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Conservation biology in the news
This page simply lists recent news articles relating to conservation biology. It is not exhaustive - simply those articles that I come across during my reading of the media. It started as a section of the web page for EEB 2208 (Introduction to Conservation Biology), but students seemed to find it useful enough for me to keep it going for the time being. If others in the EEBedia community want to add to the list, please feel free to do so. I only ask that you keep to the existing format, limit any commentary about articles to brief descriptive statements so as to not clog up space, that you focus on articles in the news media that relate to conservation science (broader environmental science issues should find their own home), and that you don't clog the page up with multiple articles on the same piece of news. If you have questions, please email me. Chris Elphick
For a great web site providing information on recent conservation-related research, check out the Conservation Maven web site.
9 Apr. BBC News. Rhino horn DNA database introduced. Potentially a partial solution to illegal trade.
9 Apr. New York Times. Scientists Question Impact as Vineyards Turn Up in New Places. The downside of a good bottle of red.
5 Apr. LA Times. Anacapa Island thrives after rat eradication. This article from last month talks about control of introduced species.
29 Mar. BBC News. Termites 'engineer fairy circles'. Another ecosystem engineer.
27 Mar. New York Times. To Save the King of the Jungle, a Call to Pen Him In. The pragmatic side of conservation.
27 Mar. BBC News. Neonicotinoid pesticides 'damage brains of bees'.
22 Mar. New York Times. New Jersey Wins Fight Against a Tiny Invader. The demise of an invasive insect.
22 Mar. BBC News. Cold-tolerant wasp spiders spread to northern Europe. Another species moving in response to climate change.
18 Mar. New York Times. So You're Extinct? Scientists Have Gleam in Eye. Can extinct species be brought back? Should they?
18 Mar. BBC News. Big fish catches mean smaller fish - Bangor scientists. The subtler effects of over-fishing.
16 Mar. The Economist. Making a hash of the ash. An invasive insect reaches New England.]
11 Mar. BBC News. 'Seismic' day for shark protection.
9 Mar. New York Times. Proposal to Ban Trade in Polar Bear Parts Is Rejected.
9 Mar. New York Times. Surveys Quantify Loss of Elephants in Africa.
9 Mar. New York Times. Endangered or Not, but at Least No Longer Waiting.
8 Mar. BBC News. S Africa fears 2013 rhino slaughter will break records.
8 Mar. BBC News. Turtle 'victory' at wildlife meeting.
2 Mar. BBC News. CITES meeting to deal with species 'extinction crisis'. A good introduction to a topic we'll come to later in the course.
2 Mar. BBC News. Shark kills number 100 million annually, research says.
1 Mar. BBC News. South Georgia rat cull begins again. The hard way to eradicate invasive species (see last lecture).
2 Mar. From Elephants' Mouths, an Illicit Trail to China.
28 Feb. The Economist. Polar-bear politics.
28 Feb. BBC News. Rhino horn - time to legalise the trade say researchers. A controversy that we'll talk about later in the semester.
22 Feb. Huffington Post. Guam's Brown Tree Snake Problem To Be Solved With Toxic Mice, Officials Hope. This topic coming up in lecture next week.
19 Feb. BBC News. Whales benefit from action on ocean noise.
18 Feb. BBC News. World's reptiles at risk of extinction. Clearly the numbers I gave in class last week need updating!
14 Feb. BBC News. A new owl species from Indonesia is formally described. Another new species found.
14 Feb. BBC News. Three charged in rhino horn smuggling ring.
14 Feb. New York Times. Traces of Anxiety Drug May Affect Fish Behavior, Study Shows.
9 Feb. The Economist. The Arctic Tequila sunset. What will climate change mean for Arctic ecosystems?
7 Feb. BBC News. Protection 'insufficient' for Yangtze finless porpoise.
7 Feb. BBC News. Poaching boom sees thousands of elephants killed in Gabon.
3 Feb. New York Times. U.S. Proposes to Protect Wolverines.
3 Feb. New York Times. Officials Back Deep Cuts in Atlantic Cod Harvest to Save Industry.
1 Feb. NBC News. Humans alone to blame for wiping out Tasmanian tiger. This link sent in by a student (thanks). I'll show video of thylacines later in the semester.
31 Jan. BBC News. EU says pesticides linked to bee decline should be restricted.
30 Jan. BBC News. Ivory haul from Africa seized in Singapore.
30 Jan. New York Times. Malaysia: Rare Pygmy Elephants Killed.
29 Jan. New York Times. That Cuddly Kitty Is Deadlier Than You Think. Another topic that we will talk about later in the semester.
29 Jan. The Economist. Kenya's lions: Sad for Simba. Note, especially the part about economics at the end - we'll talk about this issue later in the semester.
29 Jan. BBC News. Rare pygmy elephants 'poisoned' in Borneo.
28 Jan. New York Times. Stalking a python. Pythons in pillow cases - an invasive species in Florida.
23 Jan. BBC News. Spoon-billed sandpipers threatened by trapping in China.
22 Jan. New York Times. Raising Devils in Seclusion.
18 Jan. BBC News. Attacks prompt Nepal to cap wildlife growth. Human-wildlife conflicts complicate conservation of endangered species.
18 Jan. The Economist. A rare victory for bears: Bearing up. Farming bear bile in Vietnam.
17 Jan. The Economist. The world's rarest fish: In a hole I'll talk about Devils hole pupfish later in the semester.
24 Dec. The New Yorker. Recall of the wild. Re-wilding in action.
19 Dec. The Economist. Call of the wild. The complicated world of wolf conservation.
10 Dec. The New Yorker. Alien entrees. Eating invasive species.
10 Apr. BBC News. World's rarest ducklings Madagascan pochards hatch. Another captive breeding example.
10 Apr. BBC News. Australian volunteers take part in cane toad cull.
2 Apr. The Economist. Born to be wild: Buffalo are coming back to the American prairie. From a couple of weeks ago, but relevant to lectures on reserves and restoration.
2 Apr. The Economist. Animals without borders. Another example of large reserve creation, this time in Africa.
2 Apr. The Economist. Banking against Doomsday. A gene bank for agricultural biodiversity.
2 Apr. The Economist. Black ivory. An update on elephant poaching.
30 Mar. BBC News. Pesticides hit queen bee numbers.
27 Mar. BBC News. NZ dolphin survival boosted by Marine Protected Area. The benefits of marine protected areas.
27 Mar. New York Times. Noise Pollution Is Changing Forests.
27 Mar. BBC News. Mammoths' extinction not due to inbreeding, study finds.
21 Mar. BBC News. Illegal logging makes billions for gangs, report says.
14 Mar. New York Times. Hi I'm a Nutria. A video op-ed with a different view on introduced species.
14 Mar. BBC News. Niger creates Africa's largest protected reserve.
14 Mar. New York Times. Wisconsin Assembly Approves Wolf Hunting.
14 Mar. New York Times. A New Species in New York Was Croaking in Plain Sight. Check those frogs, now that they're waking up ...
13 Mar. New York Times. Team Tracks a Food Supply at the End of the World. One invertebrates that is not overharvested ... yet.
11 Mar. BBC News. Advisers warned government on badger cull.
9 Mar. BBC News. World seabird numbers still falling, says a new review.
8 Mar. New York Times. 2 Manmade Marshes: One Planted, One Left to Nature. Restoration coming up after spring break ...
2 Mar. The Economist. The big freeze. Tackling inbreeding in zoos.
28 Feb. New York Times. Pacific Sea Otters' Failure to Thrive Confounds Wildlife Sleuths.
28 Feb. Washington Post. Obama administration plan would kill rival bird to save spotted owl.
24 Feb. The Economist. Lost property: The world's fisheries are in an even worse state than feared. More here.
24 Feb. BBC News. New moth species invades Italy's vineyards. Bad news for wine lovers.
23 Feb. BBC News. Arrests made in US rhino horn smuggling ring.
22 Feb. New York Times. Mutated Trout Raise New Concerns Near Mine Sites. Another pollution example.
22 Feb. New York Times. Bucket Brigade Gives a Lift So Salamanders Can Live to Mate. ... see lecture notes on roads.
22 Feb. New York Times. New York May Ban Shark Fin Sales, Following Other States.
20 Feb. New York Times. Squeezed Into Smaller Spaces, Koalas Now Face Deadly Disease. Another disease in Australia.
18 Feb. BBC News. 'Mobile marine reserves' needed.
17 Feb. BBC News. Tasmanian devils' killer disease genome mapped. Disease ... coming right up ...
17 Feb. BBC News. Sea lion test to probe declines.
16 Feb. BBC News. Crime chiefs agree to get tough on illegal tiger trade. Following on from Wednesday's lecture ...
15 Feb. BBC News. Tiny lizards found in Madagascar. More newly discovered species - small ranges, habitat loss ...
10 Feb. BBC News. Overfishing 'costs EU £2.7bn each year'. The economic impact of over-harvest.
10 Feb. New York Times. Wild Salmon Are Not Holding Up, Study Finds. A downside of captive breeding.
7 Feb. BBC News. Whales 'stressed by ocean noise'. A less-than-obvious type of pollution.
7 Feb. Washington Post. Puerto Rico plans to kill iguanas, export meat to help eradicate species. A news piece from a student: turning a conservation problem into food.
