text:
Fireworks during the Fourth of July are as American as apple-pie, but did you know that two out of five fires reported on that day are started by fireworks, more than for any other cause? So you think it cannot happen to you? Here are a few facts:
In 2013 over 9,000 people went to the emergency room as a result of fireworks related injuries. There was an estimated 15,500 reported fires started by fireworks. These fires resulted in an estimated eight reported deaths, and $36 million in direct property damage. This is why it is a good idea to have a free home insurance review and quote, call us today!
Injuries by Fireworks Type (US department of Health & Safety)
· 17%: Sparklers
· 14%: Reloadable Shells
· 13%: Firecrackers
· 7%: Roman Candles
· 6%: Bottle Rockets
· 6%: Novelties
· 2%: Multiple Tubes
· 1%: Fountains
Fireworks Safety Tips
· Buy fireworks only from licensed vendors
· Never combine fireworks
· Obey all local laws
· Never have any portion of your body directly over a firework while lighting
· Follow directions
· Never relight a firework
· Don't smoke or drink while lighting fireworks
· Soak used fireworks in water before placing in trash
· Make sure there is parental supervision
· Never experiment with homemade fireworks
· Use fireworks outdoors, in a safe area away from dry grass and buildings
· Keep a fire extinguisher, bucket of water, wet towels and a garden hose nearby
· Light one firework at a time - then move back quickly!
· Never shoot fireworks from metal or glass containers
· Never carry fireworks in your pocket
· Never point or throw fireworks at people or animals
· Clean up all used fireworks including debris
"Fireworks and celebrations go together, especially during the Fourth of July and year end celebrations. Remember, fireworks can be dangerous, causing serious burn and eye injuries. You can help us prevent fireworks-related injuries and deaths" Consumer Products Safety Commission.
Enjoy the holiday; we live in a great country. Happy Birthday America!


text:
What It Takes To Be GOTS Certified Organic
5 Items
5 Items
Give baby the best future with organic baby blankets, organic crib sheets, and baby shower gifts that are as gentle on those sweet baby cheeks as they are on the environment. Safe, nontoxic materials are essential for baby's sensitive skin, and Coyuchi has you covered from organic crib mattress pads to organic receiving blankets. Everything that comes in contact with your little one's skin is certified organic, sustainably sourced, and cuddly soft to the touch. Respect the planet, give them the world.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
(visited by Alan Fox, Carolyn Fox, Gladys Fissum, Grant Fissum and Max)
31-Jul-2001 -- After successes at two other confluences today -
N50° W102° and
- we were headed for attempt three, N51° W103°. We were an optimistic, yet bedraggled, wet and muddy team - a result of the first confluence visit of the day. Hopes were high that this time we'd come across a confluence that wasn't our typical Saskatchewan "park beside a grain field and walk to the spot" experience. Following Highway 15 from Bredenbury, the previous confluence town, we approached the small city of Melville. We saw orange and white "tents" dotting the fields on both sides of the highway as far as the eyes could see. These tents are the homes of leaf-cutter bees, who pollinate the alfalfa fields. We stopped to get pictures of the tents with their decorative hives hanging around the perimeter of the inside walls. At this location the alfalfa fields were thick and healthy, unlike the poor spindly plants that were attempting to grow in the parched dry soil next to the leaf-cutter bee boxes we photographed near Elstow at
52°N 106°W earlier in the month.
We hoped Melville would have a Dairy Queen - the team needed ice cream cones for fortification before the final hunt of the day. The young man at the Esso gas station, where we filled the van, directed us to the Dairy Queen in the center of town. Those cones were just what we needed. On the way out of the city we were forced to take a short detour because of the smoldering remains of the huge wooden twin annex Saskatchewan Wheat Pool grain elevator which caught fire around midnight the night before. Yellow plastic "crime" tape cordoned off the area. A fire truck and crew stood guard. Interested people were gathering to watch the fire and smoke billowing from the remains. We stopped to take a picture too.
A few kilometers west of Melville we turned off Highway 15 about 2.7 km east of the small community of Fenwood. We saw trees, we saw a lake, but surely we'd end up on a flat field AGAIN. A narrow road lined with trees brought us as close as we could drive. Somewhere across the alfalfa meadow, and through the trees in the distance was our confluence. With a fresh spray of mosquito repellent, all four team members set out. Thankfully Max, our Wheaten Terrier, was left in the van. There were burrs - his coat would have been plastered in them!
The barbed wire fence ended right at our approach to the alfalfa meadow. How convenient for us. We crossed the thick, but beautiful field. White, yellow, and deep purple to violet alfalfa blooms carpeted the field. Butterflies, bees and numerous dragon flies were busy visiting the blooms. None of them would sit still long enough for a picture. When we reached the trees an opening to another little meadow was found. Across that little meadow a barbed wire fence conveniently ended right there for us to continue through. Growing in the tall grass along the fence were gorgeous purple wild flowers that looked very much like garden variety asters.
To continue towards the confluence we had to cross a dry but spongy creek bed. Imbedded in the mud were deep hoof prints made, we think, by deer. With the help of a few rocks and roots we made it across without getting stuck in the mud. The tangled trees on the other side were a little challenging but we made it through to another small clearing. Small shrubs, wild raspberries, prairie wild flowers and grasses were growing here. At the edge of another thicket of trees the confluence was found and the zeros on the GPSs in place after several climbs over, under and around branches and tree stumps. Pictures were taken with hungry mosquitoes circling around us looking for fresh blood.
This confluence is situated not far from a small lake. The area is, or was, inhabited by a colony of highly intelligent beavers! Most of the trees gnawed down by the beavers' self-sharpening teeth had been carried off to build beaver lodges and dams, leaving only the pointed stumps behind. However, one felled tree was left in place marking the confluence spot. Surely these beavers were of a higher power!
With mosquitoes still humming in our ears we quickly took pictures in each direction, then of the lake, the beaver hewn stumps and the beautiful wild flowers all about. We headed back on a different route. In a small thicket of bushes we observed a spot where the tall grass was packed down flat to the ground in an area about the size of a large animal. We speculated that this was where a deer may have slept. Continuing on, we found a slightly muddier place to cross the creek. At this location the water looked quite green and slimy. Through the trees, across the alfalfa meadow and we were at the road again. Max was happy to see us.
Back at the van we spent some time picking the burrs from our jeans, socks and shoe laces. They were very stubborn green prickly burrs. We took a picture of the confluence team along side the road as quickly as possible then hurried back into the van. We weren't fast enough - a dozen or so mosquitoes came in with us.
At 6:30 pm we were ready to head home after three successful finds. Half way home the rain started again but we were thankful that only one of our three confluence hunts was done in the rain. Back in Regina at 8:15 pm we stopped at a fast food restaurant for supper. We had been on the road for almost eleven hours putting 593 km on the odometer (Gladys and Grant had yet another one hour's drive to Moose Jaw). We were a hungry bunch but looked too wet, muddy and bedraggled to go to any "real" restaurant. With a week of rest we should be ready to go again but next time our confluence 'kit' will contain a few extra things such as spare socks, extra shoes or boots, change of jeans, and perhaps wet suits!


