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Playing pro hockey is something that all motivated hockey players strive for. Not everyone will reach that level, but having a former pro hockey player give you advice never hurts. So I'm very pleased to have Dave Cunning share with you some of the things he learned and experienced along the way to becoming a pro hockey player and what it takes to play at that level.
1. Hey David, Nice to have you on the site. I'm interested, along with other readers, what sports you played growing up?
I started playing hockey and soccer when I was five years old, but soccer eventually gave way to baseball. I used to ski when I was a kid too, but I transitioned to snowboarding when I got older, and learned to wakeboard after that. My family plays a lot of badminton, so I picked that up, along with golf. I played volleyball and basketball in elementary and high school. I recall trying archery at one point too. I was obviously pretty deep into sports. Hockey eventually won out over them all, though I still participate in most of the others from time to time.
2. I hear you've played a bit of pro hockey. Tell us a bit about your hockey career.
Getting to play in the pro ranks was a dream come true that I worked very hard for a lot of years to accomplish. It took me 17 years to rise through minor, junior, and college hockey before I had the opportunity to fly across the world to Europe and play professionally. Scoring a goal in my first game as a pro made every second of that struggle worth it. It was an amazing feeling to play at that level, and remains one of my greatest accomplishments. A lot of guys played a lot longer and had a lot more lucrative careers than I did, but I cherish the time that I had to live out my dream and play at that level. Hockey allowed me to travel through four countries to play, and to meet some of the best friends that I have, so I am very thankful for the time I had to play the game.
3. Did you have a strength and conditioning coach with any of the junior or pro teams you played with?
I remember having strength and conditioning coaches with my junior team (Creston Thundercats of the KIJHL) and my college team (Briecrest College of the ACAC), but oddly not with my pro team in France (Lyon HC). They were helpful to have around, usually doing group sessions with our entire team. I know a lot of guys were like me and didn't utilize them as much as we probably should have. A lot of the exercises I picked up were from teammates sharing parts of their training routines with me, which I cherry picked from to help form my own approach to training. If I'd had the money to hire one of them I probably would have, but there isn't a lot of money in junior and college hockey – at least not where I was and when I was there.
4. If so, tell us a bit about the programs that those coaches took you through.
Again, I didn't get the most out of the strength coaches that were around, but the gist of what they were trying to teach us as a group was to train specifically for our sport, and to train the muscles and movements that hockey players use in the game. There was a lot of power and quickness prescribed to be used in each motion. They were trying to get us away from just general bodybuilding exercises – though there were always a few guys who insisted on coming in to just train chest and biceps, no matter what they were told to the contrary. A lot of the advice that was doled out to us over a few sessions at the beginning of the season, then we were on our own to carry it out that year, save for a few sporadic check-ups here and there. We had pre-season and mid-season fitness testing too. It's important to remember that a hockey season is rather grueling physically, so our in-season workouts were nowhere near as intense as they were in the off-season. It was maintenance more than anything.
5. Were there any differences between junior and pro strength coaches, in terms of their programming and beliefs about strength training?
I think my junior and college strength coaches were very much of the same school of thought, though they all had different sports backgrounds. They all knew it was an important component for an athlete though. What I think might have been the difference between training between amateur and pro was the geography and perhaps the language barrier. In Lyon we had a gym at the rink, but it was pretty basic. Most of the times I would go in there to train, I would be the only one. The guys could have been going somewhere else to workout that I didn't know of, but I didn't have a strong enough level of French to find out where that was if that was what was happening. I think in Canada, you get spoiled a little as hockey players because our whole country is so in love with hockey and the guys and girls who play it have a plethora of options in front of them to take advantage of to get better at it. You can find a trainer at a gym to train you specifically for hockey at a gym, or you can find a hockey school in your town to improve your gameplay. Not every country in the world has that high of a regard for hockey, so those options aren't as readily available, as it appeared to be where I was. Surely other nations who embrace the game like Canada does are different though.
6. What made you want to become a strength and conditioning coach?
When I realized that my playing days were done, I knew I wanted to stay involved in the game, and I had to think about which capacity would be the best fit for me to do so. Remembering back to when I was playing, I loved working out in the summers with a buddy of mine – we pushed each other as hard as we could to get stronger, faster, and better so that we could keep going farther in the game. I loved being motivated by a like-minded person, and I loved being that same thing to someone else. It paid off for us both, as we both eventually become pros (though he got an NHL tryout, so he got farther along than I did). I saw becoming a strength coach as an opportunity to help other players see what it takes to get where they want to go, and help be one part of their preparation and motivation to go as far as they could in the game. It's been awesome to watch the players I've trained get noticeably stronger and quicker, and have a bigger impact on their team than before.
7. What types of courses or certifications did you take to become a strength coach?
I graduated through the BCRPA Personal Trainer certification program.
8. What level of hockey players do you train at the moment?
I'm currently overseas in Korea teaching English, so I am only training general fitness clients on the side at the moment. But while I was still in Canada, I was regularly training WHL, BCHL, and KIJHL players, and plan to do so again when I return home.
9. Take us through what a workout would look like during the season and the off-season.
Off-season workouts are a lot more physical than in-season ones, but that is for a reason. You aren't skating everyday and playing every weekend in the summer, nor are you battling fatigue and injuries, so you have to balance the two training seasons appropriately. The off-season's for building strength, size, quickness, stamina, power, mobility, and range of motion, while in-season training is primarily about maintaining those attributes. Off-season workouts see you lift a lot of weight, perform a lot of sets, and execute each motion with a lot of a lot of power to help build the specific major and minor muscle groups that hockey players use most during the game. There are a lot of all-out sprints and related exercises to get your feet moving as quick as they ever have, in hopes of that translating into you becoming a quicker skater during the season. While you work out through hockey season, you perform a lot of the same exercises and motions, but you do it with an approach that doesn't leave you sore, tired, or otherwise not in optimal condition when it comes to game time. Every level of hockey has a different length of season, and you have to be ready for each game whether it's the first, last, or somewhere mid-season. Usually in-season workouts have guys scaling back their sets and reps, and not pushing their limits, though they do their best to maintain the benchmarks they've already set, and not regress in any categories.
10. What sets apart the players that really get great results compared to those that get average results from training?
It's simply the dedication to get the work done, and to use your time wisely. In junior hockey and pro hockey, you have a lot more extra time in your day, so there are less excuses to miss workouts – though some guys always find a way. In college hockey, you have to balance student life, class schedules, and everything else, so it's tougher to find the time, and it's really easy to pass on trips to the gym. It becomes about prioritizing your time to do it, no matter what your current lifestyle allows. The guys who make that time to get better are almost always the guys who have the most success.
11. When you played pro hockey, was there a player(s) that really stood out in the weight room compared to others?
There were always two or three guys on every team I played for that were standouts in the gym, and had the bodies to show for it. I saw each one of them put in the time and effort to get themselves there. One guy in particular was Bobby Leavins – he was a New York Islanders draft pick, and had played a season of minor pro, so to have him on our college team as our captain was huge for us. He brought his dedication to off-ice training to our team, and always made time to get in the gym. Our school's gym was located in the basketball/volleyball gymnasium, and somehow Bobby had managed to get himself a gym key so he could workout even when the gym was closed. One time during a school event, the gym was packed with students, including our team, all focused on whatever event was taking place in the gymnasium that night. Conspicuously, Bobby was nowhere to be found – until further inspection revealed that he had made his made his way into the gym with his key, kept the main lights off and smuggled in a desk lamp, and was basically working out in the dark, undetected until I found him. Despite playing as a left-winger as a pro, Bobby moved back to defense for our team, and still finished second in team scoring. The guy was definitely doing something right, and I know his commitment to training had something to do with it.
12. If you could give hockey players that want to start an off-ice training program any advice, what would it be?
My advice would be to do it! A lot of guys unfortunately don't get past the stage of talking about it and saying they want to start doing it. Whether you hire a trainer, find a like-minded gym buddy, or research and put together your own program, just get to it. Of course I recommend hiring a professional over all the other options – certified trainers are educated to make your training routines sport specific, efficient, and optimized to make you the best you can be, when you need to be. Of course, trainers are an investment, and some players think that they know enough and don't need them. While some players have the luxury on relying on natural talent to ascend in the sport, most guys have to work for everything they get. Whether you can afford to hire a trainer or not really is a question of whether you can afford to be less prepared than you could be if you did. Personally, after becoming a trainer and learning the approaches and methodologies I know now, and after seeing how many NHLers hire trainers and seeing how hard they work in the summer, part of me wishes I had made that investment when I was still playing. Competition for spots on teams at every level is so intense these days – players have to find a way to stand out from the crowd to get one of those open spots on a roster. If off-ice training is the thing that helps you catch a scout or coach's eye in training camp, there's no question it's worth the investment. Never be satisfied with where you're at – in hockey there's always someone younger, bigger, and better that wants to be where you are, so you've got to do what it takes to keep your place, or be the one that takes someone else's spot.
You can find out more about David and his work at:
His Websites: davecunning.wordpress.com and cunningathletics.wordpress.com
Twitter: @davecunning and @CunningAthletix
Podcast: http://xppsp.podbean.com
Follow @davecunningFollow @CunningAthletixFollow @sfactoryfitnessFollow @ehockeypower


