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by Ampersand
If you prefer to make your own grounds or unique textures, then this superior quality tempered masonite will assure that you start with the best of substrates. Hardbord is smooth on both sides and is extremely durable. Cuts to the size you need. 1/8 in. thickness.
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This is a quality product. Great substrate to create any decorative finish on for a fabulous art piece.
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Group discussions
Blog It, Mom!
- New Blog Post on Organizing Play Dates as a Working Mom
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subset: commoncrawl


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Former Raiders quarterback and CBS analyst Rich Gannon went straight from the elevator to the network booth in the press box and appears intent on reporting the story rather than being the story.
A member of a local radio crew attempted to get inside the booth to visit with a friend and was turned away. He was told only essential personnel were allowed and that they were on "high alert."
Gannon was the target of public comments from a Raiders spokesman who said the club would attempt to ban the former Raiders MVP from a production meeting for "negative" comments. Gannon was eventually allowed to participate in the meetings.
Former Raiders running back Lamont Jordan had a friendly visit with some early-arriving fans in the Black Hole and walked along the railing shaking hands with Raiders fans. He also greeted Darrius Heyward-Bey, the Raiders first-round draft pick and like Jordan a Maryland alum.


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Inspired by "Triple Play" from designer Patty Young
Project maker: Judy Sams Sohn
18x22" piece (fat quarter) each of green circle print, pink circle print, pink-and-green medallion print, and blue-and-green medallion print (pillow top, pillow back)
2-3/4 yards white 1-1/2"-wide rickrack
2—16-1/2" squares lightweight fusible interfacing
16"-square pillow form
Finished pillow: 16" square
Quantities are for 44/45"-wide 100% cotton fabrics. Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.


