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Comparing Views on Japan
Abstract: A 5 page comparison of two books on the rise of modern Japan--"The Rise of Modern Japan" by Peter Duus and "The New Generation in Meiji Japan" by Kenneth Pyle. The writer summarizes both books and then compares their approaches to this topic. No additional sources cited.
Filename: kh2onjap.wps
Pages: 5
Subcatagory: Japan & Japanese Issues
Plagiarism Warning
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Come on WWE. Give Maddox a contract. I love this guy.
Come on WWE. Give Maddox a contract. I love this guy.
The most beautiful men in WWE are wrestling each other.
Maddox is WWE's Joey Ryan ripoff :rolleyes:
The SHeeld. :rolleyes:
I think Titus let Brad use his washrag.
first, mysterio wouldn't drop the IC title to him
then his 15 minute world title reign which was handed to him, ironically not long after claiming in an interview he wanted to earn titles not be given them in
his subsequent shift to raw where he was put back in the mid card scene, fueding with Kofi, seemingly never-ending
then, despite starting this year fueding with WWE chsmp Cm Punk, within three months he was jobbing to Brodus clay
its just every time he's ready to take it to the next level, they knock him back down again
by taking away his MITB contract will only derail his momentum for yet another year i feel

subset: commoncrawl


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Many companies planning IPOs in the latter half of this year hope that the Alibaba and its founder Jack Ma don't take the air — and too much of the money — out of the market when it goes public after Labor Day. Bloomberg/Kiyoshi Ota
A look at the hottest deals, business moves and upstart entrepreneurs for September 2 from around the country, as reported by The Business Journals and other local business publications.
Silicon Valley…Alibaba's much-anticipated IPO is expected in mid-September.
Kansas City…MindMixer, creator of a community engagement platform for organizations, lands$17 million with Dundee Venture Capital leading the round.
Silicon Valley…Whill, maker of mobile chairs that stop on a dime, raises$11 million from backers including Innovation Network Corp. of Japan, 500 Startups, NTT DoCoMo Ventures, Jochu Technology Co. Ltd. and Sun Microsystems Inc. co-founder Scott McNealy.
Silicon Valley…Dell invests in storage upstart Nexenta, but won't say how much.
San Francisco…Uber's getting plenty of response to its new carpool option, with 100,000 offering to test it in the Bay Area.
Silicon Valley… Amazon.com, Microsoft and Yahoo are all reportedly in the hunt to either fund or buy Cyanogen, developer of a popular variation on the Android operating system.
Boston… Text analytics company Luminoso brings on former IBM exec Robert Flint as vice president of sales.
South Florida… New York-based on-demand massage app Zeel expands to South Florida.
Boston…BarUp, an app that alerts people about the best bar to attend on a particular night of the week, launches.
Each business day, we scour the news from local business publications from around the country—from our partners in the 43 markets covered by American City Business Journals as well as from others—to find the most interesting deals of the day, entrepreneurs, and upstart moves. Connect with me on Twitter @kbernhardjr.
Since coming aboard with Upstart's parent company, Kent has covered sustainability and business, entrepreneurs, technology, and venture capital. Now, he covers all the ways upstart businesses get their money.
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He checks his beard in the mirror every morning before leaving the house to take a seat on his magical throne. After all, even a single out-of-place hair could plant a seed of doubt in the minds of the hundreds of children who will visit him in a single day.
He may not be the one and only, but the Santa you see sitting before you in the local mall is far from phony.
In fact, according to most mall managers, without Santa, the holidays would not be complete. And many parents agree that being able to bring their children to see the jolly red elf year after year is a favorite holiday tradition.
While the beards and suits and boots may be the same, not all Santas are created equal.
According to Jimmy Valentino, owner of Capital Photo, a special event photography business, the Santa you see at the mall sometimes comes from the most unlikely of places.
Valentino's company has been responsible for bringing Santa to Crossgates Mall for the past 22 years, and Colonie Center for the past five.
His employees come from throughout the community, and most of them seek out Valentino for the seasonal job.
They come just from the general public. A lot of them have found me over the years, said Valentino. "I have one -- he's a professor emeritus at RPI."
Valentino said that many of his Santas are either retired or looking for something to do on the side during the holidays. Some, like the former professor John Corelli of New Scotland, look at their work as a way to reach out to the community in a way that will affect many people. (See sidebar to read about a day in his life as Santa.)
According to Becky Valenti, marketing manager for Rotterdam Square Mall in Rotterdam, having Santa at the mall encourages young children to come to the shopping center, which adds to the magic of the holiday season.
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Larry Swalheim Announces His Retirement as Landmark's CEO
- Created on Tuesday, 05 October 2010 08:06
After 23 years with the cooperative, Landmark's Chief Executive Officer, Larry Swalheim, announced last week that he will retire at year's end.Larry will continue to serve Landmark in an advisory role throughout the leadership transition into 2011.
During his tenure, Larry grew Landmark Services Cooperative from a one-location cooperative to one of the largest cooperatives in the state of Wisconsin.Since being named CEO in 1991, he has successfully guided Landmark through several strategic partnerships and mergers that have grown the cooperative from sales of $25 million to over $300 million, staff locations from one to 16 and employees from 80 to nearly 400."Larry's steadfast leadership has enabled Landmark to become a trusted supplier of agriculture inputs to our membership." said John Blaska, Landmark's Board President."Without Larry's guidance, we could not provide the wide variety of products and services at competitive prices to our patrons that we do today." Landmark provides agronomy, energy, animal nutrition, grain and transportation products and services to over 15,000 members in a territory that ranges from east-central Wisconsin to northern Illinois.
Since 1991, Larry's dynamic leadership has helped set the standard for what local agricultural cooperatives can achieve.In the past two decades, Landmark led the way by marketing grain to the US and world markets with Wisconsin's only 100 car rail terminal, creating a team of 16 animal nutritionists who provide technical services and risk management support to some of the region's largest dairies, implementing state-of-the-art precision agriculture technology and creating its producer input financing company, Verity Resources. During Larry's tenure, Landmark has been awarded two National Environmental Respect Awards for its Agronomy locations, two CHS/Cenex Star Energy Awards for Energy sales and management and several Land O'Lakes Quality Awards for Dairy Feed Production.
Larry has also been actively involved in cooperative education and community outreach while serving as CEO.In recent years, he has traveled to the Ukraine, Moldova and the Philippines as part of the United States Agency for International Development, which teaches cooperative leadership and principles to underserved rural areas around the globe.In addition, Larry currently serves as the President of the National Coop 401K Plan, Chair of the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives Advisory Committee, Director for Wisconsin Community Bank and was recently appointed as a member of Thrive, an economic development enterprise for the eight-county Madison region.
An avid world traveler who recently completed a trip to Antarctica, Larry says that while this is a bittersweet moment, he feels that this is the right time for him to step back and start working on his other goals, which include spending more time with his family, traveling and further volunteer work."Now is the time.Landmark is financially strong with the best management team we have ever had.This leaves me with the feeling that the momentum of this company will keep moving forward at full speed, which is very important to me." said Larry."December 31, 2010 will mark exactly 20 years that I have served as CEO and I will be turning 62 next February, it's the right time for the next adventure."


