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Isaiah Washington
Date Of Birth:
3 August 1963
Place Of Birth:
Houston, Texas
Best Known As:
The guy who got fired from Grey's Anatomy
Actor Isaiah Washington played Dr. Preston Burke on the TV series Grey's Anatomy, but was dumped from the show in 2007, eight months after causing a hullabaloo by insulting cast member T.R. Knight. Washington got his acting start at Howard University before heading to New York. His early movie jobs included working with Spike Lee in such films as Crooklyn (1994), Clockers (1995) and Get On the Bus (1996), and Washington found steady work Hollywood productions and TV shows. By the end of the 1990s he had played plenty of smalltime hoods, but he'd also had notable roles in Bulworth (1998, starring Warren Beatty) and Out of Sight (1999, starring Jennifer Lopez). Washington appeared with Jet Li in Romeo Must Die in 2000, followed by Exit Wounds (2001, also with DMX) and Hollywood Homicide (2003, with Josh Hartnett), then landed the role of Burke on Grey's Anatomy. After two seasons on the hit show Washington made headlines in October 2006 when he and co-star Patrick Dempsey locked horns on the set. The story goes that Washington, addressing Dempsey, referred to co-star T.R. Knight using an "anti-homosexual" epithet. Washington apologized publicly, announced he would undergo counseling and made public service announcements for gay and lesbian advocacy groups. By June of 2007 the dust had settled, but Washington's contract was not renewed and he left the cast of Grey's Anatomy.
Extra Credit:
Washington traces his ancestry to Sierra Leone, where he has founded a non-profit development organization… Washington is also an advocate for research into the neurological disorder narcolepsy.
4 Good Links
Official site of his production company
News and gossip from fans of the TV series
2005 chat with the show's creator on the importance of ethnic diversity
Filmography and profile from TV.com
See also:
Copyright © 1998-2018 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved.


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Nefsis – Hardware ReviewMarch 12th, 2009Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 IntroductionNefsis Video ConferenceLogitech have long had a reputation for producing good quality webcams and the Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 is no exception. With its slick design and high quality Carl Zeiss lens, the video quality from this webcam is truly exceptional.One of the first things you will notice after removing the webcam from the packaging is its unique mount design. The adjustable mount fits LCD screens of various thicknesses, and allows the webcam to sit firmly on many LCD panel. On my test computer with a 24" LCD screen, I only found two or three webcams on the market that could fit the frame of the LCD screen.The next prominent feature is the placement of the camera and microphone. With its elongated body, the camera and the microphone are aligned horizontally, giving it a nice professional look and feel. The body sits on a bevel allowing the user to adjust camera angle vertically only. This is a workable design but personally, I prefer having the flexibility to adjust the camera in both directions, vertically and horizontally.Installation and ConfigurationWith the mounting challenges out of the way, the next step is to connect the Quickcam Pro 9000 to my PC. Following the instructions in the manual, Logitech suggest installing the drivers before connecting the webcam to the PC. This seems to be a standard procedure when installing new computer hardware. After inserting the CD in the CD-ROM, the install process ran very smooth. The instructions were straightforward. It appears the developers at Logitech designed the install wizard to be clear and concise. It definitely addresses the issue for users who have a tendency to click the 'Next' button without reading the instructions on the screen. As with previous version of the Logitech software, the installation program reaches a stage where it requires the user to connect the webcam to the PC. The animated image in the installation program actually shows a user what to do, really helpful if you are a novice user. Going back to my installation, I routed the cable through the rear of my desk and to my PC's USB port. Connected the webcam and within a few seconds, the Logitech software detected the webcam. Everything appeared to work the first time around. A very positive experience considering I did not have to do anything special on my PC or even reboot it. Now let's go to the fun stuff. Logitech provide users with advance camera control through its system tray program. This is one way you can adjust your video settings prior to joining a Nefsis conference. Alternatively, you can adjust the clarity of your video image, contrast, color and brightness while you are in a Nefsis video conference sessions. Simply right click on your video image in Nefsis and select Camera Properties.Using the Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 in a Nefsis Conference The Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 uses auto-focus technology by default. The result is a clear and crisp image without manual adjustments on the physical webcam. Another big plus with the Quickcam Pro 9000 is the number of resolutions it supports. There is little information in Logitech's documentation or website about resolution in general. A quick look at the camera through the DirectX layer, we see this particular webcam supports many video resolutions. The results are quite astonishing actually; the Quickcam Pro 900 is capable of using a wide range of video resolutions ranging from 160 x 120 to as high as 1600 x 1200! This alone makes this webcam stand out from its rivals.The complete list of resolutions supported by the Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 is displayed below.160x120, 176 x 144, 320x240, 352x288, 640x480, 800x600, 960x720 and 1600x1200VerdictThe Quickcam Pro 9000 is one of the best webcams I have tested in Nefsis. It produces fantastic video image quality and offers a wide array of video resolutions. It is easy to mount on a LCD screen and the body style is not intrusive – very sleek in design. This price is really affordable, $99 list but you can find this webcam for under $80 on Google Shopping. Again, this is a great webcam and highly recommended for users wanting to video conference in Nefsis.
Great review, Colin! Thanks and can't wait for some microphone reviews!! :)
These are FANTASTIC reviews!!! Do you work for Cnet?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Content-type: text/html
spline takes pairs of numbers from the standard input as abcissas and ordinates of a function. It produces a similar set, which is approximately equally spaced and includes the input set, on the standard output. The cubic spline output (R. W. Hamming, Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers,2nd ed., 349ff) has two continuous derivatives, and sufficiently many points to look smooth when plotted, for example by graph(1).
-a Supply abscissas automatically (they are missing from the input); spacing is given by the next argument, or is assumed to be 1 if next argument is not a number.
-k The constant k used in the boundary value computation
(2nd deriv. at end) = k*(2nd deriv. next to end)
is set by the next argument. By default k = 0.
-n Space output points so that approximately n intervals occur between the lower and upper x limits. (Default n = 100.)
-p Make output periodic, that is, match derivatives at ends. First and last input values should normally agree.
-x Next 1 (or 2) arguments are lower (and upper) x limits. Normally these limits are calculated from the data. Automatic abcissas start at lower limit (default 0).
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
Availability | SUNWesu |
graph(1), attributes(5)
R. W. Hamming, Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers, 2nd ed.
When data is not strictly monotonic in x, spline reproduces the input without interpolating extra points.
A limit of 1000 input points is enforced silently.


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Read below to see who earned Fight Night Bonuses at UFC® 145...
Six fighters joined UFC President Dana White at the UFC 145 post-fight press conference:UFC® light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Rory MacDonald, Ben Rothwell, Michael McDonald, Rashad Evans, and Travis Browne.
Rothwell earned Knockout of the Night for his starching of Brendan Schaub. After eating a few big shots from Schaub early, Rothwell dropped the TUF vet with a left hook, then followed up with ground strikes that forced a stoppage from referee Herb Dean in the first round.
Fight of the Night went to main card fighters Eddie Yagin and Mark Hominick. The featherweights engaged in an exciting standup war that left both men battered and bloody. When the dust settled, Yagin earned the victory via split decision.
Browne was awarded Submission of the Night for his first-round arm triangle victory over STRIKEFORCE® import Chad Griggs. "Hapa" blitzed Griggs early with knees before taking the fight to the ground, and forced the tapout at the 2:29 mark.
All bonused fighters received $65,000
Video highlights: Jones vs. Evans at post-fight press conference
Jamahal Hill Talks UFC 300 Main Event
Hall Of Fame