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Thursday, June 21, 2007
1. Universal health care becomes law, is deemed a "right", and government becomes even more involved.
2. More people pour into the system, be it clinics or ED's, because it is "free", even though it really is already "free" to due unfunded federal mandates.
3. The increased govt. oversight leads to more paperwork, more QA bullshit, more pneumonia, CHF protocols, such that the actual number of patients that can be seen by each provider per hour or shift goes DOWN.
4. Fewer persons desire to spend a majority of their lives studying, training, and SUFFERING, to treat patients who consider them only a drone government worker who is obliged to see them no matter what, thus decreasing the pool of providers even further. I know if my children show an interest, they will quickly be steered in another direction.
5. The upper middle class and wealthy will continue to get excellent health care in a timely manner (which they should have the right to do), due to the exodus of the smart and financially savvy doctors going into "private practice" to see their own patients (ahh, the good old days). This is how it is in Great Britain. Trust me, I lived their for several months. The discrepancy in good care and "cattle care" is pretty profound.
6. This brings us to even more persons overloading an already burdened system, seeing providers who are disgruntled that they even chose this profession because they are doing more paperwork than medicine while govt. overseers are breathing down their necks. Imagine the post office line, but with people bleeding, vomiting, and sharing stories about their genital warts.
You get the picture.
7. Kevin Bacon (I had to end with him)
Before all you bleeding hearts say "You should do it for the love of it, etc etc ", this job sucks (ED work, shifts, nights, drunks) and most people DO do it for the desire to care for others, and also to provide a decent living for their families. At least in the beginning. But I am sure even Mother Teresa every now and then said to herself "Come on people, enough is enough." Well, maybe she didn't, but I am.
17 comments:
where do i go to take care of rich people? i could be paris hilton's gynecologist but i'd have to find an extra large speculum.ReplyDelete
as you know i am a huge kevin bacon fan. 'animal house' was one of the funniest movies of all time, even in subtitles.ReplyDelete
911doc: Never mind the speculum; just get the jaws of life. That might work.ReplyDelete
(Okay, I am falling out of my chair laughing at 911 doc's comment, hee hee!)ReplyDelete
BUT....to Mr. Shrodingers Cat: (And everybody knew I'd bite on this one, right?)
And here it is: Sir, You are correct in almost everything you said. (Especially when you said the job sucks---I am a diagnosed ER trauma nurse "burn-out" so I feel your pain...)
BUT...sir, I think you are right EXCEPT for a couple small things.
Which is...I don't think universal health would be a bad thing, because:
1) I don't think universal health would be a system which would make things "worse"--- because I think there is a finite number of people right now who "abuse the system" currently in place.
2) Also, I have faith in humanity and those "who would be doctors". There will still be doctors who do it because they want to, no matter the pay, no matter the frustrations, no matter the "vomiters" and those with "genital warts" (as you put it).
3) Logic shows us that ANY system can be abused, no matter what. Free, not free, partial payments, whatever. There are always those who get around the loopholes. (Which takes us back to my number 1.)
4) And about kids who are thinking of going into medicine but possibly being discouraged by the current system: It's like the Peace Corps. Many will STILL do it. And some will do it ESPECIALLY if it's a lower-paying, "noble" job. Some will simply do it in order to be the ones who cater to the rich people. I think we'll have the SAME number of docs we always have had....
5) How do you know what Mother Theresa thought? I used to live in India. I heard (from Indians) that she thought this: "Oh, there's so many...so many...I've got to work harder...")
Feel free to disagree with me. Please know that I respect your opinions greatly and that I am not trying to start a brouhaha.
There's a reason that Mother Teresa is in line for sainthood and that I will never be. It's that she could put up with all of it with out complaining, and I don't think that I necessarily will. She threw down her life in the service of the poor and sick and dying, expecting the repayment of Heaven. We're throwing down a couple hundred thousand bucks and expecting to break even and maybe even pay for our kid's to go to college.ReplyDelete
Completely different contexts, though she did make a vow of poverty to her employer (The Church), which is pretty much the same promise us soon-to-be physicians are looking at making to the US government...
- Anonymous9:11 AM, June 22, 2007
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (I refuse to call her 'Mother' Theresa) did what she did because of a belief in a mythical afterlife. Some of us don't believe in magic and the Easter Bunny.ReplyDelete
BRN, I believe that you have a basic misunderstanding about human nature: If I am shit on, disrespected, poorly paid, treated like a free care gov't worker - I'm simply not going to do it. Yes, I want to care for people, but I can certainly do it in other contexts besides a medical system that doesn't respond to basic human incentives.
Altruism is not necessarily a good thing. It puts the altruistic in a position of weakness that basic human nature recognizes and will abuse. This is exactly what the gov't wants to do to Docs: "Hey, look, these guys will work even if we fuck them - let's get to the fucking!!!".
12 years of training, terrible schedules, sacrificing free and family time and marginal pay won't cut it. Docs will 'cut and run'. And guess what, your reward won't be in Heaven - you will rot in the ground just like Agnes is doing now - so don't make that your motivation. It ceratainly isn't mine.
JTP, MD (internal med doc)
But Mr. (or Ms.) Anonymous:ReplyDelete
If you want to go down that road, is there ANY job in this world in which the recipients of services say "thank" you? And do any of us workers get a "thank you" from our employers, the government, IRS, or whatver? Do any of us get a ticker tape parade? NO, we don't. And we're not promised it when in school.
I don't see librarians, teachers, rocket scientists, dentists, trash collectors, post deliverers, or ANYBODY getting thanked for their services.
So, with your logic---why work at all? The only promise of "rewards" we have is Jesus' promise from the Bible that we'll get our reward in Heaven. But then, that belief requires belief in Jesus' saving of us on the Cross.
Meeaning that such belief would require, as you say say, "sacrificing ourself for a myth"--- for nothing, according to you, since you don't "believe".
Okay, I'm one who DOES believe in what you call the "myth".
But, that said ...I don't do what I do simply because of that "promise" from God. I don't know why, but I think I do what I do for the love of my fellow man.
So here's a big monkey wrench to throw into your philosphy: I enjoy helping others (patients) whether I get paid big by my employer or rewarded in the "afterlife"---whichever you want to call it, altruism or a "myth".
I truly feel sympathy and compassion for the sick and downtrodden. I've been in their shoes myself, more than you could ever know. I love them and I will sit proudly with them in any ER waiting room, waiting for the ER doc who will come and sneer at us....
P.S. What? There is no Easter Bunny? Dang. Please don't tell me that there's no Santa Clause....
- Anonymous11:00 AM, June 22, 2007
Sorry, No Santa Clause. Probably a Santa Claus, though, unless you meant the movie.ReplyDelete
You are obviously one of those 'self-sacrificers'. Great! Get ready to get abused because now I know you won't stand up for yourself. It's all in the name of 'patient care' and 'compassion', mind you. You may not realize it, but you are ruining the system by allowing yourself to be used and abused by your employers. Sad.
I don't care about being 'thanked' - but I and 99.99% of humanity do respond to incentives. There are alot of ways to do good in this world besides medicine. I won't be guilted into providing care for free while a gov't pawn tells me how to practice. You don't hold a monopoly on compassion - I and alot of docs do it every day - but I AM willing to stand up for myself. Don't get sucked in by the philosophy of altruism - you will get stomped and noone gains from that.
JTP (good call, I am a Ms.)
(Well, dadgum. I hope Santa Claus doesn't remember that I spelled his name wrong at Christmas....I'm hoping for a laptop....)ReplyDelete
And Ms. JTP "anonymous": I'll admit it-- You are correct in everything that you say.
I also lived in the UK for quite some time and had a fair amount of interaction with the NHS. I was impressed just because the care I would have gotten in the states at my uni was "cattle" medicine. It was great for a poor student in a foriegn country but you have some excellent points. I don't think America will ever adopt a system like the British simply because of the heterogenous and much larger and difficult to treat population of the US not to mention pharm companies that lobby to maintain the status quo.ReplyDelete
Dear Mr. Medical Serf,ReplyDelete
If the pharm companies in the US don't provide the new drugs to maintain the status quo, then the gummint can just step in and provide all those new drugs that you'll need in your future practice. It's not your sparkling personality that will be curing all your future patients!
The FDA and the rest of the gummint will come up with all those new drugs, as soon as they start on that dang fence!
If Hillary gets her way, private practice won't be legal, at least that was hte plan last time.ReplyDelete
Whoever is elected, within a generation I expect to see the better doctors building new hospitals in places like The Netherlands Dutch Antilles. Actually, I think the better medical schools will go too. Where else will they find anyone competent to teach?
All good points and input. But it really comes down to the fact that whenever someone says "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help", run for the hills. This applies to medicine as well as just about everything else, except the military. Thank goodness for our men and women in uniform.ReplyDelete
So who's on first tonight? I'm sleepless in Podunk.....ReplyDelete
I'm not a demigod, but merely a lowly nurse who paid big money to work weekends, offshifts, and holidays. I work hard and have mounds of paperwork that seem endless. The paperwork takes me away from my patients more and more each day. And yes, I probably don't get paid as much as I should, and yes, the public at large calls me names, tries to takes swats at me, and yells at me because they are too afraid to yell at the doctors. Yes, I get angry, yes I get discouraged, and yes, I wish I could yell back. But then.... one patient, one soul looks up at me with eyes so meaningful, so full of thanks, so full of gratitude; a smile that could stop a battleship in it's tracks. And that........that one "smile," that one "thank you," that one look of "I'm so glad you are who you are," makes it all worthwhile. It makes it so much better than a paycheck....but I do like the paycheck too.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous9:49 AM, June 26, 2007
If that is your opinion, how do you think people do it in Europe, where most healthcare is government-funded? Also, I have the feeling that people already are either looking at you as a drone/as customer service or on the other end of the spectrum, a money-sucking villain. Damned if you do...ReplyDelete
I am sure they some/most do view me and other ED docs that way, at least until we stick a chest tube in them to save their life. Amazing how views change then. As far as the money, I make no apologies for any of the money I make. Hell, even if they doubled my salary, I still wouldn't think it was enough, based on the sacrifice of time/study/time away from family/ working nights/shortening life span due to rotating shift work... I could go on. But at this point I'll just continue to stamp out disease and retire as early as financially possible. As for the Europeans, obviously the French have that emergency transport thing down. Just ask Lady Diana.ReplyDelete


