text:
Denizens of oceans, lakes and even wet soil, diatoms are unicellular algae that encase themselves in intricately patterned, glass-like shells. Curiously, these tiny phytoplankton could be harboring the next big breakthrough in computer chips. Diatoms build their hard cell walls by laying down submicron-sized lines of silica, a compound related to the key material of the semiconductor industry—silicon. "If we can genetically control that process, we would have a whole new way of performing the nanofabrication used to make computer chips," says Michael Sussman, a University of Wisconsin-Madison biochemistry professor and director of the UW-Madison's Biotechnology Center.
Researchers in the Department of Medicine and Department of Neurosciences at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered that chronic pain can be successfully treated with novel targeted gene therapy. In an effort to find a more effective treatment for chronic pain, researchers at Mount Sinai developed a gene therapy technique that simulates the pain-killing effect of opiate drugs. In the new study researchers suggest that gene therapy for pain might in the future become a treatment alternative for patients with severe chronic pain
A team of 17 researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) has created the largest man-made DNA structure by synthesizing and assembling the 582,970 base pair genome of a bacterium, Mycoplasma genitalium JCVI-1.0. This work, published online today in the journal Science by Dan Gibson, Ph.D., et al, is the second of three key steps toward the team's goal of creating a fully synthetic organism. In the next step, which is ongoing at the JCVI, the team will attempt to create a living bacterial cell based entirely on the synthetically made genome.
Tues., Jan.22, 2008 — An international research consortium today announced the 1000 Genomes Project, an ambitious effort that will involve sequencing the genomes of at least a thousand people from around the world to create the most detailed and medically useful picture to date of human genetic variation
The history of anti-recession efforts is that they are almost always initiated too late to do any good. This chart, based on recession timelines from the National Bureau of Economic Research, shows the enactment of stimulus plans is a fairly accurate indicator that we have hit the bottom of the business cycle, meaning the economy will improve even if the government does nothing
Movie characters from the Terminator to the Bionic Woman use bionic eyes to zoom in on far-off scenes, have useful facts pop into their field of view, or create virtual crosshairs. Off the screen, virtual displays have been proposed for more practical purposes — visual aids to help vision-impaired people, holographic driving control panels and even as a way to surf the Web on the go. The device to make this happen may be familiar. Engineers at the University of Washington have for the first time used manufacturing techniques at microscopic scales to combine a flexible, biologically safe contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights.
Researchers are developing new technology that could replace the household light-bulb within three years.
The material was created from carbon nanotubes - sheets of carbon just one atom thick rolled up into cylinders.
Researchers say it is the closest thing yet to the ideal black material, which absorbs light perfectly at all angles and over all wavelengths.
The discovery is expected to have applications in the fields of electronics and solar energy.
Apparel manufacturer Sanyo Shokai has released the first in a series of men's coats which are pollen-resistant. They're made from a fabric developed by Toray that's produced in a nanotechnology process that repels water and pollen.
This article in Business week on line also has a slide show that you can access to look at the various innovations in the concept vehicle.
A study carried out by Dr Adrian Williams at Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, UK, has investigated the consumption of primary resources such as minerals and fossil fuels on 10 differing farming systems.
It was a life cycle assessment (LCA) to determine the intensity of the environmental "footprint" that each one generates.
Dr Williams found conclusively that poultry and eggs are the leaders in energy performance for livestock, with the lowest levels of Global Warming Potential (GWP) when compared with the performance levels of beef, pork, lamb and wool production
COMPETITION in the mobile broadband space continues to heat up with Hutchison Australia moving to double the amount of data downloads - without hiking prices - on its 3 mobile network for new and existing customers.
"Qurrent has in fact developed computer controlled energy management for entire streets, through which the available energy can be optimized between all houses
Virtual Cable™ is a unique display for a car navigation system. The driver sees the Virtual Cable™ image through the windshield. It appears as if suspended over the road, similar to a trolley cable. The image is in true 3D and appears to be a natural part of the landscape. The driver uses only peripheral vision to follow the Virtual Cable™.
Worldwatch brings out tate of the World every year. You can go to this page and download chapter 1 which talks sbout sustainable economies. Well worth the read.
AN ultra-resolution broadband link has been unveiled, paving the way for people on opposite sides of the earth to direct brain surgery, conduct climate change experiments or interpret human genome data in real time with high-definition precision
This is the world's first recyclable Travelodge, made of 86 high strength steel modules resembling shipping containers, stacked on top of each other and securely bolted together. When finished, the giant Lego style structure will look and feel no different to the budget chain's other 330 hotels in the UK, Ireland and Spain. The Verbus modules are then shipped from China with the bathrooms, plasterboard walls and the 'first fix' of electrical points already in place. Once installed at the site, windows are fitted, the modules are decorated and furnished, and then the exterior of the building is cladded.
Scientists at the University of Minnesota have taken a big step toward making replacement organs with the recipients' cells. In experiments performed on rats and pigs, the researchers stripped donor hearts of their cells to create scaffolds on which the recipients' cells were grown.
A French-designed car that's propelled by compressed air and claims speeds of more than 60 miles per hour is expected to go into commercial production as early as this summer, although skeptics of the technology aren't holding their breath.
Walking at the Brixton market among the parrotfish, doctorfish and butterfish, Effa Edusie is surrounded by pieces of her childhood in Ghana. Caught the day before far off the coast of West Africa, they have been airfreighted to London for dinner.
n a sign of growing concern about the impact of supposedly "green" policies, European Union officials will propose a ban on imports of certain biofuels, according to a draft law to be unveiled next week.
Authorities in Pakistan have deployed paramilitary troops to guard wheat supplies around the country amid fears of a huge shortfall.
The Government has blamed hoarders and smugglers for the problem.
Pakistan's national disaster management authority has deployed thousands of paramilitary troops at wheat stores to ensure that store owners do not sell more than allowed by the Government
The University of California (UCLA) has developed a method of modifying bacteria in E. coli to produce advanced biofuels such as butanol.
Researchers in Chile have succeeded in keeping the drinking habits of alcoholic rats in check using gene therapy. The treatment mimics a natural mutation common in East Asian people, which lowers their tolerance to alcohol, making them less likely to become alcoholics.
They can plumb the Internet for the latest movie times, news headlines, stock figures and gas prices. They'll even help you skirt traffic, find a parking spot or make a phone call. Oh, and they'll navigate for you, too.
The latest global positioning system devices on display at this week's International Consumer Electronics Show are roving information portals — well beyond the first turn-by-turn GPS guides with maps and directions.
Sony BMG will start selling music downloads in the copy-protection-free MP3 format later this month in North America, as even the last holdout among the major record labels crumbled to the growing trend.
Sony BMG Music Entertainment said in a statement that some digital albums will be available through a new download service called Platinum MusicPass starting Jan. 15 in the U.S. and late January in Canada.
I would've gotten to this eventually, but Fred's post about it this morning, coupled with his post about what he's learned about media from watching his kids pushed me to get there sooner. And I'm glad. Such great insights about not just the music business, but any business. Seriously, if you just follow one link from this blog today, make it this one and read it.
— didyouevernotice
Japanese manufacturer Matsushita (Panasonic) has signed a deal with Google that will see the company launch flat panel television sets that allow users to access YouTube and other Google services such as Picasa Web Albums. — soxiam
OWNERS of Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) device will soon be able to use the handheld unit to make phone calls over the internet using Skype.
Sony said it would release a software update at the end of January that would enable PSP users to make Voice over IP calls over Skype.
A total of 500.5 million albums in the form of CDs, cassettes, LPs and other formats were purchased last year, down 15 percent from the unit total for 2006, said Nielsen SoundScan, which tracks point-of-purchase sales.
The decline in album sales drops to 9.5 percent when sales of digital singles are counted as 10-track equivalent albums.
That's not an announcement you'll find on the Web sites of most consumer electronics manufacturers, who tend to keep information on the innards of their machines as private as possible.
But Neuros Technology International, creator of a new video recorder, has decided to go in a different direction. The company, based in Chicago, is providing full documentation of the hardware platform for its recorder, the Neuros OSD (for open source device), so that skilled users can customize or "hack" the device — and then pass along the improvements to others.
I was reading a Goldman Sachs research report on the radio business on the plane back from Australia. I came across this chart of EBITDA multiples versus EBITA growth rates for various media categories.
There's not a ton of insight in that chart, but it got me thinking if I could learn anything about the various media categories from watching my teenage children. Here's what I've observed over the past year.
1) When they walk into a DVD store, they rarely walk out with a…
Bengt Björkstén has a gold mine of feces in his freezer. Over the past 11 years, the Swedish pediatrician and immunologist has been carefully collecting fecal samples from a cohort of children living in Sweden and neighboring Estonia. The samples harbor a wealth of information on the children's microbial inhabitants, which have been shown to play a vital role in immune function. Björkstén hopes that new technologies that allow scientists to analyze microbes more precisely than ever before will reveal why allergy rates in Sweden and other wealthy nations, including the United States, have risen dramatically over the past 50 years, while rates in historically poorer nations, such as Estonia, have not. His findings could provide a new twist on the hygiene hypothesis, which suggests that rising allergy rates are linked to our more antiseptic, modern lifestyle
It has been 50 years since scientists first created DNA in a test tube, stitching ordinary chemical ingredients together to make life's most extraordinary molecule. Until recently, however, even the most sophisticated laboratories could make only small snippets of DNA — an extra gene or two to be inserted into corn plants, for example, to help the plants ward off insects or tolerate drought.