text:
Georgia Tech School of Biology associate professor Eric Gaucher and graduate student Zi-Ming Zhao discuss the evolutionary history of the thioredoxin gene family, which provides clues about early life on Earth. Credit: Gary Meek
new study reveals that a group of ancient enzymes adapted to substantial
changes in ocean temperature and acidity during the last four billion years,
providing evidence that life on Early Earth evolved from a much hotter, more
acidic environment to the cooler, less acidic global environment that exists
study found that a group of ancient enzymes known as thioredoxin were
chemically stable at temperatures up to 32 degrees Celsius (58 degrees
Fahrenheit) higher than their modern counterparts. The enzymes, which were
several billion years old, also showed increased activity at lower pH levels—which
correspond to greater acidity.
study shows that a group of ubiquitous proteins operated in a hot, acidic
environment during early life, which supports the view that the environment
progressively cooled and became more alkaline between four billion and 500
million years ago," said Eric Gaucher, an associate professor in the School of Biology at the Georgia Institute of
study, which was published in an advance online edition of Nature Structural
& Molecular Biology, was conducted by an international team of
researchers from Georgia Tech, Columbia
Univ., and the Universidad de Granada
in Spain.
funding for this study was provided by two grants from the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration to Georgia Tech, a grant from the National Institutes
of Health to Columbia
Univ., and a grant from
the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation to the Universidad de Granada.
a technique called ancestral sequence reconstruction, Gaucher and Georgia Tech
biology graduate student Zi-Ming Zhao reconstructed seven ancient thioredoxin
enzymes from the three domains of life—archaea, bacteria, and eukaryote—that
date back between one and four billion years.
resurrect these enzymes, which are found in nearly all known modern organisms
and are essential for life in mammals, the researchers first constructed a
family tree of the more than 200 thioredoxin sequences available from the three
domains of life. Then they reconstructed the sequences of the ancestral
thioredoxin enzymes using statistical methods based on maximum likelihood.
Finally, they synthesized the genes that encoded these sequences, expressed the
ancient proteins in the cells of modern Escherichia
coli bacteria and then purified the proteins.
resurrecting proteins, we are able to gather valuable information about the
adaptation of extinct forms of life to climatic, ecological and physiological
alterations that cannot be uncovered through fossil record examinations,"
said Gaucher.
reconstructed enzymes from the Precambrian period—which ended about 542 million
years ago—were used to examine how environmental conditions, including pH and
temperature, affected the evolution of the enzymes and their chemical
Eric Gaucher, an associate professor in the Georgia Tech School of Biology, examines resurrected proteins from an evolved family of fluorescent proteins. Gaucher is using them to validate the tools he uses to resurrect ancient proteins. Credit: Gary Meek
the ancient origin of the reconstructed thioredoxin enzymes, with some of them
predating the buildup of atmospheric oxygen, we thought their catalytic
chemistry would be simple, but we found that thioredoxin enzymes use a complex
mixture of chemical mechanisms that increases their efficiency over the simpler
compounds that were available in early geochemistry," said Julio
Fernández, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences professor at
Columbia Univ.
led a team that included Columbia
Univ. postdoctoral
researchers Raul Perez-Jimenez, Jorge Alegre-Cebollada, and Sergi
Garcia-Manyes, and graduate student Pallav Kosuri in using an assay based on
single molecule force spectroscopy to measure the activity level of the
thioredoxin enzymes under different pH levels.
their experiments, the researchers used an atomic force microscope to pick up
and stretch an engineered protein in a solution containing thioredoxin. They
first applied a constant force to the protein, causing it to rapidly unfold and
expose its disulfide bonds to the thioredoxin enzymes. The rate at which a
thioredoxin enzyme snipped the disulfide bonds determined the enzyme's level of
study results showed that the three oldest thioredoxin enzymes—those thought to
have inhabited Earth 4.2 to 3.5 billion years ago—were able to operate in lower
pH environments than the modern thioredoxin enzymes.
analysis indicates that ancient thioredoxin enzymes were well adapted to
function under acidic conditions and that they maintained their high level of
activity as they evolved in more alkaline environments," said Fernández.
measure the temperature range in which the enzymes operated, professor Jose
Sanchez-Ruiz and graduate student Alvaro Inglés-Prieto from the Departamento de
Química-Física at the Universidad de Granada in Spain used a technique called
differential scanning calorimetry. This method measures the stability of
enzymes by heating the enzymes at a constant rate and measuring the heat change
associated with their unfolding.
researchers found that the ancient proteins were stable at temperatures up to
32 degrees Celsius higher than the modern thioredoxins. The experiments showed
that the enzymes exhibited higher temperature stability the older they were.
The results provide evidence that ancestral thioredoxins adapted to the cooling
trend of ancient oceans, as inferred from geological records.
results confirm that life has the remarkable ability to adapt to a wide range
of historical environmental conditions; and by extension, life will undoubtedly
adapt to future environmental changes, albeit at some cost to many
species," said Gaucher.
study also showed that the experimental resurrection of ancient proteins
together with the sensitivity of single-molecule techniques can be a powerful
tool for understanding the origin and evolution of life on Earth.
researchers are currently using this strategy to assess other enzymes to get a
clearer picture of what life was like on Early Earth. They are also applying
these tools to the field of biotechnology, where enzymes play important roles
in many industrial processes.
functions and characteristics we observed in the ancestral enzymes show that
our techniques can be implemented to generate improved enzymes for a wide range
of applications," added Perez-Jimenez.


text:
PHOENIX – The injuries are coming in bunches for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Aramis Ramirez doubled for his first hit of the spring Saturday but left Milwaukee's 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels with a strained left knee.
Ramirez snapped an 0-for-10 start with a bloop double down the left-field line in the third inning. After time was called, he stepped off the bag and was met by the team trainer before walking slowly back to the dugout. He will be re-evaluated on Sunday.
"When he slid into the bag, that impact jammed it," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "We checked it out and couldn't see any damage there. He's day to day, but usually that's more than one day."
It was the third significant piece of injury news for Milwaukee on Saturday. Right-hander Yovani Gallardo was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday against the Cubs with tightness in his groin, and left fielder Ryan Braun was out of the lineup with a bruised left knee.
The Brewers already lost first baseman Mat Gamel for the season after he tore a knee ligament in the team's first full workout, and two-time All-Star Corey Hart will be out until at least May following right knee surgery in January.
Gallardo will throw a bullpen session Sunday instead of making his start. If all goes well, he could start for Milwaukee on Tuesday. At that point, he and the Brewers will decide whether he'll be cleared to pitch for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.
Braun was set to leave Brewers camp Sunday morning to join Team USA for the WBC.
"I'm not worried about Ryan," Roenicke said. "He went through all of his workout (Saturday morning), hit up here and just didn't feel right."
Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson went 1 2-3 innings in his spring debut, allowing two runs and four hits while striking out two.
"We've played so many games already, so I've been itching to get in there," said Wilson, who had bone spurs removed from his left elbow in October. "In the first inning I overcooked a couple of balls just from being anxious."
Wilson, who had an ice pack on his sore left knee, said his arm felt as loose as ever.
"If you're driving around with a flat tire on your car and you fix the tire, the car's going to feel better just from doing that," he said.
Hiram Burgos held Los Angeles to one run and two hits over four innings in his final appearance before leaving to join Puerto Rico for the WBC. Burgos, the Brewers' minor league pitcher of the year last season, struck out two and walked one.
"Now I can meet with the Puerto Rico team over there with that confidence," said Burgos, who said he's been told he'll pitch in the team's Pool C opener against Spain. "I know a lot of players from that country want to be there. It's a blessing to be there."
Vernon Wells hit his first home run of the spring for the Angels leading off the second inning.
Rickie Weeks homered and Taylor Green added a two-run double for the Brewers.
NOTES: Green will play for Milwaukee on Sunday before joining Team Canada for the WBC. ... Before the game, the Angels renewed the contract of AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout for $510,000, which is $20,000 above the major league minimum. Trout did not make the road trip Saturday. ... RHP Marco Estrada will start in Gallardo's place Sunday against the Cubs.


text:
Maruyama, Tomoyasu
Japanese Services Group Leader, Southeast Asia
Maruyama is the Japanese Services Group Leader for SEA and is also a council member with the Global JSG team. Currently based in Singapore, he brings with him more than 20 years of public accounting experience and is responsible for coordinating professional services to Japanese companies in SEA. He specialises in both international and Japanese auditing, accounting and taxation with experience in due diligence, mergers and acquisition related services as well as initial public offerings.


text:
NDD Local Services and Support - Condition specific information (Autism)
You may have concerns about your child (including a child in your care) where there is more than one area of concern about their development (walking, talking, learning). This could be caused by a medical condition or a conditions which affects how their nervous system works (neuro-disability) e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder, Epilepsy. This may affect your child in a number of areas e.g. how they walk, talk, learning, form relationships with their peer group (children their age). This could be a disability or a special educational need
If you think the information above applies to your child, depending on your child's age please speak with their key worker in their Early Years Setting, Health Visitor or School Nurse (0-19 Health Professional), Teacher or Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). They will be able to discuss your concerns and agree a plan of support which may include strategies for you to work with your child at home, as well as strategies that will be implemented in Early Years/ School setting. You may also be signposted to online support & resources. They will work with you to monitor your child's progress.
Below you will find a list of services that are available both locally and nationally to support in this area. These services have been listed under the following categories:
Universal – These services are available to everyone, without the need for any referral
Targeted – These services provide more targeted support to address a need. In most cases a referral is required
Specialist – These services provide specialist, targeted support and a referral is required. A number of these services are provided as part of the 'intervention' stage of our NDD Pathway.
We have also worked with the Council for Disabled Children to create a list of useful resources that are available through national organisations.
ACAMH Podcast Series for Parents - Autism
A podcast series for parents
Episode 1. Identifying Autism – getting the right diagnosis Identifying Autism - getting the right diagnosis
Episode 2. Discovering Strengths – how to empower your autistic child Discovering Strengths - how to empower your autistic child
Episode 3. How autism presents differently in girls How autism presents differently in girls
Episode 4. Recognising mental health issues Recognising mental health issues
Episode 5. Food sensitivities and proclivities Food sensitivities and proclivities
Autism Bedfordshire Skills 4 Success programme
Autism Bedfordshire - Wanted Fun Youth Group
Autism Bedfordshire - Loads Of Autistic Fun (L.O.A.F)
Spectrum Support Group (Parents of Children/Young People with ADHD and ASC)
Videos regarding Autism
Children with ASD - a video created by East Kent Hospitals
Challenging behaviour in children with ASD
Children with ASD and sleep difficulties


text:
Optimizing Merge Replication Performance with Download-Only Articles
Merge replication offers two different article types to address different application needs. Publications can contain one or more of each of these article types as appropriate for the application:
Standard articles
Download-only articles
Download-only articles provide performance advantages over standard articles and should be used where appropriate.
To use download-only articles, the compatibility level of the publication must be at least 90RTM. For more information, see the "Compatibility Level for Merge Publications" section in the topic Using Multiple Versions of SQL Server in a Replication Topology.
Standard Articles
Standard articles are the default, offering the full range of merge replication features, including rich conflict detection and resolution. Standard articles are appropriate for tables that are updated by multiple Subscribers; objects other than tables, such as stored procedures and views, are always published as standard articles.
Download-Only Articles
Download-only articles are designed for applications with data that is not updated at Subscribers, such as a set of articles that are contained in a product catalog. A product catalog is typically updated at the Publisher, but not at the Subscribers. Because download-only articles cannot be updated at the Subscriber, tracking metadata is not sent to Subscribers. This can lead to reduced storage on the Subscribers and a performance benefit, especially if the network connection is slow.
Download-only articles work in conjunction with client subscriptions: if an article is designated as download-only, rows for that article cannot be inserted, updated, or deleted at Subscribers who use client subscriptions. Publishers and Subscribers that use the server subscription type (typically Subscribers that republish data to other Subscribers) can insert, update, and delete data. For more information about client subscriptions, see Subscribing to Publications.
To specify that an article is download-only
SQL Server Management Studio: How to: Specify That a Merge Table Article is Download-Only (SQL Server Management Studio)
Replication Transact-SQL programming: How to: Specify That a Merge Table Article is Download-Only (Replication Transact-SQL Programming)
Using Different Article Types in Your Applications
By understanding the requirements of your application, you can make tradeoffs between maximum flexibility and optimal performance. For example, applications with numerous conflicts and changes at both the Publisher and Subscribers will use a publication made up of standard articles. Some applications, such as a sales force automation application, might have articles with a potential for conflicts, and other articles that function as lookup tables, which can be specified as download-only. Data entry applications, such as point of sales systems and field force automation applications, often strictly partition data in a way that conflicts are eliminated, and data from one Subscriber never goes to another. In these situations, a combination of nonoverlapping partitions, download-only articles and precomputed partitions provides maximum performance and scalability. For more information about nonoverlapping partitions and precomputed partitions, see Parameterized Row Filters.