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Egyptians celebrate in the streets, but instability remains
- The next step in Egypt is an unknown one
- Mob violence still a major concern
- Many wonder what will happen - and when
CAIRO – The capital erupted in celebration Wednesday evening – fireworks rippling through the sky, car horns beeping wildly and flags flying high – after the military announced it will impose a plan for a transition period in the troubled country.
"People are excited like I've never seen before," said Mohammad El-Aroussi, 27, after he left Tahrir Square, which exploded with festivities. But he didn't know who would take charge of the country.
"We don't know what will happen to Morsi and the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood," El Aroussi said. "But of course we want a civilian leader to run the country. No one wants the military to rule the country anymore."
As he spoke, a vehicle drove by with men riding on the hood and top of the car as children inside trailed flags and solicited passersby to join in their celebration.
For days, anti-Morsi supporters have flooded Tahrir Square and other locations across the country to demand that Morsi resign and that early presidential elections be ordered.
The transitional plan announced Wednesday was decided by the National Salvation Front, the main coalition of anti-Morsi groups, said opposition figure Mohamed Abou El Ghar, president of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party. It was given to Mohamed ElBaradei – leader of the coalition – and then to the army, Abou El Ghar said.
"It is a popular move, as you have seen very clearly in the streets," said Abou El Ghar, insisting that this is not a coup.
The constitution is suspended and the military has ordered new elections. A small council is expected to govern the country, led by an honorary, civilian head, Abou el Ghar said, which effectively forces out Morsi.
Interior designer Amir Dous, 36, who is against Morsi, said the current upheaval is not about going back, but about going forward, adding that he wants to have a "new democratic country."
But others are dejected by the news that their leader has been ousted just one year after he won a historic election.
"I'm so worried about Egypt," said Ahmed Hassan, a lawyer and Muslim Brotherhood supporter who views the situation as a military coup. "We don't know what is going on after Morsi goes, or if everything will be fine. I don't know what the liberal groups will do."
As Hassan watched a Muslim Brotherhood television channel, called Misr 25, the station was cut off just moments after the military came out with their announcement Wednesday evening. He was home in Egypt's Nile Delta region north of the capital, unable to view a pro-Morsi rally at a Cairo mosque because it was not broadcast on any other local news channel, he said.
Managers of the Brotherhood TV station have been arrested and other conservative channels went black after the army's announcement, reports said.
"And #Egypt enters another military coup cycle," said Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad on his Twitter feed. "Will the ppl of #Egypt take it, AGAIN !!" he said.
Many were glad to see the military step aside from power positions last year after it ruled for more than 16 months in the interim period after Mubarak's ousted. After Morsi was elected in the nation's first democratic vote, he forced top generals into retirement and gave himself executive and legislative powers.
But this week, opposition protesters exalted the military, which they viewed as their only hope for getting Morsi to step down. They cheered without fail whenever army helicopters flew over the square, yelling "The army and the people are one hand!" – a chant that displays unity.
"The military wants to defend Egypt," said Jihan Youssef, wearing a white headscarf and raising her voice over chants, whistles and tooting horns that have made parts of the city feel like a festival.
On Wednesday night, Amnesty International urged security forces and the army to protect the human rights and safety of everyone in Egypt.
"In this time of great tension and with the constitution suspended, it is more important than ever that the military comply with Egypt's obligations under international human rights law," said Salil Shetty, General Secretary of Amnesty International.
"Amid fears of possible reprisals and revenge attacks against supporters of President Morsi, along with the worrying trend of mob violence and sexual assaults on women this is a time for extreme caution," Shetty said.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of State warned U.S. citizens to defer travel to Egypt and said Americans living in Egypt should depart due to political and social unrest. The Department of State also ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members from Egypt.
But many will celebrate.
Minerva Ezzeldin, from the southern part of Cairo, stood with a camera around her neck in Tahrir early Wednesday evening, anticipating Morsi would be ousted even before the army's announcement was made. "This is something I have to remember forever," she said.


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Report: NHL proposes realignment, new playoff formatNHL.com @NHLdotcom
The National Hockey League is proposing a new realignment plan that would see the League go from six divisions to four divisions and introduce a form of divisional playoffs instead of the current conference system in place for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, according to a report by ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun.
The plan was detailed in a memo sent to the League's clubs Tuesday, according to LeBrun.
The plan needs approval from the National Hockey League Players' Association and the League's Board of Governors. If it passes, it would take effect for the 2013-14 regular season.
"We have been in discussions with the Players' Association for the past several weeks on the issue of realignment and we are trying to get to a solution that everybody can live with," Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told NHL.com. "There are no perfect answers here, so we have to do the best we can in trying to adequately address a number of competing concerns. Once we get to a point where we have the Union's go-ahead, we will present it to our Board of Governors for its consideration. We certainly hope to be in a position to announce something in the relatively near term."
Under the new plan, the conferences would be realigned with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings moving from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference, and the Winnipeg Jets moving from the Eastern to the Western. It results in unbalanced-conference alignment that would see 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 in the Western Conference.
The schedule matrix would see each team play teams in the other conference both home and away.
In the seven-team divisions, teams would play intraconference foes three times per season and five of the six intradivision foes five times a season. The sixth opponent within the division would be played four times. In the eight-team divisions, teams would play intraconference opponents three times and intradivision opponents either four or five times per season on a rotating basis.
Due to the unbalanced conferences, the League has proposed introducing a wild-card element to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, according to LeBrun.
Under the proposed system, the top three teams in each of the four divisions would qualify for the postseason. The final four spots would go to the two teams in each conference with the next-best records. So, in theory, five teams from one division and just three from the other division in each respective conference could make the postseason.
CBC's Elliotte Friedman first broke many of the details of the potential realignment plan, including the composition of the divisions, Saturday.
The Atlantic and Central divisions would be in the East, while the Midwest and Pacific divisions would be in the West.
According to the memo, the Pacific Division would include the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks, while the Midwest Division would be the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.
The Central Division would be the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs. The reconfigured Atlantic Division would include the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.
Proposed realignment:
|Western Conference
|Eastern Conference
|Anaheim Ducks
|Chicago Blackhawks
|Boston Bruins
|Carolina Hurricanes
|Calgary Flames
|Colorado Avalanche
|Buffalo Sabres
|Columbus Blue Jackets
|Edmonton Oilers
|Dallas Stars
|Detroit Red Wings
|New Jersey Devils
|Los Angeles Kings
|Minnesota Wild
|Florida Panthers
|New York Islanders
|Phoenix Coyotes
|Nashville Predators
|Montreal Canadiens
|New York Rangers
|San Jose Sharks
|St. Louis Blues
|Ottawa Senators
|Philadelphia Flyers
|Vancouver Canucks
|Winnipeg Jets
|Tampa Bay Lightning
|Pittsburgh Penguins
|Toronto Maple Leafs
|Washington Capitals


