text:
Overall completeness: 90%
Drell-Yan analysis Procedure
This twiki documents the most important steps of the Drell-Yan cross section measurement. It is intended to familiarize you with the technical aspects of the analysis procedure.
The pdf file of the AN-13-420 attached here contains the notes with the macro name used to produce each plot.
Step 1: Producing ntuples
- Samples
- The CMSSW_53X MC samples are used for 8 TeV analysis. Below is the list of starting GEN-SIM-RECO samples used in the muon and electro analyses:
DYToMuMuM-10To20 & Powheg-Pythia6 & CT10TuneZ2star
DYToMuMuM-20 & Powheg-Pythia6 & CT10TuneZ2star
DYToMuMuM-200 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToMuMuM-400 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToMuMuM-500 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToMuMuM-700 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToMuMuM-800 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToMuMuM-1000 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToMuMuM-1500 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToMuMuM-2000 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToEEM-10To20 & Powheg-Pythia6 & CT10TuneZ2star
DYToEEM-20 & Powheg-Pythia6 & CT10TuneZ2star
DYToEEM-200 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToEEM-400 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToEEM-500 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToEEM-700 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToEEM-800 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToEEM-1000 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToEEM-1500 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToEEM-2000 & Powheg-Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
DYToTauTauM-10To20 & Powheg-Pythia6-tauola & TuneZ2star
DYToTauTauM-20 & Powheg-Pythia6-tauola &CT10TuneZ2star
WJetsToLNu & madgraph-tarball & TuneZ2star
WWJetsTo2L2Nu & madgraph-tauola & TuneZ2star
WZJetsTo2L2Q & madgraph-tauola& TuneZ2star
WZJetsTo3LNu & madgraph-tauola& TuneZ2star
ZZJetsTo2L2Nu & madgraph-tauola& TuneZ2star
ZZJetsTo2L2Q & madgraph-tauola& TuneZ2star
ZZJetsTo4L & madgraph-tauola& TuneZ2star
TTMtt-700to1000 & Powheg-tauola& TuneZ2star
TTMtt-1000toInf & Powheg-tauola& TuneZ2star
TTJetsFullLeptMGDecays & madgraph& TuneZ2star
TTJetsFullLeptMGDecays & madgraph& TuneZ2star
TT & Powheg-tauola & TuneZ2star
TW & Powheg-tauola & TuneZ2star
TbarW & Powheg-tauola & TuneZ2star
QCDPt-15to20MuPt5Enriched & Pythia6 &TuneZ2star
QCDPt-20to30MuPt5Enriched & Pythia6 &TuneZ2star
QCDPt-30to50MuPt5Enriched & Pythia6 &TuneZ2star
QCDPt-50to80MuPt5Enriched & Pythia6 &TuneZ2star
QCDPt-80to120MuPt5Enriched & Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
QCDPt-120to150MuPt5Enriched & Pythia6 &TuneZ2star
QCDPt-150MuPt5Enriched & Pythia6 & TuneZ2star
MC generation is 53X
We use SingleMu and DoubleMu Primary Datasets (PD), January2013 ReReco version
/DoubleMu/Run2012A-22Jan2013-v1/AOD : 190645-193621
/DoubleMuParked/Run2012B-22Jan2013-v1/AOD : 193834-196531
/DoubleMuParked/Run2012C-22Jan2013-v1/AOD : 198049-203742
/DoubleMuParked/Run2012D-22Jan2013-v1/AOD : 203777-208686
/SingleMu/Run2012A-22Jan2013-v1/AOD : 190645-193621
/SingleMu/Run2012B-22Jan2013-v1/AOD : 193834-196531
/SingleMu/Run2012C-22Jan2013-v1/AOD : 198049-203742
/SingleMu/Run2012D-22Jan2013-v1/AOD : 203777-208686
- JSONs: Cert190456-2086868TeV22Jan2013ReRecoCollisions12JSON.txt, Jan22Jan2013
- Double muon and double electron samples are used for the main analysis, single muon samples are used for the efficiency correction estimation steps. Other samples are used for the backgrounds estimation purposes.
- Relevant software: CMSSW_5_3_3_patch2
cmsrel CMSSW_5_3_3_patch2 cd CMSSW_5_3_3_patch2/src cmsenv git cms-addpkg DataFormats/PatCandidates git cms-addpkg PhysicsTools/PatAlgos git cms-addpkg PhysicsTools/PatUtils git clone firstname.lastname@example.com:ASvyatkovskiy/DYAnalysis DimuonAnalysis/DYPackage scram b -j8 export DYWorkDir=$PWD/DimuonAnalysis/DYPackage cd $DYWorkDir/ntuples
Note: that for proper compilation slc5 machine is necessary, and the code might not compile out of the box on slc6 or later CMSSW release versions (it would need to be ported first).
To simply perform a local test of the ntuple-maker run:
cmsRun ntuple_cfg.py
to produce the ntuples over full dataset use CRAB:
crab -create -submit -cfg crab.cfg crab -get all -c <crab_0_datetime>
Step 2: Event Selection
First, you will have to get a custom rootlogon file. Note: some of the libraries loaded in this rootlogon might interfere with the Proof environment in your machine.
cp rootlogon.C ~/.rootlogon.C
Once the ntuples are ready, one can proceed to the actual physics analysis. The first step of the analysis is the event selection. Currently, we use the so-called cut-based approach to discriminate between signal and background. For more on event selection read chapter 5 in the analysis note CMS-AN-13-420. Before starting to run a macro, set up the working area. Find all the necessary scripts in:
cd $DYWorkDir/test/ControlPlots
The code for event selection consists of 3 main files (and a few auxiliary). First of all the TSelector class which is customized for event selection used in a given analysis, necessary weights (pileup, FEWZ and momentum scale correction) are applied in the macro. The Monte-Carlo weights are also hardcoded inside the macro for each MC sample used. Next, is the wrapper ROOT macro which calls the TSelector to run on a given dataset. This wrapper is shown below, and explained step-by-step:
//macro takes 3 arguments, which are passed from the python script. These are: the histogram name (invariant mass, or for instance rapidity), ntuple weight or/custom (this option is deprecated - we always use custom weight), and the type of momentum scale correction (also deprecated - the correction does not depend on the run range in 8 TeV analysis) void analyseYield(const char* WHICHHIST, const char* NTUPLEWEIGHT, const char* MOMCORRTYPE) { // Depending on the directory with data, the protocol used to access data will be different: "file" or "xrootd" are the most commonly used. TString protocol = "file://"; //TString protocol = "root://xrootd.rcac.purdue.edu/"; //Pointer to the location of the data used. Can be on /mnt/hadoop or on the scratch TString dirname = "/mnt/hadoop/store/group/ewk/DY2013/"; // Next, the TFileCollection is created. This section is specific for each dataset: data or MC, so we prepare this wrapper macro for each sample TFileCollection* c1 = new TFileCollection("data","data"); //Splitting criteria by runs/eras is happening here switch to RunAB, RunC, RunD. This is handy for studies of run dependencies if (MOMCORRTYPE == "RunAB") c1->Add(protocol+dirname+"Data_RunAJan2013_Oct"+"/*.root"); if (MOMCORRTYPE == "RunAB") c1->Add(protocol+dirname+"Data_RunBJan2013_Oct_p1"+"/*.root"); if (MOMCORRTYPE == "RunAB") c1->Add(protocol+dirname+"Data_RunBJan2013_Oct_p2"+"/*.root"); if (MOMCORRTYPE == "RunC1") c1->Add(protocol+dirname+"Data_RunCJan2013_Oct_p1"+"/*.root"); if (MOMCORRTYPE == "RunC2") c1->Add(protocol+dirname+"Data_RunCJan2013_Oct_p2"+"/*.root"); if (MOMCORRTYPE == "RunD1") c1->Add(protocol+dirname+"Data_RunDJan2013_Oct_p1"+"/*.root"); if (MOMCORRTYPE == "RunD2") c1->Add(protocol+dirname+"Data_RunDJan2013_Oct_p2"+"/*.root"); //Set the location of ProofLite Sandbox. It is more convenient to use the custom path rather than $HOME/.proof gEnv->SetValue("ProofLite.Sandbox", "<path to your working dir>/test/ControlPlots/proofbox/"); //splitting criteria: how many worker nodes to use for the run: using more than 10-15 nodes usually will cause instability and lead to a crash subsequently TProof* p = TProof::Open("workers=20"); p->RegisterDataSet("DATA", c1,"OV"); p->ShowDataSets(); //Deprecated - just leave as is, always TObjString* useNtupleWeightFlag = new TObjString(NTUPLEWEIGHT); p->AddInput(new TNamed("useNtupleWeightFlag",NTUPLEWEIGHT)); //The histogram should always be "imvm" - it will give both 1D and 2D histograms. But if one needs to study N-1 selection, then the string should be the name of the cut to exclude TObjString* histogramThis = new TObjString(WHICHHIST); p->AddInput(new TNamed("histogramThis",WHICHHIST)); //This is now useless, but for later studies it might become useful again, if there is a run dependency for the momentum scale correction TObjString* momCorrType = new TObjString(MOMCORRTYPE); p->AddInput(new TNamed("momCorrType",MOMCORRTYPE)); gROOT->Time(); p->SetParameter("PROOF_LookupOpt", "all"); //This invokes the TSelector: "recoTree/DiMuonTree" is the name of the ROOT tree inside the file, "EventSelector_CP.C" is the name os the TSelector p->Process("DATA#/recoTree/DiMuonTree","EventSelector_CP.C+"); }
- There is one extra level here - the python script. It calls the above ROOT wrapper macro and typically looks like this:
#!/usr/bin/env python from subprocess import Popen #This normally is just "imvm", but for N-1 control plots like 18-25 in the AN-13-420 one needs to set to a custom cut name, for instance: 'relPFisoNoEGamma','chi2dof','trackerHits','pixelHits','CosAngle','muonHits','nMatches','dxyBS','relPFisoNoEGamma','vtxTrkProb','trigMatches','pT','eta'] histos = ['invm'] #normally one needs to run over all of them. Splitting to a set of runs is useful because loading very large number of files into one session can cause instability eras = ['RunAB','RunC1','RunC2','RunD1','RunD2'] #Simply invoke ROOT wrapper macro using Popen for run in eras: for hist in histos: Popen('root -b -l -q \'analyseYield.C(\"'+hist+'\",\"False\",\"'+run+'\")\'',shell=True).wait()
Once this is understood, one can run the macro. To produce plots like 35-37 use the analyse.py macro, which calls the wrapper for TSelector for the DY analysis (as described above):
mkdir runfolder python analyseYield_mc.py python analyseYield_data.py
Important information about the reweightings. Pileup reweighing is accessed from the ntuple, directly from the branch on a per event basis. The FEWZ weights are extracted from theoretical calculation, and are provided as arrays inside the efficiencyWeightToBin2012.C file located in the same directory (or any other directory, as long as there is an appropriate include in the header of the TSelector). The FEWZ weights are looked up based on the GEN mass as follows inside the code, only for signal MC:
//look up FEWZ weight
FEWZ_WEIGHT = weight(genDiMuPt, fabs(genRapidity), genMass, true);
To Finally, the Rochester momentum scale correction recipe is described here: http://www-cdf.fnal.gov/~jyhan/cms_momscl/cms_rochcor_manual.html
Few words about the normalization. The data events are not renormalized. The MC weights are weighted according to the probability of each event to be observed in a real collision event and according to the number of events generated in the sample. Therefore
Event_weight ~ (Cross section x filter efficiency)/(Number of generated events)
For better accuracy we use the number of events actually ran on, rather than the number generated. We calculate it in the event loop, and apply it in the EventSelector::Terminate() method. In both the 7 and 8 TeV analysis, we normalized the MC tack (signal and backgrounds) to the number of events in data in the Z peak region (before the efficiency corrections). A special post-processing macro takes care of this:
python postprocessor.py cp runfolder/stack* ../Inputs/rawYield
This python script adds up individual ROOT files with hadd and invokes ROOT macros parser.C and parser_2D.C which has a method for normalization of MC stack to data in the Z peak region.
After that, switch to the Dielectron working directory and produce necessary yield histograms before continuing with the style plotting
cd ../FullChain
Inspect the wrapper_EE.sh file inside and set the do_selection flag to 1 (true), and check the input files to run on are properly specified in the conf_file
//top of the file filename_data="../config_files/test.conf" //scroll down a little do_selection=1 do_prepareYields=1
Then run in two steps: (1) produce reduced ntuples, (2) prepare binned yields for analysis
To switch between 1D and 2D cases open the ../Include/DYTools.hh file and change the flag to const int study2D=1;.
After that, the style macro is used to plot the publication quality plots.
cd ../style/DY root -l plot.C
the style macro is used This would plot the 1D yields distribution (the switch between the electrons and muons is done manually inside the macro by adjusting the paths).
To plot the 2D distributions do:
root -l ControlPlots_2D.C
Step 3: Acceptance and Efficiency estimation
Another constituent of the cross-section measurement is the acceptance-efficiency.
- Acceptance is determined using GEN level information
To be able to produce the acceptance and efficiency one needs to change to a different folder, and run a different TSelector. But the general flow TSelector->ROOT wrapper->python wrapper is almost the same:
cd $DYWorkDir/AccEffMCtruth python analyseMCtruth.py
The script will produce the root file with histograms corresponding to the mass and rapidity spectra after the acceptance cuts, selection cuts or both which are then used to calculate the acceptances, efficiencies and acceptance-efficiency products with and without pileup and FEWZ reweighing by executing:
root -l plotMCtruth.C root -l plotMCtruth_2D.C
To get the corresponding distributions in the electron channel change to FullChain folder:
cd ../FullChain //doAcceptance = 1 //doEfficiency = 1 ./wrapper_EE.sh
