text:
Release Date: August 5, 2013
BUFFALO, N.Y. – University at Buffalo engineers are developing a lie detector that works by tracking eye movement. They're also pioneering innovative ways to secure fingerprint templates.
Because of such groundbreaking biometrics research and other advancements, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has made UB a member of its Center for Identification Technology Research (CITeR). The designation is expected to:
Biometrics is the science of recognizing people based on their physiological or behavioral characteristic; this includes, but is not limited to, examining someone's facial features and expressions, their voice and signature. Organizations as diverse as the FBI and Disney World use biometric identifiers.
Officially classified as a "NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center," CITeR was established more than 10 years ago to bring together academia, industry and government to collaborate on biometrics research. UB's proposal to join CITeR was supported in 2012 by the Western New York congressional delegation.
"The University at Buffalo's designation as a Center for Identification Technology Research is another exciting advancement for Buffalo's academic community," said U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. "This designation will allow UB to become an integral player in the field of biometrics, creating safer borders, and offering new and exciting opportunities in science and technology to its students."
Joining CITeR is an example of how UB is partnering with government, industry and institutes of higher learning to conduct innovative research that helps solve problems outside the university setting, said Liesl Folks, PhD, dean of UB's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
"UB's engagement with the industry and government entities participating in CITeR will offer fantastic opportunities for faculty and graduate students to contribute to solutions to real world biometrics problems," she said. "Partnering in CITeR offers a great opportunity to enhance UB's impact in this field of growing domestic and international importance."
Five affiliates – the National Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, Qualcomm, Raytheon BBN Technologies and CUBRC – are partnering with UB in CITeR and have agreed to contribute about $200,000 combined annually to support the center. NSF, meanwhile, will provide $300,000 over five years.
UB's inclusion in CITeR is based largely upon the work of the university's Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors (CUBS). Created in 2003, CUBS advances the scientific underpinnings of biometric technologies for civilian and homeland security applications by integrating pattern recognition and machine learning algorithms with sensor technology.
Venu Govindaraju, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, is CUBS' director. He also will direct UB's CITeR site.
He and other CUBS researchers will bring to CITeR expertise in core biometric methods, such as fingerprints and face recognition; soft biometric methods, such as gestures, age and emotion; and such related areas as advanced computer vision, robotics, cryptography and theoretical computer science.
Additionally, UB will broaden the focus of CITeR to include novel biometrics-driven applications, such as the creation of personalized "smart spaces," said Srirangaraj Setlur, CUBS principal research scientist. Smart spaces are ordinary environments, like a conference room or highway, equipped with audio and visual sensors that can perceive and react automatically based on the identification of people in the environment.
Supplementing CITeR's primary goal of high-quality, industry-relevant, fundamental research, another objective is to support education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields.
Under the auspices of Buffalo-area Engineering Awareness for Minorities (BEAM), UB will host events that highlight biometrics applications to educate and attract local high school and undergraduate students to pursue academic degrees in STEM fields.
Cory Nealon
Director of News Content
Engineering, Computer Science
Tel: 716-645-4614
Twitter: @UBengineering