Now researchers are poised to cross a dramatic barrier: the creation of life forms driven by completely artificial DNA
FOR as long as most people can remember, food has been getting cheaper and farming has been in decline. In 1974-2005 food prices on world markets fell by three-quarters in real terms. Food today is so cheap that the West is battling gluttony even as it scrapes piles of half-eaten leftovers into the bin. That is why this year's price rise has been so extraordinary. Since the spring, wheat prices have doubled and almost every crop under the sun—maize, milk, oilseeds, you name it—is at or near a peak in nominal terms
Stanford researchers have found a way to use silicon nanowires to reinvent the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power laptops, iPods, video cameras, cell phones, and countless other devices.
This US Think Tank reports gives an intersting perspective on the issues of global security and climate change.
A team of UD faculty has created a system that enables vehicles to not only run on electricity alone, but also to generate revenue by storing and providing electricity for utilities. The technology—known as V2G, for vehicle-to-grid—lets electricity flow from the car's battery to power lines and back.When the car is in the V2G setting, the battery's charge goes up or down depending on the needs of the grid operator, which sometimes must store surplus power and other times requires extra power to respond to surges in usage. The ability of the V2G car's battery to act like a sponge provides a solution for utilities, which pay millions to generating stations that help balance the grid. Kempton estimates the value for utilities could be up to $4,000 a year for the service, part of which could be paid to drivers.
Whether we should be exploring technologies that make electricity cheaper is another question. However if it accelerates adoption of electric cars it may be a plus
Those of you that read our article in The Age (Melbourne, Australia – see our download page) this month will know that we have the view that handheld devices are going to mainly replace the personal computer and the laptop – here is more evidence from Intel about what developments are occurring
Is CASTIGLIONE DI CERVIA in Italy a harbinger of changes in disease patterns to come with global warming?
The Energy Watch Group has released its oil report. We do not warrant the veracity of the report but they present a very different view than the International Energy Agency and if they are right we are heading to a very different world.
A multidisciplinary team of UCLA scientists were able to differentiate metastatic cancer cells from normal cells in patient samples using leading-edge nanotechnology that measures the softness of the cells.
3 million subscribers paying $26/yr for online content. — soxiam
University of Tokyo researchers have developed a plastic pad that allows electronic devices placed on it to communicate with each other. This communications sheet could provide a more secure and lower-energy alternative to short-range wireless communications, such as Bluetooth


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Day 8: The Forbidden City
by CycleChick on March 1, 2014
If you ask most cyclists where the birthplace of cycling is, the majority will say "Italy". Those that don't are likely either French or Belgian, and are most probably drunk. When I think about cycling in the classic sense, the pure essence of the sport and its history, I think of Fausto Coppi, Marco Pantani, Gino Bartali, Felice Gimondi, and a score of other racers who's names fly off the tongue like an exotic Italian buffet. I think of the Giro and of rich espressos drunk from tiny ceramic cups held by gloved and blackened fingers. And I think of Campagnolo. No other company embodies the passion and history of Italian cycling like Campagnolo, and today I am going inside the great factory – something precious few people have had the privilege to experience. I feel profoundly unworthy.
This morning is the first in eight that I haven't woken up and dressed myself in semi-damp and rank-smelling lycra. It feels nice, but strange, and I still feel like shit. Under normal circumstances, the past week would have been appallingly difficult. But this week has been anything but normal. It has been glorious.
After a short ride in the Super Ban, we are met at the front entrance of the Campagnolo factory by our host, Joshua Riddle. His name is appropriate, given the fact that he is something of an anomaly. On first glance you would take him for a local – he speaks beautiful Italian and is completely at home here. But when he speaks English, it is almost impossible to identify his accent. A mix of soft European sounds mixed with a slight Southern drawl, and a twinge of … what is it? Australian? It turns out he is from North Carolina, but his mannerisms, his personality, his hospitality, even his fiancé, make him 100% Italian. Even Sergi, when I ask about Joshua, shrugs his shoulders and tells me "he is more Italian than most Italians".
Nevertheless, I am notably disappointed when he does not greet us at the factory entrance with a top hat on his head and accompanied by an army of Oompa Loompas.The inside of the factory is impossibly clean. But considering where I am I should not be surprised.
Almost every single thing Campagnolo makes is made by a machine that Campagnolo made to make it. Every chainring, gear, sprocket and do-dad is inspected by hand and made to adhere to impossible tolerances. Then it is tested, in the factory and on the road by a multitude of engineers, scientists and professional bike racers.We are, quite literally, kids in a candy store.I am particularly pleased when Joshua tells us about the rigorous testing Campagnolo chains are subjected to. They are built to stand up to the repeated application of incredible force, and three days ago I broke one. I see the sideways glances of Jordi and my fellow riders and smile. I wish my boyfriend Valentino was here.
We also get a rare peek at "Mr. Ghibli" – the one man who is responsible for making every single Ghibli disc wheel that comes out of the factory. Made only to order, he does not make one wheel that will sit on a shelf. He works behind plexi glass and Joshua tells us they take very good care of this man's health. If Mr. Ghibli gets sick, the production of Ghibli wheels grinds to a halt.You don't have to be around other cyclists for very long to see the respect and reverence people hold for Campagnolo. But walking through this factory, I am starting to understand why.
In spite of a new, more open policy at the factory, Campagnolo still has its secrets – vast parts of the plant where new technologies are built and tested that must remain hidden from our curious eyes and cameras. As Joshua leads us through the factory, he often skips ahead to make sure there is nothing lying about that we are not supposed to see. In addition to bicycle parts, Campagnolo makes parts and wheels for Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini, to name a few, and even made satellite parts for NASA back in the late 1960′s, when they knew more about working with metal than the egg-head science guys did.
If I make it sound serious and impressive, it is. But there are small glimpses of the fact that this is a place full of friendly and exuberant Italian craftsmen and women. They are clearly proud of their work – you can see it as we walk by – the shy smiles as they go about their task trying to pretend they are not being stared at and photographed by a crowd of curious onlookers. In one of the areas there is a dirty joke hanging on the wall. We are, after all, in a factory, where a complete absence of off-colour propaganda would be highly suspect. It's written in Italian, but the combination of the picture and the use of the word "Sushi" is enough that I get the joke.
When the tour is finished, the next item on the day's agenda is a short 55 km ride to the Astoria Winery in Arcugnano. We will be accompanied by Joshua, who will lead the group along with some very special guests, including Davide Malacarne from Team Europcar. I try to be cool. I'm not. We get all kitted up at the factory. I have applied a special tattoo that Joshua gave me. If there was any company logo in the world I would even half consider tattooing on my body forever, I think this would probably be the one.
The ride is fairly relaxed, flat, and not necessarily the prettiest we've done. But riding with Joshua and the handful of very experienced riders he has brought along is amazing. I watch the pros and marvel at their smoothness, the casual confidence they have on the bike – no doubt the result of spending most of their waking hours in the saddle, likely since they were old enough to walk. It is a beautiful thing to see.And then there is the obligatory stop at a castle for an espresso. Just another day in Italy.We continue to ride. The 55km route has now turned into 110, but I don't mind. Joshua is a little stressed about being late for lunch, but this is Italy, and we are not German, so it's all good. For the second half of the ride we kick things up and let the group break apart into natural pace groups. I am in heaven as we tear down the road in a fast and smooth single pace line.
We finally arrive at our destination, Astoria Vineyard – the makers of the official podium wine for the Giro d'Italia. As we turn into the driveway, the road slants up to a bit of a climb. By now, this is normal and I don't feel the panic I used to when faced with going uphill. I stand and push the pedals, rocking back and forth to get the bike and myself up the hill. I pass the small gaggle of pros we've been riding with, and wonder why they are going so slow.
Then the road turns a corner and I am at the bottom of what must be a 30% grade climb that goes up for about 500 meters to the top, where a crowd of people are waiting for us. With wine. And cameras. I panic – this climb is ridiculously steep, and on gravel, and represents the last pedal strokes of this incredible week of riding in the Italian mountains. The pros pass me easily, chatting. I can barely move the pedals, but I cannot walk up this stupid hill. Somehow, I make it to the top, and am greeted by the applause of a ridiculously stylish group of Italians holding cameras and champagne glasses. I am a mess. Many pictures are taken.Then we are treated to such an incredible showing of Italian hospitality, I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. In the front room of the winery, we are served a magnificent spread of antipasto, accompanied by a special edition Campagnolo prosecco made here at Astoria for their 80th anniversary.
When we are led into the lunch room I am already full and a little drunk – but unfortunately not quite drunk enough to not care about how awful I must look and smell. I sit down next to Benjamin Fitzmaurice, editor of Conquista magazine. Benjamin and his lovely family (his wife and two incredibly well-behaved little boys) were with us at the factory tour and have met us here for lunch.
They are Australian, living in Switzerland, and we get along famously – something we attribute to the strange but undeniable affinity between Australians and Canadians. We talk easily about cycling, wine, family and Italy, and I quickly forget about my less than stellar appearance and odour. Between each course, glasses are rung with forks to get our attention. Dignified and imposing, the owner of Astoria rises from his chair at the head table and addresses the crowd in Italian, offering praise, respect and gifts to the Campagnolo family.
These presentations are countered with a presentation by Joshua to Astoria on behalf of the Campagnolo family.
"Joshua parla!" Mr. Astoria announces, causing the entire room to fall silent. He presides over the room in a way that makes Don Corleone look like a waiter at Pizza Hut.
