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State dismissive of truthers' Newtown hoax claims
Connecticut's attorney general has swatted away multiple requests -- made by conspiracy theorists -- for a state investigation into whether the worst elementary school shooting in U.S. history was a hoax.
George Jepsen, a Democrat in his first term as the state's top lawyer, expressed his bewilderment and disgust at the nature of those requests during an interview Wednesday with Hearst Connecticut Newspapers.
"Obviously, they have asked us to investigate whether the tragedy took place or whether it was framed by the government," Jepsen said. "We dismissed that out of hand and we don't investigate. It saddens and sickens me."
Twenty children ages 7 and under and six female educators were gunned down with a semi-automatic rifle on Dec. 14 when Adam Lanza forced his way into Newtown's Sandy Hook Elementary School and sprayed the classrooms, hallways and bathrooms with bullets before turning a pistol on himself.
A Danville, Va., woman claimed to the newspaper that she recently contacted Jepsen's staff, State Police and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to ask them to separate fact from fiction.
When reached on her cellphone Wednesday, the woman asked that her name be withheld from publication because she was fearful of retribution.
"There is no Sandy Hook Elementary School. It is not listed anywhere as an operating school," the woman said in an initial message. "I have raw footage from a helicopter" a news broadcasting service had taken just after the so-called massacre, which clearly shows the massacre never happened, either. A week ago, I would have said I was crazy. I'm not crazy. It definitely never happened."
Lt. J. Paul Vance, a State Police spokesman, reported fielding similar requests from the public since the tragedy.
"There's a few people out there that say this didn't happen," Vance said Wednesday. "Quite frankly, I find them offensive. I take the time to say, `I was there and saw it.' "
Vance is loath to get into a debate with conspiracy theorists, saying that he's had to block messages from some people who have repeatedly contacted him.
"It's offensive to the victims and the victims' families, in my opinion," Vance said. "There are parents who put their kids on the bus and never saw them again."
Last month, Vance sought to debunk reports on some websites that Lanza used handguns to kill his victims, not a Bushmaster XM-15 E2S rifle that is now at the center of a proposed federal assault weapons ban.
All 26 people murdered inside the school, Vance said, were shot with the .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle.
"We try to set them straight," Vance said Wednesday of so-called truthers.
Vance raised eyebrows in December when he said that authorities would seek to punish anyone spreading "disinformation" on the shooting via the Internet or social media.
On Wednesday, Vance said he was referring to persons attempting to mislead investigators or making bomb threats, as was the case in Ridgefield in the days after the massacre.
He said he was not trying to quash free speech rights.
Stephen Sedensky III, the state's attorney for the Danbury Judicial District, said he has received no criminal complaints along the lines of people trying to use the Internet or social media for illicit purposes in the wake of the shooting.
"No one has asked our office to look into conspiracy theories," Sedensky said.
email@example.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy


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Some of you no doubt find South Park to be a bit crude and maybe even offensive. But I am constantly amazed at how often their satires run so true to real life. Case in point: Stephen Hawking. In a recent interview with the Guardian Stephen Hawking had this to say:
The universe is governed by science. But science tells us that we can't solve the equations, directly in the abstract. We need to use the effective theory of Darwinian natural selection of those societies most likely to survive. We assign them higher value.
This caused Carl Olson to quip that Hawking "does, in fact, believe in and worship a god—the name of which is 'Science'".
That brought to mind the two–part episode from season ten where Cartman travels into the future and discovers an Earth where everyone is now an atheist (content warning). Exclamations of "Science help us!" escape from everyone's lips in times of trouble.
I'm not going to read too much into the South Park episodes, but they hint at a larger truth. Even atheists cannot escape religion. Near our house is something called the Washington Ethical Society. We used to drive by this place when we went to Mass in the city, and they hold weekly meetings every Sunday. Yes, it is essentially a Church for atheists. Frankly, one would think that one of the "benefits" of being an atheist is not having to go to Church on Sunday, but for these atheists they can't escape the Sunday obligation. I don't know if they sing hymns to science but I'm sure their gatherings are something to behold.
At any rate, there's more from Olson as well as Msgr. Charles Pope on Hawking's philosophy. Msgr. Pope is troubled by where Hawking's philosophy trends (the part in bold is from the article, the rest is Msgr. Pope):
When asked what is the value of knowing why are we here, Hawking replied, "The universe is governed by science. But science tells us that we can't solve the equations, directly in the abstract. We need to use the effective theory of Darwinian natural selection of those societies most likely to survive. We assign them higher value." This is so limiting. It is also philosophy, not science to say this. Mr Hawking is entitled to have a philosophy, but when he says the world is "governed by science" and then goes on to philosophize, that looks pretty silly and contradictory. Further, Mr. Hawking, if you ask me, is edging dangerously close to eugenics in what he says here. What exactly assigning a "higher value" to certain societies looks like as a practical matter is uncertain in what he says, but I sense a growing darkness here, not light. Margaret Sanger and Adolph Hitler may well be smiling as he says this. BEWARE!
The first commenter objected to Msgr. Pope's anaology*, but it happens to be spot on. Readings Hawking it is tough not to draw another cultural analogy, this time to C.S. Lewis's That Hideous Strength. That novel is the third part of Lewis's space trilogy, and the plot revolves around the British Government's new scientific institute, the National Institute for Coordinated Experiments (NICE). The institute does some awful stuff in the name of science and progress, and the novel itself serves as a warning against the utopian promises of over-eager rationalists.
Hawking might be a brilliant physicist, but he should leave theology to the grownups.
* On a tangential note, I find myself getting more agitated by a trend in comments sections. Why do people feel that they can completely discard the rules of grammar, capitalization and punctuation when they write comments on blogs? The commenter on Msgr. Pope's blog – the inaptly named Sophia – decided to take the opportunity to insinuate that atheists were smarter than religious people, all the while failing to capitalize a single word in her screed. Why should I take anyone seriously when they can't even obey the simple rules of the English language? No, we're not writing dissertations here, but if you can't even be bothered to hit the shift key before typing the first letter of the first word of your sentences, then I will automatically discount anything you have to say. I can understand typos as I'm sure there might be one or two above, and I'm not a perfect grammar student. But can you at least make an effort to write properly on a discussion forum?
/End rant.

subset: commoncrawl


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Inspired by "Log Cabin Stars" designer Flavin Glover
Quiltmaker: Laura Boehnke
8" square gold print (block centers)
1/4 yard total assorted red prints (blocks A, C, and D)
1/3 yard cream print (blocks A, B, and E)
1/4 yard total assorted yellow prints (Block B)
1/8 yard light blue floral (Block C)
7/8 yard blue dot (Block D, inner and outer borders, binding)
1/8 yard blue plaid (Block F)
1/8 yard dark blue print (Block F)
1/4 yard alphabet print* (middle border)
*The featured quilt uses yellow print and red multiprint panels that are separated into four sections by a strip of alphabet print that runs parallel to the selvages. If using these particular fabrics, you will need 1/2 yard each of red print and yellow print.
1-1/8 yards backing fabric
37" square batting
Finished quilt: 30-1/4" square
Finished blocks: 5-1/4" square
Quantities are for 44/45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics. Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.


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Press Release
To be NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Mark Mitchell, OK.gov
405-524-3468 Ext. 120
Sherry Lewelling
Executive Director, OSBC
The Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology Launches Online License Renewal System
OKLAHOMA CITY – May 18, 2011 – The Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology recently released a new application at cosmorenewal.ok.gov, which allows licensed cosmetologists across the state to renew their license online.
"We want to make renewing a license as pain-free as possible," said Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology Executive Director, Sherry Lewelling. "You just go to our site, fill out your information, and as soon as your application is approved, we will send you a new license. It's that easy!"
This year, the OSBC expects most cosmetology licensees to renew online, because submitting online will save licensees time by speeding up what previously was a paper-intensive process. A typical online renewal takes about five minutes to complete, and licensees can print a renewal verification at the end of the process. In conjunction with their license renewal, a licensee will be able to change their contact information, purchase a certificate of record, certificate of hours and/or a Rule Book.
For more information about the Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology, visit cosmo.ok.gov. The Web site and services are a product of a partnership between the OSBC and OK.gov, Oklahoma's Official Web site managed by the eGovernment firm, NIC Inc. (Nasdaq: EGOV)
About OSBC
The Board of Cosmetology licenses and regulates the profession of cosmetology, esthetics, manicuring, instructors and establishments where these services are performed. It also regulates health and safety issues in schools approved by the Board. Anyone who provides these types of cosmetology services including but not limited to, haircutting, hairdressing, nail care, skin care and the application of make-up must be licensed by the Board.
About OK.gov
OK.gov is the Official website of the state of Oklahoma and a collaborative effort between the Oklahoma Office of State Finance (OSF) and Oklahoma Interactive, LLC to help Oklahoma government entities Web-enable their information services. OSF is responsible for OK.gov. Oklahoma Interactive operates, maintains, and markets OK.gov and is part of eGovernment firm NIC's (NASDAQ: EGOV) family of companies.
About NIC
NIC Inc. (NASDAQ: EGOV) is the nation's leading provider of official government portals, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. The company's innovative eGovernment services help reduce costs and increase efficiencies for government agencies, citizens, and businesses across the country. NIC provides eGovernment solutions for more than 3,000 federal, state, and local agencies that serve 97 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.nicusa.com.
– 30 –