text:
1. Re: GSoC12: BPMN2 based Web App for replaying and stepping through activity information captured from a business transaction executing within a SOAobjectiser Mar 19, 2012 7:34 AM (in response to objectiser)
The initial tasks would be:
1) As part of the business/service activity work being carried out in existing jboss.org projects, a model of activity events will be developed. The student working on this task will help to define the requirements for this model, to ensure that the required information is available to achieve this task.
2) The inputs into this task will comprise:
a) A set of activity events representing the execution of a business transaction across multple interacting services within a SOA.
b) A BPMN2 choreography model defining the business process spanning across the SOA
c) One BPMN2 process model per service, defining the internal logic of each service (where available) or as a minimum the externally observable communication behaviour
3) The goal of the UI will be to enable a user to start from a top level view of the business transaction, where activities span across services. This view will use the visual representation of the BPMN2 choreography as a means to overlay summary details regarding the activity events that relate to the communications between services - e.g. latency, time spent within a service, etc.
4) Users should be able to drill down into individual 'participants' (BPMN2 choreography term) to view the activity associated with the individual services. Each service will have an associated BPMN2 process model that will define the detailed or abstract behaviour, depending upon the level of information available. As with the choreography model in (3), various metrics derived from the activity details associated with the internal tasks, can be displayed on the visual representation.
5) Users should finally be able to drill into further details related to a particular task, which at this stage will show a representation of the activity events within the scope of the task selected.
6) Provide replay functionality to allow the sequence of activity events to be dynamically highlighted on the visual representations, with the user being able to "step in" and "step out" where appropriate, in the same style as traditional debugging. If variables and scopes are defined as part of the activity information, then it should enable the values in scope to be displayed as appropriate.
Various approaches can be considered for defining the visual representation, including GWT, JavaScript, SVG, etc.
Further enhancements that can be considered for extensions to this work:
a) When models do not necessarily exist, a dynamic representation of the choreography and/or process models can be derived and used as the basis for the visual representation. This can be useful for monitoring legacy environments where models do not necessarily exist. The disadvantage is that the user does not get to see the path taken by a particular business transaction instance in the context of the overall business process - whereas using a pre-defined chorepgraphy and process model(s), allows the user to see the various paths available, and which one was actually taken by the specific business transaction instance.
b) Allow multiple business transaction instances to be represented in the graphical representations - main focus of this would be to show average/min/max values for metrics related to performance/latency, and also the count for the number of instances that take different paths in the process, when there is divergence.
c) Service deployment top level view - as an alternative to the choreography view, showing the set of services and the communication paths between them - giving another opportunity to display metrics related to communications between service pairs (e.g. min/avg/max latency, response times, etc).
Other suggestions for extensions to the work are appreciated. Whether they are in scope for the initial work or not, it is useful to understand future directions when undertaking the initial design and implementation work.
2. Re: GSoC12: BPMN2 based Web App for replaying and stepping through activity information captured from a business transaction executing within a SOAgrassonsand Mar 19, 2012 10:57 AM (in response to objectiser)
Hi Gary,
Thank you for the more detailed information about this project.
From my understanding, at the beginning stage, we need to provide visual representations of BPMN diagrams. I am wondering whether is there any initial work that can be followed, or it needs to start from scratch? I found that the core of the BPMN2 based tooling in Savara is an Eclipse BPMN2 editor, does it have any relationship with this project?
Also, in order to track details in service communications, such as latency and time spent within a service, does it need to provide interactions with BPMN engines?
3. Re: GSoC12: BPMN2 based Web App for replaying and stepping through activity information captured from a business transaction executing within a SOAobjectiser Mar 19, 2012 11:37 AM (in response to grassonsand)
Hi Shasha
The Eclipse BPMN2 editor may be used to create the choreography and process models, and therefore if any additional information needs to be included in those models for later analysis, this editor may become relevant. The project lead for this editor works for Red Hat, so it should be easy enough to arrange discussions around how to enhance the editor if required.
However for this particular task the main aim is to have a web based visualisation. This can either be developed from scratch, or borrow some code from a web based BPMN2 editor (such as the one used in jBPM), However the main point is that this is not intended to be a BPMN2 editor - only a tool for visualising activity and analysis results in a familar notation.
The Savara project does include a jaxb based BPMN2 model, which should be used in preference to the Eclipse BPMN2 model project, to avoid any unnecessary Eclipse dependencies within the web app.
All of the information (activity events) will be (eventually) obtained from monitoring the execution of services in the SOA. So the relevant timestamps of different tasks/activities will be available to support these calculations. However this information will be supplied to this web app, so it is not in the scope of this task to manage the collection etc of the activity information.
If you are interested in taking on this task, then as we get into further discussions, we can work out the natural boundary between this work and the wider framework in which it would be used.
Hope that helps clarify things.
4. Re: GSoC12: BPMN2 based Web App for replaying and stepping through activity information captured from a business transaction executing within a SOAgrassonsand Mar 21, 2012 1:57 AM (in response to objectiser)
5. Re: GSoC12: BPMN2 based Web App for replaying and stepping through activity information captured from a business transaction executing within a SOAobjectiser Mar 21, 2012 6:11 AM (in response to grassonsand)
That looks fine to me - although just to check, I assume the 'reply' in view (e) is a typo and should be 'replay'?
Although BPMN2 is definitely the current focus for the project, as mentioned in the task writeup - I am just wondering whether we should actually think about it as a pluggable graphical style. So at the top level we just consider it to be an end-to-end architecture behavioural model (i.e. choreography), second level being the service behavioural model and then finally into the individual tasks.
So internally within the implementation you just deal with generic/abstract models/graphs, which can be derived from potentially any business model, and rendered in any supported graphical style, as long as the appropriate information is carried.
Sorry to start changing the requirements, but if we were to look at it from this more generic point of view, it may provide greater flexibility in the future - but as previously mentioned, the initial target for the work would be using BPMN2 choreography and process models as the source, and therefore rendering the information using a BPMN2 style.
6. Re: GSoC12: BPMN2 based Web App for replaying and stepping through activity information captured from a business transaction executing within a SOAobjectiser May 17, 2012 6:14 AM (in response to objectiser)
Some work has now started on the BAM infrastructure, which can be found here: https://github.com/savara/savara-bam
Based on having a better understanding of how information is collected (i.e. as ActivityUnits which are a grouping of activities that occur within a scope/transaction), I think there are a few options for how the model will be created for display using the web app:
1) Displaying a business transaction instance - the choreography view
a) This could be achieved by obtaining a graph of inter-related ActivityUnits, linked by 'conversation id' correlation, and translating them into nodes in the JSON model. The benefit of this approach is that the ActivityUnit id can be stored in the JSON model, and used to retrieve the list of actual activities that occurred - as the ActivityUnit represents the activities that occurred within a particular transaction for a service/process.
b) The other approach would be to use a protocol monitor that would interpret the communication events to determine the path and current location within the choreography.
c) If a BPMN2 choreography is available, this can pre-initiaize the JSON model with all possible paths, and (a) or (b) can then apply their information to show the actual path taken. This also means we need to be able to reflect in the graphical representation which paths have been taken - so possibly the paths that have not been executed needs to be greyed out (i.e. faint).
2) Displaying a service instance - the process view
1 (a) and (c) also apply for the process view, with the exception that ActivityUnits would be obtained (and linked) based on correlation related to a process id, or linking message request/response ids.
3) Updating a business transaction or service instance
It would be possible to continue to monitor the business transaction or service instance (if not completed) and update the JSON model, pushing the updated version to the UI (depending upon the technology being used).
4) Aggregated view
For both business transaction and process views, it will be possible to aggregate the information from multiple instances to present an overview of how the business transaction or individual service is operating.
As there is a few ways that the JSON model could be created, this task should start with:
- defining the JSON model as a simplified representation, that is capable of representing BPMN2 choreography and process models, but without much of the unnecessary information. Layout information (which can be optional) should be defined on the nodes themselves rather than as a separate part of the model. The model should also support 'annotations' that can be used to define value added information for display on nodes and/or links, along with the ability to set the priority/importance of the information, which can be reflected in different colours
- providing a simple test REST service that can be used to retrieve example JSON models and display them
This should then enable the task to focus more on the capabilities required in the UI.
As the BAM infrastructure work progresses, we can then discuss various ways to integrate and build the initial JSON models from live data.
7. Re: GSoC12: BPMN2 based Web App for replaying and stepping through activity information captured from a business transaction executing within a SOAobjectiser May 17, 2012 6:23 AM (in response to objectiser)
Just to clarify the point about optional layout information - if a BPMN2 chore/process model is not available, and the JSON model is built up dynamically, then layout information may not be available. So it would be useful if the UI can provide a dynamic layout algorithm to cope with missing explicit layout info.
The problem is that although ideally choreography/process models will be available for all important business processes being monitored, when the technology is initially used it may be to monitor existing applications where no models exist. So it would be good if the system could cope with that situation.
This could probably be achieved on either the client or server side, so we just need to consider where best to handle this?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Last week was a big news week on Longboat Key.
• The Longboat Key Hilton Beachfront Resort announced it wants to add 85 rooms to its 105 existing rooms and build a new wing.
• The Longboat Key Club and Resort released the results of an important summer survey, showing typical Longboat Key schizophrenia over the club's expansion plans.
• And opponents to the Key Club's expansion filed another appeal to challenge and block the club's application to expand.
Each of these news items adds a page or two to the many chapters on the town's bipolar disorder on tourism and development. And in and of themselves, each news development has important implications:
+ How will Hilton be treated?
By following through on his company's previously stated intentions to expand the Hilton, Ocean Properties Ltd. owner Mark Walsh (no relation to this newspaper) is making a statement that his company is optimistic about the Hilton's economic future on Longboat Key. For good reason, too.
When you look at the economic and business risks facing the Hilton, vis-à-vis other nearby markets, the risks are low, the opportunities attractive. Walsh and his colleagues obviously still see Longboat Key as a strong tourist destination. It's easy to reach for Tampa Bay residents who want to get away. And the fact there are so few similar resorts on Longboat Key makes it all the more attractive for travelers who don't want crowded beaches and want the quiet ambience of Longboat Key.
Nonetheless, Walsh and his fellow Ocean Properties executives are acutely aware of the risks that could change the proformas on the project: the town and the reaction of the Hilton's neighbors.
No doubt Ocean Properties executives have watched the treatment of the Longboat Key Club's expansion plans. And you can bet they are wary of which personality the town and the Key's residents will demonstrate — the Henry Jekyll of obstructionist opposition or an Edward Hyde of welcome and accommodation? Will we be friend or foe to Ocean Properties' capital?
Whichever personality emerges will be telling. Count on this: The owners of the Key Club will be watching every step of the Hilton's process, with a particular eye on the U.S. constitutional provision of equal treatment under the law.
An aside: Let it be said, this newspaper extends a welcome to Ocean Properties. Longboat Key needs this investment.
+ The Key Club survey
It took less than 24 hours for one of our readers to send a letter doubting the validity of a telephone survey that Kerr & Downs Research performed for the Longboat Key Club and Resort. The survey, conducted earlier this summer, quizzed respondents on their opinions of tourism on the Key and the Key Club's proposed renovation-expansion plans.
The validity of the survey is not an issue. It's a red herring to raise questions of bias; indeed, the results don't cast the Key Club project completely in the point of view that the club would prefer. The issue here is the contents of the results.
In broad terms, the survey results provide no surprises. To wit: 86% of the respondents who live outside of the Key Club's gates agree that tourism is important to the Key's economy. Fifty-five percent of the respondents behind the gates feel the same way. To some extent, it is surprising that only 55% of those behind the gates believe tourism is important to Longboat Key's economy. You know they know it is. It's more likely they don't want to say anything to lean in favor of the Key Cub's cause.
Nonetheless, while a solid majority believes tourism is important to Longboat Key, only 50% of the respondents outside of the gates said they support the Key Club's proposed renovations and expansion, and 37% said they oppose it. It was completely predictable and expected that those living behind the gates would say they oppose the project overwhelmingly.
Altogether, the survey results reflect and reaffirm Longboat Key residents' bipolarity on tourism and development. Indeed, this is the story of Florida for the past 30 years: Those who retire here for the peace and beauty of coastal Florida often lead the charge to stop others from having what they have. And the amazing part is the groups that block development never acknowledge the disconnection — that it's OK for them to have their slice of paradise but not OK for others to have it, why it's OK for them to profit from their property but not OK for others to profit from their property.
For those residents outside the gates and who are opposed to the Key Club project, here's another angle to consider on that dichotomous view: Call it enlightened self-interest.
You have seen these past three years what a declining economy does to your own wealth and what that means for your heirs. Surely, you prefer the opposite — rising values, rising net worth, both of which come from economic growth and expansion, not contraction.
+ The second appeal
It was news that residents and condo associations on Longboat Club Road opposed to the Key Club's expansion filed a second appeal, claiming the Key Club's application is incomplete. But it also was not news. It was expected.
The strategy appears obvious: Take whatever steps necessary to delay, obstruct, annoy, to cause Longboat Key Club General Manager Michael Welly to withdraw the project altogether. And further, the strategy appears to be to keep the project from having its day in front of the Longboat Key Town Commission.
The more this strategy and these tactics are employed, the more Longboat Key taxpayers (and town commissioners) must be aware of the risks to the town and ultimately to taxpayers.
Remember the Klauber suit? In the mid-1990s, Dr. Murray "Murf" Klauber won a $10 million judgment against the town over a property dispute. Klauber and the town settled for nearly $7 million in cash — all of which Longboat Key taxpayers paid in their annual property taxes.
In this instance, as the process and opposition moves along, two constitutional issues are likely to come into play:
• On the federal level, it's Amendment 14, which states: " … nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
• On the state level, the looming constitutional matter is the Bert J. Harris Jr. Private Property Rights Protection Act. The Harris Act, in essence, forbids the state and local governments from imposing an "inordinate" burden, restriction or limit on private property without compensation. Read the law, and you'll conclude this is a risk for the town.
In its earnestness and aggressiveness to stop the Key Club, if the opposition ultimately leads to the Town Commission denying the Key Club's project, it is plausible to expect the lawyers for Key Club Associates, the owner of the resort, to sue the town (i.e. taxpayers) on the basis of denial of constitutional rights.
The legal skirmishes over whether an application is complete or incomplete may be achieving the effect that Bob White and the Islandside Property Owners Coalition want. But they are adding negatively to an overall atmosphere of division and inevitable confrontation that could end up exacting an unnecessary burden on the town and Longboat Key residents and taxpayers in general.
Get on with the public hearings. Give the Key Club plan its day in the commission. Constant division and confrontation benefit no one.


text: Shaking off the post-Comic-Con whiplash/hangover the lads over at Sandtroopers.com slap up one more new piece to blow our socks off. The 2010 TIE Bomber from Hasbro's Vintage Collection has more new features than expected. (Turn a dial at the back to drop missiles?) Who would have ever thought that would happen (and work)? There's also the modern convenience of having an ejecting TIE Pilot.


