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Not quite the largest, and not quite "brought about"
Since Sen. John McCain named Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin his vice-presidential running mate, she has repeatedly touted her push for a new pipeline in Alaska as evidence of her executive experience and energy expertise.
But she has often fudged the truth in the process, as we explain in this article .
Here we'll look at a claim Palin made both in her speech at the Republican National Convention on Sept. 3, 2008, and in a radio address three days later. Here's the full context, from the radio address:
"Despite fierce opposition from oil company lobbyists, we broke their monopoly on power and resources," Palin said. "As governor, I insisted on competition and basic fairness to end their control of our state and return it to the people. I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history. And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly $40-billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence."
The pipeline, which has been a pipe dream (pardon us) of officials and oilmen in Alaska for three decades, would carry to market natural gas currently stranded under the state's remote and rugged North Slope. Palin's plan is for the Canadian company TransCanada Corp. to build a 1,715-mile line southeast along the Alaska Highway, through the Canadian province of British Columbia to a hub in Alberta.
Before her election as governor, Palin opposed the idea of routing the pipeline through Canada, a version of which her predecessor, Frank Murkowski, had advocated. But after she was elected governor she decided to consider all options.
She pushed the Legislature to pass a law providing $500-million in state funds to whatever company presented the best proposal for the project. The Legislature accepted TransCanada's proposal in August 2008, and the company now faces the multiyear process of seeking federal approval.
So yes, Palin "fought to bring about" a new plan for the pipeline. (Though she also fought to put the kibosh on Murkowski's plan.)
Her phrasing — "fought to bring about" — could suggest that she did bring about the pipeline — that is, that it has been built, or is at least under construction. That's not true — TransCanada does not plan to begin construction until 2015, if at all.
Now, would the pipeline be "the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history"?
Palin didn't specify what she meant by "largest," but according to engineering experts, cost is the most common measure of the size of large-scale projects. "Generally when people talk about the size of an infrastructure project they're talking about the cost," said Jay McCauley, vice president of the Society for Industrial Archeology.
We talked to several experts in pipelines and large-scale engineering projects, who said the only private infrastructure project on the scale of Palin's proposed pipeline that they could come up with was the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, an oil pipeline also from the North Slope that is often referred to as the Alaska Pipeline. (Most large infrastructure projects are publicly funded, whether directly, like the Interstate Highway System, or indirectly, like the Transcontinental Railroad.)
The Alaska Pipeline was completed in 1977 at a cost of $8-billion. At 800 miles, it is physically shorter than TransCanada's proposed pipeline, but its $8-billion price tag would be at least $27-billion in 2007 dollars, according to the three online inflation calculators we consulted.
Palin has claimed repeatedly that TransCanada's pipeline would cost "nearly $40-billion." But we could not determine where that estimate came from, and neither Palin's office in Alaska nor the McCain campaign returned our calls to tell us. Alaska's Web site says TransCanada's project would cost about $26-billion, and TransCanada spokeswoman Cecily Dobson confirmed the cost estimate remains "approximately US$26-billion in 2007 dollars."
That's less than the $27-billion inflation-adjusted cost of the Alaska Pipeline. Not by much — but it's less.
Palin was right to say she "fought to bring about" the pipeline. But she implies that it's further along than it really is. And she was wrong — though not egregiously so — to say it would be the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history. We judge her claim to be Half True.


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Can't recall if 'Kickstarter Discussion" is to talk about the kickstarter OR a play for kickstarter pledgers to talk. Regardless, as the title implies; I only just recently discovered Ship of Heroes. And with it's childish (and I'm sure) placeholder looking logo/title I had no real idea that it would be a serious endeavor by other CoX loving people. I'm glad I was wrong after reading what they offered and were going through. Seems we might be lucky enough to have two stable hero games to play around with! Valiance online im still not 100% with.
Have a nice day!

subset: commoncrawl


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Dear Editor,
I want to extend a very heartfelt "Thank you" to all the women and men of our local volunteer fire department, also to the police department and everyone else involved for the excellent job they did of putting out the house fire at S. Eighth St. and Second Ave. S.
I live in the house just north of this house and I was so afraid of my home catching on fire also as the houses are very close together.
It was only through the efforts of our wonderful fire department that this did not happen.
To watch them take off the roof of this house and not have any debris fall onto or into my house was amazing.
So the next time the fire department, police department and emergency personnel asks for a donation-give- all of us can give something.
They need equipment, training and whatever else goes into saving lives and property.
Haley, Ashley and their children need our help also to rebuild their lives. So 'give' because the next time a home, possessions, even a life needs to be saved, it just may be yours.
Becky Backer


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The NFL's goal to be the first major professional sports league to implement testing for human growth hormone appears a long way from coming to fruition.
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said Thursday that players have serious questions about the safety and reliability of the test. He said the World Anti-Doping Agency has not turned over the information the players' association has requested.
"The one thing that we don't know is what that population test looks like," Smith told The Associated Press after addressing students during a sports law symposium at Santa Clara University. "Who was included in that study? What were the ratio levels?
"Were they tested, or was that population tested in conditions or similar situations that would mirror professional football athletes? I don't know. And that's information that they (WADA) refuse to turn over."
HGH is naturally occurring in the body. The isoform test first used by WADA in 2004 - and which
became more widespread in 2008 - is designed to detect synthetic HGH by measuring the ratio naturally occurring in the body against a population test.
WADA handles drug testing for the Olympics and is largely accepted as the gold standard for worldwide drug testing. Smith said he is concerned that it does not take into account the different types of bodies and conditions for football players.
"We made a number of requests for WADA, specifically about the scientific justifications for the test that they provide," Smith said. He would not elaborate on the other requests or set a timetable for the union's plans.
Blood testing for HGH was part of the collective bargaining deal struck between the league and players this summer - but only if the union agreed to the methods. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a letter to Smith last week reiterating the league's eagerness to implement HGH testing.
The NFL also notified teams that no HGH testing will be conducted before the season begins because the players' association could not agree to the terms. The league has long disputed the union's claims that the test is not valid.
"We have the same information as the union, and there is no question among the experts and scientists about the validity of the test," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. "But if you're trying to avoid making a decision, one way is to keep asking for more information."
Members of Congress also have urged the two sides to come to an agreement.
In a letter to the league and the players' association Thursday, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., encouraged both to resolve their differences so that testing can begin sometime this season, which opened Thursday night in Green Bay.
"While blood testing for HGH involves a relatively new technique, there are virtually no questions about the scientific credibility of this testing methodology," Waxman wrote. "The test is approved and used by the World Anti-Doping Agency, has been used for Olympic testing, and earlier this month was used in the United States to identify a professional athlete using the drug."
That athlete was minor league baseball player Mike Jacobs.
AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner contributed to this story.


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Luke Satterly is 14 and in the sixth grade.
"Luke is a quiet, unassuming young man that everyone likes," principal Steve Frommeyer said. "He always gives his best effort in everything he does."
What is your favorite sport?
Luke's favorite outdoor sport is football. He plays wide receiver and safety at school. "I like to pass the ball (at home) with my sister or brother, too," he said.
What's your favorite subject?
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Ode to Carrot Jockey
Ode to Carrot Jockey
by Loyal Minion Sharyn
Carrot Jockey, is your taxonomic nomenclature
A plastic unclothed biped, on buttercream by nature?
No hair about your eyes to cloud your keen visual senses
Contributes to your skill in finding wrecky cake offenses.
I find myself intrigued by your frosted ambulations,
A singular development of fondant machinations
That illustrates your need to ride on sugary confections
While pointing out a bakery's abuse of its directions.
No clothing is essential for your wreck reporting talents,
A hat, a vest or even pants might throw you off your balance.
And carrots are a necessary part of locomotion
Although for geeky panelists they can cause a commotion.
Carrot Jockey, the wondrous cakey carnage you display
Makes people snort their coffee, and brightens up their day.
A naked bit of plastic I can from a chain suspend
To me, you'll always be a veggie-riding friend.
A huge "Thak You" to Sharyn for writing the world's best comment poem, and also to Theresa B., Jennifer C., Carmel C., Angela M., Julie K., Noelle, Maggie H., Caroline T., Colleen T., & Martha A. for all the Carrot Jockey homages.
Also, if by some crime you're not familiar with the original poem/rap Sharyn's is based on, watch this:
And finally, because it's a FAQ: the jockey necklaces are no longer available for sale because they're a right pain to make. However, if you continue to pester us - say, by leaving demanding comments on this post - I might be able to convince John that we should make one big final batch before the holidays. Maybe. If you beg. And I'm not talking just a few extra exclamation marks here; I'm talking complete loss of dignity, people. Dance! Dance for our amusement! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!
Or just ask nicely. That might work, too.
(Note from john: *sigh* Fine. But let me explain something: it takes HOURS. Rolling each individual carrot, carving each individual leaf, trying to center the baby so that it balances, baking them, clear coating them, gluing the baby down, gluing the post and hanging it on the chain. And then, THEN! If it doesn't balance and it hangs funny, we start over because Jen won't let an imperfect one leave the house. *harumph* So, we're going to make 3 for each tour stop as prizes and maybe a hundred more. If anyone needs me for the next few days, I'll just be over here kneading clay...)


