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Jon Rodney Resar, M.D.
Director, Adult Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
Professor of Medicine
Expertise: Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Angina, Angioplasty, Aortic Coarctation, Arrhythmia, Atrial Septal Defects (ASD), Balloon Valvuloplasty, Cardiac Catheterization, Cardiomyopathy, Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cardiovascular Interventions, Cardiovascular Medicine, Coronary Angiography, Coronary Artery Disease, Coronary Artery Stenting, Drug Eluting Stents, Extractional Atherectomy, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, Heart Failure, Interventional Cardiology, Interventional Radiology, Invasive Cardiology, Irregular Heartbeat, Ischemic Heart Disease, Laser Ablation, Mitral Stenosis, Myocardial Infarction, New Imaging Modalities, Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), Patent Foramen Ovale, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), Percutaneous Treatment of Valvular Stenosis, Pulmonary Stenosis, Rotational Atherectomy, Stenting, Treatment of Bypass Graft Disease with Distal Protection Devices, Valvular Heart Disease, Valvuloplasty for Valvular Stenosis, Ventricular Septal Defect ...read more
Research Interests: New devices and drugs to manage heart disease; New methods of percutaneous intervention.; Pharmacologic Agents to Improve Outcome of PTCA and Stenting ...read more
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Phone: 410-614-1132 | Fax: 410-367-2224
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1800 Orleans St. Sheikh Zayed Tower, Suite 7125N Baltimore, MD 21287-6568
Phone: 410-614-1132 | Fax: 410-367-2224
Jon R. Resar received his M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1985. He completed fellowships in cardiovascular medicine and interventional cardiology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins in 1992 is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine/Cardiology and the Director of the Adult Catheterization Laboratory and Interventional Cardiology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. His field of specialization is percutaneous management of coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, and adult congenital heart disease....read more
Dr. Resar is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology. He holds memberships in the American Heart Association and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology.
Dr. Resar is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology. He holds memberships in the American Heart Association and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology.
- Director, Adult Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
- Director, Interventional Cardiology
- Medical Director, Structural Heart Disease Program
- Professor of Medicine
Departments / Divisions
- Medicine - Cardiology
- Medicine - Cardiovascular
Centers & Institutes
- MD; Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin (1985)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Internal Medicine (1988)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Cardiovascular Disease (1991)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Interventional Cardiology (1992)
Board Certifications
- American Board of Internal Medicine / Cardiovascular Disease (1991)
- American Board of Internal Medicine / Internal Medicine (1988)
- American Board of Internal Medicine / Interventional Cardiology (1999)
Research & Publications
Clinical Trial KeywordsValvular heart disease, Coronary artery disease, Interventional cardiology
Selected PublicationsResar JR, et al: Brachial Approach for Intracoronary Stent Implantation: A Feasibility Study. American Heart Journal 126:300-304, 1993.
Kamp TJ, Goldschmidt-Clermont PJ, Brinker JA, Resar JR; Myocardial Infarction, Aortic Dissection, And Thrombolytic Therapy: A case report and review of the literature. American Heart Journal 128: 1234-1237, 1994.
Reis SE, Resar JR, Blumenthal RS, Gloth ST, Gerstenblith G, Brinker JA: Effects of Aging on the Modulation of Coronary Flow by Endothelium-Independent Vasodilators in Postmenopausal Woman. Cardiology in the Elderly 3:43-51, 1995.
Dalal JN, Brinker JA, Resar JR: Coronary Artery Spasm in the Transplanted Human Heart. Angiology 47:291-294, 1996.
Oesterle SN, Sanborn TA, Ali N, Resar J, Ramee SR, Heuser R, Dean L, Knopf W, Schofield P, Schaer GL, Reeder G, Masden R, Yeung AC, Burkhoff D: The PACIFIC Study: A Prospective Randomized Trial of Percutaneous Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization for Severe Angina. Lancet 356: 1705-1710, 2000.
Segal JB, Kasper EK, Rohde C, Bray PF, Baldwin WM, Resar JR, Hruban RH, Kickler TS: Coagulation Markers Predicting Cardiac Transplant Rejection. Transplantation 72:233-237, 2001.
Hennebry TA, Segal JB, Kickler TS, Kasper EK, Resar JR: Decreased Levels of D-dimer Predict Progressive Accelerated Graft Arteriosclerosis. American Journal of Cardiology, 89:884-887, 2002.
Roguin A, Resar JR: Genetics and Susceptibility of Coronary Collateral Formulation. Circulation 108: 149, 2003.
Fernando D, Resar JR: Magnetocardiography in Cardiac Transplantation: A Case Study. International Journal of Bioelectromagnetism 5:109-113, 2003.
Gellman J, Hare JM, Lowenstein CJ, Gerstenblith G, Coombs V, Langenberg P, Brinker JA, Resar JR: L-Arginine Ameliorates the Abnormal Sympathetic Response of the Dysfunctional Human Coronary Microvasculature. Angiology 55:1-8, 2004.
Schechter G, Resar JR, McVeigh ER: Rest Period Duration of the Coronary Arteries: Implications for Magnetic Resonance Coronary Angiography. Medical Physics 32: 255-262, 2005.
Steinberg BA, Roguin A, Watkins SP, Hill P, Fernando D, Resar JR: Magneto-Cardio-Gram Recordings in a Non-Shielded Environment-Reproducibility and Ischemia Detection. Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology 10(2):152-160, 2005.
Resar JR, Roguin A, Voner J, Nasir K, Hennebry TA, Miller JM, Ingersol BS, Kasch LM, Semenza GL: Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α Polymorphism and Coronary Collaterals in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease. Chest 128:787-791, 2005.
Roguin A, Steinberg BA, Watkins SP, Resar JR: Safety of Bivalirudin During Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in Patients With Abnormal Renal Function. International Journal of Cardiovascular Interventions 7(2):88-92, 2005.
Roguin A, Resar JR: CT Angiography is Here Are We Expected to See a Change of Angiography Referral Pattern? International Journal of Cardiovascular Interventions 7:152-151, 2005.
Isenbarger DW, Resar JR: Drug-eluting versus third-generation bare metal stents: The US strategy. International Journal of Cardiovascular Interventions 7: 171-175, 2005.
Boyle AJ, Chan M, Dib, J, Resar J: Catheter-Induced Coronary Artery Dissection: Risk Factors, Prevention and Management. Journal of Invasive Cardiology 18:5000-503, 2006.
Boyle AJ, Chan MY, Dib J, Kapur NK, Kraft S, Vaillant R, Whiting JS, Resar JR: Assessment of a Novel Angiographic Image Stabilization System for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. Journal of Interventional Cardiology 20:153-157, 2007.
Kapur NK, Conte JV, Resar JR: Percutaneous Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale for Refractory Hypoxemia after HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist Device Placement. Journal of Invasive Cardiology 19:E268-E270, 2007.
Resar JR (Editor): Can We Do Better? Strategies for Acute Coronary Syndrome With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. Advanced Studies in Medicine 7(17):534-559, 2007.
Thompson, JB, Blaha M, Resar JR, Blumenthal RS, Desai MY: Strategies to Reverse Atherosclerosis: An Imaging Perspective. Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine 10:283-293, 2008.
Boyle AJ, Schuleri KH, Lienard J, Vaillant R, Chan MY, Zimmet JM, Mazhari R, Centola M, Feigenbaum G, Dib J, Kapur NK, Hare JM, Resar JR: Quantitative Automated Assessment of Myocardial Perfusion at Cardiac Catheterization. American Journal of Cardiology 102:980-987, 2008.
Boudoulas KD, Elinoff J, Resar JR: Bronchopulmonary Fistula Closure with an Amplatzer Multi-Fenestrated Septal Occluder. Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, Published On-Line Prior to Print, 2009.
Activities & Honors
- Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
- Engstrom Award In Internal Medicine
- Quick Award In Biochemistry
- William H. Millman Award
- Frankow Award
- Castle Connelys Americas Top Doctors
- Madison Who's Who
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Prostate Cancer Early Detection Panel
Videos & Media
Treating Structural Heart Disease - FAQ with Drs. Jon Resar and Stefano Schena
Recent News Articles and Media Coverage
Webinar: Update on TAVR: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Video: The Latest in Transcatheter Interventions for Structural Heart Disease
Patient Ratings & Comments
The Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
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Toll Free (877) 664-4628
Local (407) 352-1866
"We Sell Quiet"Sorry, We Don't Accept Cats or DogsRentals Are 7-Month LeasesRenting to Orlando Residents & Nationwide RentersOffice HoursMonday–Friday10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Location, Location, LocationEasy Access to Local Attractions
• Downtown Orlando• Walk to Mall at Millenia• Holy Land Experience• Close access to I-4 entrance at Conroy (#78)
• Lowest prices in the area• Single Story - No stairs!• Private patios• 13 Acres of beautiful landscaping & mature trees• Most units have large utility room with washer/dryer hook ups (also can be used as an office)• 2 on-site laundry rooms• Attic storage with pull-down ladder• On-site car wash• Free parking• Lynx bus stop at our entrance• Within walking distance to shopping and restaurants, including the Mall at Millenia
You Are Our First ConcernWe have been in the industry since 1978, and use our many years of experience to keep residents happy. We meticulously screen applicants for our 148 rental apartments, including studio, 1- & 2-bedroom apartments. We know our residents by name, not by a number. Call us to make Oak Grove your new home.
Contact us today to talk to our manager Toll free at (877) 664-4628 or locally at (407) 352-1866

subset: commoncrawl


text:
28 May 2012
In the Railway Collision Avoidance System (RCAS) research project, DLR researchers have developed a complete system for preventing train collisions, which does not rely on any fixed infrastructure. The Bayerische Oberlandbahn (BOB) is a collaborative partner, having made one of its 'Integral' type regional trains, shown in this image, available as a test vehicle for RCAS. The technology is now ready for the market.