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A high-sensitivity sensor configuration improves upon airborne hyperspectral and multispectral sensing, particularly for thermal/infrared military target detection and/or identification. The invention combines dispersive spectrometer and filtered TDI detector techniques to provide improved NESR through increased dwell time, along with interband temporal simultaneity and spatial registration. Embodiments relating to hyperspectral, multispectral, and dual-band arrangements are disclosed.
1. In an imaging spectrometer of the type including a focal-plane array having a dispersive dimension, the improvement comprising:
a focal-plane arrangement having one or more sets of detector array segments, each such segment being laterally shifted in the dispersive dimension and optically filtered to spatial register the dispersion associated therewith;
fore-optics, including an aperture sized to permit each set of detector array segments to view a different field angle of a scene of interest; and
electronics coupled to the focal-plane arrangement to perform a time-delay-integrate (TDI) operation on a segment-by-segment basis, and generate a spectral image representative of the scene of interest.
2. The improved imaging spectrometer of claim 1, wherein at least the fore-optics and focal-plane arrangement are airborne to gather data in a second dimension during flight and image the data onto replicated sets of detector elements.
3. The improved imaging spectrometer of claim 1, wherein the spectral image is a thermal image.
4. The improved imaging spectrometer of claim 1, wherein the time-delay-integrate (TDI) operation is performed with respect to an individual segment to achieve a hyperspectral sensing configuration.
5. The improved imaging spectrometer of claim 1 wherein the time-delay-integrate (TDI) operation is performed with respect to multiple, overlapping segments to achieve a multispectral sensing configuration.
6. A high-sensitivity imaging spectrometer, comprising:
a platform moving in a first spatial dimension relative to a field of interest;
fore-optics supported on the platform to collect optical energy in the form of a plurality of multispectral segments, including an aperture sized to permit the passage of one or more segments representative of different field angles;
a dispersive module operative to wavelength separate each multispectral segment into a plurality of individual wavelength channels, each channel including a plurality of data points arranged along a second spatial dimension;
a focal-plane image sensor having a two-dimensional array of optoelectric detector elements arranged as rows and columns, the image sensor being supported relative to the dispersive module such that the wavelength channels of the multispectral segments fall onto different rows of the image sensor, with the data points within the wavelength channels falling onto different columns of the image sensor;
a plurality of wavelength-specific filters disposed in an optical path between the dispersive module and the focal-plane image sensor, each filter being matched to selectively pass the various individual wavelength channels; and
electronic circuitry in electrical communication with the optoelectric elements of the focal-plane image sensor, the circuitry being operative to generate a spectral image representative of the field of interest.
7. The high-sensitivity imaging spectrometer of claim 6, including electronic circuitry operative to perform a time-delay-integrate (TDI) function on the segments to generate the spectral image.
8. The high-sensitivity imaging spectrometer of claim 6, wherein the TDI function is performed with respect to each wavelength channel across each segment to realize a hyperspectral image.
9. The high-sensitivity imaging spectrometer of claim 6, wherein the TDI function is performed with respect to each segment across multiple segments to realize a multispectral image.
10. The high-sensitivity imaging spectrometer of claim 6, wherein the wavelength-specific filters are disposed directly onto the focal-plane image sensor.
11. The high-sensitivity imaging spectrometer of claim 6, further including an optically transmissive substrate onto which the wavelength-specific filters are disposed.
This invention relates generally to imaging spectrometers and, more particularly, to a sensor configuration which combines dispersive and filtered TDI detector techniques to realize an improved, high-sensitivity configuration, particularly for airborne thermal/infrared applications.
The acquisition and processing of multispectral and hyperspectral data from airborne electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensors has emerged in recent years as an important method for extracting information for remote imaging purposes. Examples range from geological studies and terrain classification to military target detection and identification. For the latter applications, there is considerable interest in applying multispectral techniques in the thermal infrared spectral region to support high confidence, day/night target detection and/or recognition.
Recent studies have indicated the presence of thermal multispectral signatures which theoretically enable such a capability. These color signatures in the thermal spectral region, however, are generally very subtle. Fortunately, the spectral correlation of backgrounds is generally sufficiently high to allow high confidence target detection even in the presence of relatively weak target color.
The requirements of an airborne thermal multispectral sensor are driven by the spectral and spatial properties of targets and backgrounds, and these requirements may be rather challenging if reliable multispectral signatures are to be preserved. From recent studies using sensitive, tower-based spectrometers, a measurement database relating to airborne sensor requirements has been developed. Thus far, the following primary requirements have been determined: (a) a very low sensor noise level; (b) moderately narrow spectral bands placed at specific locations (target and background dependent); (c) temporal simultaneity of the spectral channels; and (d) fine spatial registration between spectral channels.
Several sensor approaches have been developed and tested for airborne multispectral and hyperspectral imaging, each with its own merits and limitations. With respect to this invention, two design approaches in particular exhibit certain features of interest. The first approach is the dispersive imaging spectrometer, and the second is the filtered detector imaging spectrometer. Each will be discussed in turn.
FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of a dispersive imaging spectrometer. The basic elements include a slit 102 at the image plane of the sensor fore-optics 104, a dispersive spectrometer module 106 containing a dispersive element 107, and a two-dimensional focal-plane sensor array 108. The slit 102 limits the field-of-view of the sensor 108 to a one-dimensional line of pixels, while the dispersive element 107 spreads the spectrum of these pixels in the cross-slit dimension onto the focal plane array of the sensor 108. As shown in FIG. 2, the result at any instant in time is a frame of data points containing a contiguous series of spectral channels, each with a one-dimensional image of the slit-limited field-of-view. In a conventional airborne sensor implementation, forward aircraft motion 101 is used to obtain the second image dimension from multiple frame sequences. Those of skill in the art are aware that there exists a variety of optical configurations for each of the various subassemblies.
The primary merits of the dispersive imaging spectrometer approach just described are: (1) no moving parts; (2) spectral channels which are sensed with essentially perfect simultaneity; and (3) very low noise performance. To achieve the low noise performance in the thermal spectral region, however, the sensor must be cryogenically cooled. When such cooling is provided, each detector element senses only radiation within the spectral channel passband. This results in minimal background noise, and is a favorable, distinguishing characteristic as compared to temporal or spatial Fourier transform spectrometer techniques.
Two important drivers associated with low noise include detector array performance and sensor throughput (etendue). Achieving high sensor throughput with a dispersive imaging spectrometer without seriously degrading spectral and spatial performance is the primary design challenge. Several spectrometer approaches have been studied to meet this challenge. The primary concerns of the dispersive imaging approach spectrometer are the effects of detector spatial noise and spatial-spectral distortion of the arrangement in terms of the spectral correlation of background measurements. Minimization of spatial-spectral distortion, in particular, is more difficult to achieve as sensor throughput is increased for better noise performance. This results in a constraining sensor trade-off for airborne operation where the allowable sensor dwell time is limited by platform dynamics. For example, consider a platform traveling at 120 knots (roughly 60 m/s) at an altitude of 1000 ft. With a 1 mrad IFOV (infrared field of view), the sensor must operate at 200 frames per second (5 msec dwell time) to achieve nominally 1 ft. of ground resolution. The theoretical lower limit to the cryogenically cooled sensor noise equivalent spectral radiance or NESR (i.e., background limit) is approximately ##EQU1## where L.sub.λ is the source spectral radiance, η is the detector quantum efficiency, AΩ is the sensor throughput (including optical transmission), Td is the dwell time, and αλ is the spectral bandwidth for the spectral channel.
Based upon existing throughput and detector characteristics (η=0.3 in LWIR, 0.1 in MWIR), along with a 5 msec dwell time and 100 nm spectral bandwidth, an NESR of 0.26 μW/cm2 μmsr is achievable at 4.7 microns and 0.23 μW/cm2 μmsr at 10 microns for a 300K source. This sensitivity is approximately 4 to 5 times inferior to the desired noise performance. Some small gains (about a factor of 2) may be made using higher quantum efficiency detectors, but with a potential penalty in terms of spatial noise. Increasing sensor throughput is also a potentially difficult task due to the stringent spatial-spectral distortion requirements. This leaves dwell time as the only remaining variable. To increase dwell time with this sensor approach, however either the platform must fly slower or the sensor must backscan. The former may not be practical and the latter involves a potentially complicated pointing system. In both cases, the rate of ground coverage is sacrificed. Moreover, since the NESR is inversely proportional to the square root of the dwell time, this reduction in ground coverage is likely to exceed an order of magnitude.
One alternative design approach to the dispersive imaging spectrometer is the filtered detector imaging spectrometer, which utilizes an arrangement of filtered detectors in the focal plane of an imaging system including fore-optics 304 and relay optics 306. FIG. 3 is a pictorial representative of this approach. The basic concept utilizes a series of one-dimensional focal plane arrays such as 302 in the image plane, each filtered to a different spectral band of interest. Due to the lateral separation between detectors, there is a field shift between spectral channels, which, in an airborne operation, results in a time lag between spectral images. If the platform dynamics are precisely known or controlled, however, it is theoretically possible to register the spectral images, though, in practice, this is a somewhat difficult task.
The advantage of the filtered detector approach is that time-delay-integrate (TDI) techniques may be used to increase the effective integration time. Making reference to the focal plane layout shown in FIG. 4, the idea behind TDI is to shift the sensed charges from each line of detectors in conjunction with the image motion to provide a larger effective dwell time than allowed by the spatial resolution constraint for a non-TDI image sensor. This TDI operation is not achievable with the dispersive imaging spectrometer because of the spectral dispersion in the image motion direction. Problems associated with the filtered detector approach include the lack of temporal simultaneity in the spectral measurements and spatial misregistration in actual practice. Both of these problems result in spectral decorrelation, which is a primary characteristic to be preserved.
In an imaging spectrometer of the type including a focal-plane array having a dispersive dimension, this invention improves upon the existing art by providing a focal-plane arrangement having one or more sets of detector array segments, each such segment being laterally shifted in the dispersive dimension and optically filtered to spatial register the dispersion associated therewith. Fore-optics are provided which enable each set of detector array segments to view a different field angle of a scene of interest, and electronic circuitry, coupled to the focal-plane arrangement, is operative to perform a time-delay-integrate (TDI) operation on a segment-by-segment basis and generate a spectral image representative of the scene of interest. In a typical configuration, at least the fore-optics and focal-plane arrangement are airborne to gather data in a second dimension during flight and image the data onto replicated sets of detector elements. Depending upon the application, the spectral image may be thermally based. In one embodiment, TDI operation is performed with respect to an individual segment to achieve a hyperspectral sensing configuration. In an alternative embodiment, the TDI operation is performed with respect to multiple, overlapping segments to achieve a multispectral sensing configuration. The invention is also applicable to other sensor arrangements, including dual-band framing.
A high-sensitivity imaging spectrometer according to the invention might therefore include:
a platform moving in a first spatial dimension relative to a field of interest;
fore-optics supported on the platform to collect optical energy in the form of a plurality of multispectral segments, each at a different field angle;
a dispersive module operative to wavelength separate each multispectral segment into a plurality of individual wavelength channels, each channel including a plurality of data points arranged along a second spatial dimension;
a focal-plane image sensor having a two-dimensional array of optoelectric detector elements arranged as rows and columns, the image sensor being supported relative to the dispersive module such that the wavelength channels of the multispectral segments fall onto different rows of the image sensor, with the data points within the wavelength channels falling onto different columns of the image sensor;