text:
2013 Mini Cooper
The 2013 Mini Cooper hardtop is the original Mini model. Now available in both hardtop and convertible variants, the Mini Cooper delivers agile handling, crisp performance and an interminably cute appearance in a tidy, efficient, front-wheel drive package, with plenty of space and comfort for front seat passengers.
2013 Mini Cooper models get Bluetooth handsfree connectivity and a USB port as standard equipment. Satellite radio is an option on all 2013 models, and the high-performance John Cooper Works model is now available with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
All Mini Cooper hardtops and convertibles are powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine available in three levels of power output, and are available with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Premium gasoline is required on all models.
Base Mini Coopers make 121 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque. Acceleration performance isn't quick, but it's adequate. We think this engine works best with the manual transmission, which adds to the sportiness. The Mini Cooper delivers excellent fuel economy, earning an EPA rating of 29/37 mpg City/Highway with the stick, and 28/36 mpg City/Highway with the automatic.
Mini Cooper S models come with a turbocharged version of the same engine that generates a more substantial 181 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Despite the increase in performance, fuel economy is still very good, with an EPA-estimated 27/35 mpg City/Highway with the manual and 26/34 mpg City/Highway with the automatic.
John Cooper Works models play on the brand's heritage, and are named for the multiple rally and touring-car racing champion in the 1960s. They use the same turbocharged engine as the S, and are tuned for even more power. JCW models use an ultra-firm suspension and churn out 208 hp and 192 lb.-ft. of torque, making for one of the best power-to-weight ratios on the market. Surprisingly, though, fuel economy remains the same as the S, with 26/35 mpg City/Highway with the manual and 26/24 mpg City/Highway with the newly available automatic.
The Mini Cooper Hardtop is quite practical when viewed as a two-seat car with good rear cargo capacity. The front seats are very comfortable and supportive, and they are large enough to accommodate all sizes of drivers and front passengers. With its hatchback and folding rear seats, the Hardtop can haul reasonable amounts of gear. Although the back seat can carry two people, it's hard to climb into and offers very limited legroom. The back seats are best left for small children or, better yet, stuff.
A wide range of styling options allows owners to personalize their cars, and it's a major part of Mini's appeal. The choices cover upholstery style, material and color; exterior graphics; trim pieces; ambient lighting; and exterior paint, including contrasting colors for the roof. Functional options include high-end features like adaptive Xenon headlights, rear obstacle warning and a navigation system.
Minis have a price premium over other compacts, and options can add up quickly. But fans don't seem to mind, and Mini has developed quite a cult following. It's perhaps no surprise, considering Mini's distinctive looks, signature go-kart handling and its BMW-sourced engineering.
Those looking for a small car with head-turning design might also consider the equally charming but less expensive and less powerful Fiat 500 coupe or convertible or the Hyundai Veloster. Performance seekers might also consider the Fiat 500 Abarth or Hyundai Veloster Turbo.
Model Lineup
All Mini Cooper models are powered by 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, with a standard 6-speed manual transmission, or an optional 6-speed automatic. All convertibles get a power-operated soft top.
Mini Cooper Hardtop ($19,700) and Convertible ($25,150) come with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 121 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque. Standard equipment includes leatherette (vinyl) upholstery, air conditioning, power windows, locks and outside mirrors; cruise control, keyless entry, a tilt-and-telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel, a height-adjustable driver seat, Bluetooth handsfree connectivity and a six-speaker audio system with a CD player, HD radio, auxiliary audio jack and a USB port. Hardtops come standard with15-inch alloy wheels, and convertibles get 16-inch alloys. The Sport package ($1,250) adds 16-inch wheels on the hatchback and 17-inch wheels on the convertible, sport seats, foglamps, a rear spoiler and dynamic traction control.
Cooper S hardtops ($23,300) and convertibles ($28,150) get a turbocharged version of the same engine good for 181 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Additional equipment includes a firmer suspension, sport seats, alloy pedals and foglamps. The Cooper S hardtop comes with 16-inch alloy wheels.
The JCW Hardtop ($30,100) and Convertible ($25,300) are the raciest models of all, with a 208-hp version of the turbocharged engine, even firmer suspension, larger brakes and 205/45R17 run-flat tires.
Dozens of packages and options are available for all Mini models, and it would be impossible to list them all here. Mini claims more than ten million combinations are available, and that no two Minis are exactly alike.
Safety features include dual-stage front impact airbags, front seat side-impact airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with antilock brakes (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Brake Assist and stability control. The Convertible has a pop-up rear rollover bar, and the Hardtop comes with side curtain airbags. All models with the manual transmission feature Hill Assist, which activates the brakes when starting on an uphill start to prevent the car from rolling back.
The Mini Cooper lineup has multiplied since this second-generation version was launched as a 2007 model. Yet none of the subsequent models will be mistaken for anything other than a close sibling to the chic, irrepressible cute Hardtop, or for that matter any Mini model sold since the brand was re-introduced for 2000.
The Convertible closely resembles the standard Hardtop, and matches its dimensions. The soft-top maintains the same basic silhouette as the Hardtop, though the heated glass rear window is tilted farther forward. The rear side windows are about a third of the size of those on the Hardtop because the cloth top wraps farther around the sides of the car. When the Convertible top is down, it stacks at the back of the car. The look is fine, but it blocks the driver's lower line of sight to the rear.
The Convertible's insulated fabric roof opens at the touch of a button in just 15 seconds at speeds up to 18 mph, which is very convenient. There are no latches to unhook, simply press the button. A sliding roof function opens just the portion of the top that's over the front seats. It's like a big sunroof that can be opened at speeds up to 75 mph.
Mini Cooper S models are distinguishable from the standard versions, no matter the body style. Black mesh grilles replace the shiny bars, lower brake ducts with optional chrome frames guide cooling air toward the brake discs. Most noticeable is the chrome-ringed hood scoop on Cooper S models.
Interior Features
All Mini Cooper cabins are charming with excellent finish. The plastics have a quality look and feel. This also goes for the base leatherette, aka vinyl, upholstery. Multiple leather options are available, including a cloth and leather combination, a full leather option, and the glove soft Lounge Leather with contrasting piping, similar to classic British sedans. Ambient lighting is standard on most models, and it softly illuminates the door panels and footwells with subtle LEDs. The driver can change the color of the lighting across a spectrum from soft orange to crisp blue.
Despite diminutive exterior dimensions, Mini cabins are surprisingly spacious up front. Even a 6-foot, 5-inch driver can be comfortable in the front seat. The basic manual levers, controlling height, seatback rake, and front-rear travel, allow just about everyone to easily find a comfortable spot.
The Mini driving position is excellent. We found the seats comfortable for long-distance trips, and they're nicely bolstered to keep you in place when you inevitably hustle through the turns. The available sport seats are even better.
A round, plastic transmitter replaces a conventional ignition key. It slides into a slot next to the steering column, and the driver fires the engine by pressing the adjacent a start/stop button. The button is cute and inoffensive, but no more effective than a standard key. The optional proximity key allows the driver to leave the transmitter in purse or pocket and just press the start button. We'd prefer a traditional key, but that's not an option.
All models follow Mini's sporty tradition of a big, round speedometer in the center of the dash. The tachometer is mounted on the tilt/telescoping steering column, moving with the wheel as it's adjusted it up and down. The Convertible has a unique Openometer next to the tach, which tracks the number of hours you drive with the top down.
Heating and air conditioning controls sit below the speedometer, and they're straightforward in base models. The available automatic climate control system is cleverly configured in the shape of the winged Mini logo. The switch layout is generally effective, though sometimes it's a bit too clever.
The audio controls sacrifice ease of use for design symmetry. The tuning knob is centered with most other audio buttons at the bottom of the speedometer, while the volume control sits further down the center stack, closer to the HVAC controls. At first, you may find yourself changing the station when what you really want is to turn up the volume. The integrated design of the audio controls makes it nearly impossible to fit any aftermarket sound system, and the buttons are obviously plastic, with a matte-gray in finish, and detract from the otherwise high-quality interior appointments.
A retro touch, chrome toggle switches that look like something out of an airplane or racecar cockpit, are positioned at the base of the center stack to control the windows, auxiliary lights, and stability-control system. The toggles are duplicated above the rearview mirror to control interior lights, the optional sunroof and the Convertible top. The steering-column stalk switches for wipers and turn signals are pleasing to look and satisfying to use.
The navigation or Mini Connected systems add a rectangular 6.5-inch display in the central speedometer, with a digitally generated speed needle around its perimeter. Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port are now standard features on all models for 2013, a welcome addition.
Interior storage space is not abundant, but it's adequate. There are bins in the door panels, map pockets on the front seatbacks, a small center-console bin and an average-size glovebox. The glovebox can be cooled with the air conditioning, and it's enough to keep a bottled drink reasonably cool, or to keep chocolate bars from turning to mush. The optional Center Rail storage and fastening system replaces the standard center console with two aluminium rails running lengthwise through the middle of the interior. Various accessories, including cupholders, storage boxes, trays or armrests can be locked anywhere along the rails to the occupants' preference.
In the Mini Cooper Hardtop, the rear seat is barely habitable for adults, and only for very short rides. Access to it is anything but convenient. The Convertible has even less rear leg room, 28.1 inches compared to 29.9 inches, so adults or even children won't fit back there unless the front seats are moved far forward.
The Convertible has the least cargo space of the Mini models. Room in the trunk doesn't change when the top is lowered, which is good, but there is only 6.0 cubic feet of space to begin with, which is bad, and hard to use, which is also bad. The rear seats fold down, and Mini claims that opens up 23.3 cubic feet of space. But that space is hard to get to, and big items won't slide in behind the front seatbacks or through the short trunk opening. In short, the Mini Convertible is an impractical car.
The Hardtop, with its large rear hatch and separate folding rear seatbacks, does better as a cargo hauler. With the rear seats in place, there's a miniscule 5.7 cubic feet of storage, enough for an airline roll-aboard and a brief case. But with the rear seats folded down, cargo volume expands to a readily accessible 24 cubic feet. That's more than enough for two passengers on long trip.
