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If you listen to extremist yahoos like Alan Greenspan, we appear to be in the midst of a financial collapse. As it runs its course, the strange idea that endless economic growth on a finite planet is possible, or even desirable, will mercifully fall by the wayside, to be replaced by the much nastier mindset that economics is a zero-sum game: if you are to win, somebody else has to lose. No amount of greenwash or pining after sustainability is likely to stem the tide of nasty people who are determined to make it at your expense.
And so collapse, for you, is likely to turn out to be a deeply personal experience. Furthermore, if you manage to survive it, chances are, you will be none to eager to divulge the details of how you made it, for they will not be edifying. The process of survival is only enjoyable if it is experienced vicariously -- at someone else's expense.
I recently picked up a book about castaways, and was amazed to discover that the introduction to the book spells out this very idea succinctly and in good prose, perhaps better than I could, so I will reproduce a piece of it here:
After a century of enjoying the roller coaster ride of the Industrial Revolution, we face the bleak prospect of it all ending so suddenly that there's no time to don a life jacket, grab a parachute, or find a pack of matches. The fact that most humans are hopelessly unprepared for the ultimate crisis was driven home for me several years ago when a survey of boating accidents on Chesapeake Bay produced a curious detail: most of the male corpses fished out of the bay over the years had their flies open. The inescapable conclusion reached by the authorities was that all these people met their end while blithely peeing over the side. Their last thought, I'm sure, was astonishment. The next most common emotion (for those who do not die immediately) is a deep, sometimes suicidal melancholy, eventually pushed aside by hunger, panic, and -- in many cases -- temporary insanity...
One fascinating aspect... is the dawning awareness that when survivors get back to civilization, they carefully hide much more than they reveal. For the brutal truth, we have to look for clues between the lines. Some of these stories right more true than others, and it is entertaining to see the lengths to which the scoundrels go to paint themselves in noble hues. One comes away with the nagging suspicion that nice people usually do not survive being stranded, and when they do, it is often through freak accident or divine intervention. The real survivors in this world are few and far between. And if they are the fittest to survive, God help us, indeed...
How many of us, unexpectedly tumbled onto an alien shore, would silently give up the ghost rather than face the reality of drinking iguana urine, chewing up grubs, or gagging down raw turtle liver? Lord Byron's grandfather, shipwrecked in the Straits of Magellan, saw his dog killed and eaten by his shipmates... then became so starved himself that he dug up and devoured the dog's paws. We are all far too removed -- even from the rural farms oof our immediate ancestors and the prosaic hardships they faced -- to know what is really put in sausage meat or scrapple, or how to wring a bird's neck. Our soldiers have to be given months of training in jungle survival to prepare them for only a few days of commando operations in rain forests where barefoot people happily raise babies. It is all in your point of view.
Certainly it helps to be marooned with somebody else, for you can commiserate, quarrel, an feud like newlyweds, and when things really get difficult, you can always eat him, or vice versa... When the going gets tough, the tough get eaten. Cannibalism like so many other customs, is merely a state of mind. Over the centuries famine repeatedly drove Europeans and Asians alike to eat everything, including each other. The culinary genius of the French and the Chinese, working with nothing more than a few spices and a bit of garic, turned famine food into such delicacies as snails, sea slugs, and stewed bats, garnished with larvae, pupae, and spawn -- all, like escargot, under more elegant names. And while doughboys in the trenches of World War I were driven insane by body lice and other vermin, political prisoners, POWs, and castaways savor them in their gruel as if they were herbs from Provence. One culture's famine food is another's caviar.
In the case of survival cannibalism, society seasons its judgments with something akin to garlic by conveniently applying certain criteria: Was the main course already dead of natural causes? If not, was a lottery properly conducted before the murder, and are the culprits suitably pious, making analogies to Holy Communion? In this way, the survivors of a plane crash in the Andes could make a group decision to eat some of their number, and walk away heroes. It is only a short distance from the Andes to Soylent Green.
But what is customary is comforting. Cannibalism is a social affair. Solitary survival is not. Solo survivors are a breed apart. Confronted by extreme solitude, by starvation, an by no prospect of rescue, they do not sit around long pining in self-pity but set about urgent practical matters. In some cases this reveals strength of character, tenacity, and the will to live. In others it reveals only animal cunning and stubbornness. Sensitivity and imagination are terrible disadvantages in the crunch. Unusual among these tales because of its painful and pathetic revelations is the diary of a nameless castaway on Ascension Island. Unlike other classical accounts, in which the survivor returns to civilization to enlarge endlessly on his own ingenuity, this victim was much too sensitive for his own good. He kept a diary frankly revealing his misery, his mistakes, his melancholy, his weakness of character, and his hallucinations. The diary is singularly lacking in excuses. Perhaps because he was overly absorbed in his own failings and inadequacies, his struggle failed, and he diary was found beside his bones.
Excerpted from Sterling Seagrave's Foreword to Desperate Journeys, Abandoned Souls: True Stories of Castaways and Other Survivors by Edward E. Leslie


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In some cases, interpreting the different author's contributions to a paper can be more subtle. Supervisors for example are frequently named as co-authors not because they contributed to the paper but because they are the ones with the grant who made the experiment/research project possible to begin with. The problem here is of a practical sort. With bringing in the money to make a project possible they do arguably make an essential contribution. In return, the funding bodies want to see their money put to good use and having the grantees' name on a paper increases chances for future funding. Especially for researchers too young to apply for grants themselves (application typically requires a PhD), adding the supervisor is thus an act of self-interest. The problem starts at exactly the point when the paper is submitted to a journal and it is declared that all the authors made significant contributions to its content.
How to read an author list is tacit knowledge that differs from field to field. In some fields, the first author is the one who actually did the work, the last author is the one with the grant, and the ones in the middle might be ordered by some obscure ranking. In other fields, author ordering is strictly alphabetically and being a first-author simply an ode to your family name (Abado, A. A. et al).
I was thinking about the meaning of author lists yesterday when I read this ridiculous article in the Times Higher Education: Phone book et al: one paper, 45 references, 144 authors. It can be summarized as: Professor for Ethics comes across a summary-paper from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and counts 144 authors. Since he hasn't seen such long author lists in his field, he concludes there must be something wrong with physics. Clearly, people like to have their names on such long author lists because "Careers depend on number of publications."
Now I have written many times on this blog, most recently here, that the use of metrics for scientific success can indeed hinder progress and should be done with caution. But the ethic professor's implicit assertion that hiring committees are not able to distinguish between a single-authored paper and a collaboration's summary paper simply shows he has no clue what he's talking about. Even when it comes to the above mentioned papers with few authors, the question who made what contribution is typically (extensively!) addressed in letters of recommendation accompanying a publication list. The reality is that in experimental physics such long, or even longer, author lists are not uncommon. It's simply a consequence of these experiments being enormously complex in the technology and software used. If anything, the THE article shows that comparing ethics to physics is like comparing fruitflies to the homo sapiens. I'll leave it to you to decide which stands for what.
In any case, the obvious solution is that there would be a way to better declare what the author's contributions to a paper were. This has been discussed many times previously, and I am hopeful that sooner or later this will become reality.