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Please read description carefully.
Do not base your order on the picture presented.
Description of the Welch Allyn Blood Pressure Cuff Adult
Long lasting, easy to use, and affordable, Welch Allyn cuffs are the top choice for hospitals and clinics around the world.
Welch Allyn can offer you virtually every type, size, and configuration of cuffs, along with the ability to simplify inventory like no other cuff provider with our innovative FlexiPort™ connection, which makes every cuff a one or two-tube cuff.
Easy one-hand attachment/detachment of tubing from FlexiPort makes changing cuffs much faster and easier.
Tested to withstand demanding clinical environments.
3-year warranty.
Meets all the latest clinical guidelines for proper fit from AAMI and AHA.
No sewn seams to tear or fray.
Antimicrobial coating helps prevent the growth of mildew and bacteria.
Rotatable port reduces stress to cuff tubing and port, improving patient comfort and cuff durability.
The unique FlexiPort fitting enables true cuff standardization throughout your facility for the first time.
With FlexiPort, finding the right cuff is made simpler than ever before by eliminating annoying hassles and frustrations of tube and connector configurations.
Medex SKU: WA-REUSE-11-2BV


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Sponsoring Organization: MSUE Genesee County
Date: Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Start Time: 5:00 p.m.
End Time: 9:00 p.m.
Location : Swartz Creek Performing Arts Center, 8427 Miller Road, Swartz Creek, MI. 48473
Description of the Event: Master Gardener Program - Genesee - (This class will be held on Wednesdays of the week at Swartz Creek Performing Arts Center, 8427 Miller Road Swartz Creek, MI. 48473 running from Wednesday, August 31 to Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 5:00 p.m. To 9:00 p.m.
Online registration for Master Gardener Program is open. The last date for online registration is August 19, 2016. Online registration closes at 11:59 p.m. On the Registration End Date. There are 48 openings available.
We're pleased you are interested in the MSU Extension Master Gardener Program (MGP) and trust it will be a rich and rewarding experience for you. This class will be held on Wednesdays of the week at Swartz Creek Performing Arts Center running from August 31 to December 7, 2016, 5 to 9 p.m. The cost of the 14-week program is $300, which includes the 1,000-page training manual. There are no other out-of-pocket costs. The last day to submit a check for payment is August 12. The deadline for all registrations and payments by credit card is August 19.
Access to World Class Gardening Knowledge. The MSU Extension Master Gardener Program connects gardeners across the state to MSU's faculty and resources. Participants have access to information generated at one of the nation's top plant science teaching and research universities and the chance to use this knowledge to improve their communities and enrich their lives.
Master Gardener volunteers start by completing a 14-session practical curriculum grounded in university research. This training consists of approximately 45 hours of training with classes on plant science, soil science, integrated pest management, diagnostics, annuals and perennials, woody ornamentals, lawns, vegetables, small fruits, tree fruits, household and nuisance pests, indoor plants and gardening practices to protect water quality. Participants must commit to attend all the training sessions and complete all (open book) quizzes and final exam with an overall score of at least 80%. Missed classes (up to two) may be made up by attending class lecture on the same topic offered in other locations. Viewing approved recorded sessions is another make up option but is less engaging for course participants.
An Opportunity to Serve. After completing the training, Master Gardener trainees must complete 40 hours of horticulture-related service within one year to earn their MSU Extension Master Gardener certification. Through these volunteer activities educating others, trainees extend their classroom knowledge to their community. Examples of volunteer projects and service may include:
• Working with students to design an elementary school garden
• Creating a horticulture therapy program at a senior center.
• Helping a neighborhood association create an urban garden.
• Staffing plant clinics.
• Designing and caring for gardens at senior centers, parks and other public sites.
• Teaching classes on how to garden.
• Establishing vegetable gardens to meet local nutritional needs.
• Sharing environmentally-friendly gardening practices at community events.
• Beautifying community sites for special events or community activities that attract local residents and tourists.
To maintain your certification after your initial certifying year, you will be required annually to complete and report 5 education and 15 volunteer hours as well as complete a 3-step re-certification process (which includes a $20 re-certification fee).
To enroll in the MSU Extension Master Gardening training, please complete the online registration and agreement forms. Payment is required at the time of enrollment. Trainees may be interviewed by current Master Gardeners and/or staff prior to engaging in volunteer activities and depending on local requirements, trainees may also be required to undergo a criminal background check before they volunteer.
Class Cancellation Policy
MSU Extension reserves the right to cancel any class if the minimum participant levels are not met. Registrants will receive a full refund as follows and may re-register for a future class:
• Credit card payments - a credit will be issued to your credit card for the amount paid.
• Payment by check - MSU will prepare and mail you a check for the amount paid. This process takes about two weeks after the refund has been requested.
Registration and Payments
• Online registrations must be completed by registration deadline or earlier.
• In the rare event that a registration is accepted after the due date, an additional $25 fee will be assessed to cover registration processing and the Master Gardener manual shipping costs.
• Your class slot is not reserved until payment in full is received and processed by MSU.
• Your registration will be cancelled if payment in full is not received within 10 business days of your registration. ◦August 12: The last day to submit a check for payment to ensure processing prior to the August 19 registration deadline.
◦ August 19: The deadline for all registrations and payments by credit card is August 19.
• You have the option of canceling your Master Gardener training registration at any time. Refunds will be issued per the Refund Policy.
• You have the option of canceling your Master Gardener training registration at any time. Refunds will be issued per the Refund Policy.
Refund Policy
• A full refund, less a $25 processing fee, will be issued for any registration cancelled prior to seven business days before the class start date.
• No refund will be issued for any registration cancelled within seven business days of the class start date.
• No refund will be issued for any registration cancelled after the class has started. The MSU Extension Master Gardener Training Manual is for certified Master Gardeners and as such must be returned.
Partial scholarships may be available. There is a scholarship application below that you may fill out to request a scholarship. Scholarship decisions will be made prior to the registration deadline to ensure complete payment can be received prior to the start of the class. Please work with the coordinator on payment submission if you are awarded a scholarship.
Class Format:
Part or all of the training is offered using distance technology with a connection to another training site. Instructors, who have been selected for their expertise on a specific topic, may not be present in the classroom but will be available via distance technology to answer questions.
Online registration for Master Gardener Program is open. The last date for online registration is August 19, 2016. Online registration closes at 11:59 p.m. on the Registration End Date. There are 48 openings available.
Contact Information
For more information contact Abi Saeed at 810-244-8531 or firstname.lastname@example.com; or Debbie Clark at email@example.com
Education Credit Hours: N/A


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Ordered by the U.S. Navy more than 45 years ago and cruising the world's oceans since 1971, the USS Ponce (pronounced pon-say) was given a new lease on life in March of this year.
It was almost literally pulled from the scrapyard, when CENTCOM Commander General James Mattis cancelled the Ponce's decommissioning and ordered updates fitting its new role in the Persian Gulf.
Almost immediately The Washington Post reported the hastily retrofitted Ponce was to be a commando base for U.S. special forces, but that was quickly quelled by the Pentagon.
Now listed as an Afloat Forward Staging Base, Interim — the former amphibious assault ship is the first U.S. floating base ever for military and humanitarian operations.
These are the things I knew before I arrived on deck of the Ponce early Friday morning packed into a MH-53 Sea Dragon helicopter with about a dozen other people from the media, and a handful of Navy public affairs officers.
What I learned while onboard, is that the Ponce is manned by a limited U.S. Navy crew almost entirely pulled from other commands and serving temporary duty to support the Ponce's mission.
That mission seems largely to serve in support of the four permanent U.S. mine countermeasure ships in the Persian Gulf, but not entirely.
The Ponce also stores forward materiel for various branches of the U.S. military, according to civilian crew I spoke with. The ship is staffed largely by civilian seamen and one also told me he believes SEALs are a constant part of the crew.
When Navy officials were asked about the presence of SEALs onboard, they said they could neither confirm or deny the Navy special force's presence.
But it makes sense, as the Ponce hosts many different training missions for many different groups within the Navy.
This week, that training mission is the IMCMEX 2012, reportedly the largest mine clearing effort ever performed in this part of the world.
Keeping the Persian Gulf, and the Strait of Hormuz, safe and free of underwater mines that could hamper commerce is part of the Ponce's objective.
From what I saw, the military crew is in a state of constant training and readiness for mine countermeasures. From enlisted seamen in the well deck who told me they consistently train with anti-mine hardware, to oceanographers, who hold permanent positions that evaluate data picked up by sophisticated mine sweeping equipment.
They do it all on a ship that's more than 40 years old, with what the Ponce's Captain Rogers told us was a modest $60 million worth of upgrades.
To build a new ship to do the same thing, the Captain said, would cost billions. Capt. Rogers was good enough to allow us the run of his ship and personally guided us through spaces never before seen by the public.
The following photos show some of what we saw.
Captured by flying into these wire cables*, the Scan Eagle can be fitted with day and nighttime cameras
*This shot is not from the Ponce. By the end of the day Friday I had sweat into my camera so much it shorted out and I pulled this pic from dvids.