The macro output a root file starting with out1* or out2* containing the histograms corresponding to the acceptance, efficiency and their product. To produce the publication level plots, the style macro described in the previous section needs to be used again
cd ../style/DY root -l plot.C
To get the 2D plots do:
root -l plot_acc_2D.C
Step 4: Data-driven efficiency correction
Only in the muon channel, the electron efficiency scale factors are obtained from the EGamma group, and not re-measured independently.
Next, the data-driven efficiency corrections are applied. This is done using the standard CMSSW recipe, so a lot of additional packages needs to be checked out. Follow this twiki: https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/viewauth/CMS/MuonTagAndProbe to set up your working area for the ntuple production (alternatively, one can use the trees already produced!)
- The procedure goes in two steps: T&P tree production -> rerun seldom (ideally once), it depends only on the definitions of the tag and probe
cd ../ntuples cmsRun tpTree_Producer_Data.py cmsRun tpTree_Producer_MC.py
- If you haven't produced TP trees you can always use the official ntuples located as described in MuonTagAndProbe twiki:
- Second step of the procedure is fitting: separate job for trigger and all the muonID related efficiencies -> reran frequently and usually interactively (change binning, definitions)
cd ../test/TagAndProbe cmsRun fitMuonID_data_all_2012_1_53X.py cmsRun fitMuonID_mc_all_2012_1_53X.py
After familiarizing yourself with the TagAndProbe package, you need to produce the muon efficiencies as a function of pT and eta. You can use the wrapper.py script specifying which variables to bin the efficiency in and what runs/MC samples to process.
Finally, produce the plots with
python auxPlotProducer.py
Step 5: Background estimation
QCD data driven background estimation
In 8 TeV analysis, the main method to estimate the QCD background in the dimuon channel is the ABCD method (the fake-rate method is used in the electron channel). Before starting, let me summarize the ABCD method in a nutshell:
ABCD method
1) choose 2 variables: assume two variables are independent
2) assume the fraction should be same if there is no correlation: N_A / N_B = N_C / N_D
3) In our study, use two variables: sign of muon pair, muon isolation
4) QCD fraction in each region has a dependence. We produce the correction factor for each region: B, C, D
5) Produce N_B, N_C, N_D from data sample, and estimate N_A from them at the end (applying the correction factors)
Now, let's go step by step.
First, change to the ABCD folder:
cd $DYWorkDir/ABCDmethod
The procedure consists of few steps and is guided by the wrapper.py script located inside the folder:
Popen("python QCDFrac_p1.py",shell=True).wait() Popen("python qcdFracHadder.py rootfiles",shell=True).wait() Popen("python ABCD2vari_init.py",shell=True).wait() Popen("python ABCD2vari_p1.py",shell=True).wait()
Thus, for each of the MC samples and for the real data a set of sequences is ran. First the QCDFrac_*.py, which invoke the EventSelector_Bkg.C TSelector class for various values of charge and isolation (the variables defining the signal and background regions), based on the histograms filled, the coefficients are calculated. Second, the qcdFracHadder.py scripts is ran on the on the output of the first step. It is a utility script which repacks the histograms in an appropriate format. Third, the ABCD2vari_init.py script which actually performs the etiolation of ABCD coefficients in each region. Finally, the ABCD2vari_*.py scripts invoke the EventSelector_Bkg2.C TSelector class, passing the ABCD coefficients as TObjString objects inside the macro.
The post-processing and the output harvesting step is performed by the following python script:
python abcdPostprocessor.py
It uses the output of the second TSelector as an inout, hadds it and produces a root file with th histogram which is then used in the analysis.
E-mu data-driven background estimation method
To estimate all the non-QCD backgrounds we employ the so-called e-mu data driven background estimation method. The same method is applied in the muon and electron channels. The code used for that purpose was originally adapted from Manny and it uses the so-called Bambu workflow. First, let's change into the e-mu working directory:
cd $DYWorkDir/EmuBackground
First, reduced ntuples are generated from the original Bambu ntuples:
root -l (shared libraries should compile if they have not already done so) root [0] .L selectEmuEvents.C+ root [1] selectEmuEvents("../config_files/data_emu.conf") root [2].q
The above script needs to be ran twice in 2 modes: SS (same-sign pairs) and OS (opposite-sign pairs). The switch is don win the selectEmuEvents.C script by switching:
if (!isOppositeSign) continue; //if (isOppositeSign) continue;
And also changing the ntupDir name. One will have to edit the data_emu.conf to point to the local ntuples before running.
After running this step, the reduced ntuples should be output to a directory (../root_files/selected_events/DY/ntuples/EMU/). One would also need to run selectEvents.C to generate reduced electron ntuples.These ntuples must contain two branches, mass (dilepton invariant mass) and weight. After this is done, the e-mu macro can be ran:
#compile code > gmake eMuBkgExe #This should produce the binary eMuBkgExe. There are many options to run it. See the the possible options below ./eMuBkgExe #run emu method for 1D analysis and produce plots ./eMuBkgExe --doDMDY #run 2D analysis and produce plots ./eMuBkgExe --doDMDY --saveRootFile #same as above but output ROOT file with yield, statistical and systematic info as true2eBkgDataPoints.root
This macro is also ran in two regimes: using SS and OS ntuples as an input, and the proper true2eBackground file are produced and saved. The reason why we need to rerun SS and OS cases is because we rely on this for estimation of missing QCD contribution in the e-mu spectrum. These true2eBackground files and the dilepton yields serve as an input to the final step of e-mu background estimation, the production of a final root file with histograms:
root -l calculateEMu.C root -l calculateEMu_2D.C root -l calculateEMu_EE.C root -l calculateEMu_2D_EE.C
As you can see, 4 different macros are re-ran for electrons, muons, 1D and 2D.
Step 6: Unfolding
Unfolding is applied to correct for migration of entries between bins caused by mass resolution effects (FSR correction is taken into account as a separate step, although it also uses the unfolding technique). In 8 TeV analysis, we use the iterative Bayesian unfolding technique. Provides a common interface between channels for symmetry and ease in combination and systematic studies. Both the iterative Bayesian and matrix inversion technique (used in 7 TeV) are implemented and described below.
To do any unfolding with MC, this requires 3 things:
- Producing the response matrix
- Making the histogram of measured events
- Making the true histogram & closure test
First, change to the unfolding working directory (common for electron and muons).
cd ../Unfold
The main steps for unfolding procedure go as follows:
1. Produce the response matrix.
2. To produce the unfolded yield
3. Visualize the yields and ratios of yields
The first step is rather time consuming, and is done by:
python ResMatrix.py
which takes care of the response matrix production for both the 1D and 2D cases. To visualize the resulting response matrices do
root -l Matrix.C
There is a switch inside this macro allows to change 1D and 2D plots, written with a comment inline. Once this is done, one can continue to apply the unfolding technique. Open the unfold.C file and familiarize yourself with various flags (pre-processor pragmas to be more precise), namely:
#define USE_OVERFLOWS true #define DATA_DRIVEN_BKG true #define DO_ROO true #define DO_BAYES true #define FEWZ_CORRECTED true
Above is the default setting, as we use iterative Bayesian method as default for 8 TeV in both channels. First run in the closure test mode by setting the run to 'POWHEG' inside the wrapper unfold.py, then switch to '' flag which will do the actually unfolding – we do not make any distinction between the run ranges in 8 TeV as the scale corrections are run independent
python unfold.py
Repeat all for 2D:
python unfold_2D.py
Then to repeat for electrons change to the FullChain folder and set the appropriate flags for runnings the response matrix production step
cd ../FullChain vim wrapper_EE.sh do_unfolding=1
That summarizes the unfolding step, and the output of this step will be used on the following analysis steps.
Step 7: FSR correction
Completeness: 100%
The effect of FSR is manifested by photon emission off the final state lepton. It leads to a change of the dimuon invariant mass and as a result a dilepton has invariant mass distinct from the propagator (or Z/gamma*) mass.
For our analysis we estimate the effect of FSR and the corresponding correction by estimating the unfolding correction in invariant mass and rapidity bins. This is done by applying an exact same unfolding procedure as for the mass resolution effects described above. A minor difference is that we also apply bin-by-bin corrections for event classes that do not enter the response matrix.
Change to the FSRunfold directory
cd ../FSRunfold
And run the similar steps as above:
python FSRResMatrix.py
This script will give you the response matrix in 1D and 2D and also additional bin-by-bin corrections for events not entering the response matrix. In addition, there is an option to run fully bin-by-bin as a cross check. If you inspect the contents of this python script, you will be able too understand what actually is done. After the jobs are complete, you need to merge the individual root files using hadd, and then run the fracEff.C script to extract the additional corrections:
root -l fracEff.C
Similarly to the detector resolution unfolding step, you can inspect the response matrix:
root -l Matrix.C
To get these all quantities in the electron channel, similarly to the detector resolution unfolding case you just need to:
cd ../FullChain vim wrapper_EE.py doUnfoldingFsr=1 python wrapper_EE.py
Step 8: Cross section calculation
Once all the constituents of the cross section are in place, one can continue with the cross section calculation results. First, the results are calculated in each individual channel and then they are combined using the BLUE method (as described in the Step 10 section). To calculate the 1D cross section in muon channel change to:
cd ../ShapeR python shapeDY.py
this will produce an output root file in the ../Outputs directory. All the necessary input files are expected to be available in the ../Inputs directory. To get the 2D cross section change to
cd ../shapeR2D python shapeR2D.py
The output file is also going to be created in the ../Outputs directory. To get the electron cross section do as usually:
cd ../FullChain //set do_crossSectionFsr=1 ./wrapper_EE.sh
One would have to rerun this step twice switching the flag between 1D and 2D.
This produces the necessary root files with the histograms of the cross section and uncertainties
Step 9: Electron-muon combination with the BLUE method
Having the root files for individual cross section measurements i the dielectron and dimuon channels, we need to combine them for a higher precision. The combination is performed with the BLUE method, which takes 2 vectors of measured values of the cross section and the covariance matrices.
First, we need to make sure that the inputs are in the form the BLUE macro expects it (i.e. ASCII, not root):
cd ../BLUE python bluePrinter.pypython bluePrinter_2D.py
We can use the txt2Plot.py macro to validate the txt input by visualizing it.
After we have the inputs in proper format, we just need to run the resultCombiner.C macro. To pass all the inputs properly (which should be in the current folder), we specify them in the wrapper.py script and run it as
python wrapper.py python wrapper_2D.py
The output will be the ASCII format again, but we normally need it in root. So we have to run another converter file after we finished:
python outToPeople.py python outToPeople_2D.py
After that, we have the root file with the cross section histogram of the same format as we have for the individual cross sections, and we can visualize it (produce a plot for the publication) on the same step as we did for other cross sections in the previous section
cd ../ShapeR root -l plot_Comb.C //for 1D root -l plotter.C //for 2D, make sure that the input file is pointing at the combination
Step 10: Double ratio calculations
Once the cross actions have been obtained, the double ratios – ratios of the normalized differential and double-differential cross sections – can be calculated. Most of the macros for the double ratio calculation is located in the ../ShapeR folder, so first change to that folder:
cd ../ShapeR
Produce the double ratios and uncertainties:
python doubleratio_1Dee.py python doubleratio_1Dmu.py python doubleratio_1Dcomb.py python doubleratio_2Dmu.py python doubleratio_2Dcomb.py python uncertEE.py python uncert_2D.py python uncertEE_2D.py
Step 11: Plotting the final results
The final results are the absolute cross sections in bins of mass and rapidity in dielectron, dimuon channels and combination. As well as the double ratios. To plot the 1D differential cross sections do:
cd ../ShapeR
root -l plot_Comb.C
root -l plot_EE.C
root -l plot_MuMu.C
To plot the 1D double ratios (switch between the lepton channels is inside):
root -l plot_dratio.C
To plot the 2D cross sections and double ratios do:
To get all the up to date values for the shape r/R use:


text:
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Saturday, July 23, 2011
Commentary on 25K FINA World Championships
The open water events at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China had everything - dramatic races, incredibly tactical racing, photo finishes and humble champions who gave credit to their equally valiant competitors. Twenty well-conditioned athletes who all strategically swam their races also earned berths in the 2012 London Olympics 10K Marathon Swim. Of the twenty athletes, 18 countries were represented - proving that the distribution of open water talent is global.
But it was the circumstances of the last swim of the competition, the ultra-marathon distance of 25 km (15.5 miles) that caused considerable angst in the open water swimming community. As the water temperature hovered about 29°C all week during the 5 km, 5 km team time trial and 10 km events, the temperature rose to 31°C (87.8°F) in the early stages of the 25K race.
The water temperature was monitored by a water temperature hung off of the FINA Safety Delegate's boat. As the sun rose higher and higher after the 6:00 am start, the race officials, coaches and officials were carefully and constantly checking the water temperature.
31°C was understood by those in the global open water swimming community as the maximum allowable water temperature. This limit, instituted for safety reasons, was thought to be too high by the athletes and other experienced marathon swimming professionals, but at least a limit was instituted.
But, as the athletes, coaches and even many officials were surprised to learn before the race, the 31°C mark was not a rule or even a standard. It was defined by FINA as a guideline. After months of internal FINA discussions about implementing a maximum water temperature due to the death of Fran Crippen in Dubai, the 31°C guideline meant there was no clearly defined maximum water temperature. There was no mark in the sand or well-defined limit for the athlete's safety. Rather, 31°C was only a guideline, enabling the ultimate decision to stop or modify (i.e., shorten) a marathon race in the hands of the FINA doctor on hand and the FINA Safety Delegate.
That being said, it was also clear both in discussions before and after the race in clearly inhospitable conditions that there was an expectation of most swimmers that the swim would be called or at least shortened when the water temperature increased to 31°C. Even the most experienced swimmer in the field, English Channel world record holder Petar Stoychev who has dominated the ultra-marathon FINA circuit for a decade and who concurrently sits on two FINA committees, including the Technical Open Water Swimming Committee, was one of those athletes. "I picked up the pace when the water temperature was increasing to 31°C because I thought the race might be shortened," he commented after.
Despite the surprise and protests from the athletes and coaches, FINA stood by the 31°C mark as a guideline, not as a rule. So despite rising temperatures throughout the competition, FINA's doctor, in consultation with FINA's Safety Delegate, had the complete leeway to allow the race to continue.
Rightly so and to their credit, FINA and the local organizing committee added additional safety personnel on the course and encouraged teams to add more coaches for each of their swimmers on the two feeding pontoons on the 2-loop 2.5K course.
In addition to elevated water temperatures, race officials correctly determined that other atmospheric conditions were important elements to consider. In making a judgment call to either stop or shorten the race, the FINA doctor and Safety Delegate took into consideration the humidity, wind speed, air temperature and amount of solar radiation (based on cloud cover) throughout the race.
But concerns still abound and coaches were clearly upset during the race and were independently checking the water temperature with their own water thermometers. World champions such as Alex Meyer of the United States (25K), Linsy Heister of the Netherlands (25 km) and Thomas Lurz of Germany (5 km and 10 km) pulled out due to the conditions that clearly weakened the field and drew attention to the athletes' position.
Throughout the race, the FINA Delegate repeatedly communicated the water temperature to the officials and coaches, some of whom had their own temperatures hanging off the feeding pontoons. After 31°C was reached, the FINA doctor and FINA Safety Delegate went out to the feeding pontoons and consulted with the coaches about the possibility of canceling or shortening the race.
Despite their swimmers enveloped in the 31°C water for hours, some coaches apparently concurred with the FINA doctor and FINA Safety Delegate and the race continued. However, other coaches had a very different perspective. "When the FINA official and Medical officer came to the feeding station to inform the coaches that the temperature was more than 31°C, there was no discussion with the coaches. There was only a statement by the FINA official that the organizing committee and FINA had met and decided that conditions were safe to continue the full completion of 25K," recalled more than one of the coaches on the feeding pontoon.
This lack of consensus among the coaches is unfortunate. But even more fundamentally so, the lack of important input from the coaches is unacceptable. Shocking to be frank. These coaches train these athletes nearly every day. These men and women know the physiological limits of these young adults. To ignore their input under such inhospitable conditions is not right, is unnecessarily and dangerously risky, and unacceptably flies in the face of the concern that FINA publicly states.
So despite the athletes' complaints about the FINA medical recommendation of 31°C as the maximum water temperature, some coaches concluded that the conditions were permissible to continue. While most athletes forged on, other athletes either could not continue or were pulled from the water (refer to results listed below).
The justifications to continue on included:
1. The top athletes could handle these conditions,
2. FINA had held races in even warmer conditions and nothing happened,
3. The coaches on the course supported this decision,
4. There were adequate number of safety personnel on the course.
However, our opinion is different. We strongly believe the race should have been immediately called when the water temperature reached 31°C. In fact, as the water temperature was clearly approaching 31°C, we believe the athletes and coaches should have been notified that one more loop would commence as the final lap. This would have allowed a reasonable finish to a world championship race held under inhospitable conditions.
So while the spectators were thoroughly impressed with the victories of Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria and Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil, we do not believe the swimmers should have had to swim 25K to demonstrate their incredible physiological talents and psychological strengths.
FINA had the opportunity to demonstrate to the global open water community its leadership in making a decision that unequivocally placed the safety of young athletes ahead of any other possible consideration.
Simply because well-prepared athletes like Stoychev and Cunha could perform superhumanly does not mean that FINA's guideline should be extended to all athletes. While FINA had several doctors on call during its World Championship, what happens at other FINA events are held and fewer and less qualified doctors are on call? While FINA invested in a sophisticated US$300,000 sonar tracking system at the venue that can pinpoint if a swimmer collapsed and submerged under the water surface, what happens at other FINA events where the US$300,000 sonar safety system is not a viable option?
As the race continued on under the warm conditions, several athletes were pulled from the water including two-time world champion Valerio Cleri who is known in the elite open water swimming circles as one of its best prepared and most hardy athletes. While the 2009 25K world champion from Italy could not continue towards the later stages of the race, the two reigning world 25K champions, Alex Meyer and Linsy Heister, did not even start the race.
When conditions are such that the two reigning world champions protest through a DNS (Did Not Start), the sport moves from a world-class competition to an extreme sport duel between athlete and Mother Nature.
Additionally like Meyer and Heister, established open water swimming superstars like world champion Thomas Lurz and Olympian Brian Ryckerman understandably elected to skip the event due to the conditions.
The decision to continue because the top swimmers looked good to the FINA doctor is a confusing message to send to the global open water swimming community. We strongly believe it is important to establish and adjudicate rules that are appropriate to ALL athletes, not primarily aimed at the elite athletes. In this case, FINA made its decision heavily based on the performance of the athletes in the front of the pack, not in the middle or rear of the pack. One could argue cynically that FINA placed a higher priority on the health and welfare of the fastest athletes compared with other athletes.
Furthermore, the decision to continue the race because other races at other times were held in similarly warm conditions does not justify its decision. In the open water world, every race is different, but the sport is growing exponentially and swimmers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds are flocking to the sport. While FINA sanctions races aimed at the elite athlete, its influence is global. But when it pushes the envelope into the extreme realm, then reasonable race directors, coaches and athletes will look elsewhere for examples to follow.
There were other issues related to safety on the course. While safety personnel were added on the course, they were fully clothed and some could not swim. Sure they were manned by plenty of boats and communication equipment, but were they fully prepared to immediately jump in the water to save a life? The hallmark of any competent safety personnel is that ability - to not only identify a distressed swimmer, but also to make an immediate decision to jump in the water.
It was clear during the race that the Chinese safety personnel were not prepared for extreme conditions. On several occasions during the event, safety personnel were called for back-up help by the race officials, but the personnel were either inexcusably delayed or just simply never showed up.
There was one instance when a coach asked the race officials to get his swimmer out of the water. The distressed swimmer was quickly identified and the FINA official pulled alongside the athlete requesting that the athlete stop. The athlete was crying and dry-heaving, but shook her head that she wanted to continue. While her competitive spirit was in full force, it was obvious she had reached her physiological limits. Her stroke count has dramatically fallen, her kick was nearly non-existent and her own coach wanted her out for safety reasons. The FINA official intentionally gave her a red card and then jumped in the water to support the fat-fading swimmer. When he grabbed her and pulled her to the boat, her tears flowed as she continued to fight the ravages of the high water temperatures. Coughing, vomiting and crying with no energy left to swim, she was pulled onshore and given immediate medical help. When the Chinese safety personnel finally arrived, it was clear that a strong eggbeater and swimming ability were not his strengths. "I felt more like a lifeguard out there rather than a referee," said the official. "In those conditions, officiating took a backseat to simple lifeguarding. But even after jumping in to help one swimmer, we had to go back out and make sure no one else was going under. This is not what athletics should be about."
Going forward, we encourage FINA to not only carefully review the situation with the athletes and coaches who know their athletes best, but to also incorporate the requests of the athletes when extreme conditions prevail. While medical personnel, administrators, officials and lifeguards have opinions, knowledge and expertise on topics as hypothermia and hyperthermia and research conducted on non-professional marathon swimmers, no one experiences open water like these top-level athletes. They are the ones who feel the pain and discomfort of extreme conditions in the open water. They are the ones who bear the ultimate risk.
If we treasure their athletic prowess and admire their commitment, then it is high time that we respect their wishes and reasonable requests.
In light of the legacy of Fran Crippen, the remaining athletes and all future athletes greatly deserve our respect. Let's listen to them and pay heed to their collective voice. FINA had an opportunity to showcase a beautiful aquatic discipline - which it did very well in the shorter distances - but we believe it fell short in the 25K. FINA can make its future open water events reasonable athletic competitions. It can and should leave the extreme niches of open water swimming to other organizations and individuals.
In summary, we are here because of the athletes and for no other reason.
Note: Results of the women's race are here; results of the men's race are here.
Photo shows the effect of heat and sun on the back of Trent Grimsey at the 2011 FINA World Swimming Championships where the FINA Medical Delegate and the FINA Safety Delegate allowed the 25 km race to continue as the water temperature exceeded 31°C. Other related articles are posted below:
* FINA Taking It To The Edge - Part 1 is here.
* FINA Taking It To The Edge - Part 2 is here.
* FINA Taking It To The Edge - Part 3 is here.
* Why 31°C FINA? - Part 4
* USA Triathlon Fatality Incidents Study is here.
* New South Wales Maximum Water Temperature Rules are here.
Copyright © 2011 by World Open Water Swimming Association
5 comments:
Thank you for your very thoughtful comments on this issue, Steve. Your video report was helpful yesterday. Your point about considering all the athletes, not only the leaders, is crucial. Why else does FINA set safety rules, if not for ALL swimmers in the events sponsored under their "command"?ReplyDelete
Great article Steve. FINA seem very out of touch with what the swimmer's wanted.ReplyDelete
Thanks for you thoughtful writing on this issue Steve. Although some would consider it going "backwards" I think that FINA should go back to a 3 meter rule ONLY for the 25K event (where swimmers had to keep 3 meters from their boat and other swimmers), move the course off of 'loops' to a point to point or out and back venue and have escort boats for each swimmer. In the past swimmers HAVE raced in very hot conditions, but with an escort boat at their side, the coaches could constantly monitor the swimmer's progress and give them fluids when necessary, even immediately. I know, it is tough to get escort craft, but $300,000 for sonar tracking system? A coach in a escort boat has extensive knowledge of a swimmer and is in the best position to monitor his or her progress and needs, and pull them from the water if necessary. Also, a no draft race would add a different strategy to the competition venue rather than the just a longer version of the 5K and 10K.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 27, 2011 at 8:36 PM
My name is Ling Tin Yu ( Member of Hong Kong open water swimming team ), was a swimmer of both 5km and 10km races at the 14th World Swimming Championships.ReplyDelete
I have no experience of 25km race, but i think, if the water temperature is on or over 31 degrees C, the race will been called off automatically , it might be impossible to hold any 25km race in South Asia or Middle East.
To be a swimmer, I fully support every safety rules or guidelines, but at the same time I think, I should also trust the FINA's Safety Delegate and FINA's doctor.
There can be many 25K races that can be safely held in South Asia or the Middle East. However, the races should not be held in the middle of summer. The water and weather should be acceptable in late fall or winter.ReplyDelete
Thank you very much for your interest in the world of open water swimming.
World Open Water Swimming Association
A Thank You Gift from WOWSA
|WOWSA is celebrating the
1-Year Anniversary of the monthly Open Water Swimming Magazine
by giving you a free copy of the anniversary issue.
Open Water Swimming Magazine Anniversary Issue
File Size: 13MB
Download the file to your computer, and then right-click to extract the magazine which is inside the zip folder. The magazine is in PDF format.
CLICK HERE to download your free copy now.
Open Water Swimming Magazine
Open Water Swimming MagazineThe Open Water Swimming Magazine is the monthly magazine entirely focused on open water swimming heroes and heroines of every age, ability, and background. Published by the World Open Water Swimming Association, the Open Water Swimming Magazine is a free benefit to WOWSA members.
WOWSA Member Benefits include 12 issues of the Open Water Swimming Magazine, the annual 276-page Open Water Swimming Almanac, a free listing in Sponsor My Swim, outstanding product discounts from FINIS, an entry in Openwaterpedia and more...
The Other Shore
The Other Shore follows world record holder and legendary swimmer Diana Nyad as she comes out of a thirty-year retirement to re-attempt an elusive dream: swimming 103 miles non-stop from Cuba to Florida without the use of a shark cage. Her past and present collide in her obsession with a feat that nobody has ever accomplished. At the edge of The Devil's Triangle, tropical storms, sharks, venomous jellyfish, and one of the strongest ocean currents in the world, all prove to be life-threatening realities. Timothy Wheeler's documentary brings Diana Nyad's extraordinary adventure to life as Diana sets out to prove that will and determination are all you need to make the unimaginable possible.
2014 Open Water Swimming Almanac
An Almanac for Open Water SwimmingAn almanac is essentially a body of knowledge which is so complete that it enables people in different fields to make predictions about the future of their respective industries.
This, for example, was the purpose of the traditional farmers almanacs. It enabled farmers to determine as accurately as possible which crops to plant for the greatest harvests in a given year.
But the farmers almanac was just one example among many.
There are, of course, many different kinds of almanacs.
In fact, there is even one for open water swimming...
Preview the Open Water Swimming Almanac:
The trends are very clear.
The tide is rising for open water swimming.