On that note, YoungFemaleScientist had a post this week on the Ethics of Publishing, and hits upon more relevant problems caused by the pressure to perform according to a certain success standard. That's the praxis of splitting up papers into "least publishable units" or dumping all sorts of stuff together in the hope that it will overwhelm the referees and something of it will make a splash. The latter is not very common in hep-th though. I guess that's because there are too many people working on too closely related topics, so everybody tries to get even smallest results out as soon as possible because otherwise they risk being scooped.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Prayers You Offer for Others are Your Ticket to Higher Consciousness We are drawing on the compassionate and timeless wisdom of The Gabriel Messages to provide insight and inspiration that we can apply every day of our lives. For this week's issue, the message from Archangel Gabriel is reminding us about the Power of Prayer. The Gabriel Message Card for this Week The prayers you offer for others are a ticket to Higher Consciousness, because the gifts and blessings sent out in Light and Love have a tenfold return. Sometimes it is difficult to know what to do when faced with situations that seem beyond our comprehension, but that is a time when we can fall back to the power of prayer. Offering a prayer is proactive way to give something positive to any difficult situation. There have been many studies on the efficacy of prayer. All of them have found that healing follows the energy in our prayers. We may never see the results of the blessings we are offering to others, but we can trust that it had a beneficial effect, because that is the promise from science as well as from a spiritual viewpoint. When we pray for others, it settles our minds and hearts in a way that nothing else can. There is an All-knowing Intelligence within the Light of the Divine working in the field of energy that we create with our prayers. This energy fills and surrounds us with a healing Love that will never abandon us and can be sent where it needs to go for the Highest Good of all concerned. We are always connected with this Divine Presence, through our focus, our thoughts and most especially through our prayers. Divine Presence, Thank you for helping me to remember that there is a Creative Solution in this situation and I can invite that energy to be present at any time. I ask that Divine Light totally fill and surround each person involved so that this situation may be lifted up into the power of Divine Love for healing. With every breath I take, I AM receiving precious Love into my being so I can radiate more Love into the world. May all beings receive Divine Love into their hearts and be blessed. May I remember that there is a benevolent outcome in every situation when Divine Love is present. I gratefully receive my tenfold return from all the prayers that I offer to the world. It is in Divine Order for us to receive what we give. Thank you for helping me to be a clear channel for God's loving energy and the blessings flowing through me to the Earth and all humanity. Thank you God. And so it is. Shanta Gabriel ShantaGabriel.com May 13, 2018 The Gabriel Messages #11 The prayers you offer for others are a ticket to Higher Consciousness, because the gifts and blessings sent out in Light and Love have a tenfold return. Dear One, Sometimes it feels as though prayer is the only thing you can do for another person, even though you wish you could do more. Prayer is, however, the greatest gift you can give. When you pray for another, you are sending a blessing of Divine Love and increased light-filled energy. This can bring them an expanded perspective on their life, an awareness of a Greater Power working within them as Love. They may not know why they feel better, they just know they do. God's love is the power that can heal all things. All you have to do in prayer is ask that another be filled with Divine Love and a perfect outflow of energy from a Higher Source will occur. Prayer is often the last thing one thinks about when situations become disturbing. In truth, prayer is most helpful as the first and not the last resort. You may not know what is best for another, but their Higher Power does. Each person has a guardian Angel ready to respond to the prayers offered for another. It is very simple just to pray that the Angels bless someone and lead them to their highest good. Praying for such divine outworking has tremendous potential and power. It opens the door to the place where miracles occur. When you pray for a miracle in any situation, you are letting the Universe know that you are willing to receive it. A conscious opening occurs. Ways are revealed which have not been previously thought of. It is the natural order to have miraculous occurrences in life. Your awareness of this truth increases your faith and belief in Divine Solutions. This belief is what opens the door. Your faith is the healing elixir in all situations and prayer sets it all in motion. All that is released to Divine Spirit, with the intention of perfect outworking for the highest good of all concerned, is blessed. This blessing increases the return of energy to the person offering the prayer. There is no real way to measure the energy of God's return blessings, but ten times seems to be something the mind can accept. However, prayers offered only with the thought of tenfold return do not carry the powerful intention of a miraculous outworking. A pure surrender to the Divine Will is necessary, with the intent to allow a greater power to work through each person and each situation. This is the way to create miracles. Prayer is a simple thought, a blessing given freely. It needs no special place, time or words. Your heart carries this spiritual energy, and has the intention for good. This is all you need to bring blessings to the life of another and into your world. As a bonus you are blessed also. This is a universal gift to you for desiring good in your world and in the lives of others. It is the Grace of God. Receive it freely, with gratitude. Remember your message from Archangel Gabriel today: The prayers you offer for others are a ticket to Higher Consciousness, because the gifts and blessings sent out in Light and Love have a tenfold return. Shanta Gabriel for Archangel Gabriel May 13, 2018 ShantaGabriel.com Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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Crockett Johnson was not a teller of jokes. His sense of humor was wry, subtle, sardonic. He'd quietly offer a well-turned phrase or make an off-hand observation that perfectly addressed the moment. However, in contrast to his gentle delivery, he "had this sort of earthy laugh,"1 a "marvelous laugh."2 Courtesy of Nina Stagakis, here is a previously unpublished photograph of Crockett Johnson laughing, circa 1967 – which would make Johnson 60 or 61.
Having had successful careers as both cartoonist and children's author, Johnson at the time of this photo had recently embarked upon a new career: abstract artist and mathematician. He would ultimately paint over 100 mathematically-inspired paintings, and publish two original theorems.
But he's better remembered for the wit of his words, and the succinct elegance of his artwork's clean, clear line. One reason his humor succeeded derived from a refusal to condescend to his audience. As he put it, "Humor for children must be written for adults. I cannot think of a good, humorous children's book that has not been. An inconsistency or a line or situation that makes a grownup wince is almost certain to insult, or worse, bore a child."3
The preceding is part of a series of musings on, material omitted from, and occasional excerpts from my forthcoming The Purple Crayon and a Hole to Dig: The Lives of Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss (UP Mississippi, 2012). At present, none of the above is in the book. When my editor returns the manuscript, perhaps I'll find a way to work it in. However, given that he'll be writing with suggestions on how to cut 27,000 words, it's more likely that you'll only read the above here.
from Crockett Johnson, Harold's Circus (1959).
1. Dan Richter, telephone interview with Philip Nel, 28 June 2005.
2. Nina Stagakis, telephone interview with Philip Nel, 30 June 2001.
3. Crockett Johnson, in Weston Woods catalogue (Weston, CT: Weston Woods Studios, Inc., 1969), p. 12.


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Posted December 16, 2010, 12:04 PM.Rainfall in Thursday's early morning hours exceeded predictions, with some inland valley communities approaching a third of an inch by noontime, kicking off a week of on and off wet weather. Mostly light rain began falling shortly after midnight, and continued through the 10am hour locally. The rain was heaviest in the San Jacinto Valley, where WeatherCurrents stations in San Jacinto and Hemet recorded 0.30" and 0.29", respectively. Other communities with significant totals were Perris with 0.26", De Luz (0.24"), Menifee (0.23"), Riverside (0.22") Fallbrook and Moreno Valley (0.21"), and Temecula (0.20"). Wildomar and Murrieta recorded the least amounts, at 0.14". Lake Elsinore and French Valley each recorded 0.18". Predictions before the storm were for up to a tenth of an inch of rain. Light rain was still possible into the afternoon, before taking a break this evening. Rain chances were expected to being increasing again tomorrow morning as a second storm arrives. |
Other Recent Weather News for French Valley, California


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Ever wondered how online reviews can help you become the star of Google SERPs for both organic and paid search marketing? You're not alone.
That's why we asked digital marketing experts from Home Logic, Evosite, and of course our internal experts at Trustpilot, to share their thoughts on the crucial role of online reviews in search marketing.
Let's dive in.
Google has such a massive impact on the digital marketing industry, yet many companies, particularly eCommerce companies, aren't optimising their search strategies and incorporating Google in their business strategy.
Our established panel of experts have provided a wide range of advice that any company can incorporate to start seeing better results in their search visibility, traffic conversions, and paid search campaigns.
Reviews will improve your search marketing performance
Ash Rama, Global Head of Training at Trustpilot
Collecting reviews is an easy way to create fresh content every day, improve your on and off-page SEO, and build a reputation using your customers' authentic voice.
Choosing to collect Product reviews on a trusted third-party platform like Trustpilot can also lead to Product Reviews Review Snippets in organic search.
If your brand has an active presence and profile page on Trustpilot (which is in the top 1% of the most visited sites in the world, giving it an impressive domain authority), it's highly likely that your profile will be displayed at the top of search results, complete with shiny gold Review Snippets.
Reviews can also optimise your PPC campaigns by powering Google Seller Ratings (GSRs).
Google Seller Ratings appear in paid ads, and are a powerful tool to boost your campaigns across Google and Bing. GSRs help boost your conversion rate and lower your bounce rate.
Bonus: Your reviews can also appear in Google Shopping, which helps shorten the decision-making time for a consumer looking to make a purchase.
Turning traffic into revenue with reviews
Charlie Clark, Digital Marketing Manager at Home Logic and owner of Minty Digital
Home Logic is a home solutions company whose mission is to bring innovative, eco-friendly and cost effective energy saving solutions to the homes of the UK.
Charlie was working hard to improve traffic, sales, and brand reputation for the organisation when he decided to invest in Trustpilot.
With over billions of websites on the internet, it's crucial to implement the correct digital strategy to boost your online visibility. But ensuring you're visible from a search perspective is only the first step towards a viable search strategy.
92% of consumers now read online reviews, and more than 80% of people trust reviews as much as personal recommendation. With competition getting tougher than ever, it's essential to give a professional, trustworthy and reliable image to potential buyers.
Social proof led Home Logic to better marketing. Customer feedback helped the business increase click-through rate by 20%, and their latest PPC competitor campaign saw a 90% conversion rate increase thanks to Google Seller Ratings!
