), it suddenly did this (see below). Thus it remains on the 'Try not to dig up' list.
For me oranges, yellows and reds are the colours of Autumn and so many late-flowering perennials and Dahlias oblige. They work wonderfully with the contrasting purples of same-time flowering Verbena bonariensis, Chleome and Buddleja with all their butterflies and the textural contrast of grasses in flower.
These are tall Alstromerias 'Red Beuaty' and 'Orange Supreme' (dug up from a clump in my London garden) teamed with grasses Miscanthus sinensis 'Ghana' (the red one) and Nasella tenuissima and and the Verbena bonariensis and Geum 'Princess Juliana' below.
And I couldn't resist a couple of butterfly pics.. Butterflies seem especially to love purple flowers - above is a Red Admiral on Buddleja 'Lochinch' below is a Small White on Verbena bonariensis.
I have also had Peacock, many other types of 'White', Painted Lady, Tortoiseshell, the vibrant green of Brimstone and the delicate Meadow brown around, especially on the nettles and briars of the surrounding farm edges. I have not seen any Blues thus far, nor Fritillaries. Perhaps 2016 will yield more.
The Dahlias as ever have provided lots of Autumn colour and flowers for cutting - so many in fact that I have also filled pots in the local shop with them. Above are D. Karma Fuschiana (pink/orange) and D. Chat Noir. The D. 'Garden Wonder' below is such a bright red that it refuses to be properly photographed. The camera simply cannot capture the intensity of the colour.
The two plants that surprised and pleased me most last year were the Lupin and the Geum. I bought a mix of Lupins as quick fillers to plant when I was first able to get into the garden in late Spring/early Summer. But, rather than being 'early/mid Summer wonders' as I had expected, they have been in flower from May until late November. All they need is a bit of dead-heading and possibly the enriched ground(?) to keep them throwing up new spires. I have been most impressed and thrilled with them.
The orange Geums ('Princess Juliana' above - vibrant, double orange, tall and very strong and 'Totally Tangerine' - single, elegant and slighly less orange from a distance), have also flowered all year. I am sure this is also about the soil inputs and regular dead-heading I have done. It's laborious on Geums, because they have so many small flowers, but they really respond to it and I think it's worth it for the really long season of colour you get as a result.
Lupins (like Dahlias) are very prone to destruction by slugs early in the season as their new, young, shoots appear from the soil in Spring. So we'll see what happens this year. I expect them to be destroyed on their re-appearance. They were in London. I may need to simply dig them up and replace them with fully formed plants from a garden centre but, if so, I think it might be worth the cost for the amazing display they have put on almost all this year. Well established plants seem to beat the slugs. And I have kept some seed pods and will give those a go too in the greenhouse.
So that's my ode to Autumn - a beautiful time with lots of flora and insects - and, of course, here we get our fair share of rainbows in the huge skies overhead. So, I'll leave you with a wonderful one (and its shadow) which turned up to welcome January in over the garden on New Year's day......
...... and one of the Buzzards that keeps a beady eye on us from a neighborouring tree.


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Study Abroad
Congratulations! When you decide to study abroad, you are embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. Here's what you need to know to keep your financial aid on track while you're away from the MTSU campus.
Where to start
The MTSU Office of Education Abroad is the starting point for students who want to learn more about their options for studying outside of the US. You can talk with one of our Education Abroad staff about the various Study Abroad Programs, destinations and costs. For information, call (615) 898-5179, or click here.
Many MTSU students choose to study abroad with an institution with which we have a formalized agreement. We call these MTSU Affiliated Programs, and groups such as KIIS, CCSA, and ISEP all fall into this category. If you plan to participate in a study abroad program with an MTSU Affiliated Program the financial aid process is the same for study abroad participants as for those students who remain on campus. However, to be eligible to receive financial aid for study abroad, you must be enrolled in coursework required for your degree. The credits earned in the program must transfer to MTSU and count as academic credits toward your degree.
Some MTSU students may choose to participate in a study abroad program with an institution that does not have a formalized consortium agreement with MTSU. We call these non-MTSU Affiliated Programs. If you plan to participate in a study abroad program with a non-MTSU Affiliated Program, and if you are a current financial aid participant at MTSU, you may need to complete an individual Study Abroad Consortium Agreement to continue to receive financial aid funds. To determine aid eligibility, you should meet with the MT One Stop who will help guide you through the process. Because original signatures are required, a minimum of 4-6 weeks must be allowed for processing the paperwork. Requests for aid may be denied if sufficient time is not allowed to process a consortium agreement.
Please note: All students receiving financial aid must be maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students with a Financial Aid status of Suspension cannot receive financial aid funds whether abroad or at MTSU. Please talk with the MT One Stop about your specific situation.
All study abroad participants may not be eligible to receive financial aid for both semesters of a two-semester study abroad program. Also, all students may not qualify for aid the semester after returning from their study abroad program. Please refer to the Study Abroad Financial Aid Statement of Understanding and Financial Aid Status Sheet for further information.
Frequently asked questions about studying abroad
Are scholarships available for students studying abroad?
Yes. A limited number of scholarships are available through the Office of Education Abroad. You may contact their office at (615) 898-5179 or visit www.mtsu.studioabroad.com to learn more about application deadlines and qualifications.
Can I receive lottery, scholarship, and grant funds while studying abroad?
Yes. You must first complete the FAFSA application to determine if you are eligible for federal and/or state aid. If you meet the eligibility requirements, you can receive lottery funds, scholarships and/or grant funds just like you were attending on-campus. Of course, we can't offer Federal Work-Study if you are not on-campus and grants are based upon the number of credit hours for which you will be enrolled. Most MTSU academic scholarships require students to be enrolled full-time while studying abroad.