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بيس فندر ستاندار بريسيشون بلون أحمر فاقع
Fender Standard Precision Bass RW Fingerboard Electric Bass Guitar - Candy Apple Red
The Fender Standard Precision Bass Guitar delivers the sound, look, and feel today's bass players demand. The Fender Standard Precision features that classic P-Bass old-school design. Each Precision Bass boasts contemporary features and refinements that make it an excellent value. The alder body, rosewood fretboard with jumbo frets, and split single-coil pickup deliver the fat tone that has driven rhythm sections for decades.
- Series: Standard series
- Body: Alder
- Neck: Maple, modern C shape, gloss urethane finish
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- 9-1/2" Radius (241 mm)
- Frets: 20 Medium-jumbo frets
- Pickups: 1 Standard Precision Bass split single-coil pickup (Mid)
- Controls: Volume, Tone
- Bridge: Standard vintage style with single groove saddles
- Machine heads: Standard
- Hardware: Chrome
- Pickguard: 3-Ply Parchment
- Scale Length: 34" (864 mm)
- Width at Nut: 1-5/8" (41.3 mm)
- Unique features: Knurled chrome P Bass knobs, Fender transition logo
- Strings: Fender Super Bass 7250ML, NPS


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Red button
Custom Button 41
This button was created by leiger.
To use this button on your wikidot site, copy the code below, and add it to your site's CSS. The new button will then be used on all wikidot buttons throughout your site (e.g. at the bottom of the wikidot editor). If you'd like to use the button for a custom link, just wrap the link in a span element with the class custom-button like this:
[[span class="custom-button"]][http://example.com Your Link Here][[/span]]
If you'd like to come back and edit this button in the future, you might like to bookmark this page, or alternatively copy this link: http://bmccreative.com/button-generator:41. Your button will always be here, waiting for you…


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Rule #1 - Be Patient - Rule #2 - Don't ask when, if you don't contribute - Rule #3 - You have coding skills - LinuxMCE's small brother is available: http://www.agocontrol.com
You can add any scenario under any category. Go to advanced, configuration, scenarios in the admin site, and put it under security, and assign it to some rooms
could you give some more insight into how you set it all up? what kindof hardware and what kind of configuring did you have to do?
what kindof hardware would i need to get to allow me to do the weather and the garage? just the small controller?


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Ogunquit Gay bars and clubs by distance
- The Front Porch (0m) Sing-a-longs, martini's, fun and friends in the piano lounge with live entertainment. Restaurant open daily, located in the Heart ...more
- Maine Street (0.9m) Mainestreet features a variety of shows from plays to drag to comedy. Favorite events are Top 40 dancing, pool tournaments, karaok...more
Ogunquit Gay Bars and Clubs from ClubFly
ClubFly provides a gay bar, club, nightlife and GLBT center mapper for Ogunquit, Maine and the rest of the USA. Ogunquit gay bars and clubs are mapped in your gayborhood with ratings, tags, videos, tips, transit/walking directions, and driving directions.