Example of Home Logic Google Seller Ratings
GSRs significantly lowered Home Logic's cost per conversion, and online reviews helped the company's website reach Google's first page.
Their overall organic traffic also saw a 412% uplift YoY, helping Home Logic reach over £250,000 of revenue in Q1, compared to £300,000 in the whole of 2016.
Being successful in the world of digital
Aran Reeks, Head of Client Strategy & Tom Sangers, Head of Search at Evosite
Evosite is a digital agency specialised in eCommerce, conversion rate optimisation, business systems integration, web design, and development. Aran Reeks and Tom Sangers traveled to London from Taunton to share unique insights to help you succeed in the world of digital.
This year, the UK will become the first country in the world where half of all advertising spend goes on digital media. It's clear that the digital realm takes first priority for companies and spend is likely to increase as the years pass by.
Search is now worth £3.77 billion, and in this new digital era, it's getting harder and harder for companies to set their objectives and optimise their websites to achieve them.
To drive more conversions with optimised paid search campaigns, you'll need to understand your customers and their needs in order to create relevant campaigns. This starts with analysing your data, understanding your audience's behaviour, and finding new insights.
This data will help you personalise your ads (by location, demographics, age, gender, income or interests) to stand out from competitors.
The Evosite digital experts also recommend sticking to PPC's best practices like mobile bid adjustment, ad extensions, test ads running, location targeting, negative keywords, and review extensions.
But optimising paid search isn't enough to grow revenue. To transform new traffic into sales, you also need to make sure your user experience is close to perfection.
It's getting tougher to keep the user's attention, which is why your website should be entirely optimised. Keep visitors focused long enough to convert them.
Reduce uncertainty, uncover areas of weakness on your website, and improve customer experience to stay ahead of competition and grow revenue.
By keeping your customers happy and satisfied, you're more likely to see them return, spend more and recommend your business to others.
So where does optimisation start?
Evosite advise reviewing all of your account's history, including all keywords, adverts, impressions, and clicks to identify where you can make improvements to your ROI.
And as digital continues to take over, consumers are proactively looking for reviews. Third-party validation has become essential, which is why collecting reviews is a good way to appease consumers who have taken up a new way of making a purchase decision, while also improving your search and paid search performance.
If this sounds of interest, you can learn more about reviews and SEO by checking out our complete guide to reviews below:


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Excedrin is used to treat mild to moderate pain, and also to reduce fever or inflammation. It is sometimes used to treat or prevent heart attacks, strokes, and angina. Excedrin should be used for cardiovascular conditions only under the supervision of a doctor.
Use aspirin exactly as directed on the label, or as it has been prescribed by your doctor. Do not use the medication in larger or smaller amounts, or use it for longer than recommended.
Take this medication with a full glass of water. Taking aspirin with food or milk can lessen stomach upset. Enteric-coated aspirin is specially formulated to be gentle on your stomach, but you may take it with food or milk if desired. Do not crush, chew, break, or open an enteric-coated or extended-release pill. Swallow the pill whole. The enteric-coated pill has a special coating to protect your stomach. Breaking the pill could damage this coating. The extended-release tablet is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking this pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.
The chewable tablet form of aspirin must be chewed before swallowing.
Keep the orally disintegrating tablet in its package until you are ready to take the medicine. Open the package and peel the back cover from the tablet. Using dry hands, place the tablet into your mouth. It will begin to dissolve right away, without water. Do not swallow the tablet whole. Allow it to dissolve in your mouth without chewing.
If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are taking aspirin. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.
Do not take this medication if you smell a strong vinegar odor in the aspirin bottle. The medicine may no longer be effective. Store aspirin at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Since this medication is often used as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are using the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and wait until your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Drink a full glass of water with each dose.
Adults and children 12 years and over: take 1 or 2 tablets every 4 hours or 3 tablets every 6 hours, not to exceed 12 tablets in 24 hours.
Children under 12 years: consult a doctor.
Store Excedrin at room temperature, between 68 and 77 degrees F (20 and 25 degrees C). Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep in a tight, light-resistant container. Keep Excedrin out of the reach of children and away from pets.
Excedrin should not be given to a child or teenager who has a fever, especially if the child also has flu symptoms or chicken pox. Excedrin can cause a serious and sometimes fatal condition called Reye's syndrome in children.
Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have any symptoms of bleeding in your stomach or intestines. Symptoms include black, bloody, or tarry stools, and coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds.
Avoid drinking alcohol while you are taking this medication. Alcohol may increase your risk of stomach bleeding.
Excedrin is sometimes used to treat or prevent heart attacks, strokes, and chest pain (angina). Excedrin should be used for cardiovascular conditions only under the supervision of a doctor.
Do not use
- a recent history of stomach or intestinal bleeding;
- a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia; or
- an allergy to an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Orudis, Indocin, Lodine, Voltaren, Toradol, Mobic, Relafen, Feldene, and others.
- if you are a child or teenager with influenza (flu) or chickenpox;
- have bleeding problems such as hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, or low blood platelets;
- you have active severe bleeding;
- you have had a severe allergic reaction (eg, severe rash, hives, breathing difficulties, dizziness), to aspirin, salicylates (e.g., salsalate), tartrazine, or an NSAID (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib).
If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take aspirin:
- asthma or seasonal allergies;
- stomach ulcers;
- liver disease;
- kidney disease;
- a bleeding or blood clotting disorder;
- heart disease, high blood pressure, or congestive heart failure;
- gout; or
- nasal polyps
If you are taking aspirin to prevent heart attack or stroke, avoid also taking ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Ibuprofen may make this medication less effective in protecting your heart and blood vessels. If you must use both medications, take the ibuprofen at least 8 hours before or 30 minutes after you take the aspirin (non-enteric coated form). This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby's heart, and may also reduce birth weight or have other dangerous effects. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while you are taking this medication. Excedrin can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Do not use any other over-the-counter medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Excedrin is contained in many medicines available over the counter. If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much aspirin. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains aspirin.
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop using aspirin and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
- black, bloody, or tarry stools;
- coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;
- severe nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain;
- fever lasting longer than 3 days;
- swelling, or pain lasting longer than 10 days; or
- hearing problems, ringing in your ears.
Less serious side effects may include:
- upset stomach, heartburn;
- drowsiness; or
- headache
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.


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This is one of the very few times past early childhood (when we were still closer to the homeschooling end of things) I can remember my parents exerting any type of pressure on me to learn a specific thing. Yet it occurred to me that that history book thing would horrify some. "That isn't unschooling," I can hear people thinking. "Was she even unschooled at all??"
I say this because I've seen this attitude directed at plenty of other people. "You did what?? Your unschooling card should be revoked!" My mother was once even told that, since she used the term child-led learning when my sister and I were young, that we weren't real unschoolers, and furthermore, that since my sister and I were both well into our teens by then, that it was "too late" to start unschooling.
Any worry I had about whether people think I'm a good unschooler or not faded years ago, and beyond that, with the reputation as an unschooling writer I've built, I doubt anyone would level those types of accusations at me now anyway.
But it's troubling to me that those types of attitudes exist, because it seems to be an attitude more concerned with some type of philosophical purity (and the prestige of being able to claim such purity) than with the actual success and happiness of families and children.
It's not that I'm against clarifying what unschooling is, and that it doesn't involve forced curriculum or forced teaching. Just that within the amorphous philosophy that's most frequently called unschooling (but that also goes by life learning, natural learning, autonomous education, and a whole range of other terms), if people are making a continuous effort in their lives to live in a way that allows their children a whole lot more freedom, and doing their best to act as supportive mentors in their children's learning journey, there's no need to pounce on any perceived mistake or "wrong" decision they make and declare them bad unschoolers. People are mostly just trying to cope with the situations they find themselves in, striving to do better each time. And whether a decision was made deliberately that some purists would disapprove of, or someone just reacted badly and decides themselves it was a poor decision after the fact, it's not your life, those aren't your choices, and if you really want to help you'd do it with kindness. If someone seems unhappy with a choice they've made, maybe ask if they'd like to hear some alternative ways of doing things. But if someone is happy with their choices, whether you agree with them or not, telling them they're being bad unschoolers isn't exactly likely to make things better for them or their children. Sometimes, even if a decision doesn't seem in line with the unschooling philosophy to you, for that person, in that family, in that situation, it's the right decision.
