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Perhaps it's a Midwestern thing, I don't know. I grew up outside Chicago (although my family is mostly all from back east) so that's where my theory originates regarding it being a Midwestern thing. After all, when I was growing up, nobody around me seem to think that it was odd so my assumption is that they all – we all – pronounced it this same way: "new-que-lar." It was only later, when removed from the wayward influences of my isolated rustic upbringing was it pointed out to me – sometimes amidst unsuppressed laughter – that the word is spelled "n-u-c-l-e-a-r". Or, in other words, it is pronounced: "new-clear." Okay, so, whatever.
If I'm talking about 'nuclear this' or 'nuclear that,' what's shown in the picture above is probably what popped into your head. And that's fair. This is the way that nuclear power most commonly impacts our daily existence, i.e., through the light switches and electrical outlets in our houses that are ultimately traceable back to a power plant, some of which are based on nuclear fission reactors. Below are a couple of other applications of nuclear power with which we are familiar.
Okay, so what does this have to do with rockets? Well, there are ways to use nuclear power to create rocket propulsion. And, by the way, this is not some newfangled idea out of the blue. Did you know that one of the original plans for the third stage of what would become the Saturn V rocket was for that stage to use nuclear-thermal propulsion? That plan was eventually dropped and a configuration using a J-2 engine was chosen instead, but going all of the way back to the late 1950's people were thinking of ways to use the extraordinary power of nuclear fission to enable and enhance space exploration.
There are two basic classes of rockets that use nuclear fission. One is called "nuclear-electric" and the other is called "nuclear-thermal." In a nuclear-electric rocket, you use the reactor to generate electricity (like a small power plant) and then use that electricity to make high-velocity ions. The latter portion of the sequence is called "ion propulsion" and there are different schemes and ideas out there, some of which have been used on unmanned spacecraft in the past using other sources for electrical power.
Nuclear-electric propulsion is extremely efficient. In the past we've talked about specific impulse being a measure of rocket efficiency. Well, a nuclear-electric propulsion system is on the order of ten or twenty times more efficient than your typical high-performance liquid hydrogen / liquid oxygen chemical propulsion rocket such as J-2X or RS-25. BUT (and this is a really, really big "but"), for all that efficiency, they don't generate much thrust. AND they are very heavy. Thus, the only place where using nuclear-electric propulsion makes any sense is in space. Even there in "weightless" space, the extremely low thrust-to-weight ratio means that this propulsion system is only appropriate for missions where you're willing to be very patient and get to wherever you're going quite slowly. That's not really an appropriate approach for missions with humans on board.
The other class of nuclear power rocket engines, and the one that I really want to tell you about, is nuclear-thermal rockets. It is appropriate that we discuss nuclear-thermal rockets in an article immediately following an article discussing expander cycle engines since they are actually closely related. Almost cousins. Below is a schematic for a nuclear-thermal rocket in the same general format as the various expander cycle engines were shown in the previous article.
What you don't have here is any oxidizer. Why? Because there is no combustion. In a normal rocket engine we use fuel and oxidizer in a chemical reaction to create hot combustion products. It is the ejection of those hot combustion products generate the engine thrust. For a nuclear-thermal rocket engine we use the reactor to make the hot stuff. You can think of the reactor, when operating, as a really, really powerful heat source, even more powerful than a chemical reaction. Thus, I can use that heat source to generate turbine drive gas, just as in an expander cycle engine, and I can also use that heat source to make the hot gas that generates the engine thrust. In terms of configuration, the reactor has built into it flow passages where the fuel picks up heat as it goes along. These passages can be along the outside, which I've shown here as feeding the turbine, and they are throughout the innards of the core. There are different ways of accomplishing this. One way is to make extrude the core rods with passages – "coolant channels" – through the length of the rods. This is shown in an old sketch from the NASA archives below. Another way to achieve this is to make the core out of pellets or "pebbles" trapped in little cages. Doing this, you'd get what's called a "pebble-bed reactor" and such a configuration provides for lots and lots of heat exchange surface area between the core pellets and the working fluid flowing through.
So, what's the "fuel" in the rocket schematic, i.e., the working fluid shown in red? The typical answer is hydrogen. One of the reasons that we use hydrogen in a chemical engine is because when we run fuel-rich, we get lots of hot, unreacted hydrogen as part of the exhaust. Hydrogen is very light. When it gets hot and energetic – and hydrogen picks up heat wonderfully – it moves very fast. If you think back to the rocket equation, fast moving exhaust means high performance. In this case for the nuclear-thermal rocket, the exhaust is pure hydrogen, so performance can be quite high. How high? Well, it's not as high as the nuclear-electric options discussed above, but specific impulse values two times that of J-2X or RS-25 are entirely plausible. Further, despite the fact that nuclear-thermal engines are quite heavy, their thrust-to-weight ratio is generally much better than the nuclear-electric options. In other words, a nuclear-thermal engine has some good "oomph," enough oomph to make it potentially usable for human spaceflight. And that's why it was seriously contemplated in the earliest planning for the mission to the moon over fifty years ago. That's also why, in my humble opinion, it is a prime candidate for any future human mission to Mars.
As mention above, this is not a new idea. It reaches all of the way back to the 1950's. There was a series of active programs all throughout the 1960's falling under the general heading of NERVA, Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application. Below is a picture of an actual test of one of these engines.
So, with all this history behind us and with all this potential for performance, why on earth haven't we been pursuing this technology first and foremost? Because, well, nothing is free and nothing is ever as easy as it seems at first.
The biggest struggle with nuclear-thermal rockets is that whole radiation thing. Okay, yes, I said it. Radiation is bad. Deadly. And very long-lasting. While rocket engines of any type always pack a punch in terms of power density and, therefore, the possibility for catastrophe, with the added spice of radiation, you've got quite the potential for a noxious stew. Does this mean that we ought to simply avoid it altogether? That's a valid question and one that's been debated for about 50 years. It would be presumptuous of me to suggest that I could resolve the issue definitively, but we can discuss the constituent elements rather than just falling back on the "radiation is scary" answer.
First, let's talk about whether it could be used on a vehicle. The reactor is going to generate radiation. Internally, that's how it works and that radiation in different forms overflows the boundaries of the reactor. It just does. So, what do you do? Well, you provide shielding. The truth is that space is chock full of radiation. If not for our little pocket of safety thanks to the magnetic poles of planet earth, we'd be cooked to the crisp by the radiation pouring out of the sun. When you're in space, particularly if you're going beyond our little planetary pocket of safety and traveling to the moon or to Mars, you're going to get bombarded by radiation so no matter what, shielding is necessary. Shielding is heavy because in order for it to be effective, you need big, heavy molecules to catch gamma rays (my very simplistic explanation). Lead and tungsten are two common shielding materials for this purpose. With a fission reactor, you are also going need something for neutron flux moderation. The typical material for this is Lithium Hydride but the propellant tank itself containing hydrogen also works well for this.
A means for minimizing the weight impact for the shielding used to protect the astronauts from the reactor radiation is to use the notion of a shadow. In the sketch below, you have a reactor on the back end of the vehicle, a shield in between, and the spacecraft up front. Between, connecting everything and not shown, would be the propellant tank and the usual shiny structural trusses. As you can see, the shielding creates a shadow from the radiation within which the spacecraft sits. Now, it's not always this simple because you sometimes need holes through the shield for functional reasons or you could get reflected/scattered radiation effects from structural elements, but this is the most common general scheme for dealing with a reactor on a spacecraft. Stick the reactor out a ways from everything, place the shield close, and cast a long, broad shadow.
Okay, you say, you've protected the astronauts, great. But what about the six or seven billion people back here on planet earth? After all, in order to fire up a nuclear-thermal rocket in space you first have to get it into space and that means that you have to launch it from the surface of the planet. Launch always involves risk. What happens if the launch vehicle blows up? If the launch vehicle blows up, then the reactor blows up. Wow. Now, how dangerous is that? I will not pretend that I can answer that question with my limited background. But I can tell you that prior to and during launch, the reactor is "cold." While you probably wouldn't want to use enriched uranium to make wallpaper for your house, it's not that horrifically dangerous prior to use in an active reactor. It is only after the reactor gets going that the innards get all juiced up and seriously radioactive. The plan would be to launch the reactor never having been "juiced up" and only start it when it is at a safe distance from earth thereby eliminating as much as possible the potential of reentry of a hot, radioactive reactor into the atmosphere.
[Note that the fact that you need something like tungsten for a shield (very heavy metal) and you've got bundled up uranium in your reactor (another even heavier metal) are big reason as to why a nuclear-thermal rocket engine is typically so heavy as compared to a chemical rocket engine.]
The next issue to deal with for a nuclear-thermal rocket is probably one of the most difficult: testing. On the one hand, we've got lots of places where we can test rockets. On the other hand, we have certain places where we test reactors (mostly under the expert supervision of the Department of Energy in coordination with the U.S. Navy). But putting those two pieces together and playing with them as a unit, now that's really tough. Why? Because of that darn radiation thing again.