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Creative Vado: Pink, Moms Nite Out, and Memorial Day Weekend
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Look what arrived yesterday! I won a Creative Vado in Pink from MomTV last week! (Have you joined yet?! You SHOULD!)
So this means, soon you'll be seeing me VLOG! Maybe even for the Soiree'!
This is how easy it is to charge the Vado:
Just plug it in and let it charge for 2 or 3 hours.
Awesome! I love it already!
I was hoping to win on for Moms Nite Out (did you go to that?) There were sooo many people on that night and it was sooo fun! Special thanks to MomSelect, BSM Media, MomTalkRadio, NewBaby.com for hosting this event, as well as to all of the Sponsors! Did you know that they're planning a Mom's Nite Out for 2010 already?! It's TRUE!
A Special thank you to Moms Nite Out, Momlogic, Simon Malls, Little Debbie, Ragu, and all of the other Sponsors!
Today I have been in my room helping my daughter clean her room because it is TERRIBLE, and I was recording while I was in there. I threatened to put in on my blog and my daughter was like "Are you really going to put that on your blog?!" LOL! It was so funny!
I'm a little annoyed right now too because my vacuum isn't working right and she had this stuffed animal up there that busted and these little styrofoam balls that fill the thing, are ALL OVER THE PLACE! (I'm sure you know what I'm talking about!)
So I'm going to be finishing that up as well as a bunch of laundry. I'm not sure what we're doing for Memorial Day yet - hopefully a cookout somewhere! I had my boyfriend cook out yesterday. We had some Sirloin Burgers and some Cheddarwurst along with some Suddenly Salad Bacon & Ranch, pickles, SunChips, and deviled eggs. I had some for lunch too!
I hope that you and your families have tons of FUN planned for this "official start of summer" weekend! I wish I had money to go to the beach - I'd be there! Soon enough...
Have fun!


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The movie is undeniably a must-see for parents, school staff, and anyone who interacts with children. As participants have learned through the Girl Scouts of Nassau County's Critical Issues Initiative, people often make the false assumption that bullying only hurts the target. By showing the viewpoints of targets, reformed bullies, school officials, and parents, this film reminds us that everyone is hurt by bullying. The movie also gives examples of negative and positive responses to bullying from both children and adults. It reminds us that we all have the ability to turn cruelty into positive change.
Parents should keep this call to action in mind as well as the fact that the movie does not represent all of the voices impacted by bullying. Although girls' stories are depicted, the type of bullying that is most common among girls is absent. This type of bullying, relational aggression, includes using relationships as a weapon through exclusion, spreading rumors, etc. The film also follows teens who live in the South and Mid-West and does not discuss how school responses and state laws differ across the country.
Parents should also know that although the film was originally rated R because of a few foul words in the background some of these have been edited out, it deals with some issues that may or may not be appropriate for your children, including suicide, sexuality, and violence. The film tells the stories of teens who:
- Have committed suicide and how this has impacted their communities, many of whom have turned their grief into change.
- Experience violence on screen, talk about "not feeling anything anymore," and need immediate interventions.
- Dream of using their experiences to change the world.
- Are bullied due to their sexual and gender identities.
- Become violent towards others as a result of bullying.
For more information about relational aggression and to see how Girl Scouts of Nassau County helps the community deal with it, go to www.gsnc.org/criticalissues.
Below are some helpful questions and definitions you can discuss with your children before and after the movie. These are designed for a basic level of understanding, but can be applied to any age. You may want to alter them depending on your child's age and experiences.
Sample Discussion Questions:
- What do bad friends or bullies do? Do you know anyone who is like this? How did it feel?
- What did you like most about the movie?
- How did the movie make you feel?
- Have you ever felt very sad or angry? What did you do about it?
- When you see someone being mean or bullying, what can you do about it?
- Ignore it/Walk away. If that does not work then:
- Stand up to the bully if you feel safe to do so. Be firm, but fair and say, "That's not OK. Don't do that again." Then walk away immediately.
- Tell an adult. For some children, especially teens, keep in mind that they may not feel comfortable talking to parents about these issues. Let them know this is OK and talk with them about who else they can go to.
- Bullying – Behavior that is repetitive and done with the intent to harm someone.
- Suicide –When people get very sad, they sometimes try to hurt themselves. What's important to know: Although it does happen much more often than we would like, it does not happen to everyone who gets sad. If you get sad, there are plenty of people who love you and are here to help you. (Talk about specific adults they can go to if they are sad).
- Homosexuality – Some men like to go on dates or fall in love with other men. Some women also like to go on dates with or fall in love with other women. These are homosexual relationships.
- Gender Identity – Some people who look like girls believe they should be a boy. They prefer wearing boys' clothes and doing other things that boys like. This can also happen the opposite way – people who are born as boys may believe they should be girls.


text: America leads the world in technology innovation. This innovation is core to America's economic strength and increasingly important to the future of our country. While the patent system has traditionally helped support and inspire innovation, new and emerging abuses of loopholes are hindering development of new innovations and restricting the growth of new industries.


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Just one Nick's: If you thought it was hard to get into Nick's Next Door before, just wait. Starting Thursday, Nick Difu will consolidate his two Los Gatos restaurants into one location. The decision came down to the inability to renegotiate the lease for his first restaurant, Difu explained to customers in a heartfelt full-page ad in the Los Gatos Weekly. "When I originally opened up Nick's on Main back in March of 2008," he wrote, "it was undoubtedly the fulfillment of my lifelong dream of owning and running my own restaurant. … And that is why I cannot express in mere words how emotionally distressing this decision is for me."
Difu pledged to retain the majority of his old staff and honor all Nick's on Main gift certificates and reservations. Lunch service will be added the first week of February. Details: Nick's Next Door, 11 College Ave., Los Gatos. 408-402-5053; www.nicksonmainst.com.
Bay Area launchpad: The Westin Hotels & Resorts are rolling out a new restaurant concept for North America, with the food-centric Bay Area chosen for the first location. Grill & Vine at the Westin San Francisco Airport in Millbrae features a tavern-style menu developed with the help of executive chef Werner Fankhauser. Look for pulled pork on brioche, deviled eggs, sweet potato bisque, plus a number of ultra-healthy options such as steel-cut Irish oats and a Caesar made with kale. And you can't beat those hotel restaurant hours (for us diners, anyway): Grill & Vine will serve continuously from 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. — perfect for those early-morning or late-night drives on Highway 101. Details: www.westin.com.
Expansion mode: After more than three years of success in Santa Clara, Jang Su Jang is now serving bulgogi, galbi, soft tofu and other Korean favorites at a second location, in Milpitas. Lunchbox specials are available here on weekdays, too. Details: Open daily for lunch and dinner (closed from 3-5 p.m.) at 269 W. Calaveras Blvd., Milpitas. 408-262-3434; www.jangsujang.com.
Send South Bay and Peninsula tips to Linda Zavoral at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: About the show Tonight our brilliant PIT students take the stage. Graduates of the PIT's Level 1 improv class learned the basic elements of the IMPROV YOUR LIFE™ philosophy and applied them toward building greater scenes that engage an audience. Students learned the basic structure of comedic scenes and work on using "yes, and…" to discover and heighten the funny. The legends of tomorrow show you they're actually the stars of today! Contact Us For additional information about this event please contact us at 212-563-7488 or send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.com. Share this Event Email to a Friend