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Another U.S. Marine shackled in Mexican prison on gun charges
Prison authorities in Tijuana, Mexico, have shackled a decorated U.S. Marine veteran of two combat tours in Afghanistan to his cot in a prison infirmary, restraining each of his limbs, on charges of introducing outlawed weapons into Mexico.
The Marine reservist, Andrew Tahmooressi, 25, who's from Weston, Fla., outside Miami, drove his black Ford F-150 pickup through the San Ysidro, Calif., border crossing into Tijuana on April 1, carrying his worldly possessions, including three U.S.-registered firearms.
Tahmooressi, who suffers from what his mother calls "directional dysfunction," got lost near the border after dark. He and his family say he took a wrong turn into Mexico.
Mexican prosecutors have slapped three firearms charges on him, and his fate has been clouded by an attempt to escape the La Mesa penitentiary April 6 that involved ninja-style scaling of a wall topped with coiled barbed wire.
Tahmooressi's situation parallels that of a another Florida Marine veteran who was held for four months in a Mexican border prison in 2012 for carrying an antique shotgun in his motor home on his way to surf in Costa Rica. A media uproar and pressure from U.S. legislators helped win the freedom of that Marine, Jon Hammar, who grew up in Miami.
In a statement that he signed earlier this week, Tahmooressi said he'd crossed the border inadvertently while he was looking for housing in the San Diego area so he could begin treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder at a nearby Veterans Affairs facility. Tahmooressi had received his official PTSD diagnosis on March 20.
"I accidentally drove into Mexico with 3 guns, a rifle (AR-15), a .45 cal pistol and a 12 gauge pump shotgun with no intentions on being in Mexico or being involved in any criminal activity," Tahmooressi wrote in a signed privacy waiver this week for the office of U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., a Marine veteran himself whose district is near the border.
Tahmooressi grew up in a gated community in Weston and graduated with honors from Cypress Bay High School in 2007. He earned a pilot's license at age 17, then headed off to Alaska's Kodiak Island, where he fulfilled a dream of joining a commercial fishing crew.
"They went out into the Bering Sea. They pulled up something like 20,000 pounds of halibut a day," said his mother, Jill Marie Tahmooressi, a nurse at Miami Children's Hospital.
After returning to Florida and entering a local community college, Andrew Tahmooressi decided he wasn't ready for schooling, and joined the Marines in 2008.
He served two combat tours in Afghanistan, winning a rare combat field promotion to sergeant in Helmand province. Earlier, in Marjah district, a homemade bomb upended his combat vehicle but he survived.
In 2012, Tahmooressi mustered out with an honorable discharge but he remains a reservist with a commitment until 2016.
He returned to Weston to be with his father, Khosrow "Paul" Tahmooressi, an Iranian-born engineer, and his mother, and to pursue a dream of training as a professional pilot at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. But the demons of war dogged him.
"He had been struggling for all of 2013," his mother said.
He borrowed the family's Ford pickup and drove to California, where he received an official PTSD evaluation at a VA facility.
U.S. officials have visited Tahmooressi at least nine times since his arrest the night of April 1, and the U.S. consulate in Tijuana "is taking all possible steps" to ensure his safety, William W. Whitaker, the American citizen services chief, said in an email to a staff member of Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., that McClatchy obtained.
Tahmooressi's two-day detention in a holding pen, followed by detention at La Mesa Penitentiary, has been far from calm. The first night was the worst.
"When he called me, with all the background noise, it sounded like a riot was going on," his mother said. "He said, and I quote, 'Mom, I'm not going to make it through the night. . . . There are hit men in that cell with me.' "
His escape attempt came after he was put in with the general prison population at La Mesa. On April 6, he was placed in a single-person cell, where he apparently stabbed himself in the neck, either as a suicide attempt or a ploy. After getting stitches at Tijuana General Hospital, he was placed in the infirmary.
His "arms and legs are restrained because the infirmary is an open room with access to many objects, but the cuffs are doubled in length so that he has some movement and padding and bandages are between his skin and the cuffs to prevent injury," Whitaker wrote in the email.
Tahmooressi's mother visited him April 14 at the penitentiary.
His mood was grim.
"I would say, precarious at best, fearful, nervous," she said in a telephone interview. "He'd already had his life threatened. Very anxious about the legal process, highly distraught."
More news came this week. Whitaker wrote to Jill Tahmooressi to say the consulate had gathered a summary of VA medical records of her son's ailment, and an affidavit, and presented them to the judge. A trial is set to begin May 28.
"We learned today that the prison system intends to move Andrew to another penitentiary called El Hongo II, a new facility located near the town of Tecate, about 40 minutes east of Tijuana," Whitaker wrote. "There, he will be in a single cell."
That move may be imminent. Whitaker wrote the family Wednesday that prison authorities "indicated that this would happen in around a week."
Legislators, including Hunter and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat who lives in Weston and is the chair of the Democratic National Committee, have voiced concern about the case.
A spokesman for Wasserman Schultz, Sean Bartlett, said she'd "instructed her staff to get in touch with the State Department right away to ensure that Andrew's case was being handled as expeditiously as possible." He said the legislator was "in close contact with the State Department as the trial approaches."
For his part, Tahmooressi offered a simple plea at the bottom of his half-page handwritten statement allowing the public to be informed of his plight.
"Please help, thank you very much. I appreciate anything you can do. Thank you," he wrote on his U.S. privacy waiver form.


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NH High Tech Council Names Founder of TURBOCAM International 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year
06-May-2013 – Manchester, N.H. (U.S.A.) – The NH High Tech Council selected Marian Noronha, chairman and president of TURBOCAM International, as its 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year. Noronha was recognized at the Council's Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) award event on Monday, May 6 at the Radisson Hotel/Center of New Hampshire in Manchester. The 2013 event marks the 25th anniversary of the Council's EOY.
|Marian Noronha
TURBOCAM International is a global turbomachinery development and manufacturing company that specializes in 5-axis machining of flowpath components. Noronha arrived in North America with only $6 to his name and founded TURBOCAM International, located in Barrington, N.H., in 1985 by leasing time in the early morning hours on computers and machinery owned by other companies. TURBOCAM now employs 600 people worldwide with 350 of those employees in the United States. Since its founding, TURBOCAM has produced cutting-edge products that have gone into the Space Shuttle, rockets, commercial aircraft, industrial air and gas compressors, heavy truck engines, and many other turbomachinery applications around the world.
"Every now and then we stop at a pretty spot on a climb and look around and enjoy the scenery and reflect on how far we have come. Thanks for welcoming us at the summit of this 4,000-footer," states Noronha. "We will briefly take off our packs and celebrate with you. Our team is an amazing crew of 600 around the world, often looking at mountains that others dare not touch. But we do it not just because the challenges are there, but because we enjoy the growth and taking great people with us on these conquests."
Noronha was honored during the anniversary event, which was a celebration of a quarter century of entrepreneurial history in New Hampshire. Past winners, who have enhanced the economy through their entrepreneurship by employing tens of thousands of people and bringing billions of dollars into the state's economy, was also honored during the evening. Several past winners were on hand to offer their perspectives on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in today's global economy.
"As our judging panel reviewed all of the impressive applications, Mr. Noronha's commitment to innovation, social entrepreneurship, his employees, and the community stood out. After 25 years of this competition, it never ceases to amaze me what quality, nationally-recognized entrepreneurs and businesses can be found right here in New Hampshire," said Jim Cook, a member of the Council's Board of Directors and EOY committee chair.
The annual event, held in May, has recognized more than 60 New Hampshire entrepreneurs since 1988 for demonstrating leadership and innovation within the technology sector. Eligibility for the EOY award is limited to founders, owners, and senior level managers of a New Hampshire business who have successfully organized, developed, or managed a high tech concept into a commercial product or service.
Major sponsors for the 25th anniversary EOY event were Nanocomp Technologies; Dyn, Inc.; FairPoint Communications; Cook, Little, Rosenblatt & Manson; Baker Newman Noyes; and Compass Healthcare Advisers.
The NH High Tech Council engages, connects, and supports member companies throughout New Hampshire. As the largest member-driven technology association in the state, the Council supports research, innovation, and economic and workforce development efforts that have helped New Hampshire become a national leader in entrepreneurship and business. For more information, visit NHHTC.org.