Lunch is served in a progression of courses, each more fantastic than one before, and each accompanied by a perfectly paired Astoria wine. I don't really believe in heaven, but if it does exist, I sure hope it looks like this.
The final presentation is extra special – each one of us from the tour is given a bottle of the 80th anniversary Campagnolo prosecco, complete with an 11 tooth cog.Life does not get better than this, my friends.
We wrap up the day with a tour of the winery, a veritable museum of cycling royalty, with some beauty queens for added colour.With that, what will probably stand up as one of the most incredible days and weeks of my life comes to an end. Looking back, it still seems like an incredible dream.
I cannot say enough about our guides – Sergi, Jordi, Pablo and Daniel. They were incredible hosts and I'm happy now to call them friends.My fellow riders were equally amazing, and this shared experience will always make us family. Augustus Farmer, the wonderfully snarky photographer from Peloton, is going to be stuck with me whether he likes it or not, and I have every confidence our paths will cross again. Joshua Riddle from Campagnolo made the mistake of encouraging me to contact him if I need anything – a privilege I will try my very best not to abuse. Much.
My heartfelt thanks goes to Thomson Bike Tours, for creating this incredible tour, and bringing me along for the ride of a lifetime. If you love cycling and want to experience the best riding the world has to offer in style and comfort, I cannot recommend them enough.
Ciao! Viva Italia!
Actif Epica 2014
by CycleChick on February 23, 2014
I was not feeling confident going into Actif Epica this year. I was plagued with equipment problems, and then there was the added factor of this being the harshest winter we have experienced in these parts since the Depression. But I am not the sort to allow silly little things like that stand in my way. Two weeks before the event, I decided I would participate no matter what. No excuses.
So yeah, the race was hard. Much of the course was unrideable due to the ungodly amount of snow we've had this year, and a strong and bitter north wind made some of the riding sections very slow going indeed. But if you live in Manitoba, this is nothing new. I finished the 130 kilometre race in 11 hours and 55 minutes. Of the 77 people who registered, twenty did not start. Of the 57 runners and cyclists that started, 16 did not finish. Of the ones that did finish, I came in seventh. And first woman. The women's field was small, as usual, but an experienced female racer had come from out-of-town, making for an exciting and challenging race for me. We both worked very hard, and I was impressed by her talent, toughness and ability.
The day after the race, as I lay flat on my back wondering what model of truck had hit me, I surfed Facebook for photos of the race that other people had posted. I saw a link to images the visiting female racer had posted and happily flipped through them, interested in seeing her view of the race.
In her photo gallery, I found a picture of me riding with fellow racers Pete and Paul, who I had met up with somewhere before the third checkpoint in Niverville. Under the photo was this caption:
"leader – cheater on the wheel all (the) way."
I was stunned. Cheater? How could she say that? Riding in groups is not illegal in this race. It is a draft legal race. Riding together is not only allowed, but encouraged in the race bible. Almost every other racer rode with others during the course of the race, why single me out? And how could she say I was on someone's wheel the whole time when I spent almost half the race completely on my own? During much of the time I was with others, we weren't even riding. I'm no scientist, but there did not seem to be any aerodynamic advantage to being in a group while dragging our bikes through 3 feet of snow. As for those sections when I did work with others to battle the North wind, we worked together, taking equal turns on the front.
I felt sick to my stomach. Here was a well-known racer publicly calling me out for cheating – in front of my friends, the race organizers, strangers, and other members of the cycling community. Her accusations affected not only my reputation, but the reputation of every other racer in the field, not to mention the very race itself.
I notified the race organizers and they assured me that my standing is officially secure, legitimate and well warranted, both technically and morally. They contacted her explaining their perspective, reaffirming the results, the rules and the spirit of our event. They asked her to reconsider her choice of language, but the photo is still there, along with the caption.
I am pleased this was taken seriously and dealt with promptly, but I would be lying if I said this hasn't seriously affected how I feel about the race, which is perhaps the greatest injustice of all. Perhaps even worse is how it makes me feel about being a woman racer. Is this how we encourage each other? Is this how we make our few fellow racers feel welcome and bring new women into the sport?
I've tried to brush this off and come up with a positive spin on it, but I'm afraid I'm coming up short. Maybe you can help. Try to understand that women are still relatively new to this table, and still finding our way. In spite of being competitive, hard, and fiercely motivated, we can be easily swayed. Small gestures of encouragement can go a long way to make us feel welcome, just as a thoughtless and vindictive accusation can turn us away.
This was not the post I had hoped to write. I tried to write a positive one that talked about my experiences throughout the race, and it was way more funny and nice. It talked about what a great race this was, and how proud I was to be part of it. It also talked about the incredible volunteers that helped make it happen, and the amazing job that was done by the organizers. All of that is still absolutely true in spite of this crappy ending. Thank you to those people who worked so hard to make Actif Epica the wonderful success it was.
photo: Kyle Thomas
In Your Face, Winter
by CycleChick on February 9, 2014
Sunday morning ride with JP and David.
-28°C temperature, -42 windchill. 35 kilometers.
Espressos, a flat tire, and some dancing.
In your face, winter.
The Glorious Indignity of Winter, Part 2
by CycleChick on January 30, 2014
Terry has had it with winter, so he decided to go for a road ride on Sunday. He asked his wife's permission, because that is what we do when we want to stay married. She told him he could go, but only after he finished the shovelling. Poor Terry.
BarnCross 2014
by CycleChick on January 28, 2014
Roosters and barns go together like ham and eggs, so for the third year in a row, Dark Red Racing & friends spent a frigid Sunday afternoon giving old man winter the middle finger salute by racing our bikes in a horse barn. Some might call it crazy. We call it BarnCross. And it looks something like this.
Attendance was a little down this year, probably because 80 kilometre winds and blowing snow made visibility on the roads something like this:
But roosters are hearty folk, and those who made it out were treated to short but painful laps of a course with sweeping curves, a fancy new ramp handcrafted by The Awesome One, and plenty of horsey jumps. As in previous years, the rules were made arbitrarily, and followed at the discretion of the racer. Points and penalties were given with little consistency, but equal abandon. There was a podium. Like many of the racers, it fell over.
But no matter, after all we had a cozy space heater, chips, and appropriately selected local beverages.Do you like how artsy and out of focus my pictures are? Totally on purpose.
G and I took a trip to the loo. It was scary.But not nearly as scary as the crazy wind blowing around outside. Thankfully it died down before we left and we didn't have to have sleepover with the horses. They are majestic animals, but they kind of smell like ass, even to a rooster.
Thanks to the VP Pizza and The Inhaler for putting on a knee slappin' good show, and to JP and The Cross Hottie for the après race rib stickin' grub. Yeehaw!
Actif Epica Recon
by CycleChick on January 26, 2014
With Actif Epica three short weeks away, organizers arranged a little recon ride today to give registered racers a small taste of the 130(ish) kilometre course.
David discovered it tastes a lot like blood.Young David tried to french kiss a rock. It didn't like that. The good news is that David's dentist is getting a new Mercedes.
The conditions were quite cold, about -15º with a nasty wind from the north – nothing like the anticipated race day forecast of +24 and calm. Of the fifteen or so riders that came out to play, there were only about four of us not riding fat bikes. I was on my 'cross bike with 34c tyres, and everything was ridable, except the parts that weren't.
Snow can be a drag, but it can also be pretty useful for racking your bike.
I wanted to come out today because, in spite of doing Actif Epica two years ago, I've have some trepidation this year due to some equipment changes, diminished training time, not to mention this whole "polar vortex" bullshit.
Like most things, being around similarly minded people can do a world of good.My bike fared well, as did most of my clothing, with the exception of my ski pants that continue to be hideously unattractive. They could certainly take some lessons from Stephen's sweater, which got top marks in the style department.
Kevin was quite daring in his au courant tape mask, no doubt the work of some edgy new fashion designer from France. Mark my words friends, in the coming months this look will be everywhere.Kevin is the guy you see tearing around in that little yellow velomobile. For today's ride he was on an equally unusual three-wheeled recumbent fat bike. Kevin clearly has an eye for the unusual. I wonder what his house looks like.
Kim and Dave were there looking all adorable in their matching fat bikes. Dave reports that the Hippy Bars are working their magic and are just as good frozen solid. Heck, maybe David's dentist can get TWO Mercedes!Charles walked away with the Best Beardcicles of the Day Award by a landslide.I'm happy to report my water stayed in its liquid form, and would have been a total win if I had actually brought enough of it.
All in all a good time was had by all. After all, they say that winter biking is the most fun you can have with eight layers of clothing on. Even if one of those layers happen to be ski pants.
The Glorious Indignity of Winter
by CycleChick on January 21, 2014
This winter has been cruel. Even by Winnipeg standards. For much of December and well into January, temperatures reached an ungodly -40°C (that's -40ºF for you Yanks, and -30°C for those of you do don't believe in wind chill) and we have received enough snow to put half the city in the emergency room with shovelling-related back injuries and the other half in the morgue from heart attacks.
We Winnipeggers (yes, that is what we call ourselves) channel our inner Chicken Lickens as we chirp dire weather warnings at each other from the comfort and sanctity of our twitter accounts. Those brave and stupid few who do go outside shuffle past each other in stylish Northface parkas wondering what they could sell (or who they could kill) to get on the next flight to Cancun. The general consensus, even for the irritatingly chipper glass-half-full crowd, is that the weather can only be described as bullshit.
