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Amazing tree, amazing job, you ve got it Mike!!!
Amazing tree, amazing job, you ve got it Mike!!!
And so, as Tiny Tim observed, "God Bless us!! Everyone!!''
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (1843)
love that purple tree Mike and the peacocks!
I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas
Your decorating skills are truly inspiring!
As always my friend another excellent job.
There are so many styles of decorating for the Holidays one of the greatest things about this forum is the chance to see so many of them in use.
I would classify my style as whimsical kind of what you would expect to see in our child's eye vision of the North pole.
Your style simply put is elegant, I absolutely love it and for my money you and Tink do elegant better than any I have seen and I've seen a bunch.
'I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!' Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. 'The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh, Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this! I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees!' (Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol)
Last edited by Crazymike1965; 11-15-2013 at 04:40 AM.
Well I promised my Mum that I was going to put up all the decorations and it is time to start putting up the beast...
lots of extensions
one of 3 boxes that cotains the 200 pound tree
reinforcing the stand
30 dead bulbs to swap out so far
Getting the third section in place
The tree is completely up now and I have gone through all of the lights and attached the star. Round 2 will start on Saturday morning. More pictures to come...
Last edited by Crazymike1965; 11-15-2013 at 04:26 AM.
Working on the lights
I will start to put ornaments on tomorrow.
Yep...there it is! My Favorite tree!!!
I love Outdoor Christmas Lights!!
How tall is that tree? Looks a good 10 feet to me!
Merry Christmas


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Serious Reads: Cooking for Gracie, by Keith Dixon
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.
Raising a newborn is a trying experience for any couple. New York Times journalist and novelist Keith Dixon recounts the first year of his daughter's life in Cooking for Gracie: The Making of a Parent from Scratch. Coupling stories with recipes, he describes the ups and downs of starting a family, and of attempting to find peace in the kitchen.
A long-time home cook, Dixon turned to the kitchen to cope with the sleepless nights, endless crying, and tumultuousness of building a family.
In the opening chapters of the book, Dixon describes many easy, no-fuss, nutritious meals that he pulled together to feed himself and his weary wife. He desperately wanted a deeper connection to Gracie during this time, but his daughter's allegiance remained with her mother. He feeds his wife in order to feed his daughter, nourishing them both on little sleep and wrecked nerves.
As Gracie grew older and could begin to chew some foods, Dixon and his wife wrestled with whether to buy pre-made purees and stews for their daughter. This prompted some broader thinking about the importance of knowing the source of one's food.
Dixon created some of his own mushed dishes, drawing great pleasure from pulling food off the stove and putting it directly on his daughter's plate. He called this Part Two, the time of her life when he could finally feed his whole family. And not only was his daughter taking to solid food, she also had a taste for gourmet mush like poached pears, salted tomatoes, and overcooked pasta.
As Gracie continued to grow, Dixon struggled with a flailing economy, a precarious newspaper job, and the pressure of supporting a family. But at the same time, he held Gracie's hands through her first steps, listened to her first words, and prepared for the future of his three-person family. He is nervous but capable, and endlessly dotes over his two leading ladies.
After each chapter, Dixon provides some of his own recipes. The earlier dishes are straightforward and based on pantry samples; later recipes include preparation for baby-friendly versions. Dixon's writing is fluid and easy to read, and his tone is endearing. I wanted to hear more about how his wife reacted to his great revelations about feeding and raising a daughter.
But really this is Dixon's story, and it's one that most new parents can certainly relate to. Cooking for Gracie is a quick read, but full of thoughtful prose and tasty dishes.
About the Author: A student in Providence, Rhode Island, Leah Douglas loves learning about, talking about, reading about, and consuming food. Her work is also featured in Rhode Island Monthly magazine.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.

subset: commoncrawl


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Video (screencast) of the presentation by Szilard Pafka at the Los Angeles R users group.
I summarized (with short demos) a few of the talks from the useR! 2012 conference. We are planning one more meetup to cover more talks.
Topics discussed: byte-code compiling, the devtools package, ggmap, Rstudio's latest features (projects, git/svn, knitr-markdown integration for reproducible research), cranvas, Simon Urbanek's talk on interactive graphics in the browser (with Rserve and FastRWeb on the backend), tabplot and httr.
This is just a very small slice of the excellent talks I have attended. It was an awesome conference, thanks to the organizers, the speakers and to the participants. I'll try to cover some more talks in a following Los Angeles R users group meetup, though the choice of topics will still be heavily biased by my main interests (and even within that subset I cannot really cover all the interesting talks). I encourage you to attend next year, so you can have it all.


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Unprecedented pace of urbanization presents challenges and opportunities to China, says 2013 National Human Development Report
--Sustainable and Liveable Cities: Toward Ecological Civilization
27 August, Beijing - China's accelerating urbanisation is approaching a critical stage, and how this is managed will have wide ramifications for the outcomes of many of China's present development challenges, according to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China's 2013 National Human Development Report (NHDR), launched in Beijing.
"The battle against climate change, the fight against inequalities, and the response to a rapidly ageing population – to mention a few – will depend on measures taken within the context of China's burgeoning cities," argues the report, entitled Sustainable and Liveable Cities: Toward Ecological Civilisation.
"China is experiencing urbanisation at a speed and scale that is unprecedented in human history", said Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator, at the report launch in Beijing. The report states that in 2011, there were more people living in China's cities than in its countryside for the first time, when only six decades earlier a mere 10 per cent lived in an urban setting. "By comparison, this same demographic transition took 150 years to occur in Europe and 210 years in Latin America," said Clark.
According to the report, the urban population is forecast to grow by an additional 310 million people to 70% of the total population by 2030. By this point, over one billion Chinese people will live in cities.
This presents both significant challenges and opportunities to China's leadership, as they have a short window of time to make the policy decisions that will guide the country through this social evolution. It is for this reason that UNDP decided to focus on urbanisation for the 2013 NHDR, being both timely and of great importance.
"Sustainable human development is about enlarging people's choices by expanding their capabilities and opportunities in ways that are sustainable from economic, social and environmental points of view, benefiting the present without compromising the future. We believe urbanisation should be guided by the same principle", said Clark.
Framed in the context of urbanisation, the 2013 NHDR examines the interconnectivity between China's economic, social and environmental challenges, and stresses that all three are pillars contributing to the government's focus on human development.
According to this report, China's urbanisation comes at a critical time on all three fronts, with pressures accumulating in matters such as the efficient use of natural and energy resources, the development of urban governance systems, employment, transportation, housing and access to basic social services, security, the livelihoods of migrant workers, an ageing population, structural economic transformation, and air and water pollution. How urbanisation is managed in China will determine the outcome of many of these challenges.
The concept of Ecological Civilization has been adopted by the country's leadership. Premier Li Keqiang stated in March 2013 that the new model of urbanisation should be human-centred and should ensure the prosperity of the people.
"The vision and principle of eco-civilisation should be fully integrated into the whole process of urbanisation, and we should take a new urbanisation path which is intensive, smart, green and low-carbon," said Wang Weiguang, President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) during the launch event. The report is a joint effort between UNDP and the Institute of Urban and Environmental Studies of CASS.
Sustainable and Liveable Cities: Toward Ecological Civilisation reports a host of findings and policy recommendations concerned with China's management of urbanisation. Highlights include:
- By 2030, cities will be home to 70 per cent of China's population and generate 75 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product.
- Given the current state of affairs in the country, a fine balance will have to be struck compromising between the speed and quality of urbanisation.
- Strong governance mechanisms and institutions for implementation are required to allow the policies needed to act on increasingly complex urban challenges to be successful.
- Because of the magnitude and speed of the changes underway in China, the window of opportunity for addressing many of the associated challenges is relatively small.
- Select demographic groups such as migrant workers and the ageing population will require particular attention, as their participation in the urbanisation process will be of especial importance.
- It is also important that sensitivity for China's cultural heritage be maintained, and the Report stresses the significance of cultural planning for urban sustainability and liveability.
The report also draws attention to the opportunities created by urbanisation in China. It argues that urbanisation can accelerate the modernisation process and economic structure upgrading, and be the strategic focus in changing the country's development profile from a GDP-focused export-orientated economy to a more stable, human development-based one.
To download a copy of the Report, please visit: www.cn.undp.org
For more information, please contact Ms. Zhang Wei, Communications Officer, UNDP China: [email protected]
ABOUT THIS REPORT: Since UNDP produced the first global Human Development Report (HDR) in 1990, HDRs have emerged as its flagship publication and one of UNDP's most important policy analysis and advocacy tools. This is the seventh National Human Development Report (NHDR) produced in China since 1997. These NHDR exercises have proven to be successful and valuable, playing a unique role in UNDP's endeavours to influence China's development policymaking. Over the years, China's NHDRs have also become useful resources for academics and UNDP China's development partners worldwide. These publications are gradually evolving into one of the principal instruments for UNDP's collaboration with Chinese national think tanks, policy makers and development researchers.
ABOUT UNDP CHINA: UNDP promotes sustainable human development to help build resilient nations and to empower people to build better lives. As the UN's development network, UNDP has drawn on world-wide experience for over three decades to assist China both in developing solutions to its own ongoing development challenges, and in its south-south cooperation and engagement in global development. Domestically, our work focuses on Good Governance, Energy & Environment, Poverty Reduction and Disaster Management. In terms of global and south-south work, our focuses are trilateral cooperation in third countries, experience sharing on foreign aid systems, global and regional issues, private sector engagement, and sharing development experiences and lessons through south-south dialogue.