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DISTRESSING DISCOVERY: An investigation into a Massachusetts pharmacy at the center of a deadly meningitis outbreak has found conditions including leaky boilers, dirty floor mats and drugs shipped out without sterility tests.
PLAN OF REMEDY: State officials said the preliminary probe cannot prove conclusively what caused the outbreak, but they plan to tighten oversight of similar companies.
HIGH TOLL: The outbreak of fungal meningitis, an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, has sickened 308 people in 17 states, including 23 who have died.


text:
Megan JonesRequest Her Follow
Model Information
Measurements: 34d-24-38
Megan Jones is a 22 year old model who is always looking for the next hot-spot to party at with her girlfriends and boyfriends. She has become a fixture of the club scene and if you ever walk into a nightclub where you find Megan attending, you know right away that you have stumbled into the high-roller room of the best event in the area. The video from her 'New Years Bash' In The VIP is legendary and when the Reality Kings network looked for volunteers for the new Hot Bush website Megan Jones was one of the first daring darlings to step up and volunteer to grow in a nice dark patch of pubes on her fuzz-box. She's always smiling and looking to go involved with the next great adventure, so the only question is: Do you have the kind of stamina to keep up with an energetic knockout like Megan Jones?! Many men and women have tried to keep pace with this porn firecracker only to find that her relentless desire and sexual endurance are more than they had planned to match. For the few who can keep up - Megan Jones is the perfect party companion!
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Bulletin Issues
Current Issue
Past issues of the Bulletin are available here, or through the ASIS&T Digital Library.
Please tell us what you think of the Bulletin interactive pdf! Feedback
Bulletin, December/January 2008
Special Section
On the Trail of the Elusive Non-User: What Research in Virtual Reference Environments Reveals
by Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Marie L. Radford and Timothy J. Dickey
Lynn Silipigni Connaway is a senior research scientist in programs and research, OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. She can be reached at by email at lynn_connaway<at>oclc.org.
Marie L. Radford is an associate professor at Rutgers University School of Communication, Information and Library Studies. She can be reached by email at mradford<at>scils.rutgers.edu.
Timothy J. Dickey is currently working as a technical intern for the OCLC Office of Programs and Research. He can be reached at dickeyt<at>oclc.org.
An extraordinarily interesting and somewhat paradoxical pattern is revealed in comparing trends in use statistics in academic versus public libraries over the past decade or so. According to Martell [1] there has been a decline in circulation and reference services statistics at some academic libraries since 1995. Although the evidence does not completely support Carlsons bleak prophesies [2], Martell concludes that the value of electronic resources may already have eclipsed that of physical resources (p. 443).
However, a different picture emerges in examining a review of public library statistics [3], which shows precisely the reverse a pattern of increases in circulation and reference services for the same time period. What accounts for these inconsistencies in library use between different types of libraries? Why do people choose to use or not to use particular library services? In order to entice, attract and retain library users, we need to explore these critically important questions.
Perhaps because of their elusive nature, the information-seeking behaviors of non-users of library systems and services is rarely addressed directly in the library and information science literature. Most research concludes that libraries are not usually the first choice of people looking for information. Because of the radical impact of the Internet on peoples ability to find information, recent studies differ regarding which is the most popular choice: human sources or the Internet. Regardless of this preference, the obstacles associated with virtual reference service (VRS) technology may deter people from using these library services. A variety of VRS, including email and live chat versions, have proliferated in response to user demand and to fulfill librarians desire to provide reference help to online users.
Along with high levels of Internet use, convenience and speed are important factors in younger generations information-seeking behavior. Factors such as distance from the library and the relative quiet and comfort of home [4] may keep users away from the library. Connaway [5] notes that information seekers increasingly rely on quick and easily available resources and suggests that library services need to meet these users expectations of online systems and sources.
Seeking Synchronicity
Against this background, staff from OCLC and Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, have been studying the perceptions, needs, uses and sustainability of virtual reference service (VRS) through Seeking Synchronicity, a twoyear project funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) [6]. Four successive phases of data collection have involved different techniques: Phase I - focus group interviews; Phase II - qualitative analysis of VRS transcripts; Phase III - online surveys; and Phase IV - individual telephone interviews. Phases I, III and IV have addressed the differing perspectives of three distinct populations: VRS librarian-providers and both users and non-users of the service. While findings from all three populations have important ramifications for the development of library systems and services, this article focuses on the experiences of non-users of VRS as revealed in Phases I and III. Phase I included four focus group interviews with 40 VRS non-users conducted between November 2005 and May 2006. Phase III analyzed online surveys completed by 184 non-users from June through August 2007.
Non-users of a service are relatively easy to define; yet the questions of why they do not use library services and how they actually find their information linger. Seeking Synchronicity has defined VRS non-users as those who have not used synchronous chat reference services, although they may use instant messaging (IM) or chat for personal or business purposes and also may use other library services via telephone, email or face-to-face (FtF) modes. The study investigates how these individuals meet information needs, why they choose resources other than VRS, what features attract them to these other resources and what might influence them to use VRS. Possible impacts of the studys findings would be to positively influence the ongoing advancement of library systems and services and, ultimately, to entice these elusive non-users to try VRS.
What We Discovered about Non-Users of VRS
Teenage and graduate-student participants in the focus group interviews offer different perspectives on VRS. Unexpectedly, personal relationships with librarians emerge as important to both groups. Perhaps not surprisingly, given frequent warnings in the media about online predators, teens voice numerous concerns regarding their privacy and security. Chatting with an unknown person might creep them out. One teen even expresses the concern that chat reference could connect her to some psycho serial killer out there. When posed with the statement, I am afraid of chatting with a stranger, in the online survey, only 24% of the respondents agree with it, with public library users rating the fear significantly higher than academic or school library users. The convenience and the availability of the service are key especially to the Millennial demographic some teen non-users believe that typing questions to a chat service would actually take too much time. Many of the teens confess to being avid readers and to having a positive relationship with a school librarian although one teen declared, I wouldnt really trust my librarian, I trust Google. They might consider trying VRS in the future if a friend recommends it to them or if they thought there was some way it could foster the student-librarian relationship.
One focus group interview with graduate student VRS-non-users in a Northeastern city also highlighted their relationships with librarians. They preferred cultivating rapport with a single, knowledgeable specialist to interacting with a random librarian in VRS. These graduate students use a variety of Internet tools in their information seeking, including library websites, search engines, databases and commercial research sites. However, they reveal negative perceptions of VRS, equating chat reference with a generic online chat room, being unwilling to deploy new software and fearing they would annoy or bother a librarian, being negatively evaluated by a librarian, appearing unprofessional or having reference transcripts revealed to professors. Promotional campaigns and recommendations by trusted librarians or professional colleagues were the most-cited factors that would influence their future use of VRS.
The importance of personal contact with librarians was again highlighted in online surveys of 184 non-users of VRS. When comparing modes of reference service, participants rated FtF reference highly in terms of reliability and effectiveness and overwhelmingly (90%) chose FtF as the mode with which to develop the most positive relationship with a librarian. Seventy-four percent preferred FtF reference help to either telephone or electronic formats, citing the knowledge, trustworthiness, friendliness and perseverance of their librarian among the most essential factors. Leading reasons for non-use of VRS included lack of knowledge that the service was available (73%), satisfaction with other information sources (65%) and lack of confidence in the chat librarians ability to help them (70%).
When asked to describe a successful reference encounter in the online surveys, almost all of these non-users wrote about the impact of the type of reference service. Among them, a large majority (80%) not only mentioned FtF reference, but also asserted that it helped create a successful reference encounter. Ten percent of the respondents discussed email, telephone, online or a combination of formats as an asset to the reference interaction. A large number of the non-users perceptions of positive reference encounters also involved searching for books or other specific resources. Twelve percent searched for practical information for everyday use, such as consumer product, medical, legal or statistical information, genealogy or job help. Other successful reference interactions involved seeking assistance with websites or library databases, locating library materials that were not available in the expected location, finding primary sources or specific reference works or asking procedural questions.
Seventy-eight percent of the VRS non-users described positive experiences that only happened in FtF reference encounters (rather than via email or the telephone). Nineteen percent praised librarians who gave good directions, walked them directly to resources or explained the classification system. Respondents also reported that librarians only offered instruction (17%) and clarified their questions (9%) in FtF mode. Librarians behaviors in FtF environments were described by 16% as pleasant and friendly. A few participants (2%) said these friendly behaviors gave them more confidence, 12% valued the opportunity to converse and develop a relationship with the librarian, with some stating that they had obtained the most appropriate and reliable sources only in FtF reference encounters. Specific features of positive reference experiences, however, were not dependent on the FtF format, including the speed of reference assistance (24%), the quality of advice when choosing among resources (14%) and leaving the encounter with an item in hand (11%). Eight percent of participants declared that they selected reference formats based upon convenience. In addition, when asked what might convince them to try VRS, 35% of the participants listed some factor related to convenience.
On the flip side, when asked to discuss a negative experience with library reference, the majority still described FtF encounters, but of these, only 27% believed that the format contributed to their lack of success. Unfortunately, comments such as No, I think this particular librarian would have wasted my time in any format were typical. Instead of the format itself, there was a tendency to blame individual librarians, whether it was the librarians actions (42%), taking too long, only pointing to the stacks, poor attitude (34%) or lack of knowledge (26%). The participants offered colorful descriptions of their bad experiences with librarians, calling them cold, judgmental, condescending, rude and intimidating. Only rarely did they suggest that the reference format was culpable as, for instance, in the comment Without those additional cues of the bored facial expression and snyde [sic] way that person talked, I might not have been so turned off.
Clearly, focus group interview and online survey respondents revealed distinct themes in their information seeking that help to shed light on their non-use of VRS. The convenience and speed of information delivery remain crucial, especially to the teens and college students. However, these participants distrust the potential of the virtual format and raise serious privacy concerns. Relationships with knowledgeable librarians are highly valued by non-users, who believe that the traditional FtF format enhances their information search.
Comparisons of the Findings to Other Studies
The finding that personal relationships with librarians are highly valued resonates with those of other recent studies. Convenience is a critical factor, and therefore electronic resources are popular with this group when searching for information, and perceptions that VRS might be less convenient and slower keep some as non-users. The importance of personal relationships with librarians is congruent with findings that trusted or knowledgeable individuals are prime sources of information. These non-users also repeatedly cited the lack of relational aspects as a significant barrier to adopting VRS: As long as youre having a conversation with someone else you can build a relationship. Thats just something you cant get through a computer typing stuff. Yet some focus group interview and survey participants also reported apprehension, embarrassment and fear of pestering the librarians in FtF experiences. Nonetheless, the younger generation tends to bolster relationships via electronic means [7]. Fagan and Desai [8] offer practical suggestions for improving the relational aspects of VRS interactions; perhaps such improvements could begin to reduce anxiety in the virtual realm.
Recommendations and Conclusions
On a practical level Seeking Synchronicity results can be used to develop recommendations to promote VRS to potential and current users of the service. Non-users revealed that they would be more likely to choose VRS if providers would do the following:
- Highlight the convenience of the service
- It is available anywhere with web accessibility
- It is available 24/7
- Increase marketing of VRS to make it more visible
- Increase the availability of instruction and tutorials
- Integrate VRS into library use instruction programs and courseware
- Improve librarians skills in fostering virtual relationships in VRS
- Involve teachers, counselors and other trusted adults in promoting/recommending the service to students
- Publicize VRS as a private and confidential service.
The project is entering its final phase of conducting and analyzing telephone interview data from VRS librarians, users and non-users. In addition to increasing potential use of VRS, results can be used to shape the future study of how people get their information, why they choose a variety of sources for their information needs and what technologies and features they prefer. Interesting aspects of the findings provide potential areas for future research, including respondents perception of the lack of privacy and confidentiality of VRS. Evidence of the confidentiality of VRS may instill confidence in users of the service and be beneficial to the marketing and promotion of VRS.
In todays environment of easily available information from user-friendly web search engines and conveniently accessed Internet sites, libraries can no longer continue to solely rely on traditional roles and models of service delivery. Clearly, FtF personal interactions with librarians are still valued. How can these relationships be better fostered in virtual environments to reach non-users, as well as to continue to attract current users, who are increasingly turning to Google and Wikipedia for their information needs? Seeking Synchronicity is contributing to help explore options and solutions.
Resources Cited in the Article
[1] Martell, C. (2007). The elusive user: Changing use patterns in academic libraries 1995-2004. College & Research Libraries, 68(5), 435-444.
[2] Carlson, S. (2001). The deserted library. Chronicle of Higher Education, 48(12), A35-38.
[3] National Center for Education Statistics. (1998-2007). Public libraries in the U.S. (Volumes covering fiscal years 1995-2004). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
[4] Vondracek, R. (2007, July). Comfort and convenience? Why students choose alternatives to the library. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 7(3), 277-283.
[5] Connaway, L. S. (2007). Mountains, valleys, and pathways: Serials users needs and steps to meet them. Part I: Preliminary analysis of focus group and semi-structured interviews at colleges and universities. Serials Librarian, 52(1/2), 223-236.
[6] Radford, M. L., & Connaway, L. S. (2005). Seeking
synchronicity: Evaluating virtual reference services from user,
non-user, and librarian perspectives. Retrieved October 14, 2007,
from www.oclc.org/research/projects
[7] Madden, M., & Lenhart, A. (2006). Online dating. Pew
Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved September 21, 2007 from www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP
[8] Fagan, J. C., & Desai, C. M. (2003). Communication strategies for instant messaging and chat reference services. The Reference Librarian, 79/80, 121-155.
Articles in this Issue
Introduction: Virtual Reference Services
An Informal History (and Possible Future) of Digital Reference
Virtual Reference to Participatory Librarianship: Expanding the Conversation
Evaluation of Online Reference Services
Implementation of Professional and Ethical Standards
On the Trail of the Elusive Non-User: What Research in Virtual Reference Environments Reveals
On Scalable (Computer-based) Information Systems
Selected Abstracts of Standards Under Review, 2006-2007; Notes from the ASIS&T Standards Committee (ASIS&T-SC)
IA Column: Navigating the Long Tail
International Column: The Open Source Road to Web 2.0 for Nigeria: A View of Two Worlds from the Outside