Two happy and imperfect grown up unschoolers. |
Another important point, to me, is that unschooling just isn't that fragile. An entire lifestyle doesn't collapse because a parent says they'd prefer their children wait until they turn 18 to get any tattoos, or because they get some SAT prep books and say "hey, have you thought about taking the SATs next year?," or enforce a bedtime, or because they ask if you'll read a history book to appease a worried father. If pressure to learn specific things is a regular thing, or there are a whole lot of I-don't-want-you-to-be-doing-that's, then maybe things aren't working out so well. But if it's an occasional thing? Well, people aren't perfect. Unschooling isn't going to be perfect. And striving for perfection is likely to lead to either frustration or, perhaps, a false sense of superiority, when the reality is that no one is going to get it right all the time.
So I guess what I'm hoping for is just a little more understanding and compassion. Talk about your own successes, but also your failures, and when things don't go right. It always helps others to know they're not alone. Write about how unschooling is different than homeschooling, but don't walk up to someone and say "you know what you're doing isn't unschooling." Examine your intentions and make sure they're coming from a good place, a place that's attempting to make things better in a general way, or help someone out, not just make yourself seem more right.
This isn't in any way an attempt to say I'm the one who gets to decide what is and isn't kind, or that I'm always as kind as I could be myself. I've made countless mistakes over the years in my advocating of unschooling, things I've changed my stance on or just wished in retrospect that I'd handled differently, more compassionately. Yet in the years I've been writing, I've noticed a troubling amount of people, who are really trying their best, being made to feel that they're just never going to be good enough. It's one thing to help each other do better and be better, but it's an entirely different thing to hold up an image of unschooling as a pure practice that must be enacted without any mistakes or deviations from the correct philosophical ideals. No one is perfect, and I think it would be really great to remember the importance of empathy and understanding when it comes to our unschooling advocacy!


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Fact Sheet
Site/Floor Plans
The M
Developer - Wingcharm Investment Pte Ltd
Wing Tai Asia
The development objectives of Wing Tai Asia are directed by quality and progressive design, with a consciousness for the environment. Principles of sustainability are articulated in our design and development approaches for enrichment of living environments, integrating developments into surrounding greenery and locale, transforming living spaces into cherished homes.
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If you heard it once this week you probably heard it a hundred times: The House has not failed to elect a speaker on the first ballot in 100 years.
For generations it was the definition of party loyalty for every member of each party to vote for its nominee for speaker. In fact for 50 years after World War II, not a single stray vote was cast for anyone other than the two major party nominees.
On several occasions since 1997, we have seen a few members of the majority party voting "present" or voting for someone other than their party nominee. But it has not prevented that nominee's election as speaker.
But beginning with the first ballot for speaker on Tuesday, at least 19 Republicans voted for someone other than their party nominee, Kevin McCarthy of California. That meant McCarthy did not have enough votes to be speaker, and neither did anyone else.
For Congress watchers, this telegraphs that something is historically amiss on Capitol Hill, or at least within the party running one of its chambers. And that was certainly the message from the House the last time it had this much trouble electing a speaker – a long and eventful century ago.
Still, a distant mirror can show us things, and even across 10 decades of profound change, there are parallels between this week's meltdown at the outset of the 118th Congress and the fiasco that occurred in the 68th.
Then, as now, the party with the House majority was the Republican Party. Both times, the party's nominee for speaker was someone who had been in the job or in line for the job for several years.
But in both cases, the results of the latest November elections had been somewhere between disappointing and devastating, leaving the party clinging to majority control. That created anxiety and aggravated long-festering internal disputes over rules and procedures, including the powers of individual committee chairs.
As a result, a restive faction within the party was in rebellion and ready to take it out on the party's nominee for speaker.
This week, the target was McCarthy.
In 1923, it was Frederick H. Gillett of Massachusetts.
In neither case had the nominee himself been especially controversial. Each had risen through the ranks, a survivor of earlier leadership upheavals, generally compatible with the party's broad rank and file.
But having reached the top of the leadership ladder, these men represented a party establishment regarded with hostility by a potent faction of the party. They became the embodiment of that faction's grievances.
Here's how things unfolded for Gillett
Gillett was a 72-year-old Boston Brahmin with a Harvard law degree who was serving his 15th term in the House. He had first grasped the big gavel years earlier, after Republicans seized the House majority in the 1918 midterms the month World War I ended.
Two years after that, Gillett's party rode to a huge majority on the same postwar wave that swept Warren G. Harding into the White House in 1920. The party of Lincoln was gaining ground in most of the country and beginning a decade of Washington domination in the White House and Congress alike.
But the brief era of the Harding administration stalled the party's momentum. The economy was still recovering from its postwar recession and labor unrest was widespread, including major strikes by coal miners and railroad workers.
The House had also brought criticism on itself in 1921 and 1922 by refusing to accept the official U.S. Census of 1920. That renewal of the decennial study documented how immigration had exploded and, for the first time, more Americans were living in urban areas than rural.
These controversies, coupled with the typical swing of the midterm political mood led to Harding's GOP losing 75 House seats and a net of 6 Senate seats in 1922. It was a worse shellacking than Barack Obama or any other president of the past four decades would experience in his first midterm.
The 68th Congress was officially in office as of March 1923, but under the congressional schedule still in use at that time, it did not convene its first session until late that fall. In the meantime, Harding died in August and was succeeded by his vice president, Calvin Coolidge. The vote for speaker finally commenced on December 5. (The current schedule, with a January 3 starting date, was adopted as part of the 20th Amendment in 1933.)
Gillett's majority in 1923 was barely larger than Republicans have now, and he found it difficult to corral the factions within his party. He got just 197 votes on the first ballot, even fewer than McCarthy got in his first test this week.
On that first ballot, the Democratic nominee Finis J. Garrett of Tennessee got 195 votes and two other Republicans got a total of 23. But the key obstacle for Gillett was a bloc of his party members who called themselves "progressives," the term used by Theodore Roosevelt in his third-party "Bull Moose" bid for president in 1912.
Seventeen House members who identified as progressives (The New York Times called them "radical progressives") would cast their first-round speaker votes for Henry A. Cooper of Wisconsin. Cooper was a former prosecuting attorney from Racine who represented southeastern Wisconsin from 1893 to 1919 and again from 1921 until his death in 1931. Over his long career, Cooper only lost once, paying a price in 1918 for having opposed U.S. entry into World War I.
Cooper, whose parents had operated a station on the Underground Railroad by which escaped slaves reached freedom, was a longtime ally of Wisconsin's legendary progressive governor and Sen. Robert "Fighting Bob" LaFollette. When Cooper was opposing Gillett in the House, LaFollette was conducting a smaller-scale revolt against the GOP leaders in the Senate.
Ultimately, however, Gillett survived. Although the voting continued for days, no clear alternative emerged with any chance of getting a majority. In the end, he was able to win over the Cooper voters with the help of his No. 2 leader, Nicholas Longworth of Ohio. Widely viewed as Gillett's heir apparent, Longworth was able to convince enough of the progressives that there would in fact be procedural reforms.
Getting Gillett over the finish line took a total of nine ballots, and in the end some of Cooper's backers simply voted "present." The speaker was reelected with just 215 votes. (That was a majority because by then only 414 members were present and voting for a name.)
There were those this week who suggested this might be a model for McCarthy's strategy as well: Vote, wait, vote again, repeat. Over many votes and ballots, some of the less zealous members might drift away as the hour grew late or the weekend grew near.
Here's what has usually happened
Whichever party holds the majority on the House side of the Capitol typically elects its leader as the speaker on the first day of the new Congress. Each party nominates its leader and the majority has the most votes and prevails, even if a few members of the majority party defect or vote "present" or just don't show up.
There really isn't any alternative. Without a speaker officially in place, the House cannot even swear in its members, let alone do any other business.
That's why the rejection of McCarthy on the first ballot and beyond was such riveting news. It left open the job that stands second in the line of presidential succession (right after the vice president). It left undone the swearing in of the new House. And it left hanging the direction of the newly elected House Republican majority in the 118th Congress.
For some of McCarthy's critics, a major motivation has been the decentralization of authority in the chamber. They want less reliance on the leadership and more empowerment of the committee chairs.
They also wanted a rule change that would facilitate the use of a rather obscure item of House floor procedure known as "a motion to vacate the chair." That provision allows a sufficient number of members to demand a vote on the presiding officer, a threat to replace the speaker.
McCarthy had resisted this as it would essentially put his job on the line on a daily, even hourly, basis. But in his last rounds of attempting to secure votes, he was reported to have given in even on this issue.
The motion to vacate the chair was famously used to take down the autocratic Republican Speaker Joe Cannon of Illinois (the "last of the czars") in 1910. Cannon had and abused absolute power over committee chairs and assignments, floor procedure and rules for debate. No one since has had anything akin to this level of authority.