6 Feb. New York Times. Crossed Fingers for a Threatened Butterfly. Restoration of a different butterfly to the one I talked about in class.
3 Feb. New York Times. Delaware: Some Sturgeon Declared to Be Endangered.
3 Feb. New York Times. A Whooping Crane Migration Will Finish By Truck. We'll talk about crane reintroduction later in the semester.
2 Feb. Aukland Now. 'Extinct' bird shows signs of breeding. A real rediscovery.
1 Feb. BBC News. Trumpets of outrage in the outback. "Re-wilding" Australia - an approach we'll discuss later in the class.
31 Jan. BBC News. Pythons linked to Florida Everglades mammal decline.
30 Jan. BBC News. Accumulating 'microplastic' threat to shores. Where does most plastic pollution come from?
24 Jan. CNN. New species discovered in South American jungle.
24 Jan. BBC News. 'Peak timber' concerns in tropics.
24 Jan. New York Times. Mercury's Harmful Reach Has Grown, Study Suggests.
23 Jan. BBC News. Bees 'could deter vandals' at Greenfield heritage park. A novel ecosystem service ...
17 Jan. BBC News. White-nose syndrome ravages North America bat numbers.
16 Jan. New York Times. Preparing to Live With Wolves.
17 Dec. The Economist. Frog-hunters of the Western Ghats.
News articles posted in previous years are listed in the following documents: 2008 2009-10


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Return Policy
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If for any reason you aren't satisfied then I will accept returns unworn, unwashed, free of any stains, visible wear, smells, or animal hair with tags still attached mailed within 14 days of receipt for a refund to your original form of payment for the cost of the item.
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Shoes must be in their original box or bag and unworn free of all things mentioned above. Please try on your shoes inside on carpet wearing socks for a super awesome, easy return process :) Please do not tape up or put a label on the original shoebox. The shoebox (for shoes that come in original box packaging) must be in tact to receive a refund.
Due to the nature of inventory stock and items selling quickly I can't always guarantee availability for exchanges. Instead I offer straight refunds so if you're hoping to exchange for a new size you will be able to PURCHASE your exchange if it is in stock. I do my best to carry enough inventory to meet demand but sometimes items do sell out fast. If you would like to ensure you are able to secure the item you wish to exchange for you may simply purchase it ahead and I will refund your return once I receive it :D
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Due to hygiene reasons, accessories such as hats, headbands, and jewelry as well as intimates such as bralettes are final sale only.
I do my very best to inspect all items before heading your way but if for any reason there is a defect of some kind I may have missed, I will cover return shipping and get you refunded as soon as I receive your return. Just select "Item is defective" when you fill out the returns form below. Please submit clear pictures of your defect and a return shipping label will be issued to you.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Items will be inspected once received and if no defect is found you will be refunded minus the cost of the return shipping label. Returns are still subject to the 14 day return policy.
Awesome, so what's next?
1. Initiate your return by filling out the form in the customer return portal.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Service Notice: PowerShot A650 IS: Light Leak
To owners of the PowerShot A650 IS digital camera:
October 3, 2007
It has come to our attention that there is an issue being experienced by some PowerShot A650 IS digital camera owners when shooting with the Vari-angle LCD monitor open under sunny skies, where sunlight may shine directly on the exposed back of the camera (Figure 1).
What to Look For:
The feedback we have received concerns only PowerShot A650 IS digital cameras with a zero as the fifth digit from the left in the product's serial number (ex: xxxx0xxxxx) located on the base of the camera (Figure 2). We advise that you check to see if your model fits this description. If it does and you are a resident of the U.S.A. or Puerto Rico, Canon U.S.A., Inc. will repair your PowerShot A650 IS digital camera free of charge at one of our Factory Service Centers.
Should your camera meet the specifications of the serial number above but have a marking near the hinge on the inside of the battery cover (Figure 3), this issue has already been corrected and you may continue using it "as is" without incident.\
Important Note:
If an affected camera is used without repairing the issue first, you can work around this "light leak" by shooting with the Vari-angle LCD monitor closed (Figure 4).
To contact Canon for inquiries about this issue and/or repair:
Contact Information for Inquiries
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Saturday, November 1, 2008
Picasso Pair-ups
The Louvre is presenting "Picasso and Delacroix." At the Musee d'Orsay they've got "Picasso and Manet." The Grand Palais features "Picasso and the Masters."
These exhibitions are a brilliant idea, and real crowd-pleasers. The only problem with is that Picasso's work doesn't look much like the stuff they're pairing him up with.
So here at GurneyJourney we'd like to propose some more logical Picasso Pair-ups.
27 comments:
- Sean Craven said...
Now that is just mean. But it certainly raises a smirk...
There have been a few Picasso pieces I've responded to -- Guernica and his goat sculpture, for instance -- but as a general rule his stuff leaves me scratching my head and wondering what people see in his work.
Guess I'm just a philistine. Somebody's got to do it... - November 1, 2008 at 7:44 AM
- Erik Bongers said...
Yes, it's deliciously mean indeed!
As one famous documentary director would say : Shame on you Mr. Gurney ! Shame on you !
p.s. Love the Chicken Carcass.
But remember...Picasso could draw this at the age of 14!
Where we are all strugling to improve our realistic drawing skills...Picasso was already bored with them before the end of puberty. - November 1, 2008 at 8:20 AM
- Stapleton Kearns said...
Modern art.....Oh Yeah ...my grandaddy used to love that s--t!!
- November 1, 2008 at 8:47 AM
- Andrew said...
While I'm no fan of Picasso, Erik's got a great point. I remember seeing studies he did at age 7 that were simply amazing.
But comparing that last piece to a cow pie made me laugh my butt off. - November 1, 2008 at 10:12 AM
- Super Villain said...
oh dang, was hoping to see some photos from your halloween, haha, if you dress up in tron glasses on a regular day i couldnt wait to see what you were going to wear on halloween, i was betting you were one of those guys who decorated every inch of your house with halloween decorations and spider webs, haha!
- November 1, 2008 at 10:34 AM
- Bowlin said...
In the first pic, I wanna know what that woman's wearing. ??? Heh.
- November 1, 2008 at 11:21 AM
- Erik Bongers said...
Here are some more early works of picasso.
The more you see of them, the more you realize that he clearly made a very concious choice to "quit the cloisters of...".
Can you imagine that the 15 year old boy of this self portrait painted this piece?
And this academic drawing he made at the age of 13(!) would look nice on the Art Renewal Center's website. Strange...I didn't find it there. - November 1, 2008 at 12:37 PM
- Tom Scholes said...
:D Hehe.
Look out for picasso debatesss. - November 1, 2008 at 4:26 PM
- Maria said...
I'd say all too right, Gurney! Why are people bringing up Picasso's early studies? We're talking about his later work and his 'conscious choice' to make jarring rubbish. It seems people are impressed by Picasso's early work, hailing them masterpieces, when this is typical of many trained young painters with talent! Is it the effect of surprise? That this work is from the author of well-known monstrosities and that he could actually produce some good pieces? Then that is sad that his best work was done in his early life. A talent turned sour.
- November 1, 2008 at 5:33 PM
While I usually believe that we should respect the talent of other artists, even if we do not personally like their stuff, I must say that I had to laugh and applaud your pairings. I consider the art of Picasso to be very sad - for the talent, as shown in the early examples, is extraordinary. He is, perhaps, the closest we have come to a child prodigy in painting. What beauty could have come from that brush. Instead, for the most part, we got ugliness.
- November 1, 2008 at 6:25 PM
- Ramon said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- November 1, 2008 at 6:27 PM
- Ramon said...
Mr. Gurney, this entry is hilarious! I find the cult of Picasso more than a little ridiculous :)
In response to people bringing up his early studies...ok so he could execute decent (let's face it, not amazing) academic works when he was a teenager. Given that his dad was an academic painter who had been training him for some time, this fact is less than remarkable, and certainly no indication of genius. Not to mention that larger pieces were probably done with extensive corrections by his father.
http://www.picassocontrepicasso.com/research_docs_e.htm - November 1, 2008 at 6:28 PM
- stephen erik schirle said...
- November 1, 2008 at 7:06 PM
- Unknown said...
Way to go! Your comparisons are more than accurate!
- November 1, 2008 at 7:39 PM
- Steven K said...