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Relatives of the deceased Boston Marathon bombing suspect will claim his body now that his wife has agreed to release it, an uncle said Tuesday.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev's body has been at the medical examiner's office in Massachusetts since he died after a gunfight with authorities more than a week ago.
Amato DeLuca, the Rhode Island attorney for his widow, Katherine Russell, said Tuesday that her client had just learned that the medical examiner was ready to release Tsarnaev's body and that she wants it released to his family.
Police said Tsarnaev ran out of ammunition before his brother, 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, dragged his body under a vehicle while fleeing the scene. His cause of death has been determined but will not be made public until his remains are claimed.
"Of course, family members will take possession of the body," uncle Ruslan Tsarni of Maryland told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. "We'll do it. We will do it. A family is a family."
He would not elaborate. Tsarnaev's parents are still in Russia, but he has other relatives on his side of the family in the U.S., including Tsarni.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev lies in a prison hospital after being wounded in the shootout with police as he and his brother made their getaway attempt. He is charged with using a weapon of mass destruction to kill, a crime that carries a potential death sentence.
DeLuca said Tamerlan Tsarnaev's widow met with law enforcement "for many hours over the past week" and will continue cooperating. FBI agents on Monday visited her parents' North Kingstown, R.I., home, where she has been staying, and carried away several bags.
"Katherine and her family continue to be deeply saddened by the harm that has been caused," DeLuca said Tuesday.
Terrel Harris, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, said Tuesday evening that the state had not yet received Russell's request to release her husband's body.
He said arrangements must be made to release the body and once that happens a death certificate will be filed and the cause of death made public. He said it is too soon to speculate on when that might happen.


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News, from source to 'pad
iOS App of the Week Flipboard has been around for a year or so now, and has garnered all sorts of awards along the way. However, it was updated recently and has just gained the tech industry's ultimate accolade: that of being imitated by Google, which is reported to be developing a "Flipboard killer" under the codename 'Propeller'.
Your own, if you will, 'e-zine'
Variously described as a "news curator" or "personal magazine", the iPad-only Flipboard allows you to gather newsfeeds and Tweets from your favourite news services and followees, and link to social networks.
The app starts off with a series of pre-installed news sources, covering categories such as technology, sport and lifestyle, along with options for linking to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Connect to news services (left) and to social networks (right)
You can also add your own services, such as Reg Hardware's RSS newsfeed, so that you can create a customised collection of all your favourite news and social networking services.
You can enter your own news sources (left) then read all the headlines (right)
The various news sources are displayed on the app's 'cover' page as a series of tiles, which you can drag and drop to arrange in any order you fancy. You can then just tap on an item to open it up and flip through the latest stories as though you were reading an e-magazine.
This latest update, to version 1.5, has also updated its Content Guide section to make it easier to browse through existing news services, and to search for other services that you might want to add.
'Read all abart it!'
If you're a pure news junkie and aren't bothered about social networking froth then rivals such as Pulse and Zite are more geared towards quickly scanning news headlines.
However, Flipboard's stylish interface and its ability to combine hard news and social networking set a high standard for Google to match. ®
We make our selection of the best iOS smartphone and tablet downloads every Thursday. It you think there's an app we should be considering, please let us know.
More iOS App of the Week Winners
Fluid FX
Cloud Reader
Sponsored: Beyond the Data Frontier