text: 17 MARCH 2014 - PHRAEKSA, SAMUT PRAKAN, THAILAND: A person evacuated from a fire buring in a landfill in Samut Prakan sleeps in the evacution center in Phraeksa, Samut Prakan province. Hundreds of people who live near the landfill were evacuated out of the area because of a fire buring in the landfill. A fire apparently spontaneously started in the landfill in Samut Prakan over the weekend and threatens the homes of workers who live near the landfill. The fire Officials said the fire started when garbage in the landfill burst into flames and the flames were spread by hot, dry winds. Hundreds of people have been evacuated because of the fire and acrid smoke from the fire has spread as far as Bangkok. It hasn't rained in central Thailand in more than three months, impacting agriculture and domestic water use. Many farms are running short of irrigration water and salt water from the Gulf of Siam has come up the Chao Phraya River and infiltrated the water plants in Pathum Thani province that serve Bangkok. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZAdd to Lightbox Download


text:
Apple has been in court trying to prove that it is not operating a monopoly with the iOS App Store.
The company has asked for the judge to throw out the case because if says that the fact that there are no other stores peddling iOS apps doesn't mean it has a monopoly.
Apple attorney Dan Wall said: "There's nothing illegal about creating a system that is closed in a sense," writes Bloomberg.
Apple also claims that taking a 30% cut from developers is not a payment for distribution of their apps.
Apple's argument rests on the fact that they don't set the price for apps sold on the store.
The plaintiffs in the case claim that the fact that it is impossible to legally buy iPhone apps from anywhere but the App Store is proof that Apple is a monopolist. They also claims that the 30% charge from Apple increases prices.
Attorney Alexander Schmidt asked: "Can a consumer go somewhere else to buy Angry Birds for the iPhone? If the answer is no, then Apple is a monopolist."
The case was filed in 2011 by seven consumers. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is overseeing this case, is also overseeing a case where Apple is charges with maintaining a music-downloading monopoly.
Follow Karen Haslam on Twitter / Follow MacworldUK on Twitter
Apple is last man standing in eBook price fixing case
Steve Jobs email to James Murdoch in, biographer's interview notes out: Apple v DOJ ebook case


text: Originally appearing here. Scientists should have access to illegal psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin to aid them in brain research, according to the government's former drug adviser Professor David Nutt. He said that research into the deepest mysteries of the brain, including consciousness and mental illness, had been curtailed by the prohibition of the drugs. Prof Nutt said that scientists might find treatments for conditions such as schizophrenia by using modern techniques to study the effects of psychedelic drugs on the brain. "Neuroscience should be trying to understand how the brain works," said Nutt, who is professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London. "Psychedelics change the brain in, perhaps, the most profound way of any drug, at least in terms of understanding consciousness and connectivity. Therefore we should be doing a lot more of this research. "It's extraordinary that 40 years of advances in brain imaging technology and there's never been a study about this before. I think it's a scandal, I think it's outrageous the fact these studies have not been done. And they've not been done simply because the drugs were illegal." Speaking to the Guardian ahead of a lecture he will give at a University College London neuroscience symposium on Friday, Nutt said that a volunteer for a recent experiment pulled out of the study because he was worried that "being in a study with a so-called illegal drug could mean he couldn't travel to some countries, such as America. To inhibit research to that extent is an outrage." Nutt's views will challenge governments around the world which, largely, classify psychedelic drugs as harmful and illegal. The professor is used to being a thorn in the side of the authorities. In 2009, the UK's then health secretary, Alan Johnson, sacked him from his post as chair of the government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for publicly stating that alcohol and tobacco were more harmful than LSD, ecstasy and cannabis. Hundreds of clinical trials of psychedelic drugs such as LSD were carried out in the 1950s and 1960s, and successful treatments, including one for alcohol addiction, came out of the work. Since LSD was banned around the world, however, the number of scientific studies has dropped to virtually zero, and there have been no studies using modern imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at what parts of the brain are affected by it. Nutt recently published research, with colleagues at Cardiff University, on the effects of psilocybin – the active ingredient in magic mushrooms – on the brain. His team had assumed the drug might increase activity in certain parts of the brain, to explain the experience that users get when they eat magic mushrooms. Instead, MRI scans of 30 healthy volunteers showed that psilocybin seemed to decrease activity in the regions of the brain which link up different areas. The study was published in January in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This is a hugely important way of perturbing the brain to understand the nature of consciousness," said Nutt. At his lecture on Friday, he will examine whether psilocybin's effects on the brain can be used as a model for psychosis. Some of the brain alterations seen as a result of taking psilocybin, he said, are similar to those seen in the brains of people with prodromal schizophrenia. Psilocybin seems to suppress the actions of a brain system called the "default mode network" which is active whenever a person is, for example, reflecting about the world rather than engaged in a specific activity. The "task-positive network" is engaged when a person focuses on a specific job and it operates out of phase with the default mode network. But in schizophrenia, the networks are much more in phase and, under psilocybin, they are completely in phase. "So, we're thinking [psilocybin] might be an interesting model for early stages for schizophrenia, it might allow us to test new drugs," said Nutt. "When people start to become psychotic, their ego boundaries break down, the relationship between them and the world gets disrupted and the relationship between their different inner experiences gets mixed up. Eventually they start hearing their own thoughts as someone else's voice. "That breakdown of connectivity in the brain is very classic in schizophrenia. If we can produce this in a laboratory in a normal volunteer, we can then look for new treatments and it is much more efficient to do that in normal volunteers than try to find young people who are starting to develop their illness and it's ethically more acceptable too." Nutt and his colleagues are also studying potential uses for ecstasy, also known as MDMA. "The therapeutic value of MDMA for psychotherapy has been widely known until it was banned and has hardly been studied since. There have only been a couple of MDMA imaging studies, but none of them using cutting-edge technologies, so we're doing that at present." In collaboration with Robin Carhart-Harris at Imperial College London, Nutt also wants to further his research into more psychedelic drugs such as LSD and ibogaine, a derivative of African root bark, which is used to treat addiction in Thailand and Cambodia. Carrying out such work is usually difficult for researchers, however, because they have to make such lengthy applications for licences to use illegal drugs. And even if the research went ahead and showed benefits from the drugs, it is unlikely doctors would be allowed to prescribe them. Nutt recently called for the UK's classification system of drugs to be rewritten to reflect more accurately their relative harms, and called for a regulated approach to making drugs such as MDMA and cannabis available for medical and research purposes. "Regulations, which are arbitrary, actually make it virtually impossible to research these drugs," said Nutt last month. "The effect these laws have had on research is greater than the effects that [George] Bush stopping stem cell research has had, because it's been going on since the 1960s." The Guardian examines recent statements made by the United Kingdom's former drug adviser, Professor David Nutt, concerning drug prohibition. Nutt suspects that the future of science and medicine will continue to be hindered if the UK upholds the current classification system of drugs, making it nearly impossible to do research on psychedelic drugs.