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NSA director Keith Alexander and his top deputy will depart soon, according to reports from Reuters and other news agencies that first broke yesterday afternoon. John Inglis will retire at the end of the year, and Alexander will follow his deputy out the door by spring 2014:
The director of the U.S. National Security Agency and his deputy are expected to depart in the coming months, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, in a development that could give President Barack Obama a chance to reshape the eavesdropping agency….
Alexander has formalized plans to leave by next March or April, while his civilian deputy, John "Chris" Inglis, is due to retire by year's end, according to U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
UPI reports that the date will be March rather than April:
U.S. National Security Agency chief Gen. Keith Alexander, who has steadfastly defended NSA mass surveillance, plans to retire in five months, the agency said.
Alexander, who will be 62 then, is expected to leave the main producer and manager of U.S. signals intelligence in March, NSA spokeswoman Vanee Vines said Wednesday in a statement to United Press International.
Alexander, appointed to the NSA spot in 2005 by George W. Bush administration Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, "served well beyond a normal rotation, having been 'extended' three times," Vines told UPI.
And this has nothing to do with the exposure of the NSA's operations, right? Riiiiiiiiiight:
Alexander's departure "has nothing to do with media leaks," Vines' statement to UPI said.
The lengthy departure arc may tend to corroborate that, but it's also true that NSA Director is a position that needs something more than the usual two-week notice. It would also be unusual for both of the top positions to cycle out in such a short time frame for the same reason, though, which makes it look as though the DoD wants to get the current regime out of the way. Reuters notes that the Pentagon already has a list of potential successors:
One leading candidate to replace Alexander is Vice Admiral Michael Rogers, currently commander of the U.S. Navy's 10th Fleet and U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, officials told Reuters. The 10th Fleet and Fleet Cyber Command both have their headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland, between Washington and Baltimore. The NSA is also headquartered at Fort Meade.
There has been no final decision on selecting Rogers to succeed Alexander, and other candidates may be considered, the officials said.
It's surprising that it took this long to replace Alexander. The NSA Director destroyed his own credibility and that of the agency after the leaks exposed his previous Congressional testimony as misleading.
In other NSA news, it looks like the agency does a little more than just listen — but in this case, I don't think Americans will mind quite as much:
The NSA is "focused on discovering and developing intelligence about valid foreign intelligence targets," an NSA spokeswoman said in a statement provided to The Post on Wednesday, adding that the agency's operations "protect the nation and its interests from threats such as terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."
In the search for targets, the NSA has draped a surveillance blanket over dozens of square miles of northwest Pakistan. In Ghul's case, the agency deployed an arsenal of cyber-espionage tools, secretly seizing control of laptops, siphoning audio files and other messages, and tracking radio transmissions to determine where Ghul might "bed down."
The e-mail from Ghul's wife "about her current living conditions" contained enough detail to confirm the coordinates of that household, according to a document summarizing the mission. "This information enabled a capture/kill operation against an individual believed to be Hassan Ghul on October 1," it said.
The file is part of a collection of records in the Snowden trove that make clear that the drone campaign — often depicted as the CIA's exclusive domain — relies heavily on the NSA's ability to vacuum up enormous quantities of e-mail, phone calls and other fragments of signals intelligence, or SIGINT.
In other news, water is wet and rain falls from the sky. Did we need the Snowden theft to figure this out? The NSA is the premier American SIGINT agency, and we have used SIGINT to track terrorists since before we picked up Osama bin Laden's satellite phone (and then blew that information). It doesn't take too much math to add this up, does it?
The issues with the drone program stand or fall on the drone program, not the SIGINT collection that drives it. The NSA's explicit mission is to capture foreign communications for other intel, military, and national-security purposes. Exposing the how-to in this case doesn't inform us in any significant manner on the drone program, nor on abuses at NSA regarding domestic surveillance. Maybe our media outlets might consider that the next time they're tempted to write a story about the NSA.


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Deep sleepers: Who could wreck brackets in March?
Underdogs are a big part of NCAA Tournament lore and almost every year a few double-digit seeds make a surprising run deep into the bracket. Here are a few of the candidates - from No. 10 all the way to No. 16 - that could wreck some brackets over the next couple weeks.
No. 10 PROVIDENCE
Providence is a program with a rich NCAA Tournament history, making Final Four appearances in 1973 and 1987. It also made a run to the Elite Eight in 1997 as a No. 10 seed. The Friars are playing some of their best basketball of the season, getting wins over Creighton and Xavier in the Big East Tournament. They've beaten some really good teams this year, including Xavier (twice) and Villanova.
DON'T FORGET: Butler. The Bulldogs are no stranger to deep runs in the tournament, though the No. 10 seed is a little low compared with recent history.
No. 11 SAN DIEGO STATE
The Aztecs are quite comfortable in the NCAA Tournament, winning games in the Big Dance in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015. They're also getting hot at the right time with nine straight wins, including an impressive run through the Mountain West Tournament . In nonconference play, a win over Gonzaga is the highlight.
DON'T FORGET: There are a lot of candidates at this spot. UCLA and Syracuse have ample NCAA history. St. Bonaventure and Loyola of Chicago come from tough basketball conferences. Loyola beat Florida earlier this season.
No. 12 NEW MEXICO STATE
New Mexico State has won 28 games this season, including an eye-opening victory over sixth-ranked Miami during nonconference play. The last time the Aggies were a No. 12 seed was in 2010, when they narrowly lost to Michigan State 70-67.
DON'T FORGET: Davidson. The Wildcats certainly have plenty of momentum. They earned a bid thanks to an Atlantic 10 Tournament championship and have won eight of their past nine games. The only loss was in triple overtime to St. Bonaventure.
No. 13 BUFFALO
The Bulls rolled through the Mid-American Conference this year and had close losses against several NCAA Tournament teams, including Cincinnati, South Dakota State, St. Bonaventure and Syracuse. Buffalo made the Big Dance in 2015 and 2016, playing West Virginia and Miami tough before falling in both games. This could be the year the Bulls finally break through, though first-round opponent Arizona is a difficult one.
DON'T FORGET: Marshall. The Thundering Herd are in the NCAAs for the first time since 1987 and have some momentum after winning the Conference USA Tournament .
No. 14 BUCKNELL
Bucknell, which won the Patriot League , had one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history when it knocked off Kansas as a No. 14 seed in 2005. The Bison also beat Arkansas in the 2006 tournament and last year as a No. 13 seed played West Virginia tough.
DON'T FORGET: Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks knocked off West Virginia in 2016 as a No. 14 seed and then gave Notre Dame a terrific game before falling 76-75.
No. 15 GEORGIA STATE
Georgia State isn't a regular in the tournament, but the Panthers have made the most of their opportunities in the past. They beat Wisconsin in 2001 as a No. 11 seed and shocked Baylor 57-56 in 2015 as a No. 14 seed. The Panthers won the Sun Belt Tournament.
No. 16 PENN
Is this the year a No. 16 seed finally beats a No. 1? Probably not, but the Ivy League champion Quakers might have a fighting chance. They haven't won a game in the NCAA Tournament since beating Nebraska in 1994, but they have a history of competitive losses in the Big Dance and even made a Final Four back in 1979. The Ivy League is also responsible for one of the biggest 16-1 scares of all-time, when Georgetown narrowly beat Princeton 50-49 in 1989.
More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25 .


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Show All Answers
The 56A District Court is located on the first floor of the Eaton County Courthouse, which is located at:1045 Independence BoulevardCharlotte, MI 48813
There are a variety of methods for paying tickets, including by mail, phone, or online.
You can set up a payment plan with the court to settle your violation.
The court closes for payments at 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Yes, unless your license has been suspended. Checks should be made payable to 56A District Court. Please include your ticket or case number on the check.
The mailing address for the court is:56A District CourtTraffic Division1045 Independence BoulevardCharlotte, MI 48813
Yes, you can pay online through AllPaid. A fee is added for using this service. Learn more about making payments.
Yes, you can by telephone through GovPayNow at 888-604-7888. You will need pay location code (PLC) number PLC 6701 to use this GovPayNow service. A fee is added for using this service. Find more information about making payments.
To determine how many points are on a violation and for more information regarding your driving record, view license points and record information.
You usually have 10 to 14 days to contact the court regarding your ticket. Check out contact information for the court.
Yes, you can make partial payments by setting up a payment plan.
Re-contact the court every two to three days until you are advised the court does have your traffic violation. Find contact information for the court.
Mondays1:00pm to 4:00 pm
Wednesday and Friday8:00am to 11:00am
Prior to your arraignment, you will be directed to Public Defenders Office to complete an intake and review the qualifications.
A warrant was issued because you failed to contact or come into court. You will need to appear at the court during business hours along with photo identification.
A warrant for failing to pay may be recalled upon payment made by email, phone, in person or by mail. A warrant for failing to appear requires a personal appearance.
Some violations are waivable. Read details about these types of violations and how to have them waived.
You failed to contact the court in the appropriate time period after you received a traffic violation. If you wish to dispute this ticket, you will need to post a bond in cash or by money order within 14 days of the default date.
Please contact the court to confirm which documents you need to file and/or your current balance owed to the court.
Some hearings require you be personally present. View a list of these violations.
Jail arraignments are held at the discretion of the court. There is no specific time. They are held throughout the day.
The court is aware of your payment almost immediately, but it may take 48 to 72 hours to process.
Visit the Public Case Search for the Eaton County Trial Courts by Clicking Here.
State law has specific requirements regarding expungements. There is not a limit to the number of misdemeanors you could have set aside in your lifetime. Up to three felonies may be set aside in your lifetime. Certain types of convictions have additional rules about the number of convictions that can be set aside.
Specific details can be found by clicking here.
The process takes approximately 3 to 4 months from the application date to the hearing before the Judge. You may hire an attorney or handle the application yourself.
Please refer to the Michigan State Police for further information on the application to Set Aside or Expungement of criminal history records.