If cycling happens to be your sport of choice year round and you were stupid enough to marry for love and not money, this time of year presents you with two equally unsavoury options:
Ride the Trainer
Riding a stationary trainer indoors is boring, sweaty, and quite possibly one of the most fruitless activities a person can do. Much like a hamster, you can spin your wheel for hours on end and get precisely nowhere. Sure you can work on your V02 max or what have you, but you'll probably want to keep that to yourself since other cyclists (most of whom indulge in stealth training themselves) will make fun of you for doing it so far out from race season.
Ride Outside
Certainly the more interesting and fun of the two options, riding outdoors in the winter does not come without a price. I'm talking about everything from a 30 minute commute to the office (which is exponentially more treacherous than its summer equivalent), to long endurance rides of an hour or more. The specialized™ gear and supplies needed to keep you warm and comfortable can be both cumbersome and expensive. You've no doubt seen plenty of Fat Bikes by now, the latest 'it' bike for the winter cyclist that's built more like a two-wheeled snowmobile than a bicycle, but will float over snow that will sink a traditional bike to its axles. Built more for function than sex-appeal, fatties are the ski pants of bikes, and people are buying them by the boatload.(photo by Kyle Thomas)
Speaking of ski pants, dressing for long rides in the winter falls somewhere in that murky grey area between art and science. It's hard to believe that a person can wear up to eighteen articles of clothing and still be cold, but it's true. Between the base layers, vapour barriers, warmth and wind layers, once you have exhausted all of your layering options, the real indignities begin. Things like smearing vaseline all over your face, wearing surgical gloves, and stuffing your man junk into a Ziploc baggy – all practices that skirt that delicate line between fashion atrocities and just plain illegal. (I can only attest to the efficacy of two of the three).
As a relative newbie, I have found the simple act of winter commuting anything but simple. After showering and gathering my work clothes, it takes me close to twenty minutes to locate my eighteen items of clothing, put them on, and get out the door. With all due respect to Mr. Colville-Andersen, winter commuting in Winnipeg does not look like this:(photo by Mikael Coleville-Andersen, Cycle-Chic)
So pretty.
The inevitable question I am leading you to is "Why?". "If riding a bike in the winter is so unpleasant, why do it at all?" It's not a simple answer, but I'll start with the easy stuff – things like the health benefits, fresh air, not being stuck in traffic, being good to the environment, and enjoying the outdoors all year round in spite of whatever bullshit nature decides to smite us with. There is something gratifying in this simple act of defiance that can put a real spring in your Sorel-laden steps.
And then there are the amazing things you see out riding that you would miss if you stayed on the beaten paths behind the windshield of your car. Things like giant ice blocks waiting to be carved into sculptures, and your whole city skating, running, walking, skiing and riding on the frozen river on a Sunday afternoon.And, of course, your riding buddies' funny beardcicles.
The biggest reason of all is the one that is hardest to explain, but I'll try. When you really love something, you will tolerate all sorts of unpleasantries that you would normally find abhorrent. Like cleaning up your dog's shit, or watching Cinderella with your little girl for the two hundredth time instead of the final game of the Stanley Cup playoffs. So when you see some shapeless blob on a bike skidding around on a shitty winter road, or a friend proudly tells you about the killer interval workout they did in their basement on Saturday morning, sure you can probably assume they are a little bit nuts. But you can also be sure they are the kind of person that would hold your hair when you throw up or drive you to the airport at 3am to catch your flight to Cancun.
Heck, they might even shovel your driveway while you're gone.
The Guerciotti Project, Stage 6: It Takes a Village
by CycleChick on January 3, 2014
With the front end of the Guerciotti all but taken care of, it's time to move into the other business parts of the bike – scary parts like the drivetrain, brakes, and wheels – which all need to come together roughly at the same time. There are a seemingly endless supply of obscure parts to be found and assembled, and I have become acutely aware of the fact that I have no idea what I am doing. What I do have, however, is a fantastic network of friends, resources, and a healthy case of OCD. I will finish this fucking bike if it kills me. And it may.
Let's start with the wheels. If you'll recall, I procured a sweet pair of blue Weinman wheels from Cousin Adam back in the spring in exchange for a bottle of bourbon and a six pack. I hate to sound fancy (even though I am super fancy), but said wheels, as nice as they are, would look atrocious with the purple frame. They will have to wait for the next project bike. It's been nothing if not an organic process.Coach Rick generously offered a set of track wheels he had lying around that sounded like a good match. One, an aluminum Ambrozio Prisma with a Gipiemme hub (soooo Italian), and the other a dark grey anodized Mavic (not so Italian). It feels a little wrong to put a French wheel on this bike, and the wheels do not match each other, but both had been used on a track some years ago and came with tyres so old and brittle they practically disintegrated when I took them off, so they have some serious street cred. In return for the wheels, I brought Coach Rick an official 80th Anniversary Campagnolo shirt back from Italy. He seemed pleased.
The rim tape on both wheels needed replacing, which I did (for the first time) with far more self-congratulation than the task probably deserves.
Of some concern were the wheel bolts. Which were missing. Things being what they are, the particular bolts I needed are probably situated in a cave somewhere in the Middle East beside the Holy Grail, so a new axel needed to be installed. Stupid bolts.
Thanks to a store credit at Olympia Cycle from coaching Kids of Mud last summer, plus a generous discount from Morgan, I picked up a pair of 28c Panaracer Pasela tyres (jeez, will that word ever look right?) which I saw in this post from bike blog celebrity John Watson (Prolly is not Probably). He shoots his regular Beautiful Bicycles features with the care and artistry generally reserved for portraits of naked women and Ferraris.
So. Hawt. The 28cs seemed perfect – nice and skinny so as not to wreck the aesthetic of the bike, but wide and grippy enough to ride in most weather without wrecking the aesthetic of my face. The gum walls are a good match for the hoods on the sweet retro TRP Tektro drilled alloy brake levers I ordered. At $110, these were the biggest splurge on the entire bike. But so worth it.
Image courtesy of Chari & Co. NYC . Yummy.
Once that was sorted out, it was time to move on to the part I was dreading the most – the drive train. Consisting of the front chain ring, cranks, chain, and rear cassette, this is by far the scariest and messiest part of a bicycle. Making the decision to change this bike to a single speed – thus negating the need for derailleurs (which I still only half understand) and the associated cabling – was easy. Deciding what gearing to use was harder, requiring more mathematics than I've had to use since I dropped out of physics in grade 11. Stupid physics.
The bike came with 53 and 42 tooth rings on the front. It's quite common (so I'm told) to use a 42 on the front with a 16 tooth cog on the back. Not too spinny, but not too grindy. However, a 53 tooth ring is bigger and looks more badass so I decided to use the 53 with a 20 tooth freewheel on the back, which offers the same gear ratio as the 42/16 set up.
Wow. Are you as turned on as I am right now?
I am pleased to report that I removed the 42 tooth ring, replaced the crank bolts, reattached the cranks, AND installed the freewheel ALL BY MYSELF.
In case you were wondering, I used newspaper to protect my kitchen counter, where the majority of the work I did on the bike was performed. You see, I'm not allowed to use the workbench in the basement anymore because 'apparently' I break things and don't put the tools back where they belong. (Lies.)
Coach Rick also gave me a Campagnolo seat post, which generally requires the use of (you guessed it) a special Campagnolo seat post wrench due to the unusual location of the bolts. Positioned directly under the saddle, the bolts are nearly impossible to adjust and tighten with the saddle in place. A small 5mm wrench and some deep breathing exercises got the job done with barely any tears at all.
Photo by Speedplay Vintage Bicycle Component Museum.
The Impaler came through with this lovely set of old Campagnolo brakes that came with a very reasonable (liquid) price tag.
Installing and cabling the brakes was yet another journey into the terrifying unknown – a task accomplished with the loving help of Sheldon Brown, The Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair, and a glass of pinot grigio.
By this point I was visiting Andrew at Natural Cycle on a daily basis. Like me, Andrew has a passion for old Italian road bikes. Unlike me, however, he has an encyclopaedic knowledge of them, and actually knows what he is doing.
Young Andrew saved me, both in the poetic and literal sense, checking my work over to make sure it was done properly and nothing fell apart. In spite of the fact that I don't exactly fit the mould of their typical customer, Andrew and the other folks at the shop offered invaluable support (without a single eye roll) during this phase of the project. At one point they even offered to set up a cot for me in the back.
Now all that remains are the fun, cosmetic parts of the build. Decals, bar tape, installing the tyres, and other tasks that are well within my comfort range.
Lastly, what I thought would be the easiest task has turned out to be one of the hardest. I decided to leave the bosses for the downtube shifters on, mostly because I love the look of the shifters. They remind me of fancy earrings. Finding Guerciotti ones has been impossible (they are sitting beside the Grail with those damn bolts), and Campagnolo ones would seem to be the only suitable alternative.
The other day a handsome prince named Ian dropped one of these:He doesn't seem to need it, and I have been scouring the Kingdom of Twitter to find its match. It's from the Campagnolo Victory group, probably late 1970s or early 1980s. If you happen to have a matching one lying around, I would be most happy to take it off your hands. Heck, I'd probably even
give you a kiss buy you a beer.
You've probably noticed I have been quite coy about showing you much of the finished bike. It's because I like drama and surprises, and I bet you do too. The next Guerciotti post will be a full photographic reveal with hardly any pesky words.
I can hardly wait to show you!