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Hot enough for ya? If it's too hot for you; it's too hot for your pets. Protect your pets from heatstroke this summer
For Immediate Release: July 8, 2020
BATON ROUGE, LA--Now that summer is here, it's good to remember that pets require special care to avoid heatstroke. Dogs cannot tell us when they feel hot, and it is our responsibility to ensure that our pets have sufficient shelter from the sun, an adequate supply of water to drink, and a way to cool off as the heat rises. Be aware of these essential needs when leaving your pets outside during the day. Moreover, do not forget that at this time of the year, it is life-threatening to leave pets in hot cars, even if they are parked in the shade, and even for just a few minutes! Each summer, the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital sees several heatstroke cases.
A dog's body temperature is normally between 101°F and 102°F. Dogs do not sweat like people; they regulate their body temperature by panting; panting expels the heat. If the heat is not expelled fast enough, the body temperature rises. A rise of three degrees to a temperature of 105°F can cause the dog to have problems keeping up with his body's demand for oxygen. When the temperature hits 108°F, the internal organs such as the brain can start breaking down at a cellular level.
Early signs of heatstroke are rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, and gums that change from their healthy light pink color to bright red or even dull, grayish-pink. Vomiting and diarrhea can also be observed. Heat stroke is an absolute emergency! If your dog exhibits these signs, move him to a shaded area, soak the coat in cool water, and get him to a veterinarian immediately. These signs can be followed in minutes or days by collapse, seizure, coma, clotting disorders, and death. All pets with heatstroke need to be treated immediately and monitored carefully for a few days.
Puppies and kittens as well as older dogs and cats are predisposed. Also, brachycephalic breeds (those with short snouts or muzzles such as pugs and bulldogs) are at increased risk.
If medical care is needed after-hours, you can bring your pet to the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital on Skip Bertman Drive; the hospital is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
The most important aid in heatstroke is prevention, so please ensure that your outdoor pets have plenty of shade and water and never leave your pets in a parked car, even with the windows down. Make sure that your pet has a tip-proof bowl, so that he can't spill his water bowl while you're not at home. Lastly, do not go jogging or biking with your dog at midday during the summer. Even if you enjoy a jog or bike ride in the heat, it could have disastrous consequences for your dog. Plan walks for the early morning or late evening hours when the temperature is relatively low. With a few minor precautions, you and your pets can have a safe and happy summer.
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 30 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. The LSU SVM is dedicated to improving the lives of people and animals through education, research and service. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.
Media Contact
Ginger Guttner
Communications Manager
LSU School of Veterinary Medicine
(225) 578-9922 office
(225) 772-8957 cell


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It's a shame that so much Punch history has been lost. Because we are only after all very small community, having no well funded organisation that can handle research this will continue.
In a recent post on Sunny Huddersfield, topic went towards old puppets. I had met Pat Plant who told me my Ghost, Doctor, and I realised also a Blackman, Hangman and beadle were all by Franlin Spence , who greatl influence Bryan Clarke. I find this type of history so interesting.
David Wilde asked about origin of my Punch and some Quisto figures.
I've tried in the past to research the history, and had a go again recently.
I got a job lot of almost 3 sets of puppets about 20 years ago. I was told at the time that they had been used up in the North East, and along the coast up above Whitby. They were a mix of Wal Kent, the punch has just retired, Quisto, and what I now know are Franklin Spence. There wasthe remains of a fit up, and a backcloth and props.
I tried quite recently to contact the local newspaper in Middlesborough, their sort of nostalgia section, and asked them for any help they could come up with. Heard nothing so far.
Anyway, the Punch is rather similar in size and style to David's Hancock Punch, ther is a large Quisto Dragon, and the only clues to go on are the name 'D.Tipper' embrodered into the costume of a small monkey, and the backcloth of a street scene, now sold, had the name 'Kilbourn' written on, possibly the signature. It looked from the condition and sparse info given that these figures had been used up until theearly 1960s and then packed away.
Do the names Tipper and Kilbourn ring a bell with anyone?
I wonder if the PJF could send out a press release to a chunk of local newpapers asking if readers had Punch memories, and photos, especially if they knew the Prof, suppose it could be done by email, but busy people might stop and give more consideration to an actual letter, suitably illustrated, just a thought.


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Firefighters handle 2 early morning house fires in NH
TUFTONBORO, N.H. (AP) � Firefighters have responded to two house fires in New Hampshire.
They responded to a fire early Friday in Tuftonboro. The state Fire Marshal's office has responded to the fire.
Another fire, Peterborough, damaged a home on Route 136. Neighbors spotted flames about 1 a.m. Friday.
WMUR-TV reports (http://bit.ly/Sw5BrI) that three people inside the home made it out safely. The cause of the fire was still under investigation.


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10-Year Shiller P/E Exposes Cyclical Overvaluation and UndervaluationLearn more about this firm
Dear Fellow Investors:
Last week we spoke to the Washington Hay Growers Convention in Kennewick, Washington. Those who grow hay have enjoyed a very similar boom in the last twelve years that wheat and corn growers have enjoyed. The parking lot was full of nearly new heavy duty trucks and the convention floor was packed with $400,000 to $700,000 farm implements from major manufacturers. These farmers have been feasting in the boom and it got me thinking about how to correctly value cyclical businesses, because at Smead Capital Management valuation matters dearly.
Whenever we examine a cyclical company (a company heavily dependent on positive cycles in their industry) we use ten-year smoothing of price-to-earnings ratios (P/E) as recommended by Robert Shiller. This keeps us away from buying into a business at what appears to be a low P/E ratio, because we are near a cyclical peak in earnings. Thanks to my anecdotal evidence last week, we chose to look at Deere (DE), Caterpillar (Cat) and Schlumberger (SLB). We believe these are three outstanding cyclical companies which are very susceptible to industry and commodity cycles. On a 2012 earnings basis, CAT and DE look attractive to us at 10.5 and 11.8 times earnings, while SLB appears fairly valued in a very positive era for the oil services industry. As you can see below, the smoothed P/E paints a drastically different picture.
Source: Thomson-Baseline
All three stocks trade for a ten-year P/E multiple exceeding the S&P 500 index and appear very over-valued to us. Schlumberger looks wildly overvalued on a ten-year smoothed basis and CAT and DE look significantly overvalued. To confirm where we are in the cycle for the heavy machinery, agricultural machinery and oil service industries, we researched price-to-book ratios (P/B) going back 30 years to see where we are from a popularity standpoint.
DEERE & COMPANY Price-to-Book
Source: Thomson-Baseline
CATERPILLER Price-to-Book
Source: Thomson-Baseline
SCHLUMBERGER Price-to-Book
Source: Thomson-Baseline
Deere has a P/B of 5.1 which coincides with the current massive popularity of agricultural commodities and emerging markets. Caterpillar sells at 3.5 times book, not high by recent standards but significantly above the S&P 500 index average of 2.5. Schlumberger's P/B is at the lower end of recent history, but is at a premium to the S&P 500 index.
To give investors additional perspective, we ran a smoothed P/E on three companies in our current portfolio of stocks.
Source: Thomson-Baseline
All three, Merck (MRK), Aflac (AFL) and JP Morgan (JPM), trade at current P/E ratios lower than the S&P 500 index and are in the lowest of the five P/E quintiles in the index. They also appear deeply undervalued on a ten-year smoothed basis. Lastly, they all appear very cheap from a backward-looking P/B basis as seen in the charts below.
MERCK Price-to-Book
Source: Thomson-Baseline
AFLAC Price-to-Book
Source: Thomson-Baseline
JP MORGAN CHASE Price-to-Book
Source: Thomson-Baseline
We believe low P/E ratios on current earnings among popular cyclical stocks in industries which have experienced boom times recently are a sucker's game. Use a smoothed P/E to defend yourself. On the other hand, we believe the pharmaceutical, insurance and banking industries look like an attractive place to seek alpha today via MRK, AFL and JPM.
Best Wishes,
William Smead
The information contained in this missive represents SCM's opinions, and should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. It should not be assumed that investing in any securities mentioned above will or will not be profitable. A list of all recommendations made by Smead Capital Management within the past twelve month period is available upon request.
© Smead Capital Management