a plurality of wavelength-specific filters disposed in an optical path between the dispersive module and the focal-plane image sensor, each filter being matched to selectively pass the various individual wavelength channels; and
electronic circuitry in electrical communication with the optoelectric elements of the focal-plane image sensor, the circuitry being operative to generate a spectral image representative of the field of interest.
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a prior-art dispersive imaging spectrometer arrangement;
FIG. 2 represents a focal plane layout of the dispersive imaging spectrometer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a pictorial of a prior-art filter detector imaging spectrometer;
FIG. 4 represents a focal plane layout of the filter detector imaging spectrometer of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a pictorial of a time-delay-integrate (TDI) dispersive imaging spectrometer according to the present invention;
FIG. 6 represents a focal plane layout for a spectrometer according to this invention for use in a hyperspectral sensor application;
FIG. 7 represents a focal plane layout for a spectrometer according to this invention in a multispectral sensor application; and
FIG. 8 represents a focal plane layout for a dual-band framing sensor according to the present invention.
As discussed in the Background of this invention, the dispersive imaging spectrometer approach exhibits many attractive features for airborne hyperspectral or multispectral sensing, but is somewhat constrained in achieving an improved NESR. The instant invention improves upon the dispersive approach by allowing TDI operation, thereby achieving better noise performance without causing a reduction in sensor coverage or requiring higher sensor throughput (and degraded spatial-spectral properties).
As illustrated in FIG. 5, the optical train, which includes fore-optics 504 and a dispersive module 506, is dispersive, but without the slit. The focal plane arrangement 508, examples of which are described below, consists of a replicated set of detector array segments laterally shifted in the dispersion direction. Each array segment consists of a two-dimensional array of filtered detector elements, or alternatively, each segment may comprise a set of one-dimensional arrays arranged in the orthogonal dimension. For each segment, the filter characteristics are matched to the dispersion; that is, the spectral channels are spatially registered to view the same field angle. For a single detector segment, the configuration is analogous to a conventional dispersive spectrometer, assuming the filter bandwidths also match the spectral resolution of the spectrometer. But by using multiple segments which view different field angles, it is possible to increase the effective dwell time through segment-to-segment digital TDI. Thus, the invention preserves the important inter-band temporal simultaneity and spatial registration attributes of the dispersive spectrometer, while providing a path for increased dwell time, thereby reducing NESR, by virtue of the TDI. The TDI is preferably achieved off-chip; that is, the array is read out in frames and the proper shifted rows are digitally summed on a frame-to-frame basis.
For a hyperspectral sensor (characterized by measurement of the full spectrum across the spectral range), a multiple slit dispersive spectrometer arrangement may alternatively be employed. For multispectral operation (subset of spectral bands from hyperspectrum), the filtered concept provides additional degrees of freedom for design tradeoffs. This is illustrated in the following design examples.
In a hyperspectral configuration, the spectral channels form a continuum. As such, the TDI segments form a discrete set of non-contiguous, equally spaced field angles. An example of the focal plane arrangement is shown in FIG. 6. To help illustrate this example, consider the design of a hyperspectral imaging sensor for the LWIR (8-12 micron) spectral region with 100-nm spectral resolution and 50-nm spectral sampling. Further assume a focal plane array 603 with 640�480 detector elements, each 50 microns in size. Such an array may be segmented into 8 segments such as 606 and 608, each with, say, 480 detectors in the spatial direction 610 and 80, for example, in the spectral direction. For use in the infrared, each segment may be covered with a filter assembly which ramps in center wavelength from 8 to 12 microns across the array, with 100-nm bandwidth throughout. The filter assembly may be in the form of a discrete filter array or a linear variable filter, and fabricated either on a separate substrate or coated directly onto the detector array.
If the spectrometer optics can be modified while maintaining f/3 performance with 50% optical transmission (1.1�10-6 cm2 sr throughput), then a background limited NESR of 0.12 μW/cm2 μmsr is achievable at 10 microns with a low quantum-efficiency detector such a Si:As (η=0.3) or 0.09 μW/cm2 μmsr with a high quantum efficiency detector such as HgCdTe (η=0.6). If throughput is maintained at previously achievable levels, these results reduce to 0.09 μW/cm2 μmsr and 0.06 μW/cm2 μmsr, respectively, which come very close to the desired performance level. With a modestly reduced platform velocity it may be possible to achieve or exceed the desired NESR.
In addition to the need for a larger size, filtered focal plane array, the primary penalty of this approach is the need to stabilize the sensor over a longer time frame and match the v/h of the platform with the detector frame rate. The stabilization time is the product of the number of spectral channels, number of TDI segments, and the dwell time per pixel, or, for this example, 3.2 seconds. Using a half pixel criterion, the v/h match is one part in twice the product of the number of bands and TDI segments, or one part in 1280 for this example. These are both challenging, although it should be stressed that by design the spectral correlation characteristics are not degraded with stabilization and TDI rate match errors, but only the spatial resolution. Also, the raw detector array frames can be acquired such that: (1) the number of TDI segments can be adjusted in the data processing; and (2) the TDI segments can be reregistered prior to integration. The spectral channels within a segment are automatically registered to each other.
Measurement results have indicated that for specified detection problems, a small set of spectral bands may be used to provide excellent detection results. In this case, it is not necessary to acquire the entire hyperspectrum, and significant tradeoffs can be made simultaneously realized with the TDI dispersive sensor concept to improve performance and relax the detector, spectrometer, and stabilization requirements.
As an example, consider a detector array segment consisting of four rows of detectors filtered to 100 nm bandwidth with 9.35, 9.65, 9.95, and 10.25 micron band centers, which provides very good performance for various targets, weather conditions, and time of day. If the dispersion of the spectrometer subsystem is relaxed to provide only 300 nm dispersion between adjacent detector elements (a 6� reduction) replicating this 64 times results in a 256�N focal plane array, where N is chosen to obtain the desired cross-track FOV.
FIG. 7 illustrates the focal plane arrangement for three segments. The spectrometer design is less challenging because of the significantly reduced dispersion, making it possible to increase throughput. Even without increasing the throughput relative to the SEBASS sensor and using low-quantum-efficiency Si:As detectors, the NESR is reduced by the 64 TDI to 0.03 μW/cm2 μmsr. As a result of the reduced number of bands, the stabilization and TDI rate match requirements are relaxed by a factor of 2.5 relative to the hyperspectral case, even with the full 8� increase in TDI.
The ability to easily implement a multispectral sensor design using this technique depends on the locations of the spectral bands. In the above example, the three desired bands were separated by a multiple of 300 nm. Therefore, a four-band set could be easily implemented (assuming roughly constant angular dispersion) with an extra fourth band. There may be band combinations for which this will not work as well, although the hyperspectral case represents the worst-case situation.
In some instances, dual-band combinations offer substantial target detection performance gain relative to broadband or single-band image sensing. A framing sensor embodiment may represent an attractive approach for a dual-band forward-looking infrared radar (FLIR). Consider a design utilizing a 256�256 framing array with alternating striped filters along one direction with 9.25 and 9.5 micron band centers, and a dispersion of 250 nm per pixel in this same direction. In the forward-looking case, the image does not move quickly across the focal plane. Therefore, both focal plane directions could be used for imaging with TDI in the time dimension (i.e., frame averaging). Correlation tracking may also be used, if needed, to minimize spatial resolution loss through TDI.
The primary component requirements for fabricating a sensor of the type presented are: (1) dispersive module with low spatial-spectral distortion over a relatively large focal plane; (2) precisely fabricated wedge or patterned IR spectral filter assemblies; and (3) moderate- to large-area IR focal plane arrays.
The requirements of the dispersive module are similar to the performance of the SEBASS design. For the hyperspectral example, which is clearly the most challenging, there is an additional requirement to achieve acceptable spectrometer performance over a larger field in the dispersive direction to accommodate the multiple TDI segments. This may be particularly challenging but technologically feasible. For the multispectral and dual-band examples, the dispersive module components are somewhat relaxed relative to the SEBASS performance in terms of reduced dispersion with a similar or smaller image field. These cases do not present an extremely difficult dispersive module design.
The spectral filter assembly needs are directly in line with current technologies for pattered multilayer IR spectral filter fabrication. Wedge filters with similar characteristics to the hyperspectral segment have been demonstrated by spatially controlled coating processes, either on the IR focal plane array itself, or on an IR transmitting substrate which is then placed in front of the focal plane. In the latter case, the design may be spatially replicated by piecing together multiple filters, subject to alignment issues.
In the case of the multispectral and dual-band examples, the requirement is a patterned coating with discrete filters striped across the detector rows. Two-dimensional patterned IR bandpass filters have previously been fabricated using microlithographic patterning and liftoff techniques. This process is relatively expensive, but capable of providing filters with similar filter characteristics, as needed. The primary difficulty is achieving smaller filter element sizes. A 100-micron pitch has been demonstrated on a 500-micron substrate.
The IR focal plane array requirements are also in line with the current state-of-the-art. Once again, the hyperspectral example presents the greatest difficulty. While MWIR and LWIR arrays with 640�480 elements have been demonstrated, they generally have a detector element size on the order of 20 to 30 microns. A larger detector size is desired both to provide a higher sensor throughput (better sensitivity) and relax the filter requirements.
The multispectral and dual-band examples present less stressing focal plane array requirements. For these examples, the detector count can be on the order of 256�256 such that a larger detector element size is achievable. Of course, with advances in IR focal plane array and spectral filtering technologies, larger focal plane array sizes will be feasible, providing increased ground and/or spectral coverage.
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Event Recap: Just Cause 2013
Dec 2nd, 2013
Just Cause 2013 was an absolute success! The concert – held at Tropicalia and headlined by Fly Rebel Society – featured some superb performances by Husky Hazel, Monty Cold, Darren Hanible and Marco The Brand – all with the common goal of raising funds to make a donation towards Santa Cause.
The turnout was amazing. Family, friends and fans came out in droves to show their support for their favorite artists.
Our beautiful host for the night, Toni (@misstonic813) did an incredible job keeping the event moving and engaging the artists and audience all night. Everyone loved her!
DJ Heat (@DJHeatDC) kept the crowd hype all night as well by spinning some of the hottest music out right now.
The event got underway when Husky Hazel (@HuskyHazel) took the stage to perform an amazing set – complete with a live band! Check out the snippet of his cover of Musiq SoulChild's "Just Friends (Sunny)".
Next up was Monty Cold (@coldforshort), who took the trip from out-of-state to deliver a dope set!
Darren Hanible (@darrenhanible) was completely dope and the crowd was definitely enjoying his performance.
Mr Santa Cause himself, Mo Betta (@betta_mo) took to the stage to remind everyone why we were really there for the night. He spent a few minutes discussing the Santa Cause mission and how we could further support the charity.
The featured act and lone R&B artist on the bill, Marco The Brand (@Marco_TheBrand) performed some tracks from his latest release "Temporary Forevers" (stream/download). Check out the clip of him performing a fan favorite "Hot Box" from "Karma" (stream/download).
Last and certainly not least, the headliners took the stage. Fly Rebel Society performed a mix of hits from "The FRESH Effect" (iTunes/Amazon) as well as some currently unreleased (or should I say soon to be released *hint) tracks. That's wasn't all though! If you were in the building you found out that Cooley does a mean salsa, you witnessed a nasty freestyle battle between Lega-c and godlymC, and just in case you forgot, they took the time to remind everyone…
Respect to every single person who came through to support the event!
All Photo Credits: The Javiii (Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr)
- http://twitter.com/strictlyTIKI
- http://twitter.com/strictlyTIKI/status/409635196850282496/
- http://twitter.com/Lil_MissShowOff/status/409769367489245184/
- http://twitter.com/_Playy/status/409802754283290625/
- http://twitter.com/VidaSupr3meBnx/status/409860718776057856/
- http://twitter.com/FlyRebelSociety/status/410156367862038528/
- http://twitter.com/FlyRebelSociety/status/410194206511357952/
- http://twitter.com/YoungYellow47/status/410448928992428032/
- http://twitter.com/strictlyTIKI/status/413110584863752192/
- http://twitter.com/YoungYellow47/status/413111119830847488/