Feature Photo: Team Fiorella Mocassini in 1977
Gierciotti's debut team on the pro circuit (1976)
Photo courtesy Guy Dedieu, Cycling Museum
Naughty or Nice?
by CycleChick on December 13, 2013
Whether we like it or not, the holidays are upon us, which mean we will be forced to spend all of our hard-earned money on other people instead of the new carbon fibre cyclocross bike we really want. On the upside, the people who really know and love you will shower you with love in the form of bike-related gifts, because nothing makes shopping easier than when someone has a unnatural obsession.
In the spirit of the season of over-eating, drinking and spending, here are a few ideas for the bike-obsessed person in your life (or for your own list, as the case may be). For your convenience, I have categorized this list by degree of naughty or niceness. If you are unsure where you fall, check out this handy app that tracks your pottymouth on Twitter. Do that later. Read this first.
Really, Really Nice
If your wallet is weighing you down, and your fireplace just can't handle anymore paper currency, you are probably in the position to really spoil that special bikey someone who's been EXTRA good with this 24k plated gold bicycle from Aurumania, because why not? It costs about $100K and even has a matching gold rack, but I think that might be extra. I don't know where Aurumania is, but it looks like a pretty nice place.
Of course, if that's a bit too rich for your blood, you could track down some pantographed Guerciotti downtube shifters, circa 1980. Because I bet someone out there really, really wants them and was really, really good.
Very Nice
I am a big fan of Road Holland, not only because they make great looking stuff, but because they understand that pink is not a universally mandatory uniform for all humans of the female persuasion. Earlier this year they released the Amsterdam, a long sleeve jersey (with THREE ACTUAL POCKETS) in… wait for it…. celeste. Meow.
Being winter and all, the right gear can not only help keep your crazy year-round cyclist nice and cozy, but could also help them not freeze to death. The go-to people for cozy are Ice Breaker – who have made friends with some merino-type sheep who are nice enough to provide the raw materials. While it may not make the crazy go away, these base layers will help keep your loved one warm and dry.
Quite Nice
Everybody loves Eddy Merckx. Sure he might have had his naughty moments, but unlike a certain someone who is besties with Oprah, people actually liked him anyway. Named for the 525 victories he amassed in the course of his career, this coffee table book is crammed with some really beautiful old-timey photos that don't even need Instagram filters to be good. Oh, and Eddy Freaking Merckx. That is all.
Photos from here. Available through VeloPress.
Speaking of coffee, I bet if Eddy was forced to drink terrible North American-style coffee, he would drink it from this awesome vintage Molteni coffee cup from Cycling Souvenirs.
Of course if he wanted a fancy espresso, he could always use one of these.Depending how nice he is, you might even want to throw in a gift card for his favourite nail salon. So matchy! You can order sets of these awesome little espresso cups from either their European site here, or the North American one here.
While you're at it, you should order some of these for yourself BECAUSE THEY ARE THE COOLEST THING EVER!
You will have the best Christmas tree in the universe. You're welcome.
Cyclists love bags. No really. We love them. Almost as much as we love coffee, wine, and craft beers. NYMB.co in New York carries a great selection of handmade bags to hold all of your cycling essentials, like a nice bottle of Masi Modello Delle Venezie Rosso, for example.You will, of course recognize this wine rack from our friend Jesse Heber from Quebec, because I talk about it, like, all the time. NYMB.co have bags for more practical items like your cell phone, so you can Tweet, Facebook and Instagram the shit out of your ride.I have this little number from Road Runner Bags – in green to match my hair when I spend too much time in the local swimming pool.
Naughty (but in a nice way)
Some people just can't help being a little naughty, and let's face it, that's what makes us love them. These are the people who make the office Christmas party a thing to remember, and keep the HR department busy all year round.
Naughty people love things that sound dirty, even if they aren't. Things like bike lube. If you are going to go there (and you should), get the good stuff. Phil Wood grease seems to be many a bike mechanic lube of choice. And the packaging is nice, so I approve. Available at your LBS, in combination with the matching Road Holland jersey, this gift upgrades to Very Nice.
I'm a firm believer that most people are predisposed to goodness, but just make bad decisions sometimes. Take for example the Specialized legal team. Very, very naughty. What better time than the holidays to lay down some tough love? Sorry guys. Pick up your socks and maybe next year you'll get the gold bike.
Wishing all of you happy shopping!
The Road to Vicenza
by CycleChick on November 29, 2013
Today, our second last day, was supposed to be another long one. Like 206 kilometres long. But on a routine recon of the route that took place several weeks before we arrived, Sergi and the boys had determined the first 130 kilometres of the route were pretty much bullshit and best travelled in the van. As incomprehensible as it may be, it seems that there are parts of Italy that are… dare I say it?… ugly.
And so it was decided that today would be a paltry 70 kilometre ride, starting with a trip in the van to a point outside the ugly bits and ending in Vicenza – the home of Campagnolo. When Sergi explains the reason for the ride or "transfer" in the Super Ban, I can tell he is not happy. This is not normal. We should be riding, not sitting in the van – but looking out the window as we sit in an unexplained traffic jam, it is clear the ride would have been shitty. Super shitty. Perhaps even shittier than sitting in the van. Even still, the ride is dreadful, for more reasons than I can share here. Everyone who was there that day knows why. And maybe, one day, if you buy me enough drinks, I will tell you the story.
Finally, blissfully, we are back in paradise. Another small, Italian town that was around hundreds of years before anyone east of Newfoundland knew North America even existed.
We get our picture taken in a park, and for the first time it occurs to me that this trip is almost over. And as much as I miss my life back home, my family – the thought of this coming to an end brings a certain panic. I push it aside as we start to ride.
The mood of the group has changed. We ride together, relaxed and in no particular hurry. The fast riders have proven themselves. Each of us have shone in our own way – some as climbers, some descenders, some wisely conservative. We are, in turn, exuberant cheerleaders, mechanics, and documentarians. And in this short week we have gone from strangers to friends. Maybe even family.
We have trouble finding a place to have lunch. It's later than usual and here most of the restaurants inexplicably close for a few hours in the afternoon, something a North American restaurant wouldn't even think of for fear of losing the late lunch and early dinner crowd. Clearly the Italians are far more in synch with each other in terms of mealtimes. I can't help but wonder where all the old Italian gents go and sit during these mid-afternoon sabbaticals.
Eventually we find a small garden restaurant and Sergi sweet talks the owner into feeding us. The poor woman must suffer from double vision, because she brings out enough food to feed an army.And no, there are no celiacs in Italy. If there were, they have either died or moved to California, where you are more likely to get busted for possession of flour than cocaine.
You might think hopping back on your bike after eating a massive amount of pasta would be excruciatingly difficult. And you'd be right. But this is exactly what we do.
We ride all afternoon, to Vicenza – or rather a small town on the outskirts of Vicenza, where we are booked into what might actually be the most beautiful hotel in the world.We take advantage of the first early finish we've had all week and sit on the patio (which is oddly devoid of Old Italian Gents) for a nice cold beer.When they talk about "the life", I'm pretty sure "this" is it.
Tomorrow we are officially no longer the responsibility of our Thomson guides. Tomorrow, we are in the hands of Campagnolo – and as far as hands go, I figure these are pretty capable ones indeed.


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|23 Dec 2011
BSOD System_Service_Exception error 3b (same issue)
Hello I've been BSODing for about 2 month now. It happens at least once a day. Here is a log of the errors:
My system specs are:
Windows 7 Pro x64 Full
Age of system hardware: ~5 months
Age of Windows Installation: ~1 year
I have run memtest and it passed 7 times straight
In addition I have followed the BSOD posting instructions and attached the zipped file.
Thank you for your time!
|My System Specs
|24 Dec 2011
* If you are overclocking anything reset to default before running this test.
In other words STOP!!!
*Run Driver verifier
I'd suggest that you first backup your data and then make sure you've got access to another computer so you can contact us if problems arise. Then make a System Restore point (so you can restore the system using the Vista/Windows 7 Startup Repair feature).
In Windows 7 you can make a Startup Repair disk by going to Start....All Programs...Maintenance...Create a System Repair Disc - with Windows Vista you'll have to use your installation disk or the "Repair your computer" option at the top of the Safe Mode menu .
Then, here's the procedure:
- Go to Start and type in "verifier" (without the quotes) and press Enter
- Select "Create custom settings (for code developers)" and click "Next"
- Select "Select individual settings from a full list" and click "Next"
- Select everything EXCEPT FOR "Low Resource Simulation" and click "Next"
- Select "Select driver names from a list" and click "Next"
Then select all drivers NOT provided by Microsoft and click "Next"
- Select "Finish" on the next page.
Reboot the system and wait for it to crash to the Blue Screen. Continue to use your system normally, and if you know what causes the crash, do that repeatedly. The objective here is to get the system to crash because Driver Verifier is stressing the drivers out. If it doesn't crash for you, then let it run for at least 36 hours of continuous operation (an estimate on my part).
If you can't get into Windows because it crashes too soon, try it in Safe Mode.
If you can't get into Safe Mode, try using System Restore from your installation DVD to set the system back to the previous restore point that you created.
Further Reading
Using Driver Verifier to identify issues with Windows drivers for advanced users[/B]
|My System Specs
|24 Dec 2011
sorry i don't really have any experience in debugging. what should i do after i crash?
|My System Specs
|24 Dec 2011
We do need the DMP file as it contains the only record of the sequence of events leading up to the crash, what drivers were loaded, and what was responsible.
You may be able to get the DMP files without crashing by booting into safe mode (F8) with networking.
To enable us to assist you with your computer's BSOD symptoms, upload the contents of your "\Windows\Minidump" folder.
The procedure:
* Copy the contents of \Windows\Minidump to another (temporary) location somewhere on your machine.