Having founded their company, 'Intelligence on Wheels', the two DLR researchers, Andreas Lehner (left) and Professor Thomas Strang, are aiming to establish Railway Collision Avoidance System (RCAS) technology on the open market. RCAS has been under development at DLR since 2006, and is designed to prevent train collisions.
Whether on high-speed lines or regional services, the consequences of a train collision are often devastating. Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) have developed a radio-based communications and positioning system that allows such collisions to be prevented. After extensive testing, two DLR researchers have founded a company to exploit the technology from the Railway Collision Avoidance System (RCAS) research project.
'Intelligence on Wheels' is the name that DLR colleagues Thomas Strang and Andreas Lehner have chosen for their company, which is based in Gilching, near DLR's site in Oberpfaffenhofen. "We are delighted to have taken a major step closer to bringing RCAS research into real operation by registering this company," says Strang, the CEO. The doctorate IT specialist from the DLR Institute of Communications and Navigation has been heading the RCAS research project since 2007. In this initiative a special anti-collision system for trains has been developed. What started off as a mere idea has evolved into a marketable technology thanks to the joint work conducted with researchers at the DLR Institute of Transportation Systems and the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics. "DLR Technology Marketing assisted us with the formation of a spin-off company and confirmed that RCAS demonstrates appropriate market potential," reports Strang.
Independent functionality
Every RCAS unit consists of one communications and one positioning component, which are integrated into the train driver's cab and operate independently of the trackside infrastructure. The system records every train parameter that could play a part in a collision – position, speed, braking capability or loading gauge excess – and sends these directly by radio to every train in the vicinity. "Any train that receives this data can compare it to its own parameters and thus constantly assess the current traffic situation on the line," explains Andreas Lehner, the Technical Director of Intelligence on Wheels. If the system detects a critical situation, it warns the driver or takes control of the braking process.
Direct communication between RCAS trains relies on an independent radio network that operates without a base station. "In a major shunting yard, a system like this must be able to cope with, potentially, some 500 units transmitting simultaneously within a range of five kilometres," says Lehner, describing the challenge they face. The DLR researchers have now succeeded in locating trains reliably and accurately using a combination of different sensor systems.
Not just of interest for trains
Construction vehicles or track workers can also be fitted with RCAS, to make the picture of the area as complete as possible, thus minimising the likelihood of collisions. In this way, RCAS will enhance existing railway safety systems with new technology and increase overall operational safety. The technology was first tested in a Bayerischen Oberlandbahn (BOB) train in May 2010. "Measurements on the BOB rail network showed, for example, that even in a worst-case scenario and under extremely difficult operating conditions, such as at maximum speed, the available braking distance is increased by a factor of more than seven from the point where RCAS first receives signals from another train and can make an initial safety assessment," explains Strang.
Last modified:30/05/2012 14:36:31


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MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KKCO)— Questions are circulating through the Grand Valley about local law enforcement's stance on President Obama's gun control announcement.
On Wednesday, Obama unveiled a $500 million gun violence package that would ban military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as close loopholes in gun background checks.
Since then, residents have been calling on Mesa County Sheriff Stan Hilkey to reveal his position on this issue.
Thursday, Hilkey released a statement that assures citizens that he has "no intention of following any unlawful orders nor do I have any tolerance of efforts to disarm law-abiding citizens." Instead, he suggests putting weapons in the hands of people working in schools and public places.
However, Hilkey goes on to say that he will respect the lawful business of federal law enforcement.
Here is his full statement:
I have been contacted by many people in the last few days concerning encroachments on the rights afforded by the Second Amendment of our Constitution. Many of those contacts include questions as to my intention to support my Oath of Office and the Constitution along with questions about my role as Sheriff in protecting those rights.
I apologize in advance that I can't answer each inquiry individually due to the volume, but I do want to more widely state what I've said many times regarding this issue.
I'd like to assure everyone that as your Sheriff I've always taken my Oath of Office seriously, and have no intention of following any unlawful orders, nor do I have any tolerance of efforts to disarm law-abiding citizens. If you have followed me at all through my career you will know that I remain consistently supportive of our Constitution, and most specifically in this conversation, the Second Amendment.
Having just spent a week with nearly all of Colorado's Sheriffs in conversations that included this important topic, I want to assure you that I see Sheriffs closely following the national conversation and listening to their constituents. I am fully ready to use my influence appropriately to represent common interests of all in protecting our Second Amendment rights.
I have always been supportive of keeping guns out of the hands of violent criminals and measures to deal with those that would do things that threaten all of our rights, as long as those measures don't tread on the rights of honest, law-abiding American citizens. I have never been in favor of creating solutions that are in search of a problem. I am frustrated that the national conversation is focused more squarely on firearms than mental health issues. Like most Sheriffs in America, my jail has far too many people that cycle through with mental health issues that are unaddressed, undiagnosed, or have fallen through the cracks to receive the care they need. Improving our behavioral health system, plugging holes within it, and sharing information about people posing a risk across a wide spectrum of disciplines is the most fertile ground for addressing the kind of mass violence that has sparked the national level of emotion currently seen.
I also hold the belief that instead of talk of disarming law-abiding citizens, we should be talking about allowing those working in schools and public places who want the ability to protect themselves to be able to do so by carrying their personal firearm discretely but confidently with the training that would allow them to make a difference with an active shooter. Again, I view this area as fertile ground of public policy making that could help save lives.
I will also, however, respect the lawful and properly conducted business of federal law enforcement agencies and continue to be good partners in solving community problems that have served well the public safety interests of our community. Frankly, those federal partners I work with have children in our schools, share these same concerns with the rest of us, and are no less patriotic than any of us. To be clear though, I will support the Constitution, enforce the laws of my state, and fulfill my statutory responsibilities as required. If an agent of the federal government violates a state law in my county we will take appropriate enforcement actions, and I will resist, appropriately, efforts by the federal government to manage my agency or unduly and unlawfully infringe upon the rights of our citizens.
Finally, I feel blessed that I've had the opportunity to be a Sheriff in this great country, state and Mesa County. As an elected official who has worked an entire career knowing that it is my job to earn and keep your trust, I know, very well, who I work for...It is something that I will never forget. Thank you for that opportunity.
Sheriff Stan Hilkey


text: Etihad Airways and Al Ittihad Football Club have held an official signing ceremony in Jeddah, marking the start of the new partnership between the Abu Dhabi-based airline and the Saudi Arabian football club. The three year agreement, announced on 15 July 2015, named Etihad Airways as the official airline partner for the Abdul Latif Jameel League club. The signing ceremony took place at Al Ittihad FC between Ibrahim Al-Balawi, President of Al Ittihad FC, and Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways' Chief Commercial Officer. Accompanying Mr. Baumgartner from Etihad Airways at the ceremony was Hareb Al Muhairy, Senior Vice President Corporate and International Affairs, and Patrick Pierce, Vice President Sponsorship. Peter Baumgartner said: "We are delighted to visit Jeddah, the home of Al Ittihad Football Club, and to celebrate this new partnership which has captivated football fans in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East. "We were extremely proud to host the club for its visit to Abu Dhabi and Dubai in September, and this return trip to Jeddah to celebrate the commencement of the partnership with the club's fans and officials marks another exciting chapter in the cooperation between Etihad Airways and Al Ittihad FC." Etihad Airways will continue to activate the partnership with Al Ittihad FC across a number of marketing and communications platforms, including home matches in King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, media conferences, exclusive club events and player appearances. Al Ittihad FC will also use Etihad Airways as its preferred airline when the club and its supporters travel overseas for matches, including the Asian Champions League tournament. Ibrahim Al-Balawi, President of Al Ittihad FC, said: "We are delighted to team up with Etihad Airways. We are confident this partnership will have a positive impact on Al Ittihad FC, because it allows the club to extend its reach outside our home market. "It will also help the club supporters to travel seamlessly on Etihad Airways' global network and to enjoy its leading services and premium products." Al Ittihad FC plays its home games at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium. It has won the Abdul Latif Jameel League on eight occasions and has won the Asian championship three times. Etihad Airways operates 55 return flights a week between Abu Dhabi and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia including 16 return flights between Abu Dhabi and Jeddah,19 to Dammam,13 to Riyadh and daily to Madinah. Get in touch with us. Contact us Let us know what you think Send feedback Join our community Etihad Facebook Watch our latest videos Etihad YouTube Follow us Etihad Airways


text:
|Posted: June 13, 2008
Nanoparticles aid bone growth
|(Nanowerk News) In the first study of its kind, bioengineers and bioscientists at Rice University and Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands, have shown they can grow denser bone tissue by sprinkling stick-like nanoparticles throughout the porous material used to pattern the bone.
|The research is available online and slated to appear in the journal Bone. It's the latest breakthrough from the burgeoning field of tissue engineering. The new discipline combines the latest research in materials science and biomedical engineering to produce tissues that can be transplanted without risk of rejection.
|To grow new bone, tissue engineers typically place bone cells on porous, biodegradable materials called scaffolds, which act as patterns. With the right chemical and physical cues, the cells can be coaxed into producing new bone. As the scaffold degrades, it is replaced by new bone.
|"Ideally, a scaffold should be highly porous, nontoxic and biodegradable, yet strong enough to bear the structural load of the bone that will eventually replace it," said lead researcher Antonios Mikos, Rice's J.W. Cox Professor in Bioengineering, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and the director of Rice's Center for Excellence in Tissue Engineering. "Previous research has shown that carbon nanotubes give added strength to polymer scaffolds, but this is the first study to examine the performance of these materials in an animal model."
|In the experiments, the researchers implanted two kinds of scaffolds into rabbits. One type was made of a biodegradable plastic called poly(propylene fumarate), or PPF, which has performed well in previous experiments. The second was made of 99.5 percent PPF and 0.5 percent single-walled carbon nanotubes. Nanotubes are about 80,000th the width of a hair. While they are normally about a thousand times longer than they are wide, the researchers used shorter segments that have fared well in prior cytocompatibility studies.
|Half the samples were examined four weeks after implantation and half after 12 weeks. While there was no notable difference in performance at four weeks, the nanotube composites exhibited up to threefold greater bone ingrowth after 12 weeks than the PPF. Furthermore, the researchers found the 12-week composite scaffolds contained about two-thirds as much bone tissue as the nearby native bone tissue, while the PPF contained only about one-fifth as much.
|Mikos said the nanocomposites performed better than anticipated. In fact, the results indicate that they may go beyond passive guides and take an active role in promoting bone growth.
|"We don't yet know the exact mechanism of this enhanced bone formation, but we have intensive studies under way to find out," Mikos said. "It could be related to changes in surface chemistry, strength or other factors."
|Source: Rice University
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text:
Last Tuesday, the fourth OGh APEX World day took place, again at Figi Zeist. Several people have already written about this day:
- Christian Rokitta, about the announcements from David Peake in his keynote,
- Bart Peeters from iAdvise, with comments about several sessions and
- Rob de Gouw from Quobell, written in Dutch.