After a typical J-2X or RS-25 test, after we've cleared residual propellants and bled away any excessive pressures, we've got technicians all over those engines. They're inspecting this, examining that, taking things apart, putting them back together. The whole point of a development program is to get data and a lot of that data comes in the form of post-test inspections. With a nuclear-thermal rocket, that wouldn't be possible unless you really, really didn't like your techs (please note that's not serious, just a joke in poor taste). Once the reactor has been fired up, it's hot. Yes, you can dial it back down so that it's no longer at fully throttle, but both it and the surrounding stuff are contaminated to some extent with radiation. And you don't just wipe radioactivity away with a damp rag. After that first initiation of self-sustaining chain reaction (i.e., "critical"), everything needs to be handled very differently. Also, in addition to this, the hydrogen working fluid that we push through the reactor, it too picks up some level of radiation. No, not a lot. But under modern safety restrictions, all of that hydrogen would have to be captured and scrubbed clean before release. Capturing rocket exhaust is not an easy job. It's possible but it requires some extraordinary test facility capabilities.
With all this difficulty, how can we conceive of getting through a development program? A rocket engine development program requires testing because, frankly, we are demonstrably not smart enough to do without it. One answer: Split the engine into two pieces. If you do the rocket part separate from the reactor part, then you can keep the two pieces blissfully in their natural environments, i.e., the rocket part on NASA test stands and the reactor part in the Department of Energy labs. Focusing on the rocket side (not surprising for me, eh?), the difficulty then becomes in simulating the heat source that is the reactor. There has been some work done here at NASA MSFC at creating reactor simulators specifically for the purpose of testing subsystem separate from reactors whether those subsystems are rocket engines or power generation systems. Below is a picture of one such reactor simulator.
In this manner you can minimize or possibly even eliminate for the combined rocket/reactor testing that is so difficult to pull off.
Before nuclear-thermal rockets can be used on missions of the future, there are a number of challenges to overcome, but the potential gains in vehicle and mission performance are impressive. While this topic doesn't fall entirely within the realm of liquid rocket engines consistent with the title of this blog, I thought that the similarity of the schematic to expander cycle engines would be of interest. In this case, rather than a chemical reaction, you have nuclear fission, yet the engine cycle is still a matter of driving a fluid into a place where it gets hot and, from there, is ejected at high velocities. In this way, a rocket is a rocket is a rocket, even if it is "nu-que-lar."


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History of the Project | Beatrix Farrand's Plant Book for Dumbarton Oaks | Selected Bibliography | Contact Us
The Dumbarton Oaks Garden Archives makes publicly available over six thousand individual pieces of correspondence, drawings, and photographs. These original materials have been supplemented by histories of the garden areas, biographies of individuals and firms, and sections on contemporary art installations.
There are multiple ways to browse and explore the Garden Archives using the gray tabs at the top of the page.
- Learn about the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens and the history of the Garden Archives, and discover further reading in the Garden Archives Home tab.
- Contents allows you to browse the contents of the archives via sections that can be expanded by clicking the plus sign. Correspondence, maps, contemporary art installations, additional designs and sketches, and biographies are organized in their own sections; drawings and photographs are organized by garden area.
- The Index is the way to search if you are uncertain exactly where to begin. It offers terms that link to relevant correspondence, drawing and photographs. Browse by clicking on alphabetical tabs and scrolling left and right, or search using the search bar at the top right.
- Search & Refine permits a more granular search of contents, using general text, title keyword, accession number, and date fields. After an initial search, the Refine options allow you to narrow down searches by names of individuals and organizations, material type, garden area, and historic period.
- Further information about how to search for content can be found in the Help tab. Topics include tips and frequently asked questions about how to search, the chronology of garden names, abbreviations used in the Index, preferred citation, rights and reproductions, and help with technical issues, like printing and sharing content.
History of the Project
The Dumbarton Oaks Gardens
In 1920, after a long and careful search, Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss found their ideal country house and garden within Washington, D.C. They eventually purchased a fifty-three-acre property, described as an old-fashioned house standing in rather neglected grounds, at the highest point of Georgetown. Within a year, the Blisses hired landscape gardener Beatrix Farrand to design the gardens. Working in happy and close collaboration for almost thirty years, Mildred Bliss and Beatrix Farrand planned every garden detail: each terrace, bench, urn, and border.
Since that time, other architects working with Mildred Bliss, most notably Ruth Havey and Alden Hopkins, changed certain elements of the Farrand design. The gardens have also changed in function. In 1940, Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss gave the upper sixteen acres to Harvard University to establish a research institute for Byzantine Studies, Pre-Columbian Studies, and Garden and Landscape Studies. They gave the lower, more naturalistic twenty-seven acres to the United States government to be made into a public park. An additional ten acres was sold to build the Danish Embassy.
Information on the history of specific parts of the gardens can be found in the Drawings and Photographs by Garden Area folder.
The Garden Archives
a formidable collection . . . it is rare that a continuous history of a place covering more than 20 years is to be found. Therefore, the papers have considerable professional value.
Beatrix Farrand to John Thacher, April 11, 1950
In April 1950, wrote to recommending that extra staff be assigned to properly archive and catalog the collection of drawings, photographs, and letters that she was about to ship to Dumbarton Oaks. No longer designing landscapes, Farrand felt that her personal archive of Dumbarton Oaks design documentation was "of real value as few places have so long a carefully-kept record of attempts, accomplishments and failures. For the art of landscape these records are worthwhile and they should be kept safely, catalogued and protected." (B:BF 1950.04.06) Farrand soon wrote to the director, , warning him that she would be sending "a formidable collection . . . it is rare that a continuous history of a place covering more than 20 years is to be found. Therefore, the papers have considerable professional value. . . . You will of course want to make this material . . . available and useful to students of Landscape Architecture." (B: BF 1950.04.11)
While the archive was accepted and stored at Dumbarton Oaks, efforts to organize it and catalog it were insufficient. For six decades researchers have struggled with the documentation for the design and construction of the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks. It is voluminous and somewhat fragile. Many drawings are large and unwieldy to use in tandem with related photos or letters. None of the documentation was cataloged or indexed.
In 2009, Sheila Klos, the library director, decided the correspondence related to the gardens should be digitized, eliminating use of inferior microfilm copies of letters while still limiting the handling of originals. A professional indexer with a horticultural background was hired and a project that was begun to enable easy computerized searching of the correspondence. In pursuing this goal the potential of online access to digital surrogates of the entire collection was recognized and the project expanded to include original drawings and historic photographs. Thus was born the Garden Archives project.
The Garden Archives found here offer the full complement of documentation held in the Research Library's Rare Book Collection. They also include some more recent photographs, including documentation of the installations since 2010 of contemporary art in the gardens.
In earliest piece of correspondence, dated June 24–25, 1922, laid out for and her preliminary ideas for plantings on the R Street side of the house. In 1923, was posted to Stockholm as U.S. Minister to Sweden, just one of many diplomatic postings that took the Blisses away from Washington for long periods of time while the gardens were being designed and constructed. In fact, given their residency in several foreign countries from 1923 through 1933, most of the consultation with architects and landscape gardeners regarding alterations and improvements to the property was carried out through letters and telegrams.
Astute users will discover that there is a lamentable gap in the correspondence for the years 1925–1933. We are certain that
and wrote to each other about the gardens during that period, but those letters are lost. Our archive is built from Mrs. Farrand's archive; the disposition of Mrs. Bliss's copies of their correspondence is unknown. Fortunately, many hundreds of drawings and photographs help to piece together the ideas we know were shared as the landscape was designed, revised, and constructed to meet Mildred Bliss's changing ideas.Like the gardens themselves, our digital Garden Archives are being built a room at a time. With several thousand drawings, historic photographs, plus letters, plant lists, invoices, and receipts we think this is the logical approach. One may find index entries that are not yet active links, but they are a clear indication of content that will appear later. Please visit often to see our progress and make use of the materials that have been added.
Beatrix Farrand's Plant Book for Dumbarton Oaks
The Plant Book for Dumbarton Oaks was prepared as a resource for those charged with maintenance of the gardens following their acquisition by Harvard University in 1941. Beatrix Farrand here explains the reasoning behind her plan for each of the gardens and stipulates how each should be cared for in order that its basic character remain intact. Her resourceful suggestions for alternative plantings, her rigorous strictures concerning pruning and replacement, her exposition of the overall concept that underlies each detail, and the plant lists that accompany her discussion of each garden make this a volume of interest to every student, practitioner, and lover of landscape design.
Selected Bibliography
Balmori, D., D. K. McGuire, and E. M. McPeck. Beatrix Farrand's American Landscapes: Her Gardens and Campuses. Sagaponack, N.Y.: Sagapress; Millwood, N.Y.: Distributed by Kraus R. and P., 1985.
Beatrix Jones Farrand, 1972–1959: an Appreciation of a Great Landscape Gardener. Washington, D.C.: Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss, 1960.
Beatrix Jones Farrand Collection, 1866–1959, at University of California, Berkeley.
Beardsley, John, ed. Landscape Body Dwelling: Charles Simonds at Dumbarton Oaks. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2011.
Carder, J. N., ed. A Home of the Humanities: The Collecting and Patronage of Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2010.
Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks, 2002. First published in Apollo vol. 229, no. 266, April 1984.
Karson, R. S. A Genius for Place: American Landscapes of the Country Place Era. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, in association with Library of American Landscape History, c2007.