Forward vision is excellent in all Minis, at least when the road ahead is clear. Given the Mini's diminutive size, larger cars can block the view in the same way big SUVs can block the view from the driver's seat of midsize sedan.
Rear sightlines are good in the Hardtop. The Convertible has a couple of issues, however. When the top is down, the lower portion of the driver's rearward line of sight is compromised. With the top up, its corners block vision in the rear quarters. Backing out of a parking spot can be a challenge, making the Park Distance Control warning system an important option.
Driving Impressions
We've driven all the Mini Coopers on racetracks, streets and highways around the world, and rank them among the most fun and responsive front-wheel-drive cars available, enhanced by outstanding real-world fuel economy. All Minis have a basic sporting character, yet most are quite comfortable as daily drivers.
Mini says the base Cooper Hardtop goes from 0-60 mph in 8.4 seconds, which is not quick, while the turbocharged Mini Cooper S performs this feat in just 6.6 seconds. That said, the standard engine does not feel that slow and is enjoyable to drive.
The Mini Cooper S engine reacts almost instantly to the gas pedal, with only the tiniest hint of turbo lag, and produces satisfying acceleration at all speeds. Its steady, even power delivery across a wide rpm range is impressive.
Cooper S models also come with a sport-tuned suspension, but their behavior is still quite refined, and more so than some other cars capable of similar track speeds. With a MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension, the Cooper S is flat and stable in corners, and absorbs small bumps and joints without discomforting passengers. With front-wheel drive, the car never feels at risk of spinning out, even with radical changes in throttle position or braking in the middle of corners.
A key factor in the Mini's sporting feel is its electromechanically assisted steering, which uses an electric motor, instead of a hydraulic pump, for steering assist. Despite the fuel-saving electric power assist, the steering shaft is still mechanically connected to the steering box, so the driver continues to enjoy great feel for the road. This system also varies the steering ratio and effort according to speed.
The effect of the electric steering is most apparent in tight, slow parking lot maneuvers, where very little effort or wheel motion is needed to make large changes in direction. In comparison, at highway speeds an equal rotation of the steering wheel results in smaller and less sensitive directional changes. Another advantage of electrically assisted steering, from the performance perspective, is that steering ratios can be optimized for various portions of a curve, and not just varied with vehicle speed. In the Mini, this means that the initial turn into a corner is cushioned slightly, so the car doesn't feel twitchy.
The 6-speed automatic transmission works reasonably well with both the standard and turbocharged engines. Paddles on the steering wheel let the driver override the automatic and shift manually; and when the driver stops using them, the transmission reverts to Drive, picking the gears itself. Automatics also come with a Sport mode that switches to a more aggressive shift algorithm that holds gears longer to keep more power on tap.
The 6-speed manual gearbox offers more driver engagement than the automatic and wrings the most from the Mini's small engine. We strongly recommend the manual for the low-powered base models, and prefer it for the high-powered models. It's crisp, precise, and makes the driving experience more fun.
Mini brakes are first-rate. The four-wheel discs are large for cars of the Mini's weight, and they provide quick, stable stops with good, consistent pedal feel. Both the base and S models benefit from Mini's brake cornering control, which can use the ABS to apply individual brakes to inside wheels to help get the car through a corner.
Tires play a crucial role in ride quality, and there is a variety of tires to choose from. All-season tires on the smaller rims deliver the most comfortable ride. This is most obvious in the Convertible, which tends to emphasize road shock and shakes. The run-flat performance tires on the Mini Cooper S Convertible with a Sport Package made us dread rough urban roads filled with potholes. Be sure to actually drive a car with the sports suspension and big rims, regardless of the Mini variant, before buying. They may make the ride too stiff for some tastes.
The Mini Cooper Hardtop and Convertible are nimble, fun, and stylish, with endless opportunity for personalization. Front passengers have plenty of space, but the back is best left to small children or cargo.
Kirk Bell reported from Chicago, with J.P Vettraino reporting from Detroit and Laura Burstein reporting from Los Angeles.
|Model Line Overview
|Model lineup:
|Mini Cooper Hardtop ($19,700); Cooper S Hardtop ($23,300); John Cooper Works Hardtop ($30,100); ($31,400); Cooper Convertible ($25,150); Cooper S Convertible ($28,150); John Cooper Works Convertible ($35,300)
|121-hp 1.6-liter inline-4; 181-hp 1.6-liter inline-4; 208-hp 1.6-liter dohc inline-4
|6-speed manual; 6-speed automatic
|Safety equipment (standard):
|dual-stage front impact airbags, front seat side-impact airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with antilock brakes (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Brake Assist; stability control, pop-up rear rollover bar (convertible), side curtain airbags (hardtop)
|Safety equipment (optional):
|Dynamic Traction Control with electronic locking differential, rear park assist, adaptive xenon headlights
|Basic warranty:
|5 years/50,000 miles
|Assembled in:
|Oxford, England
|Specifications As Tested
|Model tested (MSPR):
|Mini Cooper S Hardtop ($28,150)
|Standard equipment:
|air conditioning, leatherette (vinyl) upholstery, sport seats, power windows, locks and outside mirrors; cruise control, keyless entry, tilt-and-telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel, height-adjustable driver seat, Bluetooth handsfree connectivity, six-speaker audio system with a CD player, HD radio, auxiliary audio jack and USB port; foglamps, rear spoiler, 16-inch alloy wheels, dynamic traction control
|Options as tested (MSPR):
|Premium 1 Package ($1,750): automatic climate control, automatic wipers/headlamps, auto-dimming mirrors, heated folding outside mirrors, rear park distance sensor, alarm system
|Destination charge:
|Gas guzzler tax:
|Price as tested (MSPR):
|front-wheel drive
|1.6-liter dohc 16v turbocharged inline-4
|Horsepower (lb.-ft @ rpm):
|181 @ 5500
|Torque (lb.-ft @ rpm):
|177 @ 1600-5000
|6-speed manual
|EPA fuel economy, city/hwy:
|27/34 mpg
|97.1 in.
|146.6/66.3/55.4 in.
|Track, f/r:
|57.4/57.8 in.
|Turning circle:
|35.1 ft.
|Seating Capacity:
|Head/hip/leg room, f:
|38.8/NA/41.4 in.
|Head/hip/leg room, m:
|Head/hip/leg room, r:
|37.6/NA/29.9 in.
|Cargo volume:
|5.7 cu. ft.
|Towing capacity:
|Suspension, f:
|independent, MacPherson struts
|Suspension, r:
|independent, multi-link
|Ground clearance:
|Curb weigth:
|2535 lbs.
|Brakes, f/r:
|vented disc/disc with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist
|Fuel capacity:
|13.2 gal.
|Unless otherwise indicated, specifications refer to test vehicle. All prices are manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSPR) effective as of June 17, 2013.Prices do not include manufacturer's destination and delivery charges. N/A: Information not available or not applicable. Manufacturer Info Sources: 866-646-4772 - www.miniusa.com
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Nora Ephron, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 71, was a veritable Renaissance Woman: a prolific journalist, screenwriter, director, producer, novelist, playwright, and blogger. When Ephron's death was confirmed by major news outlets, tributes came in from all corners of the arts and entertainment industry, from Tinseltown to the Big Apple—a testament to the wide and lasting influence Ephron had on American popular culture.
Ephron's many collaborators remembered her as a sharp, lively colleague and friend.
Meryl Streep ("Silkwood," "Heartburn," "Julie & Julia"): "Nora was a person whose gifts of mind, amply displayed as a young person in her sharply observed journalistic pieces and in her personal wit, were, when I first met her, kind of scary: aimed and airy at the same time, an insouciant sharpness that could be intimidating, because you could never catch her 'trying', everything seemed effortless. But as I got to know her, I understood what drove her was her acute curiosity, and her desire to observe and find out stuff. It's what made her great as a journalist, and as a director, too... She thought fast, loved new ideas, processed swiftly, decided what was valuable and what was not with clarity. It's hard to credit how very smart she was, cause she was always deflectively feminine and funny, the sharpness of mind softened and smoothed by genuine charm."
U.S. & World
Tom Hanks ("Sleepless in Seattle," "You've Got Mail"): "Nora Ephron was a journalist/artist who knew what was important to know; how things really worked, what was worthwhile, who was fascinating and why. At a dinner table and on a film set she lifted us all with wisdom and wit mixed with love for us and love for life. Rita and I are so very sad to lose our friend who brought so much joy to all who were lucky enough to know her."
Billy Crystal ("When Harry Met Sally..."): "I am very sad to learn of Nora's passing. She was a brilliant writer and humorist. Being her Harry to Meg's Sally will always have a special place in my heart. I was very lucky to get to say her words."
Carrie Fisher ("This Is My Life," "When Harry Met Sally..."): "In a world where we're told that you can't have it all, Nora consistently proved that adage wrong. A writer, director, wife, mother, chef, wit--there didn't seem to be anything she couldn't do. And not just do it, but excel at it, revolutionize it, set the bar for every other screenwriter, novelist, director. She was inspiring, intimidating, and insightful. She was so, so alive. It makes no sense to me that she isn't anymore. My heart goes out to her family and the many others who treasured her."
Arianna Huffington: "...Professionally, her legacy will be that of an exceptionally gifted and versatile artist who could do it all, and do it all incredibly well. Personally, she'll be cherished as a wife and mother, and a devoted, giving, treasured -- and irreplaceable -- friend. I know I have to accept that she's gone -- but I still can't believe it."
Ephron was an editor-at-large for The Huffington Post. Huffington appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Wednesday and the show's panelists also paid tribute.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Many of Ephron's friends, colleagues and admirers took to Twitter to express their condolences:
Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo): "She was the one you wanted to read, to listen to, to be in the company of. Nora Ephron. Incomparable wit; delightful friend. Sadness reigns."
Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman): "I just heard about Nora Ephron. I'm so sad. A great & prolific writer, a warm & kind soul. Gone just like that."
Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks): "R.I.P. Nora Ephron. A witty, charming, lovely person.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg): "Nora Ephron always loved a good New York story, and she could tell them like no one else. NYC will miss her very much."
Nia Vardalos (@NiaVardalos): "Nora Ephron you helped all writer-girls know to just tell the truth."
Jonah Hill (@JonahHill): "Nora Ephron's writing and directing is so remarkably honest, touching and funny. My heart goes out to her friends and family today."
Zooey Deschanel (@ZooeyDeschanel): "I'm very sad about Nora Ephron, a hero for all funny ladies."
Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi): "We will all miss the brillance & genius of Nora Ephron, a pioneer who challenged all women to break the rules. #Legend"
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell paid his respects and reviewed Ephron's career on Tuesday's edition of "The Last Word":
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Ephron's journalistic roots made her a hero to many reporters, columnists, and critics:
David Carr (New York Times) via Facebook: "
Susan Orlean (The New Yorker, @SusanOrlean): "Very sad to hear about Nora Ephron. She was a marvelous spirit and writer with guts and humor."
Tad Friend (The New Yorker, @TadFriend): "Is there anyone who gave more good advice to more youngsters than Nora Ephron? Her virtual age was about 28."
Jake Tapper (ABC News, @JakeTapper): "Nora Ephron credited Billy Crystal with coming up with 'I'll have what she's having.' Classy and talented. RIP"