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US Pentagon computers cannot be protected, says NSA head
January 13, 2012 3 Comments
By JOSEPH FITSANAKIS | intelNews.org |
The man in charge of America's most powerful intelligence agency says the United States Department of Defense computer network is so disordered and chaotic that it cannot be defended from cyberattacks. General Keith Alexander directs the National Security Agency, America's wealthiest intelligence institution, which expert James Bamford has described as "the world's most powerful spy agency". As America's foremost signals intelligence agency, the NSA is largely responsible for protecting the integrity, security and cohesion of the country's public and restricted military communications networks, including computer networks. To do so, it consumes an annual budget that dwarfs those of most other intelligence agencies, and employs entire armies of computer security experts and other professionals. But, according to General Alexander, who also heads the US Pentagon's new Cyber Command, there is not much his army of cyberwarriors can do to either prevent or repel possible large-scale cyberattacks directed against the DoD's computer networks. The NSA chief was speaking yesterday at the International Conference on Cyber Security, a high-profile gathering of experts at New York's Fordham University. He told the conference, which is sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, that the Pentagon's computer infrastructure is too anarchic and chaotic to be successfully defended from cyberespionage, cyberterrorism, or cyberwarfare assaults. He said the DoD computer system consists of so many interconnected networks —over 15,000 in all— that the NSA "can't see them all [let alone] defend them all". As a result, said Alexander, the DoD's current communications infrastructure "is indefensible". Read more of this post