Lott, L. "The Arbor Terrace at Dumbarton Oaks: History and Design." Garden History 31, no. 4 (2003): 209-217.
———. The Dumbarton Oaks Gardens & Gertrude Jekyll's Garden Ornament. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Garden Library, 2010.
———. Garden Ornament at Dumbarton Oaks. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Library and Collection, c2001.
———. Garden Ornament at Dumbarton Oaks. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Library and Collection, 1996.
Lyon, Richard A. Abood. Beatrix Jones Farrand, Landscape Gardener. Honors thesis, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1979.
Masson, G. Dumbarton Oaks: A Guide to the Gardens. Washington, D.C.: Printed by Port City Press, 1968.
McGuire, D. K., ed. Beatrix Farrand's Plant Book for Dumbarton Oaks. 1980. Reprint, Washington: Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, 1993.
McGuire, D. K., and L. Fern, eds. Beatrix Jones Farrand (1872–1959): Fifty Years of American Landscape Architecture. Dumbarton Oaks Colloquium on the History of Landscape Architecture VIII. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, 1982.
Pariser, U. R. The Dumbarton Oaks Gardens: Their History, Design, and Ornaments. Photographs by Ursula R. Pariser; text by Noëlle Blackmer Beatty. Washington: Dumbarton Oaks: Distributed by Acropolis Books, c1978.
Tamulevich, S. Dumbarton Oaks: Garden into Art. New York: Monacelli Press, 2001.
Tankard, J. B. Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes. New York: Monacelli Press, c2009.
Whitehill, W. M. Dumbarton Oaks: The History of a Georgetown House and Garden, 1800–1966. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1967.
Way, T. Unbounded Practice: Women and Landscape Architecture in the Early Twentieth Century. Democracy and Urban Landscapes. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2009.
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subset: commoncrawl


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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia outmuscled little green army men for a spot in the National Toy Hall of Fame. "Star Wars" action figures join centuries-old dominoes in the class of 2012, which was announced by the Rochester hall Thursday.
A national selection committee chose them from among 12 finalists, plucking the most ancient and most modern toys from the list.
"Star Wars" action figures went on the market in 1978, following the 1977 release of the 20th Century Fox movie. The 3 3/4-inch figures of Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and company were sold until 1985 and again from the mid-1990s to today.
Museum officials say their phenomenal popularity inspired other toy makers to tie their products to movies and television series and they note the toys' appeal extends to adults who continue to collect them.
Dominoes originated in China in the 1300s and appeared later in Europe in a slightly different form. A standard set of 28 tiles represents all possible results when rolling a pair of six-sided dice, with the addition of two blank sides. Although there's a variety of ways to play with them, the cascading toppling of lined-up tiles put the "domino effect" into the American lexicon.
The toys beat out plastic green army men, the board game Clue, the Fisher-Price Corn Popper, Lite-Brite, the Magic 8 Ball, the pogo stick, sidewalk chalk, the electronic game Simon, the tea set and Twister.
To date, 49 toys have made the cut. They range from classics, like Play-Doh and Slinky, to the less obvious, like the stick and cardboard box.
Officials at the Toy Hall of Fame say anyone can nominate a toy and thousands of suggestions come in every year. An internal committee of curators, educators and historians chooses the finalists and then a national selection committee votes for the winners.
Longevity is a key criterion for getting into the 14-year-old hall. Each toy must be widely recognized, foster learning, creativity or discovery through play, and endure in popularity over generations.


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From Seaside History
Seaside made its public debut (version 0.9) in an announcement to the squeak-dev list on February 21, 2002. Avi Bryant and Julian Fitzell developed Seaside to support their web application development consulting, specifically the development of a web-based theatre boxoffice sales system.
Seaside took heavy inspiration from Avi's Iowa framework (now here), which was written in Ruby and was itself inspired by NeXT's (and then Apple's) WebObjects. This first release of Seaside provided action callbacks for links and forms, session state management with support for call/return and the back button, and a component system with templates.
Almost immediately after the release of 0.9, work began on Seaside 2.x (codenamed Borges, a reference to Jorge Luis Borges' short story The Garden of Forking Paths and an allusion to Seaside's support for forking session states). Seaside 2.0 was essentially a complete rewrite with a layered architecture: a Kernel layer providing a continuation-based HTTP request/response response loop and state (back-)tracking; a Views layer providing action callbacks and a rendering API for generating HTML; and a Component layer providing call/return semantics, embedding, and development tools.
Seaside 2.0 was released in October, 2003 with the templating system conspicuously absent. This was an experiment to see whether the development of the HTML rendering API and the wider acceptance of CSS had reduced or eliminated the need for templates. The new layered architecture made it easy for others to experiment with developing their own template engines. Seaside was also ported by Eric Hodel to Ruby, where it kept the name Borges.
Several versions followed in quick succession with major refactorings to the session state tracking and backtracking mechanisms. Seaside 2.3 (mid-2003) also introduced an even more layered architecture that tried to make some of the internals clearer and more accessibly to the project's growing number of users and contributors. It also confirmed that Seaside would not have built-in templates in the near future. Seaside became increasingly well-known around this time with a presentation at ESUG 2002 by Lukas Renggli and Adrian Lienhard and a hands-on development workshop at Smalltalk Solutions in 2003 by Julian and Avi.
Seaside 2.4 and 2.5 addressed some growing pains in some of the core parts of the system: the Renderer API, collapsing under the weight of combinatorial explosion, was replaced by the now-familiar Canvas API; and some of the internal workings of the Session object were reified to make its application main-loop metaphor more obvious. Version 2.5 also saw the introduction of Component Decorations, Halos, and response streaming.
As first Julian and then Avi began to work full time developing applications using Seaside, the community began to carry more of the development load, with the release of Seaside 2.7 being entirely managed by the community, with Lukas, Philippe Marschall, and Michel Bany leading the effort. This release focused heavily on cleaning up the code base by fixing, deprecating, refactoring, and removing code.
The Seaside 2.8 series, first released in October 2007, has been heavily focused on optimization and portability. Both rendering speed and memory use have been significantly improved and Seaside now runs on most (if not all) major Smalltalk dialects. Also, a huge effort was undertaken to document classes in the system and a large suite of unit and functional tests were written.


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Saturday, April 11, 2009
Easter Wreck Round Up
Saturday, April 11, 2009
What's that? Get on with the Wrecks already? Fine. But don't expect my usual verve and vigor; I'm feelin' a little more Sturm und Drang. And grumpy. Definitely grumpy.
First, here's more proof that if you look good enough, no one will care what you say:
Soak it all up, Allison H., 'cuz "Sping" here is the cutest character you're gonna see today. Which is fine by me. Bah. Cuteness - it's just so...cute. Totally not conducive to a good funk-fest.
Yeah, so let Cute Overload have their Muzzle Puffs; we have Moldy Puffs:
And what are you smirking about, Mr. Pickle-Ears? Didn't you get the memo? I'm in a bad mood, so you're supposed to look grumpy. Like these guys:
Ok, now we're veering into territory that's more tragic than grumpy. [shrug] Works for me.
'Course it's a rabbit. See the white ears? And the artificial "Easter" grass on top? Really, I don't see how the decorator could have made it more obvious for you. [eye roll]
How about a couple of coiled yellow snakes to get you in the Easter spirit?
[Glaring beady-eyed] Maybe it's the mood talking, but I want to kick this cake. That bunny is way too ugly to be that stinkin' happy. He also appears to have laid a "chocolate egg," if you catch my drift.
[sigh] I know, I know, I'm spreading my bad mojo all over the place here. Maybe I just need to blow off a little steam by playing Impale the Flotsam on the Easter cake:
Or I suppose I could look on the bright side: This isn't my birthday cake:
Ok, yeah, that helps a little.
I could go on, but I think you have more than enough Wreckage to tide you over for today. And remember, send me some NICE Easter cakes for tomorrow, or else I'll...I'll...uh...have nothing to post tomorrow. Yeah. (Note to self: Work on "threatening" tone.)
Thanks to Bree L., Karolin R., Lysa, Megan G., Jennifer J., Darla D., & Mianne for today's finds.
*I know you can't tell, but I totally typed that with a straight face.
99 comments | Post a Comment
- MarieA said...
dear oh dear... I totally understand the crankiness and whinging.. BUT tomorrow brings SWEETS! And it's a good thing too. ( those broken chocolate bar ears - OY - I'm whinging too!)
Easter brings sweets.. You'll be back to your happy joking self.
Happy Easter! - April 11, 2009 at 9:38 AM
- Unknown said...
Can someone explain to me *what* that blue blob in the last picture is supposed to be?
-Maria - April 11, 2009 at 9:40 AM
Ok I think CW#3 may haunt my dreams. That was one scary bunny. And my 10 year old said the one with the whit eears looked like a frog wearing lipstick. I have to agree with her.
- April 11, 2009 at 9:46 AM
- knittinglane said...
These cakes are appalling. Great work Jen, you brighten my day!
- April 11, 2009 at 9:48 AM
- Christina Kim said...
Those "peeps" look more like yellow "poops"
- April 11, 2009 at 9:52 AM
- Galadriel said...