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Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008
Residents seeing more 'dirt' on city streets
LITTLE FALLS – Little Falls Department of public Works Supervisor Rick Zilkowski said Wednesday morning that the city streets are looking a little dirty.
The reason, he said, is due to a state-wide salt shortage.
"We are using more sand for this storm due to the shortage. Salt, in limited amounts, is being used on the hills only," he said.
Zilkowski added until salt is delivered sand will be the primary source for clearing the roads.
Gold Coast mansion may have new neighbors
IRONDEQUOIT — Back in the day, they called this ritzy stretch of the Lake Ontario shoreline as the Gold Coast.
Libanus Todd, who owned a Rochester company called Todd Protectograph, built the first home on Rock Beach Road, in 1912. Although his home burned to the ground in 1926, the mansion on site is still called the Libanus Todd House.
Developers now want to purchase the scenic lakeside property, just under five acres, to subdivide into five lots and build three new homes there.
After hearing from 15 citizens, all but one or two of them opposed to the project, during a nearly three-hour public hearing Monday, the Planning Board finally asked for a full environmental impact statement before making any decision.
"Because this would negatively impact the character of the neighborhood and has to do with the history of the site, and this area's future, I think it's important enough that we go through this process," said Planning Board member Jay Ricci. "That street is magic ... I see this as repainting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel."
The 4.9-acre site eyed by developers Lou Fico and Robert Fallone, if built, would be called "The Manors at Rock Beach."
Irondequoit resident Jean Czerkas, a history buff, said the landscaping, including decorative walls, statuary and steps, iwas designed by Alling DeForest, who also designed the grounds at George Eastman House in Rochester.
"Rock Beach Road is Irondequoit's claim to fame," Czerkas said.
Sewage resolution passes, splitting council
OSWEGO – For the first time since the new Oswego Common Council met in January, the vote was split Monday night between incumbent and new councilors, on a resolution concerning waste overflow on the city's west side.
The resolution would not allow the city of Oswego to accept any more sewage from the town of Oswego except from single family homes. The resolution was passed 5-2, with council president, Daniel Donovan, R-5th Ward, and council vice president, Connie Cosemento, D-1st Ward, casting the two "no" votes.
"We're in trouble because that overflow doesn't get treated," Cosemento said, acknowledging the problem.
Another reason Cosemento cited for not wanting to pass the resolution was that she had landlords banging down her door wanting her to write such a resolution last year. The councilor said she wanted to work with the landlords, but noted the city must be compensated in some way. "What are the landlords going to do for the city?" she asked, suggesting they could cut their grass, take care of their garbage or rent to a legal number of college students in a house.
Michael Myers, R-2nd Ward, was the councilor who initiated the discussion about the sewage overflow on the west side at last Monday's committee meetings. At last week's meeting, Michael Coffey, the superintendent of the West Side Wastewater Treatment Plant said that there was an overflow problem and admitted that the untreated overflow went into Lake Ontario.
Myers said Monday night that he wanted to go on the record and state that the issue was not a landlord problem. "It's about the future capacity of development for the city of Oswego," he said.
Gates Chili school could close
Among the $1.7 million in reductions included in Gates Chili Superintendent Rick Stein's proposed 2008-09 budget was a recommendation to close Washington Irving Elementary School.
Citing declining enrollment in the district, increasing costs, and the loss of $1.6 million in sales tax revenue as a result of the county executive's tax intercept plan, Stein said, he tried to find long-term cost savings in his $81.4 million budget, which is a 3.3 percent increase from this year's $78.8 million budget. Closing Washington Irving will save the district over $1 million.
Stein's budget proposal is based on a tax levy of $974,727, a 2.24 percent increase from this year's budget. Based on those figures, the estimated tax rate under the Superintendent's proposed budget would increase from $23.63 per $1,000 of assessed valuation to $23.94 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, a 1.3 percent increase.
On the revenue side of the equation, Stein's spending plan includes $800,000 from a sales tax reserve which the school board set aside last year. That leaves $475,000 in the fund to be used to offset the sales tax loss in the 2009-2010 budget. Stein said he expects retirements will save the district close to $300,000 next year, and renting a wing in the high school to the Westside Academy will net close to $200,000. His budget is based on the district receiving $2.2. million in state aid.
Cleanup work on site nearly complete
MOHAWK – Cleanup work on the former Duofold site in Mohawk is nearly complete and does not require any further purification processes, according to the representative from the village's environmental engineering firm.
The less than one acre lot is being cleaned up with funds from the Department of Environmental Conservation's Brownfield Project program, which cleans up abandoned and contaminated sites for reuse.
The village hired HRP Associates, Inc., of Malta, N.Y., to administer the cleanup process. Jeffrey Soteck of the firm updated the Mohawk Village Board of Trustees at Monday night's meeting on developments that have occurred since he last spoke to the board in September.
"I feel the (project) is complete," said Soteck after he submitted a draft of his report to the board.
Soteck also submitted his report to the state Department of Health so the agency can learn what has been done on the site's current status and approve the report.
The board has to decide whether to register the site's the deed for commercial and industrial use, or as residential.
Soteck added there are vapor barriers which can be installed and have become common, such as Radon barrier devices.
Previously the property housed a warehouse that burned down and the federal Environmental Protection Agency removed a tank and asbestos from the property.
The village currently has no concrete plans for the site at this time.
College to jazz up arts center
PITTSFORD — Nazareth College has the go ahead to renovate the school's Art Center.
The Town Planning Board approved the work earlier this week.
The $6 million project is slated to begin in the next couple weeks and will include improvements to the Callahan Theater and the building. The town Zoning Board recently approved a height variance for the center, which is increasing by a little more than 16 feet to accommodate a new pulley system for the theater's background sets.
Changes to the building include a patron's lounge and an art gallery.
Renovations could be complete by January 2009.
Odyssey for Greeks
CHILI — From Europe's Greece to Greece, N.Y. to Chili, the Acropolis Restaurant has come a long way to find its home.
Over 30 years ago, Theo and Anna Manos overcame many obstacles to open their own business. Immigrants of Greece, they barely knew English. Along with Theo's brother Chris, they took their experiences working in local diners and restaurants, mixed it with their heritage and opened the Acropolis Restaurant at 1233 Ridge Road in Greece.
Back then, the area was booming with industry and so was business. For the first 20 years at least. In the last 10 years, Eastman Kodak Co. started to shrink. So did other companies. There were less workers looking to dine.
"It's too bad," said Theo Manos. "All the jobs moved to China."
On Feb. 21, 2007, the Acropolis moved to Chili Paul, from the center of an industrial setting to the center of town.
"Here it's different, good business on the weekends," Theo said. "There is the opposite. Nobody's working on the weekends there."
So far, so good. "We still have new customers every day," he said.
When they moved, a longtime customer presented them with a replica of the old restaurant. It's now on top of the dessert cooler near the register.
A bird whose goose was cooked finds a savior
WEBSTER — Jocko and Paul Kittredge are pals. The former is a Canada goose and the latter is a Webster senior who rescued the doomed bird.
They crossed paths late last year when Kittredge was walking his cocker spaniel in North Ponds Park. Every day he noticed the bird with one useless wing drifting about the partially frozen pond.
All the other geese eventually moved on for winter. Kittredge knew the injured Canada goose was a goner unless he got him some help.
He named it Jocko because despite its miserable circumstance, he said it seemed "jaunty" and always greeted him with a fanfare of noisy honks. The whole-kernel corn and hamburger rolls he brought along, of course, increased his popularity.
Along with his wife, Doris, the quest began for a rehabilitator.
"We called everybody — the police, animal control — nobody was interested in helping us," Paul Kittredge said. "I'm thinking everybody's out there saying 'Merry Christmas!' and 'Happy Holidays!' and here this poor guy's about to freeze to death."
Their search led to Gerald Balonek, an Irondequoit veterinarian who aids injured wildlife as a community service. There was one catch: The Kittredges would have to catch the 40-pounder and bring it in for treatment.
That where Michele Mills of Fairport came in. She's an animal rehabilitator. Her first attempt to rescue the goose failed because it was too wary. On the third attempt, it got close enough to be scooped up.
"Jocko came up to us and plopped down in front of me," Kittredge said. "I'm thinking how's this little slip of a girl going to capture this goose? She must've had ninja training because in a flash she got him by the neck and pinned his arms."
Good thing, too, because the next day every inch of the pond was covered in ice and the goose would have frozen its tail feathers. The couple said they will be sad when Jocko, nicely on the mend, flies off.


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Item Description
Author: Lovejoy, Julia Louisa
Date: December 10, 1854 - January 5, 1860
Julia Louisa Hardy Lovejoy and her husband Charles came to Kansas Territory in March 1855. Julia described the trip and their first months in Kansas Territory. However, Julia's diary entries were fairly sporadic so there were significant gaps in her account of life in Kansas Territory. Her writing was very emotional when describing the illness and death of their daughter Edith, when referring to the conflict in the territory, and when writing about her religious beliefs. The diary also contained some detail about daily life. The Lovejoys had two older children (Charles J. and Juliette) and a five year old daughter Edith when they came to Kansas Territory. Their son Charles may have come to Kansas before the rest of the family. Edith died in Lawrence, Kansas Territory, on May 3, 1855. Julia was pregnant at the time and a son Irving was born September 17, 1855. Juliette married Dr. Samuel Whitehorn from Hudson, Michigan, on March 9, 1856, in Manhattan, Kansas Territory. Juliette died November 20, 1860, at Manhattan, Kansas, at the age of 21. See the biographical sketch in the "Personalities" section for more detail on the Lovejoys.
Location of Original: KSHS Call Number: Charles and Julia Lovejoy Collection, #419
Item Number: 102917 Number of images: 29
Keywords: Baldwin, Kansas Territory; Daily life; Diaries; Douglas County, Kansas Territory; Lovejoy, Julia Hardy, 1812-1882; Lovejoy, Julia Louisa (see Lovejoy, Julia Hardy); Manhattan, Kansas Territory; Methodists; Religion; Riley County, Kansas Territory
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I didn't want to say anything about this last week, given the hard fought and well won victory of Net Neutrality proponents. They worked hard and long and smartly and organized very well and deserved at least a few days of victory laps for the effort.
Indeed, as noted in attorney Ernie Canning's piece here Thursday, describing the legal contours and challenges the FCC's new ruling attempts to circumnavigate: "The new policy is unquestionably a victory for both the idea of Internet freedom, as well as for the unprecedented campaign waged by the public to advocate in favor of 'Net Neutrality' over the past several years. An outspoken public won the day, for a change, against very powerful interests. It was a victory that, particularly over previous years, seemed to be anything but assured."
So this thought is not meant to diminish the accomplishment of the army of Davids' who defied the odds and managed to defeat an army of Goliaths in a way that was virtually unthinkable even a year ago.
That said...