subset: commoncrawl


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Happy Feet 2 Trailer [Video]
Penguins ... they dance ... I've known this since I was a child. Happy Feet 1? Happy Foot? Whatever they had a movie recently about dancing penguins that did well in the box office and so now there's a sequel.
And a new trailer in this post
Here's the movie poster


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Autodesk 360: CAD on the Cloud29 Nov, 2012 By: Lynn Allen
Circles and Lines Tutorial: New web-based services and computing power can take your productivity to a higher place.
It is all about the cloud these days — everywhere you turn. But do you really know clouds at all? What does the concept mean to you? Let's see if I can't clear up some of the cloudiness that surrounds this topic!
Cloud History
It's believed that in 1961, John McCarthy — a professor at Stanford University, the father of artificial intelligence, and the developer of the LISP programming language — was the first to predict that we would access software as we do our utilities: over a network. (Did you know that the early telephony network was referred to as a cloud?) We plug into the utility network when we need the service, and unplug when we don't. Typically, we pay according to what we use.
Imagine never installing any software; we would just launch our Internet browser, log on, and access the software from there. And wouldn't it be great if we could simply pay as we go? Perhaps that doesn't make sense for the products we use daily, but we all have software that we use only occasionally, and with the cloud, the option would be there.
We've all used cloud programs at some point. If you pay your bills online, that's a cloud application. Have you posted your photographs on a web site that lets you store, print, and share those photos with others? That's also a cloud application. You're tapping into these tools without downloading a single line of code to your computer. So, whether you know it or not, you're quite cloud-savvy!
Autodesk 360 Cloud Services
Autodesk is one company that has wholeheartedly embraced the concept of running professional software on the cloud. Autodesk 360 is the name of a suite of applications (many of which are free) available to everyone. Services include everything from storage for your design files to energy analysis and simulation programs. You'll even find a subset of cloud offerings specific to building information modeling, called BIM 360. Autodesk 360 makes it easy to share your design files with anyone, even if they don't have the corresponding Autodesk design software.
The cloud also offers access to server farms that deliver virtually limitless computing power. You're no longer stuck with the hardware your boss has decided is adequate! When would this kind of computing power come in handy? Whenever you're performing some of the more memory-intensive tasks, such as rendering or design analysis. Nothing can bring your computer to its knees — if computers have knees — like rendering. This task can take hours, days, or even weeks to accomplish — and good luck using your computer for other tasks during that time! It may be too slow to even check e-mail! Using the cloud, however, you can provide the information needed to generate a rendering, then let all those servers crunch away at lightning speed while you continue to do other work on your own computer. When the render is complete, you will receive an e-mail with a link to the finished rendering. All this occurs in a fraction of the usual time; what took 24 hours in the past might take less than 24 minutes via the cloud.
The basic Autodesk 360 offering includes 3 GB of storage, or 25 GB per seat if you're on subscription. Most Autodesk 2013 products provide access to Autodesk 360 from within the software (figure 1). It's easy to upload files of any kind — you're not limited to Autodesk product files — from within your Autodesk software or via 360.autodesk.com (figure 2).
Figure 1. From most Autodesk 2013 products, access Autodesk 360 from the Online tab of the ribbon.
Figure 2. You can also upload files via the Autodesk 360 web site.
You can organize your files into project folders and easily view and share your files. Set up your Autodesk software to automatically save your files both locally and on Autodesk 360 so you can access them from any location that has Internet access.
Accessing Autodesk 360 from inside AutoCAD, for example, is easy. Simply select the Online tab on the ribbon and you'll find Autodesk 360 right there. You'll also find access to Autodesk 360 from inside any AutoCAD file dialog box.
AutoCAD's Options dialog box contains a new Online tab so you can control your cloud storage setup. Here you can specify whether or not you want your AutoCAD files synced automatically with your Autodesk 360 account (figure 3).
Figure 3. Set up your Autodesk software to automatically save files to the cloud.
A Word about File Security
Let's look at clouds from the other side now. What's the biggest cloud-related fear? Security! Are your files safe?
Absolutely! Autodesk uses the same technology as is used for online banking — and I like to think my bank is secure! With such an investment in the future of cloud technology, Autodesk can't afford to expose your files to any risk. The same is true for all the big cloud providers. Rest assured, your files are safe.
OS on the Cloud
Think of the cloud as just another operating system. You can run software on Microsoft Windows, on the Apple iOS, and now across the Internet. Add the power of cloud computing, and you're opening the door to a wealth of possibilities. Don't let clouds get in your way; tap their power to make your work life easier. Check out Autodesk 360 for yourself.
Until next month — happy AutoCAD-ing! (Or is it Auto-cloud-ing?)
About the Author: Lynn Allen
AutoCAD Tips!
In her easy-to-follow, friendly style, long-time Cadalyst contributing editor Lynn Allen guides you through a new feature or time-saving trick in every episode of her popular AutoCAD Video Tips. Subscribe to the free Cadalyst Video Picks newsletter, and we'll notify you every time a new video tip is published. All exclusively from Cadalyst!


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The past year has been an exciting one with the birth of our little girl and our move from Japan to France. 2015 was a busy year with another move abroad. And how was our little girl sleeping? Well, there have been ups and downs, but the basics we learned from the Sleep Sense program still hold true. The key is to adapt because your baby is not a robot and their sleeping patterns will continuously evolve. Continue reading
Tag Archives: lack of sleep
Sleep Sense Review: Goodbye Sleepless Nights!
Perhaps you've come across Dana Obleman's Sleep Sense program while looking for solutions to get your baby to sleep through the night. To cut a long story short, it works, if you actually follow through. Read on if you want to read the our in depth Sleep Sense review.
Also Confused by Too Much Advice?
We're lucky nowadays. Thanks to the internet we have an almost unlimited amount of information at our fingertips. The whole point of Google was to help find the information you were looking for. So if you are suffering from sleepless nights then you've already tried to find some solutions. But, a search for baby sleep advice turns up 122,000,000 results!
Don't pay full price for the Sleep Sense program
Sleep Sense Discount Cash Back Link
If you would like to save money on the Sleep Sense program then please use this discount link for visitors to our site. This will give you access to an exclusive cash back offer saving $20 off Dana's Platinum, $10 off the Gold or $5 off the Basic package! After your purchase you should let us know which package you bought and where to send your cash back (Paypal or Amazon gift card) Continue reading
Set Goals Before Starting Sleep Training
- What are you specifically hoping to get out of sleep training?
- What specific changes do you hope to see?
- How do you want your child's sleep to be different?
- How do you want to feel when this is all over?
What Specific Sleep Goals do you Expect to Accomplish?
Set up your Baby's Bed Time Routine in 3 Simple Steps
Today, we'll look at how to set up a simple Bed Time routine together.
For many parents bed time is when we have to use our ninja techniques to get baby to sleep and not wake her up when you put her in the crib. It can also involve a lot of fussing, fighting, tantrums, crying, stalling, etc. That's NOT a good state of mind for your child to get into right before going to sleep. Setting up a quick and fun bedtime routine might even make you and your child look forward to it!
WHY A BEDTIME ROUTINE IS key to a good night's sleep
Children (especially babies) thrive on routine and predictability. They like to know what is going to happen next. Trying to hide bedtime from them will only make your child more nervous and agitated.
Imagine your child happily playing one minute, suddenly given a bath, put in her crib and expected to fall asleep. She won't know what hit her and will have a hard time settling down. Your bedtime routine is a series of steps that you'll follow every single night so your child knows when it's time to sleep.
Here are three simple steps for creating a bed time routine that works for you.
Does your baby also have trouble sleeping?
Welcome to the club! Lack of sleep is the newborn's parents badge of honor. We compare our stories with other parents and proudly show up to work with bags under our eyes. Everyone's gone through those initial sleepless nights. But the joy of being a parent wears off pretty quick. Especially with our little bundle of joy, we spent the first month doing nightly feedings every 1-2 hours. If you're lucky you'll get a break when grandma comes over to help out the first few weeks. But the relief only lasts until she goes back home…
Afterwards you're back on your own. And overwhelmed with the conflicting advice from your parents and friends. Not to mention the conflicting advice on the various baby forums. After 3 months we've developed our own techniques (bad habits?) to get Noelle to bed: from letting her fall asleep in her car seat to ending with her asleep in our arms. In the end we lower her into her crib, only for her to wake up and cry the second we let her go. Thus repeating the cycle of getting her to fall asleep…
You can continue to read the information on this and other sites, but all this will get you nowhere if you don't take action. Let's say goodbye to sleepless nights. Starting today.