For me, this year was a little different. In the first three editions of the OGh APEX day, Learco Brizzi, Marti Koppelmans and myself "just" invite the speakers and put together the program. This year, I was also a speaker and Ciber had a demo booth which was my base location for that day.
No changes, fortunately, at the keynote. Each year, we are very grateful that the APEX product development team sends a member to our event to deliver a presentation, mostly about upcoming features. This year, David Peake, the product manager of APEX himself, delivered the keynote. His talk consisted of two parts. The first part was about how APEX will fit in the new 12c pluggable database architecture and the second part was about several 5.0 features that may or may not make it to the final product. For more details about this keynote, I'll not repeat Christian Rokitta, but simply refer you to his blogpost.
After the keynote, we had programmed a total of 15 sessions in 3 tracks. The first track were customer cases. A track designed to learn how other companies use APEX in their organizations. This year we had lots of interesting cases to choose from, of which unfortunately only 5 could be selected. The second track was the international track, where all sessions were in English, especially for our foreign guests, so they too can have a day full of interesting sessions. The third track was an allround technical track, in Dutch, with sessions for beginners as well as expert developers. It was my impression that during each of the five slots, the 300 participants were spread out pretty evenly across the three tracks.
The first session I chose was Carsten Czarski's "APEX Hosting In The Own Company: apex.mycompany.com". He had a very lively story about what you need to setup when hosting an APEX development environment in your own company. This is a great way to spread the adoption of APEX: if the development environment is in place, the applications will soon follow. Especially the importance and usage of the resource manager was well explained.
After the break, I presented my paper about professional software development using APEX. On the main stage, due to a pretty high number of preregistrations. This meant a fantastic theater-style room, but also meant two spotlights shining in my face for 50 minutes. Last time I did this talk, at UKOUG, I was not too happy with how it went. This time, I had made several improvements, focused much more on why each step is so important, which made the story much better, in my opinion. I had lots of in-depth conversations afterwards, which showed me the topic is indeed an important one where people are interested in. At the beginning of the session I also did a little poll to see whether the people in the audience just put the large APEX export file under version control, or the individual components, and whether they have self-contained development environments. The results were only a few raised hands in these cases. No hands at all for one-step builds and continuous integration. So there's still a lot to win almost everywhere :-)!
The third session was the customer case "CB Goes Responsive". CB Logistics is the client I'm currently working for and I've participated at the project that was presented here, so obviously I liked to see this one. Chris Amelink and Mark Rooijakkers from CB and Stijn van Raes from iAdvise explained how we created a responsive web application with APEX and Twitter Bootstrap. The business case was a wish of the publishers of e-books to be able to see the number of sales, one day after the sales were made. It's very interesting for them to see if any promotional actions have a measurable effect and this application does that.
My fourth session was Roel Hartman's session "My First Mobi" where he showed how to start with mobile development. Not every demo went as smooth as Roel would have wanted, but he still managed to get his points across. And in case you missed it and want to know more about building mobile web applications with APEX, you can find his (and Christian's and David's) book here.
The last session of the day for me was Christian Rokitta's session about PhoneGap. This session was on top my list as I had only heard from PhoneGap and was very curious to see how it works. With PhoneGap you can build hybrid apps, using HTML, CSS and Javascript and still use the abilities of a native app. A nice demonstration was when he took a photo from the audience with his tablet and uploaded it into the database.
Again I enjoyed a day full of APEX content and speaking with everyone. I'm already looking forward to a fifth edition.


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Sho is an interactive environment for data analysis and scientific computing that lets you seamlessly connect scripts (in IronPython) with compiled code (in .NET) to enable fast and flexible prototyping. The environment includes powerful and efficient libraries for linear algebra as well as data visualization that can be used from any .NET language, as well as a feature-rich interactive shell for rapid development. Sho is available under the following licenses: Sho for IronPython 2.6 license and Sho for IronPython 2.7 license. See the Installers page for more details about the two versions.
There are two versions of Sho available; one built on IronPython 2.6 and one built on IronPython 2.7. Depending on your usage scenario, you will want one or the other; the information below will help you decide.
This is the version you'll want if you plan to use the Python Tools for Visual Studio IDE for Sho, and/or you want the latest version of IronPython (2.7). Note that since this latest version of IronPython is distributed from codeplex under a different license, this version of Sho does not ship with the IronPython bits; you'll have to install IronPython 2.7 (from codeplex) separately before installing Sho. An advantage of installing IronPython in this way is that the Python standard libraries will be available to you as well. Note that if you're planning to use PTVS you need to uncheck the option in the 2.7 installer for the Visual Studio components; that option conflicts with PTVS.
Installer for Sho 2.1 on IronPython 2.7 (requires separate IronPython 2.7 install)
This version is fully self-contained, in that the essentials of IronPython 2.6 are included (just binaries, not the standard libraries; if you want the latter you'll need to do an install of IronPython 2.6 from codeplex and point your Sho path to the libraries). This is the version you'll want if the IronPython 2.7 license on codeplex is not compatible with your needs. This is also the version you'll want if you want to use the HPC or Azure packages for Sho – we'll be upgrading those in the near future to work with both versions, but for now they will only work with the IronPython 2.6 version.
Installer for Sho 2.1 on IronPython 2.6 (self-contained)
OS: Windows 7, Server 2008, Vista, or Server 2003.Dependencies (Sho 2.1 for IronPython 2.6): .NET 4.0 or higher.Dependencies (Sho 2.1 for IronPython 2.7): .NET 4.0 or higher, IronPython 2.7.
*This library includes parts of the Intel Math Kernel Library. For more information about the Intel Math Kernel Library, please visit http://software.intel.com/en-us/intel-mkl/ .
If you're looking for a great integrated development environment (IDE) for Sho, Python Tools for Visual Studio (PTVS) is a perfect fit. PTVS is a plugin for Visual Studio 2010; you can get the free VS Shell if you don't have Visual Studio already. PTVS gives you an interactive REPL with intellisense, great editing capabilities such syntax highlighting, automatic indents, intellisense, etc., as well as Python debugging, with some project management features to boot. A screenshot of using Sho with PTVS is below.
If you're a regular Sho user, you'll probably want to add the importing of the Sho libraries directly into the startup of the PTVS. To do this, you'll first create a startup file, which I like to call "shoptvs.py" – the contents are below:
# shoptvs.py - Sho startup file for PTVS
import syssys.path.append("c:/Program Files//sho 2.0//sho")from sho import *
Note that you'll have to set the path to point to the "shoshodir", which you can find by evaluating shoshodir in the Sho console. To specify this as the startup file for the IronPython interpreter, go to Tools->Options->Python Tools->Interactive Windows, and under "Startup Script" specify the full path to shoptvs.py (or whatever you chose to call it). If you don't want to create/use this startup file, you can manually execfile shoptvs.py or just include the lines above in any scripts from which you want to use Sho commands or libraries.
You can now click on Tools->Python Tools->IronPython 64-bit 2.7 Interactive, and you'll get a new REPL with all the Sho commands at your fingertips.
There are two styles of debugging for IronPython – Python debugging and .NET debugging. Python debugging lets you look inside Python classes and examine variables, just as you would with pdb, but doesn't let you step into .NET code. .NET debugging does let you step into and examine .NET code, but gives you a more limited Python debugging experience – for instance, members of Python classes will appear as they do in .NET, as part of dictionary, as opposed to the class structure you'd see in Python debugging. In short, if you're mostly debugging Python code, you'll likely want Python debugging; if you're mostly debugging C# (or mixed mode code), you'll want to use .NET debugging.
PTVS is focused on Python debugging; if you want to do .NET debugging see "Using PTVS with the Sho Console" below. To do Python debugging, simply set breakpoints in your code (F9) and then run commands from the Python Interactive window; when your breakpoints are hit, execution will pause, and you can investigate variables, step through, etc.
If you're doing mixed mode (Python and C#) development or just prefer the Sho Console for your interactive sessions, you can still take advantage of PTVS's fantastic editor as well as .NET debugging. As described above, .NET debugging lets you set breakpoints in both Python and C# code, step into C# or Python code, etc., at the cost of not being able to look inside Python objects with the same convenience as Python debugging (above).
To debug code in Sho Console, you'll need to first attach to the process via Debug->Attach to Process in Visual Studio. This will bring up a list of processes and their IDs; pick the appropriate "shoconsole.exe" process. If you have more than one you can evaluate System.Diagnostics.Process.GetCurrentProcess().Id in the console to find out the Process ID for the one you wish to debug. You can then load up the relevant Python and C# files you wish to debug in Visual Studio, and set breakpoints wherever you wish. When you execute code in the console that results in one of these breakpoints being hit, execution will pause and control will go to Visual Studio; at this point you can step through code, step into code, etc., as you normally would in VS.