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Mali's Gift Economy
"If you trust it"—the Malians' hands all go down for two pounds on the table—"just do it! If you have it, just give it!"
In the red-dust town of Kati, Mali, a meeting is underway between the leaders of the local Institute for Popular Education, who have just called out the chant, and a group of Western visitors who came to the West African nation for the 2007 World Social Forum.
At the Forum, 30,000 people came together in hot pursuit of alternatives to the reigning winner-take-all-and-screw-the-rest economic model. The case of West Africa is unusual. Here an alternative already exists, and has for thousands of years.
The Institute for Popular Education (IEP) and Other Worlds collaborated to document this below-the-radar gift system called dama, in which human beings have more worth than the market. The 'co-visionaries'—as the Malians call it—are rendering explicit and publicizing a system that is well-known to most Africans and many indigenous peoples, but something short of a miracle to those of us in lands colonized by the Holy Profit.
dama is a vibrant economy and culture propagated primarily through a strong, though informal, women's social network. Gift-giving is not based on exchange or equivalence between giver and receiver. The person who receives a gift will probably pass it on to someone else. Another person altogether, on down the line, will give back to the original giver. dama involves return, but from within a broadly defined community to which the gift has moved on.
Gifting, and the message to keep it moving, exist at most times and places throughout Mali. Nature as well as culture are understood in terms of the gift. For example, if a baby's umbilical cord doesn't fall off right away, one woman might say to another, "That father doesn't give enough." Even the primary greeting in Mali as in Senegal, ince, means at once 'hello,' 'thank you', and 'I know my link with you.'
In its purest form, a gift economy is about the collective, allocation based on need, and abundance. Behind gifting is human relationship, generation of goodwill, and attention to the nurturance of the whole society and not just one's immediate self and family. Maintaining economic and social relations outside of the market keeps cooperation and ethics thriving.
The Value of the Gift
A gift is never just a material object or service. One of its purposes is to maintain social connections. Be it a bracelet for the arm or a bed for the night, gifts are strings which create and strengthen friendships, family, regional community, religious grouping, and other social networks. dama reflects a worldview that society, indeed the world, is a web of relationships—not just between individuals, but between an inseparable whole. Gifting is not an economic activity so much as a spinning of that web, continually reinforcing interconnectedness and the collective. IEP educator and cultural worker Coumba Toure says, "Who we are is very much defined by how much we give to others. The objects are just the symbol. The highest gift is recognizing people and accepting to be connected to them."
A second purpose of dama is to sustain and celebrate the values of sharing and humanity—what is known as maaya or 'being human.' "Maaya, the link we have between ourselves, is why dama works," says Djingarey Maïga, president of the organization Women and Human Rights. "It's the link with your neighbors, your parents, your relatives. If you can't keep that link, you are not a human being." She illustrates with the case of her children who, if they are at a neighbor's house at mealtime, will be fed. If it is bath time, the neighbors will bathe her children as well. A common Malian expression explains maaya: "Life is a cord. We make the cord between ourselves, and you have to hold on to it. One should not drop the cord."
Thirdly, dama is an essential strategy for keeping the community well. Malians' understanding of community is that it is only as strong as its parts. Only by all providing for each other will all survive and thrive. Wherever your gift ends up will be an important contribution toward everyone's welfare. For example, one afternoon I pass a small cash gift on to my friend Madou. Yaye, a bystander looking on, immediately thanks me. "What you give Madou you also give me, because I will also benefit from his well-being."
Coumba says, "If you ask any number of people how they live, what they eat, where they get what they wear, you would quickly notice that most of it has been given by someone." dama is a time-honored, well-honed means of keeping away hunger, prolonged illness, and early death. It provides the social safety net which the state—egged on by the World Bank and IMF—has neglected: a working health system, social security for the elders, education, and child care.
In addition to trying to prevent anyone from being too poor, yet another purpose of dama is to prevent most everyone from becoming too rich. While in the U.S. there often exists social reinforcement to accumulate as much as possible, with wealth and the wealthy frequently being revered, in Mali the cultural norm is to give away as much of your accumulation as possible, with generosity and the generous being most respected. The social pressure to give acts as a disincentive to hoard, or what we call save. Coumba offers, "Being rich here means that the person has abandoned his or her values, that he or she is not giving enough to the needs around. People really start worrying about what has happened to that person."
Passing it On
In one study in Bamako, each person gave an average of 1.5 gifts per day. Another study found that gifts account for 18% of total expenditures among Malian villagers, comprising the largest single category. Presents are passed along everywhere: a small household decoration, change to buy a school notebook. When a family's harvest of millet or peanuts is ready, they pass on a portion to the homes around them. If a household is hosting guests, neighbors will typically send over food.
Services are rendered, too, mainly by girls and women: sweeping or washing dishes, running to the corner to buy sugar, tending a market stall, lending a chair or a pot, braiding hair. Women often care for the children of a neighbor who has to leave home to work.
During the rainy season, when the heavens open with a stupendous force, standard practice is that the closest household offers hospitality to an immediately drenched passer-by, inviting the friend or stranger in to dry off with a towel, share a cup of hot tea, and wait out the torrent. Community organizations regularly give small contributions of money or the loan of a conference room to another group. Town residents give lodging to those from their original village until the new migrants can get on their feet. The examples are endless.
Malian homes themselves are testaments to dama. One study found that households consist of an average of 11.5 individuals. They may include orphans, refugees of abuse, or those whose first (biological) family is too poor to feed them or too far from a school to educate them.
Gifts encircle each life cycle. When a woman gives birth, neighbors care for all her material needs for the first forty days, organizing themselves to share in providing meals, milk, and the like. At a baptism and wedding, guests show up with soap, a length of cloth, some palm wine, or a dish of food. On the seventh day after the death of a wealthy person, his or her family distributes food to the children of the area.
Signs of dama abound throughout religious practice, too. Every Friday, Muslim communities distribute milk and bread to village children. Catholic women organize themselves to feed the village priest throughout the year, each one signing up for two weeks at a time. The Rastafari Movement of Mali gives half of the produce of its community gardens to street children.
Lines of giving are complex and often circuitous. "You never know how it will come back. But you have to give because you can't let the cord break with you," explains IEP backbone Maria Diarra. She tells of helping a man in the community some years back. Now the man's sister brings Maria's family gifts of charcoal and food, gives them rides, and visits whenever she comes to Kati.
"Maybe the link gets broken in a larger community," says Coumba. "But when you are in a community where everyone believes that, it really does work."
And in the World's Richest Nation...
Western academics are often tempted, as one of them noted, to delineate "a radical break between premodern and modern cultures, with the gift reserved for the premodern, while we must deal through the market and the state." We are to believe that, as capitalism developed and exchange systems spread, markets supplanted morals and gifting was destroyed.
Certainly the messages many of us got from childhood to accumulate riches and spend them on ourselves, strive to make that theory real. And yet, in the most consumptive nation on earth, gifts are given frequently, spontaneously, and without thought of reciprocity. One gift advocate offers this analysis: "We just don't have the right glasses on to see the gifting happening all around us. We see it as exchange manqué or only a defensive position of those who aren't capable of exchange."
In fact, people in the U.S. give infinite forms of services and goods to family and friends, neighbors, and strangers without calculation of return. We give where there is no emotional tie, no reciprocity, and often (in the case of a donation to a community organization, for example) not even a thanks from the ultimate recipient. We give anonymously; think of those multi-million dollar donations from unnamed individuals reported from time to time in the newspaper. We push strangers' cars, give their batteries a jump in a parking lot, shovel snow from elderly neighbors' walks, leave tips for waitresses we'll never see again. We even donate organs. In 2005, people in the U.S. gave $260.28 billion to non-profits and charities, and 61.2 million volunteered, with each person giving a median of 52 hours per year.
Escaping the Crocodile's Lake
dama is under threat by the neoliberal marketplace that is converting much of the gifting sphere to exchange relationships, monetizing the economy, and placing a dollar value on many forms of worth. West Africans' challenge today is to keep dama thriving despite the expansion of markets, advertising, and cash transactions. A canary in the proverbial coal mine, dama is an indicator of how well cultural traditions can hold up under conditions of globalization.
What is certain is that dama will survive in at least a subterranean way, as do other gifting and solidarity economies throughout the world. Also certain is that dama and other non-market economies will remain strong and viable only if organized movements vigorously defend them.
Kadidiatou Baby, director of the Malian Association for the Support of Schooling of Girls, suggests that, "We can't go fully back to the traditional economy. But we can organize people so they can better support each other in a parallel economy that nurtures society. You can exploit individuals easily, but it's harder before a well-organized system."
As free-market capitalism is being globalized, so are economies that function on a different logic, that of solidarity. Grassroots movements have organized community kitchens in Latin America, fair trade production in South Asia, clothing and book exchanges in North America, and open source software networks in Europe—to name only a few of the spiraling examples. They emphasize women's initiatives, ecological agriculture, ethical financing, and appropriate technology. The World Social Forum hosts a permanent solidarity economy network, and the U.S. Solidarity Economic Network held its first meeting in March, 2009. Brazil even has a secretary of state for solidarity economy.
"You know that difficulty usually gives way to creativity," Kadidiatou says. "Sometimes people come out of the crocodiles' lake alive. Go figure how they got out, but they do. Even if they leave with one less limb, they do. When you believe in the survival of humanity, you invent the response."
For more information on dama, including a short video, check Other Worlds' web site: . For more on gift economies, see .


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text:
Which of Andy Samberg's former Saturday Night Live co-stars headlines his favorite show? Fred Armisen!
"Portlandia is one of my favorite shows," Samberg tells TVGuide.com in his celebrity Watchlist video.
Check out more celebrity Watchlist videos
The SNL alum, who's returning to TV on Fox's Brooklyn Nine-Nine, is certainly no stranger to comedy and reveals that all of his favorites shows fall under that genre. What else does he love? And which cartoon is among his top 5? Watch:
Brooklyn Nine-Nine premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 8:30/7:30c on Fox.


text:
The torch has been handed off. After leading the nation in the race for wind power for more than 20 years, California has relinquished the lead to Texas.
The Lone Star State officially became the national leader in wind power with 2,370 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity. The breakthrough was announced in the American Wind Energy Association's (AWEA) Second Quarter Market Report, which was released this summer.
According to the report, the Texas total surpasses California by a mere 47 MW. The Golden State has been the national and international torchbearer for wind power since 1981, when the world's first commercial wind farms were built there. At one point, more than 80 percent of the world's wind power capacity was located in California.
Since then, nations including Germany, Denmark and Japan have embraced wind power, expanding the industry on the world stage. Meanwhile, other states have also narrowed the gap with California. Texas became the national leader after expansions to its Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center took the facility from 210 MW to more than 500 MW of generating capacity.
California and Texas join a list of nearly two dozen states with wind power projects in 2006, which the AWEA expects to be another banner year for the U.S. industry, with an unprecedented 3,000 MW projected to be installed by year's end. The AWEA bolstered this positive outlook in mid-August, when it announced that U.S. wind energy installations had achieved another milestone by surpassing 10,000 MW in generating capacity.The robust growth of wind power comes despite some new challenges facing the industry. Increasing demand for wind farms, rising costs in building materials and a weakening U.S. dollar are combining to raise the costs for new wind farm construction, and could pose a challenge for the industry as it strives to become a cost competitive player in the nation's mainstream electricity market.


text:
I need this book. Translating Hollywood is a new book coming out by Sam Sarowitz. The book focuses on interesting and downright bizarre foreign movie posters for American films. I found this superb Japanese poster for Army of Darkness from the book, over at Posterwire. Only some crazy Japanese person would add those soup cans in there, a pun so bad that it borders on genius. (Click the image for the full size!)
The Aqua Teen Hunger Force version of the same poster as well as a comparison of the U.S. and Polish versions of a poster for Tootsie after the jump…
(Click for the full image!)
Polish Tootsie poster VS U.S. Tootsie poster (the Polish one looks more like my friday night!)