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Build your prefect point of sale
Break free from the constraints of off-the-shelf point of sale software. Stripe Terminal makes it easier to build your point of sale and own your checkout experience, including creating customized email reciepts or splash screens, Our APIs and SDKs simplify the integration of Terminal into JavaScript web apps, or iOS and Android mobile apps.
Explore the docs


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Archaeologists excavating under the ancient royal palace of Qatna in what is now Syria have uncovered a 3500-year-old crypt untouched by grave robbers.
The crypt has two chambers — an anteroom and the grave room where the human remains are — and is 16 feet by 21 feet in dimension.
Thirty skulls within suggest that a corresponding number of people were buried there, and bones stacked in groups among splinters of wood may indicate a secondary burial, the statement said.
Ceramic and well-preserved stone vessels of granite and alabaster, along with gold jewellery and other artefacts were also within the crypt. The team also found a small sculpture of a monkey holding a vessel used for cosmetics and an ivory human statuette.
The bones could well be the remains of royal family members or people in their household. There are no inscriptions, so even though of course the bones will be examined thoroughly, it's not likely archaeologists will be able to identify the remains.
Qatna was a major kingdom in the Bronze Age. It was a trading hub between Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean, Anatolia and Egypt with as many as 20,000 inhabitants in the city at its peak, 1800 – 1600 B.C. The city was finally burned down in 1340 B.C.
Previous excavations at the palace have uncovered one other unlooted grave packed with goodies. The artifacts from that find will be on display in the Wuerttemberg State Museum in Stuttgart come October 17th. This will be the first time Qatna artifacts will be exhibited in Europe.


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Council member Ken Cockrel must be trippin! On Tuesday, December 11, after he, along with Saunteel Jenkins, James Tate, Gary Brown, and Charles Pugh, voted to approve the ill-conceived Hantz land sale proposal, he was quoted in the Detroit Free Press as saying, "a 'no' vote would have sent the message to the world that Detroit isn't really serious about urban agriculture." The foremost advocates and practitioners of urban agriculture in Detroit opposed the Hantz proposal. It is groups like Feedom Freedom Growers, Earthworks Urban Farm, the Garden Resource Program and D-Town Farm that have informed the nation and the world that Detroiters are serious about urban agriculture.
Councilman Gary Brown is tripping too! In the same article, referring to the vocal opponents of the land grab, he was quoted as saying "very few of them talked about the Hantz Farms project. It was mostly about a dysfunctional city government that makes it hard for them to buy" land. There have been many arguments waged against the scale and type of farming that Hantz proposes. There have been calls for an environmental impact survey. There were pleas to hold off on this deal until after Detroit's comprehensive urban agriculture ordinance is passed by the city council (which is expected to be next month). There were major concerns raised about pesticides. It is disingenuous for him to suggest that residents were only concerned about the broken process of selling city-owned land, although those concerns are also real and valid.
Unfortunately, most of Detroit's political leadership lacks real vision. They are locked into an obsolete worldview where justice takes a back seat to "development." Cockrel, Jenkins, Tate, Brown and Pugh need to be spanked!
Pugh needs to be spanked twice, because he is rude to citizens! His referring to an angry citizen at last night's public hearing as "the lady in the orange wig" is deplorable. Can you imagine a school principal saying that to an irate parent at a school meeting, or a court official saying that to an angry plaintive? Leaders and public servants have to be held to a higher standard than the general public.
To add insult to injury, on a day when not only the precedent setting Hantz deal was being voted on, but other issues critical to Detroit's ability to maintain home rule were being decided, Council President Pugh held the meeting in the council chambers that only has seats for 40 citizens. This left more than 100 people unable to get into the proceedings. Just like two weeks ago, many gave up and left. Right down the hall is a council auditorium that can seat hundreds. Similarly, at last night's hearing, more than 200 people could not gain entry. This is not democracy!!!
Detroit's political leaders should be thrilled that so many citizens want to be engaged in defining what our city will become. Instead, they box us out, and hold the people in contempt! The people have legitimate dreams and aspirations. Perhaps our elected leaders need to re-read the famous poem Harlem by Langston Hughes. The title Harlem could just as easily be replaced by the name of our beloved city Detroit.
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
Malik Yakini is the Executive Director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network.


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Animal Kingdoms/Content/Insects
There are more insects than any other creature in the world. For every person on this earth, there are hundreds or possibly thousands of insects. Insects are usually very small and easy to kill, but because there are so many of them, it would be difficult to kill them all.
Insects have probably been around longer than any other animal. They are called insects because they are divided into a head, a thorax and an abdomen. Insects always have six legs, which is why spiders are not insects. Insects have an exoskeleton instead of a regular skeleton, which means they are easy to destroy, but the exoskeleton keeps them relatively intact.
Insects usually live in giant colonies of themselves, although some of them, such as flies, do not. They start as maggots and later begin to fly. Insects usually eat leaves or other insects.
Throughout human history, people have been bothered by insects. Some insects are parasites who cause diseases and might even feed on human blood, like mosquitoes. This is why humans have developed various techniques for trying to destroy insects.
Some insects have been good for people. Bees help farmers by spreading flower pollen which makes more flowers.
- Cockroach
- Fly
- Ant
- Ladybug
- Butterfly


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Fund Development for the California Court System
The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) is seeking a qualified service provider to identify potential public and private funders with an active interest in areas of concern to the California courts. With ever-shrinking budgets and ever-growing public needs for a wide variety of services, the AOC is more actively seeking outside funding for its programs and those of the trial courts.
The prospective service provider should be familiar with public and private grant funding sources in the area of legal services and prevention pertaining to such court-related issues as juvenile dependency and delinquency, domestic violence, supervised visitation by noncustodial parents, conflict resolution, drug courts, other collaborative justice/treatment courts, self-represented litigants, and the like. The prospective provider should also have significant experience in fund development and fund development planning, particularly related to public entities.
This Request for Proposals is being issued on September 30, 2003, with a response date of October 22, 2003. The desired product is a written report profiling potential funders of programs such as those above, as well as recommended next steps for developing a plan for fund development for the state court system. A maximum of $10,000 is available for this contract. Work is anticipated to begin in early November, and should be completed within two months.
There is a possibility that the provider selected will be asked to bid on a subsequent RFP to develop a detailed fund development plan for the state court system. However, any such subsequent work should not be relied upon, nor construed as an obligation by the state to hire the service provider selected for this initial contract.
For further information about this RFP, please contact Lucy B. Smallsreed, Grants Program Administrator, Administrative Office of the Courts, 415-865-7705, firstname.lastname@example.com.
RFP for Fund Development for the California Court System
- Entire RFP in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, (172 KB)


text: When the number one ball manufacturer brings out a new version of their leading brand then this is big news. The Pro V1 changed the game when it came along and now the 2013 Pro V1 and Pro V1x have been introduced so we met with Mary Lou Bohn of Titleist to find out what the key differences were. If you are a Team Titleist member and were lucky enough to receive test balls at the end of 2012 you will be interested to hear how the results of that trial. One key thing that I took from my interview with Mary Lou was that the choice of ball is not that straight forward and really needs some thought. A lot of tour players are technically so good that they can generate enough spin to have the option to go for the lower spinning and firmer Pro V1x, which is probably already the longer ball. For the rest of us, the 3 things to consider are where you want to see the ball fly and but that we mean the height and trajectory of the ball. Secondly how much spin do you need on your approach shots and shots around the green. If you need more to help you stop the ball then the higher spinning Pro V1 will be the best here. Finally how do you like the ball to feel, particularly on putts and chips. For me this is the key factor as I like to feel the shot and not have the ball boucning onff the face too much. Eveyone is different and even Titleist say that the best way to make this decision is to just go and play with both types on the course. If you are still at a loss then spekaing to your local pro or trying both balls out on a launch monitor will give you some hard numbers. However remember to test the balls with all your clubs your bag and not just the driver and putter!