Actually, there is a growing case that Picasso did not paint ANY of those early works:
Jim, I think you have absolutely the right idea. Picasso's work would be best exhibited in the seedier Las Vegas Casinos, where it would fit right in and best reflect the personality of the artist, who was the PT Barnum of painting. Although that may be an insult to Barnum, who was an honest entertainer by comparison. - November 1, 2008 at 9:26 PM
- Random York said...
Bwa-Ha!Ha!Ha! (I struggle with the spelling. It's good!
- November 1, 2008 at 11:41 PM
- Speck said...
Never would have guessed Holsteins were so artistically talented. I'll never look at a cow pasture the same way again.
- November 2, 2008 at 3:54 AM
- David Still said...
Saying "but he painted well in his early years!" to justify the crap he painted later as good art, is like saying "I CAN make delicious chocolate muffins, but have some of these piss muffins instead!"
Also, a lot of artists painted amazing things when they were young back then. Finnish painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela painted this in 1884, at the age of 19. Artemisia Gentileschi painted this in 1610, at the age of 13! The basic art education was just a different thing back then, and people started hardcore realistic training at a very young age. So saying that Picasso COULD paint neat stuff when he was young is really not saying much. - November 2, 2008 at 8:32 AM
- r8r said...
Suddenly, with the passing of Clement Greenberg and some of the other critics who supported Abstract Expressionism, it's become fashionable to kick Picasso. That's what the show at the Grand Palais is really about. The art world has re-embraced figuration and narration.
As you pile on the bandwagon, cheering one and sneering at the other, remember the artistic freedoms you have now, courtesy of fauvism, futurism, post-impressionism, expressionism, orphism, and all the other isms of the past 100 years.
They've allowed otherwise marginal art forms to be taken seriously: comics, pottery, weaving, graffiti... Without them we all might still be subject to the rigid forms and hierarchies of Official Art.
And every time some form of Official Art takes hold (Soviet Russia, Communist China, Nazi Germany, Mormon Utah...) we're all the poorer because of it.
You can like or dislike Picasso's work, but spare a thought for what that work symbolizes -- the breakup of old forms, and the exhilarating freedom of evolution into new ones. - November 2, 2008 at 2:35 PM
- Steven K said...
- November 2, 2008 at 5:12 PM
- Unknown said...
I believe that bashing Picasso is the wrong way to go Mr Gurney. Despite that I have an inclination for more figurative realistic art forms, I still respect what Picasso did, and find his contribution to the art world (history?) valuable, for the amazing variety of work he did.
- November 2, 2008 at 8:05 PM
- Super Villain said...
i think its hilarious that in gurneys last post he says (jokingly im sure) picassos are resembles cow "S", haha, then his next post is well...see ya later i'm gone for a month, haha!
thats genius, post somthing that will proably get some reactions then take off, brillant and hilarous, all the more reason i think this was just a JOKE or just to have fun.
i mean, come on, you cant take too seriously a man who uses a picture of himself wearing tron goggles for his profile image, haha.
but again i think its hilarious he posted that then took off! comic genius!!!!!!
but yeah, dont take it too serious, he's posted blog post after blog post on the old school artist with nothing but praise, so if he wants to have a tiny bit a fun, then dont be to hard on him...you have to admit its funny, and if picaso should have his freedom to create what he wants, then shouldnt gurney be free to say what he wants...can put a double standard...right?
anyway, lets not take this cow "S" to heart....it wouldnt look right.... - November 2, 2008 at 10:41 PM
- JP said...
Not to get too off topic, but I have to say, from a visual standpoint, I have to disagree with the r8r comment:
"And every time some form of Official Art takes hold (Soviet Russia, Communist China, Nazi Germany, Mormon Utah...) we're all the poorer because of it."
Even though the Nazis and the Soviets were very repressive totalitarian regimes, they created some amazingly fantastic works of art. The poster designers of the Nazi era created some of the most visually effective and well designed works of the 20th Century--some of which are still highly influential to graphic design today across the world. The idea behind the posters is heinous and horrible, but the artists were in fact talented. Some of the Soviet propaganda posters and sculptures are simply awe inspiring in their scope and clarity of message (it's just a shame what the talent was used for.)
My point is, art, for me, is a success if you can communicate in a way that resonates with other human beings in relation to the human experience--be that a fiction created by the artist that brings to life dreams people can relate to, or a reflection/commentary of the natural world around us all. I think Picasso fails for so many people not because it is "ugly" but because it seems like he has no regard for his audience. It seems it is art that says, "I did it, deal with it," without trying to have a visual conversation with the viewer. - November 3, 2008 at 1:46 AM
From someone with your talent, it's just sad that you just don't get Picasso. It's like the 20th century just pass you by...but I,m guessing you happy anyway ;-)
- November 3, 2008 at 9:43 AM
From someone with your talent, it's just sad that you just don't get Picasso. It's like the 20th century just pass you by...but I,m guessing you happy anyway ;-)
- November 3, 2008 at 9:44 AM
- Cécile said...
Dear James Gurney
I often come to your blog - thank you for sharing your thoughts on art and illustration, thank you for sharing all you know with people from around the world.
I am French and I live in Paris, and I'd just like to tell you how good it feels that someone actually makes fun of the P. man. Whether one likes his work or not is not the point: why couldn't we mock him a little from time to time, just as we do with every other painter?
I had a good laugh and I am now in a good mood every time I see a poster for the exhibitions... - November 15, 2008 at 8:03 AM
- S. Weasel said...
Pahahahaha...oh, sweet Jesus, that was funny.
But surely you don't mean to denigrate the precious artistic freedoms bought for us by the hard work and innovation of the lonely evil clown artist. - February 6, 2009 at 9:46 AM


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text:
A 40-year path of friendly arguments and groundbreaking studies of how governments weigh policies to deal with economic troubles has led a pair of prominent economists to share the 2011 Nobel Prize in their field.
Princeton University professor Christopher Sims was honored along with Thomas Sargent, a New York University economist and visiting professor this semester at Princeton, for developing tools to analyze the economic causes and effects of monetary policy. Their work has revolutionized the field of macroeconomics and how it is applied by central banks and governments around the world.
Sims, who is Princeton's Harold H. Helm '20 Professor of Economics and Banking, has been a faculty member at Princeton since 1999, and is the third tenured faculty member at Princeton to win the Nobel Prize in economics in the past decade. He and Sargent are longtime colleagues, and are currently teaching partners for a graduate course at Princeton.
The day was highlighted by the insistence of both men to proceed with teaching their classes -- while also accepting the worldwide interest in their research -- and lighthearted banter over their career-long history of disagreements within the field. Both Sims and Sargent remarked on the prize with humility.
"I couldn't be happier to be getting this prize, and especially to be getting it with Tom, who I've known a long time," Sims said at a news conference in Princeton's Richardson Auditorium. "I'm not so sure it's right to say we have worked together; it's more that we have a series of continuing arguments many of which are still going on as I slowly persuade him of the error of his earlier positions," Sims joked.
Sims lauded Sargent and other colleagues who have contributed to empirical studies of the relationships between the economy and government policymaking, as well as those who have applied that research to real-world policymaking.
"I also like to think of the award as representing an award for an approach to economics that insists on recognizing the uncertainty surrounding our theories and trying to deal formally with those uncertainties using the tools of statistics, and, out of that, to develop ideas and insights and models that can improve real economic decision-making," he said. "There are many, many people who have contributed to the growth of these areas of economics, many of them working now both in academic departments and in central banks and governments around the world, and I hope they all feel that this award is in part to them."
Said Sargent, "It's wonderful to have this field recognized, and for me, it's particularly heartwarming to share it with Chris." He also teased his colleague on a variety of topics -- such as their differing pronunciations of "econometrics" and Sims' critical comments in giving input on papers and in seminars -- concluding that Sims' critiques had improved his work.
"It's not a pleasant experience when you're going through it, but today it feels really pleasant," Sargent said.
Sims and Sargent were honored with the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for their work in answering "questions regarding the causal relationship between economic policy and different macroeconomic variables such as GDP (gross domestic product), inflation, employment and investments," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences noted in announcing the award today.
"Economic-policy decisions are influenced by expectations about developments in the private sector," the Nobel announcement said. "The laureates' methods can be applied to identify these causal relationships and explain the role of expectations. This makes it possible to ascertain the effects of unexpected policy measures as well as systematic policy shifts."
Sims joins two other tenured Princeton faculty members who have received a Nobel Prize in economics in the last decade, following Paul Krugman in 2008 and Daniel Kahneman in 2002. In total, 13 members of the current Princeton faculty (including emeritus and visiting professors) are recipients of the Nobel Prize.
Using historical data about economic events, Sargent and Sims have independently worked to develop and critique models that seek to analyze the cause and effects of monetary policy. The laureates' work has been largely based on the U.S. economy and has provided consistent results when applied to other economies.