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Call it silk envy.
For years, engineers and materials scientists have marveled at the strength that spider silk displays – topping that of steel. And they've marveled at the design and hardiness of spider webs.
Now, a research team has discovered how the silk responds to stress – a response unlike that in any material humans have engineered. The results will appear in the Thursday issue of the journal Nature.
In essence, when pressure is applied, the silk first stiffens. As pressure increases, it stretches, only to stiffen again as the pressure reaches the silk's breaking point.
These traits help explain why damage to a spider web from daily use remains local, preserving the integrity of the web as a whole, the researchers say.
It's an explanation with potential benefits for human engineering, says Markus Buehler, an associate professor of engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, who led the research team. Indeed, the information gleaned could help humans take advantage of unique-but-hard-to-work-with building blocks for new materials, such as carbon nanotubes.
"These are superb materials" at scales of billionths of a meter, Dr. Buehler says. "People got Nobel Prizes for this."
But so far, adapting nanotubes to human-scale projects has proved difficult. "If you want to actually use these [materials] to make a car or a coating or a building, it doesn't work because we lose all the strength" exhibited by the pint-size samples, Buehler says.
But the new analysis of spider silk could allow materials scientists to use such building blocks to craft materials that take full advantage, on human scales, of desirable properties that once appeared only at nanometer sizes.
In demonstrating how the silk contributes to the hardiness of the network of strands that make up a web, Buehler says, the results eventually could help engineers craft power grids, data networks, and even buildings to survive natural or human assaults with minimal damage.
Spiders have had some 400 million years of evolutionary history to hone their chemistry and engineering tools, notes Jessica Garb, an ecologist at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell who is studying the genetics behind spider silks and venoms.
Developing the ability to excrete a silk thread that responds differently to different levels of stress comes from trial and error through random genetic mutations within spider populations, she says.
"It's hard to make a living as a spider," says Dr. Garb. "It's not like there's a constant stream of prey. A lot of times they're waiting for something," and snagging it "is a matter of life or death."
Spiders with slight genetic mutations that generated a mix of proteins that built the silk best suited for webs capturing the most prey survived to keep the evolutionary wheels turning. Those that didn't have most effective mix for web building vanished.
As part of this process, spiders have developed an array of silk types. Single spiders are capable of producing several types – from structural silks; to sticky, prey-snagging strands; to glues that fasten a web's main structural threads to bush branches or barn beams.
Scientists have identified more than 40,000 spider species and suspect that thousands more await discovery, Garb says.
For its study, Buehler's team selected orb-weaver spiders – including about 25 percent of all known spider species. The webs are roughly circular, with spokes. They're filled in with threads that spiral out from the hub. The spoke-like strands are the strongest. The spirals are weaker and coated with a sticky adhesive to trap insects.
Enough is known about the biochemistry of silk formation among orb weavers that Buehler's team could use a detailed computer model to produce virtual silk threads, starting with the amino acids that make up the proteins involved. Then the team used the model to explore the silks' properties and gauge their contributions to a web's robustness.
Materials that humans engineer – from rubber to steel – tend to grow increasingly stiff until they break – or they grow increasingly pliable under increasing stress, Buehler explains. But the modeling was what revealed that the silk threads forming the spokes had the ability to stiffen, stretch, then stiffen again as stress was added.
This means a spider – whose meals are few and far between – has to spend less energy maintaining a web. A spiral thread might break as a flying insect collides with it, but the damage is limited to the span between spokes. If the winged bug hits a spoke, a main structural element, the silk thread yields before stiffening again and breaking. This reduces the shock of impact on other spokes and allows them to hold the web together.
Either way, the damage is limited to the area immediately around the point of impact. In effect, the spider has an ability to build a web in which it's possible to sacrifice a portion without compromising the whole network.
After running the computer simulations, team members tested the results by heading into the field to pluck at spider webs – no doubt to the great frustration of the arachnids that built them. Sure enough, the real webs behaved as the models foretold.
The marvel, Buehler says, is that the silk is made at ambient temperatures inside a spider from simple building blocks whose ability to bond to one another is so weak that engineers would never consider using them for human-scale applications.
"Yet if you look at the system with engineering tools, it's absolutely stunning," he says – a case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. "We don't have anything like this. Yet a spider makes this on the fly."


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Gassville is on a high, fertile plain in the Ozark Mountains of north central Arkansas. Gassville is ideally located near the world-famous White River, The Buffalo National River, Bull Shoals Lake and Norfork Lake. Gassville is a growing community of 2,078 residents (2010 U.S. Census).
Gassville has a 2,000 volume public library (branch of the Baxter County Library), public park, grocery store, convenience stores, churches, banks, restaurants, retail shops, motel, service businesses and manufacturers.
Located between the larger cities of Mountain Home and Harrison, U.S. Highway 62/412 is the main thoroughfare through Gassville and it provides easy access for commuters and visitors.
The nearest interstate highways are Interstate 44 in Missouri (80 miles north) and Interstate 40 (120 miles south).
Where Does Gassville Get its Name?
The town's unique name is credited to one of the area's early settlers. According to area historians, a post office was established in the town in 1878 with P. A. Cox as the postmaster. Mr. Cox was an incessant talker and was referred to by others as a "gasser" which eventually led to the town's name. To date, the town is the only Gassville in the United States. The town was formally incorporated in 1903. (information courtesy of The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture - www.EncyclopediaofArkansas.net)
South Shore was founded by and is fully supported by NATCO (Northern
Arkansas Telephone Company).


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Where did the panic over mad cow disease go? Off the front pages, for sure. A few years ago, respected journalists warned of a looming public-health disaster as Americans consumed deadly hamburgers. They accused the beef industry and government regulators of colluding to hide the problem of mad cow disease.
Where did the panic over mad cow disease go? Off the front pages, for sure. A few years ago, respected journalists warned of a looming public-health disaster as Americans consumed deadly hamburgers. They accused the beef industry and government regulators of colluding to hide the problem of mad cow disease.
Back then, the number of American deaths caused by eating meat from mad cows was zero. The number is still zero, so propriety calls for a correction. Label it an "update," if you prefer. And the item belongs in the prominent spot once occupied by the fear-mongering.
In 2004, Vanity Fair ran six glossy pages of warnings on the impending mad cow epidemic. The author, Eric Schlosser of Fast Food Nation fame, wrote that mad cow disease "confronts the United States with perhaps its most serious and complex food-safety threat."
The discovery of a single mad cow, brought to Washington state from Canada in 2003, caused South Korea to ban U.S. beef. Four years later, when the restriction was lifted, street protests broke out. Economist Paul Krugman attributed the discontent to "the declining credibility of U.S. food regulation." Yes, credibility was undermined, by misinformed American journalists and competing South Korean beef farmers.
Such commentary inevitably makes reference to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, a 1906 expose of the horrifying conditions in Chicago meat factories. Sinclair's portrayal is considered accurate, and Theodore Roosevelt used the ensuing public outrage to push for food-safety laws. But Roosevelt also regarded Sinclair as a "crackpot" and made no mention of him at the signing of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Federal Meat Inspection Act, while loudly praising Sen. Albert Beveridge of Indiana.
Given the nonexistence of human sickness from American mad cows, Krugman's rhetorical question on the matter - "How did America find itself back in The Jungle?" - was rather bizarre.
What fueled the phony mad cow scare? Several things. A few people died of the disease in Europe, mainly through eating meat pies containing the diseased cow's brain and spinal cord, parts Americans don't normally consume. One can eat meat from a mad cow and not get sick.
Crusading vegetarians used mad cow disease to frighten consumers away from meat. Then there was the red America-blue America angle. Coastal liberals fantasized about dark goings-on in a faraway industry. Rancher conservatives, unschooled in the art of public relations, simmered in quiet resentment, failing to convey their support for effective regulation.
Indeed, the news of a mad cow in Washington savaged their domestic sales and froze exports. For the U.S. beef industry, there's no upside to sneaking mad cows into the food chain.
During the scare, the Agriculture Department increased inspections for the disease. When mad cows failed to turn up in significant numbers, it ratcheted back. The department's discovery last year of mad cow disease in a milk cow energized some of the troops, even though milk does not transmit the disease.
A scientist at Consumers Union dutifully complained: "We really don't know if this is an isolated unusual event or whether there are more cases in U.S. beef. Our monitoring program is just too small."
A counter-thought: Seeing as there's no reported case of anyone getting sick, much less dying, from an American mad cow, perhaps the monitoring is adequate.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 3,000 Americans died of foodborne diseases in 2011. Falls at home claimed twice as many lives.
The deadliest foodborne pathogen was salmonella, often linked to poultry. Vegans should know that the CDC also issued salmonella warnings last month about imported cucumbers and tahini paste.
What might we use as a corrective headline? Here's a cute idea: "Inspectors fail to find cows of mass destruction."
Froma Harrop writes for Creators Syndicate.


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According to Macklemore, what could be dumber than legalizing marijuana? Prohibiting it. Unless of course you're "connected" to a special interest group that profits from the status quo. This humorous video points out the hypocrisy and loss to patients who can benefit from legal access to marijuana, but are instead blocked by laws prohibiting even the medical use of marijuana. If the video was "trimmed" by 12 seconds it would be 4.20. This is another video that needs to be watched to the very end to fully appreciate. Think you know everything there is to know about marijuana? Think again. Click here to learn more about medical marijuana.
After watching this car accident video from Russia, one has to wonder if their Driving Schools need to be revamped. Although not all of the accidents in this video are the drivers fault, some drivers are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully they have auto insurance.
Evian knocked it out of the park with their ad campaign that features babies on roller skates. Babies on roller skates? yes. Watch the video to appreciate the technically monumental achievement done behind the scenes that turns these absolutely adorable babies into roller skating pros.
Brave female scuba diver hand feeds sharks in this beautifully done shark video set to Spanish music that might just change your opinion of sharks... and Spanish music! Be sure to watch the video to the very end to be amazed.
Insane street bike riders free styling a showcase of tricks and stunts on this crazy motorcycle video.