* Zip up the copy.
* Attach the ZIP archive to your post using the "paperclip" (file attachments) button.
*If the files are too large please upload them to a file sharing service like "Rapidshare" and put a link to them in your reply.
To ensure minidumps are enabled:
* Go to Start, in the Search Box type: sysdm.cpl, press Enter.
* Under the Advanced tab, click on the Startup and Recovery Settings... button.
* Ensure that Automatically restart is unchecked.
* Under the Write Debugging Information header select Small memory dump (256 kB) in the dropdown box (the 256kb varies).
* Ensure that the Small Dump Directory is listed as %systemroot%\Minidump.
* OK your way out.
* Reboot if changes have been made.
|My System Specs
|25 Dec 2011
i've rebooted with verifier on and it's been about 24 hours and i still haven't bsod'd....
|My System Specs
|25 Dec 2011
Win 8 Release candidate 8400
|My System Specs
|25 Dec 2011
Following on from zigzag3143...
The following actions might prevent an error like this from happening again:
* Download and install updates and device drivers for your computer from Windows Update.
* Scan your computer with Malwarebytes free.
{Download it, update it immediately & do a full system scan.}
* Malwarebytes : Malwarebytes Anti-Malware PRO removes malware including viruses, spyware, worms and trojans, plus it protects your computer
Check your hard disk for errors.
Disk Check
|My System Specs
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AquaIllumination 60" Sol Super Blue 5xModule LED w/ Controller
AquaIllumination 60" Sol Super Blue 5xModule LED w/ Controller
*** The new AquaIllumination Sol Super Blue combines the Cree XP Blue with the Cree XP Royal Blue LED lamp to better meet the deeper blue light spectrum demands of many reef enthusiasts. This new LED lamp combination does an incredible job of covering the 450-465 nm range while still producing comparable PAR values to the original AquaIllumination Sol White. ***
AquaIllumination 60" Sol Super Blue 5xModule LED Light System complete with AquaIllumination Sol Controller, mounting rails and legs, external power supply (1 per module) and active cooling system. Each module consists of 24 LED lamps grouped into a bank of 8 lenses or pods each containing one Cree XP 6500K "Full Spectrum" LED lamps, one Cree XP Blue LED lamp and one Cree XP Royal Blue LED lamp. Recommended Tank Width: up to 30" with proper placement of corals. Recommended Tank Depth: up to 36" with proper placement of corals. Power Consumption: up to 75W per module at full intensity. Individual Module Dimensions: 11.9" x 5.4" x 2.4" (L x W x H). Warranty: 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty.
1. Intensity is adjustable from 0 to 100%.
2. Color is adjustable from warm white (approximately 6500K) to deep blue (greater than 20000K).
3. Two control settings: Automatic and Manual. In Automatic Mode the sun rises and falls at pre-determined times and the fixture automatically transitions into the corresponding moon cycle for the duration of the 24-hour period. In Manual Mode the light may be set to the desired intensity and color and turned on-off manually.
4. Moon intensity automatically adjusts to follow the actual lunar cycle of ~29 day.
5. Fixture is cooled by blowing air across heat sinks located above each bank of LED lamps preventing salt, moisture, dust and dirt from entering the fixture and harming the LED lamps and other internal components.
6. 100V - 240V Universal Power Supply allows fixture to be used on a wide variety of power sources.
7. Seamless integration with GHL ProFiLux and Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper Elite controllers.
1. Superior Performance – Capable of producing as much light as a 400W metal halide system.
2. Save Energy – Up to 50% versus comparable metal halide system.
3. Low Heat – Generates a fraction of the heat of a comparable metal halide system.
4. Long Lamp Life – Up to 10 years.
5. Multi-Functional - Sunrise, daylight, sunset and lunar light cycles all included.
6. Upgradeable - Modular design allows end user to increase the length of the fixture or to install the latest in LED lamp technology.
In Stock: 99
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You may have thought about a future in art, but have you thought about how you'll get there? Portfolio Camp helps high school students discover what it means to be enrolled at KCAD, a place where collaboration, innovation, and community engagement will prepare you and your talent to create lasting, meaningful impact through a career in art and design.
Over the course of two weeks, you'll become completely immersed in an artistic and cultural exploration that will change the way you think about your creative potential. Working alongside high school students from other states and countries, you'll choose between a design drawing or fine art drawing track and dive into a series of dynamic experiences like 3D printing, portfolio preparation, art theory, art journaling, research, open drawing, design challenges and ceramics. And since a creative mind requires an equal mix of work and play, you and your fellow campers can take a break from your artistic endeavors to travel to cool places like Lake Michigan, John Ball Zoo, and Ambrose Design Studio.
Make this summer more than just a vacation. Make the choice to spark your future.
Portfolio Camp 2014
Camps will be held:
- July 13-27, 2014, Begins daily at 9:00 a.m.
Students ages 16-18 are eligible. Students must submit a letter of recommendation from their art teacher with their application, along with a CD of digital images of five works of art, including two observational drawings. You will be notified by mail of acceptance within one week of receipt of your completed application.
Off-campus housing is offered under the supervision of a full-time Resident Advisor, who accompanies students to and from Kendall each day. Students will share rooms with other Portfolio Campers. Cost for housing package which includes transportation, and use of kitchen facilities is: $1,000.
Tuition for Portfolio Camp is $895.00. In addition students will bring their own art supplies. A 50% deposit is due with your application to Portfolio Camp. Final payment is due no later than one week after you receive your acceptance letter, and no later than the day before camp begins. To register call: 616.451.2787, ext. 3012. VISA, MasterCard, and Discover credit or debit cards are the preferred method of payment.
A full refund will be issued to students who are not accepted into Portfolio Camp. A full refund of tuition and fees will be issued for withdrawal requests received in writing on or before the final registration deadline of July 1. A $100 administrative fee will be charged for withdrawal requests submitted in writing after the registration deadline, but before camp begins. A pro-rated refund will be issued for withdrawal requests submitted after camp begins, and a $100 administrative fee will be charged. There will be no refunds issued after the first full week of camp.


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Firsts for First-Time Moms
First Bath
The first time my husband and I gave Abigail a bath, we prepared in advance for the momentous event. We gathered supplies, laid out a new diaper and freshly washed clothes, and set up the camcorder and the camera. We were both a little nervous, but the bath was a success (other than having a tired and slightly-chilled baby by the end of it).
When it was time to give our second child, Jack, his first bath, it was my mom who was there to help me. With two experienced moms giving a newborn his first bath, the event was quite different than it had been with my daughter. We didn't do much advance planning. We quickly drew some warm water in a plastic basin and grabbed the nearest towel (I think it was a clean dish towel!). We never thought to get out the video camera, and snapping a few pictures was almost an afterthought.
Bathing a newborn can be a fun and enjoyable experience, whether you are bathing your firstborn or lastborn. But for a new parent who has never bathed a newborn, it can be a little tricky and anxiety provoking.
What you can do:
- Choose a time of day when your baby is normally calm and well-fed. If this is your baby's first bath, his umbilical cord still likely is attached and you should only be giving him a sponge bath. Make sure that the room is warm and free of drafts.
- Have bathing supplies (a basin of warm water, small washcloth, towel, a few large cotton balls, clean diaper, and clothes) ready and within easy reach.
- Test the bath water to make sure it feels comfortable.
- Undress baby and place him on a flat surface such as the counter next to the sink, the floor, or a changing table. Use a changing pad, blanket, or soft towel to pad the surface. If you're bathing your baby on a counter or changing table, always keep a hand on him for his safety.
- Ensure your baby stays warm through the bath by keeping him wrapped in a towel and only exposing those areas you are washing.
- Working quickly but gently, use one cotton ball dipped in water to swipe each eye from the inside corner of the eye to the outer area. Then use another cotton ball to wash around each ear.
- Use a small washcloth dipped in warm water to clean baby's face, especially around the nose and mouth.
- Continue cleaning baby with the warm washcloth, making sure to wash the genital area and bottom last.
- Talk or sing to your baby throughout the process. If your baby starts to fuss or becomes distressed, you may want to stop bathing him and try again at another time.


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Brett Keeble on Luke Lewis
Muscle tear likely to delay debut for new Sharks star
Brett Keeble STAR signing Luke Lewis has been left out of Cronulla's 25-man squad to tackle the Knights in Tamworth on Saturday but is still a chance of making his first appearance in Sharks colours.
Sharks leave it till last minute to plunder defensive Knights
Brett Keeble Cronulla scored three converted tries in the last seven minutes, including the match-winner in the final 30 seconds, to swamp Newcastle 22-16 in the NRL trial at Scully Park in Tamworth on Saturday...
Knights make Smith a target after missing out on Lewis
Brett Keeble NEWCASTLE lost out in the Luke Lewis lottery but could still acquire Jeremy Smith as a pretty handy consolation prize.
Houston on brink of inking new deal with Knights
Brett Keeble NEWCASTLE are poised to re-sign Chris Houston for two more years, ending speculation the workhorse second-rower was headed to Penrith.
Excitement machine
Brett Keeble Granted, he does not always make the correct decision in the defensive line.


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University Park, United States
October 10th, 2010
Watch video from the event
About this event
TEDxPSU was held October 10, 2010 at the Schwab Auditorium on the Penn State University Park campus. This day-long event brought together innovative and thought-provoking individuals from all over the Penn State community and the world to listen and share fascinating ideas worth spreading. We selected speakers based on their expertise in a specific discipline and their ability to trigger conversation and inspire action. Using a blend of live talks and pre-recorded videos, TEDxPSU brought together the University community to kick off a dialogue about the challenges and opportunities facing our society.