"I am delighted that the exceptional scholarly work of Professor Sims and Professor Sargent has been recognized with a Nobel Prize," said Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman. "Characteristically, on the day of the announcement they were both in the classroom teaching. Professor Sims is the third permanent member of our faculty in the past decade to win the Nobel Prize in economics, and Professor Sargent is the second visiting member to be so recognized. These recognitions pay tribute not only to these individuals, but to the leading role that Princeton plays in scholarship and teaching throughout the field of economics."
Sims and Sargent each taught individual classes in the morning just hours after learning of their awards, and they followed the afternoon news conference and a celebratory reception by heading to Fisher Hall to co-teach a graduate course on advanced macroeconomic theory.
Mark Watson, a Princeton professor of economics and public affairs and acting chair of the economics department, said of Sims and Sargent, "They've changed macroeconomics in the biggest way possible, and allowed us to credibly answer questions that we just couldn't have answered before."
Citing their work in evaluating cause and effect in macroeconomics, Watson said, "It's always difficult to sort out cause and effect when the effect feeds back on causes. Sims developed methods that allow us to look at data and tease out cause and effect, as though you were doing a controlled experiment."
At the news conference, which drew hundreds of colleagues, staff and students, Sims and Sargent fielded questions from local, national and international media on a range of topics, including: fiscal and monetary policies that should be adopted to boost the U.S., European and Chinese economies; how their work has influenced Latin American economies; the nature of their academic arguments; how the laureates learned that they had won the Nobel and what they planned to do with the prize money; the Occupy Wall Street protests; their current teaching and research; and whether the Nobel Prize was a vindication for modern macroeconomics.
Princeton Provost Christopher Eisgruber congratulated the laureates as he introduced them.
"The Nobel Prize recognizes achievements that are important both because of their extraordinary scholarly distinction and their contributions to human society," Eisgruber said. "Chris and Tom, your accomplishments exemplify in the best possible way what Princeton University and New York University seek to do through their research missions. I know that I speak for my colleagues here on the platform ... in saying that we feel very fortunate to have you here and that we are overjoyed to celebrate this moment with you."
New York University President John Sexton traveled to Princeton for the news conference and praised both economists as well.
"This is a great day for the world and it's a great day for our two universities. … Great universities work together, great minds work together for the advancement of humankind," Sexton said. "Congratulations to both of our laureates, and onward and upward together."
Sims and Sargent followed the news conference by meeting with colleagues and students at a reception, where Watson offered a champagne toast.
"I'm just going to thank them on behalf of the profession for everything they've taught us and done for us," Watson said. "You want to copy these guys. They're excited about their latest paper, whatever it happens to be. That just rubs off on all of us in the department -- keeps the excitement high among all the faculty and all the students."
Krugman, who received the 2008 Nobel Prize in economics for his work on international trade, praised the laureates' work on his blog, and came to the reception to congratulate them on a day that, he said, is much like "an out-of-body experience."
Regarding the importance of the Nobel award for the University, Krugman said, "Princeton's is actually the best economics department in the world, but this is a bit of external validation of that."
Sims influences others -- without fanfare
When asked about the "fanfare" that greeted Sims at the first class he taught Monday, "Money and Banking," Sims had a ready reply.
"The precept has, I think, six students registered, five showed up. There wasn't that much fanfare," Sims said.
One of the students in the class was Daniel Lewis, a Princeton junior who is majoring in economics. Of the 30 students in the course, he also was among the handful of students randomly assigned to a precept with Sims.
"This is what it means to be at Princeton -- to have a precept with a Nobel Prize winner," Lewis said. "It's just amazing."
Sims, who is president-elect of the American Economic Association, came to Princeton in 1999 after teaching at Yale University, the University of Minnesota and Harvard University. He attended Harvard as an undergraduate and doctoral student, earning his Ph.D. in 1968 -- in the same class as Sargent. He began his work on analyzing monetary policy not long after.
"Ever since the Great Depression, most economists have been aware that things can go very wrong with the macroeconomy, and also we didn't completely understand why they go wrong or how to repair things when they do," Sims said. "I've always thought this was an important problem to work on, and very difficult and fascinating."
The Royal Swedish Academy specifically cited Sims' work on vector autoregression, a method Sims developed to analyze how the economy is affected by temporary changes in economic policy, such as an interest rate increase.
Regarding the impact of his research, Sims said, "The most extensive applications have been by central banks that are trying to work out the effects of monetary policy.
"Monetary policy tries to control inflation, and as a result interest rates tend to be high when inflation is high," he explained. "But we think that raising interest rates lowers inflation. The main contribution of this work is to provide a way to untangle the relationship between interest rates and inflation, so we can see what the effect of interest-rate policy changes are on the price level and inflation, and separate that from the reverse causality that makes central banks react to inflation by changing interest rates."
Lauding the depth of Sims' work and its widespread theoretical and practical applications, Sargent said, "It's had an influence on the way all macroeconomists and actually all empirical workers look at time series -- data evolving over time. I was fortunate to work with Chris early, and it had a huge impact on how I do my work."
Yet, noting that "there have been many other people who have contributed" to his areas of research, Sims said, "I think anyone who gets the Nobel Prize has to be a little bit embarrassed to be picked out when there have been so many people who have contributed."
Watson said that Sims "is one of the nicest guys in the world, and one of the best citizens we have in the department." Sims postponed the sabbatical he was set to take this year because the department needed him to teach an undergraduate course, Watson said.
"Sims has trained hordes of graduate students; he's a wonderful adviser. He brings out the best research in our students, and he cares and spends lots of time with them," Watson said.
One of his former graduate students, Eric Leeper, now a professor in the economics department at Indiana University, seconded those comments. He recalled that he and his fellow graduate students felt intimidated by studying with Sims, but that the feeling dissolved when Sims held a cookout for them at his house in Minneapolis in the mid-1980s. The distance between student and professor vanished when a tornado warning went off, and everyone crowded into Sims' basement, where they discussed Sims' interest in photography and other non-economics topics.
Leeper has since co-written papers with Sims.
"Chris has always been extraordinarily open-minded about research -- he's not an ideologue about methodology," Leeper said. "As a student of his, that open-mindedness had a strong influence on me, and sticks with me to this day. It comes in part from the realization that we don't have all the answers and we need to be fairly agnostic about how we approach research."
Sims clearly values an empirical approach to economics, and he was pleased to see the Nobel committee recognize it as well.
"I think they are trying to recognize that careful quantitative modeling of fiscal and monetary policy has become pervasive, and is very important and valuable," Sims said. "It is good to underline the importance of careful, quantitative research at this time when there are a lot of uncareful, wild ideas floating around about what's wrong with the economy and what to do about it."
Sargent focuses on two-way expectations
Sargent walked into his "Macroeconomic Theory" class Monday morning to sustained applause and hushed attention when he began speaking to the first-year graduate students in the course.
"You're paying much more attention to me today -- and it's the same stuff," Sargent said, tapping into the nervous excitement of his students.
Sargent is a visiting professor in Princeton's Department of Economics this fall and was a visiting professor at Princeton last year as well.
"In addition to doing path-breaking research, Sargent is an inspirational classroom teacher," Watson said. "Students leave his class so excited. He really turns graduate students on to macroeconomics. He's been doing that his entire career."
Sexton praised Sargent's contributions to the New York University community.
"I remembered in 2002, a year into my time as president, when Tom Sargent joined our faculty. I would just like to say this. If there were a Nobel laureate for simple mentorship and for sheer humanity, he might be winning those today as well. This is the complete package," Sexton said.
Sargent began his professorship at New York University after serving on the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Minnesota, the University of Chicago and Stanford University. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of California-Berkeley and his graduate degree at Harvard.
Sargent is widely known for his work on coordinating monetary and fiscal policy, stabilizing inflation and fighting unemployment. In conferring his award, the Royal Swedish Academy focused on his work in structural macroeconomics, a method that can be applied to study how households and firms adjust their expectations at the same time as economic developments are taking place.
Sargent said he focuses on using "statistical methods to judge the success and failure of theoretical models that emphasize how people form expectations about government policies, and how those expectations influence what actually happens."
Sargent said the research that he and Sims have conducted has established useful tools that are used by monetary policymakers.
"It's used to characterize honestly what the data can say about how much uncertainty there is about the effects of policy," he said. "The data tell us we know some things and we don't know some other things. Central banks and treasuries are very interested in knowing what view of the world they can take … Chris and I have students at central banks all over the world, and they are applying this work."
Though Sargent and Sims have had their intellectual disagreements, "we each see the other as part of the same intellectual project," Sims said. They served together on the faculty of the University of Minnesota for more than a decade.
Richard Rogerson, a professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, was a graduate student at the University of Minnesota in the same period that Sims and Sargent taught there. Sims and Sargent "were in the prime of their careers, but you could go knock on their doors and they would spend as much time as you wanted talking to you. They always had time to talk to students," Rogerson recalled. "These faculty were in a seminar room, interacting with each other and arguing about things. I was lucky just to be able to witness that."