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California First to Levy Cell Phone Charger Regulations
Article Comments
Top message: 13%? by dlmjr
Replying to: Re: 13%? by dlmjr
dlmjr said:
The sad part is people will swallow these made up stats and regurgitate them without question.
I hope not, but maybe thats wishful thinking on my part. I live in California. Talk radio regularly pokes fun of exaggerated stats like this to justify new laws and regulations. You have a very good point
No replies to this message


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Sony is rolling out a new software update for the Xperia P, U, Go and Sola. The latest update brings improvements to: stability, WiFi, tethering/portable hotspot, camera (capture and playback), NFC and Messaging.Read More
Sony has started rolling out the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS for the Xperia U, go and Sola smartphones. The latest update will not be available via OTA (Over-The-Air).Read More
Sony Xperia Go is a water resistant, scratch resistant and dust proof smartphone. This handset is currently up for pre-order at Flipkart for Rs.18,999 (approx. $350).Read More
Sony Mobile has also launched the mid-range Sony Xperia Go smartphone. It is a water resistant, scratch resistant and dust proof smartphone for budget conscious consumers.Read More


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Did Pat Hickey keep olympic bribes secret?
The British Government's denial of a visa for the president of the Belarus national Olympic committee – who also happens to be the president of Belarus – was a blow to Irish IOC member Pat Hickey, always happy to overlook his pal's favourite sports of murder, torture, corruption and vote-rigging in his day job as the dictator of Minsk.
The love affair between Alexander Lukashenko and Hickey blossomed four years ago when the Dublin property dealer, who presides over Europe's Olympic Committees, arbitrarily presented the thug with a special award for his 'Outstanding Contribution to the Olympic Movement.'
What could this be? Lukashenko's locking up brave young human rights protestors? The disqualification of two Belarusian athletes at the Beijing games after testing positive for more testosterone than a billy goat on Viagra? Lukashenko has kept them on the sauce with the London 2012 women's shotput winner soon stripped of her gold medal.
Transparency In Sport has recently unearthed in an Olympic archive a 'Strictly private and confidential' letter written by Hickey in 1991 to the good ol' boys in Salt Lake City who were bidding for the 1998 winter games. The helpful Hickey had some inside track on pay-offs. 'Certain IOC members have entered in to a contract with Nagano to vote for them for a fee of $100,000,' he confided. Nagano won the games and lesson learned, Salt Lake paid industrial-scale bribes and won 2002.
Hickey said he had this information from Italy's Mario Pescante who survived a doping cover-up scandal in Italian football to become Berlusconi's sports minister and an IOC member.
As the scandal of Salt Lake's bribes unfolded in 1999 Pat Hickey was an obvious candidate for the IOC's reform committee. He sat alongside fellow IOC members Mario Pescante; Ivan Slavkov (forced to resign after Panorama filmed him soliciting a bribe), Joao Havelange (forced to resign last year after Panorama caught him trousering a $1 million kickback), Pal Schmitt (resigned as president of Hungary earlier this year following allegations that he plagiarised his PhD thesi),; Primo Nebiolo (now deceased; rigged athletics results and supplied drugs to Italian athletes), and ice hockey boss Rene Fasel (reprimanded by the IOC Ethics Commission in 2010 for 'tarnishing' their reputation. A close friend had been paid £800,000 by the Swiss company awarded international marketing rights for ice hockey)
That Swiss company, which also receives football World Cup marketing contracts, is now headed by Philipp Blatter nephew of seedy FIFA president Sepp Blatter, also a member of the reform commission. Making up the numbers were Henry Kissinger and, er, Seb Coe.
Coincidentally, on the same day last month the Lukashenko ban was announced Hickey was elected unopposed to the IOC's Executive Board.
* * *
- Crosspost von Transparency in Sport, Nachfolger/Ergänzung von/zu Transparency in Sport :)
- Pat Hickey ist ein wichtiger Wahlhelfer des UDIOCM für 2013.
3 Pingbacks
- IOC EB member Pat Hickey, his son & the deals they do : sport and politics | 02.10.2012
- Was vom Tage übrig bleibt (12. Juni 2015): FIFA, European Games, Patrick Hickey und die Verantwortungslosigkeit des Sports • sport and politics | 12.06.2015
- Was vom Tage übrig bleibt (12. Juni 2015): FIFA, European Games, Patrick Hickey und die Verantwortungslosigkeit des Sports • sport and politics | 12.06.2015
4 comments.
Interessantes von Andrew Jennings über Hickey's Kontakte zur weissrussischen Diktatur.
Hab an dieser Stelle noch keine englischsprachigen Crossposts gesehen. Ist das die Premiere hier?
Ah okay. Die uninformierte Nachfrage war auch eher dem Umstand geschuldet, dass ich dein Blog seit der Pechstein-Debatte recht lange nicht verfolgt habe.
Gefällt mir extrem gut, dass du englischsprachige Beiträge einstreust und die Reichweite erhöhst.
… testing positive for more testosterone than a billy goat on Viagra? Lukashenko has kept them on the sauce …
Einer der Sportfreunde aus der SLC-Ethik-Kommission des IOC, der, der seine WM 2014 an Lukaschenko vergeben hat, ist übrigens gestern wieder zum Verbandspräsidenten "gewählt" worden, mit noch bessrem Ergebnis als es die Parlamentswahlen für Kumpel Lukashenko gebracht haben und natürlich – ohne Gegenkandidaten: Rene Fasel, IIHF.
Dem werden übrigens auch Ambitionen auf die Rogge-Nachfolge nachgesagt, hier:


text: The Carmilla wiki last edited by Deusoma on 01/18/15 03:44PM View full history Carmilla is a barefoot vampiric worshipper of Dracula, and has more than once attempted to stop the Belmont clan from destroying Dracula. Her consort is Laura. Her character is likely based on the title character of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 novella, Carmilla. Her Japanese name, カーミラ, has been translated as "Carmilla," "Camilla," and "Camila."


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Officials concerned about vacancies in Bennington's downtownBy Patrick McArdle
STAFF WRITER | April 04,2013BENNINGTON Over the last few months, the core of the downtown has lost several businesses which either have or will be closing and while town staff and the Better Bennington Corp. are working to attract replacements, they face limitations that theyre trying to overcome.
Since January, Carmodys Irish Pub closed down and Merchants Bank, which is almost directly at the intersection known as the Four Corners, announced it would consolidate locations and move to Northside Drive. Dougs Bar was shut down last week when the state pulled its liquor license but the owner told the Vermont Liquor Control Boards members that they had already been planning to close at the end of the month.
Those vacancies add to a group of other locations on Main Street, some of which have gone unused for years.
Michael Harrington, economic and community development director for the town, said that the problem may appear worse than it is because several of the new vacancies are concentrated on the east side of Main Street.
As people are driving down the street or walking down the street when they begin to see one or more (empty) shops in a row or directly across the street from each other, Im sure that can immediately give off the connotation that there are a lot of vacancies in town. (But) our net growth in the downtown is up in terms of businesses. The problem is that not all of those places are visible, he said.
Harrington said he believes there needs to be a focus on replacing those businesses although he said the towns role was more to assist a potential new business owner and make the town an attractive site than to recruit businesses.
John Shannahan, executive director of the Better Bennington Corp., or BBC, said that he didnt believe any of the recent closures could be directly tied to the economy.
But when a business closes, the eyes usually go on Mike (Harrington), the chamber (of commerce), the BBC, the whole town of Bennington as being the reason or responsible for it when, in fact, were not because we dont own it, he said.
Shannahan said the BBC uses its website to provide information about available commercial properties in the downtown and the types of businesses that they believe would complement the downtown.
One concern Shannahan raised was over property owners and Realtors keeping their available sites looking good and marketable.
Were definitely dropping the ball in Bennington. If youre selling a house, your house never looks better. The house looks spectacular because you want to sell it but a lot of the properties downtown, arent even rentable, he said.
Shannahan said some prospective tenants wont even consider some of the more neglected sites because theyre not looking to do construction, theyre looking to start their business.
Its not lack of interest. We talk to people all the time but its got to be affordable, its got to be ready. They want to be in downtown. The people who are interested dont think the economys a problem, they dont think that parkings a problem, they dont think the Bennington markets a problem, they think whats available is a problem, he said.
Both Shannahan and Harrington said they believe there would also be more growth if some of the second and third floor spaces were developed as residences to bring more people into the downtown. Shannahan has been working on a project to bring a food cooperative into the downtown which he believes would serve people who lived there and prosper if more people had downtown homes.
While Shannahan acknowledged that the downtown has taken a hit with the opening of the newest leg of Route 279, known locally as the Bennington Bypass, he said he believed there would be benefits in the future from removing trucks from the downtown roads.
patrick.mcardle@ rutlandherald.comMORE IN Southern VermontBENNINGTON — Ask author and Bennington College graduate Charlotte Silver if the title of... Full StoryPresident Calvin Coolidge was remembered in all sorts of ways Saturday on the 143rd anniversary... Full StoryPresident Calvin Coolidge was remembered in all sorts of ways Saturday on the 143rd anniversary... Full Story
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I'm spending a few days at Search Engine Strategies here in New York. It's my 4th year, and although this side of the US is quite close to Europe, there definitely are some things to learn from our American cousins.
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text: ARLINGTON, TEXAS -- What was always inevitable for Florida is now less than 24 hours away. Here's how this third straight Elite Eight sets up for these eager Gators. You've got this seriously good team with a seriously strange flaw. It's the most unusual of statistical quirks. UF only wins big. Twenty-nine victories for Billy Donovan's boys, all of them by 10 points or more. And six of their seven losses have been by single digits.