Confirmed Speakers
David Celento
When choices are either/or, Celento is drawn to both/and. In the face of a new idea, people often ask "why?" while he wonders "why not?" He, like a number of architects and designers, is a bit of a misfit. Thus, it is little surprise that he and his wife, Rebecca's, firm, Celento Henn Architects and Designers, is somewhat unconventional — part architecture firm, part product and furniture design workshop, and part exhibit design enterprise. Their exploits during a decade of full-time practice and adjunct teaching at Carnegie Mellon University (their alma mater) led them to one simple and uncomfortable conclusion: They were ill-equipped to navigate what they perceived as the future of design — a future they felt sure would be defined by both digital production and sustainability concerns. They decided to rewind the clock and go back to school, not as teachers, but as students. They placed their practice in a state of suspended animation, packed their bags, cats, and motorcycles into a 1957 Airstream and headed to Harvard's Graduate School of Design (GSD). After finishing their graduate work, the GSD created a position so that Celento could remain another year at Harvard as the Assistant Director of the GSD's CAD/CAM Lab. His wife went on to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. Celento joined Penn State in 2007, with Rebecca following a year later, both to teach in the architecture program. At Penn State, Celento has extended his research on technological nomadism, explored digital ceramic production, and introduced students to the wonders of digital fabrication tools. He has collaborated with a number of artists, engineers, and scientists, and in so doing has discovered a delightful number of other misfits. Many of them, interested in design thinking and blurring disciplinary boundaries, banded together with Celento to create the Center for Research in Design and Innovation. He has also lectured and published vigorously in obscure academic journals, while recently having one of his articles, "Innovate or Perish," published in a collection of provocative essays entitled "Fabricating Architecture" from Princeton Architectural Press, which can be found at Amazon.com.
Chris Calkins
Chris Calkins is the director of Outreach Health Initiatives at Penn State. In this role, he works to expand health initiatives already under way in Penn State Outreach and identify opportunities to increase Outreach participation in teaching, research and outreach efforts related to health across the University. Calkins joined Outreach after three years as Clinical Liaison Officer for the Penn State Hershey Medical Center (PSHMC), where he led the development of collaborative programs between the medical center and other health care providers across the state. Immediately prior to taking the post at PSHMC, Calkins was Director of Special Projects in the College of Health and Human Development. There, he focused on student initiatives, diversity and strategic plan development and community engagement. Calkins sits at the intersection of understanding how these large scale factors influence health care delivery, education, policy and business. He works every day with partners across the University and the Commonwealth who are involved in an extraordinary number and variety of health-related efforts. Penn State is creating and applying new knowledge every day that impacts human health at every level, and Penn State Outreach plays an important role in raising awareness and convening stakeholders around critical health issues including domestic violence, autism, and access to health care in rural areas. Calkins received his undergraduate and doctoral degrees in health policy and administration from Penn State University and a master's degree in public administration from California State University, East Bay.
Nathan Martin
Nathan Martin is CEO of Deeplocal Inc. Prior to founding Deeplocal in 2006, Martin was a researcher and artist-in-residence at Carnegie Mellon University, where he led an interdisciplinary team in the development of a collaborative online mapping toolkit. As a founding member of both an art group and a touring punk/metal band, Martin has spoken, toured, and exhibited internationally since age 16. He has more than a decade of experience with mobile technology, starting in 1999 as Mobile Device Specialist for MetaDesign SF and continuing his work with clients including Palm Computing, Brodia, Panasonic, and Nike. Martin has taught art and design at several universities; he holds an MFA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, both in electronic media art. He has received recognition and numerous awards for his work in art, music, and technology, and he continues to write and speak about his passion for integrating the artists' process into the design and development of improved ways of experiencing people, information, and objects in this world.
Jason O
Jason Olcese (Jason O) is a performer who is best described as "a healthy mix of Jason Mraz and Keller Williams." On stage, Jason uses live looping to incorporate guitar, bass, vocals, harmonies, percussion, piano, harmonica, ukulele, and trumpet all in one inspiring show. Through the well-timed introduction of songs without looping, Jason's performances have a rhythm that captures attention, yet leaves the audience with a sense of having connected with the singer/songwriter. His original music is seamlessly funky and folksy with a pop twist and an honest lyrical style that speaks to the heart of human experience. With an on-stage personality that is at once inviting and charismatic, Jason will make his way into the hearts of listeners everywhere. Since 2002, Jason O has released six independent albums and written more than 150 songs. Growing up with parents who are music educators, Jason was raised on music and learned to play the variety of instruments he performs with today. During his developmental years as an artist, Jason attended Penn State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology with honors in music. It was during this time that he learned to externalize the music in his head and began sharing it with the world. Today, Jason resides in Pennsylvania, where he spends his time making music and touring to spread that music the old-fashioned way -- one person at a time.
Bruce Schneier
Bruce Schneier is an internationally-renowned security technologist and author. Described by The Economist as a "security guru," he is best known as a refreshingly candid and lucid security critic and commentator. When people want to know how security really works, they turn to Schneier. His first bestseller, "Applied Cryptography," explained how the arcane science of secret codes actually works and was described by Wired as "the book the National Security Agency wanted never to be published." His book on computer and network security, "Secrets and Lies," was called by Fortune "[a] jewel box of little surprises you can actually use." "Beyond Fear" tackles the problems of security from the small to the large: personal safety, crime, corporate security, national security. His current book, "Schneier on Security," offers insight into everything from the risk of identity theft (vastly overrated) to the long-range security threat of unchecked presidential power and the surprisingly simple way to tamper-proof elections. Regularly quoted in the media — and subject of an Internet meme — he has testified on security before the U.S. Congress on several occasions and has written articles and op-eds for many major publications, including The New York Times, The Guardian, Forbes, Wired, Nature, and The Washington Post. Schneier also publishes a free monthly newsletter, Crypto-Gram, with more than 150,000 readers. In its 10 years of regular publication, Crypto-Gram has become one of the most widely read forums for free-wheeling discussions, pointed critiques, and serious debate about security.
Richard Doyle
Richard Doyle earned his Ph.D. in rhetoric at University of California, Berkeley. He was the Mellon Post Doctoral Fellow in History and Social Science of the Life Sciences at MIT in 1993. A professor of rhetoric at Penn State, Doyle holds appointments in English, Science Technology & Society and the College of Information Sciences and Technology. He was a visiting associate professor in the Department of Rhetoric at UC Berkeley in 2003. Doyle teaches courses in the history and rhetoric of emerging technosciences — sustainability, space colonization, biotechnology, nanotechnology, psychedelic science, information technologies, biometrics — and the cultural and literary contexts from which they sprout. Doyle has published two books: "On Beyond Living: Rhetorical Transformations of the Life Sciences" (Stanford, 1997) and "Wetwares: Experiments in PostVital Living" (Minnesota, 2003) — in a trilogy about emerging transhuman knowledges. These knowledges and practices, linked to molecular biology, artificial life, nanotechnology, psychedelic, and information technologies render the experiential distinctions between living systems and machines frequently dubious and often indiscernible. This excited and confused rhetorical membrane between humans and an informational universe nonetheless broadcasts a clear message: Humans, in co-evolution with the technical matrices transforming the planet, find themselves in an evolutionary ecology that is as urgent as it is experimental. Continuing his collaborative work on the "transhuman imperative," Doyle (aka mobius) has now completed the trilogy with a scholarly book about archaic and contemporary psychedelic media technologies and the evolution of mind: "The Ecodelic Hypothesis: Plants, Rhetoric and the Evolution of The Noösphere," currently in press with University of Washington. Other current projects include a book, "Admixtures: Dialogues After Genomics" with anthropologist Mark Shriver. The Admixtures Project has grown The Penn State Center for Altered Consciousness, currently investigating the genetics and phenomenology of legally-altered consciousness with the help of a flotation tank.
Ali Carr-Chellman
Ali Carr-Chellman is an instructional designer and award-winning author who has focused on change, innovations, diffusion, user-design and school change in her work over the past two decades. She has worked at Penn State in the College of Education for the past 16 years in the department of Learning and Performance Systems. She works primarily with doctoral level students focusing on research and producing the next generation of faculty with inspired research ideas and methods. Carr-Chellman also teaches online courses focused on helping practicing teachers learn how to improve their own instructional design practices and how to improve their classrooms. Carr-Chellman attended Ohio State University, where she studied elementary education. She then moved on to Syracuse, where she taught kindergarten and third grade. She discovered Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation, known as IDD&E, at Syracuse and earned her master's degree in that field while working full-time at a Sylvan Learning Center as a director. Carr-Chellman decided that traditional elementary classrooms weren't for her, in part because she was highly frustrated by the lack of innovation, agility, and ready change in traditional schools. She has an infectious enthusiasm that carried her well into her doctoral program at Indiana University. Her most recent research projects live those values out by asking prisoners and homeless people to think about how to reform schools, bringing new voices to the policy-making table. She has recently taken the position of Head of the Learning and Performance Systems Department in the College of Education and is excited to work with the faculty and staff in her department through transparent leadership and shared governance.