Sims and Sargent will share the award of 10 million Swedish kronor (currently $1.5 million). The awards will be handed out Dec. 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel's death.
A video of the Oct. 10 news conference is available on Princeton's YouTube channel and also will be available on the Princeton Webmedia site.
Additional reporting by Jennifer Greenstein Altmann, Cass Cliatt, Eric Quiñones and Ruth Stevens.


text:
It seems to be all about football, NASCAR, full contact curling, or whatever sporting event is currently in season right? That is a misconception.
We don't really CARE about whatever team is about to take the field/track/court/ice rink. What we really CARE about is spending time and sharing food with family and friends. I think that's really what "game day" is all about.
So when Bush's Beans offered to sponsor a tailgate event, instead of choosing a professional or college sporting event, I chose one of Trevor's football games. Just three seasons ago he was this little boy (#38 in the picture)...
Now he is in his first year at middle school, plays for the Bearden Bulldogs league (#50 in the picture) and hopes to play for Bearden High School in 3 years.
Weather is a key factor in tailgating and our first two attempts were rained out. Fortunately, the third time was the charm and we had a perfect Autumn fall afternoon.
We had issues with space onsite so we tailgated nearby the park. There was plenty of room and the boys threw the football while Alexis and I set up everything. I say "boys" but they are all college age now. Three of them have been best friends since we moved to Knoxville 11 years ago.
We cooked everything except the hot dogs at home and then transported it in covered steam pans. All we had to cook on site was the hot dogs and then warm up the Bush's Baked Beans on a small grill. I like it easy like that.
Since Bearden's teams are the Bulldogs, one of the menu items was "The Bulldawg". The Bulldawg is an all beef hotdog topped with cheese, chili and onions and we served it with Bush's Homestyle Baked Beans which have a tangier sauce, special cured bacon, and a hint of brown sugar. The thing about most hot dog chili sauces is that most are "too saucy" for me and end up soaking the bun. Bulldawg sauce is a little "less saucy". It is still moist and tangy, just not oozing with sauce.
The Bulldawg
- 8 all beef hotdogs
- 8 hotdog buns
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
For the Bulldawg sauce
- 1.25 lb ground chuck
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds removed
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp chipotle hot sauce
- Preheat a wide pan over medium high heat. It's important to use the wide pan so the meat is not crowded when you brown it.
- Brown the ground beef, breaking it up into fine pieces with a spatula while it cooks (about 10 minutes). Remove and drain.
- In the same pan, saute the onion and pepper until the onion is softened and translucent (about 5 minutes).
- Return the cooked beef to the pan with the onion mix. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until sauce is reduced and thickened.
- Preheat your grill over medium heat and grill the hot dogs for 5 minutes, rotating frequently.
- Serve hot dogs topped with cheese, then chili, and onion.
- If you like "saucier" chili, just increase the water to 3/4 cup. But don't keep asking me for napkins (ha ha)!
- Make ahead and then just warm up on the grill.
Hot dogs taste SOOO much better on the grill than boiled or microwaved. |
For hot dog chili, the fine size of the meat makes it easier to spoon into a bun. |
I found plates, plasticware, cups and napkins in Bearden colors at the party store. |
Bush Beans is giving away this tailgate package to one of my lucky readers. As you can see from the pictures above, I received a similar package and have enjoyed using it. The "stereo cooler" rocks, literally. You connect your MP3 player or phone (not included) to the powered speaker system and you can listen to tunes or play the radio pre-game show if your MP3 player has a receiver.
The package includes
- Two Bush Beans folding chairs with carry bags
- Bush Beans cooler with powered speaker system (for MP3 player, not included).
- Enough Bush's Baked Beans for 20 guests.
- Twin burger press
- Hot dog grill tray and handle
How To Enter
Each person can receive up to a total of 3 entries as follows:
Each person can receive up to a total of 3 entries as follows:
- leave a comment below telling me your favorite tailgating dish and which Bush's Baked Beans flavor you would make to accompany it. The flavors include Original, Homestyle, Maple Cured Bacon, Boston, Country Style, Honey, Onion, Vegetarian, and Bold & Spicy. (NOTE: If you use the "anonymous comment" option, be sure to leave an email or your screen name in the comment so I can contact you if you are the winner. Something like "EggerinFL from the Egg Forum" or "swibirun from the BBQ Brethren forum" is enough.)
- Mention the giveaway with a link in Twitter and use the hashtag #BushBeansGameday
- Mention this giveaway and link to it in a post on your blog. (Include your URL in a comment so I'll know you did it.)
- Giveaway entry period begins Monday, 12:01pm November 7, 2011 and ends November 14, 2011 11:59pm. Winner will be announced November 15, 2011.
- Comments will be numbered by order received and random.org will generate a random number for the winner.
- Limited to residents of the continental US unless you wish to pay the extra shipping charges.
- I am the final judge regarding any discrepancies, interpretations, grievances, etc about this drawing.
- Bush Beans is sponsoring the prize. They are not responsible for the drawing or the giveaway.
- Winner must respond and claim the prize within one week of the winning announcement. If a winner does not claim the prize during the specified time, a reserve winner will be drawn from the original entries.
- Employees, Board Members, pets, indentured servants, and family of Nibble Me This are not eligible to enter.


text:
Black/White Striped Set - Big Girl
- Regular
- $ 44.00
- Sale
- $ 44.00
- Regular
- Unit Price
- per
At checkout, you will have options for the following:
- FREE In-Store Pickup at any location
- Standard Shipping
Please allow 24-48 hours for In-Store Pickup fulfillment. We will call you once your order is ready for pickup! Please leave your cell phone number at checkout.
Please allow 24-48 hours for Standard Shipping fulfillment. We will email you tracking information once your order is shipped.
Online Returns: can be shipped to the addresses below or dropped off at the following locations:
M and Em's merchandise must be exchanged or returned to M and Em's via in-person or mail (460 North Main Street, Glen Ellyn IL).
Meredith Jaye merchandise must be exchanged or returned to any Meredith Jaye location in-person or mailed to Meredith Jaye Wheaton (311 Town Square, Wheaton IL).
Return & Exchange Policy for Purchases Made Online:
All returns must be received within 14 days of purchase with the original receipt/gift receipt for a full refund.
All returns must be received within 30 days of purchase with the original receipt/gift receipt for a store credit (store credit valid for 1 year).
Preorder Merchandise:
The 7 and 30 day window for returns and exchanges will begin once the merchandise has been shipped to you and/or the day we contact you to let you know your order is ready for in-store pickup.
For more information regarding returns & exchanges, please click here


text:
Reports for sc_rate
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text:
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Choose one of our beautiful boxes or pick and choose as if you were in the flower market.
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Complete the checkout process and your beautiful selection will get delivered straight to the front door.


text:
What's the connection between this and this...
SIMON: The person who makes the connection is Yngwie Malmsteen, the Swedish guitar legend who bridges centuries with these two pieces of music. Mr. Malmsteen is known as the king of the neoclassical shred guitar. He joins us in our studios. Thanks so much for being with us.
YNGWIE MALMSTEEN: I thank you very much. Thank you.
SIMON: So, did you hear Paganini and think: I can shred that, or what?
MALMSTEEN: Well, I grew up in a family that was very musical and learned the blues and everything like that, basic stuff. And became a little bit frustrated with the simplicity of rock and roll and blues. And so I listened to a lot of classical music, mainly Bach, Vivaldi, and then one day on TV, I was about 12 or 13 years old, there was a Russian violinist, I can't remember his name, that was playing the solo violin: "24 Caprices for Solo Violin," by Niccolo Paganini.
And I completely freaked out because I knew that's what I was hearing in my head, you know. I decided that I was going to use all arpeggios and linear notes and wide vibrato of the violin. So, yeah, I've always been a little bit of an extremist, so I decided to go all the way with this.
MALMSTEEN: All of the years of all of the hardwiring, the baroque, classical way of thinking - inverted bass lines and counterpoints and so forth - I always think like that in music terms, you know, even though it's a rock and roll kind of setting with amps and stuff like this. You know, there's - I'm always thinking in the classical composing way, and that was hardwired a long, long, long, long time ago.
MALMSTEEN: On my fifth birthday I was given a guitar. Actually, my fourth birthday I was given a violin, and then my fifth birthday a guitar. And I didn't start to play until I saw Hendrix on TV. And they showed him set his guitar on fire and burn it in front of the Monterey Pop Festival. And I wanted to play guitar so I can learn how to smash it up and burn it. But I was only a little kid, so that was my incentive.
SIMON: Well, you can just smash it up and burn it without learning how to play.
MALMSTEEN: Well, yeah, but I wanted to do it proper, you know.