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Beautiful corner unit!!! Glass on all three sides. Includes flooring, custom built in closets, dropped ceilings, window treatments, full developer warranty! Amenities include: private gatehouse entry, full time concierge, 10,000 sq/ft of gym/spa, ,marina, pier, 2 pools, restaurant, Wine Cellar, Cigar Room, Social Rooms, teenage room, Guest Suites, Caterers Kitchen with Private dining room and MORE!!!
This is a developer owned unit. Extra parking, extra storage, private garages, marina slips, guest suites, hobby rooms are only available by purchasing through developer.
Not available with resales unless they have already.
We also have other residences available that are not listed.
Many other advantages of purchasing direct.
Beach Rights, Boat Dock, Billiard Room, Bike Storage, Fitness Center
Dryer, Dishwasher, Electric Water Heater, Disposal, Microwave, Refrigerator
The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the MLS of the Miami Association of REALTORS®, and is updated as of July 12th, 2020 at 12:00am EDT (date/time).
All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed by the MLS and should be independently verified. All properties are subject to prior sale, change, or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) nor The Keyes Company shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, or misprints, and shall be held totally harmless from any damages arising from reliance upon these data. © 2020 MLS of MAR.
The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing


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Embarrassing display highlights disconnect of elected representatives
Steve Watson
Jan 16, 2013
In what was supposed to be a symbolic gesture of the enduring greatness of the US Constitution, and the rights it outlines for all Americans, the House read the entire document out aloud on the chamber floor yesterday. However, the symbolism backfired somewhat when only a fraction of representatives bothered to show up.
In the midst of the Obama administration's ongoing efforts to eviscerate the Second Amendment by executive order, it was extremely telling that so few members of the House took the time to show their respect for the Constitution.
The document was divided into 120 sections, with GOP House leaders believing that at least that many members would show up to each read a section.
When all was said and done, however, only 74 members attended. The Washington Times notes that the House ran out of Democrats before they even got past Article IV, which is less than halfway through the document.
Just 25 Democrats valued the idea enough to turn up for the reading, while a meager 49 Republicans attended. This meant that each reader had to take two or three sections.
The entire reading took around 66 minutes.
During the Preamble to the reading, Virginia Republican Bob Goodlatte, who organised the event, stated "We also hope that this will demonstrate to the American people that the House of Representatives is dedicated to the Constitution and the system it establishes for limited government and the protection of individual liberty."
When two Democrats shuffled in as the final reader was speaking, Goodlatte attempted to put a brave face on the situation, stating "We ran out of Constitution before we ran out of readers,".
The Times also notes that Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi seemed embarrassed that so few Democrats showed up, at one point she "gestured with a shrug to the nearly empty chamber". Her Republican counterpart, Speaker of the House John Boehner was initially present but left before the end of the reading and did not take part.
The Second Amendment was read by Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kan., who also read the First and Third Amendments.
This was only the second time that the Constitution has been read in its entirety, without sections that were amended after the document was ratified in September 1787.
The first occasion was just two years ago, when 137 lawmakers attended.
It is to be expected that some members cannot always be present on the House floor, but with 435 representatives having sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution, it is pitiful, and a very telling sign of the times, that only around one sixth cared enough to participate in reading out the founding document.
Steve Watson is the London based writer and editor for Alex Jones' Infowars.com, and Prisonplanet.com. He has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the School of Politics at The University of Nottingham, and a Bachelor Of Arts Degree in Literature and Creative Writing from Nottingham Trent University.
Our Christmas in July sale is now live! Get up to 60% off on our hottest products today!


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Vatican City, Feb 13, 2014 / 08:28 am MT ().- During a recent interview, Archbishop Stanislaw Budzik reflected on his ad limina visit to Rome last week, explaining that in the midst of a media crossfire, the Pope affirmed his support for the Church in Poland.
"In our talks we told the Holy Father that he has good media coverage in Poland, but the Polish Catholic Church was criticized," Archbishop Budzik told CNA in a Feb. 8 interview, adding that "the Media said the Church is, in comparison to his (Pope Francis) openness, backward and immobile."
Archbishop Stanislaw Budzik is head of the Lublin diocese in Poland, and was present in Rome last week for an "ad limina" visit, in which residential diocesan bishops and certain prelates with territorial jurisdiction meet with the Pope and report on the state of their dioceses or prelature.
During their meetings with the Holy Father, which were largely dedicated to the upcoming canonization of Bl. John Paul II on April 27 and World Youth Day in Krakow in 2016, Archbishop Budzik revealed that they also discussed ongoing media tensions regarding the Catholic Church in Poland.
The Church, he explained, is receiving violent attacks in the media due to abuse cases as well as its staunch rejection of gay "marriage," despite the press' widespread support of Pope Francis.
Upon hearing of the situation, Archbishop Budzik recalled that "the Holy Father laughed and reassured us that he is very close to us and that he, of course, does not want to change anything essential in our faith and that he stands firmly by the Church's teaching."
"He has only changed the language by the way he proclaims or announces," the archbishop noted, adding that "it is always the Church's problem: they must stand firmly by the faith and they are not allowed to shake the foundations of the faith."
However, he observed that the Church also "needs to find a language, that tells the unchanging message of the Gospel in today's culture, so that the Gospel reaches people and touches their hearts and transforms their lives and open up to God and to people."
"The Holy Father," affirmed the archbishop, "understands that very well."
Of the various meetings they had with the Pope, Archbishop Budzik emphasized that "most important encounter" happened last Thursday, when close to 100 bishops from the Polish Episcopal Conference were present.
"We were divided into five parts and our part, our three ecclesiastical provinces from eastern Poland sat together with the Holy Father on Friday and ate and spoke with him for one hour and a half," he noted.
"It was an unforgettable experience," the archbishop continued, observing that "the Holy Father met us more as a brother than as a father, with huge humility, with great simplicity, with great empathy, with great understanding of the church."
Among the other topics discussed was the positive state of Catholicism in Poland, particularly in the sense that "people are still firmly beside their belief, they visit the churches and receive the sacraments," Archbishop Budzik stated.
Despite the fact that there are not "sufficient priestly vocations," the archbishop noted that there are "more than" there were "ten years ago," and that there are "also signs of activity of the laity."
Calling to mind how the bishops at one point asked the pontiff if he was tired after speaking to them so often that week, he recalled that Pope Francis said "No, because you bring me good news!"
Today there are roughly "2.5 million people in the Church" who engage in various "movements and groups," the archbishop explained, which is a strong sign of life, although there are still the "problems that we spoke about" earlier.
Voicing his greatest hope for the fruits of this visit, Archbishop Budzik expressed that the bishops seek to "find out the universal Church's proper perspective in order to proclaim the Gospel with joy, as the Holy Father Francis has asked us."
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Hello All!!
Hope all is well out there. My back is slowly doing better here (I was able to do some cracking of it yesterday morning and now it is just sore, not the really bad pain it was on Thursday) (although, I still woke up at 5 today to take some more tylenol, ugh...). So, Brenna and I did make it to school yesterday, but we rode the bus to school (hey, I figured she needed the excitement, not much fun going on at home when mommy doesn't feel well). Brenna loves riding the bus here (hey, we may even do it again today and go to the farmer's market in town) and the bus driver even gave her a lollipop. We did manage our walk home from school and stopped for ice cream on the way :-) We came home and ate lunch and then watched some movies. We also did some painting and coloring in the afternoon and then made some homemade strawberry jam. Brenna loved when I was cutting up the strawberries - she kept coming over to the plate and taking them :-) I am glad that she has decided to like them again (for a little while, they were not acceptable, lol). (although she won't try to the jam, not sure why, it has loads of sugar and tastes really good, lol). It was a rainy afternoon yesterday, so that suited my afternoon plans.
I thought it had been awhile since we had a Justice picture up, so here is one from this morning.
Well, I think that is our update from yesterday.
Take Care!