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|Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange
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Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
Annual, perennial herb, shrub, glabrous to hairy, generally aromatic
Stems generally erect, generally 4-angled
Leaves generally simple to deeply lobed, opposite, generally gland-dotted
Inflorescence: cyme, generally clustered around stem, head-like, separated by evident internodes (terminal in Monardella ) or collectively crowded, spike-like to panicle-like (sometimes raceme or flowers 212); subtended by leaves or bracts; flowers sessile or pedicelled
Flower generally bisexual; calyx generally 5-lobed, radial to bilateral; corolla generally bilateral, 12-lipped, upper lip entire or 2-lobed, ± flat to hood-like, sometimes 0, lower lip generally 3-lobed; stamens generally 4, generally exserted, paired, pairs unequal, sometimes 2, staminodes 2 or 0; ovary superior, generally 4-lobed to base, chambers 2, ovules 2 per chamber, style 1, arising from center at junction of lobes, stigmas generally 2
Fruit: nutlets 4, generally ovoid to oblong, smooth
Genera in family: ± 200 genera, 5500 species: worldwide. Many cultivated for herbs, oils (Lavandula , lavender; Mentha , mint; Ocimum , basil; Rosmarinus , rosemary; Thymus , thyme), some cultivated as ornamental (in CA Cedronella , Leonotis , Phlomis )
Reference: [Cantino & Sanders 1986 Syst Bot 11:163185]
Annual, shrub, strong-scented
Stem hairy, often glandular
Leaf simple; blade linear to ovate, entire
Inflorescence: cymes (racemes in T. lanceolatum), axillary
Flower: calyx lobes 5, equal or uppermost 1 narrower; corolla blue or lavender, tube straight or curved upward, sometimes abruptly near throat, included to much exserted from calyx, lobes 5, lowest a generally reflexed lip; stamens 4, attached near throat, generally much exserted, ascending between upper corolla lobes, generally arched
Fruit: nutlets 4, joined in basal ± 1/3, puberulent to hairy, irregularly ridged
Species in genus: ± 17 species: North America
Etymology: (Greek: hair, stamen)
Reference: [Lewis 1945 Brittonia 5:276303]
Annual species generally flowering late summer or fall.
Annual < 5 dm
Stem: short hairs appressed, long hairs spreading, some hairs glandular
Leaf: petiole indistinct or < 5 mm; blade 25 cm, elliptic, length > 4 X width
Flower: calyx lobes > 2 X tube, widest at base, acute, ± equal; corolla tube 1.53 mm, curved gradually upward, ± = calyx, lower lip 1.83 mm; stamens 35.5 mm, exserted, arched
Ecology: Uncommon. Drying margins of lakes, meadows, streams
Elevation: 10002500 m.
Bioregional distribution: Tehachapi Mountain Area, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, East of Sierra Nevada
Distribution outside California: Baja California
See the CNPS Inventory for information about endangerment and rarity.
Stem < 10 cm
Leaf < 30 mm, >> internode above
Chromosomes: n=14
Ecology: Montane vernal pools
Elevation: 2500 m.
Bioregional distribution: San Jacinto Mountains (Hidden Lake).


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Andrew Short is a National Geographic Grantee and assistant professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas. An entomologist by training and at heart, Short is currently in Suriname, South America searching for aquatic insects to study patterns of freshwater biodiversity that will inform both science and conservation.
Having climbed up through a layer of misting clouds, we reached the summit of Voltzberg just in time to see the day break over the surrounding rainforest. Sitting at the northern edge of the Central Suriname Nature Reserve (CSNR), Voltzberg is one of many imposing granite domes that pepper this ancient South American landscape. A massive swath of tropical wilderness twice the size of my home state of Delaware, the CSNR is almost entirely unpopulated and only accessible by canoe and bushplane.
While taking in the vastness of the landscape was a welcome break from our fieldwork routine that morning last July, my students and I had work to do: documenting the aquatic insects that live in the streams, waterfalls, and forest pools that surrounded us. Our research here, done in collaboration with the National Zoological Collection of Suriname, has uncovered dozens of new species and we're only just gotten started. These inventories help us approach a number of bigger questions: How similar is this patch of forest to one 50 miles away? What are the ecological limits of these species, and what would happen if the environment changed? Can these insects help us monitor water quality?
We're making final preparations for our return to Suriname (and CSNR) next week. This time, our target is more ambitious: Tafelberg—an isolated table mountain in the center of the reserve. Stay tuned for updates as our expedition gets underway!


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Communities, Networks, Nodes: Where to next for the JLeRN Experiment?
NB: I've prepared a simplified handout version of this post for the JLeRN / UK Learning Registry Contributors' Hackday, available on Googledocs to print out or download here.
So what's this all about again?
Are you feeling a bit baffled by the Learning Registry concept? By the JLeRN Experiment? But excited by some of the possibilities that trickle through the confusion as you start to get a handle on what we're doing? Join the club.
The Learning Registry project worldwide is starting from a very techie place, and we are only beginning to imagine how that might eventually impact on services for teachers and learners, and the support staff who help them with using resources.
We've learned from the mis-steps of years past where we fumbled through if-we-build-it-they-will-come and if-only-someone-would-create-one-uber-repository/portal. We're focussing on what we've been told over and over by educators for years: that recording and analysing and understanding and disseminating and using data about use of learning resources should be at the centre of resource provision and management. We're calling that data 'paradata'.
So, how will we, the UK-based JLeRN Experiment, take forward our investigations? We need your feedback. Please read on for options and questions.
The building blocks
The Learning Registry folks have produced some well-written and well-conceived specification documents, which outline clearly the kinds of decisions that different participants (not just JISC) could make at a policy level here in the UK. I will summarise below (a) what we're doing right now, and (b) what some of the wider options are for implementing Learning Registry nodes, networks and communities.
NOTE: nodes, networks and communities are the three levels of togetherness available to educational communities wanting to share resource data and paradata. We can:
(1) share our data with others via a single node;
(2) widen our sharing to a network of nodes that share the same policies about access etc.; and
(3) widen our sharing even further within communities of networks.
More below!
If you really like to read full specs, check out this openly available Googledoc; it's the main specification document this post quotes from (it's very readable as specs go): The Resource Distribution Network Model: Learning Registry Technical Specification.
From that document, here is a visual representation of how Learning Registry nodes, networks and communities relate to each other and to external producers and consumers of data. You may need to refer back to it as you read on.
The JLeRN Experiment at Mimas
So, Mimas was asked by JISC to set up a Learning Registry node and play with it, with help from JISC CETIS and an informal task group of interested folks in UK education, to see what we could learn. That was about all any of us understood about what was needed at that time.
We've had a working node at Mimas for some weeks now, which has led to acquisition of skills and understanding for our devs Nick and Bharti, and we are busy getting our node set up on a dedicated server to allow anyone to experiment with getting their data in and out.
We've since discovered that there are a number of options for nodes, and there are also possibilities for networks of nodes, and network communities. These are described in more detail further on in this post. We have implemented a common node, without requiring signatures to push and pull data out of the node (in other words without the basic security restriction available). A common node is defined thusly:
"Common Node: A common node MAY provide any of the node service classes listed. If provided, the distribution services of a common node SHALL be limited to connecting to other nodes in the same network (the distribution service MAY connect to multiple destination nodes)."
There's only one other kind of node: a gateway node.
I bet all that just raised a bunch of questions for you, right? Read on!
Where to from here?
Let's talk about nodes
Nodes are the building blocks of the Learning Registry. They enable decentralised networks for sharing data about learning resources and their use. Anyone can set up a node wherever they like by installing the node code and making it available to whomever they like*. They can also restrict access if they choose. Those who share data via that node can publish their data to the node, or extract anyone's data from the node. A completely open node allows literally anyone to publish or access data.
NOTE: There are two kinds of node: common nodes and gateway nodes. Each kind of node supports distinct activities. Basically, a common node can support all the different specific services you need to push, pull, distribute and process resource data with any number of external sources, and within a given network of nodes. A gateway node allows different networks to connect with each other to share data. (Might be an idea to scroll back up and look at that diagram again!).
A common node is defined further up the page, and its possible services in the next section. A gateway node simply provides a data distribution connection between one network and another, because nodes cannot belong to more than one network, and a clearly defined pipeline is needed, for security and other policy reasons.
Until the JLeRN Experiment has some pressing use case for testing a gateway node, we're working with a common node for now.
What can a common node do?
Common nodes can offer five kinds of service:
- Publish Services allow data to be published to the node from external sources. We can choose which publishing APIs we will support (e.g. SWORD), but we have to (and we do) support the Basic Publish Service. NOTE: we're talking about how we might get data into JLeRN's Node at Mimas from a Jorum OAI-PMH feed, which will likely involve some scripting as it's not provided as part of the core node set-up.
- Access Services allow data to be pulled, or accessed from the node or the distribution network the node is part of. Again, different APIs (e.g. OAI-PMH) can be, but don't have to be, supported.
- Distribution Services allow data to be replicated and transferred between nodes.
- Broker Services allow us to "augment, transform or process resource data held at that node to produce new or updated resource data for access or distribution". Interesting!
- Administrative Services, which "are used to query a node to obtain its status or to trigger node administrative actions."
So: what kinds of services would you like to trial with the JLeRN Experiment? What do you think should be trialled?
Resource distribution networks
You'll have noted already that common nodes can be part of networks, and that networks can be connected via gateway nodes. When networks are connected, this is called a network community. Here's what a network (or resource distribution network) is:
"A resource distribution network is a group of one or more connected nodes, with each node providing node services. All nodes in a resource distribution network operate under the same policies. Multiple resource distribution networks MAY be established."
Important things about networks are:
- Any given node can only be part of one network; the node is subject to the policies of that network. A gateway node is necessary for a common node to connect to a different network.
- Network policies include such things as security requirements for sharing data via nodes in the network, e.g. whether signatures are required, data deletion policies, and so on.
- A network can be part of only one community (so if you want your node to interface with other communities, you'll need to set up and connect via a gateway node. Again, scroll back up to the diagram!).
So, what about network communities?
Network communities
OK, if you've managed to read this far, you can read the specification document definition! It doesn't really require paraphrasing:
"A network community is a collection of interconnected resource distribution networks. A community MAY contain one or more resource distribution networks. A resource network SHALL be a member of only one community. Gateway nodes provide the connectivity between resources networks within a network community and MAY provide connectivity between networks in different communities. NB: A gateway node that provides an intra-community network gateway is undifferentiated from one that provides an inter-community network gateway."
The important thing to note about communities is that open communities, known as social communities, and closed communities are both supported.
These are fairly self-explanatory: social communities can connect to each other via gateway nodes to share data. Closed communities only allow sharing between nodes and networks within their own borders. At the moment, the Learning Registry project itself has both kinds. The Learning Registry is a social community, and The Learning Registry Testbed is a closed community for developers to work on the code and the specs.
NOTE: At the moment, we are thinking about setting up a node to be part of the Learning Registry Testbed closed community, but we are, as previously noted, currently only running a node that is not yet part of any network or community, and that we are making available for anyone to test publishing and accessing data with.
So that's where we're at! What next?
We're taking advantage of our proximity to the Jorum repository of open educational resources at Mimas to start exploring data and paradata around Jorum's stuff, and how these might interact with the Learning Registry to the eventual benefit of Jorum's users. There will be a blog post soon on the Jorum team blog saying a bit more about that.
We're hosting a hackday in collaboration with JISC CETIS on Monday 23 January 2012, here at Mimas in Manchester. We've got ca 10 people coming from the UK education community, and we're going to let them at our node to test out whatever folk want to test. We'll also be brainstorming ideas for the future, use cases, and what the UK HE community wants from the JLeRN Experiment over the next few months. We'll try to get a few folk tweeting from the event: follow and ask questions via hashtags #learningreg and #jlern And there will be a blog post or two reporting back.
Then we're participating in another session with JISC CETIS at their conference in February where we hope to do a bit more talking about ideas and a bit more hacking and some finalising of requirements on the JLeRN Experiment. This session will include a broader view on the entire Learning Registry project as well. I think there are still places on this so book up if you want to come!
Watch this space, and please comment here on the blog if you have any questions, inputs, or indeed corrections to any misunderstandings on my part in the text above!
* NB: The Learning Registry specifications and software are all still very much experimental and under development. The JLeRN Experiment is running concurrently with Learning Registry developments worldwide. So everything is subject to change, improvement, and undiscovered bugs and issues at the moment.