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In 2010, CASW commemorated its first half-century. The 50-year celebration included:
- a gala celebration held in Washington, DC, on April 17, 2010, which brought together journalists, scientists, contributors and guests (at right, Philip Boffey leads a panel including Nobelist Carol Greider, Jane Lubchenco of NOAA, Marcia McNutt of USGS and Harold Varmus; watch the video);
- a special session, "Solons of Science," on November 8, 2010, at the New Horizons in Science conference in New Haven, Connecticut;
- a compilation of "50 Science Sagas for 50 Years," which was prepared by Treasurer Alan Boyle and posted here and on the Cosmic Log blog on MSNBC.com, sparking a lively conversation among readers at both sites; and
- comments, evaluations, observations and reminiscences, including those submitted on this page.
Hosting New Horizons: Memories
It's been my pleasure to host two CASW New Horizons in Science briefings. I pursued hosting the event shortly after attending my first two briefings, the first at the University of Colorado (1988), the second at Cornell in Ithaca, New York (1989). What took me so long? I imagine I wanted to see if the next year's briefing could in any way match the spectacle and high quality of the first. It did. Also, it took me that long to understand what was really happening in New Horizons.
First off, when it comes to CASW and New Horizons, the first person I think of is Ben Patrusky. I had first encountered Ben in Feb. 1988 at AAAS in Boston. I noticed this man who seemed to be in the thick of the action everywhere, the living embodiment of someone with "a nose for news." After attending a couple of New Horizons I realized I'd gotten it wrong. Ben had the nose for what was going to be news, and that is one of the major precepts of New Horizons.
A number of things impressed me about this meeting and made it unique. The presentations were in-depth, the presenters compelling, the socialization was the best of anything I'd experienced, and I realized that I came away from the meetings with a much fuller sense of the institution that hosted. Networking was amazing at these meetings. I never detected any sense of caste in the gathering. PIOs, teachers, professors, famous reporters, newbie reporters, free lance writers--all fit together. I approached the late, great Jerry Bishop (whom I admired for years beforehand, but my God I never knew he wore a cowboy hat!) as easily as Terry Devitt at the University of Wisconsin, or Peter Limburg, an author, or Bob Cooke, another science writer who I admired. I made good friends at the very first New Horizons who remain friends to this day.
One vivid memory I have of the first meeting is watching Jerry Bishop at a pay phone filing a story early in the meeting, reading to an editor from his notebook. I thought: It would take me six hours at a computer to bang out a passable story on any of those topics, and here Jerry's doing it from his notes! That was Jerry for you.
I realized that hosting this event would bring recognition to my institution that would be vivid and longlasting. Washington University needed it. In the 1980s and '90s we were often confused with one of the 21 other colleges or institutions with "Washington" in its title, despite having a world-class medical school, biology and planetary sciences departments, and world renowned computer scientists. And who knew of our beautiful campus? Not enough people, I thought.
We held the first New Horizons in 1993. Administrators liked it so much they told me to try again, and we held the second in 2002.
You would think the second time would be a breeze. No way. When people ask advice about hosting CASW New Horizons, I tell them be prepared to work hard, very hard. Ben and Diane were working very hard, too, and I didn't want to let them or my fellow science writers down. The end result for hosts is a marvelous, though exhausted, feeling of having done the right thing for your school and your profession.
I remember seeking advice from Dennis Meredith. Dennis told me that was a joy and wonder was going with Ben to interview the scientists he was considering for the program. In my case that meant talking to the people I'd lined up, back-to-back, two days in a row, eight hours a day, Ben sitting there and discussing topics with a researcher without, as I recall, even taking a note. The thing was, he'd already done two previous days like that at our Med School!
You do New Horizons for all the right reasons. When Diane McGurgan and I talked at the most recent event in Austin this October, we agreed that you do it for the people, the old friends you've known for ages and the new ones you're making.
--Tony Fitzpatrick, free lance
Hosting New Horizons
In 1978, I met Tom Burroughs who worked with the American Chemical Society. I was a first year science and technology writer for the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech. Tom told me that if I wanted to stay in science writing and learn how to become a better communicator, I needed to meet Ben Patrusky. Who is he, I questioned innocently?
Within the year I was off to Athens, Ga., where this Mr. Patrusky would be participating in a panel discussion at a CASE meeting. My good fortune was I "got two for the price of one." On the small commuter plane to Athens, I sat next to Jerry Bishop of the Wall Street Journal, also headed to the same meeting. I was 28 and in awe. We went out to dinner that night, and it cemented a friendship that lasted until Jerry's death. The next day I met the icon of the science writing council, still "Mr. Patrusky" to me. I walked up to him after his presentation, introducing myself -- just one of many who did so. How had he figured out so quickly I had never taken a physics course in my life? I left that meeting thinking I would have to find out more about this New Horizons in Science Briefings.
So I went to my first CASW meeting at Duke University. I believe it was 1979. I listened to the presentations, and again thought why I am only understanding every tenth word. But I compensated by thinking I could throw a good party. So I encouraged Virginia Tech's College of Engineering to put in a bid to host the conference. We were successful, and secured 1983 as our year -- the 21st annual briefing. I raised more money than was needed to sponsor the event so that I could make amends for my insufficient knowledge about magnetic monopoles. Instead of asking intelligent questions of the presenters, my contribution would be to host a reception with entertainment each evening of the meeting. To no one's surprise, the science program organized by Ben was first rate, with Virginia Tech's clips including Newsweek, The Today Show, and a host of wire stories. The University had never seen its name in print so many times in one week. And each night the journalists were treated to a party with different bands, a new venue for New Horizons. I knew Jerry enjoyed blue grass music, so I made sure I hired a great fiddler and banjo player that allowed Jerry and I the opportunity to "flatfoot." Maybe not "Dancing with the Stars" material, but fun! And one of the highlights that year was the appearance of Chris Kraft, a Virginia Tech alumnus, who happened to be on campus for the week. He participated in parts of our meetings, asking innocent questions from the back of the room during the session on "The Early Universe", until someone figured out who this exceedingly bright man was. The exchange took on more meaning after the presenter realized Dr. Kraft was THE Dr. Kraft who had successfully directed the first flight to the moon in 1969. Dr. Kraft also graced our banquet that year when another legend, Jules Bergman, arrived to receive an award. Mr. Bergman was indeed touched by Dr. Kraft's presence, spending more time acknowledging him than speaking about his own award. The entire event was an incredible experience.
Fourteen years later, I organized my second New Horizons on behalf of Virginia Tech. By this time, the meeting had tripled in size and we felt it was best to host the proceedings at the Hotel Roanoke, 40 miles from campus. I knew the science on the program would be tantalizing as always, thanks to Ben's (no longer Mr. Patrusky) incredible array of knowledge. When Ben spent about a week on our campus some six months before the program in order to interview potential presenters. I arranged meetings for him with specialists in transgenic engineering, quantum dots, supramolecular systems, and more. He entered each faculty member's office well versed in the topic, citing technical papers of other peers in the various disciplines, and asking why his or her research was more cutting-edge. As usual, Ben had the science taken care of, so that left me with my forte – the party! The first step was to use my complimentary two bedroom apartment/suite on the top floor of the hotel as a hospitality room each night of the meeting. There is something about the combination of journalists and free booze – must be the origin of the original win-win scenario. And again, I "upped" the ante, providing lunches and dinners each day, complete with evening entertainment. Free booze and free food – how could I lose? And again, New Horizons was its perennial intellectual success, thanks to that Mr. Patrusky.
In seriousness, throughout Ben's leadership, in conjunction with his colleagues Jerry Bishop, Arthur Fisher, Warren Kornberg, and more, I always found he challenged our minds and we would leave mentally exhausted. (And some of his closest friends would leave with a little less money due to the late night poker games.) But New Horizons always left us craving for more. I do not envy those who host New Horizons today. The job now seems overwhelming with its partnership with the National Association of Science Writers. Each year the act gets harder to follow. I thank everyone for letting me be a part of it.
Remembering New Horizons past
As the science PIO at Arizona State University in 2001, I was part of a small team that helped host the New Horizons in Science meeting in Tempe, Arizona. It was a memorable year, with the meeting happening a just little more than a month after 9/11. We were, naturally, unsure whether or not the meeting would proceed as planned – many news organizations were not allowing their reporters to travel, and all of the involved planning by CASW and the university seemed up in the air. Through it all, Ben Patrusky remained implacably, uncannily calm and reassuring. All was in place, he intoned, he had pulled off this nightmarishly complicated meeting for decades and it would come off smoothly one more time yet again, even if we were in the midst of thermonuclear war. Fugetaboutit. He was right -- it all went well, really well.
I actually only remember the post-9/11 aspect of the meeting in the false-memory way people remember crimes that never happened. What I do remember is being exhausted by conference end, with long days of receptions, parties and extra-curricular science events that needed to be shepherded and virtually no sleep for about a week. I keep a picture on my desk showing me and my colleagues Conrad Storad and Ed Sylvester celebrating with Diane McGurgan (taken right after the final session), the way some people keep photos of their buddies from the war. In the photo, I'm so totally out of it I have my tie tucked into my belt. Who knows for how many days I had walked around like that…
You know what? I don't care. More than eight years later, what I do care about – and what I remember best in fact – is the science I heard about at the meeting. Though I was out-of-my-mind busy, I skipped out on organizational duties whenever I could to attend sessions, because some of them were irresistibly interesting. Dare I say it, a couple of those presentations had life-changing effects on my writing interests (notably Jo Handelsman's talk on soil metagenomics, which started my current strong interest in microbial ecology, but there were others too that I remember well). New Horizons is always a great opportunity to have a few too many beers with old friends, but what always sticks with me is the new science I get exposed to. I guess that says something about me, but I think this is basically true of our whole crew. Long live CASW, long live New Horizons in Science! Jim Hathaway Research Communications, University of North Carolina at Charlotte