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The CFSP in Action - Kosovo
When Milosovic finally accepted international involvement in Kosovo in 1999 under the weight of NATO bombing and the possible threat of a ground invasion, Kosovo was placed under international control through the United Nations (UNSC resolution 1244). Security was provided by NATO forces (KFOR) and a UN Interim Administration (UNMIK) set up to administer the territory, organised in four "pillars". The EU assumed responsibility for the reconstruction and economic development pillar with the task of helping the civilian authorities in Kosovo to revive the economy and privatise the large number of businesses in state ownership. The other pillars were police and justice under the UN, civil administration also under the UN and democratisation and institution building under the OSCE.
Through its administration in Pristina, the EU helped with many aspects of Kosovo's economy, from establishing a civil airport in the capital to creating the basic institutions capable of drawing up and administering Kosovo's budget. The privatisation programme started in earnest in 2005 with 18 waves of businesses being sold off; an important initiative to show that Kosovo welcomed international investment.
Kosovo's Independence
Despite this extensive international involvement in its internal affairs, Kosovo remained formally a part of Serbia, but with its 90% ethnic-Albanian population demanding an independence rejected by the Serbs it was a major cause of regional instability. The UN asked the former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari to find a solution to the question of Kosovo's future status and he reported to the UN Security Council in March 2007. Mr Ahtissari said that independence for Kosovo was the "only viable solution" but he proposed that Kosovo be given independence under international supervision for an initial period.
The EU endorsed the proposals put forward by Mr Ahtisaari in June 2007 - and called for the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution on the plan "in a timely manner". The EU Planning Team in Kosovo was created in April 2006 to develop the capacity to assist Kosovo to deal with any change in its status following the Ahtisaari report. The EU offered to "play a significant role" in the implementation of the Ahtisaari proposals.
The largest obstacle to agreement on a resolution at the UN was Russia's refusal to accept any agreement unless it was supported by Serbia. Conversely it was politically impossible for any Serbian politician to accept Kosovan independence when the Russians were not doing so. The Russian objections were partly an unwillingness to be "bulldozed" (as they saw it) by an increasingly resented West, as well objecting to a precedent being set of part of a country allowed independence against the wishes of the remaining population. Russia therefore called for talks between Serbia and Kosovo to continue until a compromise solution was found, even though no compromise was possible given the fundamental objections on the part of Serbia to Kosovo ceasing to be part of Serbia and the Kosovan demand for independence.
Although the partition of Kosovo between ethnic Albanians and the Serbians was suggested at various times, was never acceptable to all the parties at the same time and was not therefore a viable option.
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Mr Agim Çeku, announced that if, following elections in November 2007, the deadlock over Kosovo's future in the UN Security Council continued, Kosovo would be likely to unilaterally declare independence and seek recognition by the international community and particularly by the Member States of the EU.
This is in fact what happened with Kosovo declaring independence on 17 February 2008, in a vote by the Kosovan Parliament boycotted by ethnic the Serbian minority's MPs who boycotted the session. Although there was some violence in the hours after the declaration, for the most part of Kosovo's change of status did not provoke serious problems elsewhere in the Western Balkans or even Kosovo itself, although it did strengthen the de facto separation of ethnic-Serbian northern Kosovo bordering Serbia from the ethnic-Albanian bulk of Kosovo.
The Kosovan Government was careful to follow the recommendations of the Ahtissari report in the implementation of independence. This means that the international community still plays a significant part in internal Kosovan affairs.
The International Community in Kosovo
There are three elements to the international community's involvement in Kosovo today:
- the EU, working on civilian issues including the establishment of the rule of law;
- the International Civilian Representative, who holds a position similar to that of the High Representative in Bosnia; this post is held concurrently by the EU's Special Representative in Kosovo;
- the NATO KFOR security force of 15,000 personnel.
In its declaration of independence, the Kosovan Parliament accepted the limitations on its independence proposed by Ahtissari. This means a high level of protection for minorities in the Kosovan Constitution (agreed in June 2008), an undertaking that Kosovo will not become part of another country (eg Albania), that it would have only limited security forces of its own and that there would be international supervision of independence.
The EU's largest single project in Kosovo is the EULEX rule of law mission, launched under the auspices of the European Security & Defence Policy with unanimous support from Member States despite the split over recognition. The purpose of EULEX is to assist Kosovo in establishing the rule of law through effective and independent courts, police and customs services. It is a large mission given the size of Kosovo – 3,000 people when it is fully deployed (of whom 1,100 will be locally employed). The mission is largely advisory, helping the Kosovans to establish institutions that can deliver justice in an ethnically divided society but it has some limited executive responsibilities too.
Following independence, KFOR and the United States are involved in the development of a new Kosovo Security Force that replaces the Kosovo Protection Force, a paramilitary body established after 1999 and mostly recruited from members of the Albanian majority's Kosovo Liberation Army.
Whilst Kosovo remains so deeply divided, and following the bloodshed of 2004 when there were violent attacks on Serbian residents and property that cost the lives of 19 people and led to the destruction of 35 Serbian orthodox churches and monasteries, the NATO-led KFOR remains necessary to ensure security (although the country has been largely peaceful since then).
Kosovo's future
There remain uncertainties about the future of Kosovo. Although recognised by most EU Member States and the United States, Kosovo's independence was not recognised by Greece, Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus and Romania. More importantly, while Russia insists that it will veto any UN Security Resolution approving independence because of Serbian opposition, Kosovo's status remains in some legal doubt. For the EU and US, the separation of Kosov from Serbia is a unique case because of Milosovic's near-genocidal treatment of the 90% majority ethnic-Albanian population; it does not therefore create a precedent in breach of the principles of territorial integrity and inviolability of frontiers. The Russians have however used it to justify their military operation to detach Abhazia and South Ossetia from Georgia in August 2008.
Serbia is now seeking a ruling from the International Court of Justice on the status of Kosovo having sought and obtained a resolution in support of this referral from the UN General Assembly in October 2008.
As with the rest of the Western Balkans, the EU's intention – ever since the Thessaloniki European Council in 2003 - is that Kosovo should in due course become a member of the EU. Given the difficulties over the divided status of Cyprus and the problems over corruption in Bulgaria and Romania, it is likely to be some years before current EU Member States feel confident enough to accept Kosovo as a full member, even if the question of the legality of Kosovo's independence can be resolved.
The EU will, nonetheless, continue to play a major part in the process of turning Kosovo into a viable state, governed under the rule of law and with a stable security situation.
October 2006; revised March 2009


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Londonist Underground: Homeless By The Tube
Another original painting in our ongoing series.
Another original painting in our ongoing series.
A selection of passages from beneath the capital.
Feel familiar?
A cutesy iPad drawing of some beasties in a carriage.
Imagining a catwalk on the Tube...powered by mice.
Two of our dinosaurs are missing.
The buried rivers of London flow once again.
Here be dragons...and mice, monkeys and Wombles.
Further entries in our subterranean London competition.
How different the Northern Line looked 15 years ago.
Mail Rail, Aldwych, Greenwich Foot Tunnel and a little-known road ...
Prints inspired by ripped-up underground posters.
Tottenham Court Road...as a launch tube.
Evocative photos of the Tube's uppy-downy bits.
Latest entry in our competition to capture subterranean London.


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Egg-ceptional ways to color Easter eggsFor many families, Easter wouldn't be Easter without some decorated eggs. And, of course, for families with young children, egg decorating can be a fun family activity. With that in mind, here are a few decorating ideas that can transform an Easter tradition into kid-friendly art projects:
By: Sherri Richards, INFORUM
Get crackin'
Before coloring the eggs, you've got to cook them. These directions come from the American Egg Board.
- Place eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat over high heat just to boiling.
- Remove from burner. Cover pan. Let eggs stand in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs, 12 minutes for medium and 18 minutes for extra large.
- Cool completely under cold running water or in a bowl of ice water.
Ages 4 and up:
Crayon Easter Eggs
Hard-cooked eggs
Neon food coloring
White vinegar
Use crayons to draw designs on the eggs. Hold the egg gently so they do not crack.
Mix 1 tablespoon white vinegar, ½-cup hot water and several drops of food coloring in a coffee mug. Dip colored egg into the dye and let sit for about a minute.
Let dry. The dye makes the crayon look brighter, especially if it is neon food coloring.
Ages 7 and up:
Sponge Painted Eggs
Hard-cooked eggs
Nontoxic acrylic craft paint
Household sponge
Paper towel
Soak a household sponge in water, then ring out completely. Cut the sponge into several pieces, enough so you have one for each color of paint.
Squeeze paint onto paper plate and dab sponge into desired paint color. Dab the sponge onto a piece of paper towel, removing excess paint.
Dab the sponge onto the egg, painting as much as you'd like.
Let dry and add different colors. You can also paint the egg a solid color first and then sponge paint.
Instead of acrylic paint, you can add food coloring to a few drops of vinegar and dip the sponge into the dye. (Examples are shown above.)
Ages 9 and up:
Drip Dot Eggs
Hard-cooked eggs
Nontoxic acrylic craft paint
Place some paint on a paper plate or small dish. Add several drops of water to the paint to thin it out.
Using the paintbrush, place a generous dot of paint on top of your egg. If the paint is not thin enough to start dripping down the egg, add another generous dot. If it still doesn't drip, dip your paintbrush in water and add to the dot on the egg until it begins dripping down the egg.
Repeat this several times so that it drips down around the egg several times. Use two different colors to create drips. Allow the drips to dry completely.
Hold the egg upside down and paint the bottom half of the egg solid. This will cover up the end of the drips. Place the egg upside down to allow the solid area to dry. If needed, repeat with another coat and let dry again.
When dry, use the handle end of a paintbrush dipped in white paint to add polka dots to your solid color. Let dry.
Compiled by Forum reporter Sherri Richards. She can be reached at (701) 241-5556 or email@example.com
Tags: arts and crafts, egg decorating, lifeeaster, moms, eggs, northland, agriculture, life


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Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim (ANPP, Yobe East) yesterday accused the security agencies, especially the police of pushing the Boko Haram sect to the wall by killing their leaders and 5,000 other innocent people in the north.
Contributing to a motion sponsored by Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa (ANPP, Zamfara Central) and all the senators on the recent banditry attack on Kabaru village in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Ibrahim said the security agencies had killed more people than the sect had done.
"What is happening today is really very sad, security agencies are the number one killers in term of number. I was surprised the other day the Chief of Army Staff said Boko Haram killed 3,000 people; the security agencies have killed a lot more than 3,000 when this thing started. On the first day that this crisis erupted in Maiduguri, over 5,000 people were killed.
"Boko Haram is just like any other religious sect, it has existed for ages. It's not a new phenomenon, but it is the activities of particularly the police who pushed the Boko Haram people to wall by killing their leaders, killing thousands of other innocent people that is what forced them to come out against the Nigerian state," he said.
The lawmaker called on the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff and other security chiefs to investigate the activities of security agencies.
Senator Shabi Ya'u (ANPP, Zamfara North) described the robbery attack in Zamfara as bizzare, barbaric and the highest level of anarchy.
In the same vein, Senator Ayogu Eze (PDP, Enugu) described the situation as a failure of security and intelligence.
Senate President David Mark said it was imperative to call the attention of the IGP to the problem.