text: P. Allen Smith takes a look at the design principle of Framing the View with inviting window treatments and energy efficient windows. We'll also see how to frame pressed leaves to make botanical artworks and as always, a view of all the beauty of the garden. Plus, we'll get our first look at the new "Allen's Collections" segment, featuring a unique table setting with glass bottles, old prints, and of course, a few items from the garden.


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Tower Review: Git'ing Around the Easy Way
I converted all my own development projects to Git a few years ago and have become well versed in the variety of terminal commands that make Git perform its magic. However, as projects become more complex with multiple repositories, branches, and Git-supported hosting services like Github and Beanstalk, keeping track of and visualizing these details can be challenging at times. And of course, there's a wider base of people who interact with your projects and who have no interest in learning a command line tool, let alone the specific flags needed to participate in a Git version-controlled project.
Fortunately, fournova has created a solution for the OSX platform that is rapidly gaining mindshare among Mac users as the pre-eminent Git GUI front-end tool. And after using Tower, I agree that it makes working with Git repositories a breeze.
Once installed and launched for the first time, Tower confirms the location of your Git installation (Tower does not come with its own copy of Git bundled into the application, but rather relies on Git builds obtained via the MacPorts project or the Git for OSX package obtained from the Google Code website). If you have multiple versions of Git installed, Tower asks which one you want it to use for its front-end integration. Tower can also be called upon from the terminal to add or create new repositories and view a project's history. It can also work with a variety of editors, diff, and merge tools to allow developers to stay within a graphic interface throughout their coding efforts.
Most importantly, Tower makes creating and managing Git repositories simple. File changes are easily flagged, branches are created and merged with simple mouse clicks, and complex histories can be visualized in seconds. While Tower may not be needed by Git command-line masters, it will be indispensable for content creators, designers, and programmers who want a more approachable, visually interesting interface for their Git repository interactions. Tower not only makes it simple to leverage the power of Git, but it will no doubt further promote Git's adoption by those who wouldn't normally use it (or any modern distributed version control system) because Tower makes working with Git so approachable.
When launched, Tower displays a dashboard of any Git repositories you have allowed it to manage. Adding a new repository is done by simply clicking the large "Add Local Repository," "Clone Remote Repository," or "Create Local Repository" icons on the right side of the dashboard. Users can also create Github and Beanstalk repositories assuming they have accounts with those services. Once a repository has been added to the dashboard, double clicking on it opens up Tower's primary application window.
Tower's primary window presents a left pane that lists Git Branches, Tags, Remote repositories, and Stashes; while the center of the window displays typical Git workflow details to facilitate Git masters, branches, and related file modifications, checks, stages, and commits. Clicking on any of these nodes displays date and commit status, prior versions, check-in messages, and relationship to the master branch. For anyone familiar with using Git from a terminal window, learning to use Tower takes only a few minutes. Because of its intuitive layout, Tower achieves the goal of making Git manageable from a clean, attractive graphic user interface.
At $59.00 US, Tower is a bit on the expensive side for an OSX-exclusive application. But for those who want an easy, graphically appealing way to deal with complex Git operations, Tower is currently the leader on any platform. If you're a developer whose primary computer is a Mac and want to leverage Git in a beautifully crafted way, give the 30-day free trial of Tower a test drive. You may be as pleasantly surprised as I was at how it makes working with Git repositories so much easier.


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Hurricane Sandy turned 'Frankenstorm' may be headed for Connecticut next week (interactive map, video)
State and local officials are urging residents to prepare for what may be a monster storm, currently making its way toward Connecticut's coastline.
Hurricane Sandy has been called a "Frankenstorm" by the National Weather Service, due to an "unusual merger" of meteorological forces. As of Thursday evening the Category 2 hurricane was in the Bahamas, north of Cuba, but is expected to merge with a polar cold front to create a "hybrid vortex" and some uncertainty.
"Once the combined gyre materializes, it should settle back to the interior Northeast through Halloween, inviting perhaps a ghoulish nickname for the cyclone along the lines of 'Frankenstorm,' an allusion to Mary Shelley's Gothic creature of synthesized elements," the National Weather Service wrote in its forecast.
Read information on how to prepare for the storm here, and read more on Hurricane Sandy here.
Add to that a full moon high tide Monday evening, which will cause the water level to rise about a foot, even without high wind and rain.
Expected to make landfall near the Connecticut coastline at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service said residents can expect to "feel the impacts of a dangerous coastal storm late this weekend into early next week." High winds, "widespread" downing of trees, "significant" flooding and other damage can be anticipated.
Quincy Vagell, a meteorologist with Storm Team 8 at WTNH, said where the storm will strike land is a "coin flip." The latest models, he said, show landfall somewhere between New Jersey and Rhode Island.
If the eye bears down on New Jersey, Vagell said winds could whip waves in Long Island Sound as high as 30 feet.
WTNH's wxedge.com details three possible tracks the storm could take here, including one that brings it directly over Connecticut.
Click here to view the latest storm reports and forecasts from the National Hurricane Center. Advisories are issued for active storms every three hours at 2, 5, 8, and 11 a.m. and p.m.
Get the latest storm updates even if the power goes out by following us here on Facebook, here on Twitter, or via text alerts by texting the word MIDNEWS to 22700. * Msg & Data Rates May Apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel. Sign up for state emergency alerts here at CT Alerts.
Most hurricanes, Vagell said, like last year's Tropical Storm Irene, hug the coast and lose strength. Sandy is following an unusual route, remaining over water and gaining power as a result.
"I don't think a storm has come in from that direction since the '50s," he said. "Depending on where it makes landfall, it could be worse than Irene."
"We will prepare for the absolute worst and hope for the best," Rick Fontana, New Haven's deputy director of Emergency Management Operations, said during a phone interview Thursday night. "I can only look at what the scientists are saying, and I take it all pretty serious. There is some significance to this storm."
Fontana said the odd combination of tropical hurricane and polar cold front, not seen, he said, since 1991, is creating some level of uncertainty. He's looking forward to the possibility of rain, hail or even snow.
"I'm not a doom and gloom kind of guy," Fontana said. "But we have to take this serious."
Fontana echoed the sentiments of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who said in a statement Thursday that residents should begin preparing now.
"Just as the state is monitoring and preparing, the public should do the same," Malloy said. "Some models predict that Sandy may move onshore somewhere in New England early next week. Although we are not certain the storm will impact the state, we need to be prepared. That means everyone, especially the state's utility companies."
Fontana spent Thursday making sure communication lines were open in New Haven, and that equipment was prepped and ready. Officials in other towns were doing the same.
East Haven Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Douglas Jackson said the fire department has started getting all their equipment ready whether it's for rescues, clearing trees or pumping out water. Jackson said he's been in communication with the state and other officials to get as ready as they can.
Thursday, Jackson said he and others were down in the area of Cosey Beach Avenue, where homes are still missing or in the process of being rebuilt after Tropical Storm Irene ravaged the area over a year ago.
"It's still unsure what we're going to get, if we're going to get really nailed in a storm worse than Irene last year, it's not known for sure yet," he said.
In New Haven, Fontana said officials learned from last year's lessons, when Irene and a freak October snowstorm caused widespread power outages across the state. Since then, Malloy put together a two-storm panel, tasked with improving the state's emergency responses. It helped, according to Fontana.
"Based on the models and the tracking, it could replicate what Irene did," he said. "The planning process and response process is going to be better than last year.