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Austin Pettibone gave up just two runs and pitched into the eighth inning on Saturday afternoon, picking up his second win of the season and keying his team to victory over the Loyola Marymount Lions. The freshman scattered eight hits over his 7.1 innings of work and was the recipient of some timely defense in the win.
UCSB, the winners of four of their last five, improve to 6-4 under new head coach Andrew Checketts. With the loss, LMU dropped to 3-7 heading into Sunday's series finale.
For the Gauchos, leadoff man Brett Vertigan was the offensive catalyst all afternoon. The speedy junior did a little bit of everything on Saturday, reaching base all five times he stepped to the plate in going 4-4 with a pair of doubles. Ever the nuisance on the basepaths, Vertigan stole three bases and scored four times. After today's exploits, Vertigans intimidating slash line now reads .477/.540/.636.
Offensively, things got started for the Gauchos in the third inning when second baseman Peter Maris was hit by a fastball from LMU starter Trevor Megill. Next up was Vertigan, who laced an 0-1 breaking ball down the right field line for a double to put UCSB in business. A pair of wild pitches from Megill would plate both runners, and Vertigan's run ended up being the game winner. UCSB would add another run off of a Marc Venning squeeze play before the side was retired, highlighting Checketts' willingness to bunt and play small ball with his entire lineup.
Pettibone allowed the leadoff batter to reach base in each inning between the third and the seventh, but was able to settle down each time- Pettibone held non-leadoff hitters to a .187 batting average for the day. Danger was especially averted in the top of the fourth inning, when LMU's Matt Lowenstein led off with a single. Pettibone coaxed a double-play ball out of Alex Guthrie on the next play, but then allowed two more baserunners before the inning was concluded.
UCSB tacked on a pair of runs in the fifth and scored four more runs in the bottom of the eighth off RBI singles from Joe Lent, Marc Venning, and Greg Mahle to put the game out of reach.
Jeremy Peterson pitched extremely well in relief, allowing no baserunners in his 1.2 innings of work. The senior inherited a runner from Pettibone when he came into the game in the eighth, but struck out consecutive batters to end any threat the Lions were mounting. A 1-2-3 top of the ninth clinched the win for Pettibone and the Gauchos.
UCSB Head Coach Andrew Checketts was effusive in his praise for the starter Pettibone- "Austin was extremely poised today. He got ahead of a lot of batters, and because of that was able to use more of his breaking stuff. It was a great comeback effort and we're very pleased with him."
Shortstop Brandon Trinkwon and first baseman Marc Venning turned in strong performances for the Gauchos as well. Trinkwon reached base four times and made several solid plays with the glove. Venning went 2-4 on the day with a pair of singles, also knocking in three runs.
The Gauchos and the Lions will conclude their series on tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. Matthew Vedo is slated to start on the bump for UCSB.


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I am a graduate student planning to apply in Australia for a PHd very soon. I have observed that most of the universities require the applicant to provide a 100-words summary of the research they propose to undertake. Now my graduate training was fairly general (MS doesn't really help you specialize). I am very clear on the field in which I want to pursue PHd (Mathematical Biology), However the field is very wide in scope and I have not really narrowed down to a specific problem to which I want to dedicate the next four years of my life. So my question is: what level of detail is being expected on such a "100-words summary"? Are recent graduate students really expected to have a project in mind they want to work on? (Am I finding this incredible only because I dont have one?) Should I may be give an example of the kind of problems that excite me, while indicating my flexibility to be engaged in something new? I vaguely understand that I should consider the area of work of the person I am writing to while preparing such an application, but more than that, I am not sure I understand.
Possibly related question Research statement in PhD applications--how much is too much?
But I believe I am asking a different question. Also, as further clarification to one of the answers given below, my MS did not involve writing a thesis. (If it did, that would certainly serve as a good starting point.)


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Patchwork Maple Leaf Table Runner Pattern
Say hello to the winds of autumn!
This stunning runner features a patchwork design that gives each lovely leaf a textured look normally only found in nature. A great way to use up scraps, this applique pattern will make a wonderful addition to your autumn table. Pattern from Shabby Fabrics. Finished runner size is 12 1/2" x 53".
Item # V429334
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Patchwork Maple Leaf Table Runner Pattern
Deanne B
July 17, 2016
July 17, 2016
I love this Maple Leaf! Thus pattern can be used so many ways! I ordered this for the Maple Leaf only at this time for an applique for my first quilt. Next, I plan to make the table runner for my friend . I recommend for a classy Maple Leaf.
Patchwork Maple Leaf Table Runner Pattern
Connie B
September 9, 2014
September 9, 2014
I downloaded this pattern because I thought it would be easy to adapt it to make placemats. Absolutely no problem and they turned out beautiful! My table is now set for fall. This was a super easy pattern to work with!
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Win an Echo Show
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Not sure of the best way to translate BHV'er, but I volunteered to be one where I work. This means I'll be responsible to perform First Aid, tackle small fires (only when just starting) and alarm/ evacuate people during emergencies (ensure everyone actually leaves their desks, plus taking special care of people who need extra help, e.g. people with leg injury, etc). Depending on the size of the organization and some other criteria, every company within the Netherlands is required to have a predetermined number of BHV'ers. Seems this is even an European requirement (law).
I'm not sure yet what the various tasks are. I was mostly interested in the First Aid training; the person who asked for volunteers knew less about the tasks than I did. Currently I know I have to follow a 5 day first aid training. I know there are regular exercises where BHV'ers test evacuation plans. Plus help out during the yearly 'walk down the stairs at an annoyingly slow pace' (evacuation exercise involving the whole building and also fire brigade). This is what I'll know I'll be responsible for, for the rest I'll have to get an explanation from our Health and Safety officer.
As volunteer I'll get nice benefits such as First Aid training and the ability to walk around in a bright orange jacket.


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Howard Schultz: What Next, Starbucks?
The coffee CEO on the future of the company, from modern drive-thrus to wine and kale
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz says he's never been a "coffee person." Sitting in his sprawling Seattle office overlooking Puget Sound, he says that what he's always been is a merchant. It's a title he is particularly comfortable with one morning earlier this month. A few hours before, his company's stock price reached $76.24 a share, the highest it had been in its 42-year history.
It is Mr. Schultz's second stint as CEO of Starbucks, a company he has led since he bought it in 1987. He took an eight-year hiatus as...