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By Mark Felsenthal
WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will try on Friday to shift the national conversation to economic growth from anger over insurance policy cancellations under his signature healthcare law, as he visits the Port of New Orleans.
The day after Obama said in a nationally televised interview he was sorry some Americans were dropped by their health plans because of changes mandated by the Affordable Care Act, he will tour a busy cargo and cruise ship port, the White House said.
He will again deliver the message that the United States should spend more on its roads, bridges and ports as a way to create jobs and strengthen U.S. firms through increased trade.
He will speak after the government said on Friday that employers added 204,000 jobs in October despite a 16-day government shutdown, although the jobless rate ticked up to 7.3 percent.
Despite the surprisingly strong employment report, the White House estimated that there would have been 120,000 more jobs created in the month if not for the shuttering of government offices.
The administration has repeatedly said that the economy would be growing more rapidly and job growth would be more robust without the shutdown, prompted by Republican efforts to defund or delay the healthcare law, known as Obamacare. However, the jobs report suggested the impact of the shutdown on the economy was slighter than many had thought.
The Mississippi River port will give an Obama an appropriate setting to talk about his proposal to spend $50 billion to repair and upgrade the nation's infrastructure and efforts to expand trade.
The president "believes that exports are central to our national economy and has made increasing exports a major focus for his administration," the White House said in a statement.
But Obama's efforts to press Congress for more spending to strengthen economic growth will be overshadowed by lingering questions about Obamacare.
The botched rollout of the online signup process for insurance was the first major problem for the program, which aims to extend access to healthcare for millions of uninsured Americans by offering insurance at competitive prices.
A second snag has been a spate of insurance cancellations despite Obama's pledge that consumers could keep their existing health plans if they wanted them.
The setbacks have given ammunition to the law's many foes and skeptics and raised doubts whether the healthcare plans can attract enough healthy young people to keep the costs of insurance low.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, a Republican, will be at the port when Obama delivers his remarks. But Jindal made clear on Thursday his disagreement with Obama on healthcare and other issues.
"Obamacare is not smart policy and will not work," he said. "The website is merely the tip of the iceberg here."
Jindal also took issue with Obama's prescription for more spending to repair infrastructure.
"We keep increasing spending, adding entitlements, adding regulations, and adding taxes," Jindal said. "If the president wants to grow the American economy, he's got to force government to do just the opposite."


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Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and vicinity
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Serious Grape: Chardonnay 101
On Fridays, Deb Harkness of Good Wine Under $20 drops by with Serious Grape. This week, she explores Chardonnays.
Chardonnay is one of the world's most popular grapes. If you love Chardonnay, you love it a lot. But many people are tired of drinking white wine that tastes like a) buttered popcorn b) toothpicks c) licking a piece of firewood. They're the ones who have joined the "ABC" Club (Anything But Chardonnay), and refuse to touch the stuff.
I think that's a bit extreme. But I understand why the variety of winemaking styles, the overproduction, and the bewildering range of options might make you wary.
Because of its popularity there is a lot--and I mean a lot--of Chardonnay in the market. Some of it is buttery, some citrusy, and some oaky. As a consumer, how can you tell what's inside the bottle based on what's outside the bottle? More importantly, how can you find a bottle of Chardonnay that suits your taste buds given how much is sitting on the shelves?
Today I've got some tips on how to figure out which Chardonnay you might like to drink before you've taken the plunge and taken a bottle home. I've also got some specific recommendations for Chardonnays that are in the market now that represent different styles and countries of origins--yet can all be had for under about $20
Reading a Chardonnay Label
Alcohol: The first thing you want to look at is the alcohol level of the wine. With Chardonnay, these go anywhere from 12% alcohol by volume to a whopping 15% alcohol by volume. That doesn't sound like much of a difference, but it is.
The more alcohol is in a wine, the bigger and richer the taste. So if you like your Chardonnays light and fruity, lower alcohol Chardonnays (13.5% and lower) are probably going to be more pleasing to you. One that I've liked recently is the 2007 Vignerons des Terres Secrètes Mâcon-Villages Chateau du Charnay from Burgundy. This wine had aromas and flavors of pear, apple, sour cream and a touch of bitterness like grapefruit pith in the aftertaste. This was fresh and subtle, and a great deal for just under $19. (Imported by Vins Gagliardi-Allard).
Malolactic Fermentation: When you see this on a wine label it means the wine will have an almost creamy sensation in your mouth. Malolactic fermentation is a process where the sharp acidity of a wine is converted to a softer acid, which results in a buttery taste in Chardonnay. If you like your Chardonnays creamy and buttery, look or ask for a wine that's undergone this type of fermentation. An excellent choice would be the 2006 Dry Creek Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay. With flavors of apples, citrus, peach, and cream, half of the juice in this wine underwent malolectic fermentation, but all of the juice was aged for nine months in French oak, which accounts for the wine's nuttiness. (sample; widely available for $9-$22)
Oak: This is where the labels can get confusing. Some Chardonnay is fermented in stainless steel and sees no oak. These are the crispest, most citrusy types of Chardonnay. It's far more typical, however, for Chardonnays to spend some of their time in oak barrels during the fermentation and aging process. What kind of oak is important, however.
Neutral oak gives a Chardonnay some body and richness, but no oaky flavor. French oak tends to make Chardonnay even more buttery. American oak makes Chardonnay taste more of vanilla. And if an oak barrel is charred, then the wine will take on a smoky, toasted taste. The size of the barrels and the length of time the wine spent in them influences how pronounced the oak influence is on the wine. The 2006 Frei Brothers Reserve Chardonnay spends three months in a mixture of French and American oak after malolactic fermentation is complete. The result is a wine that is nicely balanced between creaminess and freshness, with aromas and flavors of pear, apple, cream, and vanilla. (sample; widely available for $11-$21) The 2006 Matchbook Chardonnay from California's Dunnigan Hills region, in contrast, was aged for seven months in French oak. Its mouth-coating flavors of rich apple and sour cream are bold and pair nicely with an oaky edge in the wine, making this perfect for their Chardonnays rich with a hint of oak flavor. (sample; widely available for $11-$19) The 2007 Finca Las Moras Chardonnay Reserva from Argentina, was aged for 12 months in a combination of French and American oak. This produced a wine with aromas and flavors of apples, vanilla cream, and oak in a round, integrated package that will appeal to lovers of full-bodied Chardonnay. (sample of a new release; expect to see it soon for around $12)
As you can see, there is a Chardonnay for every taste and pocketbook. So don't join the ABC Club. Instead, with a few pieces of basic information, you will be able to find a Chardonnay that's perfect for you.
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.