Wreck #6: that's not a rabbit. It's a FISH.
- April 11, 2009 at 9:56 AM
oh wow ! were to start? mutant space rabbits! piles of green/blue snot! yellow poo piles with eyes!! and mis-spelling cake wreck heaven!Plus hilarious comments? Do you do stand up?I laugh so much i nearly wet myself!!
- April 11, 2009 at 9:58 AM
- joyce said...
We are SO thankful there is nothing bloody. No bleeding bunnies. No bleeding lambs. Thank you.
Those are some very bizarre bunnies. Thank you for your wit. Without it we would just be groaners. - April 11, 2009 at 9:59 AM
These are amazing. Why does that poor girl have a gigantic blue blob in the middle of her birthday/easter cake???
- April 11, 2009 at 10:02 AM
Cake #3 has got to be Bunnicula, the vampire rabbit. No Easter Bunny about it.
Aanyway, it's a pretty day out today so have a Happy Sping! - April 11, 2009 at 10:02 AM
aw come on jen, you can't tell me that NONE of those cakes got you to smile! the one with the pickle ears is so bad, its funny. no no, i take that back. the multi-colored friend who looks like he's holding his breath is so bad its hilarious!!
- April 11, 2009 at 10:04 AM
- Galadriel said...
Oh, and #3 is doing a bad impression of a pineapple. A brown pineapple.
- April 11, 2009 at 10:05 AM
- Robin said...
Those are just bizarre. Why would anyone think someone might buy those?
- April 11, 2009 at 10:12 AM
- Mary@Holy Mackerel said...
Good ones! Certainly puts my in the perfect Easter spirit!!
- April 11, 2009 at 10:21 AM
- Sharon said...
The sphinx-like rabbit with the pink head made me laugh.
I used to get a sticker catalog from a place called T-K Graphics that made stickers, notecards and certificates for sci fi/fantasy fans. One of the stickers was "A new low in popular culture" with a graphic of smiley faces placed on unicorn bodies where the head should be.
The pink bunny head looks much like those smiley face unicorns. - April 11, 2009 at 10:24 AM
Bun #5 - how hard is it to make ears & whiskers?!?! Looks like someone raided the "stale leftover candy" bin. Who in their right mind could think *that* looks acceptable to sell?!?! ***shakes head***
- April 11, 2009 at 10:35 AM
- Wild Cakes said...
Well CW-8 is obviously a lab bunny! How else do you explain the shaved head and glowing red eyes?
And CW-4 looks like he's shrugging his shoulders "meh... I'm an ugly bunny, what can I do?" - April 11, 2009 at 10:43 AM
- Grandmothering said...
For the first time in my life I truly understand the meaning of "Holy Crap!"
- April 11, 2009 at 10:50 AM
- Giusi. said...
wow. lol i have NO words for these ...
: //
Someone has to be doing this stuff on purpose.
what. the. heck.
: //
anyhoo.. HAPPY EASTER JEN! :)) - April 11, 2009 at 10:57 AM
- VeggieT said...
there should totally be a button that we can rate these cakes, how about three ratings one for cuteness, one for wreckiness, and on for just plain freakiness, 'cuz that "bunny" with the white lamb-like body and almost magenta head just topped out on my freakiness chart.
Have a blessed Easter! - April 11, 2009 at 10:58 AM
- StuffCooksWant said...
Love mean brown bunny's swirly legs and pineapple body...so festive.
The red Twizzler whiskers are gorgeous... I mean so lifelike... almost thought that was a real rabbit.
The blue blob? Well, bunny had a little too much flax seeds and trash can punch that day. At a crazy bunny party. - April 11, 2009 at 10:59 AM
- Half Assed Kitchen said...
Pink bunny head = stressed little guy who drank too much Pepto.
Angie (from over at www.HalfAssedKitchen.com) - April 11, 2009 at 11:00 AM
- Glory von Hathor said...
That sphinx rabbit has put me in the mood to make an opinicus out of buttercream and licorice allsorts.
- April 11, 2009 at 11:12 AM
- sharon said...
I don't know if other people have been saying this--I hope I'm adding my voice to a growing chorus, but I don't think it's cricket to call decorated cookies, "cake." CCCs are one thing, but a cookie is nothing more than a canvas - it could just as well be a piece of foam core, from the decorating perspective.
- April 11, 2009 at 11:15 AM
- Sara Doane said...
So the last "grumpy" bunny looks more like a mouse.
And the white bunny with the red face is terrifying. It looks either like he's been holding his breath for a long time, or he's gone psycho and is filled with anger (with a smile on his face!).
Thanks for the laughs, I hope you feel better! Happy Easter! - April 11, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Pickle-Ears wins Spring's
"Miss Congeniality,"
smirks at loser cakes. - April 11, 2009 at 11:23 AM
H.R. Puff-n-Bunny almost has deviled-egg eyes with black-olive pupils!
And how can you have Easter without Bloo Poo? - April 11, 2009 at 11:35 AM
- vampi said...
jonathon ross just twittered your link expect some new visitors :)
http://twitter.com/Wossy - April 11, 2009 at 11:46 AM
- arbed said...
I think these are possibly the worst (or best?) wrecks that have ever been posted. I wasn't aware that hallucinogenic drugs were part of Easter. Of course, it would explain a lot of things, and not just about these cakes. I'm glad they're all grouped in one post - it's best to keep them contained.
- April 11, 2009 at 12:06 PM
- Unknown said...
why do i feel like i would take entirely too much glee in hacking up pickle-ears?
- April 11, 2009 at 12:13 PM
- Cindy said...
I work at a preschool, so I think I'm speaking with great authority when I say that the bunny with the chocolate bar ears looks like something a preschool art teacher would make with the kids. On the last day of class before Easter break. When the art cupboard has been stolen by aliens and she's really getting desperate.
- April 11, 2009 at 12:13 PM
- Bilby P. Dalgyte said...
Lol you're amusing when you're angry :P
The cake makers were probably drunk though... - April 11, 2009 at 12:16 PM
- El Comodoro said...
The "Impale the Flotsam" cake looks like an F5 tornado hit EasterLand.
And I didn't expect to be so darn angry with confections today. Thanks a lot, Angry Jen. I think you need one of those comically oversized boxing glove sets and an unwitting participant...
www.captainjackmakesport.blogspot.com - April 11, 2009 at 12:23 PM
- Visione Bella said...
What the hell is that blue thing on the last cake????? Yeesh...
- April 11, 2009 at 12:25 PM
- Kristin said...
You really just made my day! I'm going to Twitter this too!
- April 11, 2009 at 12:28 PM
- Unknown said...
What's up with the green ears on the rabbit cake? Does he have an infection?
And the blob cake..yuk.
wv: fessions: Someone has some fessions to make about these cakes.
~Amy B - April 11, 2009 at 12:43 PM
- Debbi said...
I think that blue blob on the last wreck is a swimming pool. Look at the bunny. He's getting ready to dive in. Can't you see it?
Well, I can only speak for myself, but nothing says "Sping" and Easter like a bunny pool party ...
*shaking head* - April 11, 2009 at 12:44 PM
- sendingtheclowns said...
"Cake" #1: Yes. Sping is cute. But just under the wire.
#2: Purely diabolical. Don't trust it; there's a bomb inside. (And if there isn't, there should be.)
#3: I know that's supposed to be a carrot. It just looks like a tongue... And I don't particularly appreciate the "Nyah, nyah! You can cut me and eat me but I WILL haunt your dreams and cramp your bowels!" expression on that sucker.
#4: *shrug* "What'd I ever do to YOU??" is the "in" look this Easter... haven't you heard.
#5: IS that cake sitting on the FLOOR?? I swear that looks like a rug under that cake container; no wonder he has a big, green, runny tear coming out of his eye! Major dis!
#6: A pink PUG! How innovative...
#7: Well...at least it's not overdone. SO not overdone.
#8: Snoopy wearing a rabbit mask. And someone stepped on his front paw--see how swollen it is? (Why'd they stop there?)
#9: Now, THAT'S overdone. See, #7? You can try to feel good about yourself, now. Reeaally try.
#10: A sarcophagus, wherein lie the remains of something --I don't care what, as long as it stays there.
#11: Finally, one with a bit of mystery!!! If you click it to enlarge, you can make out--in the silvery-blue part-- a sort of image of something there. To me, it almost looks like a goose. I see a long neck, and a goosey-looking body. Or a swan, just maybe...
I so hope that Amy is very, very young...young enough not to care. Or she'll THROW UP on it.
Wait a minute...!?!? - April 11, 2009 at 12:46 PM
- Megan said...
I had to stifle my laughing so as not to wake up my husband, lol.
And that pink and white bunny that laid the chocolate "egg"? It looks like the Sphinx or something.
And WHY would you put that horrific Easter "grass" on a cake?!!!!? - April 11, 2009 at 12:48 PM
I'm getting a Donnie Darko vibe from some of these cakes
- April 11, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Oh that chocolate bunny looks like one of the bad guys from Voltron. *shivers*
- April 11, 2009 at 12:59 PM
- Galadriel said...