text:
Dragons are the undeniable mascots of fantasy art and illustration. They embody the genre – Firmly anchored in reality, but vigorously tearing free of it at the same time.
When forging a dragon there's no substitute for real world observation. The animal kingdom delivers an astounding palette of material to work with, from overall body structure to the fine detail that can help your dragon take flight.
There are some aspects of the classic mythological dragon that can make them troublesome subjects to render, so let's touch on those potential stumbling blocks first.
All animals with backbones share some fundamental similarities. Terrestrial vertebrates appear to have a single four-footed root in their family tree. A very, very long time ago, early tetrapods ("four feet") dragged their bodies from the water's edge onto land and have spent the 300-something million years since evolving into the amazing array of backboned animals on earth – including us. A sprinkling of examples of our distant relatives might include dogs, cats, birds, snakes, dolphins and dinosaurs. We're all tetrapods. We share a common lineage built around four limbs, a spine and a skull.
That's all well and good, until you try to let dragons roost in the family tree.
Dragons, in their stereotypical four-legged winged forms are not tetrapods…they're hexapods. The only real hexapods on earth are insects. So that extra set of limbs on dragons can be a problem. My biggest frustration with dragons is figuring out how and where to plant the damned wings.
The fossil record shows powered flight being achieved by insects, birds, bats and pterosaurs. Insects aside, all use modified front limbs to flap through air. That muscle takes up a lot of space, and adds a lot of extra mass to lift. With the exception of snakes, we all have muscle groups ringing our rib cage that help us move those front limbs. The placement of those muscles provides strength, leverage, and a wide range of motion. So what happens when you try to put one almost right on top of the other? It's a mess.
Where do you put all that added muscle and bone?! If you want to make something that can actually fly, prepare for a tough slog. The bigger the dragon, the more lift it needs to get off the ground, and the more muscle you need to move those wings.
In the real world, the limits of flight by an animal were stretched by the largest winged animals known. The pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan estimated at nearly 40 feet, and weighed maybe 500-550 pounds. In modern terms that's somewhere around the weight of a smallish zebra. That kind of rules out a creature that could swoop down and snatch up a horse and rider.
But this is fantasy.
There's a point at which scientific accuracy needs to step back and let "cool" take center stage.
You can still use building blocks from the natural world to make creatures that look realistic and inspire wonder in your viewers. Challenge nay-sayers who list reasons why your beasts can't fly to use their brilliance to devise a rationale for how they could.
Nature has done some ingenious problem solving in the past. For example. Think about turtles. For the sake of protection, their front legs and shoulder blades actually develop inside their rib cage. Maybe something as trivial as adding an extra set of limbs shouldn't be so difficult. I'm willing to give nature the benefit of the doubt.
Ignoring mundane things like physics and the limits of real-world physiology, let's go over some practical considerations:
First, what kind of mood do you want your dragon to convey? Is it sinister and crafty? Lean and energetic? Regal? Old? Young? Create a personality. Think of your dragon as an individual with a reason to be in your story. Make it a character with depth, voice and purpose.
|The Matriarch – Portrait of an Aged Dragon
Start with a general shape and carriage from nature that delivers the mood you're after, and build from there.
• Bear in mind that with wings, balance is important. Things look more natural if what's behind the wings can counterbalance what's in front.
Don't short-change the wing musculature! Those limbs need to lift the full unsupported weight of the body. No need to reinvent the wheel. As Dan mentioned, Todd Lockwood's musculature design is brilliant. It reads as both scientifically plausible and visually elegant. This art is an invaluable resource for the dedicated dragon designer:
|© Todd Lockwood
AFTER you've explore the overall structure and posed it in an interesting way it's time to add the finishing touches. Surface detail can play an important supporting role. Jump back to the natural world to add spice to your creation. While coloration and surface detail should never be relied on to carry your dragon, they can do a lot to make it more credible. What animals interest you and why? Any interesting color/patterning or texture can be transposed onto your creation. Make sure these later additions augment the mood you're targeting.
As an example of how much observed detail can help sell a concept, look at this critter created by Wayne Barlow for his amazing example of ecosystem design, the book "Expedition".
|© Wayne Barlowe
This truly unusual and bizarre creation doesn't resemble any real animal, but Barlowe has crafted something that can move, breath, find food, and survive. Picture an elephant and you'll see some similar components arranged in a very different way. The placement of the Unth's lumps, folds, spikes and sphincters is indisputably alien, but the result is disturbingly convincing and uncomfortably familiar.
So mood – gesture – big forms – small forms – details…in that order.
When you set out to create a dragon, search the natural world for inspiration. When your dragon begins to congeal inside your head, believe that your creation is real. Pull out the stops and go wild. Nature's been doing it for billions of years.
|Cyberdragon, © Lars Grant West
For more of Lar's art, check out his website at: http://www.larsgrantwest.com


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While it doesn't have photos of scantily-clad teens or help you find the nearest bar, this Orange 3D app has wowed me hard. When pointed at an Orange logo, the app launches a hovering, virtual iPhone which you can control.
Meet Microsoft's New Surface Laptops
You can even open apps from inside the virtual iPhone, which is shown just suspended mid-air, over the mobile carrier's logo.
It's in aid of publicizing the launch of the iPhone in Israel, on the Orange network, and is just another example of augmented reality impressing the pants off me. [Ogmento via Recombu]


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This amazing video was shot by a Canon Vixio-HF camcorder attached to a hydrogen balloon launched by a small group of Edmonton radio enthusiasts on August 24. It's believed to be the first amateur video taken at 107,145 feet.
The mission was dubbed BEAR-4 (Balloon Experiments with Amateur Radio), and used an 1800g balloon for a total weight of about 3.84lbs.
The camera was kept in place by foam blocks, and hooked up to five AAA Lithium L91 battery cells. With the extra legs, it captured almost four and half hours of footage. Mercifully, they've edited that down for the results you see below. [BEAR]
Bonus: remember those kids who photographed space for $150? They've now put together a time lapse video of all the photos their rig took during its flight. Not quite as cool (or expensive) as the video above, though. [L337arts]


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My name is Missy and I am also a member of the Mom Bloggers Club. I have a blog,www.luxurybeautyproducts.blogspot.com and I also run the blog hop network.
I wanted to let you know that I am following you, and hoping when you get a chance you can follow me back. I also want to invite you to join my groups, The Blog Hop Network, Beauty Bloggers, and Children's businesses. Also, I would love to place a link to your site on my blog if you want to do the same with my blog on yours. Please let me know by sending me an email regarding this and it has been nice meeting you via the web.


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January 7, 1982
PIX #1 - Northeast corner of Main and Center streets, showing the First National Bank and other buildings dating back to last century.
PIX #2 - Portion of the Emerine Building
PIX #3 - The Yonker Insurance location after they moved from No. 108 to 118. It is the only building (remodeled) which dates back to the earlier period of east Center Street.
PIX #4 - Pennell Hotel, dating back to the late 1800's, and the site of many other hotels in this century.
Today's article starts a series about one of Fostoria's important streets, East Center. It's the "center" of town, dividing the town north from south.
It still is an important street, but regrettably, it has lost much of its commercial importance.
Looking back a half-century on the northeast corner of Main and Center stood one of Fostoria's most imposing buildings, the three-story Emerine Building, which housed The First National Bank, and many other commercial establishments and professional offices, all mentioned in an earlier Potluck article.
On the southeast corner stood the three-story Alcott Block, another imposing structure, filled with more commercial and professional enterprises. They too were liested in an earlier article. That building burned down in 1962, and in its place is the Park and Shop Lot.
There was a variety of businesses on both sides of Center Street, other than in the corner blocks. Included were a newspaper and printing shop, restaurants, saloons, realtors, dry cleaning, machine shop, plumbing, tire store, dairy, carriage manufacturing, shoe store, shoe repair, hatchery, bike shop, bakery, barber ships, hotel, farm implements, sign painters, hamburger shop, second floor residential areas and much more.
It was indeed a busy street, and vacancies were few. The business area of the block occupied more than half of it, the remainder being filled with good homes, some of which have deteriorated to some extent but could still be salvaged and restored to their original state, to make them a credit to the owners and the street.
The accompanying photos will being memories for some readers, and be revealing to newcomers to town and younger readers. When the series is completed it will include the three-block area from Main to the railroads yards, where the Chessie System remains, but once there was also the New York Central.
Although photos of the Emerine Building have appeared in other articles, Photo No. 1 today provides a different view, particularly as it applies to East Center Street. Photo No. 2, a composite of photos taken by me in 1932, when Fostoria observed its 100th anniversary, shows other buildings on that side of the street which were demolished many years ago (approximately 1949 when the Kresge Store building was built). The composite photo shows spectators, watching tennis, part of the celebration.
History buffs will say, "I thought Fostoria came about as a result of the union of Risdon and Rome in 1854". That date was when the "union" became officials. However, in 1832, the two villages had agreed to join. Things didn't move so fast back then.
Photo No. 2, readers will see a portion of the Emerine Building. Next to that is a one-story building, but also can be seen a sign...RANCE YONKER. That is where A.H. Yonker's Insurance business was started in 1914. It was part of the Emerine Building and was demolished with it. At that time, to maintain their location-identity, Yonker moved east on Center Street to 118, where they have been since about 1950.
The building showing "Cooper Cards" in Photo No. 2 is where Yonker moved, and Photo No. 3 shows the same building after it was remodeled for their occupancy. Art and Carl Yonker, brothers, have continued to operate the business since their father died in 1954. Their building has just gone through its second remodeling in 30 years, with a new front.
Going back to Photo No. 2, readers will see the building with "Signs". That was where Clyde Schwab had his plumbing and heating shop on the first floor. But Boyher was the sign painter on the second floor.
The one-story building next to it was occupied by Lee, the barber when the picture was taken. Mrs. Henry Gary, 712 W. Tiffin St., remembers very well when her father, Frank Serfoss, had his machine shop there, as does her sister, Mildred Mergenthaler, 118 N. Poplar St. Mrs. Gary said she spent a lot of time there when she was a girl, learning all about the machinery. When she was about 11, she also kept his business books.
Mrs. Mergenthaler also kept her father's books. She lives in the house on Poplar Street where the Serfoss family spent many years, and where their father died.
Mrs. Gary said her father started his shop in 1909, after he had worked at the Faulhaper Machine Shop on east North Street and at Copley Machine Co. at Perry and High streets.
Serfoss disposed of his shop in 1925, selling his equipment to Mennel Milling Co., going to work for them, and keeping their machinery in working order, which he had done for many years. One piece of machinery he would not part with was a lathe he made himself. Mrs. Gary still has it, as well as other papers and mementos from his business days.
In 1947, at age 75, Mr. Serfoss decided to permanently retire. He was active physically and mentally right up to the time of his death at age 102 1/2, dying in his sleep after eating a hearty supper. Mrs. Gary said their son- in-law, Dan McGinnis, spent considerable time talking to Mr. Serfoss in his latter years because of the interesting things he could tell of earlier years.
W.D. Zuber had his harness shop in a two-story building next to Serfoss' shop. Before Zuber, the building was occupied by the North Western Harness Co., according to a 1899 directory.
The next building in the composite photo was taken in 1932. It is the location where Yonker Insurance moved to.
The last building in the composite photo shows Hotel Sherwood, the entrance being on the right side. The Test Restaurant, operated by D.D. Siniff is shown in the left of the photo. When the photo was taken, and many years prior, the hotel was owned and operated by the Fred Brombly family. During some of those years, I delivered papers on East Center Street. I can still recall the names of many of my customers, and where they lived.
As early as 1893, the Grand Hotel operated by T. Pennell, occupied the same building as Hotel Sherwood. I always presumed that Pennell was the grand- father of deceased Dr. F.H. Pennell, but I have not been able to verify it.
Photo No. 4 shows the Grand Hotel. In photo no. 1, with the aid of a magnifying glass, that same building can be identified as the Koss House.