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Mandela Day Photos – The All Star Jam
Once and for all, please honor the purpose of Mandela Day by doing random acts of kindness, no matter how small, as often as you can. Together, we can make the world a better place.
My series of photos from Mandela Day, a 46664 Celebration, that took place at Radio City Music Hall in NYC on July 18, 2009 has been almost as popular as the event itself. I am pleased to show you all some worldwide exclusive photos from the grand finale all star jam.


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K-Shawn (Feat. Hollywood) - Moviestar [Unsigned Hype]
K reports "First single from K-Shawn(co-ceo of abillionaire inc) featuring HollyWood. Lead lady starring Blanca from Candy Girls.. Follow on twitter/kshawnmusic and myspace.com/kshawnmusic
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


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The average new car now has as much embedded software as a rocket, and that's only likely to grow as connected car technologies take hold. To meet increasing demand, a leading Japanese auto parts manufacturer struggled to find cost-effective resources with scarce embedded software development skills and commitment to high quality standards—paramount when defects could cause costly recalls or life-threatening situations.
The company collaborated with Accenture to support embedded software development, employing highly skilled, cost-efficient professionals in Accenture's Philippines Delivery Centers.
The team focuses on three downstream R&D areas (software development, testing services and inspection services) to meet country-specific requirements including those of Japan—the world's most stringent. The robust processes and management structure in place allow the offshore team to work independently while delivering quality services.
With approximately 130 Accenture professionals providing specialized, flexible and cost-effective services, the company has been able to quickly scale its business, respond nimbly to software changes and new requirements, and reduce embedded software development costs by US$9 million annually. The efficient, high-quality services enable the automotive company's R&D division to focus time and resources on high-value product development to drive competitiveness.


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|Performer Information
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|David & Jenny Heitler-Klevans
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Cheltenham, PA 19012
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Lakewood Library, NY, Olean Library, NY, Howe Library/Howe Auditorium, Wellesville, NY, Appoquinimink Library, Middletown, DE, Selby Library, Sarasota, FL
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Hanging Out With Heroes at the Library is a special program for the 2015 summer reading program theme of Every Hero Has a Story - an interactive musical performance featuring songs about real and fictional sheroes and heroes, including the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., Ms. Frizzle, Sacagawea, Spiderman, and many more! Songs telling true stories of unsung heroes many also be included. Two of a Kind gets audiences of all ages involved in the performances through singing, movement, sign language, guessing games and more.
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|7 Nights to Read
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Literature- Authors,
7 Nights to Read is an interactive musical performance, featuring songs about reading and books. The program can be adapted to specific age-ranges, or can appeal to a wide age-range. Includes songs that encourage a general enthusiasm for reading and books, as well songs which relate to specific children's books, from board books to picture books to chapter books. Two of a Kind gets audiences of all ages involved in the performances through singing, movement, sign language, guessing games and more.
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Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City State University a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina offers baccalaureate graduate and professional programs for a diverse student body. The institution's rich heritage provides a firm foundation for its educational endeavors as well as its role in serving the needs and aspirations of individuals and society. Through teaching research and community engagement Elizabeth City State University provides a student-centered environment delivered in a manner that enhances student learning while preparing its graduates for leadership roles and lifelong learning. The university is also a leader in facilitating sustainable economic growth while safeguarding the unique culture and natural resources of the region.
School Information1704 Weeksville Rd
Elizabeth City, North Carolina 27909
Locale: Town: Distant
Open Admissions: Yes
Sector: Public, 4-year or above
Carnegie Basic: Baccalaureate Colleges--Diverse Fields
Religious Affiliation: Not applicable
Accrediting Agency: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Common name(s): ECSU
Students & Faculty
Total Tuition $27,180.00
SAT Scores:
25th-75th percentile
ACT Scores:
25th-75th percentile16-20
Note: 25th-75th percentile ranges show the range of scores achieved by the middle 50% of students who were admitted to the school.
Other Requirements:
Degrees & Programs
|Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General
|Art Teacher Education
|Biology Teacher Education
|Biology/Biological Sciences, General
|Business Administration and Management, General
|Business Teacher Education
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|Physics, General
|Political Science and Government, General
|Psychology, General
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|Special Education and Teaching, General
|Speech Communication and Rhetoric
|Sport and Fitness Administration/Management