At the height of his power, Cannon not only chose all the committee chairs, he chose all the members of all the committees. He was chairman of the Rules Committee and he determined which bills and amendments would be allowed on the floor and which members would be permitted to speak.
One inquiring constituent who asked a member for a copy of the House rules in that era was said to have received an envelope that contained only a picture of Joe Cannon.
When Cannon's high-handed practices had become intolerable, a coalition of Democratic members and Republican progressives put together the bipartisan majority needed to "vacate the chair." Cannon remained Speaker but lost most of his powers.
Defeated in the 1912 election, he returned two years later and served several additional terms as a rank and file member. On his last day in office he was featured on the cover of the first issue of the new Time Magazine (March 3, 1923).
The first official building housing the offices of House members was opened in 1908 and called the House Office Building. Later it was called the Old House Building. In 1962, it was named for Cannon. It stands as a monument both to the preeminence of the speakership and the impermanence of power.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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The NET/ROM protocol relies on, and uses the AX.25 ports you have created. The NET/ROM protocol rides on top of the AX.25 protocol. To configure NET/ROM on an AX.25 interface you must configure two files. One file describes the NET/ROM interfaces, and the other file describes which of the AX.25 ports will carry NET/ROM. You can configure multiple NET/ROM ports, each with its own callsign and alias, the same procedure applies for each.
The first is the /etc/ax25/nrports file. This file describes the NET/ROM ports in much the same way as the /etc/ax25/axports file describes the AX.25 ports. Each NET/ROM device you wish to create must have an entry in the /etc/ax25/nrports file. Normally a Linux machine would have only one NET/ROM device configured that would use a number of the AX.25 ports defined. In some situations you might wish a special service such as a BBS to have a separate NET/ROM alias and so you would create more than one.
This file is formatted as follows:
name callsign alias paclen description |
is the text name that you wish to refer to the port by.
is the callsign that the NET/ROM traffic from this port will use. Note, this is not that address that users should connect to to get access to a node style interface. (The node program is covered later). This callsign/ssid should be unique and should not appear elsewhere in either of the /etc/ax25/axports or the /etc/ax25/nrports files.
is the NET/ROM alias this port will have assigned to it.
is the maximum size of NET/ROM frames transmitted by this port.
is a free text description of the port.
An example would look something like the following:
netrom VK2KTJ-9 LINUX 236 Linux Switch Port |
This example creates a NET/ROM port known to the rest of the NET/ROM network as `LINUX:VK2KTJ-9'.
This file is used by programs such as the call program.
The second file is the /etc/ax25/nrbroadcast file. This file may contain a number of entries. There would normally be one entry for each AX.25 port that you wish to allow NET/ROM traffic on.
This file is formatted as follows:
axport min_obs def_qual worst_qual verbose |
is the port name obtained from the /etc/ax25/axports file. If you do not have an entry in /etc/ax25/nrbroadcasts for a port then this means that no NET/ROM routing will occur and any received NET/ROM broadcasts will be ignored for that port.
is the minimum obselesence value for the port.
is the default quality for the port.
is the worst quality value for the port, any routes under this quality will be ignored.
is a flag determining whether full NET/ROM routing broadcasts will occur from this port or only a routing broadcast advertising the node itself.
An example would look something like the following:
radio 1 200 100 1 |
When you have the two configuration files completed you must create the NET/ROM device in much the same way as you did for the AX.25 devices. This time you use the nrattach command. The nrattach works in just the same way as the axattach command except that it creates NET/ROM network devices called `nr[0-9]'. Again, the first time you use the nrattach command it creates the `nr0' device, the second time it creates the `nr1' network devices etc. To create the network device for the NET/ROM port we've defined we would use:
# nrattach netrom |
This command would start the NET/ROM device (nr0) named netrom configured with the details specified in the /etc/ax25/nrports file.
The Linux kernel does all of the NET/ROM protocol and switching, but does not manage some functions. The NET/ROM daemon manages the NET/ROM routing tables and generates the NET/ROM routing broadcasts. You start NET/ROM daemon with the command:
# /usr/sbin/netromd -i |
You should soon see the /proc/net/nr_neigh file filling up with information about your NET/ROM neighbours.
Remember to put the /usr/sbin/netromd command in your rc files so that it is started automatically each time you reboot.
You may wish to configure static NET/ROM routes for specific hosts. The nrparms command enables you to do this. Again, the man page offers a complete description, but a simple example might be:
# /usr/sbin/nrparms -nodes VK2XLZ-10 + #MINTO 120 5 radio VK2SUT-9 |
This command would set a NET/ROM route to #MINTO:VK2XLZ-10 via a neighbour VK2SUT-9 on my AX.25 port called `radio'.
You can manually create entries for new neighbours using the nrparms command as well. For example:
# /usr/sbin/nrparms -routes radio VK2SUT-9 + 120 |
This command would create VK2SUT-9 as a NET/ROM neighbour with a quality of 120 and this will be locked and will not be deleted automatically.
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You are a click away from entering into the Worlds of Carnage, a fantasy MUD populated by all the creatures of myth, legend and more. Here you will find the atmosphere to be relaxing yet invigorating. The budding adventurer can choose to kick back a while and hang out with the locals at the town pub, or more than likely, gear up and track down some of the more exotic inhabitants.
Before playing you may wish to look around this site to get a feel for what to expect when roaming the lands. You can find out about some of the races, the local culture, and even where to prove your mettle as an adventurer. So feel free to poke around and when you are ready enter the Worlds of Carnage.


text: I ain't seeing no buffalo, but there sure as heck are a bunch of deer around here. One of the cutest, and surprisingly menacing creatures, at least to suburbia, is the deer. Don't let those doe eyes and bushy tails fool you, turn your head at the wrong time and your Rhododendrons are gone! So check out all this stash of deer products you won't be disappointed in, and forget about your lost gardening award.


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Italian Style Homemade Chicken Soup (52 New Foods, Around the World Week 10) March 10 2013, 13 Comments
The easiest homemade chicken soup ever!
My littlest one was home
sick this week. When those rosy red cheeks and tired eyes show up, chicken soup
is first on the menu. It used to be that I would reach for a can of chicken
soup from the pantry, but we've come so far in our 52 New Foods journey that
when I grabbed that little red can this week I just couldn't do a heat and eat.
"I need to make it from scratch." I resolved. My husband, the sweetheart that
he is, headed out to the market at the crack of dawn with a simple list –
carrots, celery, and an onion. I had some leftover Italian chicken in the
fridge from dinner the previous night.
The beautiful thing about this recipe is that it is so darn easy to make and it results in a delicious, wholesome soup full of healthy ingredients. My son asked, "Why does chicken soup help to make me feel better when I am sick?" This question is one I've asked myself many times over. "I'm not sure," I replied, "why do you think it helps?" His little hands wrapped around the bowl, sipping slowly he pondered this question and then responded, "Maybe the vegetables chase the bugs away." I smiled a big smile and hugged him tight, "You know, I think you may be right. I'm glad that you're feeling better."
What we Liked: This easy Italian style homemade chicken soup isn't just for chasing cold bugs away. It's the perfect busy weeknight meal. Make our easy Italian chicken and save a few pieces as leftovers. Then use that tasty chicken to make this soup the next day. Serve it up with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich for a quick dinner, or pack it in the kids' lunchboxes with a few whole grain crackers for crumbling.
Italian Style Homemade Chicken Soup
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
Crunch a Color points: 10 protein, 10 healthy grains, 10 green or orange
For a printable version of this recipe click here.
4 cups organic chicken
2 cups cooked Italian chicken
2 cups cooked pasta (I like to use rotini)
1 cup water
3 celery stalks
2 carrots
½ onion
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Chop the onion, carrots and celery into ¼" to ½" size pieces.
2. Heat a stockpot over
medium, then add the olive oil, garlic and onions. Simmer gently until the
onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and simmer
2 to 3 minutes more.
3. Add the chicken broth,
water and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8
4. While the broth is
simmering, chop the chicken into bite size pieces. Add to the pot with the
cooked pasta and heat 2 minutes more.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm with a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
Do you have a favorite homemade chicken soup recipe? Share your ideas!
Craving more easy recipes to try? Catch up on last week's new food: Mini Asparagus Frittata aka Savory Muffins
About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- award-winning nutrition games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she's giving back to support non-profit kids' nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Rachael Ray's Yum-O!, Laurie David's Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer's passion is making mealtime fun and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips, and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery Barn Kids, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, The Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.


text:
Age: 5 yrs+
Each flashcard features an everyday scenario such as; being picked for a team or accidentally breaking a vase.