@sharon -- my husband and his brothers each get decorated cookie cakes every birthday. A cookie cake is a cake :)
(How is cookie as a canvas different from cake as a canvas?) - April 11, 2009 at 1:16 PM
- Little Luxuries said...
#10 - I don't even know what that's supposed to BE!
#11 - Why is the bunny half-buried? What is that blue... thing? Is this cake advance advertising for a new holiday horror blockbuster? "Coming soon to a theater near you: Zombie Bunny vs The Blob!" - April 11, 2009 at 1:44 PM
- Mella said...
what is the blue stuff on the last cake suppose to be
- April 11, 2009 at 2:08 PM
- Cindy said...
I get the crankiness and whining, and what I love is that your cakes do, too! Happy Sping! I love it!
I'm thinking you should take your cake pictures on the road :) Such great humor!
Thahks for the Easter chuckles. - April 11, 2009 at 2:13 PM
- Queen Julian XIII said...
My husband just asked what I was watching because I was laughing so hard!!!
Awesome cakey wreckiness, Jen! I'm going to be singing McArthur park all day... - April 11, 2009 at 2:14 PM
"Pickle Ears" actually looks like yoyo from hoops and yoyo -- featured on Hallmark cards, tee shirts, and other items.
- April 11, 2009 at 2:58 PM
- Jennifer Good said...
....WE have those scary looking Bunny head toppers at the bakery! The one on either side of the third to last photo? We use them on cupcakes, and everytime I use them, I think of this site.
- April 11, 2009 at 2:58 PM
Oddee.com has an article about horrible cakes, which would be fine. But they used the tag line "when cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong" and they used a lot of photos that they may or may not have gotten off your site. There is no credit to any of it.
Just thought you should know! - April 11, 2009 at 3:19 PM
- Leggrilee said...
what were those snake-things? are those supposed to be CHICKS?!!? *sigh* it makes me sad that decorators still don't realizes the difference between snakes and chicks...*sobs*
- April 11, 2009 at 3:19 PM
- Pirka said...
The sixth one from the top (with the ears and random easter grass on top) looks like Gypsy from MST3K. Srsly.
~ Pirka - April 11, 2009 at 3:31 PM
- Dorci said...
Sorry you were feelin' snarky! If it makes you feel any better, I could barely get through a sentence or two and a glance at each Easter wreck without crumbling into a giggling heap on my desk.
That chocolate one looks like an evil anti-Easter bunny that's just daring someone to come near him with a knife! - April 11, 2009 at 3:34 PM
- Terri said...
I think #4 is a Samurai bunny. Don't know why, it is just a vibe I'm getting. On #7, "Happy Easter" is written in all different colored letters. That is some happy writing right there. Number 8's white body and pink head make me wonder if there was a frosting shortage, or maybe the rabbit was out swimming all day and got only its head sunburned.
btw, I talk to myself when I see the pictures. (ie "What the crap is THAT supposed to be?") And I laugh out loud at your posts. I hope you're happy you make me act like a loon. - April 11, 2009 at 4:24 PM
- joyce said...
I wish I could add something witty about these terrible cakes because the word verification word is
it is not a pringle, and not a pinkie - April 11, 2009 at 4:33 PM
- Miss Mouthy said...
I love this angry, sassy post! For your sake, I hope it doesn't last, but for my sake, I hope it does!
- April 11, 2009 at 4:35 PM
- Jenny said...
Sorry about your case of the bad mojos--however I smile everytime I see a hideous bunny, chick etc. You are spreading Easter cheer..thank you!
- April 11, 2009 at 4:37 PM
- Shellee said...
I don't think the little yellow chicks looked like snakes. They looked more like little yellow "Lala Teletubby" poops that came to life.
- April 11, 2009 at 5:01 PM
- Crusty said...
- April 11, 2009 at 5:46 PM
I think #6 is an enemy in the Pikmin games.
- April 11, 2009 at 6:18 PM
- Heidi D said...
It is hard to do a blog everyday. I totally slack off and I don't have nearly as high of a profile you.
Maybe the Sunday Sweets will cheer you up. The masses of candy from tomorrow won't hurt either. You do get a basket don't you? :) - April 11, 2009 at 6:37 PM
I squinted at the final cake picture and decided it was Nessie swimming in the Loch.
Either that or a jelly bean that sat too long near a heat source - about three days too long. - April 11, 2009 at 6:57 PM
- Michele said...
LOL I'm sure holidays always bring out the best cake wrecks.
FYI I love your blog =) it always brightens my day. I can even get my fiance to read it and he rarely reads mine. - April 11, 2009 at 7:20 PM
What I find the funniest about the blue blob cake is that the top edge of the cake actually changes so that it can go up and around the outside of the blob with the frosting "grass!"
Think of what the normal proportions of a rectangular cake are, and then look at the blob monstrosity. That top edge starts bu cutting in a bit shorter than it should, then goes up and around the blob and then has a gradual slope back to where it should be on the other side of the blob. How on EARTH did THAT happen? Was the cake just misshapen and they used the blob to try and cover something up? Or was this somehow planned?
It's just so weird!
wv: shedlycn: a promising new medication to help werewolves get rid of all that unsightly fur - April 11, 2009 at 7:27 PM
- Mamani said...
Sorry yesterday was so hard. I hope today and tomorrow are far better. And I must say that you did an excellent job of channeling your negative energy!
- April 11, 2009 at 7:30 PM
- Children of the 90s said...
What's going on with number five? Are those Kit Kat remnants for eyes? It's just plastered with candy pieces.
- April 11, 2009 at 7:44 PM
- Scritzy said...
Oh gad, that chocolate-headed bunny is EVIL! A remake of Night of the Lepus, maybe?
As for the rest of it ... well ... hey, Happy Easter, everybody. - April 11, 2009 at 8:41 PM
- Hyena Overlord said...
I was looking at the first one thinking "what's wrong with...oh Sping! And it hit me.
The rest are quite something else. What, I'm not sure.
wv..skrunt...oh well that's a word I learned on FHOTD. Since this is a family sort of site I won't give a definition or a sentence for it.*LOL* - April 11, 2009 at 9:35 PM
- Loki said...
That blue thing has to be Lovecraftian. There's no other possible explanation. I'm thinking it's supposed to be a representation of Nyarlathotep.
Why Amy deserved to have that shown to her on her birthday is beyond me. - April 11, 2009 at 10:20 PM
You're even funny when you're mad! Feel better soon!
:D - April 11, 2009 at 10:21 PM
- Kath said...
The white "thing" that's supposed to be a bunny, I guess...my 3 year old just said "that's not a bunny...bunnies don't have lips"
Sounds about right! - April 11, 2009 at 10:48 PM
- Nikki via The Scarlett Rose Garden said...
Wow. These Easter cakes have really been something... and the little girl cutting the lamb's head off... ugh!
So the white rabbit with red eyes looks like it has Elephantiasis in it's front leg.
WTF is supposed to be on that last cake? I'm in complete grossed out awe.
Happy Easter and thanks for keeping us entertained! - April 11, 2009 at 11:23 PM
- Michele said...
Okay that one looks like Easter EXPLODED on it!!! ROFL! And Happy Birthday to the blue pile of poo?! Holy cow what are these wreckerators thinking when they put these out to sell?! lol
- April 11, 2009 at 11:45 PM
- robyn said...
WTF is the blue thing all over the last cake? Melted Teletubby poo? Melted Teletubby? >Gahh!<
- April 12, 2009 at 12:15 AM
Mommy! Chocolate Mr. Carrotnose is scaring me! "I'm gonna bite off your ears, ya little punk! See how YOU like it!"
And Pink Face Bunny--poor thing must have been constipated. See how his/her little face is so red with effort? And how relieved and happy s/he looks? Mr. Carrotnose must have lent No. 8 some chocolate Ex-Lax to get rid of an "egg" that size.
-Blue Jean - April 12, 2009 at 1:03 AM
- Reverend Jon said...
Jen, After reading that you're in a bad mood and you mentioned how much work it is to make the blog every day, I felt bad that I've never commented to say how much I like it. I'm just not a big commenter usually. I am always impressed by how much material you have each and every day. Keep up the good work.
- April 12, 2009 at 2:41 AM
Say, did you ever find out what's up with the smoking lambs?
wv: anitu: someone in a REAL hurry saying what's next on their list of things they have to get done. - April 12, 2009 at 3:22 AM
- Sharon said...
Dear Mr. Pickle Ears, Just because you look like a cabbage doesn't mean you count as a daily serving of vegetables. - Sincerely, CDC
- April 12, 2009 at 8:55 AM
- Casey Sean Harmon (Bestselling author) said...
Wow...This is sooo funny! I'm hooked!
- April 12, 2009 at 8:57 AM
- Andi said...
That blob of blue frosting on the bottom cake is gonna look the same coming out as it did going in!
- April 12, 2009 at 10:03 AM
- green said...
I'm not sure if this will make you feel better, but this is currently my favorite blog (of two, shush!) that I read.
I think it's a careful balance of colorful pictures (ooh! pretty pictures syndrome), witty monologue, and anencephalic bunny-cakes that do it. - April 12, 2009 at 1:45 PM
- Chedder Fish said...
If it helps for the future- the modern term for yarmulke is kippah (key-pa)
- April 12, 2009 at 7:27 PM
- Red Wolf said...