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We've all heard the term "put a bag over your head", well these designers have taken the concept of covering something unsightly with a bag literally, creating the "Bagalight Old School" light. Created by Martin & Cameron Fry, the shade (bag) is made from paper and card and makes great use of an object people would usually throw away – super eco-chic!
The bulbs are A rated energy efficient which is great news for your pocket and the environment and you can choose from a variety of designs, as well as table light versions to wow your friends.
Yet another great find on the brilliantly quirky Brighton POD website, where you can buy any of these designs for under 30 quid!


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Build your confidence, strengthen your hand, improve your line work, perfect your blending, shading and color work or use it to just show off your work! Wrap the skin around a foot, back, leg, or arm to practice getting comfortable tattooing different areas of the body.
- Allow you to improve your skills without practicing on real skin
- Blank back side of skins may be used
- Great for practicing as a beginner or just trying new techniques
- Even works great to display your artwork in actual tattoo form so the customers can get a better idea of the final product
- Dimension: 7.8 x 5.9 inch / 20 x 15cm
- Material: Synthetic skin
- Color: Incarnadine
Note: Please be reminded that due to lighting effects and monitor's brightness/contrast settings etc, the color tone of the website's photo and the actual item could be slightly different.
Package Includes:
- 1 X Tattoo Practice Skin


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Last week, while searching for a new place to eat for lunch, my colleagues stumbled across a new commercial area called Dana 1 which is located just next to the Symphony building at Ara Damansara. One of the restaurant called The Meal Place was packed with people that day. Apparently, the Dried Chili Pan Mee was only RM 3.50 per bowl as part of their introductory offer.
The bowl of pan mee came with quite a big portion. Dried chili flakes, fried shallots, spring onions, mince meat and fried anchovies were nicely placed on top of the noodles.
For RM 3.50 per bowl, it sure looks good and yummy.
However, taste wise, it was rather disappointing. Simply put, there wasn't much taste to begin with. Most of the time, the taste was over powered by the chili flakes.
Honestly, I won't even consider going back to the Meal Place after having the dried chili pan mee.
While they do sell other type of dishes, my colleagues were of the opinion that they wasn't tasty as well.
The Meal Place
Pusat Perdagangan Dana 1
Jalan PJU 1A/46, PJU 1A
Ara Damansara
47301 Petaling Jaya
Location Map


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Resource Library
Neil Milliken, global head of accessibility and inclusion at Atos, discusses how apprenticeship programs are helping Atos quickly bring in new and more diverse talent with the in-demand accessible technology skills they need.
The Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University is conducting a survey to examine considerations for workplace technology use by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The deadline is June 30, 2019.
By prioritizing accessibility here and now, CES 2019 highlighted how next-generation technology can transform the workforce and make it more inclusive for people with disabilities (PWD).
PEAT's Think Tank provides a tangible space for diverse entities, both public and private, to collaborate in identifying problems and potential solutions related to ensuring people with disabilities can use new and existing technologies.
The year 2018 closed with the passage of the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA), which promises to make federal websites more accessible, mobile friendly, and secure.
If you're eager for a high-skilled, high-paying career, check out the Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Finder as well as the Apprenti website to get started.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently released a significant statement clarifying that digital accessibility is covered by the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Check out PEAT's inside look on the 2018 ICT Accessibility Testing Symposium, and how one student is changing the face of web accessibility in the nonprofit sector.
PEAT and Teach Access recently published a video highlighting how the Teach Access Study Away program equips students to build their professional networks and learn about accessibility career paths from accessibility leaders at top companies, including Google, Oath, Facebook, and Adobe.
Held each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a national campaign that raises awareness about disability employment issues. Read on to learn how you can take part in NDEAM—and carry its spirit forward all year long.
Check out PEAT's latest infographic to explore the roles and responsibilities that different entities hold in the world of accessible workplace technology.
PEAT recently spoke with Keith Bundy, a digital accessibility consultant and trainer at Siteimprove, about how the landscape of assistive and accessible technology in the workplace has changed over the past 30 years, what he expects for the future of work.
Leading tech companies are increasingly recognizing the potential of neurological diversity, and are launching dedicated autism hiring initiatives to attract this often overlooked talent pool.
28 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities continue to face unequal access in digital spheres. Oath's Larry Goldberg argues that making accessibility a central part of technology education is an essential part of the solution.
Facebook's Director of Accessibility Jeff Wieland and Director of Global Policy Monica Desai recently joined PEAT to discuss why and how Facebook has made accessibility a priority.


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Note: This post describes how to use the Compatibility META tag correctly in order to force IE9 to switch to an older browser mode. If you'd rather skip the explanation and get to the technical stuff, simply scroll down to the last paragraph.
There are many posts addressing IE compatibility issues. This post from the IE team, back in 2008, also demonstrated how META tags or Http Headers can be used to control Compatibility View in IE8 (now also in IE9). This was supposed to help us developers to overcome compatibility problems without having the user to do anything (well, this was the intention…)
In short, older IE browsers support quite a few "IE only features". If these were used in your website, they could break if your users upgrade their browser to a newer IE. This might happen because IE is becoming more and more compatible with world-wide standards. In other words, Microsoft is taking out stuff which wasn't supposed to be there in the first place, and are also making sure that stuff which was supposed to work is actually working the way it was supposed to work in the first place (mainly CSS and rendering issues).
While this is a good and promising direction from Microsoft, this could be bad for your website. For example, if you're using 3rd party controls which are a year or more older on your web application, these may break as their code was probably written prior to IE9 betas which allowed tests. Upgrading to the latest version of these controls is not always an option as some of these may no longer be supported. Even upgrading your own code may be costly.
Fortunately, the IE team thought of these issues and have provided us with a solution. Those meta tags/headers previously mentioned. According to their blogs and documentation, a developer could specify a meta tag instructing the browser to use a more compatible mode, so that the website will not break. Following the instructions here, you should be able to place the following meta tag in your head section (you can replace the EmulateIE8 with supported values as listed here or here):
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=EmulateIE8" >
While this should have solved the now-breaking website – it didn't. IE9's Developer Tools (F12) Script tab displayed the following error:
HTML1115: X-UA-Compatible META tag ('IE=EmulateIE8') ignored because document mode is already finalized.
Needless to say, this was frustrating. In order to try and figure this out, I have downloaded the IE9 Platform Preview. Basically this is an IE9 browser, which provides two great benefits:
1) It runs side by side to the existing IE browser and does not replace it, as a regular installation would have. So it saves you the trouble of installing a VM machine to test things or simply installing a non-released IE9 instead of your current IE.
2) On the Status Bar of the Platform Preview is easily visible the running Document Mode. While this info is available also in the Developer Tools of IE9 Beta/RC if you do choose to install it, having the status bar display the Document Mode constantly is just plain comfort.
After debugging and creating a new website to test why IE9 fails to switch to IE8, the problem seemed to be the position of the meta tag. It seems like the X-UA-Compatible tag has to be the first tag in the <head> section. If this conclusion is correct, then I believe it is undocumented in Microsoft's blogs/msdn (and if it is documented, then it isn't sticking out well enough from the docs). Ensuring that this was the first meta tag in the <head> forced IE9 to switch to IE8 mode successfully, and the website started working again.