Questions on the back of each card invite parents and children to discuss what is happening and how the characters are feeling in each scene.
By looking at the character's faces and reflecting on a child's own experiences, these cards guide children to recognize emotional dynamics in a variety of situations.
Product Benefits: - Helps develop empathy and analytical skills, while examining friendly illustrations depicting emotional dynamics in a variety of situations.
Conversation Cards cultivate valuable communication skills and help build an essential foundation for Social and Emotional Learning
Set includes: 48 Flash Cards
Item size: (L) 11.43 x (H) 15.24 cm


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News Bytes
By Deividson Luiz Okopnik and Howard Dyckoff
Contents: |
Please submit your News Bytes items in plain text; other formats may be rejected without reading. [You have been warned!] A one- or two-paragraph summary plus a URL has a much higher chance of being published than an entire press release. Submit items to email@example.com.
News in General
Linux Foundation makes Kernel Developer Ted Ts'o new CTO
The Linux Foundation (LF) named Linux kernel developer Theodore Ts'o to the position of Chief Technology Officer at the Foundation. Ts'o is currently a Linux Foundation fellow, a position he has been in since December 2007. He is a highly regarded member of the Linux and open source community and is known as the first North American kernel developer. Other current and past LF fellows include Steve Hemminger, Andrew Morton, Linus Torvalds and Andrew Tridgell.
Ts'o will be replacing Markus Rex, who was on loan to the Foundation from Novell. Rex will return to Novell as the acting general manager and senior vice president of Novell's OPS business unit.
As CTO, Ts'o will lead all technical initiatives for the Linux Foundation, including oversight of the Linux Standard Base (LSB) and other workgroups such as Open Printing. He will also be the primary technical interface to LF members and the LF's Technical Advisory Board, which represents the kernel community.
"I continue to believe in power of mass collaboration and the work that can be done by a community of developers, users and industry members, I'm looking forward to translating that power into concrete milestones for the LSB specifically, and for Linux overall, in the year ahead," says Ts'o.
Since 2001, Ts'o has worked as a senior technical staff member at IBM where he most recently led a worldwide team to create an enterprise-level real-time Linux solution. Ts'o was awarded the 2006 Award for the Advancement of Free Software by the Free Software Foundation (FSF).
Ts'o is also a Linux kernel developer, a role in which he serves as ext4 file system maintainer, as well as the primary author and maintainer of e2fsprogs, the userspace utilities for the ext2, ext3, and ext4 file systems. He is the founder and chair of the annual Linux Kernel Developers' Summit and regularly presents tutorials on Linux and other open source software. Ts'o was project leader for Kerberos, a network authentication system. He was also a member of the Security Area Directorate for the Internet Engineering Task Force where he chaired the IP Security (IPSEC) Working Group and was a founding board member of the Free Standards Group (FSG).
2009 Linux Collaboration Summit Call for Participation
The Linux Foundation has opened registration and announced a call for participation for the 3rd Annual Collaboration Summit which will take place April 8-10, 2009 in San Francisco.
Sponsored by Intel in 2009, the Collaboration Summit is an exclusive, invitation-only gathering of the brightest minds in Linux, including core kernel developers, distribution maintainers, ISVs, end users, system vendors, and other community organizations. It is the only conference designed to accelerate collaboration and encourage solutions by bringing together a true cross-section of leaders to meet face-to-face to tackle and solve the most pressing issues facing Linux today.
The 2009 Collaboration Summit will include:
- the Moblin Development Summit
- High Performance Computing
- Systems Management
- the Linux ISV Summit
LF workgroups such as Open Printing and the LSB will also hold meetings.
The Collaboration Summit will be co-located with the CELF Embedded Linux Conference and the Linux Storage and Filesystem Workshop. The winner of the "We're Linux" video contest (see next item) will also be revealed at the Summit, where the winning video and honorable mentions will be screened for the event's attendees.
For more information on the Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit,
please visit:
To request an invitation, visit:
For the first time, the Linux Foundation is inviting all members of the Linux and open source software communities to submit a proposal for its Annual Collaboration Summit, its cornerstone event. CFP submissions are due February 15, 2009. To submit a proposal, visit: http://events.linuxfoundation.org/events/collaboration-summit.
Linux Foundation hosting "We're Linux" Video Contest
In January, the Linux Foundation (LF) launched of its grassroots "We're Linux" video contest. The campaign seeks to find the best user-generated videos that demonstrate what Linux means to those who use it and inspire others to try it. The contest is open to everyone and runs through midnight on March 15, 2009. The winner will be revealed at the Linux Foundation's Collaboration Summit on April 8, 2009, in San Francisco. The winner will be awarded a trip to Tokyo, Japan to participate in the Linux Foundation's Japanese Linux Symposium.
In response to early and resounding community input, the campaign has been renamed from the original "I'm Linux" to the "We're Linux" video contest. This name better expresses how Linux is represented by more than any one person or company.
To become a member of the Linux Foundation's Video forum, view early submissions, or submit your own video for the "We're Linux" contest, visit http://video.linuxfoundation.org.
AMD plans dual-core Neo laptop chip
At CES, AMD announced its platform for ultra-thin notebooks at an affordable price. Previously codenamed "Yukon," the platform is based on the new AMD Athlon Neo processor, ATI Radeon integrated graphics or Radeon HD 3410 discrete graphics. The Neo platform debuts within the HP Pavilion dv2 Entertainment Notebook PC ultra-thin notebook, which is less than one inch thick and weighs in under four pounds. The HP Pavilion dv2 has a 12.1-inch diagonal LED display, near-full-size keyboard, and an optional external optical disc drive with Blu-ray capability.
In mid-January AMD also announced a dual-core Athlon Neo processor, code-named Conesus, which is planned by for mid-2009. The dual-core Neo and supporting chips provide for more operational capability than the current crop of netbooks powered by Intel Atom processors.
Grid.org Open Source HPC Community Hits Visitor Milestone
Grid.org, the on-line community for open source cluster and grid software, announced in January that the site garnered over 100,000 unique visitors in 2008, with the highest traffic generating from the UniCluster, Amazon EC2 and HPC discussion groups.
Launched in November 2007, Grid.org is an open source community for cluster and grid users, developers, and administrators. It is home to the UniCluster open source project as well as other open source projects. For more information, go to http://www.grid.org.
Recent focus on cloud computing and the announcement of UniCloud, UniCluster's extension into the Amazon EC2 cloud, have been popular topics resulting in an increase in traffic to the site.
"Having a vibrant community of users and thought leaders is the cornerstone of any successful open source software project," notes Gary Tyreman, vice president and general manager of HPC for Univa UD. "From our groundbreaking work in Amazon EC2 to the UniCloud offering for Virtual HPC management, Univa UD is committed to initiating and supporting the future of HPC technology, community and open source."
Conferences and Events
- 2009 SCADA and Process Control Summit
February 2 - 3, Disney Dolphin, Lake Buena Vista, FL
- JBoss Virtual Experience on-line Conference
February 11, 8:30 am - 6:00 pm EST
- Black Hat DC 2009
February 16 - 19, Hyatt, Arlington, VA
- RubyRX Conference
February 19 - 21, 2009, Reston, NC
- SCALE 7x 2009
February 20 - 22, Westin LAX Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
- OpenSolaris Storage Summit 2009 - Free
February 23, Grand Hyatt, San Francisco, CA
- Gartner Mobile & Wireless Summit 2009
February 23 - 25, Chicago, IL
- 7th USENIX Conference on File and Storage Technologies (FAST '09)
February 24-27, San Francisco, CA
Learn from Leaders in the Storage Industry at the 7th USENIX Conference on File and Storage Technologies (FAST '09)
Join us in San Francisco, CA, February 24-27, 2009, for the 7th USENIX Conference on File and Storage Technologies. On Tuesday, February 24, FAST '09 offers ground-breaking file and storage tutorials by industry leaders such as Brent Welch, Marc Unangst, Simson Garfinkel, and more. This year's innovative 3-day technical program includes 23 technical papers, as well as a Keynote Address, Work-in-Progress Reports (WiPs), and a Poster Session. Don't miss out on opportunities for peer interaction on the topics that mean the most to you.
Register by February 9 and save up to $200!