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Newbery Honor-Winning Author Margarita Engle
Michael Leonard introduced me to Margarita Engle's The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom when I was a student in his Library Materials for Children class. At the time, he was busy evaluating books as a member of the 2009 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award selection committee. The Surrender Tree received an Honor citation.
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that six years later Margarita agreed to finish my sentences. The library student sitting in Michael's class would never have imagined all the wonderful opportunities that I've experienced because of passionate teachers like Michael who inspired and encouraged me to become involved in the world of children's books. Thank you, Michael!
|Image credit: Margarita Engle
I wrote the words in red, and Margarita wrote the words in black. Thank you, Margarita, for dropping by Watch. Connect. Read.
Tony and Gabe are the city boy and wilderness search and rescue dog who become great friends in my adventurous middle grade verse novel, Mountain Dog. Tony's mother is in prison for dog-fighting. When he's sent to live with his great-uncle who is a forest ranger, he learns that dogs can save lives by finding lost hikers, and he learns what it means to be part of a family.
Search and rescue dogs are a big part of my daily life. The dogs in Mountain Dog and my picture book, When You Wander, are inspired by my husband's volunteer work with our own SAR dogs. Search dogs need practice finding a lost person, so I often hide in the forest, serving as a volunteer "victim." It's usually very relaxing. I've only heard the La Llorona scream of a mountain lion once, and there has only been one close call with bullets from a hunter's gun. I always take a book, pen and paper. Quite a few of my poems have been written under a tree.
Silver People: Voices From the Panama Canal, and Tiny Rabbit's Big Wish, are my 2014 books, both to be released by Harcourt in March. The first is a historical YA verse novel about tens of thousands of Caribbean islanders who were recruited by the U.S. to dig the canal, then subjected to apartheid, with islanders and southern Europeans paid in silver, while Americans and northern Europeans were paid in gold. Silver People is also my personal love letter to the tropical rain forest, with poems in the voices of howler monkeys, hummingbirds, snakes, jaguars, and trees. Raúl Colón did the gorgeous cover art. (There is a simultaneous University of Queensland Press, Australia/New Zealand edition, with a different cover, different subtitle, and different spelling, vocabulary, and grammar.) Tiny Rabbit's Big Wish is a poem in the form of a picture book for very young children, inspired by a Cuban folktale about a little bunny who wants to grow. It's really a story about accepting ourselves, and realizing that we all have different strengths. David Walker did the adorable illustrations.
|Illustration credit: Renee Kurilla
Renee Kurilla is the absolutely fabulous illustrator of my 2015 Holt picture book about orangutans, told entirely in tanka poems. (Yes, the title is Orangutanka!) I wrote this book after speaking at the Asian Festival of Children's Content in Singapore, during a side trip to Borneo, where we visited a reserve for returning rescued orangutans to the wild. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life. Other amazing illustrators I am privileged to be working with on pending picture books include Rafael López, and Aliona Bereghici.
Poetry is music in a wild forest. It makes the outdoor part of our minds feel like dancing.
Mr. Schu, you should have asked me what I am working on now. The answer is a verse memoir about my childhood travels between California and Cuba during the Cold War. It's scheduled for publication by Harcourt in March, 2015. Writing it was the most challenging experience of my life.
Margarita Engle is the Cuban-American author of The Surrender Tree, which received the first Newbery Honor ever awarded to a Latino. Her young adult verse novels have also received two Pura Belpré Awards and three Honors, as well as three Américas Awards and the Jane Addams Peace Award, among others.
Margarita's next verse novel is Silver People, Voices From the Panama Canal (March, 2014, Harcourt). Books for younger children include Mountain Dog, Summer Birds, When You Wander, and Tiny Rabbit's Big Wish (March, 2014, Harcourt).
Margarita lives in central California, where she enjoys hiding in the forest to help train her husband's wilderness search and rescue dogs.
I am giving away a copy of Mountain Dog.
Rules for the Giveaway
1. It will run from 2/28 to 11:59 p.m. on 3/2.
2. You must be at least 13.
3. Please pay it forward.


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Boho-inspired bralette featuring a crochet lace design with a stretchy smocked back design. Adjustable crossed straps.
Fabric & Care: 40% Nylon. 60% Cotton. Lining: 95% Viscose 5% Spandex. Hand wash.
The Designer: Back in the 1970's, a young man named Dick Hayne planted a seed in the maze of streets and trees that make up West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He opened a store and called it Free People. Free People nurtured the young people who lived there and shopped there, who looked for a little of their own freedom in the clothes they wore. Free People shed its junior image and evolved into a more mature, contemporary brand. This allowed women to appreciate the line of clothing that catered to their intelligence, creativity and individuality, while keeping with its great quality and affordability. And that's just who we wanted to reach: A girl who likes to keep busy and push life to its limits, with traveling and hanging out and everything in between. She's smart, creative, confident and comfortable in all aspects of her being, free and adventurous, sweet to tough to tomboy to romantic.
FP Style # 41539644


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LeBron, Wade Help Heat Stay Above Hawks
Miami's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade went on a scoring spree to lift the Heat to a 101-92 victory over Southeast rivals Atlanta on Monday, opening up a 1.5 game gap over the Hawks.
James tallied 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Wade scored 26 points to snap Atlanta's three-game win streak and keep the Heat (14-5) ahead of the Hawks (12-6).
Reigning league MVP James punctuated the win with a thunderous dunk in the fourth quarter where he took an alley-oop from Norris Cole and soared high above the rim.
"Cole made me go get it, for sure," James told reporters. "He actually took that literally when I told him, 'Just throw it anywhere."
After a close first half, Miami trailed 65-63 in the third quarter before seizing the momentum with a run of nine straight points. The Heat finished the stretch with a 14-2 advantage to open up a 10-point lead.
Wade came to life during the run with eight points, and was red-hot for the game, making 11 of his 13 shots.
Wade, a former NBA Finals MVP, has had a few tough shooting performances this season leading some to worry about his decline but he was at his best against Atlanta.
"I really didn't listen to the noise. I didn't pay attention," Wade said. "I never really concerned myself with the noise outside."
After two disappointing losses last week, the defending NBA champions have now won two straight.
Josh Smith scored 22 points for the Hawks, and Al Horford finished with 20 and 11 rebounds.
Atlanta employed three guards in their starting lineup, with DeShawn Stevenson, Devin Harris and Jeff Teague, but it did little to jolt their offense.
The visitors shot just 42 percent from the field and could find no way to stop the Heat.
"We had a lot of mistakes defensively," said Atlanta coach Larry Drew. "They did shoot the ball well and we had defensive breakdowns. And the combination of both was the reason the Miami Heat had such a good shooting percentage."


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Patrick Rothfuss – Video
Live on TWIT Photo and MacBreak Weekly Tuesday
I'll be at the TWIT Studios on Tuesday for two shows – you can watch live at Live.TWIT.tv. MacBreak Weekly starts at 11 AM PT and TWIT Photo starts at 1 PM PT.
Patrick Rothfuss Behind-the-Scenes
We had a hangout a few weeks ago with Patrick Rothfuss. Here's what happened before-the-show! 🙂 If you want to see the FULL show, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0enw-G5Din0
In this little pre-show, which we did not intend to capture, we talk about D&D, programming, Infocom games, sleeping, and a bunch of other stuff…
Daily Photo – The Distant Mist
While in Iceland, I traveled through a lowlands area early in the morning. A mist — a video-game-mist — started moving quickly across the ground and through the distant hillocks. It was all so surreal that I barely remembered that I should be taking a photo of this. That was a strange feeling, since the whole reason I was there was to take photos! 🙂