SIMON: Your book begins with a quote from David St. Hubbins, a character from "Spinal Tap." Can we play that clip? Let's play that clip, if we can.
MICHAEL MCKEAN: (as David St. Hubbins) He's really incredible. I really - I bought his album the other day and I just, I threw my guitar out. I said why bother? Why bother, you know? Use it as a coffee table, you know, because I can't play the thing like that. He's great. I like the way he puts Yngwie J. Malmsteen on his album so, you know, you don't confuse him with all the other Yngwie Malmsteens in the business.
MALMSTEEN: Ah, that's such a great - what an honor. There's no higher honor than being talked about like that by "Spinal Tap," you know.
SIMON: Yeah. Does it ever make you wonder though if you've become famous doing - I don't think this is a Swedish word but - shtick? Has shredding the guitar become a gimmick?
MALMSTEEN: It runs the danger, I think, but I feel very strongly that I've made a statement as a composer and as a performer well beyond just the guitar shredding bit. Which is no doubt a part of my repertoire as far as being a showman. And, you know, it's a little bit of, you know, for sure, you know. I use that as a, you know, last night for instance in New York. I mean, I was giving it up. I was smashing the guitar up and the whole nine yards. But it goes way deeper than that.
SIMON: You write pretty candidly in this memoir about the excesses you've lived through in life, self-inflicted excesses.
MALMSTEEN: Oh yeah, oh yeah. The whole rock and roll thing, I did that, you know. I've become a lot wiser and a lot more, you know - being a father changes everything as well, you know. So, yeah, I'm one of those guys that came out from the other side, you know, lived to tell about it. (Chuckling)
SIMON: Well, but you almost didn't. Didn't you drive your Jaguar into a tree once?
MALMSTEEN: That is correct, yes.
SIMON: You were drunk?
MALMSTEEN: That time I was, yes. And you know, let me tell you something. If anyone had to learn the hard way, that was really the way to learn the hard way. But then, you know, now I drive even faster cars. So. But always sober.
SIMON: Always sober?
MALMSTEEN: Yeah. I never do anything.
SIMON: Do you ever worry that people your son's age, as they grow up, will read a memoir like yours and think, despite the fact that you say I'm over that now and, you know, that wasn't a good way to live and I'm better than that now and I cleaned myself up, that it's hard not to read an account like that, if somebody wants to be a musician, and think that's the way you got to do it or doesn't that sound nice?
MALMSTEEN: Well, I certainly hope that no one reads it that way. I know my son won't for sure. I know that because, you know, since he could understand anything I've been letting him know what is bad and good and so forth. So, that I'm not worried about. But I would never like to mislead anyone to think - to glamorize that kind of behavior because it's definitely not worth anybody's hardship, you know, to go through it even. You know, I mean, so, no. I definitely don't try to promote that type of thing.
SIMON: What difference has your wife, April, made in your life?
MALMSTEEN: Oh, my God. Where can I begin with that? I think, I think everywhere, you know. I owe her a life, basically, I can say, you know, because everything that I did bad, she'd turn around. So, just like an angel.
SIMON: That's the song.
MALMSTEEN: Yeah, exactly.
MALMSTEEN: (Singing) Like an angel, you came to me and now I see, the stranger in me is finally free to feel true love.
SIMON: Do you think there's some kid out there watching you the way you watched Jimi Hendrix?
MALMSTEEN: I'm sure there is, you know. But the thing is that, you know, all I can do is do the best I can do and hopefully I'm giving them a good influence, you know.
SIMON: Yngwie Malmsteen. His most recent album is "Spellbound." He's currently on tour in the United States and has a new autobiography out called "Relentless." Thanks so much for being with us.
MALMSTEEN: My pleasure. Thank you.
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NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


text:
"Are you threatening me? Towards smart detectors in watermarking", in Media Watermarking, Security, and Forensics, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2014. spie14_2.0.pdf (430.73 KB)
, "Asymptotically optimum embedding strategy for one-bit watermarking under Gaussian attacks", in Security, Steganography, and Watermarking of Multimedia Contents, San Jose, CA, USA, 2008, vol. 6819. spie08one-bit-wm.pdf (277.85 KB)
, "Asymptotically Optimum Universal Watermark Embedding and Detection in the High-SNR Regime", IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 56, pp. 2804-2815, 2010. tit-2010.pdf (240.81 KB)
, "Coping with the enemy: Advances in adversary-aware signal processing", in IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP), Vancouver, Canada, 2013, pp. 8682–8686.
, "Detection of video double encoding with GOP size estimation", in IEEE International Workshop on Information Forensics and Security (WIFS), Tenerife, Spain, 2012, pp. 151-156. wifs2012_dvazquez_mfontani_tbianchi_pcomesan_apiva_mbarni.pdf (839.39 KB)
, "Ensuring Gain Invariance in High-Rate Data-Hiding", in Security, Steganography, and Watermarking of Multimedia Contents, San Jose, California, USA, 2005, vol. 5306, pp. 592-601.
, "Fundamentals of data hiding security and their application to spread-spectrum analysis", in International Workshop on Information Hiding (IH), Barcelona, Spain, 2005, vol. 3727, pp. 131-145. ih05_fundamentals.pdf (222.99 KB)
, "Improving the performance of RDM watermarking by means of trellis coded quantisation", IEE Proceedings on Information Security, vol. 153, pp. 107-114, 2006.
, "Information-theoretic analysis of security in side-informed data hiding", in International Workshop on Information Hiding (IH), 2005, vol. 3727, pp. 131-145. ih05_sideinformed.pdf (218.44 KB)
, "Localization of Forgeries in MPEG-2 Video through GOP Size and DQ analysis", in IEEE International Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing (MMSP), Pula (Sardinia), Italy, 2013, pp. 494-499. mmsp13_dlabartino_tbianchi_aderosa_mfontani_dvazquez_apiva_mbarni.pdf (901.49 KB)
, "Putting Reproducible Signal Processing into Practice: A Case Study in Watermarking", in IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP), Honolulu, HW, USA, 2007, vol. 4, pp. 1261-1264. icassp07reproducible.pdf (67.03 KB)
, "Rational Dither Modulation: a high-rate data-hiding method robust to gain attacks", IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, vol. 53, pp. 3960-3975, 2005.
, "Rational Dither Modulation: a novel data-hiding method robust to value-metric attacks", in IEEE International Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing, Siena, Italy, 2004, pp. 139-142.
, "The return of the sensitivity attack", in International Workshop on Digital Watermarking (IWDW), Siena, Italy, 2005, vol. 3710, pp. 260-274. iwdw05.pdf (190.47 KB)
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The first step, if you haven't done so already, is to set up a user account so you can edit pages.
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Teen Services in 15 Minutes or Less
From YALSA
Many folks serving teens in libraries do so only on a part time basis, making delivering good teen services a challenge. Help out your colleagues by adding to this page quick and easy things that busy library workers and librarians can do to serve teens:
Collection Development/Content Curation
- Pick one shelf of YA books to weed
- Read a blog post or two on The Hub to find out what's trending in YA literature
- Check out the Buyers' Guide from ALA to find vendors to purchase books, graphic novels, films, equipment and more
- Check out the New York Times YA Best Seller list to see what's popular nationwide
- Develop a method so teens can make requests for titles to purchase, such as a clipboard at the reference desk or index cards & a suggestions box
- Read ALA's Access for Children & Young Adults to Nonprint Materials
- Find out which book review resources that review YA literature your library subscribes to, such as Booklist, the Horn Book, School Library Journal, or VOYA
- Share the Teens Need Libraries web page or brochure with your library administrator or local policy makers www.ala.org/yalsa/teens-need-libraries
- Invite your administrator to an upcoming teen program or event
- Start a list of success stories (good moments when you had an impact on a teen's life) so you can easily share them when you have the opportunity. (And be sure to update it as you have more successes!)
- Find out who the appropriate contact at your local newspaper is for sending information about upcoming events, library news, etc. and then get in touch to introduce yourself.
Overall Management/Organization
- Create an "Ideas for Next Year" folder and add information about possible programs, events, activities, etc. as you think of them
- Read the 10 page Public Library Evaluation Tool for teen services to familiarize yourself with the basics of an overall program for serving teens through libraries
- Read the mission and/or strategic plan for your library and identify ways that your overall teen program supports it
- Read the series "What Your Manager Wishes You Knew" on the YALSAblog
- Read ALA's Code of Ethics, Library Bill of Rights and Free Access to Libraries for Minors
- Ask the local school librarians if they would post fliers at their school about an upcoming teen program you're planning
- Contact the local university's Communications Department to see if any students would be willing to volunteer their time to help create marketing materials for you
- Ask your supervisor if you can create a Facebook page or Twitter account to promote upcoming events, new materials, etc.