- Next-Gen Broadband Strategies
February 24, Cable Center, Denver, CO
- Sun xVM Virtualization Roadshow
February 25, various US cities
- CSO Perspectives - 2009
March 1 - 3, Hilton, Clearwater Beach, FL
- eComm 2009
March 3 - 5, SF Airport Hyatt, San Mateo, CA
- DrupalCons 2009
March 4 - 7, Washington, DC
- O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference
March 9 - 12, Fairmont Hotel, San Jose, CA
- SD West 2009
March 9 - 13, Santa Clara, CA
- ManageFusion 09
March 10 - 12, MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
- VEE 2009 Conference on Virtual Execution Environments
March 11 - 13, Crowne Plaza, Washington, DC
- Orlando Scrum Gathering 2009
March 16 - 18, Gaylord Resort, Orlando, FL
- Forrester's IT Infrastructure & Operations Forum
March 18 - 19, San Diego, CA
- EclipseCon 2009
March 23 - 26, Santa Clara, CA
- ApacheCon Europe 2009
March 23 - 27, Amsterdam, Nederlands
- USENIX HotPar '09 Workshop on Hot Topics in Parallelism
March 30 - 31, Claremont Resort, Berkeley, CA
- International Virtualization and Cloud Computing Conferences
March 30 - April 1, Roosevelt Hotel, New York, NY
- ESC Silicon Valley 2009 / Embedded Systems
March 30 - April 3, San Jose, CA
- Linux Collaboration Summit 2009
April 8 - 10, San Francisco, CA
- RSAConference 2009
April 20 - 24, San Francisco, CA
The 6th USENIX Symposium on Networked Systems Design & Implementation (USENIX NSDI '09) will take place April 22–24, 2009, in Boston, MA.
Please join us at The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers for this symposium covering the most innovative networked systems research, including 32 high-quality papers in areas including trust and privacy, storage, and content distribution; and a poster session. Don't miss the opportunity to gather with researchers from across the networking and systems community to foster cross-disciplinary approaches and address shared research challenges.
Register by March 30, 2009 to save!
- STAREAST - Software Testing, Analysis & Review
May 4 - 8, Rosen Hotel, Orlando, FL
Distro News
FreeBSD 7.1 Released
FreeBSD Release Engineering Team has announced FreeBSD 7.1-RELEASE as the second release from the 7-STABLE branch. It improves on the functionality of FreeBSD 7.0 and introduces several new features.
Some of the highlights in 7.1:
- The ULE scheduler is now the default in GENERIC kernels for amd64 and i386 architectures;
- support for using DTrace inside the kernel has been imported from OpenSolaris;
- a new and much-improved NFS Lock Manager (NLM) client;
- boot loader changes allow, among other things, booting from USB devices and booting from GPT-labeled devices;
- the cpuset(2) system call and cpuset(1) command have been added, providing an API for thread to CPU binding and CPU resource grouping and assignment;
- KDE was updated to 3.5.10,
- GNOME was updated to 2.22.3;
- DVD-sized media is now supported for the amd64 and i386 architectures.
FreeBSD 7.1 is available here: http://www.freebsd.org/where.html.
Ubuntu 8.04.02 Maintenance, 9.04 Alpha 3 releases out
Ubuntu 8.04.2 LTS, the second maintenance update to Ubuntu's 8.04 LTS release, is now available. This release includes updated server, desktop, and alternate installation CDs for the i386 and amd64 architectures.
In all, over 200 updates have been integrated, and updated installation media has been provided so that fewer updates will need to be downloaded after installation. These include security updates and corrections for other high-impact bugs, with a focus on maintaining compatibility with Ubuntu 8.04 LTS.
This is the second maintenance release of Ubuntu 8.04 LTS, which will be supported with maintenance updates and security fixes until April 2011 on desktops and April 2013 on servers.
To get Ubuntu 8.04.2 LTS, visit: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
The release notes, which document caveats and workarounds for known issues, are available at: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/804
Also, a complete list of post-release updates can also be found at: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardyReleaseNotes/ChangeSummary/8.04.2
In January, the Ubuntu community announced the availability of the third alpha release of Ubuntu 9.04 - "Jaunty Jackalope". Read the release announcement and release notes at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel-announce/2009-January/0 00524.html.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3 Now Available
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3 was released in January. In this third update to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, customers receive a wide range of enhancements, including increased virtualization scalability, expanded hardware platform support and incorporation of OpenJDK Java technologies. Customers with a Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscription will receive the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3 update from Red Hat Network.
The primary new features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3 include:
- Increased scalability of virtualized x86-64 environments: This includes virtual server support for up to 32 virtual CPUs and 80GB of memory. Physical server limits have also been expanded to match the size of the latest hardware systems, with up to 126 CPUs and 1TB main memory. New features, such as support for Hugepage memory and Intel Extended Page Tables (EPT), also improve the performance of virtual servers.
- Support for Intel Core i7 (Nehalem) quad-core processors
- Inclusion of OpenJDK: The OpenJDK in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3 is compatible with all applications written for Java SE 6 and previous versions. OpenJDK is fully supported directly by Red Hat.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3 also includes enhancements spanning many other components; Release Notes document over 150 additions and updates.
Solaris Release adds performance and custom storage apps
OpenSolaris release 2008-11 went GA (General Availability release) in early December and also ended the previous support limitation of 18 months. This latest version has improved performance and new tools for building custom storage applications. Sun also released Java 6.update10 with JavaFX extensions for building interactive applications.
For the desktop, OpenSolaris now includes includes Time Slider, an easy to use graphical interface that brings ZFS functionality such as instant snapshots and improved wireless configuration support to all users. To encourage developers to work on Solaris as a development platform, it now comes with D-trace probes that run in Firefox.
For developers seeking a pre-installed OpenSolaris notebook, Sun and Toshiba announced a strategic relationship to deliver OpenSolaris on Toshiba laptops in 2009. Expect additional announcements in early 2009 about model specifics, pricing, and availability.
Charlie Boyle, Director of OpenSolaris Marketing, spoke with LG just after the announcement and explained that ZFS and tools like D-Light (based on D-Trace feature in Solaris) allow seeing what applications are doing in real time and allow developers to rapidly debug and optimize their applications. "OpenSolaris is optimized for performance on the latest systems. Users deploying OpenSolaris will get the most out of their systems with advances in scalability, power management, and virtualization."
Regarding the extension of Solaris support beyond 18 months, Boyle explained, "Customers can get support for as long as they have a contract on their system. We have removed the artificial 18 month window... we will take calls on whatever version a customer is running and get them the best fix for their situation."
In addition to performance gains, other enhancements include:
- a new Automated Installer application, allowing users to decide which packages to include within the installation Web service;
- the Distro Constructor, enabling users to create their own custom image for deployment across their systems;
- and a new storage feature, COMSTAR Storage Framework, that allows developers to create and customize their own open storage server with OpenSolaris.
Software and Product News
Bridge Education now offering Ubuntu Authorized courses
Bridge Education (BE) has been selected as the first Ubuntu Authorized Training Partner in the US. Beginning in February 2009, BE will begin delivering Ubuntu Authorized courses in select cities nationwide. To find a class nearest you, please contact BE at 866.322.3262 or visit BE on the web at http://bridgeme.com.
Eclipse PHP Dev Tools (PDT) 2.0 Released
Fully compliant with Eclipse standards, the new 2.0 release of the PHP Development Tools (PDT) enables developers to leverage a wide variety of Eclipse projects, such as Web Tools Project (WTP) and Dynamic Language Toolkit (DLTK), for faster and easier PHP development. PDT is an open source development tool that provides the code editing capabilities needed to get started developing PHP applications. Version 2.0 was available in January.
To support the object-oriented features of PHP, PDT 2.0 now includes:
- Type Hierarchy view that navigates object-oriented PHP code faster and more easily.
- Type and method navigation that allows for easy searching of PHP code based on type information.
- Override indicators that visually tag PHP methods that have been overridden.
More info is available here: http://www.eclipse.org/projects/project_summary.php?projectid=tools.pdt
The Java Source Helper plugin was also released in January. Java Source Helper shows a block of code related to a closing brace/bracket if it is currently out of visible range in the editor. The Eclipse Java editor will check to see if the related starting code bracket is out of visible range and, if it is, it will float a window that shows the code related to that starting block. This is useful in deeply nested code. The feature is similar to one in the IntelliJ IDEA IDE.
Cisco's Aironet 1140 Innovates 80.11n Access Points
Cisco is now offering an enterprise-class next-generation wireless access point that combines full 802.11n performance with cost-effectiveness. The new Cisco Aironet 1140 Series Access Point supports the Wi-Fi Certified 802.11n Draft 2.0 access point standard and is designed for high-quality voice, video, and rich media across wireless networks.
Cisco delivered the first enterprise-class Wi-Fi Certified 802.11n Draft 2.0 platform in 2007. The Aironet 1140 offers full 802.11n performance and security while using standard Power over Ethernet (PoE). The new access point introduces Cisco M-Drive Technology that enhances 802.11n performance. The Aironet 1140 is the only dual-radio platform that combines full 802.11n Draft 2.0 performance (up to nine times the throughput of existing 802.11a/g wireless networks) and built-in security features using standard 802.3af Power over Ethernet.