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This is the first in a series of green IT product reviews.
Of all the different types of IT products, printers are among the hardest to gauge in terms of their environmental impact because it involves a lot more than just power consumption. In fact, judged solely on how much power is consumed, the ColorQube 8900X from Xerox would not be considered green IT right off the bat.The 8900X is a solid ink printer, which gives it a lot of advantages in terms of going green. However, a solid ink printer has to melt the wax-like media it uses as ink, and that generally means more power consumption.In fact, when the 8900X was idle in our lab, it was using 68.2 watts of power per second. That is compared to much larger toner-based units that generally idle at around 45 watts. When printing, the standard toner-based units can spike as high as 102 watts, while the solid ink based 8900X had peaks as high as 580 watts while spitting out the pages. That's a lot more energy consumption in the short run, though that's not the whole story.
Xerox ColorQube 8900XPerformance: B+Features: AEase of Use: AValue: B+30 Page Color Print Time: 2:0130 Page Text Print Time: 1:48Price: $4,999Pros: Almost no waste products, brilliant color quality, double sided printing defaultCons: Long warm-up time, needs more energy than a comparable toner-based printer
Unfortunately, another strike against the printer is that the 8900X can't simply power down when not in use like a toner printer. That's because while a toner-printer might take 15 or 30 seconds to get ready from a powered-down state, once the wax gets cold inside the 8900X, it takes 10 minutes, 43 seconds to warm back up to print again. So it's forced to idle instead, hence the higher power consumption. Otherwise a user might end up with a really long wait to print a page.Xerox tries to mitigate this power disparity by putting a lot of intelligence into the 8900X. It learns your office usage patterns. If you are always starting to print at 8 a.m. during the week and nothing is ever printed after 5 p.m., it will program itself to wake up at 7:50 a.m. and totally shut down at 5:05 p.m., but only on weekdays.
It can also learn about anomalies. For example, if someone constantly comes in to print over the weekend, it can set its power-up times to accommodate that person. Users can also manually set print wake-up and shut-down times, in case they don't want to wait for the machine to learn them on its own.Multi-function advantagesWhen the printer is powered down, it draws almost no power at all, so that helps to make up for the large-than-normal draw during usage. And of course, because it's a multi-function printer, you get the energy savings from combining your fax, printer and copier into a single unit.The 8900X shines in other green IT areas. Most notably, it produces almost no waste products at all. There is no need to replace toner cartridges and after several thousand pages printed; the waste receptacle barely had a thimble full of unused wax-like media. Adding new ink is as easy as dropping colored blocks into one of four slots, and the ink blocks ship inside containers made of recycled materials. And dual-sided printing is turned on by default, just to try and save a few trees that way as well.
The 8900X being is relatively fast. It crunched our 30-page graphically-laden document in 2 minutes, 1 second and our 30-page black and white text-only document in 1 minute, 48 seconds. That tells us that graphical and text printing speeds are almost identical with the print engine. There were only a few pages inside the graphical test file that caused the 8900X to pause and think about how to render the pages. Solid ink printers have a much simpler paper path too, so the 8900X isn't prone to jams, and never once had a problem in all our testing.Color quality, as with most solid inks, is amazing. Graphics really pop off the page, and fine details are handled reasonably well. Text is readable but can come off looking a touch dark by default. As such, we would highly recommend the 8900X for any graphics printing, and find it completely adequate for straight text documents too.At $4,999, the 8900X isn't cheap. But if you're looking for a workgroup MFP that is mostly environmentally friendly over the long haul, the 8900X can save you a bit of money, and quite a few trees as well.Xerox, www.office.xerox.com.
TOMORROW: The Tripp Lite Energy Saving UPS scares off phantom power loads.
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- League Cup
United's slump may not have reached rock bottom
There must be a rock bottom. It has to be down there somewhere. At some point, Manchester United's backsides will reach their final destination. Won't they?
Right now, it's hard to tell. Defeat, a deserved defeat, to the Milton Keynes Dons, a third-flight franchised club that wasn't even officially "formed" until 2004. Does it get much worse? United supporters have learned never to ask that question out loud. Just in case.
The dark, gloomy ripples from last season continue to wash over this campaign. United's very presence at this early stage was a result of their worst league finish in 24 years. Further ripples will be felt on September 16, when the Champions League group fixtures take place without United's involvement for the first time since 1995. More will arrive next April, the end of the tax year, when the accountants discover how deep the hole in the TV revenues column is. But nothing will feel quite as disturbing as this.
It's been 19 years since United were obliged to appear at this early stage of the League Cup. That year, they contrived to lose 4-3 to York City on aggregate. In comparison to this, that night seems like a fairly respectable result.
It was surprising, given that United have no commitments in Europe this season, that manager Louis van Gaal didn't choose a stronger team. After all, it's not like his squad are going to be stretched by a busy schedule this season. If they go out in the FA Cup third round, their entire season will consist of just 40 games. A run-out against a third-flight side might have been the perfect way to boost morale while further acclimatising to the new system.
Is Van Gaal really that concerned by the threat of Burnley on Saturday afternoon? If he is, with the greatest of respect to Burnley, you'll struggle to find a more brutal indicator of how far this club has fallen.
The only positive to all of this, and sometimes you have to look really hard for positives, is the feeling among some supporters that this might at least purge the fan base of a few fair-weather types.
United's rise in the early 1990s coincided with the renaissance of the sport itself in England. It is hard to believe in these days of saturation coverage, but in the 1980s you'd struggle to find more than one televised game a week, and the crowd numbers across the board were far lower. In the wake of England's efforts in the 1990 World Cup, the interest returned and an increasingly successful United picked up the lion's share of the new support. The surge in the popularity of the league abroad brought another wave of new supporters in the 21st century. Neither group was always welcomed with open arms.
A schism exists at Old Trafford between the old guard and the day-trippers, as it does at Anfield, Stamford Bridge and the Etihad Stadium. There is an uneasy peace between those who feel they have paid their dues and those who are perceived to be searching for vicarious glory.
Now, many of those new fans are in rebellious mood. In England, in the wake of United's draw with Sunderland, a furious fan called a BBC phone-in, pledging to ditch the club if Tom Cleverley was ever picked again. Well, there are fans at United who remember watching Ralph Milne. There are fans at United who remember getting relegated just six years after winning what is now known as the Champions League. And they have no intention of going anywhere.
Over 6,000 United fans made the journey down the M1 to Milton Keynes, and they sang from start to finish, even as the goals rained in. When MK Dons took the lead, you could hear them shouting, "Attack! Attack! Attack, attack, attack!" At 4-0 down, when no amount of attacking was going to change anything, it was open defiance. Shirts were off, hands were raised, chants were bellowed. Never mind the score line, it was their club when they were rubbish, it was their club when they stood astride Europe, and it remains their club now, even as the shadows grow.
After more than two decades of viewing this sort of match as a meaningless jolly, after two decades of going into almost every single game knowing that anything less than a win would be seen as a failure, suddenly everything has changed.
It would be entirely wrong to suggest that United's demise has made supporting them more fun, but it's certainly made it more real. What will follow now is not going to be for the faint of heart. But you suspect that many of those United fans, who will wear this night as a badge of honour for years to come, wouldn't have it any other way.
This article originally appeared on ESPN FC


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"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward."
-Kurt Vonnegut
Potentially life altering events such as the dissolution of a long-term romantic relationship, the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, moving to a new city (or just across town, for that matter), or any other such experiences are major causes of stress. Recent research in social and personality psychology has demonstrated that we can adopt several strategies to help us decrease the negative emotions surrounding these events (Gross and Thompson, 2007). Among the most adaptive responses to stressors is cognitive reappraisal. In other words, one way to decrease the stress of a negative event is to think about it in a different way, in order to consciously change the event's meaning, and thereby, lesson its emotional impact.


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The status of the quantum state is perhaps the most controversial issue in the foundations of quantum theory. Is it an epistemic state (representing knowledge, information, or belief) or an ontic state (a direct reflection of reality)? In the ontological models framework, quantum states correspond to probability measures over more fundamental states of reality. The quantum state is then ontic if every pair of pure states corresponds to a pair of measures that do not overlap, and is otherwise epistemic. Recently, several authors have derived theorems that aim to show that the quantum state must be ontic in this framework. Each of these theorems involve auxiliary assumptions of varying degrees of plausibility. Without such assumptions, it has been shown that models exist in which the quantum state is epistemic. However, the definition of an epistemic quantum state used in these works is extremely permissive. Only two quantum states need correspond to overlapping measures and furthermore the amount of overlap may be arbitrarily small. In order to provide an explanation of quantum phenomena such as no-cloning and the indistinguishability of pure states, the amount of overlap should be comparable to the inner product of the quantum states. In this talk, I show, without making auxiliary assumptions, that the ratio of overlap to inner product must go to zero exponentially in Hilbert space dimension for some families of states. This is done by connecting the overlap to Kochen-Specker noncontextuality, from which we infer that any contextuality inequality gives a bound on the ratio of overlap to inner product.