Tony Pittman
As a business professional, Pittman has spent his 14-year career focused on leadership, consulting, and supply chain management. He currently holds the title of Director, Business Relationship Management, in Hewlett Packard's Global Supply Chain Services organization located in Plano, Texas. Before joining HP (formerly EDS) in 2006, he worked as a supply chain leader and consultant for several firms, including IBM and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. In 2007, he and his father, Charlie Pittman, published their first book, "Playing for Paterno." The book chronicles their two-generation experience under the leadership of legendary coach Joe Paterno. As starters under Paterno, Tony and Charlie went a combined 45-0-1, posting the best known father / son record in the history of major college football. Combined, the two played on three of Paterno's five undefeated teams. Additionally, both were named First Team Academic All-Americans in their senior years, the only father and son in Penn State's proud history of academic excellence to earn that distinction. It was after turning down Harvard, Yale, and Princeton that Pittman decided to attend Penn State, following in his father's footsteps. He led the Nittany Lions in interceptions in 1993 and was a starting defensive back for the 1994 undefeated Rose Bowl champion team. He graduated with honors from Penn State in 1995. He received the Oswald award as Penn State's most outstanding scholar athlete and was recognized by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame as one of college football's most outstanding scholar athletes.
Jordan "DJ Earworm" Roseman
Most widely known for his annual 25-song mashup video "United State of Pop," DJ Earworm has been working as a San Francisco-based producer and performer since 2003. He first landed on the music scene after being hired by MTV as resident DJ during the 2005 MTV Music Video Awards in South Beach, Fla., performing at concerts, parties and VIP events throughout the weekend. Around this time his mashups were quickly becoming legendary and in early 2006, he was approached by Wiley Publishing to write about his craft. The result, "Audio Mashup Construction Kit," was the first book focused specifically on this new musical genre -- a groundbreaking guide for those interested in the art of producing their own mashups. His first breakout radio hit, "United State of Pop 2007," mashed up Billboard's 25 biggest pop hits of 2007 in an unprecedented feat of technical wizardry. It was followed up the next year by the wildly successful "United State of Pop 2008 (Viva la Pop)" and, in keeping with tradition, 12 months later DJ Earworm released "United State of Pop 2009 (Blame it on the Pop)" a truly global sensation which surpassed 26 million YouTube views within seven months of its release. These successes have caught the attention of the music industry, and he's been hired to produce custom mashup videos for artists as diverse as Lady Gaga, Annie Lennox, Sean Kingston and Maroon 5, among others. Most recently, Earworm was commissioned to create a mashup of Enrique Iglesias's song "I Like It," which he performed live in Johannesburg, South Africa during the opening ceremonies of the Airtel Champions League 2010 Cricket Tournament —giving an entirely new audience an opportunity to experience his musical creations.
Michael Bérubé
Michael Bérubé is the Paterno Family Professor in Literature and the Director of the Institute for the Arts and Humanities at Penn State University, where he holds appointments in the Department of English and the Program in Science, Technology, and Society. He is the author of seven books to date: "Marginal Forces / Cultural Centers: Tolson, Pynchon, and the Politics of the Canon" (Cornell UP, 1992); "Public Access: Literary Theory and American Cultural Politics" (Verso, 1994); "Life As We Know It: A Father, A Family, and an Exceptional Child" (Pantheon, 1996; paper, Vintage, 1998); "The Employment of English: Theory, Jobs, and the Future of Literary Studies" (NYU Press, 1998); "What's Liberal About the Liberal Arts? Classroom Politics and 'Bias' in Higher Education" (W. W. Norton, 2006); "Rhetorical Occasions: Essays on Humans and the Humanities" (UNC Press, 2006) and "The Left at War" (NYU Press, 2009). He is also the editor of "The Aesthetics of Cultural Studies" (Blackwell, 2004), and, with Cary Nelson, of "Higher Education Under Fire: Politics, Economics, and the Crisis of the Humanities" (Routledge, 1995). Bérubé has also written for a wide variety of academic journals such as American Quarterly, the Yale Journal of Criticism, and Modern Fiction Studies, as well as more popular venues such as Harper's, the New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, and The Nation. "Life As We Know It" was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year for 1996 and was chosen as one of the best books of the year (on a list of seven) by National Public Radio.
Rives designs interactive narratives for grown-ups. Part poet and part storyteller, he offers audiences uniquely intelligent and creative entertainment — too impossible to categorize for a print medium like this bio, in fact. He's extraordinarily deft with words, extremely clever, creative, and intellectually alive. His work bursts in multiple directions, makes surprising connections, and leaves you gasping and laughing. He's funny! For his avid use of technology, he's been called "the first 2.0 poet," incorporating images, video, and text — often of audience members or the venue itself with tremendous ease and effect. Rives is known for memorizing snippets of the preceding speakers' presentations and incorporating them into his own performance, to startling and often comedic effect. This ability, combined with his extraordinary stage presence, make him a very effective moderator and master of ceremonies. He co-hosted Bravo channel's show "Ironic Iconic America," a unique and whimsical tour of contemporary American culture debuting Oct. 3, 2008. He also is the spokesman for Orange, the key brand of France Telecom, doing television and print pieces throughout Europe as the "first poet 2.0" for one of the world's leading telecommunications operators. He is a regular at the annual TED Conference, which brings together people from the worlds of Technology, Entertainment and Design, where he earns standing ovations. He's appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and on the last four seasons of HBO's "Def Poetry Jam." He was the 2004 National Poetry Slam champion.
Sam Richards
Sam Richards is a sociologist and award-winning teacher who has been inspiring undergraduate students at Penn State since 1990. Every semester, 725 students register for his Race and Ethnic Relations course, one of the most popular classes at Penn State and the largest of its kind in the country. Through his natural ability of seeing a subject from many angles, Richards encourages students to engage more fully with the world and to think for themselves — something he did not do until his third year in college. Because of his passion for challenging students to open their minds, an interviewer recently referred to him as "an alarm clock for eighteen-year-olds." His career began at the age of 24 when he was hired to teach a cybernetics course — just 15 minutes before the first class meeting. He remembers walking into the room without having had a moment to create a lesson plan and greeting his students, "Welcome to the course. I'm your instructor. And if you have no idea what cybernetics is, you're not alone — because I don't either." This characteristic willingness to be playfully transparent in the classroom, along with a talent for making complex ideas understandable and relevant, is the foundation of his success as a teacher. Richards is also the co-director of the World in Conversation Project at Penn State, whose mission is to create a kind of dialogue about social and cultural issues that invites the unexamined, politically incorrect thoughts of participants to the surface so that those thoughts can be submitted to conscious exploration and inquiry. The conversation topics span a range of cultural issues — from U.S. race relations to gender to drinking to relations with the Middle East. This year, nearly 7,000 University Park students will participate in one of more than 1,200 of these unscripted conversations.
Tonee Ndungu
Tonee Ndungu is a media consultant with a specialty in New and Rich Media Tools and Applications. He is the founder of the Wazimba Youth Foundation, which is an African youth IT outreach organization that educates and emphasizes the use of Internet-based media tools and social networks among teens in Africa. He is a leadership motivational speaker, TEDxKibera co-creator, and a social media enthusiast. Tonee heads up the international office of the 1% CLUB in Kenya, which is an online marketplace for small development projects where citizens and companies can contribute 1 percent of their income, time and knowledge to a project of their own choosing. Last year, Tonee started The NAiLAB, a new ICT incubator initiative in Nairobi. NAiLAB harnesses the simple ideas of the local, rural and technologically-limited visionaries by opening up the opportunity for them to present their ideas to a group of tech-savvy "ideavattors" (idea-innovation-creators) that conceptualize and build the tools to make the simple idea applicable on technology platforms (mobile phones, the Web, etc.). An example of their work is the M-Kulima (M-Farmer) concept — a farmer-friendly and cost effective mobile learning portal that allows farmers to listen to the specific advice they need in real time, at any place and at any time at a nominal price. NAiLAB further supports young technology enthusiasts interested in building businesses from their innovations through incubation by providing business development, market research, legal support, and fund sourcing support set them on their ventures.
TEDTalks shown
- Joachim de Posada: Don't eat the marshmallow!
- Nina Jablonski: Skin color is an illusion
- Derek Sivers: Weird, or just different?
- Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight
- Derek Sivers: Keep your goals to yourself
- Sugata Mitra: The child-driven education
- Hans Rosling: HIV -- new facts and stunning data visuals
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Venue and Details
University Park,
United States
This event occurred in the past.
See more TEDxPSU events »
Steve Garguilo
Zurich, Switzerland
- Zach Zimbler
- Director of Special Projects
- Rich McMillen
- Operations Director
- Ryan Dickson
- Speakers Director
- Andrew Brown
- Sponsorship Director
- Mark Poblete
- Communications Director


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The police came and forced both Vietnam veterans and the general public to leave the Vietnam Veterans Memorial after veterans went through the barricades:
WEEKLY STANDARD – After one group of veterans went around the barricade, "the park ranger told them the wall was closed," NBC's Mark Seagraves reported. "Later another group of vets showed up and moved the barricades. At that point, the memorial filled with vets and tourists. That's when police came and moved everyone out."
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is a black granite outdoor wall on which the names of the 58,272 service members who died or were unaccounted for during the Vietnam war are inscribed.
It takes more manpower and costs the government more money to close down an outdoor wall than to let people walk past it and pay their respects.
The Obama administration has been very selective in devoting resources to shutting down memorials.
Here's a tweet from Steve King on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial this morning, saying it is indeed open and the guard dogs are only for intimidation. GUARD DOGS?
Vietnam Wall entrance is open to all. Guard dog and guards are solely for intimidation. Go in. God Bless 'em pic.twitter.com/O7XSjOzbtj
— Steve King (@SteveKingIA) October 5, 2013
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