Wow. It looks like Easter threw up on those cakes.
- April 12, 2009 at 10:43 PM
- *moggit girls said...
This blog is BRILLS!!!
J&J - April 13, 2009 at 4:18 PM
- Melissa (& Billy) said...
Happy Sping!
...what? Don't you all celebrate Sping? 0_o - April 13, 2009 at 5:09 PM
- Lesley said...
Geez.... just 'bout anybody could get a job decorating cakes huh?
- April 13, 2009 at 10:45 PM
- Bri said...
The last wreck is most painful. wow.
just...wow. Why would someone do that to another person on their birthday?
Everything else gave me the cynigiggles(cynical giggles). I know, I'm smarft.
WV: munce - rhymes with dunce. - April 14, 2009 at 11:15 AM
- Liza said...
That pink and purple head with the bulging eyes totally looks like a pacman on acid ;)
- April 14, 2009 at 2:41 PM
The last one looks like Bob(The guy from Monsters vs. Aliens)
- April 15, 2009 at 9:52 AM
- Unknown said...
i'm just wondering in what context did the word "yarmulke" come up in connection with easter or good friday?
- April 16, 2009 at 11:52 PM
I *think* that the blue blob one is a pond.
- April 19, 2009 at 2:42 AM
- Nonna said...
I made a cake for Easter with real PEEPS as decorations...it's cute to me but I have this horrible feeling it might be a Wreck too...glad Easter over 'cause I'm safe now ! LOL
UNLESS...yikes ! - April 21, 2009 at 12:13 AM
- Silvia said...
Hello, I just have to say that I haven't laugh so hard in a looooong time, I even cried! my husband came to see what I was looking at.
love your blog, you made my day - April 27, 2009 at 10:31 PM
Okay, my goal was to pick the worst cake out of this bunch. It was very tough, but I've gotta go with CW 5.
Candy Bar ears? twizzler whiskers? & for some reason it looked slightly nauseated. Me too, yuk!
#5 - May 16, 2009 at 6:12 PM
- Jo Hartlen said...
Happy "Sping" made me cry laughing! What a CLASSIC!!!!! Love the site and am feeling decidedly superior about my own cake decorating skills.
- July 6, 2009 at 1:15 PM
- Jo Hartlen said...
God! "Happy Sping" made me cry laughing. I'm feeling quite smug about my own cake decorating skills after looking at this FANTASTIC site.
- July 6, 2009 at 1:16 PM
Thank you for the laughter therapy! I love how the bunny cakes just got better and better. I started laughing at the green bug-eyed rabbit and had to stop at the pink blob for 5 minutes until I stopped crying from laughing. You made my day :)
- April 3, 2010 at 1:27 PM
According to my 4 y/o the pink thing in photo #6 w/white ears is a "crab in the rain cake". It is worth noting that he usually guesses the other cakes correctly.
- August 24, 2010 at 7:52 PM
OMG, I wanna play impale the flotsam!!!!
- April 21, 2011 at 2:02 PM
- jane said...
Ahhhhh hahahahaha!!!! "I want to kick this cake" :D I know the feeling ;)
Oh and I think the "It's got white ears so it must be a bunny" cake it really a cat fish cake :P
Thanks for the laughs!!!!!
Jane Reyes - April 21, 2011 at 2:11 PM
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A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.
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COTA: Improving Uber Customer Care with NLP & Machine Learning
To facilitate the best end-to-end experience possible for users, Uber is committed to making customer support easier and more accessible. Working toward this goal, Uber's Customer Obsession team leverages five different customer-agent communication channels powered by an in-house platform that integrates customer support ticket context for easy issue resolution.
An Intriguing Failing of Convolutional Neural Networks and the CoordConv Solution
Uber uses convolutional neural networks in many domains that could potentially involve coordinate transforms, from designing self-driving vehicles to automating street sign detection to build maps and maximizing the efficiency of spatial movements in the Uber Marketplace.
Improving Pickups with Better Location Accuracy
Uber launches Beacon V2, a piece of hardware for Uber drivers, that implements on device sensor fusion using signals from GNSS, IMU, and barometer to improve location accuracy.
Introducing Hypothesis GU Funcs, an Open Source Python Package for Unit Testing
Hypothesis-gufunc is an extension to hypothesis to aid in unit testing broadcasting and matrix input numpy/torch functions.
Introducing LCA: Loss Change Allocation for Neural Network Training
We develop a new measure called Loss Change Allocation (LCA) to better understand the training process. LCA measures how much each parameter helps decrease (or increase) the loss at every iteration. It is able to reveal broader patterns such as how training is very noisy, some layers hurt, and micro-learning is synchronized across layers.
Ludwig v0.2 Adds New Features and Other Improvements to its Deep Learning Toolbox
Ludwig 0.2 is released with a host of new functionalities and features. The major ones are the integration with Comet.ml, the addition of BERT among text encoders, the implementation of audio/ speech, H3 (geospatial) and date (temporal) features, substantial improvements on the visualization API, and the inclusion of a serving functionality.
Introducing EvoGrad: A Lightweight Library for Gradient-Based Evolution
Uber AI Labs releases EvoGrad, a library for catalyzing gradient-based evolution research, and Evolvability ES, a new meta-learning algorithm enabled by this library.
Teams at Uber AI
Open Source Projects
Ludwig is a toolbox that allows to train and test deep learning models without the need to write code.
Plato is a flexible framework that can be used to create, train, and evaluate conversational AI agents in various environments.


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THEMIS Day IR Controlled Mosaic Arcadia 30N 240E 100 mpp
This product is an infrared image mosaic generated using Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) images from the 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter mission. The mosaic is generated at the full resolution of the THEMIS infrared dataset, which is approximately 100 meters/pixel. The mosaic was registered horizontally to an improved Viking MDIM network that was develop by the USGS Astrogeology cartography group.
- Publisher
- USGS Astrogeology Science Center
- Publication Date
- 9 July 2016
- Author
- Robin Fergason
- Originator
- USGS Astrogeology Science Center
- Group
- Added to Astropedia
- 23 September 2016
- Modified
- 1 May 2019
- Purpose
This work is funded by the Planetary Geology and Geophysics (PGG) Cartography program to improve the registration of the THEMIS infrared dataset. These controlled mosaics and improved image pointing knowledge will positively impact both the work performed by the Astrogeology cartography group and a broad range of disciplines within the larger science community. Controlled THEMIS mosaics will benefit geologic mapping efforts (superior basemap), landed science operations (site characterization and traverse planning), and orbital observation planning (precision targeting). The control networks that result constitute a (potentially global) framework for the precision cartographic control of existing and future higher spatial resolution data products (e.g. CTX), and will allow the registration of historical data sets to be improved. In addition, the preliminary smithed kernels will be very valuable to scientists and allow them to perform quantitative analyses with THEMIS images using improved pointing knowledge as well as the precision and accuracy of that knowledge.
- Geospatial Data Presentation Form
- Raster Data, Regional Mosaic
- Edition
- 1
- Online Linkage
- https://planetarymaps.usgs.gov/mosaic/Mars/THEMIS_controlled_mosaics/Arcadia_DayIR_30Sept2016/THEMIS_DayIR_ControlledMosaic_Arcadia_30N240E_100mpp.tif
- Native Data Set Environment
- ISIS v3
- Supplemental Information
- http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:SPAC.0000021008.16305.94, http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2013/pdf/1642.pdf
- System
- Mars
- Target
- Mars
- Theme
- Cartography
- Mission
- Mars Odyssey
- Instrument
Contact and Distribution
- Access Constraints
- Public domain
- Use Constraints
- Please cite authors
Data Status and Quality
- Currentness Reference
- Ground condition
- Progress
- Complete
- Update Frequency
- None planned
- Completeness Report
When generating the control network, Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) infrared images were constrained by the latitude and longitude of the bounding coordinates of the region. We also constrained the following parameters: Mars Odyssey orbits 816 to 30150, emission angle 0 to 30, number of lines in the image of 300 to 50, 000, sampling of 1 to 2, and percent of image missing 0 to 40. No filtering is performed to remove images where there is redundant coverage; all available images are included. Images were deleted from the control network (and therefore are not included in the mosaic) if poor image quality prevented the ability to resolve features and allow the image to be controlled. Images with a spatial summing of 2 were not compatible with all post-processing steps. These images were included in the control network (kernels), but not in the mosaic. Areas within the mosaic that have gaps either have no THEMIS infrared coverage at the time the mosaic was created or poor quality images were removed.
- Process Description
The regions follow the standard mapping format of Mars at 1:5, 000, 000 scale. Following this previously established convention allows for continuity between these mosaics and their use as base maps for planetary mappers, and is also a convention with which scientists are already familiar.
The USGS Astrogeology Science Center has developed automatic sub-pixel registration and bundle adjustment software that are used to generate the THEMIS infrared control networks and are part of the ISIS software package. We utilized this software to perform automatic sub-pixel registration techniques with human oversight. We first automatically plan the placement of control points on a given set of overlapping images (seedgrid and autoseed) and automatically measure tie points in the specified area (pointreg). Given a well-known geometry, the automated registration software used to locate corresponding features in image pairs has been found to be very successful (i.e. a success rate of better than 95% in moderate to high thermal inertia regions). Using this automated software, we perform least squares bundle adjustment of control point image measurements and develop the individual, small control networks (jigsaw). We are also able to solve for the formal uncertainties of the position of each image in each control network, as well as any correlation between them, via inversion of the normal matrix.