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Dear LAPACK users,
LAPACK 3.4.2 was released on September 25, 2012.
3.4.2 release is a bug-fix release, so no major change, no change in interface.
The LAPACK team would like to thank all the users who contributed to this release.
(And bigger thank to those who not only provided bug report but also bug patches!)
For details, please see http://netlib.org/lapack/lapack-3.4.2.html
To download LAPACK 3.4.2: http://www.netlib.org/lapack/lapack.tgz
For support, you can use either the LAPACK/SCALAPACK forum at http://icl.cs.utk.edu/lapack-forum/ or the LAPACK mailing list email@example.com
The LAPACK team


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- 1235 hits
- School Culture
- 5 years ago
I think when we are honest & transparent we give others courage to do the same. We must also do this with kids.
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|2134 I look forward to the day when we can argue one minute and hug and high five the next. We must start having these conversations. Staff Editor
|2542 No matter what, we should send our students home each day with at least one thing to smile or laugh about. And we should make a big deal about that one thing. I think we owe them that much Senior Staff Editor
|4746 The sooner we start sharing our imperfections with the people we serve and the people we love, the sooner they will stop expecting to be perfect. Errol St.Clair Smith
|2876 We must slow down and remember that sometimes technology may be needed simply to support our kids' passions, not replace them. Jon Harper / @Jonharper70bd
|2269 The difference between a child having a good day and a child having a bad day often depends on a few extra seconds we are willing to give them. Jon Harper / @Jonharper70bd
BAM Radio hosts 4,369 episodes reaching 7.7 million social media users a month. We're your source for "PD to Go!"
BAM! Radio Network is now the largest all-education talk radio network in the world, offering programming from the nation's top education organizations and thought leaders and reaching a wide audience of people passionately committed to quality education.


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Upscale your drive with the new Ford Endura ST-Line
Upscale your drive with the new Ford Endura ST-Line
- Ford introduces premium, 5-seat SUV to New Zealand with twin-turbo performance diesel and Euro VI emissions standards
- Limited number of the new Ford Endura ST-Line to arrive in May 2018
AUCKLAND, New Zealand 14 November 2017 – Ford New Zealand today announced the new Ford Endura ST-Line, a smart, premium SUV, will go on sale across the country for the first time in May 2018.
Ford New Zealand will be launching the Ford Endura, known as the Ford Edge in other markets, in the premium sports-oriented ST-Line variant only. The Ford Endura ST-Line features an enhanced design with distinctive alloys, body-styling kit, unique badging, upgraded sports suspension and a twin-turbo performance diesel 2.0-litre engine with Euro VI compliant emissions standard.
"The Endura ST-Line will be a real stand out offering in what is a fiercely competitive market," said Simon Rutherford, Managing Director Ford New Zealand. "While SUVs continue to grow in popularity, the capability, design and technology that comes with the ST-Line gives the Endura an edge over its competitors and is a fantastic way for Ford to introduce the new nameplate to New Zealand."
Built in Canada, the Ford Endura ST-Line is a prime example of the One Ford global product portfolio and joins Ford New Zealand's expanding SUV range alongside the Ford Everest large 4WD SUV, the Escape medium-sized SUV and the EcoSport small SUV. The Endura ST-Line will also be the second ST-Line vehicle to arrive in New Zealand, joining the Mondeo ST-Line introduced in 2017.
In addition to an exhilarating drive experience thanks to its performance-oriented powertrain, the Endura ST-Line will feature a number of premium features including Active Noise Control, Active Park Assist and advanced safety features.
The Endura ST-Line includes as standard Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection; a camera- and radar-based system that can detect vehicles and people in the road ahead. The system can automatically apply the brakes if a potential collision is detected and the driver does not respond to warnings.
The Endura ST-Line will also feature Ford's Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (AWD) technology as standard, delivering a seamless transition between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive performance to provide a more secure footing on the road especially in slippery conditions.
Measuring how the car's wheels are gripping the road surface every 16 milliseconds – 20 times quicker than it takes to blink – the system can send up to 100 per cent of engine torque to the front or rear wheels. By only delivering torque where and when it is needed, Intelligent AWD has minimal impact on fuel-efficiency and CO2 emissions compared with permanent four-wheel drive systems.
Noise Control
The Ford Endura ST-Line has a number of noise control devices and designs working together to provide a real sense of tranquility when driving. Ford's Active Noise Control silences unwanted cabin noise. Microphones detect and measure specific sound waves. Whilst a control unit can separate sounds people want to hear, like conversation and the audio, from those they do not. The system then creates inaudible 'white noise' to cancel out any unwelcome noises. Acoustic windscreen glass and laminated glass for both front door windows further reduce wind noise while underbody panels and wheel-arch liners further minimise road noise.
State of the Art Diesel Powertrain
The Endura ST Line features an advanced 2.0 TDCi engine upgraded with a 154kW bi-turbo to maximise performance, torque and economy, whilst lowering emissions. The Bi-Turbo engine features two turbochargers and offers enhanced performance and efficiency.
The primary turbo works at lower speeds, giving an extra boost when needed - such as when turning from a junction into moving traffic. Meanwhile, the secondary turbo works at higher speeds, like when overtaking a slow-moving vehicle.
The two rear outer seats are fitted with rear inflatable seat belts. In the event of an impact, the belts inflate and spread the crash forces over a five times larger area of the body than conventional seat belts. By reducing pressure on the chest and better controlling head and neck movement, this innovative technology can help reduce the likelihood of injury.
Ford Endura ST-Line Full Specifications
- 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi, twin turbo diesel
- Euro Stage VI emissions
- Power: 154kW / Torque: 450Nm
- Fuel Consumption: 5.9L/100km*, CO2:152g/kg*
- Max towable mass: 2,000kg braked
- 6 speed automatic Transmission
- 20" Platinum Grey alloy wheels, 255/45 Tyres
- Front, rear and side sports body styling with dark exterior detailing
- Front upper grill with unique bars and surround
- Sports suspension
- Black roof rails
- Front fog lights
- LED rear lights
- Automatic headlights with auto low/high beam & rain sensing front windscreen wipers
- Body colour rear spoiler
- Rear view camera with front and rear parking sensors
- Privacy glass
- Quickclear heated windscreen
- Power fold mirrors
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Handsfree power tailgate
Safety and Driver Assist Technology
- Ford Intelligent Protection System (IPS)
- ABS with electronic brake-force distribution
- Curve Control
- Roll Stability Control
- Active City Stop
- Lane keeping aid
- BLIS with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA)
- Speed sign recognition
- Rear view camera
- Adaptive cruise control
- Active park assist (perpendicular and parallel) with pull out assist
- Airbags – front side impact, driver's knee bolster, front and rear curtain, inflatable rear seat belts
- Front passenger airbag deactivation switch
- SYNC 3 with 8" colour touchscreen and navigation system
- Integrated Active Noise Control
- Ford Key Free System with Ford Power Starter Button
- Front heated and cooled seats with rear heated seats
- Dual zone electronic automatic temperature control
- Ambient lighting
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Premium front and rear floor mats
- Premium instrument cluster
- 220 V power outlet in centre console
- Pedal set with aluminium covers
- Partial leather trim
- 10-way power front driver's seat with memory and 10-way power passenger's seat
# # #
*The declared Fuel/Energy Consumptions, CO2 emissions are measured according to the technical requirements and specifications of the European Regulations (EC) 715/2007 and (EC) 692/2008 as last amended. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are specified for a vehicle variant and not for a single car. The applied standard test procedure enables comparison between different vehicle types and different manufacturers. In addition to the fuel efficiency of a car, driving behaviour as well as other non-technical factors play a role in determining a car's fuel/energy consumption, CO2 emissions and electric range. CO2 is the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 202,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.ford.co.nz.


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A Florida man was busted for driving drunk -- in his own front yard.
Dennis Jones' neighbors called the cops after the Paisley man had allegedly crashed into trees outside his home while trying to back out of his driveway Tuesday morning, News4Jax.com reported.
He went on to get stuck in dirt close to his neighbor's fence, according to a police report.
U.S. & World
When police arrived on the scene they said the 57-year-old reeked of alcohol, was slurring his words and missing a lens on his glasses, News4Jax reported.
According to a police report, Jones copped to having downed "less than one pint of vodka" that morning.
He was taken into custody after a breathalyzer test showed alcohol in his system at more than three times the legal limit, police said.


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Youth Baseball Pitching Guide
Whether you're teaching an off-speed pitch or trying to keep your young hurlers healthy, here are a few tips to producing effective youth baseball pitchers.
Fastball Fact and Fiction
Every pitcher wants to throw harder. Every professional scout and/or college recruiter will tell you that 90mph is a magic number. These findings may just challenge the way you think of fastball velocity.
Coach's Guide to Tracking Pitch Counts
Mandatory pitch counts have changed Little League baseball forever. Here's an insider's look on how they work and what you can do to stay in compliance.
Pitcher's Guide to Leg Mechanics
Everyone knows how important the post leg is to a pitcher's strength and accuracy. Here's a drill to ensure your young hurlers land in the best possible leg position after a pitch.
Beginner's Guide to the Slider
Randy Johnson may have had a blazing fastball but it's the slider he used to create real deception. Boost your pitching repertoire by learning this effective pitch.
Learning the Deadliest Pitch in Baseball
Fastballs get all the attention, but the chanegup might be the most effective pitch a hurler can throw. Here's how young pitchers can learn this devestating pitch.
Should Little Leaguers Throw Curveballs?
Active Expert Matt Daily tackles the whole youth baseball curve debate--and what pitch he would advise young hurlers to throw.