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GRAMMY® award-winning drummer, composer and bandleader Terri Lyne Carrington was born in 1965 in Medford, Massachusetts. After an extensive touring career of over 20 years with luminaries like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Al Jarreau, Stan Getz, David Sanborn, Joe Sample, Cassandra Wilson, Clark Terry, Dianne Reeves and more, she returned to her hometown where she was appointed professor at her alma mater, Berklee College of Music. Terri Lyne also received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 2003.
After studying under full scholarship at Berklee, with the encouragement of her mentor, Jack DeJohnette, Carrington moved to New York in 1983. For 5 years she was a much in-demand musician, working with James Moody, Lester Bowie, Pharoah Sanders, and others. In the late '80s she relocated to Los Angeles, where she gained recognition on late night TV as the house drummer for the Arsenio Hall Show, then again in the late '90s as the drummer on the Quincy Jones late night TV show, VIBE, hosted by Sinbad.
In 1989, Carrington released a GRAMMY®-nominated debut CD on Verve entitled Real Life Story, which featured Carlos Santana, Grover Washington Jr., Wayne Shorter, Patrice Rushen, Gerald Albright, John Scofield, Greg Osby, and Hiram Bullock. Other solo CDs include 2002's Jazz is a Spirit, which features Herbie Hancock, Gary Thomas, Wallace Roney, Terence Blanchard, Kevin Eubanks, and Bob Hurst, and 2004's Structure, a cooperative group which features Adam Rogers, Jimmy Haslip and Greg Osby. Both CDs were released on the Europe-based ACT Music label and enjoyed considerable media attention and critical acclaim in the European and Japanese markets.
Carrington's production and songwriting collaborations with artists such as Gino Vannelli, Peabo Bryson, Dianne Reeves, Siedah Garrett, Marilyn Scott have produced notable works as well, including her production of the Dianne Reeves GRAMMY®-nominated CD, That Day, as well as Dianne Reeves GRAMMY® Award-winning CD, Beautiful Life, in 2014.
Carrington has performed on many recordings throughout the '80s and '90s thru today. Notable examples of her work include Herbie Hancock's GRAMMY® Award-winning CD Gershwin's World, where she played alongside Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder. She has toured in many of Hancock's musical configurations (from electric to acoustic) and is featured on his Future2Future DVD.
After a hiatus from the U.S. recording scene as a solo recording artist, Carrington returned in 2008 with More To Say… (Real Life Story: NextGen). Joining her was an impressive all-star cast of jazz and contemporary jazz instrumentalists, including George Duke, Everette Harp, Kirk Whalum, Jimmy Haslip, Greg Phillinganes, Gregoire Maret, Christian McBride, Danilo Perez, Patrice Rushen, Robert Irving III (who also serves as co-producer), Chuck Loeb, Dwight Sills, and legendary vocalists Les McCann and Nancy Wilson.
Carrington released The Mosaic Project in 2011, her fifth recording overall and first on Concord Jazz. The critically acclaimed CD, which won a GRAMMY® Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album, gathered a myriad of voices and crystallized them into a multi-faceted whole that far outweighed the sum of its parts. She produced the 14-song set which included some of the most prominent female jazz artists of the last few decades: Esperanza Spalding, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sheila E., Nona Hendryx, Cassandra Wilson, Geri Allen and several others. Carrington said the emergence of so many great female jazz instrumentalists over the last couple of decades is what made an album like The Mosaic Project possible.
In 2013, Carrington released Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue, her much anticipated homage to Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the release of their iconic 1963 Money Jungle album. The recording featured Gerald Clayton and Christian McBride, with guests Clark Terry, Lizz Wright, Herbie Hancock and others. Carrington made history when she became the first woman to win a GRAMMY® Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.


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Back in the day, it was news when Google used its massive home page distribution to push its new Chrome browser.
Google putting ads on its home page?! A big deal, even if they were for Google's own products. It spoke to an ongoing creep inside the company of leveraging its position in search to help it win in other markets, and to some, it felt like a violation of Google's own principles in the process.
Well, it'd not be fair for me to at least point out that Microsoft is now doing the same thing, using its 11 or so points of share on Bing to push IE 8, its upgraded web browser (see upper right corner)
It's also notable that as far as I can tell, Microsoft is only showing the promotion to users of Firefox and Chrome. I can't see the ad on Safari, my native browser, so if a colleague (thanks GB) hadn't pointed it out, I would have missed it entirely. Wonder why Microsoft is sparing the Safari crowd?
Indications of an Apple/Microsoft detente? The plot thickens…


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OGS Conference 2014. I'm delighted to find myself in good company and hope to be able to catch as many presentations by my personal favourites as I can.
The international speakers, including Chris Paton who is not to be missed, are in bold in the list. There are others not yet announced who I wouldn't want to miss either.
Ruth Burkholder
Serge Paquet (Ontario Archives)
Chris Paton
Fred Hbermehl - (Niagara Local)
Marian Press
Hank Jones
James S. F. Thomson
Jane MacNamara
John D. Reid
Sarah E. Fisher
Mary Lou Garr
Paul Jones
Janice Nickerson
Rick Roberts
Tony Bandy
Linda Corupe
Richard M. Doherty
04 August 2013
OGS Niagara Peninsula Branch releases partial speaker list for 2014 OGS conference
1 comment:
- Steve Fulton said...
You can find the lastest information about OGS Conference 2014 on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NiagaraPeninsulaBranchOgsConference2014
We have a video to on the page to tell you more about the conference as well.
- 05 August, 2013 08:25
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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After seven months of deliberation, the US Institute of Medicine has released a report
that marks a turning point in the use of chimpanzees, humanity's closest relative, in medical research. An IOM panel found that chimpanzees were in the vast majority of cases no longer required for disease research and laid out three stringent rules against which all current and future chimp research should be judged. Within two hours, Francis Collins, the head of the National Institutes of Health, announced
he had accepted the group's analysis and would set up a committee to apply the rules to proposed and ongoing research projects funded by the NIH. The recommendation is a reflection of our growing realization that chimps may be capable of self-awareness, empathy
, grief
, and happiness, and may possess basic morality
as well as a culture; Brandon Keim, who has covered chimp research extensively for Wired
, notes that some scientists have begun to think they should qualify as nonhuman people
. Subjecting them to disease, pain, and psychological trauma in the service of research thus has grown to seem ethically dubious
, especially after it was revealed that the NIH planned to send 209 chimps who had been allowed to retire from medical research back into the lab
and that an NIH division had illegally bred captive chimpanzees
. At the same time, scientists' increasing skill with using cells in Petri dishes and cheaper, less ethically daunting lab animals like mice in experiments with potential drugs have meant that there are today relatively few research projects for which chimpanzees are the best option. The only projects that the committee believed might have potential need for chimpanzees are those researching vaccines for hepatitis C and a few current projects looking at certain types of antibodies. Accordingly, the IOM has recommended that the NIH approve chimps as research subjects only in cases when no other suitable model is available, when the experiment cannot be performed ethically in humans, and when important progress will be significantly delayed or stopped altogether without the use of chimps. Noninvasive behavioral research in which chimps live in near-natural conditions and comparative genomics work, which usually just requires a blood sample, are not prohibited but will need to meet another set of conditions under the committee's recommendations. All future chimp research projects submitted for funding to the NIH will be assessed according to these criteria, and current publicly funded projects that use chimps, which number roughly 37, will also be reviewed to make sure that they meet the guidelines. Collins told Nature News
that he believes about 50% will wash out under the new rules.
Image courtesy of the Buffa Family / flickr


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I can confidently recommend DUO to anyone who is looking for an Event Management Company
I have had the pleasure of doing business with DUO Conference and Events for the past five years.
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Hugo Boss Eyeglasses Eyewear represent the masculine, sporty style of a cosmopolitan success orientated personality. The Eyeglasses Eyewear frames combine clear lines, distinctive shapes and authentic character with high quality materials and innovative Hugo Boss technology. Target Customer: Ages 30-55. Self-confident men and women who want innovative, yet classic designs and superior quality for a perfect look to suit every occasion.
Give us a call or fill out our contact form. We will place a special order just for you.


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Many of these photos were taken during a cruise to Glacier Bay, others from the air, but Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve offers all kinds of adventures. What starts as a loud crack like a rifle shot is also a sign of icebergs being born at Glacier Bay as glaciers break off or calve. The National Park Service asks, what do you want to do and how much time do you have to do it in? "Covering 3.3 million acres of rugged mountains, dynamic glaciers, temperate rainforest, wild coastlines, and deep sheltered fjords, Glacier Bay National Park is a highlight of Alaska's Inside Passage and part of a 25-million acre World Heritage Siteone of the world's largest international protected areas. From summit to sea, Glacier Bay offers limitless opportunities for adventure and inspiration." Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve also has the 3rd highest elevation of all U.S. National Parks. Here are some of the gorgeous ancient glaciers, photos capturing the glaciers calving and the birth of icebergs, wonderful wildlife, and spectacular scenery of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska. [44 Photos, 5 Videos]
Waterfall beneath Lamplugh Glacier, one of the glaciers at Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. While there are many reasons that this park is special, one of them is that there are no roads that lead directly to Glacier Bay. The park is mostly water, so most visitors see it from a cruise ship with thousands of other people. But boats come in all sizes and some adventurers see Glacier Bay from a kayak. Photo #1 by Larry Wilson / NPS
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MALIBU, CA — Veteran television and film actress, Betty White, was arrested in L.A. for public lewdness.
Just days after her 89th birthday, veteran television and film actress, Betty White, was arrested by Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies for public lewdness. The Sheriff's Department received multiple calls Friday morning from residents and beachgoers with complaints of a semi-nude woman dancing at Point Dume State Beach. Deputies arrived at 10:40 a.m. to find the topless Ms. White practicing Tai Chi, surrounded by curious onlookers.
When approached, the actress seemed to awaken from a trance-like state, startled by the crowd around her. "Apparently she thought she was at Pirate's Cove, a popular spot for nude sunbathers back in the eighties," said deputy Lee Searles. "I can understand an elderly person getting disoriented like that, but public nudity has been against the law in L.A. County for years."
When Ms. White was informed of the anti-nudity ordinance, she reportedly made no effort to cover herself and, instead, removed her Spanx bottoms and incited the crowd to disrobe in an act of civil disobedience. "She was going on about how the human body is a work of art and should be celebrated," said Laura Torres, who was vacationing with her family from Pleasantville, Michigan. "I was appalled and embarrassed. My boys are home-schooled, so I was hoping they wouldn't see anything like this until they were well into college."
Other witnesses were inspired by the feisty octogenarian's call to action. UCLA sophomore Geoff Beauchamp said, "My buddy and I were ready to get naked, but more cops started coming, so we chilled out." Officers on the scene said that, other than a few catcalls and lots of picture-taking, the crowd was well-behaved. As Ms. White was lead away in handcuffs, two female students were cited for flashing their breasts in support of the multiple Emmy winner.
Industry insiders speculate as to whether or not the event was staged to promote White's comedy series, "Hot in Cleveland" which airs on TV Land. Producer Lou Fleishman who worked with White on NBC's "The Golden Girls" said, "Betty's a team player and a real trooper. She'll do whatever it takes to promote a show. Unfortunately, I think some young exec probably took advantage of her enthusiasm." But others insist that this is the real Betty White. Rachel Dratch, who performed on last season's episode of "Saturday Night Live" that White hosted said, "I can totally see Betty doing that. She was braless at most of the rehearsals and did some crazy stuff at the after party. I've got the pictures to prove it."
Regarding any photos or videos taken by onlookers at the arrest scene, Stan Evanston, Ms. White's longtime attorney, has an ominous warning. "If any compromising footage of my client ends up on YouTube or any other website, we will pursue the persons responsible with extreme zeal. You don't f— with Betty White."
MALIBU, CA — Veteran television and film actress, Betty White, was arrested in L.A. for public lewdness.