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Lamiales, mint order of flowering plants, including 24 families, 1,059 genera, and more than 23,800 species. The main families in the order are Lamiaceae, Verbenaceae, Plantaginaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Orobanchaceae, Acanthaceae, Gesneriaceae, Bignoniaceae, Oleaceae, Pedaliaceae, and the small carnivorous families Lentibulariaceae and Byblidaceae.
Lamiales belongs to the core asterids, or sympetalous lineage of flowering plants, in the euasterid I group of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III (APG III) botanical classification system (see angiosperm).
Order characteristics
While the order is significantly more heterogeneous than it was under the Cronquist classification system, the expanded Lamiales of the APG III system is supported by a substantial number of technical and molecular characters that are common throughout its families. For instance, carbohydrates are stored as oligosaccharides and not as starch, leaves have specialized stomata, and plants often produce oxygenated flavones and other unique chemical compounds. More easily recognizable characters include usually opposite leaves, frequent presence of glandular hairs, and mostly capsular fruits.
Many members of the order have bilaterally symmetric flowers (irregularly shaped corollas with only one plane of symmetry), with fewer stamens than petals. In many species the corolla has two lips, the upper lip being composed of two petals and the lower of three. The number of petals in each lip is sometimes not obvious. Lips may be the same size, or one may be markedly larger. An upward bulge, the palate, in the central portion of the lower lip is pronounced in some species, such as Antirrhinum majus (the common snapdragon), in which it closes the corolla throat. The base of the corolla may bear a backwardly projecting spur, as in Cymbalaria muralis (Kenilworth ivy), Linaria (toadflax), Lentibularia (bladderworts), and Pinguicula (butterworts); this spur is the site of nectar production.
In some families of the order, the androecium (stamens) is constructed on a two-part (dimerous) or a four-part (tetramerous) plan, both of which are associated with regular corollas. For example, species of Oleaceae (e.g., ashes, forsythias, jasmine, and lilacs) typically have two stamens, and species of Buddleja (butterfly bush; a member of Scrophulariaceae) typically have four. In other families of the order, the androecium is constructed on a five-part (pentamerous) plan, associated mostly with corollas that are irregular. In these species departures from a full set of five stamens derive clearly from the suppression of one or more of the five. Thus, a few members of the order have five stamens (as in the mulleins; members of Scrophulariaceae), but most have only two or four. Species with four stamens (an upper pair and a lower pair) lack only the uppermost stamen. Other species lack the uppermost stamen and either the upper or the lower pair, leaving only two stamens. Any of the lost stamens may be represented by a staminode, or sterile stamen, borne in place of a normal stamen but not producing pollen. Depending on the species, a staminode may range from a minute projection on the inner surface of the corolla to an elongated filament-like structure equal in size and conspicuousness to the normal stamens (e.g., penstemon). In most species of the order, the stamen filaments are united with the petals (epipetaly), the degree of union ranging from slight to considerably more than half the length of the stamen. The stamens are alternate with the lobes of the corolla; that is, they are attached between the petals. In some highly irregular flowers, the alternate arrangement is difficult to see. The anthers of all members of the order have four pollen sacs. Pollen form and structure are exceedingly diverse. One family of the order, Acanthaceae, shows a wider range of pollen morphological features than almost any other family of flowering plants.
Most species in the order have an ovary with two locules, or chambers, each representing a single carpel. Most families in the order have axile placentation (the ovules, or placentae, develop on a central column in the ovary), although some, such as Orobanchaceae and Gesneriaceae, have parietal placentation (the ovules are positioned along the outer walls of the ovary or along partial partitions extending inward). Lentibulariaceae is characterized by free-central placentation, in which the ovules are borne on a central stalk that arises from the base of the single locule.
Although most species of Lamiales produce several to many seeds per fruit, a few produce only one (ashes, some species of Globularia). Perhaps the record for seed production in the order goes to a member of Orobanchaceae, Boschniakia rossica, a small parasitic plant that produces more than 300,000 seeds. The size of seeds in Lamiales ranges from the dustlike seeds of broomrapes (Orobanchaceae), which can be less than 0.3 mm (0.01 inch) long, to the long, thin seeds of some members of Bignoniaceae, which can have a length of several centimetres.
Main families
The two core families of Lamiales are Lamiaceae, or the mint family, and Verbenaceae, or the verbena family. Together they account for about 270 genera and more than 8,300 species. Both families have opposite leaves, bilaterally symmetric flowers (with only one plane of symmetry down the axis of the irregularly shaped flowers), and two or four stamens. The ovary in these families is very characteristic: there are two carpels, each with two ovules, but each carpel is divided by a secondary partition to produce four chambers with one ovule or seed apiece. The style arises either deeply from within a central depression (Lamiaceae) or from the top of the ovary (Verbenaceae). Typically in the mints, the fruit separates into four nutlets when mature. Fruits in the verbena family may also split apart, but many are berries or drupes (the outer layer fleshy and the inner one stony).
Most members of Lamiaceae are annual or perennial herbs, though molecular studies indicate that some of the woody genera formerly placed in Verbenaceae belong in Lamiaceae. Delimited this way, there are 236 genera and 7,173 species in Lamiaceae. The primary centre of distribution of the mint family is the Old World, from the Canary Islands to the Himalayas, with lesser centres in Ethiopia, Madagascar, southern areas of Africa and India, Sri Lanka, and oceanic regions eastward. Centres of distribution in the New World range from the mountains in central Mexico into Argentina and Chile, with secondary centres radiating northward and eastward.
Members of Lamiaceae are commonly recognized by their opposite, usually saw-toothed leaves, often regular or condensed clusters of flowers, and more or less square stems. Their flowers commonly have a style that originates between the deep lobes of the ovary (gynobasic style), uniting the four otherwise essentially distinct lobes of the ovary.
Members of the mint family are characteristically aromatic, and many are cultivated for their ethereal or essential oils, which are used medicinally, for flavouring foods and beverages, and in perfumery. The oils from Marrubium vulgare (horehound) and Salvia sclarea (clary sage) have medicinal value. Mentha cultivars (horticultural varieties) grown commercially for their oils are M. arvensis for menthol, M. gentilis and M. spicata for spearmint, and M. piperita for peppermint. Culinary herbs include Origanum majorana (marjoram), Origanum vulgare (oregano), Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil), Salvia officinalis (sage), Satureja hortensis (savory), Melissa officinalis (lemon balm), Thymus vulgaris (thyme), and Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary). Perfumes are derived from Lavandula angustifolia (lavender).
Border, bedding, and groundcover plants of the mint family include Lavandula, Mentha, and Lamium maculatum (the so-called deadnettle, semievergreen). Ajuga reptans (carpet bugleweed), native to Europe, spreads by stolons (aboveground runners), and A. pyramidalis produces rhizomes to form enlarged colonies vegetatively. Other ornamental mints include numerous species of Salvia, ranging in colour from blue to the orange-red S. splendens (Brazilian scarlet sage). Molucella laevis (bells of Ireland) develop an unusual green open-faced calyx much used in floral arrangements. Hundreds of named cultivars of Plectranthus, notable for their colourful leaves, are prized as houseplants and for protected outdoor plantings. Wildflowers and cultivated varieties of Monarda (bergamot) are also appreciated for their colour in summer.
Several important timber plants formerly placed in Verbenaceae have been reassigned to Lamiaceae. These include Tectona grandis, the teak native to India, Myanmar (Burma), and Malaysia that is also grown in other warm areas for its valuable wood, and Gmelina arborea, an Old World species now widely cultivated for timber and firewood because of its rapid growth. Vitex altissima (Asian tree) produces commercial timber, and the related V. divaricata produces wood used for shingles and bark used for tanning. The aromatic V. agnus-castus (chaste tree) is a hardy ornamental in warm temperate regions.
Verbenaceae, the verbena (also known as vervain) family, contains 31 genera and nearly 920 species, which are distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical South America and Africa. Other places of origin include central Asia, Japan, and islands near India; a few members are native to Europe, Asia Minor, and North America. In Verbenaceae the style is terminal on the ovary, or nearly so, and the ovary is unlobed or only shallowly lobed at the top. The plants are sometimes aromatic, and the fruit is not as consistently specialized as that found in Lamiaceae. The flowers tend to be more loosely aggregated than in the mints.