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Derrick Rose is likely out for tonight's game. The Knicks have a golden opportunity to steal the second game of a home and home against the Bulls. Coming off Carmelo Anthony's virtuoso performance, the Knicks have some momentum heading into the final 10 games of the regular season. I think the Knicks should win this game tonight. Sure, the Bulls are still a great team without Rose, but I think the Knicks should have the upper hand tonight. The Knicks 4th ranked defense should hold Chicago's offense in check. The question mark will be the Knicks offense. I don't expect Anthony to score 43 tonight, but he should have another good game. I think the Knicks win tonights game.
Here's what to watch for:
- The Knicks have to box out better. While New York did play well defensively, they still struggled to contain the Bulls on the glass. Chicago is going to get some offensive rebounds, but the Knicks gave up 18 of them in Sunday's victory. I do believe the Knicks can improve on their defensive rebounding. If you go back and look at the Knicks victory over the Bulls, many of Chicago's offensive rebounds came when Rose broke down the Knicks defense by penetrating. Without Rose, I don't believe Chicago has the same ability to break down the defense. John Lucas III (JLIII) and CJ Watson are capable backup point guards, but they aren't the dynamic athletes that Derrick Rose is. I think if the Knicks work hard on the defensive glass tonight, they'll do a good job keeping Chicago off the glass.
- Will Tyson Chandler dominate Joakim Noah again? In Sunday's victory, Joakim Noah was non-existent while Tyson Chandler was dominant. Chandler's dominance was just as big a part of the victory as Carmelo Anthony's heroics. Chandler was +15 on the day while Noah was a -14. Chandler also grabbed 10, or tipped 10, key offensive rebounds that were paramount to the Knicks winning that game. He truly was magnificent and made Noah look like a really ugly D-leaguer. If Chandler can do that tonight, the Knicks will win. I don't expect Noah to play as poorly as he did, but I do think Chandler will play well tonight.
- The Knicks cannot let Boozer beat them. Yes, I actually said that. I know he's always pretty mediocre against the Knicks, but he has rebounded in double digits his past 5 games. If Boozer gets in a shooting rhythm, he is pretty capable of having a big game. With the Knicks playing small ball featuring Anthony at the 4, Boozer does have a chance to play well on offense. I don't believe that he will, but the Knicks will be in trouble if he does.
- Can you hit a f$%^&*@ shot JR? 6/22? Really man? I like JR, but he has got to stop having these horrid shooting games. He has a good game every once in a while, but that isn't good enough. Points are always at a premium against Chicago's vaunted defense and JR left a lot of them out on the floor on Sunday. If JR can hit shots, that will help free up Anthony from double teams. I think Chicago will game plan to make Knicks not named Anthony beat them. JR needs to get hot tonight.
- Speaking of Melo… I think Carmelo Anthony has good shot of having another dominant game. He won't score 43, but he has a chance to dominate in other ways. I think Chicago will send double and triple teams his way tonight. I think they'll force him to find open teammates. However, Anthony is more than capable to delivering crisp passes under duress. Anthony should dominate tonight, but he'll dominate in another way. He'll get 6-7 assists go to along with about 25 points. He'll dominate in the sense that he'll defend and rebound and get his teammates involved. I think Melo is in a good rhythm and I think he'll keep that going tonight.
- Will Woodson remember that Landry Fields is on the team? Two games in a row now, Landry Fields has sat down the stretch in the 4th quarter. Fields has had two of his better games while JR Smith has had two of his worst. It will be interesting to see if Mike Woodson decides to stick with Smith if he sucks again. I think Fields has earned the right to some more playing time, but I don't make the decisions.