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id Software acquisition
Pwned by Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media.
June 24, 2009 (Rockville, MD) – ZeniMax Media Inc., parent company of noted game publisher Bethesda Softworks, today announced it has completed the acquisition of legendary game studio, id Software, creators of world-renowned games such as DOOM , QUAKE , Wolfenstein , and its upcoming title, RAGE . The acquisition by ZeniMax Media joins together two of the finest, most respected videogame developers in the world, combining the first person shooter (FPS) expertise of id Software with acclaimed role playing game (RPG) developer Bethesda Game Studios – creators of the 2008 Game of the Year, Fallout 3 , and the 2006 Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion . Bethesda Softworks will publish the titles of id Software other than upcoming releases previously committed to other publishers.
Founded in 1991, id Software established itself as an industry leader with some of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed video games of all time. id Software created the original first-person shooter, Wolfenstein 3D , and subsequently set new standards in the genre with the blockbuster releases of its DOOM and QUAKE titles. In addition, id Software developed cutting edge, proprietary technology with the id Tech engine which powers many notable FPS titles, and continues to make great advances in game technology under the direction of John Carmack, one of the country's technology leaders and a member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) Hall of Fame.
Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software, commented on the transaction: "This was a unique opportunity to team with a smart, sophisticated publisher like Bethesda Softworks where the interests of the studio and the publisher will be fully aligned in the development and marketing of our titles. In addition, we will now have financial and business resources to support the future growth of id Software, a huge advantage which will result in more and even better games for our fans."
id Software will continue to operate as a studio under the direction of its founder, John Carmack. No changes will be made in the operations of id Software in the development of its games. All the principals at id Software have signed long-term employment contracts, assuring they will continue in their roles developing games at the studio.
"This puts id Software in a wonderful position going forward," said John Carmack, who will continue to serve in his current role as Technical Director. "We will now be able to grow and extend all of our franchises under one roof, leveraging our capabilities across multiple teams while enabling forward looking research to be done in the service of all of them. We will be bigger and stronger, as we recruit the best talent to help us build the landmark games of the future. As trite as it may be for me to say that I am extremely pleased and excited about this deal, I am."
Robert Altman, the founder, Chairman & CEO of ZeniMax Media stated, "We, along with many others, consider id Software to be among the finest game studios in the world, with extraordinary design, artistic and technical capabilities. They have demonstrated, repeatedly, that rare ability to create franchise properties that are critical and commercial successes. Our intention is to make sure id Software will continue to do what they do best – make AAA games. Our role will be to provide publisher support through Bethesda Softworks and give id Software the resources it needs to grow and expand."
ZeniMax Media Inc, which is privately held, was founded in 1999 to create quality interactive entertainment products to meet the growing worldwide demand. The Company is headquartered in Rockville, MD and maintains offices in Hunt Valley, MD, London and Tokyo. Among its wholly owned subsidiaries are Bethesda Softworks, a premier publisher of video games, Vir2L Studios which develops games for the casual market, and ZeniMax Online Studios, a studio dedicated to massively multi-player online games (MMOG).
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Founded in 1991, id Software has provided technical, design and artistic leadership as an independent game developer and technology innovator. id Software's iconic brands such as Wolfenstein, DOOM, QUAKE and Enemy Territory have become staples of popular culture for generations of gamers. More information on id Software can be found at www.idsoftware.com. id Software, Wolfenstein, DOOM, QUAKE, RAGE and Enemy Territory and related logos are registered trademarks owned by ZeniMax Media Inc.