Professional Development/Personal Growth
- Visit your state library association's web site to see if they have a YA or youth section you could connect with
- Check out YALSA's Google Calendar for upcoming webinars, e-courses, conferences, etc.
- Take a YALSA webinar (free ones are listed at the bottom of the page & all members get free access to all of YALSA's 30+ archived webinars)
- Join Twitter and start following other YA librarians to see what they're doing
- Watch a free 16 minute webinar about getting involved in YALSA
- Are you library support staff? If so, check out ALA's resources tailored just for you!
- Get a new program idea by visiting the YALSAblog http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/
- Read YALSA's Teen Programming Guidelines(.pdf) to learn about best practices in programming for and with teens
- Ask your coworkers what hobbies, interests and skills they have and whether they'd be interested in presenting a teen program on the topic
- Talk to teens at your library to see what their interests are and how the library might help them pursue those interests (podcasting, ghost hunting, art, D&D) through programming
- Download and adapt the free Teen Read Week program planning form for year-round use
- Find a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) program to offer in YALSA's free STEM Resources Toolkit (.docx)
- Subscribe to the YA-YAAC listserv (it's free) to find and share program ideas
- Check out these free web literacy program ideas and toolkits from Mozilla
- Invite a first year college student to come talk to teen patrons in high school about the college admissions experience and/or how to prepare for the transition from high school to college
Readers' Advisory
- Download and make copies of YALSA's Ultimate Teen Bookshelf and leave them at the circulation desk for parents, teens and others to take www.ala.org/yalsa/handouts
- Use blank address labels to create teasers & put them on books. E.g. "murder most foul," or "surprise ending" and so on
- Make a large "New Books!!!" sign and display some new titles with it
- Pick up three books; read the jacket and flip through them to get a sense for what the book is like. Then look it up on Goodreads to find potential readalikes.
- Ask a teen patron what his or her favorite book is and why
- Download and use the free "best of the best" spine labels, bookmarks, etc. & use them to feature the year's latest book award winners and honorees.
Relationship building/Outreach
- Thank a coworker, volunteer or patron who has helped you in the teen area
- Invite a local youth group, such as the Girl Scouts, to hold one of their meetings in the library
- Make a list of other youth serving organizations in your area and resolve to contact each one to see how you might work together for mutual benefit
- Find out who provides afterschool programs and services in your community or state and let them know about what services the library has to offer them. The National Afterschool Association is a good start. Once you know who it is, send them a copy of Libraries: Your Afterschool Partner (.pdf)
- Find out if there's a culinary school in your area and get in touch with them to see if they have any interest in working with the library. For example, they could make food for a fundraising event, they could send someone to do a cooking demo for teens, or they could send someone to talk about careers in the culinary field.
- Make a "how may I help you?" button and wear it
- Create a tip sheet on how to access databases remotely for school work
- Put out a call for volunteers to provide homework help after school, perhaps via your local Rotary Club or Junior League
- Read ALA's Minors and Internet Interactivity
- Create a "The Teen Services Librarian is IN" sign for your desk/area. Read more about this tip and many others on the Massachusetts Library System's Teen Summit Resource Guide
- Encourage all high school seniors to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid by Jan. 1st of their senior year to see what options they have for college. Put a link to the form (https://fafsa.ed.gov/) on the library's web site.
- Watch this 25 minute video called "Don't Fear the Technology: a Call to Action for Youth Librarians
- Download this free brochure, print copies & hand them out at the circulation desk: Countdown to College: Tips for Parents with Middle School Teens
- Add this link to your library's web site or Facebook page: College Score Card --helps students compare the costs of different colleges
- Afterschool Tech Toolkit (use this free resource to help brush up your tech skills so you can better connect w/ teens)
- Do a walk through of the teen area and take a quick inventory of anything that is overly worn or shabby and that needs replacing
- Contact your local high school's vocational department and see if they'd be willing to take on a project such as making bookshelves, desks or tables
- Pretend you're a new library patron. Walk through the teen space & see if you can find everything easily. If not, create signs that point people in the right direction
- Read YALSA's Guidelines for Teen Spaces
- Start a wish list of things that would improve your teen space, making a note of specific products/models as well as stores and companies that sell what you need. If/when funding becomes available, you'll be ready to make purchases right away.
Youth Development & Participation
- Be a good role model for teens by talking about what you're currently reading
- Make time to listen to a teen who is having a bad day and wants to vent
- Make a "suggestions" box and place it in a part of the library where teens go. Check it regularly for easy things to implement that would make teen patrons happy
- Read the 40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents
- Encourage your teens to take the weekly readers' poll on The Hub (blog about YA literature)
- Scan this free toolkit (.pdf) from Public Profit for ideas on how to seek out and obtain teen input and feedback.
- This takes 2 hours, not 15 minutes, but it's worth it: a self-paced e-course to help identify, prevent and respond appropriately to child sexual abuse.
- There are 4 free one hour e-courses about youth development and managing behavior from the Youth Development Institute.
- Watch this one minute video about adolescent development.
- Read this brief article 10 Tips: Building Relationships with Youth


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KEVIN BEGOS,Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — President Barack Obama's speech this week on climate change forcefully rejected some key arguments made by opponents of natural gas fracking, upsetting some environmental groups that otherwise back his climate goals.
Obama, in his address Tuesday calling for urgent action to address climate change, praised what he called "cleaner-burning natural gas" and its role in providing safe, cheap power that he said can also help reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions.
Regulators in many states with heavy new drilling activity say fracking, a colloquial term for hydraulic fracturing, is being done safely and is essentially similar to the hundreds of thousands of oil and gas wells that have been drilled all over the nation.
The drilling boom has reduced oil and gas imports and generated billions of dollars for companies and landowners. Many scientists and environmental groups also agree with Obama's main point: that while there are some negative effects from natural gas, burning coal is far worse for the environment and public health. There's no dispute that natural gas burns far cleaner than coal, but its main component, methane, is a potent heat-trapping gas.
Some environmental groups advocate a total rejection of all fossil fuels and an all-out effort to switch to renewables such as wind turbines and solar panels. They also say people living close to drilling operations have suffered from too much pollution.
"When it comes to natural gas, the president is taking the wrong path," Deb Nardone, the head of the Sierra Club's Beyond Natural Gas program, wrote in a blog post.
Robert Howarth, a Cornell University professor who argues that methane leaks from drilling negate other climate benefits of gas, said in an email to The Associated Press that he is "extremely disappointed in the President's position" and said the support for natural gas "is very likely to do more to aggravate global change than to help solve it."
Not so, Obama said.
Advances in drilling, the president said, have "helped drive our carbon pollution to its lowest levels in nearly 20 years," and "we'll keep working with the industry to make drilling safer and cleaner, to make sure that we're not seeing methane emissions."
"These critics seem to think that when we ask our businesses to innovate and reduce pollution and lead, they can't or they won't do it," Obama added, mentioning that taking lead out of gasoline and the phase-out of ozone-depleting gases were examples of the industry making needed changes.
The Sierra Club and some activists argue that fracking comes with unacceptable levels of air and water pollution and that "no state has adequate protections in place."
Obama disagreed.
"The old rules may say we can't protect our environment and promote economic growth at the same time," Obama said. "Don't tell folks that we have to choose between the health of our children or the health of our economy."
Critics have also claimed that the fracking boom just makes a few energy companies rich, and that average Americans get few benefits. But Obama responded by saying "The bottom line is natural gas is creating jobs. It's lowering many families' heat and power bills."
Some environmental groups agree with Obama's position that switching from coal-fired power to natural gas has helped reduce emissions and protect the environment.
The Breakthrough Institute, an Oakland, Calif., think tank, said in a report released Wednesday that despite problems and legitimate concerns over fracking, the gas industry has "a far smaller impact on mortality and disease, landscapes, waterways, air pollution, and local communities than coal mining and coal burning."
"Natural gas is a net environmental benefit at local, regional, national, and global levels," the Breakthrough report said.
One Pennsylvania Democrat jumped to endorse Obama's fracking plan. Gas from the Marcellus Shale formation there has led to a huge surge in drilling and production over the last five years.
Sen. Bob Casey said he plans to introduce legislation to place more natural gas fueling stations along Interstate highways. Casey said the plan could "help reduce emissions and create jobs."
But some other Democrats were silent. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is trying to decide whether to allow fracking to begin in a small part of his state and is facing heavy opposition from some groups.
Cuomo had no immediate comment Thursday about the speech but said his decision will be based on New York state's own health report and data from Pennsylvania's experience.
Industry groups welcomed Obama's strong support for gas.
"We are pleased to see that President Obama's climate action plan recognizes natural gas as a key component of America's clean energy future," Don Santa, the president the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, said in a statement.
At the core of Obama's plan are new controls on new and existing power plants that emit carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas blamed largely for global warming. Coal-fired power plants would be under the most pressure, since they emit far more pollution than ones that burn natural gas.