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MONTERREY, Mexico – Real Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman called it "strange." Many watching on TV back in the USA were likely thinking the same thing.
Rarely do you see a team make two substitutions as early as Monterrey did after they scored the opening goal of the CONCACAF Champions League final first leg on Wednesday night.
Manager Víctor Manuel Vucetich took off both captain Luis Ernesto Pérez and goal-scorer Aldo de Nigris almost immediately following the de Nigris goal in the 18th minute. It made for odd timing to burn two of the three subs available to him.
"Really odd decision," RSL manager Jason Kreis said. "I don't know what was going on, whether the players they took off were injured."
Added Beckerman, "We didn't know if it was just disrespect that they thought the game was done and that's all they needed, or whether the guys were injured. I think the guys were injured. But it was strange."
It turns out that both starters suffered muscle strains in their legs. The Monterrey club doctor, Pedro Luna, confirmed that de Nigris suffered a left hamstring strain while Pérez had a thigh strain.
"The substitutions were forced because of injuries," Vucetich said after the match. "No change was made because of tactics."
Even the home team's third substitution, that of Sergio Santana in the second half, was a result of a hamstring strain. When asked about whether his players entered the match with the injuries, Vucetich said that if he knew they were injured, they would not have played the match.
The team doctor indicated it was still early to determine whether they would be available for next week's CCL second leg. But he said it was a sure thing they'd miss this Saturday's critical Mexican league match against Puebla.
Veteran left back Ricardo Osorio felt that the injury-induced changes hurt his team because they interrupted any sort of momentum they had generated with the early 1-0 lead.
"There was an adjustment period where it cost them to get into the rhythm of the game," Osorio said of the replacements. "In the second half, with a little bit more rhythm, it was much better."
The infirmary list, coupled with the suspensions of de Nigris and defensive midfielder Jesús Zavala for yellow-card accumulation, means that Monterrey could be severely short-handed come next week's return leg at Rio Tinto Stadium. Vucetich indicated that forward Darío Carreño and midfielder Miguel Morales, who weren't even on the bench, would be the natural fill-ins for the suspended players.
"There is no champion yet," Vucetich said. "So the possibility is still up in the air. The difference is only a goal. I think that with a single goal, we can be champions. So the possibility [to become CONCACAF champs] is very real."


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(CNN) - Rand Paul is defending his relationship with Mitch McConnell after helping his fellow Kentuckian defeat a tea party-backed challenger in a GOP Senate primary.
"I came out of the tea party movement. I'm very concerned about the debt. I'm very concerned about big government," Paul said on Friday. "But I think the misnomer is to think somehow Senator McConnell isn't. That's what his whole entire career has been predicated upon - fighting against big government."
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The comments by Paul, the state's junior senator, came at a news conference with McConnell in Louisville that was focused on building party unity following a bruising campaign in which the minority leader's opponent, Matt Bevin, got 35% of the primary vote.
Some in the conservative grassroots movement immediately called for Republican voters to unite and support McConnell.
But Bevin has been noticeably quiet and hasn't said whether he'll back his rival–though he flatly stated on election night that he won't back the Democratic nominee.
That's not stopping Alison Lundergan Grimes, however. She's actively going after Bevin supporters. In an open letter Friday to the 40% of Republican voters who didn't vote for McConnell, she argued that a vote for Grimes is a vote for change.
"Yes, we are in different parties, and we have divergent views on some issues. But if you believe that we need a fresh face to shake up Washington, I invite you to join our campaign," the letter stated.
Bevin hit back later Friday with his own letter, saying she doesn't understand "the principles that united my campaign's supporters" and disparaged her stance on a number of items on her agenda.
He agreed with her that Kentucky needs change, but not her kind of change. He made no direct mention of McConnell in the letter.
Come fall, Paul argued that those who identify with the tea party movement will rally behind McConnell to thump Grimes.
How Mitch McConnell crushed the tea party
But one of the biggest storylines in the primary was Paul's support for McConnell, who famously backed Paul's opponent in the 2010 primary.
The two made amends and McConnell supported Paul in his general election victory.
While they don't always align on issues, Paul on Friday dismissed the notion that he and McConnell clashed on Republican ideology.
Paul noted they've voted the same 87% of the time and they've co-sponsored 144 bills.
"Are we exactly the same? No we're a little bit different. In fact I think he was right 87% of the time," Paul joked, putting his hand on McConnell's back. "He may think the opposite–that I was right 87% of the time."
Paul is making it clear that he intends to campaign heavily for McConnell.
Asked at the event if McConnell will return the favor should Paul run for president in 2016, the Republican leader said "First thing's first."
"We have one in 2014, and then we have another one, and we'll discuss that at the appropriate time," he said.
Rand Paul is defending his relationship with Mitch McConnell , I think the misnomer is to think somehow Senator McConnell isn't pro Tea ,That's what his whole entire career has been predicated upon – fighting against big government." in Support of " Big corporate fraud "
It's Time For Kentucky To Elect A Woman !
When someone goes along with a vote that benefits liberals and not conservatives, just because it is a holiday break, and he wants to go on holiday..........he is NOT conservative enough for me.
Why did Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell sell out to Big Pharma ? Why do we need more powerful painkillers on the market ? Why won't Paul and McConnell pass bill to make it harder to buy chemicals to make Meth ?
How Many more Addicts must die , How many more families ruined ?
A new narcotic painkiller is due to come on the market in March, and critics want the FDA to reverse its approval of the drug, Zohydro ER.
Both Paul and McConnell approve of Zohydro sales .
I'm concerned that THAT is what he needs to clear up for us.
I'm more worried about how corrupt McConnell is as opposed to how conservative he is.
--doesn't this nation know that both are from stupid Teaklan thugs of the century. How would any one even consider these two idiots. Karma.
"Jerk" would be more appropriate.
If you walk and talk the party line you are a Republican/Conservative. If you actually think for yourself and actually support what is best for the people you are a RINO. That logic is as deeply flawed as it is obviously simple.
Well this is all politics. Paul knows that if the Tea man would have gotten in, there would have been no chance of winning, whatsoever. I hope this Dem lady trounces the old fart McConnell in November!
Paul needs to realize that his base does not know the definition of big words like "misnomer". Paul needs to stick to the three and four letter words Conservatives stick to and change "misnomer" to "lie".
Luckily; Paul did not call it an "incongruity". Using this complex of a word would cause many Conservatives to blow their low amp fuses.
If you're that worried about the debt and big government then you shouldn't want anything to do with Democrats OR Republicans.
The anti civil rights curly top vs/for the make Obama a one term president and obstruct, obstruct, obstruct ALL and everything.
What a "pair" (or four) of nothing's.
these two are the worst in congress, the filibustering duo, can't accept republicans lost the white house
What a gift to the Democrats if nutty Rand gets the nomination.
Few people would argue the fact that both are pretty much out of touch with the people. Also, they are much more adversarial than they'd admit in public. The one outstanding thing they do have in common is their affinity for party politics, over the desire to serve the nations best interest.
Not sure why Grimes is bothering appealing to the teapartiers. That's like offering treats to a rabid dog. The dog can't understand what he's being told, you'll likely get bit, and he won't eat the treat anyway.
Hmmm Rand is weak on security from terrorists... he is weak on immigration laws... he is weak on defense..


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Residents of the town of West, Texas will be allowed to return home in phases starting Saturday afternoon. Wednesday night's explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. killed 14 people.
Mayor pro tem Steve Vanek announced Saturday afternoon that residents from Oak to Walnut Streets would be the first to be allowed back into their neighborhoods.
Residents would need to have their vehicles marked by authorities to be allowed inside the blast area.
The city also said a curfew would be enforced starting at sundown and that residents would need to stay inside their homes or leave the impact zone by 7 p.m. and could not return until 7 a.m.
No vehicles larger than pickups would be allowed into the area and each family would be allowed only two vehicles.
Vanek reminded residents to be aware of broken glass, nails and debris from the explosion.
The Texas Department of Public Safety reiterated that the death toll was still 14 Saturday afternoon.
Vanek would not answer reporter questions about if anyone is still missing in the explosion.
Vanek said the city was working on a memorial for those killed in the explosion, but said it was too soon to provide details.
Small Fires at Explosion Site Contained
"It is safe, it is safe, it is safe, for our citizens, Vanek said at the beginning of Saturday afternoon's news conference.
The statement came after officials told residents displaced by the massive fertilizer plant explosion in Texas that tanks on site are leaking gas and causing small fires, according to the Associated Press.
They said the fires are contained, but they prevented those who live nearby from returning to their homes in the town of West.
He said the leaks were caused by tanks damaged by heat and had triggered small fires. He said no further evacuations were necessary.
Paramedic Bryce Reed visited a hotel crammed with displaced residents on Saturday and gave a short briefing.
Reed, who is also a spokesman for West, said there may be reports of "another explosion in West," but warned that those are exaggerated.
Residents Ready to Return Home
Many West residents spent all day Saturday at City Hall hoping to get an update from officials on when the road blocks will be lifted and they'll be allowed to start picking up the pieces at home.
"We just want to get back home and get to fixing the house up. Get back to life. I know there's a lot of stuff that needs to be done to the perimeter," said displaced resident Pete Arias. "But it's not a huge perimeter."
Pete Arias, his wife Jackie and his 8-year-old son Sam have been staying with his mother in Waco.
Their house in the 900 block of Main Street was damaged but not destroyed in the explosion.
"I'm trying to stay calm about the whole situation. We're in an area where all the windows shattered and the garage doors are damaged. We all suffered the same damage on that block. Nobody's house was totally floored, or totally destroyed. We should be allowed to get in there and try and fix some of the damage to the house," he said.
Jackie Arias said she's worried about the toll it's taking on the town's children.
"Our son has to go to school on Monday, and it's like, you want your life to come back together. Especially for the kids, it's so important to keep them on schedule. Because if you don't, they know something's wrong in their world," she said.
Classes will resume on Monday and many parents said they have no idea how the school bus routes will be affected in the area.
NBC 5's Jeff Smith contributed to this report.
Photo Credit: Getty Images