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No Fishing
"Making the deserts bloom" is the triumphalist mission of planners convinced that nature wastes her resources. In correcting this error they have turned many arid lands into breadbaskets. Forty percent of global agricultural output now relies on irrigation.
But of course there's no free lunch, and nowhere is the cost of rampant irrigation clearer than in central Asia's Aral Sea. Dams and channels divert 120 cubic kilometers per year of water from the Sea's two feeder rivers into cotton fields and rice paddies. Result: The Aral Sea has shrunk to one-quarter of its 1960 volume. Ecosystems have been obliterated and hundreds of species wiped out. Related effects include desertification, soil salinization, vast dust storms, and altered climate. And in a robbing-Peter-to-pay-Paul irony, commercial fishing collapsed years ago, stranding a fleet of ghost ships in the spreading desert.


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(visited by Captain Peter and Viktor B. Styeblin)
10-Aug-2002 -- To be honest, this was my craziest point so far - and it is not even MY
point, the honor is entirely due to Viktor, without whose encouragements and putting me under
extreme pressure this point had remained an attempt with an accuracy of
than 3,000 meters!
And this is not all: Viktor is the first Russian national having
visited a
confluence in his own country!
Viktor does not speak English, he has no Internet, he has never been
but he has learned in the Russian Army to never abandon a plan and what
means to pursue and to head straight for a goal.
Being again in Saint Petersburg, in order to discharge meat, potatoes
pears from France and The Netherlands, again I asked my numerous friends
here to provide me a car or even a driver for visiting 59°N/30°E. This
young Viktor has been recommended to me, and today at 10:00 a.m. we met
front the main port gate. With great pleasure I noticed that he had a
precise map with him, in the rare scale of 1:10,000.
With his Lada we left Saint Petersburg in direction South on the M-20
road, passed Gatchina, where Tsar Paul I. (son of Catharina II - The
did preferably reside, and continued until the small settlement of
During this ride I studied Viktor's map, and what I
saw did
not look good to me.
The Confluence seemed to be located exactly within something awful,
BOLOTA VYAZHKIY MOKH, and that means in plain English nothing else than:
Checking out the possibilities from where to approach I could not decide
myself for any better or worse solution. A moor is always a moor, and
the confluence is located in the centre of a moor, it is basically never
mind from where you approach it and whether you will be swallowed by
the mud
and disappear without traces either in the North or in the South or in
other direction from the Confluence.
The question is only, where you disappear: within the 100-metres range
out of it?
A successful suicide during an attempted confluence visit?
Indeed a tempting prospect, I thought - and certainly something new.
Finally I decided to round the area first, to have a look. We bent left
passed the small villages of Pekhenets and Malinka Yashchera (this
Small Lizard), and then we reached a location called Sadovodstvo
Mshinskaya ,
being in fact a huge dacha (weekend-house) area.
Sadovodstvo Mshinskaya literally translated means "Mshinskaya Garden
The name is easily explained to someone knowing still the old Communist
system. In Communism nobody wanted to admit to possess a Dacha. A
weekend-house is something capitalist and smells bourgeoise.
In order to camouflage the ownership of a Dacha, at least pro forma, the
Dacha was called "Garden" and a Dacha area therefore a "Sadovodstvo", or
formally, "Tovarishchiy Sadovodo" - Cooperative of Garden Culture.
Nowadays everybody can freely admit to own a Dacha and he does call it
as well. But the old names still do remain.
So we entered Sadovodstvo Mshinskaya. As it was Saturday, the weekly
bazaar was held.
In Russia you can buy and sell everything, and the Saturday bazaar is
an event.
Then we proceeded to the Southern end of Sadovodstvo Mshinskaya. There
is the
local sports facilities, and due to the weekend bazaar there
is "no
sports" today. So we parked our car there, about 4 km North-North-East
the Confluence.
Behind the sport's field we see a birch forest. I realized it to having
a wrong decision not to try to approach the Confluence directly from the
M-20, where there was "only" moor to cross.
In addition to the moor we had now to face the crossing af a forest
I offered Viktor to drive back to the M-20, and he asked me why. I
him the forest.
"So we will cross it", he answered, "where is the problem?"
"But it is 4000 metres to go", I objected.
"So what?" he asked.
Well, - I thought - , let us try, he will realize soon that this forest
cannot be crossed in a few minutes and then he will give up by himself.
And Viktor entered the forest and went through the thicket without any
difficulties. Due to frequent storms in this area many trunks were
collapsed, but he balanced over them with incredible skill. I could not
manage to follow him.
"Viktor", I implored a several times, "it is useless, we will never
this, believe me, I have a lot of Confluence experience, this is
let's turn around and drive home, before it is too late!"
"No way", he said, "we did drive the long way from Saint Petersburg to
and now I want to visit this point. Come on!"
"I can't", I replied, "see, you are young, but I am old and sick, I am
already thirsty, I have no power, look how I am already breathing and
sweating heavily, let's go back!"
"No way, take the cigarette out of your mouth, then you get more oxygen
breathing, and now pull yourself together and don't cry around here
having any reason!"
We managed through the forest, nobody must ask me, how.
A 900 metres off the Confluence the moor began.
"That's it", I said, "we cannot cross that, let's go back!"
"The moor is not dangerous", Viktor replied, and he explained me which
to be avoided.
"Wherever are growing these yellow flowers, it is dangerous, there the
of moss is extremely thin and there is a lot of water below. Once you
in the mud will swallow you. See the small hills here, where there are
flowers on. These we have to reach and then jump from hill to hill
until we
are there!"
I could not believe it. This man wanted me really to jump for a
distance of
900 metres from hill to hill as I was a he-goat. And he started already,
flying over the moor with unbelievable easiness.
I followed him and nobody must ask me again, how I did manage it, too.
And finally we reached the Confluence.
The first thing I did was to lay down. I wanted nothing else than to sleep. Picture
under my body there is a layer of moss of only a few centimetres (1
You fell yourself as walking an a rolling ship, the bottom is moving
heavily, and below your feet you hear the gurgling water.
The view to the West gives the best impression of
area we had to cross.
The view to the North shows a part of the forest we
The views to the South and East look very similar.
The moor offers more vegetation as one might
imagine. There is growing a red berry for example, in Russian
called "Jagoda
Klyukva" (moss berry). They are quite bitter but have a refreshing
In Russia the moss berries are used especially by old women, putting
into sugar and enjoy them together with their Vodka.
The way back to the car was the same torture as before, and again nobody
must ask me how I managed to survive it.
Finally we drove back to Saint Petersburg. Along Russian roads there
are a
lot of people selling flowers, fruits, potatoes and other vegetables.
Now it
is blueberry season and we pulled up in front of an old woman, selling
in order to raise a little bit her poor pension.
I purchased one kg, (2 lbs) which we will have tomorrow on
the ship with our ice cream.
Please disregard the sign I am making here with my right hand. It has
nothing to do with our visit. After completion of the commercial
operation I
had a talk with the old lady about a topic usually younger people then
we were, are interested in.
Last but not least: Thanks again to you, Viktor. It is YOUR point!


text:
|Vrſvs Lotor Linn.
Was Linnaeus nuts? Of course not. He saw that the task of creating a unique name for every species would be extremely difficult, so he decided it would be okay to reuse the same names if they were prefaced by the name of a more general category—a genus. Thus, for example, he was able to call the house mouse Mus musculus and the blue whale Balaena musculus (now either Balaenoptera or Sibbaldus). Although they have the same specific epithet, those epithets are unique within their general category. As long as homonymy is avoided, there's no nomenclatural need to restrict genera, so why not make them broad?
In this way, genera function as what we in the computer science world call namespaces. Different things are allowed to have the same local name as long as they are within different namespaces. The qualified name, which combines a namespace identifier with the local name, is globally unique, even if the local name is not.
Consider our own genus, Homo. It has exactly one extant species, Homo sapiens, and that species has an epithet that is already, as far as I know, globally unique. How is that useful? Even Linnaeus thought this was rather silly—he would have included humans in his anthropoid genus, Simia, except he feared backlash. (Even including us in the same order as other primates was controversial at the time.)
How far could we extend our genus and retain its usefulness as a namespace? How far out can we go without having duplicate local names? Within Homo we already have local names like sapiens, erectus, habilis, etc. We actually do have at least one duplicate name, Homo capensis, but it's universally considered a junior synonym. (Although this case is a bit complicated.) If we only consider valid, non-synonymous names, how far can we push our genus?
If we include all stem-humans there's no problem. We add things like Homo afarensis and Homo robustus.
|Left to right: Homo sapiens, gorilla, troglodytes, lar, & pygmaeus.
Still no problem if we push it out to the great ape crown clade, adding things like Homo pygmaeus (Bornean orangutans) and Homo indicus (otherwise Sivapithecus).
Pushing it out to the ape crown clade still works, as we add things like Homo lar (lar gibbons) and Homo syndactylus (siamangs). (Interestingly enough, Homo lar is Linnaeus' original name for the species. Only later was it given a new genus, Hylobates, by Illiger, where it resides to this day. I'm not quite sure why Linnaeus classified it this way, but my guess is he wasn't that familiar with the animal in question, as was often the case.)
But if we go beyond that, we hit a duplicate: Homo africanus (Hopwood 1933, originally Proconsul) and Homo africanus (Dart 1925, originally Australopithecus). (We actually already hit Meganthropus africanus Weinert, 1950 a while ago, but that's universally considered a synonym.)
So there we go, Homo could be used as the generic name for all crown-group apes without any problem. (I'm willing to bet I missed something, though, and I'm looking forward to some commenter correcting me.) We have restricted our genera far more than they need to be restricted in order for species names to be unique.
Are we nuts? Of course not. A genus is much more than just a namespace. We also use genera on their own, as groups in their own right. Expanding Homo to embrace all extant apes would ruin its utility as a name for a certain subclade of the human total group, and make it redundant with a name that we already have (Hominoidea). (In computer science namespaces are also often narrower than they technically could be.)
Then again, maybe it is a bit nuts to have one thing performing two jobs. Why not allow other, larger taxa to be used as namespaces? Well, under the PhyloCode, that will actually be a possibility. We can refer to Hominoidea syndactylus and Hominoidea sapiens if we want. In fact, I think you could use Synapsida syndactylus (avoiding homonymy with Bleda syndactylus, the red-tailed bristlebill) and Biota sapiens (this epithet being globally unique already, as previously mentioned). These particular examples will probably never be popular and I wouldn't use them myself, but I think it's neat that the possibility exists.