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Actress Poorna Jagannathan, who played a journalist in the hit adult comedy "Delhi Belly", has bagged a role in HBO's drama series "Criminal Justice". She will play the role of Safar Khan, a Pakistani woman, whose son is accused of committing a murder.
"This is one of the most incredible projects I've ever been part of: everyone involved is best in class," Poorna said in a statement.
Talking about her character, she said: "Safar Khan is the polar opposite of my character in 'Delhi Belly'. I've never played someone like her, but the writing is so strong that it makes playing her feel like second nature. Her journey is a roller coaster: she goes from knowing her son is innocent to eventually thinking he might be guilty."
This is not Poorna's first international project. She has featured in TV series like "Law & Order", "Rescue Me" and "Royal Pains".
Her movie "Peace Love and Misunderstanding", alongside Jane Fonda, released earlier this year and her new movie "Thanks For Sharing" will release end of this year.
"Criminal Justice" is a British TV drama series, which first went on air in 2008. The first series won two BAFTAs (British Academy of Film and Television Awards) for Best Drama Serial and Best Writer, along with an International Emmy.
The drama series is back again, and its filming is expected to start mid-October.
"Schindler's List" writer Steven Zaillian has been approached to co-write the show along with Richard Price.
Zaillian will also direct the series, which will star James Gandolphini of "The Sopranos" fame, Riz Ahmed of "The Reluctant Fundamentalist", Bill Camp and Peyman Moadi.
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University Of Pittsburgh Receives $499,000 Justice Grant To Continue Adolescent Offenders Study
PITTSBURGH, Pa. ‑ The University of Pittsburgh has been awarded a $499,256 grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to continue an adolescent offenders study, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
FY 10 Demonstration Programs Division Grant Number 2007‑MU‑FX‑0002 was awarded on Sept. 16, 2010, to the University of Pittsburgh, Office of Research/University Club, 123 University Place, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Through the grant, the University of Pittsburgh will continue to conduct the Pathways to Desistance study, an ongoing investigation of how serious adolescent offenders stop their involvement in crime and make successful transitions to adulthood. This study is a multi‑site, collaborative, longitudinal research project following 1,354 serious juvenile offenders. The study identifies variations in patterns of desistance from antisocial activity; and examines the role of social context, developmental change, and system involvement in promoting change. The study provides empirical information needed to improve decision‑making by court and social service personnel about juveniles, future risk and amenability to treatment, as well as guidance for ongoing policy debates about alternative approaches for dealing with serious young offenders.
For more information about this grant, contact the Office of Justice Programs Office of Communications at 202‑307‑0703.
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has seven components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; the Community Capacity Development Office, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. More information about OJP can be found at http://www.ojp.gov.
Protect yourself from fraud, and report suspected cases of financial fraud to local law enforcement.


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Archive for October, 2012
Social skills in school
Many students struggle with adequate social skills in school, which has the potential to affect the child in an adverse way. The first step in helping a child who struggles with social skills is to identify his/her social skills deficits. Understanding what a child can and can not do is crucial in order to develop appropriate interventions to help them. Children may experience difficulty performing certain social skills due to their lack of knowledge or their lack of strength in consistently performing a social skill (ie.. standing up to a bully at school.)
Negative consequences of poor social skills can cause a child to show signs of depression, anger, or anxiety, can cause them to perform poorly at school, has the ability to cause their peers to reject them, and lastly can cause a child to experience significant difficulty in their interpersonal relationships with parents, teachers, and their peers.
There are four main areas of social skills for children to learn in order to then establish interventions that are appropriate. 1.) Conflict resolution skills or dealing with teasing, bullying, being excluded from activities 2.) problem-solving skills or asking others for help or decision making 3.) Interpersonal skills or sharing, waiting your turn, or joining in activities at school 4.) survival skills or listening, follow directions, or ignoring distractions in class. Interventions that address social skills with children are comprised of teaching the child emotional/behavioral concepts in order for them to learn NEW behaviors. Social skills should emphasize teaching new social skills rather than punishing the child for behaviors when they are negative.
Social skills training of a child should include:
Providing positive strategies primarily and using punitive strategies only when positive strategies to change social skills are unsuccessful
Enhance social skills by increasing the frequency of appropriate behaviors when they are displayed
Emphasize appropriate behaviors by modeling, coaching, and role-playing appropriate social skills
Provide opportunities with their peers in order for the child to be able to practice appropriate social skills
Schools should help children with social skills by:
Providing an individual approach to the child that tailors to their social strengths and deficits
Address the child's individual abilities/disabilities
Include parents or caregivers in order to reinforce the skills taught at school in order to promote consistency of behaviors across all of the child's settings or environments
The end result for children that have developed good social skills is a more positive and safe school environment, better ego strength and coping skills for the child for future interactions in life, and better conflict resolution skills in all of their personal relationships, and a higher frustration tolerance.


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This A La Carte Table brings new meaning to the classic card table. Designed to look like a jumbo house of cards in the making, it transforms a universally recognized image into an unexpected design innovation.
Established in 1964, Seletti is a continually evolving brand producing innovative household products with a commitment to design and Italian creativity.
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Enjoy 10% off your first order*


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History Collection
Library Locations
Waynesville (828) 452-5169
678 South Haywood Street
Waynesville, NC 28786
11 Pennsylvania Avenue
Canton, NC 28716
3987 Soco Road
Maggie Valley, NC 28751
Fines Creek (828) 627-0146
190 Fines Creek Road
Clyde, NC 28721
Library Newsletter
Sign up to receive the library's newsletter Shelf Life!
Library News * Event Listings * Book Reviews * Trivia
If you would like to receive Shelf Life via e-mail, please contact Lisa Hartzell at
Upcoming Free Events
All events are free to attend thanks to the generous support of The Friends of the Library.
Sign-up for Summer Reading today! Information on the adult and children's programs can be found under the Summer Reading tab at the top of the page.
Superhero Training Academy & Craft Day • Wednesday, July 1 • 10:30 a.m. • Waynesville Library Join us for a fun-filled morning at our superhero training academy. Create your own superhero identity and costume and go through our training course. Refreshments provided. For more information, call (828) 356-2512.
Paper Airplane Contest • Thursday, July 2 • 2 p.m. • Canton Branch Library Ready, set, FLY! Test your paper airplane-building skills. Prizes will be given for the planes that fly the farthest in each age category. For more information, call (828) 648-2924.
Professor Whizzpop • Tuesday, July 7 • 10:30 a.m. • Waynesville Library Professor Whizzpop will entertain children of all ages with his Zero to Hero Magic show! A fun and interactive program with lots of magic and balloon creations. For more information, call (828) 356-2512.
Let's Cook! • Wednesday, July 8 • 3:30 p.m. • Waynesville Library Teens and children ages 8 and up are invited to this cooking class! All supplies provided. Sign-up required: (828) 356-2512.
Yoga for Kids • Thursday, July 9 • 10:30 a.m. (3-7 years old) & Noon (8-11 years old) • Canton Branch Library Yoga instructor Ruth Van Sickle will be leading yoga classes for children. Sign-up required: (828) 648-2924.
Everyday Heroes • Thursday, July 9 • 11 a.m. • Waynesville Library The Waynesville Fire Department will talk about fire safety. For more information, call (828) 356-2512.
Alzheimer's & Dementia Series Part 1 (1 of 3) • Thursday, July 9 • 1 p.m. • Waynesville Library Conversations about dementia. Free and open to all. For more information, call (828) 356-2507.
Digital Story Time • Friday, July 10 • 10:30 a.m. • Canton Branch Library This story time is designed for children ages 3-6 to learn important early literacy skills with the help of technology. The event is open to the first 15 children that attend. For more information, call (828) 648-2924.


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Has this ever happened to you? You're out with a bunch of kids, one of them misbehaves - not your own - and you don't know what to do. Should you tell the parent? Should you talk to the child yourself? Should you just ignore it and hope the problem goes away? It's happened to me.
Once, I just couldn't let it go. One of my daughter's friends, a neighbour, beat my daughter up in the school yard after school. My daughter came home with scratched and bruised legs, very sad and angry. This wasn't the first time this girl had hurt kids, but it was the worst. The problem was that I knew her mom wouldn't do anything, or at least, not enough. So I watched for the girl to pass our house, called her in and told her what I thought of her behaviour and made her apologize to my daughter.
Would I have called this girl out if her mom had been present? Should I have told her mom? What effect did my intervention have on this girl's behaviour? Raising kids has become almost solely the responsibility of the parents. Gone are the days when other relatives, neighbours, and even teachers had the right and some would say the responsibility to help raise a child. We wondered, can another adult discipline your child? How? When?
The Australian mini-series, "The Slap", based on the book by Christos Tsiolkas starts June 4th on TVO at 10pm ET and in the first episode a man slaps a child who is not his own. It sets off a cascade of emotions - anger, guilt, confusion, loyalty and raises a lot of questions about what is acceptable and what isn't in the world of parenting today. I've read the book and seen the first episode (insider advantage) and it's very well-done.
Throughout the series TVOParents will be examining the issues raised. We have previews of the episodes and will be streaming them after they've aired. We have video interviews with experts, articles and blogs. We also have a contest - you can win a copy of "The Slap" and some TVOParents swag. Now there's an incentive to join the conversation. And please, feel free to share your stories of parenting other people's kids. Do you? Would you? I know I'm not the only one.