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I will miss Bernie Sanders and the air of hope and optimism he brought with him during this Primary season.
After all the capitulations of the Obama Administration to Republican demagoguery in general and to the GOP in particular; after all the nay-saying and "no we can't do it after all" crap and over-compromising to the point of actually compromising one's core principle and thereby essentially allowing Republicans to set the tone and direction of national policy and debate, it was great to see someone who inspired real change; who wasn't just another god-damn politician looking out for himself and his bottom line, perpetuating the same failed policies that further no one but the greed and avarice of the one percent.
Republicans have set the bar so low that it really does not take much to exceed it. This country has moved so far to the Right, that both Obama and Clinton would have fit well into the Reagan administration instead of FDR's. The Republicans are so awful, that they make people like Clinton and Obama look good and liberal, rather than showing them as the moderate Republicans they really are. Republicans who have turned not being a fascist into a standard which politicians like Clinton aspire to ("Hey vote for me, at least I was not THAT horrible."),
Seeing people come together, being fired up, having hope for a better future for all Americans, was inspiring. I think a lot of even cynical people felt that there was finally a political leader who wasn't telling us what we wanted to hear becasue it was politically expedient, but who, behind closed doors, just went on with business as usual. Someone who finally got it and who strived to make it happen, even if he knew it was hard. It was great to see someone who isn't running a capitulation campaign, where you aim really low so you can at least get that done (which is sort of the message I got from Hillary Clinton, in a nutshell).
A lot of Clinton's supporter believe that Sanders' supporters live in a fantasy world where everything is free and they don't have to work for it. We were and continue to be dismissed as a bunch of pie-in-the-sky dreamers, detached from reality, who don't know any better, versus Clinton who repeatedly prides herself in her pragmatism and no-nonsense attitude.
But we are not blind. We understand the political process perfectly well. We understand that the President isn't an elected king and that he has to work with Congress and lawmakers to make things happen. We understood the value of compromise. We know that this is going to be an upward battle requiring effort, a thick skin and hard work. And we knew that Bernie Sanders was not going to waltz into the White House, swing a magic wand and make it all happen.
But winning is only half the battle. The appeal of the Sanders movement is about achievability as much as it is about inspiration and believing that one must and can work toward a movement for greater equality, fair wages, universal healthcare, and an end to corporate control of our political system. That in and of itself is half the battle. And if you can't even envision that, just like Clinton cannot and won't envision it, then why do you even fucking want this job? Why do you bother?
In fact, I have often wondered why given her defeatist
pragmatic attitude Clinton even wants this job. She is rich enough so it is not like she has to work. And how much more money can one person need and want?
Is it for power? Prestige? To be the first woman President? Bragging rights?
I look at her track record and I look at her during this Primary season and I don't see a public servant, I don't see someone who wants to bring about change and reform. On the contrary, what I see is a neoliberal, Wall Street-funded, status quo-perpetuating, multimillionaire militarist.
It is a shame. We had the chance to elect an utterly honest man who has not spent the last 40 years enriching himself at the expense of the American people. Unlike Sanders' positive and hope filled message, this so-called victory by Clinton brings with itself an air of hopelessness and despondency that weighs down my heart.
The masses of people being gullible sheep who vote against their own self interest is nothing new, but it never ceases to amaze and appall me when I do witness it. Sanders is a man who, going by his tax returns alone, is broke compared to his multi millionaire colleagues in Congress. He and his wife made less in one year ($204k) than Clinton makes in one speech to Goldman Sachs. He didn't vote for every war he could vote for, he was not being sponsored by banks and corporations while also receiving endorsements by the likes of the Koch Brothers and war criminals like Henry Kissinger. Unlike Clinton he has not spent the bigger part of his career aligning himself with the powerful and wealthy against the powerless and poor.
Yet who do people vote for? Hillary Clinton. A woman who wore a $12,000 Armani suit while giving a speech on income inequality.
As a woman and feminist I am supposed to feel really elated and happy here. It is a historic moment for the United States to finally have a woman Presidential nominee and probably also President. However, I feel nothing but disappointment and despair. I look at the next six months with a heavy heart and know that she will win the General Election, too, given that the person she is running against is not really a viable candidate, or even a opponent, but more like a troll. So in a way Clinton will be running unopposed come this November.
Of course, Hillary Clinton is qualified and experienced for the job. Nk doubt in my mind she is brilliant. However, it is not her qualifications that are in question here, it is her priorities. She is bad for America and this historic moment of finally having a woman on the command chair is overshadowed by the fact that Clinton is not the Progressive she claims to be.
Clinton is not running (at this time or any other) to help the American people, who have been nothing short of brutalized by corporations and the politicians that do their bidding – including Clinton – or to make America a better place. She's running because the Presidency is the biggest prize in the world, and she wants that prize. Trump is running for the same reason–bragging rights.
If she wins, and she will win, her presidency will then be focused–again–not on the people, but on doing just enough to secure a personal legacy and a place in the history books as The First Woman President.
Someone who accepts nearly a million dollars in speaker fees from Goldman Sachs to congratulate them on a job well done and who goes to fundraisers were people spend nearly $400,000 on a plate, and someone who has a track record of voting for all the fraudulent wars this country has been engaged in for the past five decades and Wall Street bailouts and policies aimed at furthering the 1% at the expense of everyone else, someone who has already said that there will never, ever be universal health care and free – or at least affordable -education and meaningful student loan reforms for all, not just special interest groups – is not someone who should be running on the Progressive ticket.
For the record, Goldman Sachs does not pay HRC $250,000 per speaking engagement for nothing. Those rich people in the aforementioned dinner organized by George Clooney don't spend nearly $400,000 a seat to help poor people. This is an investment and those people will want a return on their investment; a return which doesn't include you or I.
Clinton is a moderate Republican, paid and endorsed by big banks to convince the middle class to be happy with the old deal. And this past Tuesday, middle and working class America agreed by making her their nominee.


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Jesus on Stingray: Message for Bride to Be?
As Easter comes upon us and many prepare to celebrate the rising of Jesus Christ, one girl believes that she has actually seen the Lord- on the back of a string ray.
According to one South Carolina girl, the face of Jesus washed up on the beach shore right before her very eyes. While the girl claimed that she that the face looked familiar, she admitted that at first she didn't recognize that it was Jesus.
It was not until the 24 year-old Erika Scheldt posted the photo of the stingray on Instagram that the famous face was identified.
"I just kind of thought it looked like a bearded homeless man," Scheldt told IslandPacket.com. "But when I posted pictures on Instagram, one of my friends was like, 'That's Jesus.' And I was like, 'Oh, my God. You're right.'"
Sheldt also stated that it was an oddly coincidental find, although she is not sure that there is a secret message involved.
"I did think it was interesting, with Easter coming up," she told the Post and Courier. "And it's such a beautiful image on such a harmful thing."
Scheldt is a Catholic and is preparing to get married this summer. Regardless of the stingray's potential lack of meaning, her family has still decided that the carnivorous fish needed a name. While it is still undecided, the top name so far appears to be Rey Rey because Rey means King.
Despite the numerous amounts of reported sightings of the image of Jesus on bread, pizza, trees, and many other objects, one Huffington Post user points out that no one really knows what Jesus looks like.
"People! Peeeeeeeople! We don't know what Jesus looks like! [Paintings] we have are an artists rendition," azure1954 said. "Anyone who ever saw Jesus that could tell us what he looks like, are dead and have been for almost 2000 years."


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February 13, 2011
I got it while removing a grading machine from its box. It was about 1/4″ long! That sucker hurt.
I busted out my Dad's incredibly badass magnifying head thing. He always wears it when he does intense stuff on a small scale so I thought it would help. Little did I know the magnification is only 1.5X.
Oh well ,I got it out!
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Easing Gaokao Restrictions: a New Year's Gift?
Major Chinese cities in recent days rolled out plans to loosen restrictions on gaokao, the famously competitive college entrance exams for a nation that treasures education, to meet a New Year's Eve deadline set by the central government. But they might not be as far-reaching as critics had hoped.
The State Council, China's cabinet, set the deadline in an effort to level the playing field for getting into good schools by smoothing the path for the children of migrant workers. Students without a local hukou -- the registration of residence that migrant workers generally lack, denying them local benefits -- have to go back to their hometowns to take the gaokao. That puts them at a disadvantage, because elite schools in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai normally give preference to local students.
While critics of the existing gaokao restrictions say they deny some of China's highest potential students access to education, the limits are welcomed by some local hukou-possessing residents who believe the gaokao system that's already competitive enough presents their children with nearly insurmountable odds.
The move aims at "ensuring the education rights of the children of migrant workers," and is "crucial to maintaining social harmony," the State Council said in an August statement.
Beijing, where nearly 37% residents don't have a local hukou, according to the Bejing Municipal Bureau of Statistics, posted its plan on the website of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education on Sunday. But while its plan offers a loosening of the rules, it falls short of offering students a shot at the gaokao.
Starting this year, children of migrant workers have addition access to education if their parents have had full-time jobs for three years and have contributed social insurance for three consecutive years. The students must have completed three-year middle school study in Beijing. But that qualifies them only for exams for secondary vocational schools.
In 2014, they get additional access but still fall short of the full entry the local gaokao offers. If the parents have full-time job for six years and have contributed social insurance for six consecutive years, and their children have completed three-year high school study in Beijing, the children can take exams for higher vocational schools. Kids who want to pursue higher education in Beijing can apply for adult education, self-taught higher education and long-distance colleges.
"It is very difficult to effectively balance between the interests of students with and without a Beijing hukou," the Beijing education commission said in the statement in an attempt to explain the cautious and gradual nature of the plan.
Beijing's provisional plan will likely fall short of the hopes of migrant workers, the state-run Xinhua news agency said via its official account on the Sina Weibo microblog service. "The excuse of disturbing educational order" to reach a compromise, the post said, "contradicts the goal of enhancing social justice."
Southern Guangdong province took a similar approach, though officials there seemed somewhat more determined to free up educational resources.
Beginning this year, the province -- where more than a quarter of its residents lack a hukou -- will guarantee that the children of what it calls "high tech" skilled workers will gain credits toward taking the gaokao. Beginning in 2016, students who have completed three years of high school study in Guangdong are eligible for the gaokao if their parents have full-time jobs for over three years and have contributed social insurance for a total of more than three years, according to Xinhua.
Shanghai decided to connect its gaokao regulations to its residency management system and is still seeking public opinions, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission said on its website on Sunday. From 2014, children of qualified residents can take the gaokao in Shanghai.
Applicants of the qualifying residents have to submit copies of their diploma, employment contracts showing more than one year of work or evidence of making investments or starting a business, and contributing to urban social insurance, according to a statement about the resident posted on the central government website on Nov. 22. Authorities will evaluate the applicants' qualifications based on a residency credit system, but the statement didn't specify how many credits are required to qualify for such residency.
If the conditions set by the developed areas seem daunting to some parents, there are indeed some places making sweeter offers.
Eastern Jiangsu province said beginning 2013, all students who are enrolled in Jiangsu's grades one through nine can take gaokao locally. Similarly, central Henan province said late Monday night that beginning in 2013, as long as one of the parents has a full-time job and the children are enrolled in local high schools, the students can take the university entrance exam locally.
Many in the online community on Sina Weibo weren't impressed with the plans offered by the most economically developed area. "Anyone with some common sense will know that it won't be a good idea to take gaokao at Henan, where the competition is intense due to big number of students and high admittance thresholds," said one poster. "There're not many good universities in Henan and few universities outside Henan will enroll students from there."
Supporters of the plans unveiled by Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong believe conditional opening up of the gaokao is more feasible than a complete freeing up that could squeeze educational resources for residents with a local hukou.
"Look how crowded Beijing and Shanghai are already. How many graduates from the cities will eventually leave there?" said one person.
Part of the problem, according to critics, is that true gaokao reform isn't possible without hukou reform, a topic that appears to be gaining steam.
"The issues surrounding gaokao exist because of the hukou system…thus we should take timely measures to carry out reforms outside the educational system," said Wang Xuming, the former spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, in an article in the 21st Century Business Herald on Monday.
Signs have emerged that China's top officials feel the urgency to reform its hukou system, which dates back to the Maoist era, with the latest coming from Vice Premier Li Keqiang.
"In order to push forward urbanization, we must take migrant rural workers and gradually change them into urban residents. This requires that we push forward household registration reform," Mr. Li, who is expected to become China's next premier in March, said in a statement posted on the central government website late December.
However, it remains to be seen how fast the changes will come -- if they come at all.
--Liyan Qi


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Olivia Workshop LayoutsPosted in Scrapbook Pages on 12/16/2010 12:00 am by Wendy
Layout Challenge: #128 & 129 of 210.
These layouts are from the Olivia Workshop on the Go Kit (available through January 31st, 2011). It was great getting my fall pictures scrapped in such a timely manner. The family layout is our pumpkin carving and the Fall layout is harvest pictures. We had an interesting harvest year – October 22nd, 2010. There was a pumpkin vine that grew up an evergreen tree, we were eating yet another batch of delicious raspberries, and there were strawberries blooming!