After image-to-image ties are completed, we then tie the THEMIS tiles to ground using an improved Viking Mars Digital Image Model (MDIM) network that was developed by the USGS Astrogeology cartography group (funded by PGG Cartography). To generate the improved Viking MDIM network, the original MDIM 2.1 (Archinal et al. (2003), Mars digital Image Model 2.1 control network, Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIV, Houston, TX, Abstract #1485; Archinal et al.(2004), A new Mars Digital Image Model (MDIM 2.1) control network, XXth ISPRS congress, Istanbul, Turkey) was reprocessed using HRSC level 4 data (Jaumann et al. (2007), The High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) experiment on Mars Express: Instrument aspects and experiment conduct from interplanetary cruise through the nominal mission, Planet and Space. Sci., 55, 928-952) as additional ground control. Over 1260 HRSC Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) distributed across the Martian surface were chosen to provide global coverage. Elevations of all points that did not already have MOLA derived elevations were constrained to be near the MOLA DTM. These additions allowed the accuracy of the over one thousand manual grid ties from the original MDIM 2.1 to be better estimated, and error propagation showed that 80% of the final enhanced MDIM solution tie points have horizontal accuracies better than 200 meters. The published horizontal accuracy of the MOLA gridded data (probably the most commonly used geodetic reference on Mars) is 250 meters (Neumann et al. (2001), Crossover analysis of Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 23, 752-23, 768). However, the accuracy of the MOLA data in a particular area has not been well quantified and varies significantly with location. For example, at the equator the data may have been interpolated between MOLA tracks for multiple kilometers. The improved MDIM 2.1 network therefore has comparable, and in many cases superior, horizontal accuracy. THEMIS tiles were tied to the improved MDIM network ground points. The coordinates of these ground points were constrained to improved MDIM values, taking advantage of individually calculated point uncertainties.
All of the control networks have average jigsaw residuals less than a single pixel, and the 3-sigma residual is also less than a single pixel. Thus, these mosaics achieve sub-pixel precision in image space. In many cases, the position of a single THEMIS image is adjusted by 5-7 pixels (equivalent to ~30 CRISM pixels, 100 CTX pixels, and 2000 HiRISE pixels), and adjustments as large as 15 or more pixels have been necessary. The accuracy of the final product (mosaics and preliminary smithed kernels) is limited by the accuracy of the coordinate system we are using for ground control. Therefore, the horizontal accuracy of the final products relative to the MOLA topographic model ranges from 150 to 275 meters, which translates to 1.5 to 2.75 pixels. Controlling the THEMIS data for these areas has significantly improved the registration of the THEMIS images. This control network will improve the registration of the THEMIS IR data set, enhance our knowledge of image placement and the location of small-scale surface features, provide for improved targeting of current and future orbital acquisition of data, and allow for improved targeting of spacecraft landings.
Seamless mosaics were generated using band 9 (centered at a wavelength of 12.57 µm) data at 100 meters/pixel scale, which is the full resolution of the THEMIS infrared data set. To generate the mosaic, we first downloaded PDS-released THEMIS reduced data records (RDRs) and used the preliminary smithed kernels generated from our control network. We utilized the THEMIS mosaicking procedure developed by Arizona State University (Edwards et al. (2011), Mosaicking of global planetary image datasets: 1. Techniques and data processing for Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) multi-spectral data, J. Geophys. Res., 116, E10009, doi:10.1029/2010JE003755), which uses DaVinci software scripts to post-process images (uddw), reduce image noise (rtilt, deplaid, and destreak), and remove seams between images (blend, sstretch and a high-pass filter). The resulting mosaics are qualitative (8-bit) products.
- Horizontal Positional Accuracy Value
- 200
- Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report
- Accurate to Control Net
- Entity and Attribute Overview
- An image mosaic is a merge of multiple THEMIS infrared images which are spatially and geodetically controlled to each other and the digital elevation model.
- Source Originator
- Planetary Data System (PDS) Reduced Data Record (RDR)
- Source Title
- Source Online Linkage
- http://global-data.mars.asu.edu/bin/themis.pl
- Type of Source Media
- Online
- Attribute Accuracy Report
- Best Effort
Geospatial Information
- Minimum Latitude
- 30
- Maximum Latitude
- 65
- Minimum Longitude
- 240
- Maximum Longitude
- 300
- Direct Spatial Reference Method
- Raster
- Object Type
- Pixel
- Lines (pixels)
- 20747
- Samples (pixels)
- 35566
- Bit Type
- 8
- Quad Name
- Radius A
- 3396190
- Radius C
- 3376200
- Bands
- 1
- Pixel Resolution (meters/pixel)
- 100
- Scale (pixels/degree)
- 592.747
- Horizontal Coordinate System Units
- Meters
- Map Projection Name
- Simple Cylindrical
- Latitude Type
- Planetocentric
- Longitude Direction
- Positive East
- Longitude Domain
- 0 to 360


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By Jeri Clausing
The Department of Justice is seeking a permanent injunction against the nation's largest organic peanut butter plant, an eastern New Mexico facility that has been linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 42 people in 20 states this fall.
The request filed Thursday in federal court in Albuquerque seeks to prohibit Sunland Inc. in Portales from receiving, processing, manufacturing or selling any nut products until the Food and Drug Administration is satisfied its operations are safe.
It wasn't immediately clear what prompted federal prosecutors to get involved in the case against Sunland, whose registration to operate was revoked by the FDA last month because of repeated safety violations.
That order came as the company had planned to reopen some its operations after voluntarily recalling hundreds of products and closing its processing and peanut butter plants in late September and early October.
Last week, a Sunland spokeswoman said the company was hoping to get permission from the FDA to reopen its peanut processing plant so it could begin work on the millions of pounds of Valencia peanuts piled up in barns after a bumper harvest this fall.
Plant officials didn't immediately return phone calls Friday seeking comment.
The FDA's revocation of the company's operation certification marked the first time the FDA used the authority granted under a 2011 food safety law that allows the agency to halt food operations without a court hearing.
The action was denounced as unfair and unnecessarily heavy-handed by many in the conservative farm town of Portales, where Sunland is the largest private employer. At the end of November, the plant had laid off about 30 percent of its 150 workers.
The FDA said inspectors found samples of salmonella in 28 different locations in the plant, in 13 nut butter samples and in one sample of raw peanuts. Inspectors found improper handling of the products, unclean equipment and uncovered trailers of peanuts outside the facility that were exposed to rain and birds. Inspectors also said employees lacked access to hand-washing sinks, and dirty hands had direct contact with ready-to-package peanuts.
The FDA said it inspected the plant at least four times over the past five years, each time finding violations. Michael Taylor, the FDA's deputy commissioner for foods, said the agency's inspections after the outbreak found even worse problems than what had been seen there before.
Plant officials have said they were never notified of past violations.
The salmonella outbreak was traced to Trader Joe's Valencia peanut butter produced at the plant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42 people were sickened, mostly children. Sunland is the nation's largest organic peanut butter plant. It produces organic, natural and traditional products for a number of national grocery and retail chains using mostly Valencia peanuts.
Valencias are a variety of peanuts that come almost exclusively from eastern New Mexico. Because of their sweet flavor, they are favored for organic and natural peanut butter products because they require few additives.


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This salad is a combination of several chopped, fresh tomatoes, a lot of flat-leaf parsley, mint, some onion, fresh thyme, paprika, lemon juice, scallions, banana peppers, a little garlic, and pomegranate molasses. It's garnished with ground sumac. When I read that ingredient list, I imagined all those flavors mingled together and couldn't wait to try it. I used a falafel recipe from Epicurious, but I'm not sure if proper Turkish falafel is prepared in a different way. At any rate, the salad and falafel made a very nice pair. I whipped up a tahini, yogurt, lemon sauce and served a mound of salad with falafel sitting on top and plopped a little sauce in the center.
Both the falafel and salad recipes make enough to serve six, so after having this for dinner, there was plenty remaining for a few lunches. To describe the salad, I keep coming back to the freshness of it. The herbs and lemon and scallions did that for it, and the pomegranate molasses, although subtle, added a nice tangy sweetness. The flavors were so right with the chickpeas, onion, cumin, and coriander in the falafel. This is a definite keeper, and some day when I've practiced more with Turkish cuisine, I hope to be able to prepare an entire feast.


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Alaska Air Group Orders Three Bombardier Q400 NextGen Turboprop Airliners
Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Seattle-based Horizon Air has signed a firm contract to acquire three 76-seat Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners. The transaction represents the...
PARIS, June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Seattle-based Horizon Air has signed a firm contract to acquire three 76-seat Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners. The transaction represents the conversion of three previously booked options on the aircraft. The airline also reconfirmed its options on another seven Q400 NextGen aircraft.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130618/SF33819)
Based on the list price of the Q400 NextGen aircraft, the contract announced today is valued at approximately $98 million US.