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Calvin Klein Watches bears the name of its founder Calvin Klein, who started his company in 1968 in New York City. A native New Yorker, he began designing clothes and accessories, including watches, at a very young age, learning his trade on the famed Seventh Avenue, the hotbed of American fashion.
Calvin Klein honed his definitive minimalist style while creating a fashion house that produced a vast array of clothes and accessories that includes, menswear, ladies wear, belts, shoes, sunglasses, and of course Calvin Klein Watches. All of his designs bear his distinct modern and clean aesthetic that has turned this quintessential American brand into a world renowned fashion behemoth.
With many locations in Europe and Asia as well as the flagship store on New York's Madison Avenue, Calvin Klein has created a label that is simplistic in its appeal with a truly modern and contemporary look that has managed to capture an international audience while being true to its American roots. Calvin Klein watches embody this image with their clean lines, muted palette and of course - great style!
Here at Ashford.com we strive to make your shopping experience for that unique Calvin Klein watch as pleasurable as possible. We stock a varied selection of Calvin Klein Watches for men and women at greatly discounted prices, and we offer free shipping with no minimum order. That is a winning combination and translates to great savings for our customers.
For your convenience we also offer a thirty day money back guarantee on all our Calvin Klein watches along with a two year worry free warranty. All our customer service specialists are well versed in all watches including Calvin Klein watches and will patiently guide you through the process and walk you through every step of the way.
All of our CK watches for men and women are guaranteed to be one hundred percent authentic, come in the original Calvin Klein watch packaging, and include all of the accompanying paperwork you would expect with a purchase from a traditional watch retailer. We are constantly replenishing our extensive stock of brand new Calvin Klein watches so keep revisiting our website to see our latest offers.
Ashford.com's commitment to the ultimate in customer satisfaction has garnered us a worldwide reputation of integrity and superiority in the world of luxury watches. Calvin Klein Watches is just one of the many discounted brands we carry.
Enjoy shopping at Ashford.com for an unbeatable experience!
Synonymous with American cool, Calvin Klein is a leader in the world of fashion. Combining style with modern simplicity. Calvin Klein watches also feature a Swiss movement.
Updates on Special Offers & Sales Events


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Bra to help screen for breast cancer awaits FDA approval
Doctors say mammograms are best way to go
A new tool in the fight against breast cancer is an undergarment women wear every day, but as WISN 12 News' Marianne Lyles discovered, doctors aren't yet sold on the equipment.
Matt Bernardis with First Warning Systems said a bar that could help screen for breast cancer is being developed.
"It's composed of 16 sensors, eight on each breast that acquire data and searches for signs of angiogenesis in the breast over a 12-hour period," Bernardis said.
The bra uses heat to detect tumors, and the developer said it's specially designed for women in their 40s who don't get regular mammograms yet.
The maker said it's doing well in clinical trials.
"We had an accuracy rate of 90-plus percent with a false positive between 5 and 9 percent," Bernardis said.
Lyles went to Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin to find out about best options for detecting tumors.
She talked to Dr. Carla Shah, a radiologist specializing in breast cancer.
"At this point, mammogram is really the best tool we have available for screening breast cancer," Shah said.
Shah admits mammograms don't always detect tumors in women with dense breasts. That's another group the bra maker said its screening is perfect for.
"Having dense breasts means you have more breast tissue, and that's shown to be an independent risk factor for developing breast cancer," Shah said. "Because there's so much dense breast tissue, it can be difficult to see through the tissue on the mammogram."
Despite the reduced clarity, Shah said mammograms are still the way to go.
Doctors are better able to look at the mammograms now that they are digital.
"The digital images give us more detail, and we're able to manipulate the image, so it helps us see through the denser breast tissue," Shah said.
If you're wondering what's best, the American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms for women when they reach 40.
The bra is waiting for FDA approval.
Doctors said some women who may be at higher risk for breast cancer because of family history or genetic tendency could seek other screenings like an MRI, but that's in addition to a mammogram.


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~ Premiere Retail Services has announced the creation of a new company, PREMIERE RACK SOLUTIONS, located in Ontario, CA.
"The alternate source in Magazine Rebate Invoicing & Collection services"
PREMIERE RETAIL SERVICES, INC. is an international, independent, third-party advisor in the periodical field – offering retailers selling magazines and books expertise in Retail Display Allowance invoicing and collection services as well as "turn-key" front-end management of their checkout displays and innovative in-line out posting and cross-merchandising opportunities within the store.
Making the pieces …FIT!


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Jessica Simpson has broken her silence since losing her 5-year-old Maltipoo Daisy to a coyote attack last September, telling Usmagazine.com that she's finally ready to consider adopting another pooch.
In fact, the pop princess said Daisy "would want" her to meet a new furry friend.
"Daisy meant the world to me," she said. "I hold her memory very, very close. It was an unfortunate thing what happened. That I don't have her every day."
U.S. & World
The dog, a gift from Simpson's ex-hubby Nick Lachey, has not been seen ever since a coyote dragged her from the "Dukes of Hazard" star's Los Angeles backyard.
"My heart is broken because a coyote took my precious Daisy right in front of our eyes," Simpson announced on her Twitter feed after the attack. "HORROR! We are searching. Hoping. Please help!"
Despite having hired a professional pet finder and plastering the area with posters, the search was called off after about a week.
This past weekend, Simpson took to Twitter again to complain of multiple false reports to her family that Daisy had been found.
"Untrue. People are so cruel... please respect her memory," she Tweeted.
In the Us interview, Simpson said it has been hard for her to talk about her loss and that she "hadn't really thought yet" about getting another doggie.
"But maybe sometime," she said. "(Daisy) would want that."


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Torrance, CA: American Honda Motor Co., Inc. has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that a potential defect relating to motor vehicle safety exists in the secondary master cylinder on certain 2001-2010 and 2012 model year GL1800 motorcycles.
The compensating port hole inside the secondary master cylinder (part of the combined-braking system) can become blocked due to (1) stacking of tolerances in manufacturing and (2) sufficient swelling of the primary pressure cup inside the master cylinder. If the compensating port hole becomes completely blocked, the rear wheel brake caliper can drag after the rider releases the brake input. If this occurs, the rear brake temperature and pressure progressively increase. Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash and continued riding with the brake engaged can generate enough heat to cause the rear brake to catch fire.
Inspection and Repair:
Honda motorcycle dealers will inspect the secondary master cylinder of all affected motorcycles in dealership stock or sold to customers (consumers and commercial entities). If an inspection indicates that the compensator port hole can become blocked due to this problem, the dealer will replace the secondary master cylinder. Registered owners of affected motorcycles will be contacted by mail and asked to take their motorcycle to a Honda dealer. The dealer will inspect the motorcycle, and if necessary, replace the secondary master cylinder, free of charge.
Additional Details:
Honda motorcycle dealers will immediately receive a transmittal of complete repair instructions. Replacement secondary master cylinders in the U.S. will initially be made available through American Honda's dealer technical support hotline. Upon approval by NHTSA, American Honda will mail a letter to all registered owners, and also post a copy of the letter on the Honda Brand website: _powersports.honda.com_. Target dates for website posting are before the end of December 2011, and mail receipt by registered customers should occur before the end of January 2012.
Honda apologizes for any inconvenience this creates, but feels the safety of our customers is the highest priority. Honda encourages every customer to contact their dealer to schedule an appointment upon receiving the SAFETY RECALL letter.


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Citrix XenServer Latest
Citrix XenServer is the only free, enterprise class, cloud-proven virtualization platform with all the capabilities needed to create and manage a virtual infrastructure.
Citrix XenServer is the only free, enterprise class, cloud-proven virtualization platform with all the capabilities needed to create and manage a virtual infrastructure.Ten minutes to Xen
To get started, download and activate the free version of XenServer - youll be up and running in less than ten minutes and virtualizing even your most demanding workloads. The free version includes critical features such as:
- XenMotion move running virtual machines from one host to another with zero downtime
- XenCenter virtual machine monitoring and management through a single,intuitive interface
- XenConvert - physical to virtual and virtual to virtual conversion
- Shared storage support reduce cost and complexity by using existing storage systems
XenServer enables any organization, no matter the size or budget, to immediately benefit from the power of server virtualization for consolidation, business continuity, and agility.Advanced virtualization management
When youre ready for more advanced capabilities, simply upgrade to one of the premium editions of XenServer that meets your unique requirements. Key features include:
- High availability to automatically restart virtual machines if a failure occurs.
- Dynamic provisioning services to centralize master VM images and allow them to stream on-demand.
- Site Recovery for site-to-site disaster recovery services for virtual environments.
- StorageLink for simplified access to advanced storage features directly from the virtualization management environment.
- Lab and stage management streamlines the process of building, testing, sharing and delivering applications on-demand.
- Automated workload balancing improves system utilization and increases application performance by automatically rebalancing VMs within a resource pool.
- Host power management lowers datacenter electricity consuption by powering off underutilized servers.
- Simplify IT with virtualized infrastructure that integrates seamlessly with existing storage environments.
- Optimize delivery of server workloads to both physical and virtual machines to reduce storage costs and increase IT readiness and security.
- Accelerate business with virtual workload lifecycle management tools that increase the quality and speed of delivery of new and updated application workloads into production environments.
- Automate IT processes with Site Recovery, which allows site-to-site disaster recovery using a simple wizard driven workflow.
Download Xenserver now and begin realizing the benefits of server virtualization at a fraction of the cost of alternative solutions.


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