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Pranksters Sink the WTO
|Photo from YES Men: The True Story of the End of the World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is a giant international bureaucracy with nearly 150 "member countries." We—the Yes Men—are nobody.
The connection? None. But for three years, we have traveled around the world to important meetings of lawyers, managers, engineers, and policy makers, where we have given elaborate and outrageous lectures about WTO policy—as WTO representatives. If you are of sound mind, you would see through us immediately. Yet to our surprise, we found we had absolutely no trouble fooling the experts.
Worse: we couldn't get them to disbelieve us.
Why are we telling you this? First, because the story is funny. But there is a serious side to the story as well. These experts, after all, are the foot soldiers in the WTO's war on trade unions, environmental protections, and indigenous rights. If they blithely followed us down such nightmarish paths, the real WTO must be able to convince them of anything.
It all started when we set up a parody of the WTO's website—GATT.org.
Now perhaps GATT.org could be called a fake, but it was a very obvious one. Yet we were flooded with e-mail from lawyers, ministry officials, academics, and assorted others with requests for speakers from the WTO to address important international conferences on global trade—like the Conference on International Services (CILS) in Salzburg, a conference organized by the American Bar Association and the John Marshall Law School of Chicago.
CILS conference, Salzburg
"We're here for the CILS conference," Mike croaked as authoritatively as he could to the receptionist at the Crowne Plaza Salzburg. It was October 27, 2000. Andy as "Andreas Bichlbauer" was to appear on behalf of WTO director-general Mike Moore.
"Mr. Bichlbauer here is a speaker," Mike added.
"Dr.," Andy corrected.
She smiled icily and presented a folder and name tag to Andy. We nodded our thanks, then made our way as calmly as we could to a counter and tore open the folder. We half expected a "Joke's on You!" in big red clown-letters, just as a squadron of Austrian cops came to take us away. What we found instead was this listing: "Andreas Bichlbauer, World Trade Organization, Vienna, Austria. Trade Regulation Relaxation and Concepts of Incremental Improvement: Governing Perspective from 1970 to Present."
This was just what we had sent in by e-mail, but we couldn't believe our eyes as we saw it in the official booklet. We hovered as long as we reasonably could, staring at the impossible evidence: we really were in Salzburg, we really had been invited to speak as the WTO, and we really were scheduled to do so in just over an hour.
We really were going to prison!
We did not.
In fact, we got away with the absurdity—if not illegality—of what we proposed to a conference of lawyers. It was a proposal to streamline the bureaucracy of elections: corporations paying a PR agency like Hill & Knowlton, who in turn, are paying a TV station, who, finally, are relaying information to the consumer, the voters.
Our solution: VoteAuction.com. Companies directly buy votes from consumers.
"VoteAuction.com," Andy as Bichlbauer said in his speech, "is a system that permits voters to voluntarily auction their votes to the highest bidder. It's a forum for people to voluntarily offer their votes for sale, when they don't have a strong affinity for either candidate. It works to streamline the entire process, and as in all market systems, everything works out to the benefit of the consumers—and to the originating corporations, of course."
The idea of VoteAuction.com originally came from a graduate student named James Baumgartner. It was his thesis, an ingenious comment on the way money undermines democracy in the U.S.
The reaction to Baumgartner's VoteAuction.com was swift and nasty. Pundits from Rush Limbaugh to Dr. Laura Schlessinger attacked it. The Chicago Board of Elections filed a lawsuit to stop Chicago residents from being able to buy or sell their votes online. In New York, the Board of Elections threatened to have James's thesis advisor, a lawyer, disbarred.
The reaction to Andy's VoteAuction.com proposal to international trade lawyers in Salzburg was … well, nothing. Nobody seemed to mind. The audience even gave him a nice round of applause after his speech ended.
"The Nazis actually had a reasonable trade policy, you know," Andy told a young lawyer during the lunch following his speech. It was another stab to make at least one lawyer mind anything.
"Maybe they've never really been given proper credit—maybe they're not so bad after all."
"That's not my field of expertise," the young lawyer replied without hesitation.
"Mine neither," said Andy.
CNBC TV, July 19, 2000
Our challenge is to get caught.
The opportunity came July 19, 2001, one day before 300,000 people were expected to show up in Genoa, Italy, to protest a meeting of the Group of 8, or G-8. In Paris, Andy—or rather, "Granwyth Hulatberi"—entered the French studios of CNBC-TV for the "European Marketwrap" program. Together with Barry Coates, then director of the World Development Movement, Andy as Hulatberi was to discuss the protest with CNBC-TV host Nigel Roberts.
NIGEL ROBERTS, HOST: In the last two years we have seen a tremendous upsurge of anti-capitalist protest. Why is it that there's suddenly been this upsurge?
BARRY COATES: Well, I think two major reasons.
One is that the rhetoric of what companies say they're doing vastly exceeds the reality. But secondly is that companies are seen to have undue influence on government policies. And many of the protests around these kinds of issues are arguing for change to the rules—to make them fairer to people rather than to create new rights for the big corporations.
This is still a question of national policy—but it's raised to a new level in the international arena through organizations like the WTO.
NIGEL ROBERTS: Well, Granwyth, you're with the WTO—perhaps that's a fair point, that more should be done by organizations like yourself to actually ameliorate those problems.
"GRANWYTH HULATBERI": Well Nigel, the protesters are of course entirely correct, but we have to see what they're talking about in a relative way.
I mean you have a mass of protesters, an essentially ragtag group, who are trying to compete with a mass of knowledge that we at the WTO, and experts all over the world, have—knowledge that is based in books that have been written since the 1770s, in England, you know, in the 18th and 19th centuries, about this. These books allow us to be absolutely certain that free trade, although it has led to these problems that the protesters correctly point out, is certain to lead to a bettering of conditions for all consumers.
[Barry Coates' head is cocked to one side in disbelief.]
NIGEL ROBERTS: An interesting statistic is to compare the difference between the rich and poor. If you look at the annual global turnover of a firm like Goldman Sachs—$2.2 billion. Look at the GDP of Tanzania: $2.2 billion. The difference is, in Tanzania, it's shared out between 25 million people; at Goldman Sachs it used to be shared out between 161 partners. Now surely it's that kind of inequality...
"GRANWYTH HULATBERI": Well, of course it is. But I think Barry, as well as all the other protesters, are simply too focused on reality, and on facts and figures. [Coates shakes his head, his mouth agape.] There's an enormous number of experts at all the greatest universities in the world, who have read all these books, who have read Adam Smith and everything since it to Milton Friedman, and these people have solid theoretical bases for knowing that things will lead to betterment.
BARRY COATES: Can I just say that these kinds of simplistic arguments are just too insulting for most people to believe. There are many, many thinkers from around the world—just not the ones employed by the WTO—that think that World Trade Organization policies are deeply damaging to the development prospects of the poorest countries.
"GRANWYTH HULATBERI": [Hulatberi, scribbling notes, is caught by surprise.] Ah! Yes! Well, I wanted to speak to Granwyth's … sorry, to Barry's point about there being other thinkers.
Well, who actually has the power in the world, and therefore who is correct, in this kind of worldview? I think the answer is easy. And if you look at the views held by myself, my organization and many, many of the decision-makers in the world—the powerful people—they happen to coincide with what I'm explaining. And I think this is enough, in this sort of view.
Shut it down
We had been certain that the stream of rubbish we spouted would at a minimum prod some producer to pull the plug or broadcast a retraction. Instead, we had been congratulated and promised a copy of the broadcast for our archives. We needed another idea to convince others we were fakes.
The idea came when Andy showed the tape of the CNBC Marketwrap show to Bob, in preparation for another chance to represent the WTO—as "Kinnithrung Sprat," speaking during a luncheon with certified practicing accountants in Sydney, Australia. As the tape wound to the end, Bob let out a low whistle. "Nice," he said. "Very nice. But you didn't go far enough."
"Hunh?" said Andy. "I sounded like a complete imbecile. How could I have gone farther?"
"You could have shut it down," Bob replied.
"Hunh?" Andy repeated.
"Shut it down. Just matter-of-factly announce that you've done an internal review and, Oops! New data! It turns out that globalization really is hurting the little guy as the critics are saying, and you're sorry about that, so you're closing it down."
The only problem was, asking us to do something systematically smart was like getting a hedgehog to mow the front lawn. We were used to being funny, abject, and meddlesome.
We spent the next few weeks trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, until we finally decided to search for outside help. Mike called up Andy in Paris.
"Hey, remember Barry Coates, that really smart guy you were on CNBC with? Did you ever tell him you weren't really with the WTO?"
"Uh, hmm, no, as a matter of fact."
Mr. Coates laughed himself into stitches when he realized what we had done, and then generously helped straighten out our tangle of thoughts for the Sydney event.
Sydney speech, May 21, 2002
Today, I have come to accept that my devotion to orthodox free trade methodologies has betrayed me.
This is why I am at peace when I announce to you what I learned yesterday. ... Having seen the effects of policies whose only intent was to bring greater prosperity and peace, the World Trade Organization in its present form will cease to exist.
[A gasp is heard.]
Over the next two years, we of the WTO will endeavor to launch our organization anew along different lines, based on a new understanding of the purposes of world trade. The new organization will have as its foundation and basis the United Nations Charter of Human Rights, which we feel will be a good basis for insuring that we will have human rather than business interests as our bottom line.
Agreements reached under the WTO will be suspended pending ratification by the new incarnation of our organization, which we are tentatively calling the Trade Regulation Organization ...
Finally, the obvious
One hour is a long time to sit through anything without clear plot or punch lines. Yet as Andy droned on with fact after appalling fact, the audience gave him their rapt attention, some periodically nodding.
The UN estimates that poor countries lose about US$2 billion per day because of unjust trade rules, many instituted by our organization. This is 14 times the amount they receive in aid.
When Sprat finally wrapped up, there was a hearty and sincere round of applause.
"I'd just like to thank Mr. Sprat for the presentation that he has done here today," a shocked moderator said. "I'm sure it will have a profound effect on the way we and the world do business. We wish you every success, every luck, in the restructuring of what has been an interesting part of world history."
Having agreed to the dismantling of the world economy as we know it, everyone moved to the fancy salmon-and-lamb lunch prepared for our visit.
There was no ice to be broken; everyone had something real and important to talk about. "I'm as right-wing as the next guy," said a heavy-set man who had struck Mike as angry-looking. "But it's about time we did something for these countries that we've done so well by. We just can't go on like this. It's impossible."
One of the officials of the accountants' association offered to draw a logo of the new organization for Andy, and sketched an initial idea on a napkin.
Somebody even produced what ought to have been the winning proposal for a new WTO headquarters. Locate the headquarters in a Third-World country. Developing countries could afford to have more representation in meetings, and First-World delegates would daily witness abject poverty, a constant reminder of the Trade Regulation Organization's new humanitarian bottom line.
And so, in the end, one final surprise. One might have thought that there was nothing an audience of international trade experts could do that would surprise us anymore. We no longer assumed we would be thrown off the stage. Nor would we have been caught off-guard if there had been no discussion at all—if everyone had simply filed off to lunch like sheep. What we were entirely unprepared for was everyone being so … happy.
Excerpted with permission from the Yes Men: The True Story of the End of the World Trade Organization (The Disinformation Company Ltd, NY, , 2004). The Yes Men (no relation to YES!
As to their qualifications, in 1993, while still in school, Mike spent a few furtive months performing microsurgery on talking GI Joe and Barbie dolls, switching their voice boxes so that the GI Joes would say things like "Math is too hard," and Barbies would bark "Dead men tell no lies." The dolls were returned to toy stores with a note providing a number to call "If you experience problems with your doll." The numbers actually belonged to TV news desks. ... The Barbie Liberation Front provoked a firestorm of media coverage.
Andy, hired to program little people in a computer action game, secretly created an army of men wearing nothing but swimsuits, who from time to time popped up and showered each other and the player with kisses. Eighty thousand copies of the game were on store shelves before the company noticed the "feature" .... a chance remark to a journalist friend resulted in the kissing boys being featured by media all over the world.