text: Though once thought of exclusively for sad tweens with mean parents, fat camps have become increasingly de rigueur among children and adults alike. Now, with pet obesity rates on the rise, the fitness camp trend has spread to our canine companions, with doggie fat camps opening up all over the country. At these camps, dogs go through weigh-ins, regimented fitness routines and controlled diets much like a human would, although it's still debatable whether or not they get the coming-of-age experience that most camps have to offer. I mean, will Chase get his revenge on the popular dogs in bunk 7? Will Sugar and Possum share their first kiss? Will anyone EVER find out what the secret ingredient is in the dog food? SO MANY QUESTIONS.


text:
Posted October 7, 2015 by admin
Are you sitting down? I'm about to share with you an industry statistic that, as a … (read more)
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text:
Did you read today's front page stories & breaking news?
Industry News Desk
[video] Proactive Cloud Security with @StephenCoty | @CloudExpo #Cloud
Stephen Coty, Chief Security Evangelist at Alert Logic, talks to SYS-CON.tv at Cloud Expo New York
By: Liz McMillan
Jul. 30, 2015 11:15 AM
"Alert Logic is a managed security service provider that basically deploys technologies, but we support those technologies with the people and process behind it," stated Stephen Coty, Chief Security Evangelist at Alert Logic, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 16th Cloud Expo, held June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City.
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Cloud Expo offers the world's most comprehensive selection of technical and strategic Industry Keynotes, General Sessions, Breakout Sessions, and signature Power Panels. The exhibition floor features 100+ exhibitors offering specific solutions and comprehensive strategies.
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Opening Keynote at 16th Cloud Expo | Sandy Carter, IBM General Manager Cloud Ecosystem
Cisco Keynote: The Internet of Everything: Seizing the Opportunities
Microservices & IoT Power Panel
SYS-CON.tv Interviews By Conference Chair Roger Strukhoff
Containers & Microservices Expo To Be Colocated with Cloud Expo Silicon Valley, November 3-5, 2015 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA
Containers and microservices have become topics of intense interest throughout the cloud developer and enterprise IT communities.
Microservices focuses on the business and technology of the software architecture design pattern, in which complex applications are composed of small, independent processes communicating with each other using language-agnostic APIs.
Containers are not being considered for the first time by the cloud community, but a current era of re-consideration has pushed them to the top of the cloud agenda.
Rather than just stuff an OS into a container, for example, developers and deployers should consider a spectrum of microservices and what they can do.
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text:
Registered Nurse - Surgical PCU - Orlando - Nights
Registered Nurse - Surgical PCU - Orlando - Nights
AdventHealth Orlando seeks to hire a Registered Nurse who will embrace our mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ.
Facility Profile:
Located on a lush tropical campus, our flagship hospital, 1,107-bed AdventHealth Orlando, serves as the major tertiary facility for much of the Southeast, the Caribbean and South America. AdventHealth Orlando houses one of the largest Emergency Departments and largest cardiac catheterization labs in the country. We are already one of the busiest hospitals in the nation, providing service excellence to more than 32,000 inpatients and 125,000 outpatients each year.
Department Profile:
The SPCU is located on the 14th floor of Ginsburg Tower, with 40 private patient suites that offer beautiful views that enhance the healing process. Patients can expect unrivaled quality care that integrates evidence-based practice protocols as part of a world-class experience. Surgeons and medical staff work closely with our unit clinicians to ensure that patients receive compassionate clinical expertise, coupled with a dedication to service excellence.
Work Hours/Shifts:
7:00 pm - 7:00 am; 3/12's
Job Summary:
The Registered Professional Nurse (RN) is responsible for providing and supervising direct and indirect total nursing care responsibilities to identified age specific groups. Utilizing the nursing process (assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating) in achieving the goals of the nursing department. For job class codes GRN and R120, graduate nurses and experienced nurses entering a training program will be under the direct supervision of a preceptor for all principal duties and responsibilities during the training program with eventual transition to independent practice after successful training program completion. Adheres to the AdventHealth Corporate Compliance Plan and to all rules and regulations of all applicable local, state and federal agencies and accrediting bodies. Actively participates in outstanding customer service and accepts responsibility in maintaining relationships that are equally respectful to all.
Knowledge, Skills, Education, & Experience Required:
Licensure, Certification, or Registration Required:
Job Responsibilities:
Demonstrates through behavior AdventHealth's Core Values of Keep Me Safe, Love Me, Make it Easy, and Own it as outlined in the organization's Performance Excellence Program.
If you want to be a part of a team that is dedicated to delivering the highest quality in patient care, we invite you to explore the Registered Nurse - Surgical PCU opportunity with AdventHealth Orlando and apply online today.
*Bonus Details:
|RN Full Time Day 10K Bonus PCU West
|Goodyear, Arizona
|Abrazo West Campus
|Hialeah, Florida
|Hialeah Hospital
|3 Days Ago
|RN PRN Days PCU West
|Goodyear, Arizona
|Abrazo West Campus
|3 Weeks Ago


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LOS ANGELES — NASA says its aging Mars rover Spirit missed a communications session and may have gone into a power-saving hibernation to survive the Red Planet's winter.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena says Spirit failed to communicate with the orbiting Mars Odyssey spacecraft on Tuesday.
The rover survived previous Martian winters by positioning itself with its solar panels tilted toward the sun but could not do so this time because it remains trapped in sand. Two of its six wheels also no longer work.
Mission managers expected that Spirit's power levels would reach the point where it would have to hibernate, and they drew up a plan to keep the rover running at a low level. In hibernation mode, the rover's clock continues to run, but communications and other activities are suspended in order to put all available energy into heating and battery recharging.
When the battery charge is adequate, the rover should try to wake up and communicate on a pre-set schedule.
"We may not hear from Spirit again for weeks or months, but we will be listening at every opportunity, and our expectation is that Spirit will resume communications when the batteries are sufficiently charged," John Callas, project manager for Spirit and its twin rover, Opportunity, said in a mission update issued Wednesday.
Callas said NASA is checking other possibilities for the lack of communication but considers them unlikely. Hibernation mode was probably triggered sometime after the last successful downlink on March 22, he said.
NASA's projections indicate that Spirit's core electronics will become colder than they've ever been on Mars, but will remain warmer than the lower limit that Spirit was designed to endure.
Spirit's age adds to the uncertainty over its fate. Spirit and Opportunity were designed for a three-month mission on Mars, but both rovers have lasted for more than six years. "The temperature limit was for a new rover," Callas explained. "We now have an older rover with thousands of thermal cycles on Mars, so the colder temperatures will be a further stress."
This report includes information from The Associated Press and msnbc.com.
© 2013 msnbc.com


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- scant ½ cup brown sugar
- scant 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup instant oats
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- A pinch of salt
- 6 Tbsp butter, melted
- ¾ cup jam
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Strawberry Oatmeal Squares
Cooked by TBC on Sunday, March 18, 2012
Labels: Breakfast, Oats, Strawberries
5 Burps:
- Hari Chandana said...
Very new to me.. looks delicious !!
Indian Cuisine
- March 18, 2012 at 1:13 AM
- Ain said...
wow..sounds scrumptiously tasty..
first time here maheswari..love your space..
awesome presentation with nice recipes..Superb methods.
Am your happy follower now..:)
do stop by mine sometime..
- March 18, 2012 at 3:13 AM
- Anonymous said...
I love that this looks so easy to make. I'll definitely try it!
- March 18, 2012 at 12:50 PM
- Laavanya said...
That looks really good TBC - bookmarked! I think it will go over well with the kids too.
- March 18, 2012 at 8:51 PM
- TBC said...
Hari Chandana & Ain- Thanks!
Paz- Hope you try it and like it as much as we did!
Laavanya- How are you guys doing? :)
I think the kids will like these squares a lot.
I made this 2 days back and it was so good that we polished off the entire batch. H usually does not care much for the stuff I bake, but he has asked me to make these again.
- March 19, 2012 at 10:08 PM