We encourage you to enroll for direct deposit in the Business Office at least one month before you depart. For instructions to sign up for direct deposit via PipelineMT, click here.
If my fall study abroad program ends in December and I want to attend the upcoming spring semester, can I receive aid for the spring?
Typically, if you left in financial aid Good Standing and the study abroad program was for one semester, you may receive aid for the upcoming spring semester. However, if you left in financial aid Good Standing and the study abroad program was for two semesters, you may not receive aid for the upcoming semester. Please refer to the Study Abroad Financial Aid Statement of Understanding and Financial Aid Status Sheet. Your official study abroad transcripts must be sent to MTSU and the study abroad credit hours must be posted to your MTSU transcript to receive future financial aid.
NOTE: Provisional Lottery students and students with more than 95 attempted hours before the first semester abroad cannot receive Lottery funds for the second semester, but may qualify for a Lottery deferment for MTSU charges.
My study abroad program begins before the MTSU semester starts. Can I receive my federal funds in advance?
No. Regulations do not allow for the early release of federal funds. Therefore, plan on having enough personal funds available or save money from the prior semesters to meet your needs until the MTSU financial aid can be credited to your bank account.
I owe deposit/registration fees to a Study Abroad Program. Will MTSU send my financial aid to the study abroad school?
No. Each student is responsible for paying his/her fees to the appropriate school. Financial Aid will be disbursed to your bank account, provided you have signed up for direct deposit. You are responsible for paying the appropriate deposits and fees.
I am required to pay "program costs" to participate in a Study Abroad Program. Am I also required to pay tuition/fees at MTSU?
Typically, Study Abroad programs require you to pay "program costs". However, some programs also require you to register and pay tuition and fees at MTSU. Please make sure you understand all of the charges for your program. For more information contact the Office of Education Abroad at (615) 898-5179 or via the web.
What happens to my financial aid if I am unable to finish the study abroad program?
Federal regulations require students to return a portion of their federal aid if they are unable to complete sixty percent of the term. Tennessee Lottery regulations require the suspension of lottery funds for future semesters. However, a student may appeal TELS eligibility based upon extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control (e.g., documented medical emergencies or the death of a family member). Please see the MT One Stop webpage pertaining to Withdrawals for additional information.
If a study abroad program begins in January and ends in December, will I need to complete a new FAFSA for my fall Federal and State financial aid?
Yes. A FAFSA form is required annually for Federal Pell, TSAC, Lottery and other similar funds. FAFSA information can be completed beginning in October for aid to be disbursed in the fall semester. Sometimes students are selected for verification by the Federal Department of Education. If you are selected for verification, we cannot disburse any aid until the verification is complete.
How will the Financial Aid Office know the number of credit hours I will be receiving for my study abroad program? Must I be enrolled full-time to receive financial aid?
The Office of Education Abroad notifies the Financial Aid Office regarding the number of credit hours you will attempt during your study abroad program. The Financial Aid Office will disburse financial aid based upon this information. Federal Pell, TSAC, and Lottery funds are prorated based upon the hours enrolled. If you are receiving less than six hours of credit, you will probably not qualify for any financial aid. Students receiving 6 to 8 hours of credit may receive one-half of a full-time award and students receiving 9 to 11 credit hours may receive three-fourths of a full-time award. Provisional lottery students must be enrolled full-time during the fall and spring semesters. Otherwise, they will potentially lose their scholarship forever.
MTSU Financial Aid Reminders for study abroad pre-departure orientation
Confirmation reminders
Students must pay or confirm their classes by the MTSU fee payment deadline or their classes will be dropped. Students may log into PipelineMT to pay or confirm their classes. Confirmation and fee payment instructions/deadlines can be found here.
Payment reminders for students who owe fees to a host institution
Because financial aid funds are not sent directly to Host Institutions, some students are responsible for paying fees to Host Institutions. For information about where to pay fees, contact the Office of Education Abroad at (615) 898-5179 or via the web. The earliest MTSU funds can be released is the beginning of the semester in which the credit hours will apply.
Students receiving federal/state aid and academic scholarships
- Please be sure to verify that your aid has been processed by viewing your PipelineMT account.
- Insure that you are enrolled in the appropriate number of hours for aid to be awarded.
- If receiving Federal Direct Loans, you must be enrolled and attending at least half-time (6 undergraduate credit hours/5 graduate credit hours). First-time borrowers at MTSU must complete online Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) before receiving loans.
- Typically, financial aid is disbursed the first week of classes if students have met
all requirements.
Students expecting a Financial Aid refund
Direct Deposit is recommended so that financial aid refunds may be directly deposited into your bank account. If you expect to receive a refund, please sign up for direct deposit via PipelineMT. For further details, contact the Business Office.
Future Financial Aid funds
Typically, students who begin study abroad with a financial aid status of Good Standing can receive aid for one semester after their program ends, provided their program is for one semester. If their program is for two-semesters, they may only receive aid for the two semesters abroad. The semester after their program ends, they may receive a deferment for MTSU charges (if eligible). Your official study abroad transcripts must be sent to MTSU and the study abroad credit hours must be posted to your MTSU transcript to receive future financial aid.
NOTE: Provisional Lottery students and students with more than 95 attempted hours before the first semester abroad cannot receive Lottery funds for the second semester, but may qualify for a Lottery deferment for MTSU charges.
Don't forget next semester!
While participating in a Study Abroad Program, you may be requested to complete requirements for your next term of enrollment. Beginning in May, fall/spring Email Award Notices will be electronically sent to students with completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) results on file in the Financial Aid Office. Electronic award notices will be sent to your MTSU email address. While studying abroad, you may need to access your PipelineMT account to accept your awards and complete any requirements. For confirmation and fee payment instructions/deadlines, refer to this page.