The three new aircraft will increase Horizon Air's orders for Q400 and Q400 NextGen airliners to 51 aircraft – the world's largest fleet. Including the order announced today, Horizon Air has ordered a total of 100 Bombardier Dash 8/Q-Series aircraft since 1985.
"This aircraft order represents a significant milestone for Horizon and our employees, who have dedicated themselves to transforming our business and enabled us to grow," said Glenn Johnson, Horizon Air President. "The addition of these three Q400 NextGen aircraft will allow us to venture into the state of Alaska, which is considered America's last frontier and is now an exciting new frontier for Horizon."
"Our Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft remain North America's preferred turboprop because they provide the best combination of fuel efficiency and productivity in their class," said Mike Arcamone, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "Airlines that operate these aircraft successfully deploy them in a wide range of markets, from typical short-haul turboprop markets to longer-haul operations where they complement, and in some cases replace, jet aircraft.
"Horizon Air has been a Bombardier customer since 1985 when it ordered its first 10 37-seat
Dash 8-100 airliners," added Mr. Arcamone. "We are thrilled that the airline is returning to order more Q400 aircraft – a superb testament to the flexibility and reliability of the aircraft."
Bombardier also announced that Transport Canada has certified the Q400 aircraft for the advanced navigation capability of Required Navigation Performance AR 0.3 (RNP AR 0.3). The Q400 aircraft offers the most advanced navigation capabilities in the regional airline market. Horizon Air's Q400 aircraft are equipped with Head-up Guidance Systems (HGS) for all weather operations; Wide Area Augmentation Systems (WAAS) with approach guidance (LPV) for ILS-like landing minima at remote runways; and RNP AR 0.3 to fly curved approaches to airports in difficult terrain. The unmatched capability to land and take off at challenging runways in unsettled weather is another benefit of the Q400 aircraft.
Including the order announced today, Bombardier has booked firm orders for 471 Q400 and
Q400 NextGen aircraft. Worldwide, Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft have transported more than 243 million passengers and have logged over 4.2 million flight hours and more than 4.5 million take-offs and landings. The Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft program includes some 50 operators and customers in 35 countries on five continents.
About Q400 NextGen aircraft
The Q400 NextGen turboprop airliner, which is built at Bombardier's Toronto, Ontario facility, is the most recent development in the evolution of the Q400 aircraft, and the advanced successor to Bombardier's Dash 8/Q-Series family of aircraft. Optimized for short-haul operations, the "comfortably greener," 70- to 80-seat Q400 NextGen aircraft is a large, fast, quiet and fuel-efficient turboprop. It provides an ideal balance of passenger comfort and operating economics with a reduced environmental footprint.
About Horizon Air
Established in 1981, Horizon Air was acquired in 1986 by Alaska Air Group, Inc., the parent company of Alaska Airlines. At its start, the airline operated two aircraft and served three destinations in Washington state. Today it flies 48 aircraft on behalf of Alaska Airlines and serves 39 cities in the western United States, Canada and Mexico.
Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve more than 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines has ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates North America Airline Satisfaction StudySM for six consecutive years from 2008 to 2013. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.
About Bombardier
Bombardier is the world's only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. The company's vehicles, services and, most of all, employees are what make it a global leader in transportation.
Bombardier is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. The company's shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the company posted revenues of $16.8 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or on Twitter @Bombardier.
Editor's note: Images of Alaska Airlines' Q400 NextGen aircraft are available in Alaska Airlines' online image gallery at http://splash.alaskasworld.com/newsroom/QXNews/images/hi-res/ASQ400_1.jpg.
SOURCE Alaska Air Group


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7125 Grand Montecito Pkwy. #110 Las Vegas, NV. 89149 702-838-8558 |
Our team of specialists and staff believe that informed patients are better equipped to make decisions regarding their health and well being. For your personal use, we have created an extensive patient library covering an array of educational topics. Browse through these diagnoses and treatments to learn more about topics of interest to you. Or, for a more comprehensive search of our entire Web site, enter your term(s) in the search bar provided.
As always, you can contact our office to answer any questions or concerns.
As always, you can contact our office to answer any questions or concerns.
Haglund's Deformity (also known as pump bump or retrocalcaneal bursitis) is a painful enlargement on the back of the heel bone that becomes irritated by shoes. It normally appears as a red, painful, and swollen area in the back of the heel bone. Women tend to develop the condition more than men because of irritation from rigid heel counters in shoes that rub up and down on the back of the heel bone.
Changing shoes, soaking feet, and anti-inflammatory medications often mitigate the symptoms of this problem. Note: Please consult your physician before taking any medications.


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Phototherapy uses lightwaves to treat certain skin conditions. The skin is exposed to an ultraviolet (UV) light for a set amount of time. Phototherapy uses a man-made source of UV light. UV light also comes from the sun. When combined with a medication called psoralen, the procedure is known as psoralen UVA (PUVA).
UV light shuts down immune system cells in the skin. It can help in skin conditions that are caused by an overreaction of the immune system. Skin conditions that are treated with phototherapy include:
- Psoriasis — a skin disorder that causes red, silvery, scaly patches on the skin
- Eczema — an itchy, red skin condition, or dermatitis due to allergies
- Mycosis fungoides — a type of lymphoma confined to the skin
- Vitiligo — a skin disorder where normal skin pigment is lost due to destruction of pigment-producing cells by the immune system
What to Expect with Phototherapy
Preparing for Treatment
You will be asked to remove any clothes that cover the skin being treated. Areas that do not need treatment should be covered and protected as much as possible. Some safety steps include:
- Sunscreen to protect your neck, lips and the backs of your hands
- Special glasses or goggles to protect your eyes from UV light
- Cover for genitals in men
- Sunscreen for nipples and areola in women
Make sure to inform your doctor about any medication that you are currently taking. Some medications, including over-the-counter medication, can increase the risk of side effects.
The Phototherapy Procedure
Types of phototherapy include:
- Broad band UVB — Uses UV light, type B. It cannot be used in areas where there are skin folds.
- Narrow band UVB (nbUVB) — Uses a narrower range of UVB wavelengths. It can reach more specific areas, even skin folds.
- PUVA — This UVA light treatment includes a medication called psoralen that is taken before treatment. It makes your skin more sensitive to the light. Psoralen can be taken as a pill or applied to the skin.
- Lasers — An excimer laser emits a UV light. It can be directed at specific areas of the skin.
Treatment over a large area may be treated in a treatment unit. You can stand in this unit during treatment. Smaller areas may be treated with smaller units. A laser treatment will use a laser light that is focused on the specific area.
Phototherapy Session Length
The first treatment is usually very short, even a few seconds. Your phototherapy sessions will vary in length. It will depend on your skin type and the strength of the light chosen by your doctor. Treatments rarely last longer than a few minutes.
Generally, several treatments are required each week. The length of treatment will depend on the type of phototherapy:
- Broad band therapy requires approximately 3-5 treatments each week.
- Narrow band therapy requires 2-3 treatments each week.
- PUVA treatments generally require about 25 treatments over a 2-3 month period.
- Laser treatments are usually given twice a week and fewer sessions are required to clear the skin.
Treatments will continue until your skin is clear. Sometimes, occasional maintenance treatments are needed. The maintenance sessions can usually be done in your doctor's office or with a home UV light unit.
What Phototherapy Feels Like
You may feel a warm sensation on your skin, similar to a mild sunburn. Your doctor can recommend medication if you have discomfort after treatment.
After Phototherapy
It is important to avoid natural sunlight when you are receiving UV light treatment:
- Clothing and sunscreen should be used when outdoors. They will help you avoid overexposure to UV light.
- There is an increased risk of sunburn after PUVA treatment. This is due to increased sensitivity from the psoralen.
- It is important to protect your eyes from sunlight exposure for the next 24 hours. This will help you to avoid cataracts after PUVA treatment.
- Antihistamines and other medication may be given to ease the itching.
Your doctor should regularly examine your skin for skin cancer. UV light exposure from sunlight causes skin cancer. Long-term PUVA treatment can also increase the risk of skin cancer. No studies have found a direct link from nbUVB phototherapy to skin cancer.
Be sure to follow your doctor's instructions.
Phototherapy Complications
After arriving home, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:
- Signs of infection, including fever and chills
- Redness around the skin lesions or any discharge
- Severe skin burning, pain or blistering
- Side effects you experienced due to the treatment continue or worsen
- Development of new symptoms
In case of an emergency, call for medical help right away.
Phototherapy Risks
The UV lights may negatively affect your skin in a number of ways, including:
- Skin conditions could temporarily worsen
- Itchy skin
- Red skin due to exposure to the lights
- Burning of the skin
PUVA treatment may also cause:
- Nausea
- Burning skin
- Cataracts — lens of eye becomes cloudy, affecting vision
- Headache
- Fatigue
If you have received a great number of phototherapy treatments, you may be at risk for:
- Premature aging of the skin, such as wrinkling and dryness
- Age spots or freckles
Factors that may increase the risk of complications include:
- Allergy to sunlight
- Pregnancy or nursing
- Medical conditions, such as skin cancer or lupus, that require you to avoid the sun
- History of skin cancer
- Liver disease — phototherapy may increase medication levels in the blood


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