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Plan for maize now
By EW sustainable agriculture coordinator Gabriele Kaufler
Farmers can potentially save themselves big money if they plan well ahead for the maize growing season starting at the end of September.
Community » What's Happening » News » Media releases - archived
You can access our archive of media releases since 2000 by using the filter by date range search on the left hand side. Once you have made your date selections, click the filter button.
This archive does not include the recent media releases.
By EW sustainable agriculture coordinator Gabriele Kaufler
Farmers can potentially save themselves big money if they plan well ahead for the maize growing season starting at the end of September.
Environment Waikato and Thames-Coromandel District Council are making good progress over protecting people's lives in a flood-prone part of Coromandel township.
Use of so-called "sacrifice paddocks" is best avoided and they need particularly careful management if they are used, says Environment Waikato's sustainable agriculture coordinator Bala Tikkisetty.
The new River co-management agreement involving Waikato-Tainui and other iwi ispositive for the health of the river and the wider regional environment, says Environment Waikato chairman Peter Buckley.
Waikato farmers would best protect the environment by keeping effluent irrigators switched off until local soils have had a chance to dry out, says sustainable agriculture coordinator Gabriele Kaufler.
Environment Waikato is prosecuting three parties over alleged illegal works in the Arapae Wetland area south of Te Kuiti.
There is good news for the rain-soaked Waikato region this week, with finer weather forecast over the next few days – but the worries are not over yet, Environment Waikato says.
Waikato Rivers have responded to overnight rain in the region, but falls were not as heavy as expected.
Flood models based on the current weather forecast suggest water levels in the lower Waikato and Waipa rivers will not rise as high as last week.
Hamilton river front houses are still safe from flooding, despite the swollen Waikato River coming under more pressure from overnight rain in the Taupo area.
Environment Waikato is working closely with Mighty River Power (MRP) to carefully control the release of water from Lake Taupo through the Waikato hydro system in advance of more heavy rain.
Fresh heavy rain forecast for Taupo on Friday means Environment Waikato and Mighty River Power will be working together over the next few days to manage the potential for additional water flows in the Waikato River.
Amendments to the systems for collecting rates for the Piako and Waihou flood protection schemes have today been recommended by Environment Waikato's river and catchment services committee for formal consultation.
Collaboration between Environment Waikato, Taupo District Council, Mighty River Power, Tuwharetoa and other groups is the key to addressing Lake Taupo foreshore erosion problems, says EW's regulatory committee chairman Ian Balme.
Farmers are being reminded they have just four more years to apply for financial help from Environment Waikato to fence stock off from waterways under the Clean Streams programme.
Environment Waikato is urging Waikato farmers with flood-damaged pasture to seek expert advice to help paddocks recover and get grass growing again.
Environment Waikato's deputy chairman John Fisher, Waipa mayor Alan Livingston and other councillors from Waipa District Council and Environment Waikato helped Te Miro School celebrate its prestigious green-gold Enviroschools award in Cambridge today.
A new focus on road safety announced by the Government will help reduce the number of crash deaths in the Waikato, which had the highest regional road toll in the country last year, says Regional Transport Committee chairman Norm Barker.
As expected, water levels in the swollen Waikato and Waipa rivers are easing today as finer weather gives the catchments a chance to drain.
Environment Waikato is seeking the community's help in the battle against pest animals and plants.


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What's the difference between a charger, charge station and EVSE? The Ford C-Max Energi uses a J1772 compatible charge station, also called an EVSE, which means "electric vehicle service equipment." The electrical components involved in charging the Energi are located in the car and the charge station. Although the electronics that convert the AC of the house to the DC used by the Energi is located in the vehicle, it is common to refer to the EVSE or charge station as the charger.
What's the difference between Level 1 and Level 2 chargers? The Level 2 chargers are faster. There are two types of chargers for the C-Max Energi, AC Level 1 and 2 both with the same J1772 connector. A Level 1 charger is supplied with the C-Max Energi. A Level 2 charger can be purchased and installed in your home. Level 2 chargers are often available in public locations for free. A Level 2 charger will charge about three times faster for a C-Max Energi. According to various posts, the Level 2 chargers are somewhat more efficient, about 80% compared to 72% for the Ford Level 1 charger. [The SAE International charging configurations and ratings terminology sheet is here.]
I've tried faster J1772 Level 1 and Level 2 chargers, but the C-Max Energi doesn't charge any faster. Why? Because charging equipment is inside and outside of the C-Max Energi. I haven't been able to find specifications for the on-board charging regulator for the C-Max, but based on charging times of 7 hours at 120V and 2.5 hours at 240V, it appears as though the Energi is limited to 1.4 kW for Level 1 and 3.3 kW for Level 2 chargers. It won't speed charging times for a Level 1 or Level 2 charger with faster kW specifications. Level 1 AC chargers use the standard AC 120V receptacle and can operate at 1.4 kW drawing up to 12 amps of current and 1.9 kW drawing up to 16 amps. Level 2 AC chargers use standard AC 240 V split phase and can operate at 3.3 kW, 7.2 kW and 19.2 kW drawing up to 80 amps for the 19.2 kW 2009 specification.
How much electricity is required to charge a C-Max Energi? About 8 kWh for a full charge with the Ford 120V Level 1 charge station supplied with the C-Max Energi. This is based on measured full charges with our Energi using a Kill-A-Watt meter.
How efficient is the Ford 120V Level 1 charge station? 72%. Tom in San Diego posted in the Fordcmaxenergiforum results of testing the efficiency of the Ford 120 Volt charge station that comes with the Energi. It is only 72% efficient (see the graph below).
How much does this electricity cost? Electricity costs vary widely. There could be a discounted price for charging at night. At my home (which is typical), the cost is 12 cents per kWh. The cost to fully charge the battery would be about one dollar.
Are there public charging locations? What do they cost? There are more than 10,000 public charging locations in the U.S. About 85 percent of the public chargers are free. There are different ways to find charger locations. (As of August 2013, free chargers are less common. In Utah, Walgreens has started charging $2.50 per hour, which would make the electricity more expensive than refueling with gasoline and less convenient.)
How much does it cost to drive with electricity rather than gasoline? It depends on your cost for electricity at home and how often you use free public chargers. Using 12 cents per kWh you can drive about 24 miles in the city for one dollar. Assuming you drive 20 city miles each day on electricity and you pay 12 cents per kWh, your annual cost for electricity will be about $410. According to the EPA, the C-Max Energi has ratings of 108 MPGe city, 92 MPGe highway, and 100 MPGe combined. The EPA uses 33.7 kWh per gallon-equivalent to calculate the MPGe. The corresponding miles per kWh would be 3.20 city, 2.73 highway, and 2.97 miles/kWh combined. The cost of a kWh is typically 12 cents. Assuming 72 percent efficiency when charging, for one dollar a C-Max Energi could be driven 19.2 miles city, 16.4 miles highway, and 17.8 miles combined. [The calculation is ((108/33.7)/.12)*.72 for the city.] As with gasoline, how you drive will affect your cost. The EPA states the 2012 Nissan Leaf gets miles per kWh of 3.15 city, 2.73 highway, and 2.94 combined. My personal experience with a Nissan Leaf is better. My average is 4.1 miles per kWh after driving more than 8,000 miles in a Nissan Leaf.
What is the range of the C-Max Energi when driving with electric energy only? When C-Max Energi is put in EV Now mode, it uses only electric energy (EV). According to the EPA, the electric energy range for the Energi is 21 miles. According to a Forum post by Tom in San Diego, 21 miles is consistent with his experience (see the graph below). The distance you drive with electric energy will be dependent on how and where you drive.
Do I need to use the charger that comes with the C-Max Energi to charge it? No. Any 120V AC Level 1 or 240V AC Level 2 charger with the J1772 connector will charge the C-Max Energi. The Tesla and Nissan fast chargers are not compatible with the J1772 standard or the C-Max Energi.
How long does it take to charge the C-Max Energi? According to Ford, it takes 7 hours with the 120V AC Level 1 trickle charger that is supplied with the C-Max and 2.5 hours with a 240V AC Level 2 charger. Based on full charges with our Energi, it takes 6 hours with the 120V AC Level 1 charger. Based on full charges with our Energi, it takes just over 2 hours with a 240V AC Level 2 charger. These times assume the battery is fully discharged. It probably isn't.
Are there any special requirements for a charger? The 120V AC outlet that you plug your Level 1 trickle charger into should be on a dedicated 15-20 amp circuit.
What does it cost to upgrade to a Level 2 charger in my garage? The cost depends on the charger you select and the cost of installation. Installation costs vary from a couple hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on your home. Although any J1772 charge station will charge the current C-Max Energi at its fastest possible rate, it may make sense to install a 30 amp charger to support future vehicles. The increased cost is not that significant. It is also important to make sure that the cord is sufficiently long to satisfy current and future vehicles. There are a few good choices. ClipperCreek now has the HCS-40. This 30 amp EVSE with a 25 ft cord sells for $590. Bosch has the 30 amp PowerMax EVSE with an 18 ft cord priced at $593. Another good alternative is the Schneider Electric EV Link 30 amp at Home Depot for $599 with an 18 ft cord. If you decide to install a 240V Level 2 charger, it makes sense to have an electrician install a 240V outlet in the garage on a dedicated line. That makes it possible to move the charger to another location. The tax credit for installing a charge station expired on December 31, 2013.
Where is the 120 volt charger stored in the C-Max Energi?
There is a compartment in the floor behind the driver's seat for storing the charger.
When I'm done charging, can I just pull the charger from the 120V outlet? No. Do not pull the charger's wall plug from the outlet while the vehicle is charging. This can damage the cord or outlet. Disconnect the J1772 connector from the C-Max Energi first.
Are there concerns about the high voltage of the C-Max if I'm involved in an accident? Yes. A short blog was published on this, "Emergency Response for The Ford C-Max." The C-Max High Voltage disconnect is located behind the rear passenger side seat.
Are there two batteries for the Ford C-Max Energi, for "hybrid" and "plug-in" operation? No. However, from the user perspective there appears to be two. The software for the drivetrain divides the battery into a 1.1 kWh "hybrid" battery and a 6.5 kWh "plug-in" battery according to an article in Automotive Engineering Online. As far as I can tell, Ford never charges the battery to 100% or discharges it to 0% to prolong battery life. A full charge of the Energi adds about 5.5 kWh of charge to the battery and requires about 8 kWh from the wall (electric meter). When the potential energy is high (at the top of a hill, canyon or mountain) and a long descent is encountered, after the "hybrid" battery is fully charged the "plug-in" battery will start charging. As a test, I drove up American Fork Canyon until the "hybrid" and "plug-in" batteries were completely discharged and the ICE (internal combustion engine) started. I then turned around and descended to the starting point. The hybrid battery was fully charged and the "plug-in" battery had a 30% charge after returning to the start.
This blog was first published December 28, 2012. It was updated January 5th, 16th, 19th, March 2nd, August 27th, September 11th, 2013 and January 20th, 2014.
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Virtual Earth Now Supports Pin Clustering
Very cool… Virtual Earth now supports pin clustering. You can see a sample that shows pin clustering. You can control clustering with a VEClusteringOptions class, which contains properties for the Icon and callback method. This is a lot easier that the kludge code that I wrote for a customer awhile back, and works a lot… Read more
- Tags: AJAX, Virtual Earth