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There's been a shake-up at "X Factor" — with some unlikely casualties.
Neither the show's host Steve Jones nor judge Nicole Scherzinger nor even Paula Abdul, a long-time friend of the show's creator Simon Cowell, will be returning for the second season, according to reports.
A spokeswoman for Fox confirmed to The Associated Press Monday that Scherzinger and Jones were out, and E! Online reported later Monday night that Abdul had been let go, too.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
"Simon wants to take the show in a different direction," one source told the site.
"At this point, the only ones staying are Simon and L.A. Reid," another said.
Earlier in the day, Jones had tweeted news of his departure: "I won't be hosting next seasons XFactor which is a shame but I cant complain as I've had a great time. Good luck to everyone on the show."
Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly had given a not-so-subtle hint earlier this month that Jones' first season as host might be his last.
"There will be some changes... as we know [hosting] is a much harder job than meets the eye," he said at an early January press event, according to E! Online. "I think everybody has come to see the value of Ryan Seacrest. Whether Steve is the guy or not, it comes under the heading of growth in general."
Jones' manager told E! that the split was amicable.
"Steve loved doing the show and loved the cast and crew, Fremantle and Fox."
No comment yet from Simon Cowell, who recently admitted that the show's modest ratings had been humbling — though he too hinted at Jones' fate earlier this month in a comment to the Daily Mirror.
"I don't think he did a bad job," he said. "But... there is a Brit limit on the show."
Selected Reading: E! Online, The Daily Mirror


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Haven't found anything yet?
The wallpaper 227184 combines aesthetical style with fresco design. The result shows a new kind of art which decorates rooms in a modern and vintage based style. The plain design gets an individual touch by its colouring of brown. Transform your home into a modern art house which fascinates both young and elderly people. The German brand product is made of high-quality. Because of that the non-woven wallpaper is easy to process, washable, dry strippable and good lightfast.