The program also will boost renewable energy production on federal lands, increase efficiency standards and prepare communities to deal with higher temperatures. Obama called for the U.S. to be a global leader in the search for solutions to climate change.


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Home / Email NORTH KOREA Persecution Religion Christianity THE PLAYERS China South Korea USA MESSAGES Christians North Koreans South Koreans LETTERS Kim Jong Un Americans Chinese United Nations EVIDENCES Videos Defectors Articles Reports PROFILES Kim Il Sung Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Un Juche Idea DPRK Military Power Food Aid Children CONTACTS Websites North Korea China South Korea USA United Nations Visitor Emails |
Evidences: Articles - 'Pinpricks' of Truth Entering North Korea'Pinpricks' of Truth Making Way into North Korea Citizens increasingly enlightened about world's worst violator of religious freedom. (http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/northkorea/17929) DUBLIN, April 26, 2010 (CDN) — As refugees from North Korea and activists from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) gather in Seoul, South Korea this week to highlight human rights violations in the hermit kingdom, there are signs that North Korean citizens are accessing more truth than was previously thought. A recent survey by the Peterson Institute found that a startling 60 percent of North Koreans now have access to information outside of government propaganda. "North Koreans are increasingly finding out that their misery is a direct result of the Kim Jong-Il regime, not South Korea and America as we were brainwashed from birth to believe," Kim Seung Min of Free North Korea Radio said in a press statement. The radio station is a partner in the North Korea Freedom Coalition (NKFC), which is holding its annual North Korea Freedom Week (NKFW) in Seoul rather than Washington, D.C. for the first time in the seven-year history of the event. "We set out to double the radio listenership of 8 or 9 percent, and we've seen a dramatic increase in the number of people who have access to information," said NKFC Co-Chair Suzanne Scholte. She described the flow of information as "pinpricks in a dark veil over North Korea. Now those pinpricks are becoming huge holes." The radio station now air-drops radios into North Korea and broadcasts into the country for five hours a day, adding to information gleaned by refugees and merchants who cross the border regularly to buy Chinese goods. In recent years the government has been forced to allow a limited market economy, but trade has brought with it illegal technology such as VCR machines, televisions, radios and cell phones that can detect signals from across the border. Previously all televisions and radios available in North Korea could only receive official frequencies. "The government hasn't been able to stamp out the markets, so they begrudgingly allow them to continue," Scholte confirmed. "This means North Koreans aren't relying solely on the regime anymore." Holding the annual event in Seoul this year sends a significant message, Scholte told Compass. "This is a spiritual conflict as well as a physical one – some people didn't want us to call it freedom week," she said. "But we're making a statement … God gives us freedom by the very nature of being human and North Koreans are entitled to that too." All people say they would never allow the World War II holocaust to be repeated, Scholte said, "but this is a holocaust, a genocide. I firmly believe we will be judged if we fail to intervene." The coalition hopes this week's event will empower the 17,000 strong North Korean defectors in South Korea, awaken the consciousness of the world about human rights conditions in North Korea, and inform all who are suffering in North Korea that others will "work together until the day their freedom, human rights and dignity are realized," Scholte said in the press statement. As part of the week's activities, the coalition will send leaflets into North Korea via balloon stating in part, "In the same year the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was passed, Kim Il-Sung was ensuring that you wouldn't have any of those rights." Religious freedom in particular is almost non-existent. The only accepted belief is Juche – an ideology that strictly enforces worship of the country's leaders. "The regime is a perversion of Christianity," Scholte told Compass. Juche has a holy trinity just as Christianity does, with Father Kim Il-Sung, son Kim Jong-Il, and the spirit of Juche said to give strength to the people. "Kim Il-Sung is God; a real God can't replace him," a former North Korean security agent confirmed in David Hawke's 2005 report, "A Prison Without Bars." While four churches exist in the capital, Pyongyang, experts believe these are largely showpieces for foreign visitors. The government has allowed token visits from high-profile foreign Christians such as Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, who preached at Bongsu Protestant church in Pyongyang in August 2008; and two U.S. Christian bands, Casting Crowns and Annie Moses, attended and won awards at the Spring Friendship Arts Festival in April 2009. Worship outside limited official venues is simply not tolerated, giving North Korea first place on Christian support organization Open Doors' 2010 World Watch List for persecution of Christians. Ordinary citizens caught with a Bible or in a clandestine prayer meeting are immediately labeled members of the hostile class and either executed or placed in prison labor camps, along with three generations of their immediate family. Every North Korean belongs to either the "hostile," "wavering" or "core" class, affecting privileges from food and housing to education and physical freedom, according to Hawke's report. There are no churches outside the capital, but the regime in 2001 estimated there were 12,000 Protestants and 800 Catholics in North Korea. In July 2002 the government also reported the existence of 500 vaguely-defined "family worship centers" catering to a population of approximately 22.7 million, according to a September 2009 International Religious Freedom report issued by the U.S. State Department. By contrast, South Korea's Dong-A Ilbo newspaper in July 2009 put the estimate at 30,000 Christians, some NGOs and academics estimate there may be up to several hundred thousand underground Christians. Uncertain Future As North Korea celebrated the birthday of Kim Jong-Il on Feb. 16, rumors spread that the elderly leader, currently battling heart problems, had chosen third son Kim Jong-Eun as his successor. Documents extolling the virtues of Kim Jong-Eun began circulating as early as November, according to the Daily NK online news agency. An official "education" campaign for elite officials began in January and was extended to lesser officials in March. One document obtained by the agency described the "Youth Captain" as being "the embodiment of Kim Il-Sung's appearance and ideology." "Kim picked this son because he's ruthless and evil," Scholte said, "but I don't think they're quite ready to hand over to him yet. There is an uncertainty, a vulnerability." Scholte believes this is the ideal time to "reach out, get information in there and push every possible way." "There are many double-thinkers among the elite," she explained. "They know the regime is wrong, but they have the Mercedes, the education for their kids and so on, so they have no incentive to leave." The coalition is trying to persuade South Korea to establish a criminal tribunal, she said. "North Koreans are actually citizens of South Korea by law," she said. "We have to let these guys know there's going to be a reckoning, to create a good reason for them not to cooperate [with authorities]." Those in other countries have an obligation too, Scholte concluded. "When people walk out of the camps, it will haunt us. They'll want to know, 'What were you doing?' We will be held accountable." Article 26 of North Korea's constitution declares that the people have freedom of religion. The organizers of this year's freedom week fervently hope that this declaration will soon become a reality. The Cross at the Border: China's Complicity in Refugees' Suffering Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) estimate anywhere from 30,000 to 250,000 refugees from North Korea are living in China, either in border areas or deeper inland. Few are Christians when they emerge from North Korea, but the whispered advice among refugees is to "head for a cross," signaling a Chinese church that may assist them, according to a February 2009 National Geographic report. Since China will not allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees access to border areas, Chinese Christians work with Christian NGOs to provide an "underground railroad" moving refugees via several routes to safety, most often in South Korea. Chun Ki-Won, director of Christian NGO Durihana, admits that some of the refugees adopt Christianity to win favor with their rescuers, but others retain and strengthen their faith on arrival in South Korea. China insists that the refugees are economic migrants and pays police a bounty to arrest and return them to North Korea. On arrival, North Korean officials pointedly question the refugees about contact with Chinese Christians or Christian NGOs. If any contact is admitted, execution or imprisonment is likely, according to David Hawke's 2005 report, "A Prison Without Bars." As one refugee told Hawke, "Having faith in God is an act of espionage." Still others choose to return to North Korea with Bibles and other Christian resources at great risk to themselves. For example, officials in June 2009 publicly executed Ri Hyon-Ok, caught distributing Bibles in Ryongchon, a city near the Chinese border, South Korean activists reported. China remains impervious to the refugees' plight. "China fears being flooded by refugees if they show compassion," said Suzanne Scholte, co-chair of the North Korea Freedom Coalition. "But refugee flows aren't going to collapse the [North Korean] regime. If that was going to happen, it would have happened already during the famine, so their argument doesn't hold water." She added that North Koreans don't want to leave. "They leave because of Kim Jong-Il," she said. "Those [North Korean refugees] in South Korea want to go back and take freedom with them." Two U.S. Christians entered North Korea in recent months with the same goal in mind. Robert Park, an evangelical Christian missionary, crossed the border on Dec. 25 with a letter calling for Kim Jong-Il to resign. Officials immediately arrested Park, according to the regime's Korean Central News Agency. He was later sentenced to eight years of hard labor but released in late February after making what many experts believe was a forced confession. Fellow activist Aijalon Mahli Gomes entered North Korea on Jan. 25, the same news agency reported. Officials sentenced Gomes to nine years of hard labor and fined him 70 million new Won (US$518,520). At press time Gomes remained in detention. |