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One year and 11 days ago, our nation was swept by iPhone Mania. TV news coverage was relentless. Hard-core fans camped out to be the first in line. Bloggers referred to Apple's new product as the "Jesus phone."
It was a stunning black slab of glass: a cellphone, a brilliant music and video player and the best pocket Internet terminal the world had ever seen. The huge, bright, touch-sensitive screen made it addictive fun to rotate, page through or magnify your photos, videos and Web pages.
Today, the iPhone is in the hands of six million people. Clumsy touch-screen lookalikes from rival phone makers line the shelves.
And Friday is the iPhone's second coming.
This time, though, when the iPhone 3G goes on sale in AT&T and Apple stores, iPhone Mania will be considerably more muted. That's partly because the mystery is gone, partly because the AT&T service costs more and partly because there aren't many new features in what Apple is calling the iPhone 3G.
The new name hints at the biggest change: this iPhone can bring you the Internet much faster. It can exploit AT&T's third-generation (3G) cellular network, which brings you Web pages in less than half the time as the old iPhone.
As a handy bonus, 3G means that you can talk on the iPhone and surf the Internet simultaneously, which you couldn't do before.
There is, however, a catch: you don't get that speed or those features unless you're in one of AT&T's 3G network areas — and there aren't many of them. The 3G coverage map at wireless.att.com/coverageviewer(zoom in and turn on "View 3G/Mobile Broadband Coverage" below the map) reveals that in 16 states, only three cities or fewer are covered; 10 states have no coverage at all. (Tip: Whenever you're outside of a 3G area, turning off the iPhone's 3G feature doubles the battery's talk time, to 10 hours from 5.)
AT&T hastens to note that its 3G coverage will expand, and also that it will get even faster over time. (3G is a much bigger deal in the 70 other countries where the iPhone will soon be available because 3G is much more common.)
The other drastic change is the iPhone's price: $200 for the 8-gigabyte model, $300 for the 16-gig. Those are terrific prices for a machine with so much sophistication, utility and power; a year ago, an 8-gig iPhone would have cost you $600.
But the iPhone 3G is not really, as Apple's Web site puts it, "half the price." The basic AT&T plan — unlimited Internet and 450 minutes of calling — now costs $70 a month instead of $60 (plus taxes and fees), and comes with no text messages instead of 200. (Adding text messaging costs at least $5 a month more.)
True, iPhone 3G service now matches the plans for AT&T's other 3G phones; still, by the end of your two-year contract, the iPhone 3G will have cost you more than the old iPhone, not less.
The third improvement is audio quality, which has taken a gigantic step forward. You sound crystal clear to your callers, and they sound crystal clear to you. In fact, few cellphones sound this good.
The other improvements are smaller, but welcome. For example, the new iPhone feels even better in your hand, thanks to a gracefully curved, shiny plastic back. It also has a standard headphone jack — hallelujah! — so no clunky adapter is required for your favorite non-Apple headphones. The power adapter has been shrunk down to a one-inch cube, so it doesn't hog an extra spot on your power strip.
The new iPhone has true G.P.S. now, too, in addition to the fake G.P.S. of its predecessor — an ingenious system that shows your location on a map by analyzing nearby cellphone towers and Wi-Fi hot spots.
Unfortunately, there's not much you can do with the G.P.S. According to Apple, the iPhone's G.P.S. antenna is much too small to emulate the turn-by-turn navigation of a G.P.S. unit for a vehicle, for example.
Instead, all it can do at this point is track your position as you drive along, representing you as a blue dot sliding along the roads of the map. Even then, the metal of a car or the buildings of Manhattan are often enough to block the iPhone's view of the sky, leaving it just as confused as you are.
There are lots of small software improvements. The four-function calculator now turns into a scientific calculator when you rotate the phone 90 degrees. There's an address book search box, parental controls and instant language switching. (That feature is made possible by the on-screen keyboard, with keys that change to reflect the language you've selected. "That's really hard to do on your BlackBerry," says an Apple rep.)
And speaking of the BlackBerry crowd: Apple also says that the iPhone works better with corporate systems, like Microsoft Exchange and ActiveSync.
Note, though, that these software tweaks aren't iPhone 3G features. They're part of the free software upgrade called iPhone 2.0, which will be available to the six million original iPhones, starting Friday. For $10, even iPod Touch owners can get this upgrade.
Unfortunately, most of the standard cellphone features that were missing from the first iPhone are still missing. There's still no voice dialing, video recording, copy-and-paste, memory-card slot, Bluetooth stereo audio or phone-to-phone photo sending (MMS). And when the battery needs replacement after a couple of years, you'll still have to pay Apple $86 for a replacement.
Plenty of Appleholics have expressed dismay at how little the handset has changed. They'd gotten their hopes up for the second-generation iPhone: video phone calls! iPhone Nano! 3G hovercraft!
But there is one towering tsunami of a feature that may well shut them up.
It's the iPhone App Store: a central, complete, drop-dead simple online catalog of new programs for the iPhone. Hundreds will be available when the store opens Friday, with thousands to follow. You browse, download and install new programs directly on the iPhone; they don't have to be transferred from a computer, and you don't have to hack the phone to use them. Most of the programs will be free or cheap.
Apple has demonstrated 16 of these programs, including an instant message program, an eBayauction tracker, medical references and a touch-sensitive musical keyboard; the best of them exploit the iPhone's orientation sensor, wireless technologies and other high-tech components.
One coming program, called iCall, will give you free phone calls when you're in a Wi-Fi hot spot. Another, called G-Park, exploits G.P.S. to help you find where you parked. Yet another, Urbanspoon, is "a cross between a magic eight ball and a slot machine:" you shake the phone, and it randomly displays the name of a good restaurant nearby, using the iPhone's G.P.S. and motion sensor.
You can also expect to see a time and expense tracker, home-automation remote control, voice recorder, Etch-a-Sketch, a recipe box, tip calculator, currency converter, e-book reader and so on.
Above all, the iPhone is about to become a dazzling hand-held game machine. The games revealed so far feature smooth 3-D graphics and tilt control; in one driving simulator, you turn the iPhone itself like a steering wheel, and your 3-D car on the screen banks accordingly. Other games exploit the multitouch screen, so you and a buddy can sit at opposite ends of the screen and fire at each other.
In short, the iPhone is about to become much more than a phone. And here's the best part: the App Store is also available to the original iPhones and the iPod Touch.
So the iPhone 3G is a nice upgrade. It more than keeps pace with advancing technology, and new buyers will generally be delighted.
But it's not so much better that it turns all those original iPhones into has-beens. Indeed, the really big deal is the iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store, neither of which requires buying a new iPhone. That twist may come as a refreshing surprise to planned-obsolescence conspiracy theorists — and everyone who stood in line last year.
David Pogue is a columnist for the New York Times and contributor to CNBC. He can be emailed at: firstname.lastname@example.com.