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by Christopher A. Miles
About the AuthorMr. Miles is the biometrics program manager within the Human Factors Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate. He is the former senior program manager of NIJ's sensor and surveillance portfolio.
All products and manufacturers cited in this document are presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the National Institute of Justice.
Actor Kevin Costner said it best in the 2006 movie
The Guardian, in which he played a legendary U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer. During a conversation with one of his young charges, he said, "There will come a time when you might have to decide who lives and who dies out there. It's a terrible responsibility, but it's one you will have to make . . . . The bigger reality is it's also something you are going to have to live with as a human being."
With life and death on the line, it is impossible to overstate the value of new technologies that save lives, especially when they reduce the risk to citizens, law enforcement officers, and soldiers. One such technology is through-the-wall surveillance (TWS).
TWS technology helps officers to determine if someone is in a room before putting themselves in harm's way and to save lives by using motion and images to differentiate between a hostage and a hostage-taker. It can also detect motion through floors and rubble following a building structure failure and, therefore, help in the search for survivors. It allows users to conduct room-to-room searches for suspected terrorists, map the interior of buildings, and find military combatants and weapons caches—all through an interior or exterior building wall. Certain TWS technologies do not even need to be placed against a wall and can be used to perform standoff searches, for example, from a vehicle into a building.
In the field of law enforcement, the possibility of officer injury and death is all too real. In the decade between 1996 and 2005, more than a half million (566,626) officers were assaulted in the line of duty. In that same period, 575 officers were killed—19 of them during tactical situations involving barricaded offenders, hostage-taking, and high-risk entry.[1]
These situations involve the riskiest of conditions for law enforcement, and consequently, many agencies have specially trained emergency response teams (ERTs) or special weapons and tactics (SWAT) teams to handle them. ERTs and SWAT teams often have access to specialized firearms and weapons, heavy body armor and ballistic shields, equipment for forced entry, covert communications, video and audio surveillance technologies, and special vehicles that can help improve responses and increase safety.
TWS technology could undoubtedly help these men and women in the field (see sidebar,
"Through-the-Wall Surveillance: Reducing Risk to Law Enforcement"). With the potential benefits of this technology, however, come concerns about high cost, limitations in ability, and privacy and policy issues. These areas must be addressed to ensure that this technology is developed and implemented effectively to reduce the risk to law enforcement and save lives.
TWS technology typically has been developed for military use; however, it is now transitioning to law enforcement as costs have become more affordable. Although TWS has been the subject of research and development for the past 10 years, the war in Iraq has moved it to the forefront. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the central research and development organization for the U.S. Department of Defense, rapidly introduced the Radar Scope device, a portable handheld device designed to penetrate 12 inches of concrete and 50 feet beyond that into a room.[2] Barely larger than today's stud detectors, weighing only 1.5 pounds, and running on two AA batteries, the Radar Scope reliably detects motion as slight as breathing and transmits information on where in the room the motion is occurring. With a projected price of $1,000, this technology is expected to make a quick transition to SWAT teams and, most likely, to general law enforcement.
DARPA has also provided support for a larger SoldierVision device, which creates a two-dimensional color image depicting range and distance to objects in motion. This device penetrates 60 feet into a room and has a standoff capability, allowing it to be 30 feet away from a wall and still penetrate 30 feet into the room. It can provide intensive target detection out to 9 feet, detecting someone hiding in a closet or a crawl space, for instance. Although the SoldierVision device does not comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification for use in the United States,[4] another version, the RadarVision2 device, is FCC certified.[6] The range of the RadarVision2, however, is cut in half, providing a penetration of 30 feet into rooms. It also sells for more than $20,000, putting it out of reach for many law enforcement agencies.[7]
On the high-end of TWS capabilities—and price—is the Camero Xaver™ 800 product, which produces a 3-D display of a room in real time.[8] Full 3-D imaging can be accomplished up to 26 feet, and it has an extended imaging range of up to 65 feet. Operators can see not only the shape of the room, but also figures moving around or in one place within the room. A person's height and distance from walls or objects can be estimated quite easily. The system is generally considered too expensive for law enforcement. Its manufacturer is currently developing a Xaver™ T system, which should be lower in cost.
Current TWS technology is limited in what it can do. Metal in walls and metal-backed insulation can block the ability to see into a room, and most TWS technologies provide a lower resolution image compared to video images. Each pixel in the TWS image represents an inch or more across the target, making it very difficult to differentiate between a cell phone and a handgun, for instance.
Although the ability to produce images of moving people, fixed objects, and room structure makes this technology very attractive to law enforcement, systems that offer an actual video currently are too expensive for police departments. Meanwhile, the less expensive systems provide only an indicator of motion on the other side of a wall—which, for example, could be an armed person or an animal.
TWS technology raises significant privacy issues: Does it violate a person's Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure?
In some situations, this technology would constitute an unreasonable search of a home unless a warrant with probable cause had been issued. The primary exception would be in emergency or exigent conditions. There is a significant body of case law that describes such conditions; perhaps the clearest explanation is:
In tactical situations involving barricaded offenders and hostage-taking—situations in which there is not sufficient time to obtain a search warrant—it is fairly reasonable to assume that the use of TWS technology would prevent physical harm to an officer or other person. When serving high-risk warrants, however, it is not reasonable to assume that there is insufficient time to get a search warrant for a known address. In other words, even though serving a high-risk warrant may present a risk to law enforcement, the serving of the warrant is not typically time-critical. Thus, using TWS technologies to search a premises would require the appropriate search warrant under current legal precedent.
The use of TWS technologies in all situations must follow clearly defined policies and procedures that have been vetted by an agency's command and legal staff.
In the 1990s, the Technology Policy Council (TPC) was formed at the direction of the U.S. Attorney General to provide a forum for Federal agencies to share information about their research and development of law enforcement technology. Administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), TPC provides an opportunity for agencies throughout the Federal Government to leverage projects, where it makes sense, to avoid duplication of efforts and to maximize the return on investment. The Deputy Attorney General serves as the chair of TPC.
At a December 2006 TPC meeting sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, representatives from several government agencies shared information on their TWS technology programs. The meeting revealed significant interest and investment in detecting objects and people in buildings and providing surveillance into a structure prior to entry. The meeting also revealed the need for standards and test protocols to ensure that:
Federal agencies will continue to coordinate to ensure that they have identified and discussed the important issues surrounding privacy and human subject impact assessments. Without an upfront understanding of the legal and health implications posed by TWS technology, criminal justice agencies could face problems they had not considered—problems that may be easily avoided through coordination and policy planning.
TWS technology continues to evolve and improve. In July 2006, the Office of Naval Research initiated a Transparent Urban Structures program to collect and integrate information to determine the intent of above- and below-ground structures and quickly get the right data to the right user.[10] The program seeks to provide military personnel with an intuitive, portable interface that presents a clear, real-time picture of the battlefield and threats, likely enemy courses of action, and actionable intelligence of the situation surrounding them.
DARPA has a major program under way called Visibuilding, which is developing further technologies for sensing people and objects in buildings.[11] A key component of this project is making technology useful during a range of operations—from pre-mission planning to find which buildings should be searched, through post-mission analysis to find hidden objects or people.
NIJ is also working to advance TWS research, development, and evaluation through its sensors and surveillance portfolio and solicitation for proposals.[12] Through a 2006 solicitation, the Institute is funding a research project to add an acoustic TWS capability to the TimeDomain system, which uses ultrawide band radar TWS technology. Because radar currently is blocked by metal walls or aluminum-backed insulation, an acoustic capability would allow the TWS device to provide some surveillance capability to penetrate through those walls. A prototype system integrating radar and acoustic capabilities should be complete in early 2008.
As the capabilities, cost, and availability of TWS technology continue to improve, there will be many more opportunities to save lives by reducing the risk to law enforcement in tactical situations so that officers can make quicker, smarter, life-saving decisions.
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is currently evaluating through-the-wall surveillance (TWS) technologies in a controlled environment. The Institute has funded the construction of test walls at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, New York, where the efficacy of some TWS technologies is being tested. Such controlled evaluations set clear performance criteria, allow comparisons between systems that are commercially available, and define future research and development priorities.
NIJ also loans technologies to law enforcement and corrections officers for evaluation in real-world situations. These officers often find creative ways to use the technology not envisioned by the manufacturer or NIJ during development. Best-use practices are developed and passed on to other agencies. For example, the police department in Cobb County, Georgia, integrated the Time Domain Radar Vision TWS system with its Peace Keeper SWAT vehicle. The department installed the system on an articulated arm that can look through first- or second-story walls. Video transmits to the interior of the SWAT vehicle, allowing the viewer to remain in a safe location. Such evaluations provide law enforcement with hands-on use, the manufacturer with feedback on industry needs, and NIJ with invaluable information in setting research and development priorities for the future.
Through-the-wall surveillance (TWS) technology could prove invaluable to law enforcement officers, particularly in high-risk situations involving hostages and barricaded offenders (see main story). The 2005 FBI Uniform Crime Report of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (https://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/killed/2005/index.htm) describes incidents in which TWS technology could have aided responding officers and perhaps saved their lives. Studying incidents like these provides insight into how technology and revised practices can enhance officer safety.
Return to text
[note 1] Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, October 2006: Tables 1, 20, and 65, available at
[note 2]More information on Radar Scope is available at http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=14711.
[note 4]The FCC and the American National Standards Institute set limits for the safe amount of energy that can be emitted by devices for the operator and the individuals under surveillance. These limits are often not applied when devices are used overseas, so many of the companies sell a different, less-powerful version in the United States. The FCC requirements also ensure that the devices do not interfere with other communications devices.
[note 6]This device is certified and complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Parties using this equipment must hold a license issued by the FCC to operate a transmitter in the Public Safety Radio Pool under Part 90 of CFR Title 47.
[note 7]Enhanced Tactical Entry, ArmorOutlet.com.
[note 8]More information on the Xaver™ 800 is available at www.camero-tech.com/xaver800.shtml.
[note 9]"The 'Lectric Law Library's Lexicon on Exigent Circumstances," 'Lectric Law Library.
[note 10]Kruger, M.,
Transparent Urban Structures Enabling Capability Program, Office of Naval Research.
[note 11]See also Baranoski, E.J., "Urban Operations: The New Frontier for Radar," in DARPATech 2005 Conference Proceedings, DARPA Special Projects Office, 2005.
[note 12]For example, see "FY2007 Solicitation: Sensors and Surveillance Technologies," available at
National Institute of Justice, 810 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, DC 20531