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Photo by John Wooler, Pointblank"If you know the extension of the party with whom you wish to speak, dial it and stop wasting our time! If you have money due us, owed us, or just for us, please wait until this message is over and SCREAM your name! We may be listening!" -Swamp Dogg's answering machine, February 1997 Interview by Richie Unterberger (September 1998)
As is apparent from the above comic diatribe, Swamp Dogg is not a man to take himself or the music business too seriously. You've got to have a sense of humor, one imagines, to keep plugging away in the music business for more than thirty years without anything resembling an across-the-board smash. Even in the rock and R&B underground, Swamp Dogg remains, in keeping with his nickname, a somewhat murky figure. He's not easily pigeonholed as either a rock singer or soul singer; he's not nearly aggressive or weird enough for the cutting-edge tastemakers of alternative rock and hardcore rap, yet way too weird for pop radio. He also finds himself in the odd situation of drawing a cult consisting of mostly white listeners, although his music is soaked in African-American R&B and soul.
Before the 1970's, Swamp Dogg was Jerry Williams, journeyman soul singer, songwriter, and producer. Should the formidable cross-licensing obstacles be surmounted, someone no doubt could put together a hell of a compilation of his sixties efforts, which saw him work with second-tier soul acts like Gary U.S. Bonds, Patti LaBelle, the Exciters, and Charlie & Inez Foxx. There were also singles under his own name, like the elegiac ballad "Baby You're My Everything." But he really didn't find his voice until changing his name to Swamp Dogg and releasing albums in the early seventies that married the increased social consciousness of funk to a uniquely comic sensibility and raunchy sexual enthusiasm.
Like a strange combination of Sly Stone's progressive funk with Frank Zappa's lyrical absurdism, he's continued grinding out records for a rather astonishing variety of labels, usually heard by only a few. These are often deceptively normal sounding until you get to lyrics about a wedding ceremony in which the singer's son is about to get married to someone the father knows all too well, and song titles like "I've Never Been to Africa (And It's Your Fault)." The U.S. government was concerned enough about his anti-Vietnam War activities to place him on the famed Nixon enemies list for a while. His notoriety and oddity has sometimes overshadowed his continued vocal talents; soul with a pop sensibility and a high, pleading edge, he's sparked reasonable comparisons to Jackie Wilson, Van Morrison, and Percy Sledge.
This interview was conducted for a chapter in UNKNOWN LEGENDS OF ROCK'N'ROLL, a volume examining sixty cult rock artists, published by Miller Freeman.
Q: You were involved in a lot of records in the '60's, in the performing, producing, and songwriting end as Jerry Williams. But these weren't nearly as unique as the stuff you put out when you took the name Swamp Dogg in the '70's.S: I was thinking along those lines when I was doing my productions and cutting my soul records; actually starting in 1960, was my first nationally released records. At that time, I was in with the norm. I was being what everybody wanted, felt they needed. I was just trying to help supply the demand. But while I was out there watching what was going on, it hit me that I wasn't nearly as good as those people at the top of the ladder who were supplying the demand. And my songs were just as good, but I didn't feel that I had as much heart in my songs as they had in theirs. Because when I sang about being wonderful, I didn't really believe it. 'Cause I've never been caught up in a "I'm a great lookin' guy, and when I walk onstage, the bitches fall out." I never believed no shit like that. And I had good reason not to believe it, because it never fucking happened.
I was very disappointed with where I was going with something that I loved more than anything in the fucking world. So I just took a chance and bet on myself. And I said, I've got to change everything, and I've got to be drastic in this change. If you knew me, you'd know that it took a lot for me to make up my mind. Because I've always been crazy about my name-Jerry Williams Jr., I love my name, I love my father, I loved carrying my father's name. And to have to change it to something just to catch your ear was a heavy decision for me. But I did it. And that enabled me to jump into some music that I wanted to, some lyrics that I wanted to do.
My music really didn't change too much. You could hear the same structure in the '60's as I did in the '70's, in the '80's, and I'm doing now. The same basic chord structure, the same basic grooves, just dressed a little. Put some ragged jeans on the song, and some sneakers instead of Florsheim shoes. That's why it evolved to that point. I had a hell of a lot of influences that I've wanted to fuse, like Sly Stone and Amos Milburn. I wanted to see what the two would song like together, have a boogie thing running under kind of a funk-rock.
Right now I'd be running around. I just saw a hell of an oldies show the other night. But I'd be running around singing "Baby You're My Everything" and "I'm the Lover Man" on these fucking oldies shows and not liking it. I know I wouldn't like it. It's almost like your life is over, and there's a little piece of earth where you could have another chance on. But it's good for those... a lot of people love it. And you've got some acts out here making more money now than they did then. And God bless 'em. They got a chance to at least reap some of the harvest. But I wouldn't like doing it.
I must say that most every deal I had except my first two in 1960 and '61, I went in with a finished piece of product. I was cutting my records first, and then going in. I didn't stay with one company no longer than one record, because if it didn't happen, I was on someplace else, and I didn't never feel like the companies were fucking me, although maybe they were. But I never felt like the companies were fucking me. You know how some people- they walked away from the business because the company didn't pay them or some shit, or something had happened. That wasn't my way.
Most of the stuff I did in the early '60's, I wrote it in the late '50's. What I was writing in the '60's was a lot of songs about being gay. Now I'm not gay, although there ain't shit wrong with being gay. But we would write a whole bunch of songs about gay people. I've still got one of them- "The Two of Us." Gary U.S. Bonds and I wrote it. And we were writing several songs- we wrote about ten songs like that. It was like, we wrote a lot of songs that I guess we'd have to say was just for our own enjoyment. I hadn't thought about recording them at that time. We would do songs like, we would do tributes to people who were alive, but we did 'em like they were dead. We thought this was funny, I know that it's sick. But we were doing a lot of sick shit. But this was just for our own enjoyment.
Later in the '60's, we started writing some acid-type lyrics. But there was no call for it. People'd say, we don't want this shit. What is this shit? I put one of them on my first album, Total Destruction, a thing called "Dust Your Head Color Red." I had started writing some songs that nobody, nobody, wanted to record. Including Jerry Williams or Gary Bonds or anybody else in our little circle, or outside our circle. That was another reason Swamp Dogg was right on time when he arrived. 'Cause he would sing any fucking thing! Swamp Dogg would give it a fucking try.
Q: So were some of the songs on the first Swamp Dogg records actually written in the 1960's?
S: We had a few songs before the '70's, yeah. Total Destruction was written in '68, because I cut the album, like the latter part of '69, it came out in '70. We had a line in Total Destruction called "let's find out how to test the grass, now watch them get the law passed"- well hell, grass has just been semi-legalized through the last election. But we were anticipating it, shit, 27 years ago.
The idea was to stop the war and all that shit, and everybody come together, love each other around the world. It was very idealistic, I guess, but that's the way I thinking. I still think that fucking way. Nothing that heavy. What was happening was heavy. But my thoughts weren't that heavy. My thoughts--what I was thinking was right before my eyes. I could see it. So I really didn't have to give it that much thought. I'd just write about it. Because it bothered me one way or the other, so I wrote about it.
Q: Your voice often sounds like Van Morrison, especially on those early records.
S: Yeah, but not to the point that I was trying to sound like him. I never tried to sound like anybody. I've had people say that I sound a little like Jackie Wilson on a lot of my stuff. I mean, I really fucking wish I could sing 10% as well as Jackie Wilson. I'd be a fucking superstar right now. The last Van Morrison album came out about a year ago. When I listened to it, I finally could hear what the people were saying about me sounding like Van Morrison. Then I often wondered (and this is no ego thing) if maybe Van Morrison ever heard some of my shit and liked some. But I guess nobody would really want to think that, since he is who he is, and I am who I'm not.
Q: Your relationship with Elektra Records didn't seem to be a smooth one.
S: I was with Jane Fonda, and they just didn't have no eyes for that shit at all. We were out protesting the war and all that, and they said, 'fuck you, we don't need this.' It was alright for MC5 to come on stage and pull their pants down and shit and stuff like that. It was a very strange fucking company. When they signed me, they had one black act on the label. And when they signed me, they released that act. It was like one to a customer. That was the Voices of East Harlem they had. They let them go and signed me. They didn't want no more black acts. They told me that. 'Cause I asked. I was really improper. They said 'no, we don't need any.'
I sat in the lobby one day, talking to Jim Morrison. This is in '71. And they wouldn't let either one of us come in. We were both there to see Jac Holzman, and they didn't want Jim back there, and they didn't want me back there. When they saw us talking together, it really was fucked up. He's high, and I'm crazy. But we both got to see him.
Q: How did you end up getting involved with Free the Army? [Free The Army was a mixed-media entourage, also including Fonda, Dick Gregory, and Donald Sutherland, formed in opposition to the Vietnam War.]
S: My attorney at the time, Robert Fitzpatrick, was representing Jane Fonda. And he was representing me. It was almost kind of a pseudo-nepotism. But only because it worked. I was doing something that she was doing also. And my wife Yvonne is a hell of a coordinator. She was brought aboard to help coordinate the concert at the Washington Monument, the gathering at the Washington Monument. She kind of was like working as, kind of like a liaison for Jane, just for that brief period. We also did a documentary at that time, but it never came out, 'cause the documentary turned into more of an artist ego trip. Everybody started showcasing instead of... you could see that it wasn't real. It wasn't like for the... it wasn't a Free The Army thing, it was like watch me and give me a fucking deal. That type of thing. And I'm gonna say, I wasn't a part of that. 'Cause I already had a fucking deal.
I made Nixon's [enemy] list. Ain't that a bitch? I made his fucking list. He had everybody on the fucker. By associating with Jane Fonda, that immediately put me on.
Q: You did a version of "God Bless America" around that time that caused some controversy as well.
S: As a matter of fact, Elektra didn't even put the proper title down on the album. The song is actually called "God Bless America For What?" I switched it, and called it "God Bless America For What?" And they refused to print that. They would not do it. I mean they were very, very fucking straight.
Q: Did anything come of getting onto Nixon's list?
S: I don't know when it stopped. It wasn't too much for them to pick up, because first of all, I wasn't try to help overthrow the government, any of that kind of shit. I was just trying to enlighten people and say what I thought. I had the right to say in a free society. I guess after a while they said, this sonofabitch ain't about too much of nothing, he's silly.
Q: It's real strange that your audience nowadays is mostly white, because your music is so much in the soul and R&B vein.
S: I know it. And my messages are black. Most of 'em. But they're mighty universal messages. But man, I don't really, I really don't know. I can come up with, I can sit here and tell you several things about what I think. Number one, black radio never played me that much. At the time, 1970, it was that underground radio movement. It was secondary pop radio, the areas that I would take off in. Like my record in 1981 on Takoma went to #1 the first week out in Montpelier, Vermont. There ain't no niggers in Montpelier, Vermont, man! We don't be fucking around no ski resorts and shit!
My music basically is for people who don't mind taking a minute to think and that kind of shit. It could be bigger. It's just companies, they can't seem to find that hole for the pigeon. So when actually all you gotta do- I structure my albums in a way that they can be marketed, and merchandised successfully via retail. But the companies don't do it. It takes a few dollars to do it. A couple of them did it, we sold some product. But nothing like I know we could have, and still can.
Q: Which are your favorite records?
S: The one on Fantasy, I like a lot. I like Total Destruction to Your Mind and I like Tagged Apple, that's the one with Sam Stone. Those are my three favorites. The one that's my main favorite hasn't come out. I don't know if it's coming out, when it's coming out, that's a live album I did when I signed with Virgin, who was doing my 25th anniversary album. They put out everything but the goddamn anniversary album. So that was a live album, my first live album, and it's a monster. We did a remake of "Baby You're My Everything." It's a really a live show, with all of the monologues and the jokes and the shit. That's my really favorite, if it ever comes out, in some due time, I think it'll be a hit with a few dollars behind it.
I like most of my albums. The only thing I dislike about a couple of my albums is I didn't like the mixes at the time, and I'd loved to have remixed a couple of them-only a couple of them. But that's it.
Q: What do you think are the most significant ways your music has changed since you first started making records as Swamp Dogg?
S: The songwriting hasn't changed at all. I have become more and more... I was daring early in my songwriting as Swamp Dogg. But people were afraid of it, 'cause I was using some profanities and so forth on records, which now is very normal. But the jocks, that's one thing that scared the black jocks. When they saw Swamp Dogg records, they said, man, you can't put on this goddamn record. That's one fucking cut, but you ain't gotta play it! It's the singing. 'Cause I write all kind of songs. I don't just write one type of song.
Q: What other kinds of songs are you most into writing?
S: Country. I like writing country songs. Mercury was signing me to a country contract, and got cold feet.
Q: Was it because of the songs, or...
S: It was because of the color. And I understood it. This was my friend, he was running Mercury Records at the time in Nashville. And we put this whole thing together. They said, 'yeah, man, I think it's a good idea. Let's go.' And he called me after we'd been through months and said, 'This shit ain't gonna fly upstairs.' I said, 'well, man, I understand it, fuck it.' Which I did. I didn't want him losing a fucking job trying to drag another black into country music. They had Charley Pride, and I guess that was enough. So I did a country album. There are some great country things on there, man.
Q: A lot of your writing is either about politics or sex, sometimes about both. Do you have any preference for one or the other area?
S: It depends on my mood. It really does. I mean, sometimes I'm in a romance/sex mood, sometimes I'm in a 'what's going on in the world.' It just depends on my feelings. Like do you like chicken better than steak? Depends on what's happening. Like one 'bout as well as the other.
Q: Do you think your stuff influenced George Clinton to go into more ambitious albums with some sociopolitical comment in the 1970's?
S: I don't think so. I think George had enough pent-up creativity that once he unzipped his mind, it was enough to just keep him going right on up till today. I don't think George was influenced by too many people. I bet he wasn't influenced at all by me. Not at all. I don't think I had anything to offer George Clinton. He's a fucking genius.
I have heard a lot of my music in other people's music. But here again, country music, like when Eddie Rabbitt... I know I influenced Eddie Rabbitt, 'cause Eddie Rabbitt actually rewrote my fucking song, and did a thing called "Pure Love," which was a total takeoff on my fucking record and melody. But as far as people-there's a great, great session man around, played on everybody's records-played piano, organ and shit. His name is William Smitty Smith. Smitty played on everybody's records. Matter of fact, he played on that hellacious piano solo on "So Excited" by the Pointer Sisters. I taught Smitty how to play piano. We came from the same hometown. I had influence on him.
Now, he carried my influence into a lot of people's music. He outplays me. He had a stroke a couple years ago, he can still out-fucking play me. It was like the teacher and the student kind of thing. But he took my licks. He said, 'I love this shit that I learned from you.' He put it in so many people's shit-Bob Dylan, you name it, 'cause he's played with them all. Linda Ronstadt- I've heard my keyboard licks in a lot of shit. But it was delivered by him.
As far as people singing me, I think somebody's gotta be mad to sing like me. I haven't heard any of that. I think I've influenced a lot of people with my will to grow forward, to continue, to overcome the bullshit and not stop just because the record company, my record didn't sell. Fuck that! Ain't nobody guarantees your record's gonna sell. If that was the case, most of us wouldn't do anything but one time. Like go to Vegas. If you go to Vegas and you don't hit, you don't say fuck, I ain't going there no more. The place wasn't designed for you alone. You got millions of people in the fucking world.
Q: Do you see any similarity between some of the work that you've done and today's rap music?
S: Like you say, there are rappers, they sample my music and that type of thing. But I don't think we have any mass hysteria going on. I like more of them than I dislike. There's only rap act out there that I don't fucking understand. Bone Thugs 'n' Harmony. I can't understand a motherfucking thing they're saying. I don't think it has shit to do with the generation gap. 'Cause I've asked motherfuckers their age. I said, what are these motherfuckers saying? They said, we don't know. But it's great. I said, well, cool.
It reminds me a little of, in the '50's one time, you could hear the music, but you couldn't hardly hear what the singer was saying. And the people were saying, but we're buying it for the beat. Okay, cool. So I was trying to find out what they're buying it for. 'Cause Bone Thugs is outselling most of the rap groups. And I love Tupac. Tupac had a lot to say. Ice Cube used to have a lot to say. He don't say quite as much as he used to. Ice T got a little- he got a little too emotional in delivering the message. His anger started to overshadow his creativity. I think he's got a new album now, I haven't heard that yet.
But most of the rappers out here today, the newer ones, they're not saying shit. I like the ones with the message. I always have to have a message. I mean, I like some good-time rap. Tribe Called Quest, they don't show me shit. I dig MC Breed, his first album, but then after that, with the lawsuits and shit, and then he started doing some other shit, and he tried to get real real real dirty. And his career just went on down the toilet. He did himself a hell of an injustice.
I loved LL Cool J's first couple of albums. And Public Enemy. I'm starting to like De La Soul a little bit.
Q: What kinds of projects are you working on now (February 1997)?
S: I got an album that I did over the summer on Tommy Hunt. Good fuckin' album, too. I'm starting to release my albums in volumes, two albums to a volume. I'm getting ready to record Little Johnny Taylor. I wanna go in and just do a blues album. And getting ready to do an album on my daughter, Antoinette. She did a duet with Tommy, and that was kind of my way of introducing her to the public. That's going to be an urban-type thing. And there's an album I've got in mind of doing. I keep myself pretty busy.
Q: There's been some mysterious speculation about your latter-day activities in some things I've read, like reports that you're driving a taxi?
S: Ain't no fucking taxis out here! [Los Angeles] I don't even think they're allowed to hang around the airport any more. Where are the fucking taxis, come to think of it? Maybe I should be driving one. I still like that rumor better than the one I heard that I was dead one time. I really didn't like that. That bothered the shit out of me. Driving a taxi don't bother me. At least I'm getting money. But that dead thing... I'm supposed to have died in San Francisco. I never found out what I died of.
My wife is always telling me, you could never drive a fucking taxi, 'cause I get lost all the time. 'Cause I'll be in a daze sometime and go right past my fucking street. That is really weird. That's one for the book.
The only fucking thing missing in my life right now is money. I've got my fucking life exactly like I want it. I just need some money. The money'll be there, but I'm talking more than that. When I was in the '70's, I was very fucking wealthy. But I was a fucking basket case. I had a nervous breakdown, I had an identity crisis, I didn't know who the fuck I was. And I wasn't happy with the money. So I have like become everything that I really wanted to be, found my fucking self, got my shit together. Now if could just reach back and get my fucking money that I had, I'd be cool. My whole fucking life right now is just putting the dollars together, getting the dollars and holding things together, that kind of shit. Other than that, I consider myself one of the three happiest motherfuckers on earth. At this time. And once I get my money... my bank'll be the first.
See some of Swamp Dogg's favorite music
Also see the Official Swamp Dogg site
Also see Richie Unterberger's web site
(which has many more interviews)