Available for class, method, and filename; activated by hitting
>>> f = System.Windows.Forms.Form()>>> doc(f)
>>> x = drange(0, 2*PI, 0.05)>>> plot(x, sin(x))
>>> txt = System.IO.File.ReadAllText("./declarationofindependence.txt")>>> table = System.Collections.Hashtable()>>> for word in txt.split(): if table.ContainsKey(word): table[word] += 1 else: table[word] = 1>>> pairs = zip(table.Keys, table.Values)>>> elts = sorted(pairs, lambda a, b: a[1] < b[1])[:10]
>>> words, counts = zip(*elts)>>> bar(words, counts)
>>> f = System.Windows.Forms.Form()>>> b = System.Windows.Forms.Button()>>> f.Controls.Add(b)>>> b.Text = "Hello World">>> b.Location = System.Drawing.Point(250,100)>>> f.Width = 561>>> def printhello(sender, evtinfo): print "Hello World!" >>> b.Click += printhello>>> f.ShowDialog()
Plotting/Analyzing SQL Data
This is a short, canonical demo of doing Data-Centric Development from Sho: pulling data from an enterprise source (SQL), visualizing it, and doing some analysis on it. In this case, we fit lines and curves to data of population vs. area for various countries.
Web Search with Speech
This demo shows how a tiny bit of Sho can be used to mix powerful platform components: in this case, we use Windows' speech recognition engine to send queries to bing. [41 lines of code]
Sticky Sorter Prototype
This is an application built in Sho that allows for arranging and editing sticky notes on a virtual canvas, a key functionality for user experience researchers organizing observation data. It was an initial, fully-functioning prototype that was used as the basis for the "StickySorter" application now available from Office Labs. [1000 lines of code]
A Data Oscilloscope for Microsoft Surface
This is an example of using Sho as a "data oscilloscope," i.e., to visualize the values of live data. in this case, values from a Microsoft Surface application are being shown and updated in real-time using Sho plot objects on a second monitor.
Debugging Sho Code with Visual Studio 2010
This video shows how you can edit and debug Sho code with Visual Studio 2010 along with IronPython Tools, available from IronPython.net. The video shows how to set breakpoints, step through code, inspect locals, and more. [highres version, 61MB]
Azure (Cloud Computing) – [download] [documentation]
Enables parametric sweeps on Microsoft Azure directly from the Sho console. Python functions defined in modules on the local filesystem can be run remotely and return results to the local instance; relevant dependencies and data can be specified for more complex computations.
HPC (Cluster Computing) – [download] [documentation]
Enables parametric sweeps on Microsoft HPC clusters directly from the Sho console. Python functions defined in modules on the local filesystem can be run remotely and return results to the local instance; relevant dependencies and data can be specified for more complex computations.
Package installation instructions:
*Note: If you really don't want to restart Sho, you can import the name of the package directory name; for instance, for the Optimizer package, import Optimizer.
The HPC package lets you run Sho functions on an HPC cluster for parameter sweeps and related scenarios. In its most basic form, you specify a function which takes a couple of inputs, one of which will be the same for all remote instances, one of which will be one element of a list that you'll also pass in. Advanced features let you specify data and output directories that will be copied to/from the cluster, as well as the ability to reconstitute a past cluster session from its output directory.
To use this package, you will have to have access to an HPC cluster, know the name of the headnode, and know/have read/write access to your personal working directory on the HPC cluster. Your cluster administrator should be able to give you all of this information.
# setup>>> cl = clustersetup('HEADNODENAME','//FILESERVER/YOURWORKDIR')# note that your actual working directory, "YOURWORKDIR" may have your username or other info tacked onto the base workdir, e.g., //FILESERVER/BASEWORKDIR/LOCATION/USERNAME; check with your system administrator for details.
# write a function in a file, for instance, I have a function addstuff in file rctest.py>>> addpath("blah/foo/blah/foo")>>> import rctest>>> rctest.addstuff(3,4)7
# now run it on the cluster and get the results>>> session = clusterrun(cl, rctest.addstuff, 10, [1,2,3,4,5])>>> session.getresults()Dictionary[int, object]({0 : 11, 1 : 12, 2 : 13, 3 : 14, 4 : 15})
# explore the job's working directory to look at stdout and stderr and other output>>> session.Workdir'//FILESERVER/YOURWORKDIRsession-9dbd860b-e141-4dd0-9896-0cc470640ff7'
# now let's say you're recovering a past experiment whose results are in some directory – note the dir doesn't have to be on the cluster, you could have copied it somewhere local to keep it around>>> session = clustersession('//FILESERVER/YOURWORKDIR/session-eb821858-b00f-4e6b-8f90-76f92838c9d6')>>> session.getdata()10>>> session.getparams()[1,2,3,4,5]>>> session.getresults()Dictionary[int, object]({0 : 11, 1 : 12, 2 : 13, 3 : 14, 4 : 15})
The Azure Parameter Sweep package is an easy-to-use package that allows you to parallelize embarrassingly-parallel code over a number of Sho instances running in Azure. It is especially well-suited to parameter sweeps.
In order to use the Azure package, your Azure administrator must first follow the directions in Admin Guide to get everything up and running on the cloud.
To install the package, simple copy the package directory to your Sho packages directory.
In order to use the package, it will need to know a couple of pieces of information about the Azure environment the Sho instances are running on. The following environment variables should contain the authentication information for your deployment. Ask your administrator for the values to set:
The parameter sweep package uses work functions that take two arguments: one "data" and one "parameter" value:
def workfn(data, param): ...
When you tell the package to run your work function in the cloud, it uses a single "data" value common to all of the various instances, and a list of parameter values, which are distributed among them. Here is an example showing how to use the package to distribute a very simple work function over a list of parameter values:
For this simple example, we are going to use a very simple predefined work function that simply adds the data value to the parameter value.
>>> import paramsweep # import the paramsweep package>>> paramsweep.addDemoDir() # this adds the path to the test functions>>> import paramsweeptest # paramsweeptest contains some demo functions>>> session = paramsweep.run(paramsweeptest.add, 100, [1,2,3,4,5])
The run function returns a parameter sweep session object:
>>> print sessionParamSweepSession('2c574185-9cd3-4ba1-a6f3-9668424374a8')
This session runs asynchronously on the cloud, leaving your Sho instance running so you can do work while you wait for it to finish. The isDone method will tell you if the session has finished. If it is, we can call getResults to get the results from each of the jobs. Alternately we can call the waitResults function, which blocks until it finishes, and then return the result values.
>>> session.isDone()True>>> session.getResults()[101, 102, 103, 104, 105]
It is good practice to delete the server-side data associated with this session when you're done.
>>> session.cleanup()
Of course, you aren't limited to using integers as your data or parameter values:
>>> a = rand(4,4) # This is a Sho array>>> session = paramsweep.run (paramsweeptest.multiply, a, [1, 3, 5])>>> for x in session.waitResults(): print x,"n"[ 0.4669 0.1889 0.4706 0.35420.7747 0.0344 0.3692 0.84170.4836 0.3800 0.0677 0.22110.6412 0.3844 0.4372 0.1443][ 1.4006 0.5668 1.4117 1.06252.3240 0.1033 1.1076 2.52521.4509 1.1399 0.2030 0.66331.9235 1.1532 1.3116 0.4329][ 2.3344 0.9447 2.3528 1.77093.8734 0.1722 1.8460 4.20872.4182 1.8999 0.3384 1.10553.2058 1.9221 2.1859 0.7215]
In addition to the return values, you can get back the data and parameter values:
>>> session.getData()[ 0.4669 0.1889 0.4706 0.35420.7747 0.0344 0.3692 0.84170.4836 0.3800 0.0677 0.22110.6412 0.3844 0.4372 0.1443]>>> session.getParams()[1, 3, 5]
If you are planning to run the same work function over and over again in different sessions, you can simplify things further by creating a "sweeper" function from it. The sweeper function takes your work function and returns a thing that will automatically sweep your function over the set of parameters, block until they're done and return the results:
>>> adder = paramsweep.sweeper(paramsweeptest.add)>>> adder(10, [1,2,3,4,5])[11, 12, 13, 14, 15]>>> adder(100, [1,2,3,4,5])[101, 102, 103, 104, 105]
Note that this is equivalent to:
>>> session = paramsweep.run(paramsweeptest.add, 10, [1,2,3,4,5])>>> session.waitResults()[11, 12, 13, 14, 15]
Oftentimes, you will want to run multiple parameter sweep sessions over the same large dataset. Since it can take a long time to upload the data to the cloud, you may want to explicitly upload the data once. Then you can tell the Azure instances to use the persisted cloud data, rather than upload it each time. This example uses the "topnsvd" test function, which returns the n largest singular values from a matrix.
>>> import azureutils>>> arr = rand(1000, 1000)>>> blob = azureutils.pickleToBlob(arr)>>> session = paramsweep.run(paramsweeptest.topnsvd, blob, [1,2,3,4])>>> session.waitResults()[[ 500.0264], [ 500.0264 18.0877], [ 500.0264 18.0877 18.0564],[ 500.0264 18.0877 18.0564 17.9239]]
All of the examples we've shown so far run work functions that take objects as the parameters and produce output in the form of return values. However, many times it is easier to express your work function in terms of input and/or output files. For these kinds of applications, we allow you to optionally specify an inDir and outDir argument to your work function. In this case, your work function should be specified as follows:
def workfn(data, param, inDir, outDir): ...