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Our source on the ground in Afghanistan is a reserve Army major (called to duty from his home in Minneapolis) whom we are inordinately proud to claim as a Power Line reader. He has previously asked us not to disclose his name for security reasons. Today he sent us the following report:
First, I have heard of two suicide attacks in Kabul today, one at the UN and one at the British compound. Most of these types of attacks here are not coming from Afghans, but from foreign terrorists from surrounding countries. There is an uptick in the threat level here due largely to the upcoming elections later this year by those who would like to see an unsuccessful Afghanistan.
Here is some information from my base in Afghanistan. I knew about a lot of this, but didn't know if the information was approved for release. This is an excerpt of an unclassified email coming from the military hospital commander and is accurate to the best of my knowledge:
"Christmas was fairly quiet here. Soldiers were in good spirits and luckily casualty flow was low. New Year's Eve however was very busy as was New Year's day. On New Year's Eve we received a number of children who were casualties of land mines and gun shot wounds. Two children ages 6 and 8 were walking in an area they thought was clear when a mine went off next to them. Both had shrapnel injuries but one took a large piece of metal through the brain. The surgeons worked to stabilize him and remove the shrapnel. Prognosis is poor for his recovery. The second had multiple shrapnel injuries to his arms, legs and trunk.
"This incident was followed by children begging for food below one of our perimeter guard towers. One of the guards threw food down to the children. When a 10 year old girl ran to catch the food she stepped on a mine, just off the path the children walk each day. She blew off one leg above the knee and had severe blast injuries to the groin and both arms. We could not recover her until the explosive detection dogs cleared the area. Our security cameras captured the scenes of her writhing in pain, horrifically injured the other children and the guards screaming while we tried to extricate her from the mine field.
"The perimeter guard who threw the food is taking the whole thing pretty badly. He tried to get into the mine field to recover the child but was restrained by other soldiers. The child has stabilized in the ICU following extensive surgery. Later in the evening an 8 year old was shot through the upper chest and shoulder shattering his upper arm. He was MEDEVACed to the hospital here and the orthopedic surgeons are working to save his arm.
"New Year's day one of our vehicle patrols was attacked by multiple enemy with RPG's and small arms. A young soldier was shot through the arm. The impact of the attack knocked everyone else out of the vehicle. Four soldiers found themselves disabled and trapped in the "kill zone" of the enemy. A Marine Cobra helicopter gun ship engaged and destroyed the enemy with one strafing run. The actions of the helicopter crew saved the lives of these four solders. The helicopter crew came to the hospital to shake the hands of the soldiers they had saved — an emotional moment for everyone.
"Later on New Year's we were informed of an imminent rocket attack on our base. Spent all night listening for the incoming rockets and walking from guard point to guard point making sure the soldiers were prepared. Our howitzers fired rounds most of the night to demonstrate our ability to respond to an attack. Was one of those difficult nights that soldiers won't ever forget. The sound of the howitzer rounds keeping the newer soldiers on edge as the veterans reassured them that these were outgoing rounds. Those delivering care to the critically injured children and soldiers in the hospital were unable to go to bunkers for protection. No one even questioned this or faltered in their duty. These are extraordinarily brave soldiers.
"No missile attacked occurred. We haven't been attacked now with missiles since Dec 16th when three rockets landed inside our wire. One traveling right over the hospital and landing behind us. One airman on the flight line was hit by flying dirt but no serious injuries or damage."
I would like to make a few comments about the above email. One, our military medical personnel are doing a great job not only treating US personnel, but also many Afghan civilians. The mines that cause injury to so many civilians are not a result of US efforts, but rather the many, many years of previous conflict. Some estimates show Afghanistan as the most heavily mined country in the world. I cannot say what caused the gunshot wounds, but have no reason to believe it was caused by US personnel.
The rocket attacks on US bases tend to occur around the time of a full moon. The rockets are primitive ballistic devices aimed by sight. The perpetrators cannot accurately aim them at night without the light from the moon. Once again, the attackers are typically foreign terrorists, or Afghani's that are paid a decent price to kill Americans. I don't want to leave the wrong impression, I think that the coalition efforts here are going very well, but this transformation is more like a marathon than a sprint.
On a different note, I have enjoyed reading your commentary on the Democratic primaries and have seen the results from New Hampshire. Did anyone ever ask Wesley Clark how it is he could guarantee no terrorist attacks on US soil while not being able to prevent the bombing of a Chinese Embassy in Belgrade? Or how about the safety of a civilian convoy, killing more than 70 ethnic Albanians?
Your analysis of John Kerry's post-Vietnam War activities is important. I hope that you and others will continue to hammer on these facts. There were at least two separate incidents, after the early stages of the Afghan campaign, where distinguished Special Forces veterans returned home and subsequently killed their wives. Do we overlook their actions at home simply because they were heroic on the battlefield for the United States? Are they potential Democrat Presidential nominees?
Finally, I think that this argument that President Bush was a deserter has zero merit. I have been both in the active duty and reserve component Army. There is a big difference between missing some weekend reserve drills and not showing up to work in an active duty status. In fact, I have had gaps for up to a year in my reserve career, and many others do as well. These gaps come for a variety of reasons. For me the gaps in service have occurred due to geographical moves, finding a new unit, etc. The Reserve/National Guard world, in my experience, has many differences from active duty and these accusations tend to come from people who do not understand the differences.
Amid the politcal hijinks that consume our daily attention, let us not forget the guys out there who are giving it up for us. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.