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• Sept. 24, 2004 | 9 p.m. ET
A scientific visual feast: Who would have thought that a blood-sucking tick could be so beautiful, or that microscopic critters from Antarctica could look so otherworldly? Such wonders of scientific imagery are in the winner's circle for the 2004 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the journal Science.
This year's 11 winners were selected from more than 90 entries in the contest, which recognizes "outstanding achievement in use of graphics media to illustrate research processes and results."
First prize in the photography competition went to the University of Minnesota's Marna Ericson for an image showing a fluorescent view of a deer tick feasting on blood from the ear of a golden hamster.
The top-rated illustration, which shows how water molecules shimmy through a membrane, looks like a riotous work of modern art; it was created by Emad Tajkhorshid and Klaus Schulten from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
You have to look closely at David Fierstein's informational graphic on Mount Etna's eruption to get the full effect of the prize-winning entry. The top entry in the non-interactive media category, by Cynthia Moss and Kaushik Ghose of the University of Maryland at College Park, traces how a bat zeroes in on a praying mantis. Interactive applications by Paul Bigeleisen and Arkitek Studios round out the contest categories.
In their introduction, Science executive editor Monica Bradford and Curt Suplee, the director of the NSF's Office and Legislative Public Affairs, note that the winning entries are more than just pretty pictures. The imagery helps bring difficult-to-understand research to life, and "when that research is depicted vividly and comprehensibly in pictures, everybody benefits," Suplee and Bradford say.
To learn more about the winners, click through Science's online slideshow — and while you're at it, try to visualize next year's contest.
• Sept. 24, 2004 | Updated 9 p.m. ET
Snags delay Canadian X Prize bid: The da Vinci Project says its bid to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize is on hold for the next couple of weeks, due to snags with getting some of the key components for its Wild Fire rocket. The postponement of the scheduled Oct. 2 launch means that Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne team has a clear shot at winning the $10 million in the next couple of weeks.
Da Vinci team leader Brian Feeney says the most pressing problem has to do with fabricating the pressure vessel that would go inside the balloon-launched spaceship. "It boils down to a lack of multi-axis filament winders in Canada. ... Everything else is inside the envelope and in hand," he told me.
Observers had long wondered whether the project's balloon-launched system would be ready for the Oct. 2 launch from above Saskatchewan. The rival SpaceShipOne team is planning launches on Sept. 29 and Oct. 4, and if everything works out according to that flight plan, the $10 million would go to SpaceShipOne rather than to the da Vinci / GoldenPalace.com team.
Check out the full story , part of our special report on the new space race.
One last thing: Due to the SpaceShipOne goings-on in Mojave, Calif., I'll be on the road during the coming week — and that means the Log entries won't be as regular as usual. But you can look forward to plenty of on-the-scene reports from the Mojave spaceport.
• Sept. 24, 2004 | 9 p.m. ET
Weekend field trips on the World Wide Web:
• Fark Forum: Pimp my SpaceShipOne ride (via RLV News)
• Feast your eyes on whirling wheels (via Improbable Research)
• Unwise microwave oven experiments (via GeekPress)
• The Economist: A history of sex
• Sept. 23, 2004 | 9:15 p.m. ET
Edge of the universe: Now that astronomers have gotten an ultra-good look at the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, they've spotted what they believe are some of the earliest star-forming galaxies. This could be the start of the true "final frontier" for visual observation of the cosmos.
The galaxies show up as faint smudges in the Ultra Deep Field, reddened by extreme Doppler shift. Astronomers believe the light from those galaxies started out when the universe was only 5 percent of its current age, which is estimated at 13.7 billion years.
"For the first time, we at last have real data to address this final frontier — but we need more observations," Richard Ellis of the California Institute of Technology says in the Space Telescope Science Institute's latest report on the Ultra Deep Field, "We must push even deeper into the universe, unveiling what happened during the initial 5 percent of the remaining distance back to the Big Bang."
Five different teams of astronomers produced research papers delving into the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, and presented their results today at a workshop for science writers. Their studies focused on what's known as the cosmic reionization epoch, when a fog enveloping the early universe cleared enough for light to stream through.
The institute says the smudgy galaxies in the image indicate that "the universe started out as a bunch of 'mom and pop' stores, which merged into businesses, and then into giant corporations — the majestic galaxies we see today."
Is there any hope of seeing what happened before those cosmic storefronts were opened? Not much, if you're talking about the Hubble Space Telescope in its current configuration. But the Wide Field Camera 3 being built for a potential Hubble upgrade in the future could delve even more deeply into the final frontier — and the James Webb Space Telescope should be able to see even farther, back to the very first stars and star clusters.
"These still-hypothesized ultra-bright stars formed only 200 million years after the Big Bang. ... They are currently believed to have heated the universe so much back then, that smaller, normal stars had to wait for the hydrogen gas to recool and condense before they could form," the institute says.
Check out the full package from Hubblesite.org. And to follow the universe's time line from the very beginning, click through the "History of the Universe" interactive at PBS' "Nova" Web site.
• Sept. 23, 2004 | 9:15 p.m. ET
Space race secrets: Now that we're less than a week away from the first scheduled launch aimed at winning the $10 million Ansari X Prize, all sorts of goodies are popping out in the open. Just today, the X Prize Foundation unveiled its nifty Webcast portal for live coverage of next week's SpaceShipOne launch (a.k.a. "X1") as well as archived video clips about several of the X Prize teams. Space Race News, the indispensable guide to X Prize developments, has an interview with foundation benefactor Robert K. Weiss about the Webcast. You should be able to watch launch coverage via MSN Video as well.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's series on the rise of the X Prize digs into some intriguing details, naming the company that is providing the $10 million "hole-in-one" insurance policy (Bermuda-based XL Capital). The report also cites tax documents showing that during 2002, the year the Ansari family became involved in the X Prize, $2.6 million was raised to keep the policy in force and keep the lights on at the foundation.
• Sept. 23, 2004 | 9:15 p.m. ET
Quick scan of the scientific Web:
• The Guardian: Science in the Iraqi war zone
• Wired.com: E-vote fears soar in swing states
• National Geographic: 'CSI' is mixed blessing for crime labs
• SpaceRef: Scientists spot a sugar cloud in space
• Sept. 22, 2004 | 8 p.m. ET
The silly science season: It's time once again to celebrate the not-so-serious side of science — those improbable research projects that make you laugh, then make you think. That's the raison d'être for the annual Ig Nobel Prizes, which will be awarded on Sept. 30 at Harvard University.
For 14 years, the Ig Nobels have recognized off-kilter projects in science and engineering, ranging from "An Analysis of the Forces Required to Drag Sheep Over Various Surfaces," to the patenting of the wheel, to the invention of the centrifugal-force birthing machine and the flamethrower-equipped car alarm system.
The projects may sound completely frivolous, but sometimes there's a serious scientific point behind them. For example, the sheep-dragging experiment was aimed at cutting down on occupational injuries for Australian sheep-shearers. And sometimes there's even a political point, as illustrated by the Ig Nobel awards for former Vice President Dan Quayle and former "dead person" Lal Bihari.
Once you start with this stuff, it's hard to stop — and I suppose that's why Ig Nobel founder Marc Abrahams has followed up on his book "The Ig Nobel Prizes" with a sequel that's soon to be published in Britain, "Why Chickens Prefer Beautiful Humans."
This year's Ig Nobel honorees are being kept under wraps until the Sept. 30 ceremony at Harvard's Sanders Theater, which you can watch in person or via a webcast. But the advance program provides a hint at what's in store: The theme is "diet," and there'll be a mini-opera on the Atkins Diet as well as a live scientific comparison test of several diets.
The keynote address (which is usually mercilessly brief) will be delivered by Ig Nobel laureate John Trinkaus, who has made a lifelong study of everyday things that have annoyed him.
An informal lecture program on Oct. 2 will feature University of Guelph food scientist Massimo Marcone. He was ignobly honored in 1995 for his research on Kopi Luwak coffee, which gets its expensively earthy flavor by passing through the alimentary canal of the palm civet, a catlike animal in Indonesia.
To get up to speed on the Ig Nobels, check out last year's Cosmic Chat with Abrahams, which includes links to further information on the prizes. You also should check out Abrahams' other projects, which range from the bimonthly Annals of Improbable Research to the daily "What's New" Weblog.
• Sept. 22, 2004 | 8 p.m. ET
Your daily dose of science on the Web:
• Nature: Personality predicts politics
• New Scientist: Seismic surveys may kill giant squid
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch: A new space race
• Defense Tech: Cut back on water and drink the air
• Sept. 21, 2004 | 4:40 p.m. ET
Bluetopia vs. Redtopia: In an election season where so much attention is being devoted to the distant past, wouldn't it be nice to look ahead to a better future? That's the idea behind the "Bluetopia vs. Redtopia" science-fiction contest we're kicking off today.
We invite you to send in your positive sci-fi visions of the future, based on the policies of your favorite candidate. Mark Whittington's look ahead to a lunar landing in 2016, "The Night We Return to the Moon," serves as a great example (sorry, Mark, you'll have to write something new for our contest). You might sketch out a future world where the terrorist problem has been solved, health care has been transformed, stem-cell research has yielded new cures, or new energy technologies have reshaped the global economy.
Obviously, a contest like this could easily get mired in the same muck that is gumming up this year's campaign, so here are a few of the ground rules:
1. Don't go negative: We're stressing the positive here, so don't bother sending in a screed about how bad things are in 2012 because so-and-so won the 2004 election. And you won't win points for writing merely that the evil policy of Candidate X was reversed by Candidate Y.
2. Don't go on too long: Remember that one of your prime objectives is to engage the "electorate," so conciseness will definitely score points. A tale as long as Whittington's (875 words) would be about the maximum we'll accept, and a clever 100-word plot summary will always trump a plodding 875-word short story.
3. Write a provocative scenario: Public policy may be boring, but your entry should not be. If you have a clever science-fiction twist, like an anti-terror technology that radically changes the playing field for homeland security, work it into your tale. A finely tuned sense of humor always helps, although you have to use it for good, not evil (see Rule No. 1).
4. Write a plausible scenario: It would be tempting to write, say, a story about the USS Enterprise time-warping back to 2005 and beaming Osama bin Laden onto a prison planet. But one of the goals of this exercise is to try to show why a particular policy will reap benefits for future generations. (OK, I admit that being entertaining is at least as important, so maybe Kirk vs. Osama isn't such a bad idea.) Try to keep the science fiction grounded in political realities.
We'll accept your entries at the Cosmic Log e-mail address from now until midnight Oct. 5, four weeks before the presidential election. Then we'll winnow through the entries. During the week of Oct. 18-22, we'll publish the finalists for Redtopia (President Bush) and Bluetopia (John Kerry), as well as a White category for "Ralph Nader or None of the Above." The admittedly unscientific voting will open Oct. 22, with the ballot structured so that you can vote for your favorite among the Red, Blue and White stories.
The highest-rated entries should become evident as the voting proceeds — and when Election Eve rolls around on Nov. 1, we'll declare the top vote-getters in the two most popular categories to be the winners. In other words, it's conceivable that the winners will be Red and White, or Blue and White — although Red vs. Blue would seem to be the most likely outcome. Each of the two winners will receive a $20 gift certificate that they can put toward a "Fahrenheit 9/11" DVD, a copy of "Unfit for Command" — or perhaps something cheerier.
Your entries are subject to the terms and conditions for our Web site, and please don't try any ballot-box hanky-panky — that would definitely spoil the outcome and may result in the prizes being withdrawn.
• Sept. 21, 2004 | 8:50 p.m. ET
Rocket traffic jam: After I posted Friday's item on the progress of Space Transport Corp.'s Rubicon 2 rocket, company co-founder Philip Storm said the rocket was more likely to be launched during the weekend of Oct. 2-3 — and indeed, that's what Space Transport reports in an online Word document. If all the schedules hold true, that means the launch could come right in the midst of the Ansari X Prize rocket bids planned by Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne team in California and the GoldenPalace.com / da Vinci Project in Saskatchewan. Meanwhile, Scaled Composites indicates the Discovery Channel is planning to air "Black Sky: The Race for Space," its documentary on SpaceShipOne and designer Burt Rutan, in two parts premiering Oct. 3 and Oct. 7.
• Sept. 21, 2004 | 4:40 p.m. ET
Positive value for zero-G: Armadillo Aerospace team leader (and video-game whiz) John Carmack shares his impressions on parabolic free-fall flight in a posting to the aRocket mailing list, liberally quoted in Clark Lindsey's Space Log. Carmack makes an interesting observation about what suborbital space-vehicle operators can learn from the zero-G experience:
"The take-home lesson is that we need to add a lot of cabin volume to our first consumer suborbital spacecraft," he writes. "Adding an extra 63 inches by 12 feet of cabin volume will only cost us about 250 pounds. You won't get much more total zero-G than on the parabolas, but it will be contiguous, and combined with the view, the boost burn, the re-entry acceleration and the exclusivity, I do think it is going to be a ride worth $100K."
By the way, NASA is recruiting student teams for its next round of zero-gravity flights in a freshly converted C-9 transport plane. These research-oriented "Vomit Comet" flights tend to be more gastrically challenging than the Zero Gravity tours — as Transterrestrial Musings' Rand Simberg points out. Deadline for sending in your application is Oct. 20. If you're selected for next spring's round of flights, you get to take a journalist along. Just remember where you got the idea. ...
• Sept. 21, 2004 | 4:40 p.m. ET
Scientific hot spots on the World Wide Web:
• N.Y. Times (reg. req.): Celestial neighborhood looks friendlier
• Science News: Extreme impersonations
• Space.com: Mars Express yields provocative observations
• Scientific American: Fear of pharming
• Sept. 20, 2004 | 9 p.m. ET
New team in space race: One week before the climactic phase of a $10 million space race begins, one of the teammates behind the odds-on favorite says it is looking into a new venture with the strangest and most natural partner of all: NASA.
Poway, Calif.-based SpaceDev and the space agency's Ames Research Center announced a memorandum of understanding that would involve cooperation on a project that NASA calls "new low-cost space launch vehicles to help achieve the goals of the nation's Vision for Space Exploration" and SpaceDev calls "Dream Chasers."
The experimental rocket vehicle would be launched to space vertically, powered by SpaceDev's hybrid propulsion system, and would land back on Earth horizontally like a glider, SpaceDev said. Even if the project bears fruit, the Dream Chaser would come too late to compete for the $10 million Ansari X Prize purse, and it wouldn't qualify anyway because of the NASA support. However, it could plausibly reap a richer reward in the form of NASA contracts.
The pairing seems unusual because of SpaceDev's role as a rocket-engine contractor for Scaled Composites, whose SpaceShipOne plane is favored to win the $10 million in the next month. What's more, the X Prize was established to encourage the development of space programs independent of support from NASA or other government agencies.
But SpaceDev's chief executive officer, Jim Benson, told Space.com that the venture fits with his company's ambitions: "We have tried to make it clear that SpaceDev does have plans of our own in terms of human spaceflight, both orbital and suborbital," he said.
Maybe the coupling isn't so odd after all: SpaceDev already has cooperated with NASA and the University of California at Berkeley on the CHIPSat space research project, and even Scaled Composites is hoping to get in on future NASA exploration funding, as a partner in the t/Space consortium. It just goes to show that "coopetition" has its place, even in the new space race.
The fine print: Looking for older items? Check the Cosmic Log archive. Share your perspective on cosmic subjects with Alan Boyle. If you link to this page, you can use http://cosmiclog.msnbc.com or http://www.cosmiclog.com as the address. MSNBC is not responsible for the content of Internet links.