If you specify an inDir variable, the contents of that local directory will be uploaded to the cloud and then downloaded to your instance. For instance, indirlist is a function that returns a list of the files in inDir (the data and param values are ignored, and set to 0 here):
>>> session = paramsweep.run(paramsweeptest.indirlist, 0, [0], inDir="C:/tmp/myindir")>>> session.waitResults()[['a.txt', 'b.txt']]
If you want to produce output as files, outdirtest is an example:
>>> session = paramsweep.run(paramsweeptest.outdirtest, "foo", [1,2,3], outDir="C:/tmp/outdir")>>> session.waitDone()>>> session.downloadOutDir()>>> ls("C:/tmp/outdir")1.pickle 27 10/19/2010 5:38:33 PM2.pickle 27 10/19/2010 5:38:33 PM3.pickle 27 10/19/2010 5:38:33 PM
You can get a list of session objects that still store data on the cloud using the listSessions function, which will return a handle to all of the sessions started by you:
>>> for s in paramsweep.listSessions(): print sParamSweepSession('8aee1717-3d23-44b0-8033-21883a332f39')ParamSweepSession('c6be1ea5-189e-441a-9f31-09a87ffc7102')
This is particularly useful if you forgot to clean them up:
>>> for s in paramsweep.listSessions(): s.cleanup()
Note that your work function must conform to one of the following forms, or it will not work:
def workFn(data, param): ...def workFn(data, param, inDir): ...def workFn(data, param, inDir, outDir): ...
Finally, you can retrieve any output text printed by your work function with the getOutputText() method on your session object:
>>> session.getOutputText()[...]
In order to make sure that one job doesn't pollute the Sho environment and cause problems for subsequent jobs running on that Azure instance, the entire Sho environment is restarted between jobs by default. Also by default, the data value is re-downloaded for each job, so that and destructive changes one job makes doesn't affect another job. Since both of these safeguards are frequently unnecessary and can take a significant amount of time, there are ways to disable them to get your jobs to run faster.
These options are controlled by setting special global variables in the main module of your work function. Setting the "can_reuse_state" variable to True tells the system that you can re-use the Sho instance between jobs from the same session. The "can_reuse_data" variable controls whether or not you can reuse the same data object between jobs. Finally, if you want to be able to share state and/or data values between different sessions, you can set the "state_token" variable to some unique value. Different sessions with the same "state_token" value will be able to reuse the Sho environment and data value as if they were jobs from the same session. Here is an example of the settings in the python file that contains the demo job functions:
paramsweeptest.py:can_reuse_state = Truecan_reuse_data = Truestate_token = "parametersweeptest"
The paramsweep and auzreutils modules contain a number of useful utilities for dealing with Azure storage.
To store a data object in the cloud, call the azureutils.pickleToBlob() method:
>>> arr =>>> blob = azureutils.pickleToBlob(arr)
This stores your data into a new blob with a unique name. If you want to pickle to data into a blob with a particluar name or at a particular URL, you can pass that in:
>>> azureutils.pickleToBlob(arr, blobname) # blobname is a filename or fully-qualified URL
In order to read the data back from the cloud, you can call the unpickle method:
>>> blob.unpickle()
If you don't have a blob object, you can create one given the URI of an object in blob storage. Or, you can directly unpickle from a URI:
>>> blob = azureutils.BlobLocation("http://
")>>> mydata = blob.unpickle()
>>> mydata = azureutils.unpickleBlob(http://
Finally, to delete a pickled blob, call the delete method or call the deleteBlob function:
>>> blob.delete()>>> azureutils.deleteBlob("http://...")
You can retrieve a list of blobs you've pickled via the listPickleBlobs function, which returns a list of BlobLocation objects:
>>> azureutils.listPickleBlobs()[
, ]
Here are a few other useful functions:
uploadFile() – uploads a file into blob storagedownloadFile() – downloads a blob's contents to a fileuploadDirectory() – uploads a directory into blob storagedownloadBlobDirectory() – downloads a directory of files from blob storage
If you want to output diagnostic messages from your work function, first import the azureserverutil module, then call the tracemessage function. The message will be saved in Azure diagnostic message storage. Then, you can call the showLog method on your session object in order to view the messages.
def tracetest(data, param):azureserverutil.tracemessage(str(data) + ": " + str(param))
Then, back at the console, call showLog to display the log messages:
>>> session = paramsweep.run(paramsweeptest.tracetest, "message with param value", [1,2,3])>>> session.waitDone()(wait a few minutes)>>> session.showLog()
The results will be displayed in a Sho datagrid, with the results from each job grouped together. Note that there is a delay of a couple of minutes between when your work function calls tracemessage and when the corresponding log message is viewable. Passing in True as the optional second parameter to showLog will display internal trace messages that the service records, which can be useful when troubleshooting:
>>> session.showLog(True)
Alternately, if you want to show all recent diagnostic messages, regardless of which session they belong to, you can all the azureutils.showLog function. This can sometimes help you determine if the service is having problems. Be aware that the format of these diagnostic messages can make them difficult to read:
>>> azureutils.showLog(10) # show messages from the last 10 minutes>>> azureutils.showLog(TimeSpan.FromHours(12))
Before you can use the Azure package, you'll need to get an Azure account, so you can upload data and run code in the cloud. To get started, go to the Azure Offers page (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsazure/offers/) and select the package that is most appropriate for you . Note that you do not need SQL Azure access to use the Sho Azure package. Please see the following links for information on pricing for academic and NSF-funded work:
First, we'll create the storage service that will be used to store all of our data and results in the cloud. Go to the Windows Azure service portal (http://windows.azure.com) and log in.
Then, click on "New Storage Account" in the ribbon:
When prompted, enter a URL to use to access your storage service (e.g., "myshodata") and click the 'Create' button. Make a note of the prefix for this URL (the "myshodata" part) – users of the package will need to know this account name in order to use the service. The other piece of information is the primary access key associated with this service, which users will need in order to authenticate themselves. To find this, select the new storage service you just created and then click on the "View" button for the primary access key:
This will display the access keys:
Users of the service will have to set two environment variables, SHOAZUREACCOUNT, which will get the name of your storage service (e.g., myshodata), and SHOAZUREKEY, which will get the primary access key. You will also need to set these variables on any computer you wish to administer the Sho Azure package from.
Now that you have created the storage service and set your SHOAZUREACCOUNT and SHOAZUREKEY environment variables, you'll need to copy a Sho installation to the cloud. The simplest way to do that is to run the Sho console and run the uploadSho() function from the Azure package:
Sho 2.0.4 on IronPython 2.6.1 (), .NET 4.0.30319.1 and MKL 10.3.Includes parts of the Intel Math Kernel Library for Windows.>>> azureutils.uploadSho()
This may take quite a long time. When it's done, you're ready to create the hosted service and upload the parameter sweeper.
Next, we'll create the Azure compute service that the actual code will run on. In preparation for this, we must first load the ServiceConfiguration.cscfg file from the Publish directory in the Azure package into a text editor. Then replace
< ?xml version="1.0"?>
Now that you have edited the configuration file to be appropriate for your deployment, let's create a new hosted compute service and upload the deployment. First, click on the "New Hosted Service" button from the Windows Azure portal:
This will bring up the "Create a new Hosted Service" dialog box. In this screen, you'll have to make up a name and URL for your hosted service.
In addition, you can upload the deployment package (and its corresponding configuration file that you edited above) now. Choose "Browse Locally…" and point the file dialog at the .cspkg and .cscfg files in the Publish directory inside you Azure package directory (i.e., SHODIR/packages//azurePublish, where SHODIR is you Sho installation directory). Note that if you keep the "Start after successful deployment" box checked, the deployment start running in the cloud and you will start accruing usage charges!
To install the package, first copy the package directory to your Sho packages directory.
Then, set the following environment variables to the values you noted above:
|The name of the storage account you created (myshodata in the example in this guide)
|The private key for the storage service
The following are optional, and are needed if you wish to do basic administration (changing the number of active instances) from the Sho console instead of the Azure web portal:
|The name of the hosting account
|The deployment slot you used for the Sho worker roles (either "staging" or "deployment")
|The name of the certificate you created (e.g., "Windows Azure Authentication Certificate")
|The subscription ID for your Azure subscription. This can be found on the Windows Azure portal screen.
Here is a brief example of how to use the package so you can test your installation. Please read the user guide for more complete information.
>>> paramsweep.addDemoDir()>>> import paramsweeptest>>> session = paramsweep.run(paramsweeptest.add, 100, [1,2,3,4,5])
The runsweep function returns a parameter sweep session object:
>>> print sessionParamSweepSession('2c574185-9cd3-4ba1-a6f3-9668424374a8')
The session runs asynchronously on the cloud. We can check to see if it's finished by calling isDone(). If it is, we can call getResults to get the results from each of the jobs. Alternately we can call waitResults(), which blocks until it finishes, and then return the result values.
>>> print session.isDone()True>>> print session.getResults()[101, 102, 103, 104, 105]
It's a good idea to delete the server-side data associated with this session when you're done.
>>> session.cleanup()
The Sho Azure package includes a function that allows you to change the number of Azure worker role instances that are running in the cloud, waiting for jobs. If you want to use this function instead of using the web portal, you'll have to add a certificate to your service.
First, you'll need to generate a new self-signed certificate in a .cer file. The following blog post describes one way to do this:
If you are more comfortable with the command line, another method is described here:
To add the certificate to your Azure subscription, select "Management Certificates" in the sidebar and then click the "Add Certificate button"
Then, click the Browse button in the dialog box and find your .cer file:
In order to change the number of deployment instances, you can call the changeNumWorkerRoles() function:
>>> req = azureservice.changeNumWorkerRoles(num)
This function returns a request ID, which you can use to check on the status of the operation. It typically takes several minutes or so to change the number of instances.
>>> azureservice.getOperationStatus(req)
To use the parameter sweep facilities for running jobs in the cloud, your users will need to set the following environment variables on the client computers:
|The name of the storage account you created (myshodata in the example in this guide)
|The private key for the storage service
For using the Sho service utilities described in this document, you will also need to set the following environment variables:
|The name of the hosting account
|The deployment slot you used for the Sho worker roles (either "staging" or "deployment")
|The name of the certificate you created (e.g., "Windows Azure Authentication Certificate")
|The subscription ID for your Azure subscription. This can be found on the Windows Azure portal screen.