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Another wooden bike
April 29, 2011
In a previous column I wrote about a wooden bicycle project that I found on Instructables. I thought it featured some clever design features, but of course it wasn't made completely from wood. Only the frame is wood, the fork, crank, chain, wheels, etc. were all conventional metal bike parts.
But it turns out that there is an all wood bicycle, being built in Norfolk UK, as the result of a bet of one UK pound. Eco builder and woodworker Michael Thompson was watching the Tour of Britain zoom past his house with his friend James Tully when he made the statement that he thought he could build a bicycle entirely out of wood — no screws, bolts, bearings, or other metal parts. Just wood, glue, paint, and varnish. Tully took the bet and said that if the bike was built, he would ride it.
Over 1000 engineering hours later the Splinter Bike is nearly ready, and the ride has been turned into a quest to achieve the worlds speed record for a wooden bicycle. It shouldn't be terribly difficult to set the record, as there currently isn't one. If successful, not only will the team end up world record holders, they and their sponsors will also have raised some money for the UK charity Shelter Box.
Most of the bicycle is built from birch plywood. Other woods were chosen for their specific properties depending on where they were used: Ekki for the axles, ironwood to form bearings wherever moving parts have contact, and an old broom handle for the handlebars.
How about the chain? It doesn't have one. Instead there is a gear attached to the crank, which turns a much larger 128 tooth cog, which turns a gear built into the hub of the rear wheel. This drivetrain is duplicated on both sides of the bicycle to keep the forces balanced, and you can even change the gear ratio, although you have to swap out the rear wheel to do it. Maybe Splinter Bike 2.0 will have a wooden planetary gearset.
Tires? It has the world's lowest profile tire, and the only one made out of glue. Thompson chucked the wheels up in a lathe and applied a 3mm thick coat of Evo-Stik Serious Stuff Ultimate Power Adhesive. It apparently dries to a rubbery finish and is durable enough to serve as a tire for this bike.
According to the Splinter Bike blog, the bicycle is now complete and the team is waiting for enough donations to come in to be able to attempt the speed record. It's apparently fairly expensive, around $10,000, to certify a land speed record. They expect the record to be around 31 mph, by the way, using the rear wheel with the 4:1 gear ratio.
Steve Ravet
Design News Gadgeteer
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4 Panel Personalised Canvases - Collage Style Square & Landscape - Dynamic Size
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Student pharmacists visit local elementary school to pass on training
May 9, 2013
Students from Keaukaha Elementary School in Hilo learned about what pharmacists do and were able to make their own scented lotions at a special visit from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP) on April 11.
Mimi Pezzuto, faculty member at DKICP, took several first-year student pharmacists to the school to talk about pharmacy, Hilo Drug Company's historical pharmacy collection, and explain about pharmaceutical compounding.
"Not everyone responds to drugs the same way," Pezzuto said. "With compounding, pharmacists can provide better patient care by customizing a prescription that addresses each individual situation.
"I know of pharmacists who also create compounds for veterinarians and their animal patients," she added. "We try to prepare our students to be as versatile as possible when they graduate, so this is an important skill for them to learn."
The 46 elementary students also learned the importance of what goes on a label. They designed and colored their own labels, then made scented lotions.
"This was a very good experience for all the students," said Lynn Fujii, a teacher at Keaukaha Elementary. "They were engaged and had fun. It was important for them to see that science can have practical applications."
Pezzuto takes her first-year students from laboratory to local schools at least once a semester. Student pharmacists have given demonstrations at several local schools, and student organizations participate in community events such as Ocean Day and Onizuka Day. The compounding booth is always popular with the crowds, she said.
"This is one way we try to give back to our community, but also a way we try to spark interest in science at a young age," Pezzuto explained. "I am hoping that some of these budding chemists will be my future pharmacy students."
See more news from 2013.