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One of the problem with Service Packs and Patches is that you never know if the next piece of software, or the next patch will overwrite a patched file and undo the repair you put in.
It used to be our standard procedure on NT4 to reapply SP6a after installing just about any piece of software.
Lately, I am seeing some systems that have been LONG patched against the Unchecked Buffer in Index Server ISAPI Extension Could Enable Web Server Compromise flaw (MS01-033) being infected with this new CodeRed.F worm.
MS01-033 was one of the main vulnerabilities exploited by CodeRed. It has been superceded a few times with cumulative patches and it is listed in the Windows 2000 SP3 list of things fixed.
Is anyone aware of any specific post-SP3 patch or hotfix on Windows 2000 that would undo this patch or somehow make a seemingly patched system vulnerable to CodeRed.F again?


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Aphasia, as defined by the Mayo Clinic "is a condition that robs you of the ability to communicate. Aphasia can affect your ability to express and understand language, both verbal and written. Aphasia typically occurs suddenly after a stroke or a head injury. But it can also come on gradually from a slowly growing brain tumor or a degenerative disease. The amount of disability depends on the location and the severity of the brain damage."
So what does that have to do with hearing loss? Aphasia doesn't cause hearing loss. However, many of the conditions that cause aphasia can also cause hearing loss in one or both ears.
Why is this significant? Anyone who has had a condition that has caused aphasia has been through a physically and emotionally taxing event that has interfered with his or her ability to communicate. If the patient has a hearing loss either as a result of the condition that caused the aphasia or has a previously undiagnosed hearing loss it is only going to make their ability to communicate more difficult. Unfortunately, an assessment of the patient's ability to hear usually takes a backseat to the patients more immediate medical needs.
As the significant other, close friend or family member involved in the care of a patient with aphasia, you may need to advocate for the patient regarding their ability to hear. Request that a hearing evaluation be completed to determine if a hearing loss does exist. If a hearing loss is present steps should be taken to ensure that the loss is remediated either medically or through the use of hearing aids.
A patient with aphasia already has a difficult time communicating. Burdening them further with a condition that can be remedied or alleviated is not in the best interests of either the patient or those who are caring for the patient.


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Carbon fiber is a revolutionary material that is as strong as steel with a fraction of the weight and Bont has been producing carbon based footwear since 1989. The material is mainly comprised of carbon atoms that are bonded together and aligned to form the long axis of the fiber. Several thousand of these fibers are twisted together to form a yarn which is then in turn woven into a fabric. We source our carbon exclusively from the world's #1 carbon manufacturer, Toray of Japan.
3k plain is a tightly woven carbon that is used in the aircraft industry and is what we use in Bont shoes.
Unidirectional is what we use inside shoes like the a-one to make them extremely stiff. The benefit of unidirectional carbon is that we can choose which direction we want to lay the carbon and we can produce extremely stiff, light weight shoes using it.
This is a cheaper form of carbon that is not as strong as 3k and is around 20% cheaper.
In the old days, if you bought a plastic or nylon based shoe, you knew what you were getting. But now-a-days, with all these modern expensive materials, it's getting tougher, so here are some ways that manufacturers use materials that you need to watch out for.
Most skates are made with sponge foam padding. It's light, it's cheap and it doesn't crush down. But what it does do is absorb water when it gets wet. So, if your feet sweat, you skate through a puddle or if it starts raining, your boots start absorbing the water which makes your boots very heavy indeed. This type of foam is known in the industry as open cell foam, because the cells are porous. The foam used in making a Bont shoe is a high quality closed cell memory foam which doesn't absorb water. So you don't have to worry about them absorbing water while you skate.
Bont's method of producing skates by hand inside out is a process that is far more skill intensive, time consuming and thus resulting in far greater costs than the current mainstream skate construction methods, but one that allows the Bont range of skating skates to lead the market in performance. The Bont production line has been engineered by founder Inze Bont to allow for our monocoque skates to be hand made in the most time efficient manner possible. This is a process which continues to be developed and refined. Inadequate processes such as using generic vacuum boxes for curing the carbon have been replaced by methods such as pressure wrapping which provides four atmospheres of pressure rather than the traditional one atmosphere from vacuum forming. Bont's drive for design innovation is matched by its innovation in manufacturing processes.
We start with the last (plastic foot) which has been crafted by a combination of the latest technology and over 36 years of experience. We used data from 20,000 laser foot scans to develop a standard last, we then merged that with Mr. Inze Bont's 36 years of making custom speed skate/performance footwear and the ongoing feedback received from professional riders. The result is one of the finest cycling shoe last created.
The footbed is the first part of the shoe added to the last. It is made in-house from a heat moldable EVA. The footbed is 65A hardness and only 3mm thick which makes it extremely light weight and heat moldable.
The liner is then added which has been chosen out of hundreds of liners. This liner is not only light weight and strong, but it fights odour and is not easily broken down by sweat.
Anti stretch tapes are then added. These tapes are similar to seatbelt material and ensure the boot does not stretch over time.
We then hand lay the carbon paying particular attention to the stress it will need to bear whilst cycling. Each and every layer is laid with a purpose. We use cross weave 3K 198 gram aircraft grade carbon on the outside and unidirectional carbon on the inside. The uni directional carbon has only half the strands of cross weave carbon. It gives strength in one direction so it saves weight by using less carbon and absorbing less resin.
The light weight upper is then glued and sewn onto the shoe. Holes are hand punched through the uppers and the liner for ventilation. The buckles and straps are attached. The location of the straps is such that they pull the foot down and into the back of the shoe. The excess glue is cleaned off and the shoe is ready to be ridden in. The shoe has passed through 16 independent stages of quality control for it to be deemed ready for action. The result is a shoe with the best strength to weight ratio on the market.
Between the outer skin and the liner, we add a material that is proprietary to Bont to stop the boot from stretching over time. This material has similar strength characteristics to Kevlar. This material is stitched to the outer skin and bonded to the liner so it can never move or be removed, it becomes part of the boots structure. This layer is the reason that Bont boots do not stretch out as much as other brands of boots over time.
A last is a plastic replica of a foot that the boot is built around. At Bont, we have been perfecting our lasts since 1975 and the process is ongoing. Unlike the standard shoe last many companies use, we put extra effort into creating and developing our lasts so that they fit right out of the box.
Our Pro Team skaters are some of the best in the World and love to give us constant feedback. From the little things like the placement of the buckle to trialing the latest materials, they are helping Bont create products that not only look good but perform at the elite level.
Small eyelets put pressure on a very small area and can cause pain. Bont eyelets have a large head which spreads the pressure over a larger area to help overcome any discomfort.
Bont boots are the most heat moldable boots available. Bont's proprietary resin has been developed and perfected over 36 years to be an extremely stiff resin that becomes pliable at relatively low temperatures. Unlike other skates which are moldable only in select locations, all Bont boots are able to be molded over the entire base providing skaters not only with the most anatomically designed boot on the market today but also with the ability to fine-tune the fit of the entire boot to give a customized fit.


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be beyond (one)
be beyond (one)
To be very difficult for one to comprehend or do. Why she loves sports so much is beyond me. Personally, I never saw the appeal of running around and getting sweaty. Of course I'm calling a professional—installing a new heater is beyond me.
See also: beyond


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Can you eat a box full of McDonald's food?
McDonald's is already gearing up for the football season and offering up plus-sized meals for hungry fans in Kansas City.
The fast-food giant began offering the "Blitz Box" on Sept. 2, which includes two Quarter Pounders with cheese, two Medium Fries and 10 McNuggets for $14.99 in a local promotion with the Kansas City Chiefs, according to USA Today.
U.S. & World
The promotion will run through the entire football season, according to a McDonald's spokesperson, who didn't say whether the promotion would expand to other markets.
"We can't speculate on what other markets may or may not do," McDonald's spokesperson Lisa McComb told USA Today.


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British Columbia's capital, Victoria, remains Canada's 15th largest city with a population of 344,615, according to new census data.
The figures, released Wednesday by Statistics Canada, are based on the census conducted in May last year.
They reveal that the city's population grew by 4.4 per cent — from 330,088 residents — since the last census in 2006.
British Columbia's population increased seven per cent in the last five years, compared with a 5.3-per-cent increase between 2001 and 2006.
Victoria's growth rate lags behind many other western Canadian cities. Statistics Canada noted that all metropolitan areas located in Western Canada, except Victoria and Winnipeg, had higher population growth than the national average.
The four Canadian metropolitan areas with the highest rates of population growth were Calgary (12.6 per cent), Edmonton (12.1 per cent), Saskatoon (11.4 per cent) and Kelowna, B.C. (10.8 per cent).
The Vancouver metropolitan area grew by 9.3 per cent to 2.3 million residents from 2.1 million in 2006.