Thanks! And please send feedback to email@example.com
If you'd like to use the Sho libraries directly from .NET (C#, Managed C++, F#, etc.), you'll need to add references to specific libraries depending on what functionality you wish to use; in some cases you'll also need to do a bit of setup so that the references will resolve properly. This guide explains how to do this.
To get the libraries, we recommend installing Sho so that you can use the Sho Console as well; however, to build against the libraries, all you need are the contents of the "bin" directory from the Sho install; you can get these by copying them from your Sho install (evaluate "shobindir" in the Sho console to find the location). Thus, if you're putting code into source control, distributing the code, etc., you'll only need to distribute the bin directory. Note that if you plan to use EmbeddedSho, you'll likely want to copy the entire Sho directory, as you'll need to point to it when creating an EmbeddedSho engine.
Because the ShoArray classes contain both managed and unmanaged code to achieve maximal computation speed, the array libraries depend on some satellite DLLs. In order for the managed libraries to resolve these references, you'll have to do one of the following:
The table below lists the DLL's and namespaces required for various aspects of Sho functionality.
|Referenced DLLs
|Basic matrix math
|Basic matrix + complex numbers
|Extensions for Python matrix code
|Random number generation
|Auto-mapping functions
|Reading/writing delimited files
|Plotting/charting and other visualization
|Serialization of objects (including Python objects)
|Embedding a Sho interpreter in your C# code
The following projects show examples of how to use the Sho libraries from C#. Each zip file contains a Visual Studio solution file; you should unzip this to {SHODIR}playpen so that the relative references will work properly.
Principal Software Engineer
Principal Researcher


text:
Bruce Klein to Lead Worldwide Partner Organization
Last week, when we announced senior leadership changes within Cisco Services and APJC, we referenced additional planned changes that would demonstrate the incredible depth and breadth of Cisco's leadership talent. Today, it is with mixed emotions that I announce Keith Goodwin, SVP Worldwide Partner Organization (WWPO), has decided to retire after 13 successful years with Cisco and 38 years in the IT industry. While Keith's departure is a loss for all of us, I am excited to share that another outstanding leader, SVP Bruce Klein, will become the new leader of Cisco's Worldwide Partner Organization. On another positive note, I am delighted to announce that Patrick Finn, SVP, Federal will lead the U.S. Public Sector theater.
Keith has been a tremendous colleague and a great friend to me and many of you. During his impactful career at Cisco, Keith has led WW Sales Operations, the Americas International Theater and for the last seven years WWPO. Keith has built the industry's strongest partner leadership team including Edison Peres, Wendy Bahr and Andrew Sage.
Keith and his team have evolved WWPO from a primary focus on our channel resale partners to a broader scope that includes the global Partner Led sales model and the partner ecosystem to support our architectures, solutions and the consumption of IT as a service. Partners remain absolutely critical to the long-term success of Cisco and our customers. That's why I am pleased to be in a position to transition leadership of this already strong team to one of Cisco's best leaders. Bruce was most recently SVP, US Public Sector and will take over as SVP, WWPO, at the beginning of Q1, FY13. The partner team of Edison Peres, Wendy Bahr, Andrew Sage, John Donovan and Chris Treille will report to Bruce in his new role.
Bruce has a broad professional background that includes eight years at Cisco and 30 years of IT industry business experience working at Cisco, HP and Unisys where he led sales for enterprise, commercial and public sector markets.
Throughout his career at Cisco, he has earned a stellar reputation for leadership – both internally and within the industry. He has been recognized as one of the top IT executives in the public sector and is passionate about integrity, relationships, results and a long-term strategic approach to business. His extensive industry experience and transformative view of Cisco's business will help us continue the trajectory that Keith and the WWPO leadership team currently have in place.
In this new role, I am confident Bruce will apply his extensive experience working in the field to take our global partner strategy to the next level. As we deepen and extend our partner strategy, one of the things we will focus on is achieving even tighter integration between our Cisco field teams and our partner community. As a senior field sales leader, he has a proven track record for building collaborative teams that deliver value to our customers and partners.
While we have an established competitive advantage with our current approach to partnering, starting with our industry-leading channel program, now is the time to break new ground and really push how we engage with all of our Cisco partners.
Please join me in congratulating Bruce and Patrick on their new roles and in wishing Keith well as he retires from a remarkable career.
In an effort to keep conversations fresh, Cisco Blogs closes comments after 60 days. Please visit the Cisco Blogs hub page for the latest content.
5 Comments
Cheers to Keith and Patrick on their new roles. Their ideas and contributions would surely create great impacts to the Cisco community.
Bruce Klein is a talented person and he will do his best in cisco.
Congratulations .. thanks.
Right man on the right place..
Thanks for sharing.
The program also allows developers to take advantage of Cisco's brand, market leadership position, and installed base to help drive positive business results for themselves and their customers.


text:
This resource is no longer available
The Business Case for Cloud Computing Services
You know your clients want cloud services, but what is the best way to meet this demand? This white paper explains how to get started on your transition to the cloud and details the three cloud computing models to help you understand your options. Read on to learn how your organization can most effectively add cloud services to expand your business and customer base.


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Sensor Sensibility
Have you lost your senses? You'll find them everywhere you look. Sensors respond to external stimuli – light, sound, temperature and much else – to help us make sense (ha!) of our universe. And more are on their way. "Ubiquitous sensing" is the term that describes a world blanketed by tiny sensors: on bridges, in paint and medicine bottles, and even in our brains!
Discover where you'll find sensors next. And, has the world's largest detection device found the elusive particle that will help explain the universe? Where are you, Higgsy-wiggsy?
Also, out-of-this world sensors have detected a possibly Earth-like planet. What's next for the Kepler planet-hunters?
Plus, DIY sensor kits, and, if computers can do all that, why can't we send the odor of, say, freshly-baked bread over the Internet? The case for a smell-o-meter.
- Frank Close – Physicist at Oxford University, author of The Infinity Puzzle: Quantum Field Theory and the Hunt for an Orderly Universe
- Jan Rabaey – Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS), University of California, Berkeley
- Barry Shell – Writer in Vancouver, Canada
- Andy Huntington – Interaction designer, based in London
- Sara Seager – Professor of planetary science and physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Planet hunters – Daryll LaCourse and Tom Jacobs, citizen scientists with Planet Hunters


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In acquitting Army Pfc. Bradley Manning of aiding the enemy, a military judge has displayed an admirable sense of proportion that was lacking in the prosecution's case against the young soldier who provided a trove of classified documents to the anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks. The government's assertion that Manning was assisting Al Qaeda simply because he knew that terrorists might read the leaked documents on the Internet was a dangerously expansive legal theory, and if the judge had accepted it, Manning could have faced life in prison.
But while the judge, Col. Denise Lind, acquitted the 25-year-old Manning of the inflated charge of aiding the enemy, she convicted him of several other charges, including multiple violations of the Espionage Act, which the Obama administration is also using to prosecute leakers in civilian court. That law punishes the transmission of defense information to unauthorized persons if the possessor of the information has reason to believe that it would injure this country or aid a foreign nation. And before his court-martial, Manning had pleaded guilty to lesser charges of mishandling classified information that could subject him to 20 years in prison.
In deciding on a final sentence, the judge should consider Manning's insistence that he didn't intend to harm the U.S. and the fact that at least some of the information he disclosed — such as a 2007 video of an Apache helicopter attack that killed 12 civilians in Baghdad — qualified as whistle-blowing. (The same can't be said of his dumping of 250,000 diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks, which Manning justified as a way to promote what he naively called "open diplomacy.")
The judge also should take into account that for months after his arrest, Manning was mistreated, held in virtual solitary confinement for 23 hours a day at a Marine Corps brig and sometimes stripped of his clothes, supposedly to prevent him from hurting himself or others. Lind already has said she would shave 112 days from Manning's sentence because his confinement had been "more rigorous than necessary," but that dispensation would mean little in a sentence of several years or even decades. As we have observed before, Manning must face the consequences that await anyone who violates the law in a supposedly higher cause. But the case for leniency is compelling.
One might think the judge's rejection of the aiding-the-enemy charge would temper the Obama administration's unprecedented zeal for prosecuting disclosures of classified information. That seems unlikely. Whether the target is Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who exposed the bulk collection of Americans' phone records, or Stephen Jin-Woo Kim, the State Department contractor suspected of leaking information about North Korea to Fox News, the administration seems determined to use criminal law to plug leaks even when they don't result in provable harm to national security, an aggressive posture that may deter genuine whistle-blowers.


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Lyons Falls, NY Accordion Lessons
Looking for private in-home or in-studio Accordion lessons? Our Lyons Falls teachers are ready to get you started. Find your teacher today!
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Popular Accordion Teachers Serving Lyons Falls
Browse a few of our top Accordion teachers serving Lyons Falls, Washington Mills, Sherrill, Franklin Springs, Chadwicks and Vernon Center.
About Alex L.Close
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All levels and styles from classical to contemporary music.
About Alex
Major instruments are piano, classical guitar, accordion.
Student must have own instrument and desire to learn!
*** Lesson Details ***
I believe many of my students enjoy my class and are able to achieve a higher skill level because I make it a point to personally motivate them. I give them personalized goals to reach and/or tailored practice techniques.Based on response, I may offer words of encouragement or tips such as how to ease sore muscles or an alternative way to execute a technique they are finding extra difficult.
I make it a point to not just teach music grammar and/or fundamentals of music, but to include the importance of the sound of music s
*** Studio Equipment ***
Yamaha Clavinova, piano
Classical guitar "Takamine"
Accordion "Gullietti"
*** Specialties ***
Accordion, piano, classical guitar Traditional School all styles and genres. Levels: beginner through advanced!
· Accordion · Online
· Accordion · Online
· Accordion · Online
Alex L.
Alex L.