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Patina Antiques
Over the past two decades, Patina Antiques owner Patti Welker has become known for her ability to offer beautiful 18th- and 19th-century antiques to complement today's lifestyles. Through the store that she runs with her husband in Long Beach, CA, she offers handpicked treasures, including such things as old English bamboo furniture, vintage French monogrammed linens, gleaming hotel silver and sumptuous leather books, all beautiful pieces for today's interiors.
Vintage Products
Antique Bamboo Corner Chair$299
$45034% Off
- Left


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Finding the quickest route from A to B can be tough if you're new in town. But instead of messing about with a bit of string and a map, Darwin Reyes at Imperial College in London and colleagues at Harvard University turned to gases to point the way. They etched a map of London streets onto a 4 by 5-centimetre sliver of glass and covered it with another flat sheet of glass. They then pumped helium into the channels formed by the streets. Electrodes were used to mark a starting point and a destination. When a voltage was placed across the two electrodes, the electric field found the shortest path between the electrodes and made the helium glow like a fluorescent tube (
To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.


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Mfg.: APW
Model: APW Wyott HRSDI-50S
This item is brand new and ships directly from the supplier. Please note the image above is for reference only. This item may have a lead time of up to 1-3 weeks to ship after an order is placed.
Item:APW 34.75" Digital Slanted "Tru-Turn" Hot Dog Roller Grill
Model Number:HRSDi-50S
Description:This hot dog roller girl is perfect for concession stands since it can cook up to 765 hot dogs per hour.
There are currently no reviews for this item. Be the first to write one.


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Focus Electric gets new Facebook page
We're on the waiting list for a Nissan LEAF but, as we've written elsewhere, we find the Ford Focus Electric intriguing.
It's looking like the Focus Electric could possibly come to market around the same time as the LEAF here in Colorado, too. This makes the Focus Electric that much more intriguing – we definitely want to be one of the first in Colorado to own one of the new generation production electric vehicles, and to power it with home-grown solar energy.
Unfortunately, Ford has no web site devoted to the Focus Electric, and no central informatinon clearinghouse on it. As far as we can tell, neither does anyone else.
That's a big information hole.
In order to help fill it, we've started a Facebook Page on the Focus Electric. We've given it kind of a long title, "Solar Charged Driving's Ford Focus Electric Info Center."
We thought about just going with "Ford Focus Electric" but worried that someone at Ford would ask Facebook to take a page with that name down.
Our Ford Focus Electric Info Center is really your Center. That's because we're going to rely on you, folks interested in the Focus Electric, to post news and information about the Focus Electric to the "Solar Charged Driving Ford Focus Electric" page.
If enough of us do this – yes, we'll post stuff, too, we should be able to build something that so far Ford hasn't bothered to: A central online news and information clearinghouse about the Focus Electric.
Please help us out by:
- "Liking/fanning" the page;
- Posting information, stories, videos, pictures about the Focus Electric to the page's wall on a regular basis
We look forward to working with you to build an online news center for the Ford Focus Electric.
Click on the photo below to go to our Facebook page on the Ford Focus Electric -->blog comments powered by Disqus


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Our heritage is what defines us. We live in and among the very places that our ancestors built and cultivated years before we were here. Today, UNESCO protects these historical sites so that we can explore, understand, and learn from our collective past (the perfect pursuit, we think, on any vacation).
Think these spots are all far, far away, in distant foreign lands? Think again. We've picked a few that are practically in your own backyard. Here are 10 amazing UNESCO World Heritage sites in North America, from Pennsylvania to Puerto Rico and beyond.
Old Town Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada
A seaside town on Nova Scotia's South Shore, Lunenburg is bursting with charm and nautical history. Quaint crimson-painted wooden houses and historical churches line the harbor. In town, galleries, distilleries, and a remarkably informative fishing museum, complete with a boatbuilding shop and whale bones, welcome amblers. In fact, experts say a guided walking tour, threading through Lunenburg's perfectly preserved streets, is the best way to get acquainted with this former British colonial settlement.
Read the Entire Story: Amazing UNESCO World Heritage Sites in North America.
Follow Dara Continenza on Google+ or e-mail her at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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When: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Where: Stamp Student Union : Pyon Su 2108
Event Type(s): Other
WORKSHOP TOPIC: Graduate Student Conduct and Academic Integrity
FOR: Graduate Students
DATE: Tuesday, November 19, 2013
TIME: 12:30 -- 1:30 (lunch served at 12:15)
LOCATION: Pyon Su Room 2108 Stamp Union
Do you have questions about student conduct rules? Have you wondered how academic integrity policies may impact you as a graduate student? If so, please join Graduate Student Legal Aid staff and speaker Andrea Goodwin, Director of the Office of Student Conduct, for an extremely important discussion about the University's Code of Student Conduct and Code of Academic Integrity. It is imperative to understand how University rules both on and off campus may impact you as a graduate student. Be informed!
For more information and to register, please visit: www.thestamp.umd.edu/gradlegalaid
Website: http://www.thestamp.umd.edu/gradlegalaid


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Note: This is an ARCHIVED news release. Information in this article may have changed since this was published.
|Monroe Community College
Board of Trustees (06/18/2013)
June 2013 Schedule of MeetingsPersonnel & Programs Committee Meeting
Wednesday, June 19, 1:30 p.m.
This meeting will be held in the Board Lounge (1-320) of the Spina Administration Building at the College's Brighton Campus, 1000 East Henrietta Road.
# # #
Editor's Note: For further information concerning Board of Trustees meetings, including the agenda and
minutes, please refer to the Board of Trustees website www.monroecc.edu/depts/trustees .
Media Contact:
Cynthia Cooper
Marketing and Community Relations


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Learn more about Platform Bed Frame and Foundation Combination:
Manufacturer: Boyd Specialty Sleep
Mfg Part#: BDrsrNC31288813
Sku: 230222839
Package Weight: 10 lbs
See more in Bed Frames
|PLATFORM BED FRAME. The Platform Bed Frame is an inexpensive alternative to the traditional box spring or foundation. Place your new mattress directly on this heavy duty frame and experience all night comfort and support. 14 inch height provides ample room for underbed storage. This frame can stand alone or be used in place of the slats inside the side rails of your current bed. Features and Benefits Portable, compact size makes the frame easy to transport through even the narrowest of spaces, such as stairwells or elevators 14 inch frame height provides more under bed storage than a standard 6 inch to 8 inch metal frame Heavy duty construction supports up to 3,500 lbs. and provides sag and squeak free mattress support Easily assembles in minutes with no tools required Fabric free black anodized coated 100 percent steel construction is free of dust mites and allergens. Platform foundation assembles in minutes.


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April 5 (Bloomberg) — Canada's dollar strengthened for the first time in three days after a government report showed employers added the most jobs since 2008 last month, adding to evidence the economy is firming. The currency erased an earlier loss posted amid concern European's sovereign-debt crisis will weigh on global growth and drive investors to... Read more »
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I sent a PM to Thorne. I said:
I noticed that the new Young Teens Justin and Julie have strangely small and widely spaced teeth. They look like baby teeth, not teenage teeth. The promos for those packages do not show any open mouths, but the Faces of Teens do, and those teeth look normal. Did something go wrong with the Justin and Julie models after making the Faces of Teens promo images? Or is some other product interfering and having unexpected consequences? There is a long discussion of the teeth problem in the forums starting about here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/13686/P15/#199218
Please help us resolve the problem with the teens, so we can start rendering cute young people who can show their teeth!


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New Works is about dance.
Any kind of dance.
From hip hop to ballet, from tap to contemporary, if it involves movement and music, we're into it.
To celebrate our love for dance, we do two things:
We support dance in Vancouver by mentoring and managing dancers and dance companies to help them get started or become fully sustainable artists and organization.
- We present dance that is intriguing, unpredictable and captivating through our trademark series Dance Allsorts, All Over the Map and Pop UP Dances.
We do this because dance can enrich our communities and has the power to inspire, entertain and move people. We work to present and support programming of exceptional quality that everyone can appreciate and attend because nothing bridges gaps and communicates emotions like the human body in movement.