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Various research activities conclude behind the spicy taste, cayenne pepper has many benefits, especially for health. Can reduce the risk of cancer, lower cholesterol levels in the blood and can heal the wounds.
Results of laboratory research in the UK found that the content of capsaicin in cayenne pepper that cause a sense of spicy, can kill cancer cells without damaging normal cells. So it is no wonder why some cancer cases in Mexico and India, where people eat lots of spicy food, less than Western countries, where people tend to not like spicy food.
Meanwhile, two research by a team from Australia was also revealed, adding cayenne pepper in every cuisine can lower cholesterol levels in the blood. The results also explain, spicy foods can also stabilize insulin levels in the blood.
In the dose that is not excessive, spicy foods beneficial to the stomach. Thus the results of the study by a team of researchers from Hungary. Capsaicin can reduce stomach acid and serve as anti-inflammatory.
Nutrition Fact of Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne peppers have amazingly very high levels of vitamins and minerals. Just 100 g provides (in % of Recommended daily allowance):
127% of vitamin-C (Ascorbic acid),
39% of vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine),
54% of niacin,
71% of riboflavin,
1387% of vitamin A,
97.5% of iron,
41% of copper,
43% of potassium,
but no cholesterol.
Health benefits of Cayenne pepper
• Improve blood circulation
Cayenne pepper increases blood circulation in the body. Which in turn can help prevent low blood pressure problems. It also helps to prevent blood stagnation problems.
• Relieves muscle pain
Cayenne pepper is rich in capsaicin, these substances can help to relieve pain and muscle spasm problems. It also helps to relieve joint pain in arthritis condition.
• Helps detoxify
Cayenne pepper is known as a circulatory stimulant for the body. It helps to assist the body's digestive system. It helps in cleansing and detoxification processes, helping to sweat excessively, which is also good for detoxification.
• Helps you lose weight
Cayenne pepper is rich in antioxidants, which help to increase the body's metabolic rate. Consuming cayenne pepper in the diet can also help in losing weight and burn off excess fat from the body.
• Maintain a healthy heart
Cayenne pepper helps to reduce levels of bad cholesterol from the body. Which in turn prevents the risk of heart disease. Cayenne pepper also helps to lower blood pressure, body, thus providing benefits for heart health.
• Helps in Allergies
Cayenne pepper has anti-inflammatory properties, which help in skin allergic conditions. It also helps to relieve the pain caused by arthritis conditions.
• Helps to treat colds and flu
Cayenne pepper helps reduce the formation of dense mucus that cause colds. in the presence of capsaicin contained therein. So that cayenne pepper can also relieve nasal congestion.
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About BFEF
Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Jose Bautista faced many challenges in his transition to life in the United States, in pursuit of both a baseball career, and a college education. Through the generous assistance of the Latin Athletes Education Fund, Jose received the support and guidance necessary to help adapt to all facets of life in the United States, while attending college and playing baseball.
Jose established the Bautista Family Education Fund in 2011 as an effort to help those facing similar obstacles that Jose was able to overcome in pursuit of his professional aspirations, both on and off the field. While initially focused in the Dominican Republic, in 2012, the Bautista Family Education Fund extended its reach to include Jose's new home of Canada, and recently began assisting its first Canadian athlete. The BFEF will expand its mission beyond baseball to provide support for athletes in a variety of sports played at the University level.
Beneficiaries of the BFEF receive support in a variety of ways, including mentorship in all facets of transitioning to life as a collegiate athlete, as well as subsidies for certain education related expenses including room and board and meals. Candidates are selected based not only on their performance in sports, but also on their achievements in academic endeavors. They are required to meet a High School GPA standard, and if English is their second language, perform satisfactorily on the TOEFL exam. The BFEF emphasizes academic achievements along with athletics to allow candidates to reach their full potential off the field, and maximize all future career opportunities in conjunction with their athletic aspirations.
Board of Directors
Luis Bautista


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Restaurant owners, patrons thwart robbers' getaway
2 men try to flee King Buffet in White Township
Restaurant owners and patrons stopped two men in a robbery Saturday afternoon in Indiana County.
State police said the men, identified as 22-year-old Jeremia Fromme and 26-year-old Adam Wilson, walked into the King Buffet on Oakland Avenue in White Township about 2:50 p.m. Fromme allegedly handed a note to a 17-year-old cashier and told her, "Just do it, just do it."
When the girl hesitated, Fromme lifted the front pocket of his shirt, which the employee thought had a gun in it, police said. She then gave Fromme money from the register, police said.
The restaurant's owner, Bin Zheng, told WTAE a customer waiting in line behind the attempted robbers noticed something was wrong, and alerted him. Zheng, along with his brother, stopped the men.
"Kind of like a football tackle, like Troy Polamalu," Zheng said. "But he was fighting like crazy, and almost slipped away."
Zheng said the men wouldn't give up and battled to get out the door, but finally Zheng's staff and a customer in his 60's were able to pin the men down until police arrived.
The cashier is Zheng's 17-year-old niece. He said she was very upset by the attack.
"She's still scared. She was crying yesterday and shaking," he said.
Fromme, of Ernest, was charged with robbery, theft by unlawful taking or disposition, criminal conspiracy and simple assault. Wilson, of Indiana, was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking or disposition.
Both men were taken to the Indiana County Jail.


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Watch out for big data, medical advances, and everything mobile in 2014. The IEEE Computer Society has named the year's top 10 trends, and you can expect the convergence of cloud computing and mobile devices, advances in healthcare data and devices, as well as privacy issues in social media to make the headlines. And 3D printing came out of nowhere to make a big splash.
When asked which of the top trends was most surprising, 2014 IEEE Computer Society president Dejan Milojicic pointed to disruption introduced by 3D printers. "This represents a huge opportunity to change the landscape of manufacturing and raise the bar from selling products to selling blueprints of products which can then be manufactured by individual consumers," Milojicic told Design News.
The number one tech trend IEEE predicted for 2014 was mobile cloud convergence. "Cloud is suitable for testing small instances of programs, for development in general, and for sharing the work among scientists," Milojicic told us. "It is not suitable for running large-scale parallel scientific applications because of the limitations of the interconnect and virtualization, which both introduce noise, and delay the limiting of tightly coupled applications." He predicted that even more applications will move to the cloud in the future: "As the cloud evolves with better interconnects and noise-free virtualization, more and more scientific applications will move into the cloud."
IEEE also expects to see big advances in healthcare. "Data analytics will help in analyzing patient data, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature," said Milojicic. "This data, coming from sensors connected to back-end servers monitoring health, could be extremely useful for some patients and eventually applicable to any human."
While most of the predictions were positive in nature, one ominous forecast was an increase in problems surrounding social media security. "This is a huge issue. But it is not just limited to social networks -- almost any cellular provider, as well as Google, Apple, and cellphone companies, will have much more data about their global customers than any individual government has ever collected," Milojicic told us. "Used for the wrong purposes, this data can be very damaging. In social networks, users at least have some options to maintain privacy to a certain extent. With phones it is harder at the moment."
Here's the full list of IEEE's top 10 tech trends for 2014.
Mobile cloud convergence will lead to an explosion of new services. Mobile and cloud computing are converging to create a new platform -- one that has the potential to provide unlimited computing resources. Mobile devices are constrained by their memory, processing power, and battery life. But combined with cloud computing, data processing and storage can happen outside of mobile devices.
The Internet of Things (IoT) will evolve into the Web of Things, increasing the coordination between things in the real world and their counterparts on the Web. Going beyond the Internet of Things, where identifiable objects are seamlessly integrated into the information network, the IoT takes advantage of mobile devices' and sensors' ability to observe and monitor their environments, increasing the coordination between things in the real world and their counterparts on the Web.
New analytics tools will emerge to handle the big data deluge and new leaders will emerge in this arena in 2014. It's more than volume, velocity, and variety that make big data such a difficult tiger to tame. It's that the technology world hasn't quite caught up with the need for trained data scientists and the demand for easy-to-use tools that can give industries -- from financial and insurance companies to marketing, healthcare, and scientific research organizations -- the ability to put the data they gather into meaningful perspective.


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I sat there on the strip, next to the beach in Los Angeles. It was in late spring.
Four guys were playing ball against the wall. Their bodies were covered with tattoos.
They looked like they did not care.
I knew the more I waited the harder it was going to be, to get contact.
So, I walked up (with my black sunglasses on) to the one I thought was most friendly.
– Can I take your picture? He looked at me, started to walk away from where I was standing.
His friend looked at him and said – Was up?
The first guy answered, – I don't know, was up! This guy; he thinks he's a fucking FBI or something like that.
Then it happened. The first guy started to smile. The icebreaker, the connection that I was looking for.
I took up the camera then spent the afternoon with them. /.../
A bit later two beach cops showed up. The guys left fast.
Initially, I was in Vancouver to shoot for Absolut Vodka. This was only for one day, so we had 7 days off. Then my assistant came up with the idea—to take a drive to Los Angeles. I looked at him with a funny face and said – That's far! The next morning we sat in the car. Four speeding tickets later, we were there.
Some time after, I got home to Sweden. A couple of guys were about to open a club at Sturehof in Stockholm. They wanted to do an art show with the pictures I took. The only thing was, I had no background information on these guys. So, my college; the Journalist Johan Lindberg came up with the brilliant idea—to lie. Then to name the art show "LATIMOZ" taken from Latin and Moz (a nickname for Steven Patrick Morrissey). The four guys I shot became immoderate "The Smiths " fans, like that.
This was later reviewed in art magazines, as it was true. Frankly, maybe it was.
Links: Daniel Sahlberg Photography
Previous work by Daniel on the F-blog: Fat fringes and A pedestrian display of affection.
Invited by Anders Blomqvist