About Shelia L.Close
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Beginner to Advanced. Piano Keyboard, Chromatic (B & C System), Diatonic (Hohner Style)
About Shelia
My philosophy - if it ain't fun - it ain't worth it!!!! I have over 500 accordion arrangements - that I use to teach with. All Genres, Classics to TOP Movie Themes - All Levels!
I have conducted Master Accordion Workshops all over the US and in Alaska. I have produced instructional You Tube lessons and several DVDs.
I have had my own performing combo for 22 years and a long history of strolling in Italian and German restaurants and performing at Ethnic Festivals since I was 7
I teach the piano keyboard accordion as well as the B & C system Chromatic. I also have written lesson materials for the 3 row Diatonic Accordion. Before I closed the physical studio - I had an accordion teaching staff of over 6 instructors and 125 students.
*** On-Line Lesson***
Lesson material will be emailed in advance. Min. Charge based on selections used.
*** Lesson Materials ***
I use Palmer & Hughes instruction books and personally arranged selections for the taste of the student. I use personally produced accompaniment CDs for enhanced performance of students. I train classically (you can chose to learn all your technique and chord progressions) and instruct to the style the student wants. Pop & Standards, Italian, German, French, Cajun, Tex-Mex, etc.
· Accordion · Online
· Accordion · Online
· Accordion · Online
Shelia L.
Shelia L.
About Jared J.Close
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Just to clear up any confusions, I do not own and do not teach: Diatonic Accordion, a Bandoneon, or a Bayan. All of which are accordion instruments that feature buttons for both hands and not just the left.
I do however own and teach the 120 Button Chromatic Piano Style Accordion with Stradella Bass (Left Hand Buttons/Right Hand Piano).
I can teach you how to play the accordion as a lead instrument in a group, as an instrument for accompaniment, or as a solo instrument where you use both band to create songs by yourself. I can help introduce easy songs in a variety of styles including jazz, musette (french), classical, zydeco, polka, Irish, etc...
You do not need a 120 button bass accordion; 24, 32, 60, 72 will will also work just fine - you will just have less range available.
Diatonic Accordions and Bayans often use the same left handed Stradella system as Chromatic Piano Accordions (the instrument I own and teach) but I am unfamiliar with the system in their right ...
About Jared
I have been playing an instrument since the 4th grade (cello) and, as I learned more about how music works, was slowly able to pick-up a greater variety instruments with an increasing degree of ease. In high school, I decided to pick-up the guitar just to "have fun and rock out". I joined a band, played in the high school orchestra, joined the high school jazz band and began to practice songwriting and cover songs. Still, it was not until after I took my first class on music the
I have been teaching music for over 7 years and have had the privilege of teaching children as young as 4 to adults in their late 80's. I am a very attentive teacher who can not only help get you moving in the right direction but keep you on that path until your are a self-sufficient musician. A level of musicianship that simply means you can learn whatever you want on your instrument on your own, whether it be for business, pleasure or for mere self-improvement.
Through my own student career in private lessons I had the chance to study with graduates of the Musician's Institute (MI), the California Institute of the Arts (CAL Arts) and Berklee College of Music. This has provided me with an inside look into how and what each institute teaches, as well as a first hand look at the techniques and ideas that the great players from these remarkable schools have come to produce.
My formal music education consists of 2 years at Pasadena City College where I obtained my general Associates Degree (much of the studies included music) and a semester at California State University Long Beach as a Jazz Guitar Performance Major. Additionally, I completed a great deal of California State University Long Beach's teaching credential program (focusing on the teaching of history/social studies), where I learned strategies and theories of how and what to teach my students - making me that much more knowledgable of my craft. At Pasadena City College I studied with jazz/classical guitarist, Ron Berman, who has played with such jazz greats as Herb Ellis and Jimmy Wyble. At Cal State Long Beach I studied with jazz guitarist Ron Eschete, a former teacher at MI who has toured with the likes of Ray Brown, John Dizzy Gillespie and Jim Hall.
Most importantly I hope to show you or your child a new way to love and appreciate music. And to provide you with the ability and know-how to have the most fun on your instrument as possible.
*** Lesson Details ***
Throughout my lessons, I always encourage basic skills including scales, sight-reading and technical exercises. But what I hope to give all my students is a basic understanding of music and their instrument, providing them with a practical ability to navigate the vast world of music for a lifetime.
Beyond these skills, I always have songs, styles and theory for you to work on but I am often more interested in what you as an individual want to learn on your instrument. Getting to learn concepts that you have chosen yourself will help encourage practice and will make the finished product all the more the rewarding.
I can custom tailor a teaching curriculum and/or style for any of my students: we can focus on learning songs, learning to read, how to write music, how music works, and even how to play specific styles of music (including funk, rock, jazz, Latin, flamenco, classical, country and blues). I also self tailor my own worksheets and set weekly goals with my students to help encourage practice, understanding and progress. For students interested in more advanced concepts, I can also teach ear training, music theory, advanced jazz improvisation as well as advanced playing techniques.
All this in a friendly and easy-going teaching environment.
*** Studio Equipment ***
Located in my home garage, it is equipped with a small stage, an upright piano, an electric keyboard, a PA system, amplifiers, a drum set, a lap steel guitar, a pedal steel guitar, 2 cellos, multiple guitars, 3 mandolins, a dobro, a 5-string banjo, a 4-string tenor banjo, 2 ukuleles, 2 accordions and 2 electric basses.
*** Specialties ***
Styles: Jazz, Rock, Reggae, Metal, Funk, Progressive Rock, Classical, Folk, Bluegrass, Country, Various forms of Latin Music, Blues, and a few others.
Instruments Beginner to Advanced: Drums, Accordion, Piano, Guitar, Mandolin, Cello, Banjo (5 String), Irish Tenor Banjo (4 String GDAE), Tenor Banjo (4 String CGDA), Electric Bass, Ukulele, Dobro, Lap Steel Guitar (6 String C6 Tuning), Slide Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar (10 String E9 Tuning).
I also teach the Beginning and Advanced concepts of:
Music Theory, Ear Training, Sight Reading, and Song Writing.
· Piano · Online
· Banjo · Online
· Piano · Online
Jared J.
Jared J.
About Sam K.Close
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Piano Accordion
About Sam
· Fiddle · In studio
· Accordion · Online
· Fiddle · In studio
Sam K.
Sam K.
About Rodrigo R.Close
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The accordion I use is the piano type, not the buttoned.
About Rodrigo
Let's work together...
*** Lesson Details ***
We'll cover music basic theory and the most part of your lesson will be the music you want to learn, saving a small portion of the time to repertoire that I consider will help you grow musically.
*** Studio Equipment ***
Sibelius, Logic, apple, Kala ukes, U-bass, vihuela, charango, piano, keyboard, accordion, acoustic and electric guitars, panflutes, boss fx, amps, mics, and more.
*** Travel Equipment ***
instruments and books needed
*** Specialties ***
mariachi, Catholic music, Andean music, Latin rhythms
· Ukulele · In home
· Accordion · In home
· Ukulele · Online
Rodrigo R.
Rodrigo R.
About Marcel M.Close
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20+ years experience, CD recording, orchestra etc.!
Teaching is more a hobby and pleasure for me than a side job. My students mostly have to remind me that the time is over and I have to let them go. ;)
As I said, it is passion and love for the music and this fantastic instrument. Send me a message if you have any questions.
If you don't own an instrument. No problem. I can provide a rental until we find the right instrument for you within you budget.
I am looking forward to hear from you.
About Marcel
I am looking forward to move on with you and / or your kids.
Have a great day,
Update 02/10/15: Takelessons is a great way to teach and a fantastic and easy way to learn for students. I currently have 3 students per week, with several hours. I really enjoy it, either online via Skype or Facetime or Live at the students place. Hit me up and let's move something together.
· Gardening · In home
· Gardening · In home
· Mixed Martial Arts · In home
Marcel M.
Marcel M.
About Mark V S.Close
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I still don't understand why so many people laugh when you say "accordion"! Let's show them different! This is one of the most expressive, international, fun, and emotional instruments out there! So much more than just "polkas": Argentinian tangos, German beer songs, French cafe, Southern Zydeco, Irish Celtic music, Russian folk, Italian melodic, and the list goes on... Bottom line: I love this instrument because it is FUN and VERY "produceable". Half of it is an arsenal of buttons while the other half is a good 'ol keyboard, and depending on which model you have, there are many tonal buttons to thoroughly change its personality -- no electricity needed!
I can teach you how to create some fun and inspired music on it regardless of your musical tastes, as long as you have a PIANO ACCORDION -- not JUST buttons like a bayan or concertina (sorry -- please note that I do NOT teach chromatic/diatonic button accordion or "virtual/electronic accordions" such as the Roland series -- just
About Mark V
· Accordion · Online
· Piano · Online
· Arrangement and Composition · Online
Mark V S.
Mark V S.
About Connor C.Close
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Accordion is one of my truest loves. I've been a musician as long as I can remember. I've been playing traditional Irish accordion for 6 years and have had 5 very talented teachers myself. I can apply my performance and teaching techniques to piano or button accordion. I've also played concert piano accordion for 6 years, and can teach the fundamentals of accordion playing, advanced technique and style for accordion, basic to advanced music theory, and general performance and practice techniques. I have several accordions that can be rented as well.
About Connor
· Accordion · Online
· Accordion · Online
· Accordion · Online
Connor C.
Connor C.
About Virginia N.Close
The Accordion is an amazing instrument you can take with you wherever you go!
About Virginia
Music: I can offer you a well rounded plan of study and you can choose what and how you would like to learn. For example, young students generally want to learn to read the notes. For these I give classes in theory, music history, ear training, and technique along with the note reading. Older students generally want to learn to play songs they know by learning notes in the right hand and putting chords in the left hand. For these students, I emphasize the theory so they will understand what notes go together to make a nice sound.
My background has been in church music. I started playing at church for services when I was 16 years old.