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New @ Grands: Track -vs- Track
How do you make the Greatest Race in BMX even Greater?! USA BMX is excited to introduce the Track -vs- Track competition at this year's Grands.
New Info on the 2019 RFL Series
USA BMX & BMX Canada are among the top fundraisers for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Each year, riders gather donations and raise funds for this worthwhile cause. The Race For Life Series was started in 1981 to help a fellow BMXer diagnosed with Leukemia.
New Rule Changes for 2019
The annual review of the rules is one of the most important processes USA BMX conducts each year. Throughout the year we collect a number of ideas and feedback from our membership and tracks. These rule suggestions are then carefully analyzed by our staff with decades of BMX experience. While we're always working to implement policies and programs to grow our sport (like the BMX Racing League), we also shoulder the responsibility of being the stewards of BMX in North America.
USA BMX reveals layout for this year's Grands Track
After deciphering dozens of Salsa-stained napkin drawings, sketched out during post-National dinners at Chipotle' over the last 4 or 5 months, track builder Bill Allen and National Director Bill Morris have decided on the track layout for the 2014 Grands. ...and it's going to be a doozy!
It's STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Season!
Once again - it's that time of the year when all of your State races throughout the year come down to that one action-packed weekend. It's where the top riders - both Novice/Intermediates, Girls, Cruiser riders and Experts all compete for the illustrious title and bragging rights, to call themselves 2014 State Champion!
Olympic Day 2014
USA BMX has joined forces with the UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE and USA Cycling, to offer you and your friends a FREE day of BMX racing at participating BMX tracks. Check out USA BMX for locations all over the United States who will be celebrating Olympic Day this week.
Spring Nationals Race Report
Duke City BMX plays host to the 2014 USA BMX Spring Nationals and the 2014 USA Cycling Challenge Class Championships.
2014 USA BMX Summit details and reservations
2014 USA BMX Summit will convene on Thursday, February 20, with registration beginning at 3 pm. The Opening Ceremony will start at 5 pm on Thursday, followed by the first General Session covering Track Management/Marketing. Additional General Sessions will be held covering Ranking and Points Programs along with what's New for 2014. Seminars will be conducted covering Track Operations, Registration, Computer Software, Officiating, Track Building, Preparation and Maintenance.
The Mostly Complete History of ABA & USA BMX Tracks
With the 36th Grands just around the corner, we scrounged up all of these photos of past Grands tracks - for your viewing and reminiscing pleasure. In fact, if you were there - you just might be in some of these crowd shots. It's a great example of the evolution of BMX Racing.
A sneak peak at Black Mountain BMX track
A sneak peak at the newly revamped Black Mountain BMX track. All ready for the 2013 Winternationals. This years' track is comparable to a Nascar super speedway ...without the restrictor plates.
USA BMX kicks off 2nd Annual BMX Summit in LasVegas
The 2nd Annual USA BMX Bicycle Motocross Summit opened this evening with the meet and greet gathering and registration, and set a record turnout of track operators, officials and volunteers.
Bluegrass Nationals- Louisville, KY Feb 8-10- Hotel Room Cut Off Sunday, Jan. 20th
The 2013 Bluegrass Nationals at the amazing Kentucky Expo Center's - Freedom Hall is coming up Feb 8-10, and you don't want to miss the special USA BMX hotel rates. We work tirelessly with the local hotels to ensure you have great options at a great rate. Book after January 20th and you will pay more.
JBL's GRANDS TRACK SUGGESTION CONTEST
Ever dreamed of helping design the Grands track?! Well .. here's your chance! Not that our build-crew needs any help - but we thought it'd be a cool idea to let YOU - the USA BMX members, provide us with some input on what jumps to place where on this years GRANDS track!
2011 ABA Grands track-build
How much work does it take to build The Grands track? Check out this time-lapse video from last year, and get ready for 2012!
Louisville – Track Rebuild in Preparation for the Bluegrass Nationals
Louisville – Track Rebuild in Preparation for the Bluegrass Nationals
Tracks of the West
Tracks of the Central
Tracks of the East


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Experience the fresh and spicy flavours of Johnnie Walker Red Label with mint leaves and a little sugar. A long, refreshing cocktail that is perfect for summer.
By clicking "continue" you agree you are sharing this content with individuals of legal drinking age only.
CloseClap 8 mint leaves and place at the bottom of a tall glass
Add 10ml sugar syrup and muddle gently
Fill the glass 3/4 full with crushed ice
Add 25 ml Johnnie Walker Red Label
Add 75 ml soda water
Stir and garnish with mint string


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We complete today's Orange Trilogy with this many-scaled celebration of the self by the builder mentioned in the title, Madrid's own Jose Carlos Fernandez (Lego-Man-at-arms). One thing is for certain; to deny the power of the maxi-figs beard would be perilous.
Jose also likes to draw a comic from time to time and I found this one to be all too familiar.


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WCU invites student and faculty input on campus master plan
Western Carolina University is open to suggestions — from students, faculty and the general public — as it undergoes a campus-wide planning process that will steer infrastructure at the institution for the coming decade.
After beginning its Campus Master Plan last fall, WCU leaders have held forums in the community and on campus, but Monday it tried a new approach: a drop-in style session in the A.K. Hinds University Center in the heart of the university.
Faculty stopped by to share their thoughts and concerns with WCU administrators and consultants working on the master plan. Students wandered by after grabbing a sandwich in the nearby cafeteria and scribbled their favorite studying and socializing spots on a gigantic tag board in the hallway.
"We need another big hangout spot apart from the fountain," said WCU sophomore Tiffany Cantrell, in reference to the campus' main plaza. On a sunny day like Monday, students flocked to the fountain, which is bordered by fields of green grass, trees and the looming campus clock tower.
But Dan Grube, director of the School of Teaching and Learning, offered perhaps a more economical and simpler suggestion: more benches in the places that already exist.
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"Seems like it might be nice to have some seating areas where people could congregate and have lunch," Grube said.
The panel of experts, sitting behind booths dedicated to different facets of campus infrastructure — community and heritage, security, transportation and parking, technology and sustainability — fielded all sorts of questions and suggestions about how the campus could be better.
One student suggested to those manning the transportation and parking booth that they bring back the bike rental service and the dedicated shuttle that once transported students from the upper reaches of campus. He also added that it's hard to get a decent bite to eat near the Reynolds Residence Hall where he lives.
"You have to either have it in your room or you have to leave," said Colin Cunningham, a junior.
Cunningham also thought the Catamount statute in the center of the roundabout at the main entrance was a bit out of place and would be better served in the center of the campus rather.
"Bigger campuses, like Appalachian State, have their mascots where the students hang out, not in front of the campus," Cunningham said.
But it wasn't necessarily what was at the heart of campus that concerned faculty member Dave Hudson. He paid a visit to the drop-in input session to remind planners not to forget the surrounding community while developing the landscape at WCU. He said the university would be better served if it took into consideration what lies outside its borders during the planning process.
"My thoughts were for them to keep that in the back of their minds," Hudson said, who lives in Cullowhee just outside the campus boundaries. "It's all part of the big thing of developing a more university town feel."
Despite the mishmash of campus betterment ideas thrown out to those involved in the planning process, Melissa Wargo, a faculty member at WCU and co-chairwoman of the master planning committee, said that was just what they were looking for. Wargo said the strategy was to grab feedback from students and staff before they took off for the summer, and it was better than expecting them to show up at some of the meetings.
"This is a good way to solicit that information rather than somebody in a room with a panel talking at them," Wargo said.
Instead, the panel of consultants lined the hallway at the University Center and chatted comfortably with visitors. John Dreiling, a project manager with an architectural and planning firm in Virginia, organized the team of consultants. They include experts in the fields of civil engineering, information technology, curriculums, transportation and sustainability.
They will guide the master plan and work with WCU administrators until the long process is complete this fall.
A preliminary plan is expected to be completed by early September, followed by a series of campus and community presentations for reaction in October and November. After revisions based on that feedback, the final master plan should be ready for consideration by the WCU Board of Trustees at its meeting in December.
"At this point we're early in our process of master planning," Dreiling said. "We're doing data collection and trying to find out as much as we can about the university and its environment."
In addition to soliciting general input, the team will be meeting with deans, department heads and members of a master planning steering committee and several task forces focused on specific areas of the campus master plan.
Dreiling said all the information they gather will be analyzed and incorporated into the plan. However, he said some areas of the campus that need work are already starting to rise above others. Transportation and parking are themes that have often been repeated throughout the process, as are technology issues and access to wifi from certain points on campus.
Sustainability and preservation of the university's green spaces is another topic mentioned frequently.
The planning process is not limited to what can be added to the campus — it's also assessing how current facilities are being utilized and which buildings and areas could be re-purposed or altered.
Once completed, the master plan will serve as a guidebook for future additions, expansion and physical changes made on campus. Yet, before those ideas are taken from their paper form and put into action in coming years, other factors need to come into play.
"Of course with all these institutions there's the question of funding and budgets," Dreiling said.