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Earlier while upgrading PHP to version 5.3.5 on a CentOS server I copied over the details of the remi repository from another server I had upgraded PHP on. Once I started the transaction all looked well until Yum needed to verify the remi repo RPM GPG key which I had not installed so an error was provided and Yum stopped the PHP upgrade process. You can get around the RPM GPG key error by simply using the –nogpgcheck switch however that is not the correct way to resolve the problem. You should instead install the RPM GPG key and the below example shows how to install the RPM GPG key for the remi repo.


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Phil Sandlin / AP
First lady Michelle Obama gives the "Gator Chomp" to students as she speaks to a rally in Gainesville, Fla., Monday, Sept. 17.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Rallying the college vote, first lady Michelle Obama commended the "energy and passion" of young voters during stops in Florida Monday -- and cranked the pressure up, too.
"All of the progress we've made, it is on the line," Obama said inside a packed arena on the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee.
"As my husband has said, this election's going to be even closer than the last one," she added. "And it could all come down to what happens in a few key battleground states. Yes -- like Florida. And folks here in Florida, you all know a little something about close elections, don't you?"
It wasn't Obama's first reference to the George W. Bush era.
Earlier, she implored the crowd not to "turn around and go back" to economic policies that she said "got [the United States] into trouble in the first place."
Florida is clearly part of that mission.
The First Lady's visit may be an indication that whatever ground President Barack Obama has gained here and in other battleground states is going to be guarded closely.
An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll last week showed the president holding a lead of five points on Republican nominee Mitt Romney among likely voters in Florida and Virginia, and a lead of seven points in Ohio.
"From now until November the 6th, we're going to need every single one of you to work like you've never worked before," Obama said. She urged students to take advantage of early voting in order to volunteer on election day.
Hours before the first lady arrived in Tallahassee, a flap blew up over a surreptitious video that captured Romney at a fundraiser this year, telling donors that supporters of Barack Obama are "dependent upon government."
Obama didn't mention the controversy here in Tallahassee, and instead painted a broad picture of values she said she and her husband share.
"You have to be driven by the struggles, hopes and dreams of all of the people you serve," she said. "As president you need a strong inner compass, a core commitment to your fellow citizen, that's how you make the right decisions for this country. That's what it takes to be a leader."
Late Monday, Romney said during a press conference that his remarks were not "elegantly stated" but reflect his philosophical differences with the White House.
"This is something I talk about a good deal in rallies and speeches and so forth, which is the president and I have very different approaches to the future of America," Romney said.
Obama campaign officials estimated 8,850 people showed up in Tallahassee. Earlier Monday, the first lady addressed students on the campus of the University of Florida, in Gainesville.