Virginia N.
Virginia N.
About Silvia R E.Close
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The beginning is important to engage student with a lesson plan 15 minutes practice every day a must!! Teach a new song from the start.
Also teaching the diatonic button box
About Silvia R
Started in Vienna Austria where I am from to teach accordion. Fluent in German and English .
Started teaching in the US in the year 2000.
Many of my students are from all over the World. Currently I teach students from all walks of life. I belong to the Washington Metropolitan Accordion Association since 2003 where I am listed as an activ accordion teacher.
Silvia R E.
Silvia R E.
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The United Brethren Church (UB), stemming from the immigration of large numbers of Swiss Anabaptists into the United States largely during the eighteenth century, was a prominent religious movement during the settlement of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and many parts of the west. Their membership and adherents were loosely affiliated with the Mennonites, German Reformed, Shakers, Quakers, Amish, Dunkers and Primitive Baptist movements by theology; and today are prominently represented by the Church of the Brethren, Methodist Episcopal (ME) Churches, and United Methodist congregations. Social customs were strictly enforced, and the degree of "conservatism" demonstrated by adherents often distinguished differing congregations within each sect.
For example, many (if not most) Brethren men were required to sport full beards, but mustaches were not permitted because they represented a vain showing of personal style. Some sects of Quakers chose not to use buttons or zippers on their clothing into the 20th century, preferring cloth ties to express piety and conservatism as an expression of their humility.
An interesting article from the The Adams Sentinel, published in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November 1, 1851 provides a glimpse into their conservatism and–as so often happens even today–dissent:
"The resolutions of the Miami Conference of the Church of the United Brethren, declaring the wearing of crinoline incompatible with a true Christian profession, seems to be rigidly enforced by the authorities of that denomination. At a Camp meeting of the United Brethren Church, recently held near West Baltimore, Montgomery County. Ohio, Bishop Russell forbade any one with hoops on to partake of the sacrament, affirming that they would not be welcomed at the table of the Lord.' If the doctrine and discipline of Bishop Russell were to be enforced here, we fear we should have but a few "Christians" among the angels in calico and crinoline. It is difficult to discover anything really irreligius or immoral in hoops, per se. If the soul or body, which are thus hooped, are what they ought to be, why exclude the outside covering from the table of the Lord? To us (miserable sinners that we are!) there is about as much unreasonableness in the proposition, as in the suggestion that women ought not to come to the Sacrament at all, because the Saviour had invited none of them to the Last Supper!"
Some things never change!


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Check it out!
The life and times of a come-lately paramedic.
Jolly and I are on night shift at the main clinic when we get a call for a security guard who's collapsed at a facility about 45 minutes away.
We roll.
On the way, we're advised that the patient has been loaded into a security vehicle and they are racing to rendezvous with us. We meet on the dusty shoulder of a desert highway. A panic-eyed security guard opens the back door of the SUV and I see our patient.
He's blue. It's been at least 20 minutes since we got the call.
That's not so good.
BVM, good air movement. I holler over my shoulder to Jolly. He slides in and we quickly transfer our patient to the ambulance. No pulse, no respirations.
Load and go, pump and blow!
The drivers hired by our company for the ambulances are not medical personnel. They are local employees who are sliding towards retirement. They have NO training in emergency vehicle operations and no concept of what it's like to be in the back of an ambulance. They also drive like locals.
Our particular driver has been infected by the urgent panic of our patient's colleagues. He goes screaming down the highway, around corners and over speed-bumps in such a way that Jolly and I can barely keep up CPR, much less attach a monitor, intubate or start an IV.
Jolly is alternating between chest compressions and bracing himself against the movement of the ambulance. I'm doing my best to manage the airway with basic adjuncts while screaming "Schweiah, Shcweiah, F*****g Schweiah, already!!!" Over my shoulder. ("Schweiah" means "Slow") The panic makes the driver deaf.
At the ER, we work the code with the rest of the staff, most of whom were my students in an ACLS class I had taught 3 days before.
Asystole on the monitor.
Tubed with a 7.0. Bilateral 16s, wide open. Enough Epi to make a sloth break a 4-minute mile.
We call it after about 30 minutes of working. We went that long mostly for the benefit of the patient's coworkers who were looming outside the door.
51 years old. This was only the second time he's ever seen a doctor. Also the last. His previous visit was 7 years ago and it ended with a prescription for cholesterol and blood pressure meds that he never filled.
We did our best but there's always that let down. Maybe it's the adrenaline wearing off, maybe it's the obvious grief on the faces of his friends.
It's late. I clean up and hurry over to the commissary next door to grab a missed dinner before they close.
The Indian guy at the checkout looks at my name tag. He pronounces my last name carefully.
"Do you know what your name means in my language?"
I shake my head. I'm really tired.
He wears a big grin. "Murderer!"
Great. Just great!
Wow! What an amazing time I had at the 2011 EMSToday conference. I learned a lot, met some amazing people and have been re-energized to make this blog fly.
There's so much to write on but I've got 90 minutes until hotel checkout and too much knocking around in my head. I'll be with family for the next day or so then I have about 24 hours of plane and car travel to get me back to my tiny desert town.
I want to write about the people I met and the impact of social media on blogging. I've seen a DRAMATIC change over the last 2-3 years. I want to discuss that.
The recent protests in the Middle East merit mention considering where I live and work.
Give me a few days to get all these thoughts organized and I'll be pushing out some posts over the next few days.
While at the EMS Today conference in Baltimore, I popped by the EMS blogger party hosted by Zoll. (Thanks, Charlotte!).
What an amazing time. What an amazing group of people! I met some of the brightest, sincerest and funniest bloggers out there. I realized that my recent inactivity and general decline of blogging has led me to miss the boat. Social media, facebook, twitter and the increased interconnectedness that we get from that has transformed EMS blogging.
I started it as a diary of sorts of my times and efforts becoming and then working as a paramedic. Now, these amazing professionals share information, teach each other, engage in collaborative learning that would not have been possible 10 years ago and would have been unusual 5 years ago.
I feel like I took a long nap and then woke up to find my house full of the smartest, most motivated people I've ever met and they're all clamoring to do cool stuff.
People like Tom Bouthillet, the Happy Medic and so many others were there last night and I have to say to all of you, thanks. You have made me feel welcome again into this growing community of blogging EMS providers and I'm really glad to be back. You have inspired me.
I'm going to the 2011 EMS Today conference in Baltimore, MD.
I've previously done a "blogmeet" however, I'll likely not be wearing the same hat.
Who's game this year?
Email or comment. Let's do this! Bloggers of the (EMS) world: UNITE! (to eat, drink and tell stories!).


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Darcie asked me to do this little meme thing the other day, and I swear with god as my witness, I've done it eleventy-hundred times before, but I'll be damned if I can find it in my archives. Of course, I started looking for it and promptly died from boredom and had to be carted off by ambulance to the nearest ER where I had to wait for 6 hours in a waiting room with some guy who had a live lemming hanging out of his right ear and then they shocked me with those electric charge paddle things and I totally saw God, and he was really in need of an eyebrow wax, and now that I'm back I just don't think I can risk trying to read my archives again.
Anyway, seven random things about me. Feel free to go read something more interesting. Might I recommend this?
Mrs 4444, Mr I, Rodious, William, Mama Nuggle, MariaBird, RagingDad, and Special K; would you be so kind as to participate?
Anyway, seven random things about me. Feel free to go read something more interesting. Might I recommend this?
- I chew on my hair. Constantly. I'm doing it right now. I oftentimes wonder if I don't have a monstrous hairball in my gulliver, and what it would look like if I ever coughed it up.
- My pretend celebrity boyfriend is Mos Def. Because yum. Also, yowzas.
- I have never seen a Freddy, Michael Myers, or Chucky movie. I'm quite susceptible to nightmares. Charlotte's Web gave me one.
- Joe Vs The Volcano and Jesus Christ Superstar and Death To Smoochy are battling for the title of My #1 Favorite Movie Of All Time. Next time I tell you I have excellent taste in movies, you can feel free to tell me to shove it up my ass.
- When I stand up straight and still, I have to cross my feet. There's no way to describe this. Stand up with your feet side by side. Now, take your right foot and put it on the left side of the left foot. Like, line them up. That's how I stand. Yes, it's completely obnoxious, but I'll fall down if I don't.
- I LOVE going to the dentist. Overly. And flossing. Flossing is the bomb, baby.
- I also love religious stuff. Not even the cheeky, funny things. I have a wall of crosses, I can't ever throw away a rosary, I have boxes of biblical reference material, shelves full of Templar books, an hors d'oeuvre dish with the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrows, and so on. I am a religion junkie. Which in only random insomuch that I am an fairly staunch atheist.
Mrs 4444, Mr I, Rodious, William, Mama Nuggle, MariaBird, RagingDad, and Special K; would you be so kind as to participate?


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Our experts test hundreds of products in our labs every year, but we have yet to fully review this product. However, we have reviewed many of its competitors. Please check out our The Best Right Now section to see the best laptops we've tested.
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Now, don't get us wrong, we appreciate it when a guy takes care of himself. You know, things like working out, putting on cologne, moisturizing every now and then. But, apparently, some dudes are going to a bit too far.
According to New York's Metro newspaper, male Botox—and other cosmetic alterations—are majorly on the rise. One New Jersey plastic surgeon even says that men now make up 25 percent of his patients—and that number is steadily increasing. (So much so that some docs have started using the phrase "Brotox" to talk about this new trend.)
While we totally get that a guy might consult a doc to straighten out his smile or get rid of his bacne, we're a little weirded out by the idea of a dude getting fillers put into his face. And don't even get us started on the recent trend of male pubic waxing. Guys, just a bit of trimming will do.
Of course, we don't want to judge dudes (or gals) who genuinely feel better about themselves after having a bit of work done. We're just saying that we prefer our guys au natural.
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