Important core Verbenaceae include plants such as Lippia (lemon verbena), Lantana camara (common lantana), Petraea (queen's wreath), and Verbena hybrida, an attractive ground cover.
One of the biggest upheavals in family circumscriptions resulting from the adoption of the APG III classification lies in the reorganization of the former Scrophulariales into Lamiales. Molecular studies show that earlier morphologically based delimitations of many families, such as Scrophulariaceae, do not hold up well in a system based on common ancestry. Consequently, many familiar genera long treated as "scrophs" have been placed in families such as Plantaginaceae, the plantain family. The current concept of Plantaginaceae includes Antirrhinum (snapdragon), Veronica (speedwell), Penstemon (beardtongue), Linaria (toadflax), and Digitalis (foxglove), as well as Plantago (plantain) and the aquatic genera Hippuris and Callitriche. The family so defined is entirely herbaceous and quite diverse in floral form and in the reduction of floral parts, with about 90 genera and 1,800 species. Plantago, for instance, has a single basal ovule, whereas many of the traditional "scroph" genera have numerous seeds on an axial placentation. The foxgloves Digitalis lanata and D. purpurea are the sources of digoxin and digitoxin, respectively; these drugs are important in the treatment of irregular heart rhythms.
Scrophulariaceae, the figwort family, includes some 65 genera and 1,800 species. These herbs or shrubs include genera such as Verbascum (mullein, with about 360 species), Scrophularia (200 species), and Buddleja (butterfly bush, with 125 species). Some of these, such as the mulleins, have the same number of stamens as petals.
The genera Eremophila (215 species) and Myoporum (about 30 species) consist of trees and shrubs native to Australia and the Pacific. The related tree Bontia daphnoides is an ornamental species from the Caribbean region. The members of these three genera were formerly placed in Myoporaceae and are characterized by strongly bilaterally symmetric flowers. Most have leaves with pellucid dots.
Orobanchaceae, the broomrape family, is also considerably expanded from its former delimitation. Instead of about 15 genera and 210 species of entirely parasitic plants (holoparasites, with no chlorophyll), the family now includes 99 genera and some 2,060 species under APG III. These additional groups are all hemiparasitic plants; that is, they have green foliage and are photosynthetic, but they also have specialized root connections (haustoria) that parasitize other green plants. Many of these were formerly placed in Scrophulariaceae, but molecular data and their partly parasitic habit place them squarely within Orobanchaceae. These include genera such as Castilleja (Indian paintbrush), with 200 species, Pedicularis (lousewort), with as many as 800 species, Agalinis, Buchnera, and Euphrasia. The completely parasitic members of Orobanchaceae include Orobanche (broomrape), with 150 species, and Epifagus (beechdrops), found only on roots of beech trees (Fagus grandifolia). Some of the genera are serious agricultural pests: Aeginetia and Christisonia attack sugarcane, while the witchweeds (Striga and Alectra) attack corn (maize), sugarcane, rice, sorghum, peanuts (groundnuts), soybeans, and tobacco.
Acanthaceae, the acanthus family, is a mostly tropical large family with 220 genera and some 4,000 species. Most species have showy bilaterally symmetric flowers, and the family includes herbs, vines, shrubs, and even trees. There are often colourful bracts associated with the flowers. In most members there is a specialized seed-dispersal mechanism: the ovules are borne on a hook-shaped projection (called the retinaculum or jaculator) coming off the ovary placenta, and, as the jaculator dries, it forcibly ejects the seeds away from the plant. Large genera in the family include Justicia (600 species), Barleria (300 species), and Ruellia (355 species). Important climbing genera are Thunbergia (black-eyed Susan, clock vine) and Mendoncia. The black mangrove genus Avicennia has sometimes been placed in its own family but is included in Acanthaceae under the APG III system. These plants inhabit the coastal mudflats of many tropical shorelines. Their leaves have salt glands on both sides, and the flowers are unusual for the order in having the same numbers of stamens as petals.
Members of Gesneriaceae, the African violet family, usually are herbs or vines and less often are shrubs or trees. The family is largely tropical and includes nearly 150 genera and 3,311 species. Many species have leaves that are opposite and softly hairy or somewhat fleshy; the calyx is often spurred, and the five joined petals form a two-lipped bilaterally symmetric tube with four or occasionally two anthers that are conspicuously joined in pairs by their pollen sacs. The fruits are berries or capsules with numerous seeds on a parietal placenta. The family is renowned for its ornamental genera, such as Streptocarpus, Saintpaulia (African violets), Sinningia (gloxinia), Columnea, and Episcia. The variety and showiness of gesneriad flowers are related to a diversity of pollination systems, including bees, moths, butterflies, hummingbirds, flies, and bats.
Bignoniaceae, the trumpet creeper family, is a major tropical family with a few temperate-region members such as Campsis radicans (trumpet vine) and Catalpa. The family contains 110 genera and some 800 species. All members are woody, including trees, shrubs, and lianas. They can be recognized quite easily by their mostly opposite bicompound leaves, and the vines often have leaf tendrils. The flowers are generally large and bilaterally symmetric, and there are often nectaries on the leaf, stem nodes, calyx, or ovary surface. The calyx is often spathaceous. There are two series of ovules in each carpel, and the broad stigmatic lobes are often sensitive when touched. When the fruits are capsular, the seeds are usually flattened and winged. A few genera have large leathery berries that may once have been dispersed by large mammals that are now extinct; elephants still act as dispersers for some African species. The genus Tabebuia has some 70 species, many of which produce excellent timber. Schlegelia and Paulownia were formerly included in Bignoniaceae, but the APG III system places them in their own families (Schlegeliaceae and Paulowniaceae, respectively) in Lamiales.
Oleaceae, the olive family, contains 24 genera and 615 species. They are woody plants with flowers that have regular (radial) symmetry, usually with four joined petals, four sepals, only two stamens, and two ovules per locule in the ovary. Olea europea (olive) produces edible fruits and a delicious and nutritious cooking oil. Fraxinus (ash) has several important timber species. Ornamental genera in the family include Jasminum (jasmine), Forsythia, Ligustrum (privet), Chionanthus (fringe tree), and Syringa (lilac).
Pedaliaceae, the sesame family, is a small family of 14 genera and 70 species. Its native distribution is exclusively Old World, in tropical and dry habitats, and its best-known member is Sesamum indicum (sesame). These are herbs or shrubs with spurred flowers and ovaries with axile placentation that often develop hooks or prickles as the fruit wall begins to decompose.
Carnivorous families
There are two families in Lamiales that are carnivorous. The first is Lentibulariaceae, the bladderwort family, with three genera and 330 species. These are herbs of wet habitats, sometimes even floating aquatics, and they have small to quite large strongly zygomorphic (spurred) flowers with only two anthers. Pinguicula (butterwort) has flat leaves that are sticky on the adaxial surface, and Genlisea (corkscrew plant) has tubular leaves and forked subsurface traps with the opening spiraling along the branches of the fork. Species of Utricularia (bladderwort) may sometimes actually lack leaves, with the rest of the plant body forming branched systems of tiny insect-collecting bladders with trapdoor entrances. Their typical prey includes protozoans, crustaceans, worms, and newly hatched fish.
The second family is Byblidaceae, with a single genus (Byblis) and six species native to Australia and New Guinea. These are herbs with narrowly linear leaves densely covered by glandular hairs that trap and absorb nutrients from insects.
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
Mint, (genus Mentha), genus of 25 species of fragrant herbs of the mint family (Lamiaceae). Native to Eurasia, North America, southern Africa, and Australia, mints are widely distributed throughout the temperate areas of the world and have naturalized in many places. A number of species, particularly peppermint and spearmint, are…
Lamiaceae, the mint family of flowering plants, with 236 genera and more than 7,000 species, the largest family of the order Lamiales. Lamiaceae is distributed nearly worldwide, and many species are cultivated for their fragrant leaves and attractive flowers. The family is particularly important to humans for…
Verbenaceae, family of plants, in the order Lamiales, a worldwide but mainly tropical grouping of 30 genera and some 1,100 species, some of which are important for their flowers. Members of the family, sometimes known as Verbenaor Vervain, have opposite or whorled leaves that are usually undivided. The flowers…
Scrophulariaceae, the figwort family of flowering plants, one of 26 in the order Lamiales, containing about 65 genera and 1,700 species with worldwide distribution. It contains no crop plants of great economic importance but is notable for many ornamental garden plants, such as butterfly bush ( Buddleja), Diascia, Nemesia, and many…
Acanthaceae, one of 24 families in the mint order (Lamiales) of flowering plants, containing approximately 220 genera and nearly 4,000 species distributed predominantly in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The greater part of the Acanthaceae family are herbs or shrubs, but vines and trees occur as well. The…