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Lady Gaga donating $1 million to Sandy relief
Lady Gaga has pledged to donate $1 million to the American Red Cross to help with relief efforts stemming from superstorm Sandy's assault on the East Coast.
"If it wasn't for NYC: the Lower Eastside, Harlem, the Bronx and Brooklyn, I would not be the woman or artist that I am today," the "Born This Way" singer, a native New Yorker, wrote on her website Wednesday.
"New York is relentless ambition, a drive to succeed, a place where there is a natural pursuit of diversity through compassion," she continued. "Please accept this gift on behalf of myself, my parents Joe and Cynthia, and my sister Natali; with our deepest gratitude New York for raising us. Thank you for helping me build my spirit. I will now help you rebuild yours."
The 26-year-old joins a list of stars stepping up to help with relief efforts.
Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Christina Aguilera and others performed at an hour-long NBC benefit concert last week that brought in nearly $23 million in donations to the American Red Cross.
ABC's "Day of Giving" raised nearly $17 million -- including a $250,000 donation from Barbara Walters and $50,000 from George Stephanopoulos -- for the organization.
MTV is also planning a fundraiser, to air on Nov. 15, called "Restore the Shore." The cast of the network's reality series "Jersey Shore" is set to attend, and have already expressed their support for the area that made them famous.
Others include Russell Crowe, who tweeted that he made charitable donations "In honor of Seth & L.I Coast Guard & friends on Staten Island," and "Chelsea Lately" host Chelsea Handler, who said on her show that she would donate $100,000 to help victims of Sandy.


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I share my experiences in genealogy education, including taking classes at the National Institute for Genealogical Studies and preparing my BCG portfolio. I also post updates to my personal research and general genealogy news.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Course Review - Methodology Part 1
When I first registered at the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, I received a few emails with some basic explanation of how the online courses worked. In particular, they described how to find the classes for which I registered in the My Briefcase section of the site, how to find and submit assignments, and how to view your grades on completed courses. These emails saved me some time when I started my course. However, on my email client (Gmail) the sender of these emails is only given as "admin"; so, I almost dismissed them as spam at first. I'm not sure how the sender (NIGS) appears on other email clients, but be on the lookout for emails from NIGS if you register for a course. I did not find any increase in spam after I registered – unlikely from educational outlets, but it's always smart to be safe. If you do sign up for a course from NIGS, be sure to add "firstname.lastname@example.com" to your list of "safe" email addresses, as they send announcements of live chat sessions with instructors.
Speaking of which, I must admit that none of the live chat sessions have worked into my schedule so far, as I've already WAY over-scheduled myself. I do plan to attend one, and if/when I do, I'll be sure to provide an update.
For my first class, Methodology Part 1: Getting Started, I did not purchase the printed course material available, as I thought that it would be more efficient and economical to print out the material myself. However, I've now started my second class, and it has been much easier (and cheaper) for me to use course material purchased from the NIGS store. I printed almost 100 pages for the first course, and refilling my ink cartridges is not a task I look forward to. So it was worth it for me, simply for the convenience, to buy the printed material. With the shipping, it was about 16 USD, and I received the material in about 1 week.
Each course is slated to last 6 weeks, but you can work at your own pace. You only need to complete the final exam before the course end date. The readings and assignments for this first course were not overwhelming, but it is a good opportunity to evaluate your own schedule, and to get used to scheduling enough time to go over readings thoroughly – take notes, read sections over that you don't completely understand, etc. This is really the area that has given me the most trouble – time management. I have to get back into "the swing of things" academically, and I've only been out of college for three years. I would recommend planning out your class schedule beforehand – set realistic timetables for assignments and readings, and stick to that schedule. If you take one class every two months, every four months, every six months, so what? No one is going to tell you that you're not speeding through the courses quickly enough. Certainly not Ms. "Absolutely, I can fit that into my schedule for you" over here
Here's a general list of topics that were covered in Methodology: Part 1:
-Reasons for tracing your genealogy and general "dos and don'ts"
-Beginning your research (including taking notes and research planning)
-Conducting interviews
-How to use pedigree charts, family group sheets, and other forms
-Some common confusing situations
-An introduction to using outside sources
-Basic transcription
-A genealogical case study.
The assignments for this course were not particularly difficult – they correlate directly to the readings. I was glad to see that many of the assignments are designed to help you apply what you've learned in each reading.
One area that I would like to see NIGS develop further is that of personal feedback on assignments. I realize that, most likely, it is not practical for teachers to respond to every assignment from every student. However, there were times when I would have liked to know if I was correct, or on the right track. Again, this might be resolved by attending one of the live chat sessions, so I will try that in the future.
Overall, this class has left me eager to learn more. I am excited that I will have the chance to find out more about my own history, and be able to introduce people to their personal histories. A career in genealogy may give me the chance to pursue a career that it continually interesting and exciting to me, and which gives me the chance to make a difference in the world. I think I might be on to something here, career-wise, which would be a long awaited relief ;)
4 comments:
Thanks for this great post on NIGS. I really want to take the courses now, but, as one of those "Absolutely, I can fit that into my schedule for you" people, I think I'll take your advice and wait until I'm a bit freer. I hope you continue posting on what you're taking through them!ReplyDelete
I hope I didn't scare you off of taking any courses. I bet you could do it :) It's not an overwhelming amount of work if you take one course at a time - it's just squeezing one more thing into your schedule. I'd say give one course a shot. If you don't finish it, you don't finish it. They are usually more than happy to grant you an extension if you need it.ReplyDelete
Of course, if you know you're too busy, you know your schedule. Whatever you do, good luck!
I've been looking at NGIS as I am considering genealogy as a potential career, so I'm glad to see your opinions on the classes! I've been waiting to figure out what I want to be when I "grow up" (I'm 32!) and I'm tentatively thinking that genealogy may be the right path as I love everything about it. I'm grateful to see someone who is in the same place! I look forward to reading your posts. :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 22, 2010 at 12:41 AM
I too am taking classes through NIGS and am loving it. I have finished three so far. Methodology 1 and 2, and US: Census Records. I think that the hardest class so far has been the census one, just because there is so much in research there. Hope you enjoy your next class.ReplyDelete


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Sorry for the trivial question.
If I have the expression $\log(5)$, and the base is $10$, what operation is being performed on the number $5$, in words?
For example, I know that exponents work (say $5^3$) by taking a number and multiplying it by itself the number of time the exponent is equal to.
Can anyone give me a similarly simple definition for logarithms?