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Ciba Expert Services is offering a one-day seminar on June 26 covering "Static Electricity & Dust Explosion Hazards." The seminar will take place at the Sheraton Suites Philadelphia Airport Hotel in Philadelphia.
Combustible dust issues can be very costly to companies. In spite of modern technology and wider understanding of combustion hazards, accidents and incidents continue to happen at an unacceptable frequency within the chemical process industry. As recently as February 2008, the danger that combustible dust poses became very real for workers at a sugary refinery in southeast Georgia and their families.
In 2007, OSHA introduced a new National Emphasis Program (NEP) aimed at preparing companies to manage the risks associated with combustible dust. Ciba Expert Services, a business unit of Ciba Corp. with over 50 years of experience manufacturing combustible materials, is helping clients meet these new guidelines and operate more safely by advocating a proactive approach.
This seminar is another in Ciba Expert Services' on-going series of seminars aimed at chemists, chemical engineers, EHS Managers, and safety specialists who wish to control and understand the risks of dust explosion. In order to do this successfully, it is necessary to plan, organize, and control the essential management systems that lead to a safe yet economically viable operation. This seminar will concentrate on compliance techniques and consensus engineering standards using effective industrial-based management systems that focus on specific unit operations (drying, milling, pneumatic transport, dust collection, filling/emptying FIBCs, etc.). An example of how to design intrinsically safe processes will be demonstrated.
For information on this seminar and to register, call 914-785-4402 or e-mail [email protected].


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This week, I was called into an office to look at an odd situation with a Hyper-V server. The server has been up and running for years, with Windows Server 2008 as the Hyper-V parent and three VM servers running Active Directory, SharePoint, and various other server applications. For some reason, none of the VMs was running. Upon investigation, it was easy to see why: Hyper-V was no longer enabled as a server role. Somehow it had uninstalled that role and wouldn't reinstall itself.
That was a new issue for me. I've seen Hyper-V hiccup before, but never uninstall itself. I put that concern aside for the moment and pulled the three VMs over to another system running Hyper-V. They all mounted without issue. Phew! Good news.
[ Don't look now, but your antivirus may be killing your virtualization infrastructure. InfoWorld's Matt Prigge shows you how to detect the warning signs. | Stay atop key Microsoft technologies in our Technology: Microsoft newsletter. ]
I thought, "We fix the Hyper-V server, we restore these VMs, and we're good to go." Not so fast -- the SharePoint server wasn't serving sites, as it had faithfully done for five years. Upon further investigation, I found that the SQL databases were still in place -- but not SharePoint. It was as if it had been uninstalled from the system. Only three people have access to these servers, and none of them uninstalled SharePoint or disabled Hyper-V.
The mystery remains as I write this, and we're poring through event logs to see if we can get to the bottom of it.
An instance of the fabled escape attack?
Someone suggested the possibility of a hack going through SharePoint (which is Internet-facing) and into the Hyper-V parent. That particular hack is known as an escape attack. A few years ago, it was just a theoretical possibility, but recent news reports indicate that these vulnerabilities do in fact exist and can be exploited. My colleague David Marshall recently relayed a security flaw in which someone can cause a system exception in virtualized code and escape from the guest OS into the host environment with elevated privileges.
Although many people are skeptical about the existence of attacks such as the escape attack, Gartner Fellow Neil MacDonald says, "It's just a matter of time before a widespread publicly disclosed enterprise breach is tied back to a hypervisor vulnerability." He recommends you take a look at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Guide to Security for Full Virtualization Technologies.
I'm left wondering if the Hyper-V server in my client's case was hit by an attack. It feels purposeful, not like a simple virus. If it was an attack, it's absolutely the result of a cavalier attitude on the administrator's part. Every rule in the book was ignored here. You always think, "What are the odds?" until you become part of the statistics. Thankfully, there are valid backups of the VMs, so only a little data will be lost.


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Controls and starting a wash
To start a wash programme
Press to turn the dishwasher on.
Check that the wash programme displayed is the one you would like to use. If not, press to scroll through the wash programmes (see section 'Changing the wash programme' below).
- Once the display shows the programme you would like to use, press to start. The display will show the approximate time remaining and the stage of the wash.
After the steps described above are carried out, the pictures will be immediately deleted without any additional confirmation queries.
- the default cycle when you first turn the dishwasher on is Normal
- the dishwasher will remember the last programme used.
To pause and restart a wash programme
Press to pause the programme. The programme status (eg Wash) will flash while the dishwasher is paused.
- Open the door very slowly.
There is a risk of being sprayed with hot water. Do not fully open the door until the spray arms have stopped rotating.
- Load, remove, or rearrange any dishes if needed.
- Press to restart the programme.
If the dishwasher is not restarted within 7 minutes, it will then beep until the cycle is restarted.
Changing the wash programme
The dishwasher will remember the last programme used.
Press to turn the dishwasher on.
Press Program to scroll to the desired wash programme.
The display will show the wash programme time.
Select a wash modifier (optional, DW60C6 models only)
Press to scroll between the wash modifier options. The selected wash modifier indicator will be lit. (see 'Selecting wash modifiers').
Press to start the wash programme.
At the end of the programme the dishwasher will beep. The display will show . After 30 seconds the display will turn off.