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Justice Scalia is getting a lot of attention for his comment that the Constitution is "dead, dead, dead", but obviously he didn't mean that the Constitution is no longer in effect. (See? Intent theory sometimes is helpful, Nino.). Rather, he meant that the Constitution does not have a meaning that changes over time. It has one meaning — its original one — and that's it. So for people who follow Scalia's "thought", or for those us who can't escape them because we have to deal with it, there's really nothing new here.
But one thing did occur to me: where does this leave the Takings clause? As William Michael Treanor has demonstrated, before the Court's decision in Pennsylvania Coal v. Mahon, few if anyone understood it to mean that it applied to regulations that did not physically occupy someone's property. Moreover, we can just think about the word "property." Modern property theory breaks the notion into a bundle of sticks — you can sell it, you can rent it, you can use it, you can split it up in time, etc. etc. — but no one in the late 18th century saw this as the meaning of property. Property was a thing. If you could occupy it, it was yours; Chief Justice Marshall in Johnson v. M'Intosh could distinguish between ownership and usufructuary rights, but it is fair to say that sticks theory was a later invention.
Even the very sharp Samuel Johnson — no progressive he — did not go much further. For Johnson, property was closely tied up with possession. His final three defintions of "property" are: "right of poffeffion" (sorry, can't resist); 'poffeffion held in one's right"; and "the thing poffeffed." (The first two define "property" as "peculiar quality" "quality; disposition"). So if, say, I don't give someone a right to build or develop my land, I am not taking his "property" because I am not interfering with his right to possess it.
Blackstone, too, was very solicitous of property rights; but what was the definition of "property" that one had a right to? The "sole and despotic dominion" that Blackstone identified as the "right" was extended to the "external things of the world." Michael Rappaport, the hardest-working and most creative originalist out there, tries to save it by saying that Blackstone defined the right to property as consisting "in the free use, enjoyment, and disposal of all of his acquisitions, without any control or diminution, save only by the laws of the land." But that won't do for an original meaning textualist, because the Takings Clause doesn't protect the taking of a right to property; it protects property. And for Blackstone, property was not a right, but a thing: you have a right to property, but it is not the same thing as the property itself. (Besides, if the right to property was dependent upon the "laws of the land", that won't help very much with Takings.).
Similarly for Johnson, although it is somewhat more complicated because there are so many definitions, "take" as well is connected with the idea of receiving, seizing, snatching, laying hold of. So again, if the government enacts environmental regulations forbidding development, this would not, under Johnson's defintion, have anything to do with "taking" because it is not "seizing" or receiving anything.
If we use an "original meaning" theory of the Constitution, this would seem to rule out regulatory takings entirely. Regulating property with, say, height restrictions wouldn't be a problem because no "property" was taken. Ditto because no property was "taken" as the word originally meant at the time.
I should quickly say that I think that there is and should be a regulatory takings doctrine. In fact, I have written a little on how to make it easier for plaintiffs to win these things. But if you are an original meaning theorist, it will be a Rumsfeldian slog to figure out how to do it. Call this Reason #371 why Scalia's jurisprudence is overrated.


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This dish epitomizes the best of Italian cooking — just a few great ingredients treated simply, but the result is unforgettable. I still remember the first time I had this at a roadside trattoria. Like all Italian recipes, this has infinite variations, so here's my version. Tagliata, from the Italian tagliare, means "carved" or "cut." The meat is cut into thin slices, which produces a lot more surface area on which to drizzle seasoned oil or condiments.–John Ash
Grilled Beef with Rosemary and Capers
- Quick Glance
- Serves 4 to 6
- 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons fragrant extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary leaves
- 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper (see Notes)
- 1 1/2 pounds New York strip steak or sirloin, about 2 inches thick, excess fat removed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups lightly packed tender young arugula
- Reduced balsamic vinegar (see Notes)
- 3 tablespoons fried capers (see Notes)
- Lemon wedges
- 1. Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas or stovetop grill. In a small saucepan over low heat, cook 2/3 cup of the olive oil and the garlic until the garlic is lightly browned and beginning to crisp. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the rosemary and cracked pepper, set aside, and keep warm.
- 2. Rub the steak liberally with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and generously with salt and pepper. Grill the steak over high heat until rare to medium rare. (If you do this on the stovetop with a ridged grill pan, you'll need plenty of ventilation!) Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes or so. This allows the juices to "retreat" back into the meat and redistribute themselves.
- 3. Spread the arugula on a serving platter. Slice the steak thinly across the grain. Arrange the meat on top of the arugula and pour the warm seasoned oil over the meat. Drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar and scatter fried capers over all. Serve with lemon wedges.
- Cracked peppercorn:
- To get the right consistency, put the peppercorns in a clean envelope or fold of waxed paper and smack it with something heavy.
- Reduced balsamic vinegar:
- Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for and a useful restaurant trick well worth knowing. Boil some balsamic vinegar, uncovered, over high heat, until it is reduced by a little more than half — say, 60 percent. As it cools, it will thicken into a syrup that can be drizzled over all manner of things. Its advantage over straight-out-of-the-bottle balsamic is that in this state, it "stays put." It can be stored at room temperature almost indefinitely.
- Fried capers:
- When capers are fried, they take on a different flavor and texture that I really like. Drain the capers well, pat dry with paper towels, and then fry them in small batches in about 1/4 inch of hot olive oil until the buds begin to open and are lightly browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Can be done a few hours in advance.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.


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Opportunity in Santa Pola in one of the best area, near the beach, harbour, center,...with 2 bedrooms, living room and kitchen, bathroom, fitted wardrobes, balkony, lift, ...
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28 May 2016
The last May 25 saw the broadcast on the Spanish national Channel TVE 1 of the known cooking show MasterChef, which was recorded on our Levante beach in Santa Pola. All Spain could see some of the charms of Santa Pola, as it's gastronomy and it's natural environment. We put the link in of the program...
10 May 2016
Beaches of Santa Pola, Undoubtedly, one of the biggest attractions of Santa Pola are the beaches. Year after year Santa Pola has several Blue Flag, a recognition that the international Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and ADEAC given to beaches that meet strict quality criteria. Santa Pola sum 26...


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Aww. Thanks for the kind words and thinking about Giovanni and I.Dovrebanen wrote:As for the OOC/AH fanfics..At first I didn't like them at all. But then I read WA. And it completely turned my view around. And I haven't read an "in character"-fic since, except for Starry Night, which I loved btw. Can't say that too many times
Rings, sorry, I wasn't able to pick up much Italian words for you in Venice. They talk so fast But I did see a cool apron with the name Giovanni in gold on it. Fits nicely with your character. I wanted to take a pic, but this lady came and wanted me to buy stuff so I had to get out of there.[/color]
Giovanni (well, Mafia Gio) wears pants and an apron when making breakfast for the Mafia. Although his says "Kiss the Cook."


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Sinhala language for Sri Lanka (.lk). ASCII characters not supported. • Only one Sinhala and one Tamil domain name may be registered for each .lk registration, even if multiple transliterations, etc. are possible. • The LK Domain Registry shall review each request, and will only register names which appear to be legitimate and does not appear to infringe on anyone else's rights. Company registration number, any country, required. Please contact us if you are interested in 2 and 3 letter domain names which have premium pricing.
2 Weeks