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For many years, proponents of the Czech absinth ideology (affectionately known as 'thujone hypers') have argued that Dr. Arnold's estimations of 260 mg/l of thujone in pre-ban absinthe is correct. They've used the argument that the chemical analysis of existing samples of pre-ban era absinthes would be meaningless, since the data doesn't take into account what the 'original' thujone levels were, solely what is remaining. They've gone on to state that thujone isn't chemically stable, and that levels of thujone must have decreased as the bottle aged. So a bottle of pre-ban absinthe which might measure in at 20 mg/l now, might have had 100 mg/l back when it was first bottled.
These arguments have always been countered by absinthe historians such as myself, Alan, and many others that:
1) Thujone doesn't readily come over into the distillate. It's one of the last components to come over. If the distillation process is cut at the right time, very little thujone should carry over.
2) Absinthe's alcohol level should act as a stabilizing factor. Long term storage shouldn't affect thujone levels.
Following on the heels of a groundbreaking thujone study last year, now there is yet another scientific study to debunk many of the myths that were supported by the esteemed Dr. Arnold.
Last year's study focused on analyzing current thujone levels in both existing pre-ban samples as well as several brands that are currently produced. This study showed that many of the brands tested (including almost all of the pre-ban samples) would fall below either EU or US thujone limits.
The current study was aimed at addressing the 'thujone hyper's' argument that the thujone in vintage bottles would have degraded. According to the abstract:
"Research was conducted to ascertain whether analyses of vintage absinthe samples represent their original composition in the early 1900s. Absinthe stored in traditional green glass bottles and irradiated with ultraviolet light for up to 200 h exhibited unchanged composition. Samples stored in clear glass exhibited an 18% reduction in beta-thujone content and a concurrent decoloration. These experiments indicate the stability of thujone in vintage absinthes, as these were stored in green glass bottles. The preserved color of the preban absinthes subjected to analysis indicates that no significant light exposure occurred throughout the duration of storage, and therefore provides indirect proof that no loss of terpenes occurred. The stability of absinthe was further demonstrated through the reanalysis of samples from 2001-2005, which exhibited no changes in thujone content as of 2008. A previous evaluation of preban absinthe was therefore valid and not confounded by significant thujone deterioration over time."
The importance of this new study cannot be underestimated. Not only does it support the arguments of traditional absinthe historians, it also is a huge blow to those unscrupulous marketers out there who use 'historical' thujone levels as the most important quality of their brand.
How will those marketers respond? Here are a few of my predictions:
1) Since they don't have any real scientific or legal basis to refute the studies, they will use internet forums and blogs to make derisive comments and ad hominem attacks, either going under the guise of anonymity or using fake names.
2) They will continue to use the 'don't believe the science, just trust us' argument. This is the same as the 'we have no proof because ALL evidence throughout the entire world was destroyed during the Communist regime' argument.
3) They will claim that the report is biased, even though it was peer reviewed, and published in a well known journal. Since they don't have any current, concrete scientific proof (other than flawed estimations, such as that of Arnold), they might try to discredit the new information.
4) They will possibly try to distance themselves from their previous claims by reinventing themselves, creating new histories for their brands, and subtly changing their marketing information to reflect the new lower limits that are acceptable in the EU and in the US. There is already a boatload of documented evidence that some brands have done this.
Yours in absinthe,


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CDNLive EMEA 2017
May 15-17, 2017
INFINITY Hotel & Conference Resort Munich, Germany
CDNLive EMEA brought together a record number of Cadence® technology users, developers, and industry experts for three days of networking, sharing best practices on critical design and verification issues, and discovering new techniques for designing advanced silicon, SoCs, and systems.
Highlights of CDNLive EMEA 2018:
Best Paper Awards
Congratulations to our CDNLive EMEA 2017 Best Presentation Award Winners!
Track: Academic
AC12: SKILL Application Manager (SAM) - Simplify Your Software Development in Virtuoso
Florian Leber, Reutlingen University
Track: Custom
CUS02: EAD Experience in ST Smart Power Technologies to Improve Development of IC Design
Giovanna Giracca, STMicroelectronics
Track: Mixed Signal
MS08: Full-Chip Software and IC Co-Verification Methodology Using SystemVerilog Real Number Models
Antti Havulinna, LG Electronics Finland Lab Oy
Track: IP & SoC Verification
FV08: MDV Automation: Self Coverage Filling Test Benches
Catalin Butnaru, Infineon
Track: Software & System Verification
SVG08: Choosing the Right Models for Verification and Software Development
Robert Kaye, ARM
Track: PCB & IC Package
ICSIG01: Assembly Design Kits: An Essential Part of Chip/Package Codesign Methodology
Thomas Brandtner, Infineon
Track: Automotive Solutions and IP Solutions
ASIP04: IP and Driver Development in SoC Alike Hybrid Environment
Pascal Grippi, Robert Bosch SAS
Track: PCB Design and Analysis
SPB06: Raspberry Pi Zero W: Solving the Complexities of Cost Sensitive Miniaturisation with Cadence Design Tools
Roger Thornton, Raspberry PI
Track: Digital Implementation and Signoff
DSG04: Multi-Voltage Signoff with Conformal-LP Ready for ISO26262
Juergen Karmann, Infineon


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Were you there when it happened—when the Beatles arrived in America and a new era began? Can you believe it was half a century ago? Part of the fun of doing genealogy research in historical newspapers is not just learning about our ancestors' past; it is also about reliving our own past, the history that we have lived through.
The Beatles are now so established as icons—not just in rock 'n' roll music but in popular culture overall—that it is hard to imagine a time when they were new and unknown. However, that was the case for most of the then-record television audience of 73 million American viewers who watched the Ed Sullivan Show Sunday night, 9 February 1964. That was the first time the Beatles, who had just arrived from England two days before, appeared live on American television. History was made that night, and American music and culture would never be the same.
Looking at film clips of the rapturous members of the Sullivan audience that historic night, screaming and swooning at the Beatles' every word and gesture—as well as the throng packed outside the CBS studio clamoring to get in—it is easy to accept the conventional wisdom that the Beatles were an immediate success in America.
That was not necessarily the view of the mainstream media at the time—its embrace of the four "mop-topped" Britons was not universal.
In fact, as the following six newspaper articles show, many reporters and reviewers were disdainful of the Beatles' appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. In reading these comments now, in light of today's acceptance of the Beatles as the greatest rock group ever, it is startling to read such descriptions as "disquieting," "revolting," "unkempt, untalented noisemakers," and "distracting bore." One of these reviewers certainly got it right, however, with this comment: "some things may never be the same."
Seattle critic C. J. Skreen included this zinger in his newspaper review:
The Beatles have relatively little talent, if their Sullivan show performance can be believed, but they appear to be a rather likeable crew in contrast to their American predecessors in our native art form.
Their success seems to be a combination of shaggy locks, skintight suits with velvet collars and a sharp press agent who has made Beatlemania the wave of the future among those groups which educators like to describe as the future leaders of our country.
He concluded by asserting that, after inflicting the Beatles on America, "the British can consider the score settled for the Revolutionary War."
New York critic Cynthia Lowry included these comments in her review:
Beatle clothes look about two sizes too small, and I've seen Hungarian sheep dogs with more attractive hairdos.
But thousands of squealing young girls get their message. Camera shots of panting youngsters in Sullivan's audience were disquieting, in fact.
Maybe after two more exposures to the Beatles on television, all of us elderly people will become Beatlenuts, yeah, yeah, yeah, but I doubt it.
Oregon critic Francis Murphy was also not impressed.
Nor was Cleveland critic Bert Reesing.
Reesing's review included these comments:
Perhaps it's a dangerous mission for anyone older than 16 to offer an account of the initial mop-topped TV appearance of the Beatles. Shades of Elvis! The mass hysteria by Sullivan's teenaged girl audience was nothing short of revolting.
…We've all heard the foot-stomping group's recordings. In fact, it's been nearly impossible to escape them on radio. But to see them in clothes too tight and sheepdog hair too long, and hear them sing not so good in their specialty number, "I Want to Hold Your Hand," was a distracting bore.
I missed their second appearance of the evening on the Sullivan hour. Their cavorting and the fits of ecstatic moaning by panting young persons in the audience didn't hold my hand. I switched the dial…"yeah, yeah, yeah."
This newspaper review concluded with this comment:
In Queens, meanwhile, a rabbi addressing a youth group inveighed against the "deplorable, immature adoration showered on the…four unkempt, untalented noisemakers" and pleaded for a return to behavior "that does not border on the fringe of lunacy."
This newspaper review article emphasized the crazed reaction of the Beatles' studio audience:
Throughout their two appearances during the show, the 721 members of the audience—mostly young girls—kept up a steady stream of squeals, sighs and yells.
The four British imports, appearing for a total of about 20 minutes on the hour-long show, may well have ended up with second billing.
Camera crews were lavish in their shots of the audience, showing young girls leaping from their seats, throwing their arms into the air and staring bug-eyed. Some appeared as if on the verge of coma, staring open-mouthed.
At one point before the program, there was some doubt that the four singers would be able to make their way into the studio through the masses of teenage fans trying for a glimpse of their idols.
But hundreds of Manhattan police, including mounted officers, shoved back the eager fans and cleared a path for the four entertainers.
If you have memories of the Beatles' 1964 arrival at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport February 7, or their historic appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show February 9—or any of the Beatles' subsequent appearances in America—please share them in the comments section.
Do you love American music? Discover song lyrics, get the details of famous musical appearances, and find out more about the lives and careers of your favorite musical artists in historical newspapers. Read news articles about several genres of music across every American era dating from the Colonial period up to modern day times in GenealogyBank's extensive online archives.


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THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
If you are attending TechEd North America in Houston this week, stop me and say hello! I am always happy to meet blog readers, and of course if you have question or topic to discuss, try to join me at the BI booth expo. I tried to put a list of where and when you can find me (thanks to Kasper for the idea):
If you are not attending TechEd, remember you will be able to see most of the recordings on Channel 9.