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This article is more than 1 year old
FreeBSD 6.2 nears release
Robert Watson on the new security event auditing system
How does the audit framework work?
Robert Watson: Configuring audit is quite straight forward. We do not ship the GENERIC kernel with AUDIT support enabled, as it will be considered an experimental feature for FreeBSD 6.2, so you will need to recompile the kernel with "options AUDIT". All of the necessary tools are compiled into user space by default, however. To turn on basic audit, add the following line to /etc/rc.conf and reboot:
This will enable the audit daemon. The default configuration audits login and logout events, but it can be configured to audit in much greater detail. Configuration files for audit are found in /etc/security. To audit all program execution performed by authenticated users, you can modify the flags line and policy lines in audit_control(5)to read:
dir:/var/audit flags:lo,+ex minfree:20 naflags:lo policy:cnt,argv
After restarting the audit service, successful calls to execve(2) will be included in the audit log, producing a detailed trace of user activity. The praudit(8) tool is used to convert BSM trails to text for analysis, and the auditreduce(8) command can be used to select specific records for processing. For example, the following command line will print the tail end of the current open audit trail:
% praudit /var/audit/20060919152519.not_terminated | tail -14 header,194,10,execve(2),0,Fri Sep 22 11:25:28 2006, + 186 msec exec arg,/usr/sbin/praudit,/var/audit/20060919152519.not_terminated path,/usr/sbin/praudit attribute,755,root,wheel,90,74867,293408 subject,robert,robert,robert,robert,robert,27579,24249,60949,184.108.40.206 return,success,0 trailer,194 header,128,10,execve(2),0,Fri Sep 22 11:25:28 2006, + 189 msec exec arg,tail,-14 path,/usr/bin/tail attribute,555,root,wheel,90,27225,114880 subject,robert,robert,robert,robert,robert,27580,24249,60949,18.104.22.168 return,success,0 trailer,128
One interesting thing about audit is that we log the authenticated user, not just the UNIX real/effective uids. This means that activities performed after su'ing will be traceable both to the original user who logged in, not just the user switched to, which can be quite useful for introducing accountability for shared role accounts. Using auditreduce(8), you can select down to particular users, particular files, times of day, type of operation, and so on.
You can find more information on audit in the FreeBSD Handbook chapter on audit, as well as detailed information on configuration file formats and tools in the man pages.
Audit is required for Common Criteria evaluation. Do you think this feature could help FreeBSD gain more market share in enterprise and government agencies?
Robert Watson: Common Criteria evaluation is critical to the adoption of operating systems by a number of major software consumers, including US DoD and other parts of the US government. Even without evaluation, audit is an important software requirement for many other security-sensitive organisations, such as banks.
Inclusion of this feature in FreeBSD will open a lot of doors. On the other hand, adding audit support is not the same as completing evaluation - evaluation is a very expensive prospect, and typically happens in the context of a vendor with a specific product, not an open source community project.
Our goal has been to facilitate evaluation of FreeBSD by its consumers and resellers, not perform the evaluation itself. FreeBSD should now meet almost all of the technical requirements for a basic CAPP evaluation, if someone should come along wanting to do one. As FreeBSD has been evaluated numerous times under the common criteria as part of various products, such as routers, firewalls, and so on, there's a lot of evidence that such an evaluation could be completed successfully without much additional development work.
What type of advantages could a forensic technician get from it?
Robert Watson: Post-mortem analysis is a tricky business - you want to figure out how the system was broken into and what was done, but this is complicated by the fact that software is extremely flexible and there isn't much log information. It could be that the first thing you know of an attack is a defaced web page, but maybe the actual break-in occurred weeks before. A detailed audit trail of events can often directly answer the question of how and when the break-in occurred, and allow the technician to backtrack through the log identifying what files were modified by the attacker, what software was run, and what other activities, such as attacking other systems, were performed.
As audit is flexible to configure and we ship trail reduction tools, administrators can decide on their own trade-offs between disk space use, performance impact, and log completeness. For example, administrators might choose to audit only system logins, which has very low space and performance overhead - or, they might choose to audit all commands executed and system logins, costing somewhat more in space and overhead, keeping execution information for four weeks, then reducing the logs down to only login information and keeping that for 12 months.


text: Climate change already affects forests and is expected to affect them even more in the future. The effects of climate change add to the many pressures threatening our forests. While some forest services may be enhanced, many more could be lost. Already in the course of this century, forests may have turned from a net carbon sink to a net carbon source, potentially releasing huge additional quantities of carbon into the atmosphere. The impacts of climate change onforests will have far-reaching social and economic consequences, particularly for poor people who depend on forests that often serve as a safety net during times of economic and ecological hardship.Given the diversity of the worlds forests and the needs of their stakeholders, there seems to be no magic answer for forest adaptation. Some forests maybe lost entirely. Nevertheless, forest managers can rely on effective and locally appropriate tools that can help conserve forests and sustain the mix of ecosystem services they provide, even within a changing climate. More than that, forestecosystems affect us all. Sustaining them can play a key role in reducing social vulnerability far beyond the forest sector.


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By Dr. Charles Raison
(CNN) — I grew up in a place where the sun shone every day from May through October. These sun-drenched days were the happiest times of my life.
But in winter a dense fog would often blanket my hometown for weeks at a time, leaving the world gray and featureless and leaving me down and dreary. These seasons were so definite, so unchanging, that I just came to believe that summer was happy and winter was sad.
No wonder, then, that I've always had a personal fascination with winter depression, known more commonly as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.
About 15% of the U.S. population experiences the problematic rhythmic change of the seasons. For these individuals, time itself is a stressor, and winter is often a season of despair.
Most of these people who find the season a downer are able to power through the gray days and get by. But about 5% of the population becomes so impaired every winter that they meet the criteria for SAD.
Although everyone is a little different when it comes to how they experience depression, SAD tends to follow a remarkably stereotyped pattern.
Symptoms usually start in the fall as the days shorten. Interestingly, for most people feeling depressed is not what comes first. Rather, people tend to become tired, to sleep more and to eat more — especially carbohydrates — and to gain weight as a result.
They have increasing difficulty getting up in the morning and remaining interested in the things around them. Their ability to remember things and to concentrate diminishes. Only as winter bears down in earnest do sadness, despair and other classic emotional symptoms of depression take hold.
Then, as the days lengthen and spring approaches, the symptoms began to evaporate in reverse order, with sadness/despair lifting first and sleep and appetite changes normalizing later.
Many people with SAD experience normal moods from spring through fall, although some will actually become euphoric in spring, a condition known technically as "hypomania." This tendency for SAD sufferers to experience elevated moods during sunny times of the year has led some researchers to see SAD as a variant of bipolar disorder, or manic depression.
Given that SAD is so tied to the seasons and to sunlight in particular, you might predict that people who live in places with cold, dark winters would be more likely than people living in sunny climes to experience SAD. You'd be right.
For example, the rate of SAD in New Hampshire has been estimated at 10%, whereas less than 2% of people living in Florida suffer with the condition. In fact, I've known many patients over the years who only developed SAD when they left places like Florida to live further north.
In this way, SAD is the quintessential environmental disorder — no winter, no SAD. But that is not the whole story.
Like all psychiatric conditions, SAD occurs at the intersection of genes and environment, of nature and nurture. This point has been brought home by several remarkable studies showing that people in Iceland have remarkably low rates of SAD, despite living in one of the darkest winter environments on earth.
Even more remarkably, people of Icelandic descent living in the prairie provinces of Canada have far lower rates of SAD than their fellow non-Icelandic Canadians, which greatly strengthens the argument that Icelandic people carry an as-yet-undiscovered genetic factor that protects against SAD.
We don't know what causes SAD, although abnormalities in multiple brain regions have been repeatedly observed in studies. The neurotransmitter serotonin seems to be implicated, as does melatonin, one of the hormones most involved in the onset and offset of sleep. Perhaps most intriguingly, several studies suggest that the eyes themselves might contribute to the risk of developing SAD, given that the eyes of people with SAD respond differently to light.
There also seems to be a strong association between being affected by the seasons and having heightened creative abilities.
I was a practicing psychiatrist before I fully admitted to myself that I suffered from mild SAD. In fact, I didn't really believe it until I bought my first light box and turned it on one fall.
The results were amazing. Thirty minutes in front of a bright light (10,000 lux to be exact) and my brain and body felt like they'd been transported back to summer. My mind knew it wasn't true, but that didn't matter; the melancholy was gone.
Of course, my experience is hardly unique, and if you suffer from winter depression you really owe it to yourself to buy a light box and give it a try. You might also look into dawn simulators, which have also been shown to treat SAD.
Studies have also shown that several classes of antidepressants improve SAD symptoms. If one only has depression in the winter, and no other time of the year, antidepressants can be started as a protective measure in the fall before the start of symptoms and stopped again in the spring. Various forms of psychotherapy have also been shown to be effective in treating SAD.
I don't recommend starting any type of medical treatment without first talking with your doctor.
If you are sensitive to winter, there are several other things you can do to help your mood and energy level.
The first seems counterintuitive, and that is to resist the temptation to sleep late or stay in bed on cold, gray mornings.
Even the grayest morning provides many times more light than the typical indoor environment. And light in the morning helps people fall asleep earlier in the evening and to sleep more deeply.
This is important because SAD is tightly associated with something technically known as "phase delay," which means that people with SAD tend to stay up late and sleep late. If you have this behavior, you can improve your mood just by training yourself to move your sleep period forward.
Exercise can also be hugely helpful in combating SAD, especially in the morning. Exercise increases fitness and stimulates the production of antidepressant compounds in the brain and body. Exercising in the morning can also help you fall asleep earlier and sleep better.
I was somewhat unusual in suffering with SAD, because it tends to afflict women more often than men. But I was typical in one fortunate way. SAD is a young person's disease. Many people begin to "outgrow" the condition in their 40s and 50s.
That was the case with me. One winter in my mid-40s the winter blues just didn't happen, and the light box sat unplugged at the back of my desk.
A final note: If you've been thinking to yourself, "I love winters — summer is what gets me down," let me assure you that you are not alone. Although far less common than winter depression, summer-type SAD is a well-recognized condition. Unlike winter depression, summer depression is all about heat. The hotter it is, the more likely people are to become depressed.
Perhaps because summer depression is so much less common than winter depression, little is known about how to optimally treat it. But I'm put in mind of Mark Twain's comment that the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco, and I suspect that a midsummer journey to a cold, foggy coast might provide tremendous relief.
Editor's note: Dr. Charles Raison, CNNHealth's mental health expert, is an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
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