ClientLink, a feature of Cisco M-Drive Technology, helps extend the useful life of existing 802.11a/g devices with the use of beam forming to improve the throughput for existing 802.11a/g devices and reduce wireless coverage holes for legacy devices.
Miercom, an independent testing and analysis lab, tested ClientLink and showed an increase of up to 65 percent in throughput for existing 802.11a/g devices connecting to a Cisco 802.11n network. Unlike other solutions that do not offer performance improvements for legacy devices, ClientLink delivers airtime connectivity fairness for both 802.11n and 802.11a/g devices. For the complete Miercom testing methodology and results, download the ClientLink report at: http://www.cisco.com/go/802.11n/
Learn more about the Cisco Aironet 1140 Series Access Point and Cisco
M-Drive Technology in a video with Chris Kozup, Cisco's senior manager
of mobility solutions.
More information at http://blogs.cisco.com/wireless/comments/cisco_taking_80211n_mainstream_with_aironet_1140.
XAware Releases XAware 5.2
XAware has released XAware 5.2, an open source data integration solution for creating and managing composite data services. Working with its user community, XAware has included upgrades that make it easier to design and deliver data services for Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), Rich Internet Applications (RIA), and Software as a Service (SaaS) applications.
The most notable addition to XAware 5.2 is the data-first design feature. Leveraging two important aspects of the Eclipse Data Tools Project, Connection Profiles and Data Source Explorer, XAware users can now create data services by starting with data sources. This option, often known as bottom-up design, is an ideal fit for data-oriented developers and architects, especially those who need to combine data from multiple sources. XAware also gives developers the option of starting the design process with XML Schemas, an approach known as top-down design.
XAware has also introduced a new service design wizard that enables new users to quickly build and test services with relational data sources. Additional enhancements include a new outline view, improved search functionality, greater run-time query control and updated support.
XAware 5.2 is available for free use under the GPLv2 license and via a commercial license. Services and support subscriptions are also available for purchase from XAware, Inc.
Organizations are encouraged to take advantage of XAware's QuickStart program, which includes training, consulting services, and an initial period of active support from the XAware team. Starting at just $750, QuickStart helps companies quickly start building composite data services for SOA, RIA and SaaS projects.
For more information and to download XAware 5.2, please visit: www.xaware.com.
Jaspersoft updates its BI Suite Community Edition
In December, Jaspersoft upgraded its Business Intelligence Suite v3 in both the Community and Professional Editions. The new release includes advanced charting and visualization capabilities that supplement the dynamic dashboards and interactive Web 2.0 interfaces introduced earlier.
Specific features include new built-in chart types, the ability to create and apply chart themes to customize the detailed appearance of charts, and easy integration with third-party visualization engines.
Developers can use the new chart theme capability available in Jaspersoft v3.1 to change the overall appearance of built-in charts without having to write chart customizers or use an extensive set of chart properties. Other features available in Jaspersoft v3.1 include the recently announced certification for Sun's GlassFish application server, and Section 508 compliance for U.S. government agencies.
Additional enhancements now available in Jaspersoft v3.1 include:
- professional edition localization packs now included in all geographies at no additional charge, including English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese
- data source support for calculated fields in the ad hoc query metadata layer using the Jaspersoft expression language
- the latest version of the iReport graphical report design tool, now running on the NetBeans platform
- portal support now available in the Community Edition, including the JSR-168 compliant Jaspersoft portlet
- improved support for "Domain" metadata-driven ad hoc query from the iReport advanced report design tool
Jaspersoft's BI Suite delivers on the promise of "Business Intelligence for Everyone" by using Web 2.0 technologies coupled with advanced metadata functionality. It includes an interactive Web 2.0 interface based on an AJAX framework, dynamic HTML, and other technologies that deliver the ability to mash-up business intelligence features to provide a seamless, cross-application, browser-based experience. Jaspersoft makes it easy for anyone to build and update dashboards in real-time, drag and drop information from multiple sources, and build queries and reports with the click of a mouse.
Netbook Features Bootable OS on USB
EMTEC has announced its Gdium netbook computer which boasts a compact size and light weight with 512 MB of RAM, a 10-inch screen size and a full keyboard.
Among the open source applications included with Gdium are: FireFox browser, Thunderbird e-mail client, Instant Messaging, VoIP, Blog editor, audio/video players, security utilities, as well as the Open Office suite of word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations.
What makes Gdium unique is the G-Key, an 8 or 16 GB bootable USB key on which the Mandriva Linux operating system, applications, and personal data are stored. The G-Key allows each user to store their personal info and preference securely, without leaving a trace on the computer.
The Gdium will retail for under $400 and comes in 3 colors - White, Black, and Pink. For more info, go to: http://www.gdium.com
Gdium.Com is also hosting the One Laptop Per Hacker (OLPH) program.
The OLPH Project provides a free infrastructure to individuals who want to develop software for the Gdium platform. Gdium software can be freely modified, adapted, optimized, or replaced; the user can download and install new solution packs and freely modify most of it.
All interested developers can purchase an early release Gdium but must take into account that these may have some some bugs and known issues. OLPH Project members get one extra Gkey.
Openmoko Demos Distros on Open Mobile Phone
At the CES show in early January, Openmoko Inc, maker of fully open mobile phone products, demonstrated several Linux distributions running on the FreeRunner mobile hardware platform. These included the Debian distro, community-driven FDOM, QT by Trolltech (recently acquired by Nokia), and Google's Android.
In a video shot at CES 2009, William Lai of Openmoko discusses the power of Open Source community-driven development for new mobile applications and devices. Click here to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R4KvJv6xSE
In addition to its role as a mobile phone, developers are embracing the open hardware, open software, and open CAD of the Openmoko platform to create new embedded consumer products.
Openmoko is both a commercial and community driven effort to create open mobile products that consumers can personalize, much like a computer. Openmoko is dedicated to bringing freedom and flexibility to consumer electronics and vertical market devices.
Next Gen Cfengine 3 released
Cfengine is an automated suite of programs for configuring and maintaining Unix and Linux computers. It has been used on computing arrays of up to 20,000 computers since 1993 by a wide range of organizations. Cfengine is supported by active research and was the first autonomic, hands-free management system for Unix-like operating systems.
Cfengine 3.0.0 is a new and substantial rewrite of cfengine's technology, building on core principles used over the past 15 years, and extending them with technology inspired by Promise Theory. (Promise theory describes policy-governed services in a framework of autonomous agents. It is a framework for analyzing models of modern networking and was developed at the University of Oslo.)
The new cfengine enhances its support of configuration management with:
- A brand new language with a simple uniform syntax and powerful templating.
- Integrated self-diagnostics and automated self-healing documentation.
- Generic file editing with multiple models.
- Pattern matching and design features to match any environment, large and small.
- Integrated knowledge management using topic maps.
- Support available from cfengine AS at http://www.cfengine.com.
- Upcoming Enterprise version in 2009 with extended features.
- GPLv3 code.
Cfengine 3 also offers full integration with existing cfengine 2 systems and auto-encapsulation of cfengine 2 for incremental upgrades.
Mark Burgess, author of Cfengine, recently gave a presentation on Promise Theory and Cfengine 3 at Google on his way to LISA 08. It is now available at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CCXs4Om5pY
Talkback: Discuss this article with The Answer Gang
Deividson Luiz Okopnik
Deividson was born in União da Vitória, PR, Brazil, on 14/04/1984. He became interested in computing when he was still a kid, and started to code when he was 12 years old. He is a graduate in Information Systems and is finishing his specialization in Networks and Web Development. He codes in several languages, including C/C++/C#, PHP, Visual Basic, Object Pascal and others.
Deividson works in Porto União's Town Hall as a Computer Technician, and specializes in Web and Desktop system development, and Database/Network Maintenance.
Howard Dyckoff
Howard Dyckoff is a long term IT professional with primary experience at
Fortune 100 and 200 firms. Before his IT career, he worked for Aviation
Week and Space Technology magazine and before that used to edit SkyCom, a
newsletter for astronomers and rocketeers. He hails from the Republic of
Brooklyn [and Polytechnic Institute] and now, after several trips to
Himalayan mountain tops, resides in the SF Bay Area with a large book
collection and several pet rocks.
Howard maintains the Technology-Events blog at
blogspot.com from which he contributes the Events listing for Linux
Gazette. Visit the blog to preview some of the next month's NewsBytes