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SOCHI, Russia — When U.S. Speedskating hooked up with Under Armour to develop a new high-tech skinsuit that would revolutionize the sport at the Winter Olympics, the vision was gold, silver and bronze.
The result was a total debacle.
Right in the middle of the Sochi Games, the American skaters hastily switched back to the suits they wore during the World Cup season and at the country's Olympic trials in late December.
Not that it mattered.
Saturday was another bust for the U.S. at the speedskating oval. Brian Hansen finished seventh in the 1,500 meters — matching the team's best showing through seven events in Russia — and two-time silver medalist Shani Davis faded to 11th in what might've been the final individual race of an otherwise brilliant Olympic career.
"Maybe we would see different results if we could turn back the hands of time," Davis said, "but we can't."
How did it come to this?
The embarrassment of Suitgate can be traced to a process filled with a quest for secrecy but marred by questionable decisions, all of which came back to bite the U.S. program on the sport's biggest stage.
Kevin Haley, senior vice president of innovation for Under Armour, laid out a timeline for The Associated Press that began in 2011 with the development of a new suit that was supposed to give the Americans a decided technological edge. The company worked with Lockheed Martin to handle some of the testing, a partnership that added a bit of intrigue to the process. The aerospace and defense giant analyzed the suits using a CGI-like procedure in which sensors are attached to the body, producing what Haley called "an unbelievable amount of data." From there, Under Armour began wind-testing variations of the new suit using six different-sized mannequins.
Understandably, the athletes were excited to see what would come of so many bright minds trying to make them a suit that would provide less resistance, enabling them to go faster than ever.
"These people make F-16 jets," skater Patrick Meek said.
According to Haley, Under Armour's deal with U.S. Speedskating called for three suits to be delivered to each Olympic skater on Jan. 1, which is where things started to go wrong.
Sure, the skaters were involved in the development all through the process: trying on the suit, using it in training, offering suggestions and feedback. But secrecy seemed to be the primary concern, the U.S. fretting that other countries would swipe their technology if the suit came out too soon. The final version was completed about six weeks before the opening ceremony, which meant no one had a chance to compete in it before they arrived in Sochi.
That, said Davis, was a huge mistake.
"The best thing would have been to make sure that these suits were what the people said they were," he said, "so that we can actually know going into the races instead of finding out in one of the biggest races of our lives."
The Americans gambled that any unfamiliarity and kinks in the new suit would be overcome by the startling times it produced.
That turned out to be a losing bet.
Big time.
While Under Armour touted the "Mach 39" as the "fastest speedskating suit in the world" — and the skaters dutifully spouted the party line before the Olympics — there were doubts about the suit all along. Some complained about it being too tight and restricting their breathing. The man who designed the Dutch team's new suits said he had already tried some elements in the American version and found they didn't produce any noticeable improvement; in fact, he thought one feature, a vent-like tab on the back, might actually slow a skater down.
After the first four events in Sochi, it was clear within the U.S. team that something was wrong, even though the Americans weren't necessarily expected to win a medal in any of those races.
For the men's 1,000 on Wednesday, one U.S. skater — Haley wouldn't say who — skated in a slightly different version of the new suit, essentially for testing purposes. There was no significant improvement in the time. Davis finished eighth, ending his bid to become the first male speedskater to win the same event three straight times.
On Thursday, when Heather Richardson and Brittany Bowe competed in the women's 1,000, an event they had dominated all season, more desperate measures were taken. The vent on the back of Richardson's suit was covered up. Again, there was no significant improvement, as Richardson finished seventh and Bowe eighth.
With no competition at the oval on Friday, the Americans decided enough was enough.
They received permission from the International Skating Union to go back to the Under Armour suit they used before the Mach 39.
It was a huge blow to U.S. Speedskating, maybe even worse for Under Armour after its grand claims.
"That's marketing. People wanted to make their product stand out," U.S. coach Matt Kooreman said. "And when you don't live up to that expectation, you get it thrown back at you pretty harshly."
The debacle was complete.
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SAN FRANCISCO – When it comes to adopting new operating systems and applications, common practice among system administrators is to delay adoption until the release of the first service pack. Admins found plenty of reasons to put off moving from Windows XP to Windows Vista, and then to Windows 7: The new operating systems demanded more capable hardware, the user interface changes required user training, and there were compatibility issues with legacy hardware and applications.
These days, it's becoming difficult to find device drivers and applications compatible with Windows XP. More importantly, Microsoft has ended mainstream support for Windows XP, and extended support ends in 2014. New PCs come with Windows 7 by default, so admins must support both operating systems anyway. And with Microsoft widely expected to ship Windows 8 in October, can your business afford to be two or three OS generations behind? Unless you intend to set aside the first-service-pack rule, it's time to bite the bullet and move forward.
Server admins are even more conservative. In this case, Windows Server 2008 R2 requires 64-bit hardware, and the interface is just different enough to make them nervous. The latest server applications, however, are compatible only with the newer operating system. Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 2003 in 2010, and extended support ends in 2015.
Here are the top six decisions you'll need to make before embarking on a migration:
1. Should you install the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version?
At the desktop level, there are few advantages to installing the 64-bit version of Windows 7. The biggest reason to stick with the 32-bit version is that you might have difficulty finding 64-bit drivers for legacy hardware. And some applications don't function well in a 64-bit environment. Unless you're positive you won't need to support legacy hardware, or if you have specific needs that can be filled only by a 64-bit OS (addressing more than 3GB of RAM, for instance), you should set up most desktops with the 32-bit OS.
There is no 32-bit version of Windows 2008 R2. You can run 32-bit applications, but 32-bit support is not installed by default
2. Can you find compatible device drivers?
As we've already mentioned, you might have difficulty finding Windows 7 drivers for legacy hardware, ranging from old printers and scanners to specialized tools such as point–of-sale devices that rely on legacy serial ports. In fact, any new PCs you acquire probably won't even be outfitted with parallel or serial ports. Make a list of these devices and decide whether you'll replace them or retain some Windows XP computers to continue running them.
3. Which applications will need upgrades?
You can run Office 2003 on Windows 7, but no one would recommend running Office 2010 on Windows XP. Make a list of the applications that will need to be updated and remember that users will need training on both the new operating system and the new applications.
On the server side, Exchange 2003 or 2007 will run on Windows Server 2003, but Exchange 2010 requires Windows 2008.The same is true for the latest versions of SharePoint, SQL Server, and most other server applications. To reduce the impact on the enterprise, you might want to install new servers along with the new server applications, and then migrate users and their data from the old server to the new.
4. Should you upgrade in place, or start fresh?
When upgrading desktop systems, you have two choices: Install the new OS in an existing system, or start fresh with new hardware. Windows 7's system requirements are beyond the capabilities of most PCs that came with Windows XP installed, so you might need to beef up the hardware to upgrade in place. The same is true of servers put in service when Windows Server 2003 was new.
Upgrading in place enables you to transfer user settings, application settings, and more from the old hardware to the new using the Windows migration tool or aftermarket tools. Most applications will have to be reinstalled, and you'll want to run Microsoft's Windows 7 compatibility tester to determine if any of the old applications will have problems running on the new OS.
5. Is virtual desktop infrastructure a viable alternative?
You can avoid acquiring new desktop hardware by deploying virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). Set up a server application that runs virtual iterations of both Windows 7 and Windows XP desktops, and your users will use their existing Windows XP machines to access these environments. This will help them transition to Windows 7 while ensuring continued access to their familiar Windows XP desktops and legacy applications. VDI will require server and networking infrastructure that will likely offset the savings realized by retaining your old desktop hardware. In the long run, however, VDI will simplify desktop management, and your users will experience an easier transition.
6. Should you invest in migration tools?
Migration tools can ease the pain of a mass upgrade by transferring operating system settings, application settings, and even some applications and drivers from old systems to new ones. Users can spend dozens of hours setting up their applications just the way they like, updating dictionaries in word processors; recreating macros, templates, and forms; and so on. The cost of such tools could be offset by avoiding such productivity loss.


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We are open - safety is our top priority!
Posted on: May 20, 2015
How to Find Dentists Preferred by Patients
If you've moved and need to locate a new dentist, the American Dental Association (ADA) has a few tips that can help you find the best dentist in Miami.
- Contact your previous or current dentist to see if he or she can offer a referral.
- Search the Internet. The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) and the ADA websites contain helpful information that is specific to your new location.
- Ask your new neighbors and work acquaintances about dentists in Miami.
- Ask pharmacists, nurses, and doctors for referrals.
- Contact your local dental societies.
Questions to Help You Find Dentists in Miami
When choosing a new dentist, answers to a few basic questions can help narrow the selection.
- Does the provider accept your dental insurance?
- What services does the clinic offer?
- Are payment options available?
- Are treatment costs comparable to other area practices?
- Do the dentist and staff members wear protective goggles and gloves during treatments and exams?
- How long has the practice been in business?
- Will the clinic's hours work with your schedule?
- What types of pain relief, sedation and anesthesia options are available?
- Is preventative care a priority?
- Is the staff friendly and attentive?
- Does the dentist explain tests and procedures in a way you understand?
Special Needs and Affordable Dental Options
If you or your family members have special needs, be sure to find out if your prospective dentist has the training and experience to meet them. If you have mobility problems, look for a practice that makes ramps and handrails available. Contact the Special Care Dentistry Association for more information. To find low-cost or charitable dental care, visit the ADA website for information about state associations, or contact state health agencies and area dental school clinics.
To learn about our family dentistry practice in Miami, call Miami Center for Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry today at (305) 306-9250 or make an appointment.
Miami Center for Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry offers affordable family dentistry and gentle, compassionate dental care in Miami. Our offices are conveniently located with extended hours to meet your needs. At Miami Center for Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry, we provide most dental services, from basic preventative care and general dentistry to specialized procedures and complete dental reconstruction. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Patient satisfaction is our top priority and we strive to provide the exceptional, affordable dental care and personal touch that lead to lasting relationships. A smiling patient is our greatest reward and we look forward to keeping those smiles healthy, beautiful, and bright. Discover an affordable dentist who truly cares at Miami Center for Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry.


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Other than a few notable exceptions, racing movies are pretty much all total crap. Sylvester Stallone's Driven actually made me stop and reconsider all my life choices. But Ron Howard is coming to the rescue with RUSH, and the trailer is simply amazing.
RUSH is centered around the 1976 Formula One season and the rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt, as well as Lauda's comeback from his near fatal crash.
Yes, there appears to be some gratuitous crashing, but that's expected and will keep the non-F1 fans engrossed. There also looks to be some amazing cinematography. And car porn.
Oh the car porn.
There are Lotus 77s, Ferrari 312s, McLaren M23s, Penske PC3s, and I'm pretty sure I caught a glimpse of a Tyrrell P34 6-wheeler.
Basically, I haven't been this excited for a movie to come out since The Simpsons' Movie, and this trailer is already better than that entire film. Color me really freaking stoked.
RUSH is set to be released September 20, 2013.


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The Sony SNC-DH220T 1080p Vandal-Resistant Indoor Network Minidome HD Camera is enclosed in an IK10-certified housing designed to protect it from destructive behavior. Video of the surveillance location is captured using a 1/2.8" progressive scan Exmor CMOS sensor at a maximum resolution of up to 1920 x 1440. The camera's 3.1 to 8.9mm varifocal lens offers wide coverage of the surveillance area.
Images can be streamed in H.264, JPEG or MPEG-4 formats, allowing for flexible data management. In addition, dual streaming of these formats is also possible. An Optical Day/Night function automatically switches the camera from color to a sensitive B&W mode when light levels fall, thus ensuring optimum image quality 24-hours a day.
Operating on Sony's DEPA platform, the SNC-DH220T camera offers intelligent motion detection functions including object detection and the ability to set up a virtual borderline. This information is passed on either to the NSR Series recorder or the IMZ-RS400 Series software, where after analysis, a predetermined course of action such as activating an alarm or initiating image recording is triggered. By filtering out irrelevant material, DEPA technology significantly cuts down on network and storage requirements. In addition, you can power the camera from the network itself via an Ethernet cable without any extra wiring for auxiliary power outlets.
The stream squared function enables concurrent streaming of two 4:3 aspect ratio videos in user-selectable SD resolutions. You can resize the image to SD resolution by selecting the entire image or portion of the image from the original view. With this feature, the security camera can replace 2 SD cameras installed in the same viewing line.
One Year Warranty