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US stock markets well-positioned to weather any trade war storms
Trade war fears have rattled US markets this year – but despite these worries, they have continued to post gains.
The S&P 500, the US's main benchmark index, and the Nasdaq index of leading technology shares, retreated from their bull run following President Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports in May, but investors soon shrugged off the announcement.
The US is imposing tariffs of 25pc on steel from the EU, Canada and Mexico, and 10pc on aluminium. Meanwhile, other trading partners, including Brazil, South Korea and Australia, will face quotas on metal imports.
The muted stock market reaction, according to some commentators, may be due to the proposals not being considered to have a large enough impact to stall US economic growth. May's jobs report topped expectations, providing a welcome boost to the economic outlook. However, the impact of rising trade tensions has yet to fully filter through, with the outcome depending on how trade partners respond, and whether there may be larger trade battles ahead.
Canada is among those that have announced retaliatory measures, with tariffs on US steel and aluminium. Meanwhile, other geopolitical issues continue in the background that could affect the US, such as strained US-Iran relations.
Yet Trump's pro-growth stance has continued to boost financial markets, despite some risk factors that threatened to take the steam out of the stock market bull run.
It's not only trade wars which could affect markets. The US Federal Reserve voted on June 13 to raise US interest rates by 0.25pc – the second increase in rates this year.
Further increases could affect market movements, with higher rates typically having a negative effect on technology and consumer discretionary stocks, as consumers often find themselves with reduced disposal income once borrowing costs increase.
Despite the above, the US remains the world's largest economy and is in a strong position to weather potential storms, such as a trade war.
US stock markets have soared over recent years, comfortably beating the returns available in the global stock markets elsewhere.
The passing of the Republican Party tax reform legislation has helped push US stocks higher over recent months, with cuts going to the wealthy and business owners, to encourage more investment. In some senses, the backdrop looks more conducive for American stocks now than at any other time in this economic cycle – the Republican tax cuts, alongside the bipartisan spending agreement, represent a substantial dollop of fiscal stimulus to an economy that is already doing pretty nicely. Both, particularly the former, will materially lift corporate earnings for the next two years.
However, the announcement of the tariffs imposed on some imports could shrink some of the savings from the cuts and inject some uncertainty into the stock market, alongside raising concerns about inflation. Analysts generally agree that tariffs are negative for the economy and will impact business confidence.
Yet fundamentals for the US economy remain strong, despite slightly slower growth in the first three months of 2018, at 2.2pc, compared to the 2.3pc that was estimated. Consumers continue to spend, and unemployment remains low.
The US stock market has not only benefited from improving global growth and corporate profits, but also from a rising oil price, and a slide in the value of the dollar. A weak dollar benefits multinational companies that receive their earnings overseas, boosting profits when they are converted back into dollars. The reverse holds true, when the dollar strengthens.
Of course, no-one can predict with any certainty which way the US stock market will move next, but the economic fundamentals appear positive for investors who are seeking to add an investment in the US to a diversified investment portfolio.
Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/kbwqb42


text: DORA DEANE PETERSON JEWKES\n\nLOGAN, UT--Our beloved friend, mother and grandmother returned to her Heavenly Father Thursday, 1 September 2011. She was born to James Edward and Agnes Maria Peterson on 30 January 1924 in Castle Dale, Utah. She was the fifth of five children and grew up in Castle Dale happily with sisters, cousins and friends.\n\nShe attended Central High in Castle Dale and enjoyed participating in school activities. She loved to play tennis, skate and ride horses. She worked hard and played well. Dora married her childhood sweetheart, Leonard Kay Jewkes, on 23 January 1944 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Their first child, Leonard Dean, was born while Kay was serving his country in WWII. They were later blessed with two daughters, Carol Jeanne and Karen Maria.\n\nOne of Dora's greatest joys was her nine grandchildren, twenty-three great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson. She found joy and satisfaction in being a full-time homemaker and mother. She taught her children to work and be self-reliant. She and Kay supported her children and grandchildren in school and church activities.\n\nShe and Kay loved road trips to no special destination. They flipped a coin to decide whether they would go east or west and traveled to places like Nashville, Tennessee, Chicago, Illinois, San Diego or the Oregon Coast. But their favorite destination was Yellowstone National Park. They made a daily ritual of taking a ride along the Green River to see wildlife, mules, horses and melon patches.\n\nDora loved her faith. As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints she served faithfully in Primary, Young Women's, Relief Society and genealogical extraction. She was a dedicated visiting teacher and found a variety of opportunities to serve those around her. One of our greatest memories is of her and Kay making many pounds of divinity to share with family, neighbors and friends.\n\nCamping, picnics, reunions are just a few of Dora's favorite pastimes. She loved to paint and crochet. She created with grace and beauty. She was never without a good book. Mystery, adventure, romance, history and biography--she loved them all. She kept her scripture close by to read and study each day.\n\nShe is survived by her daughters, Carol Anderson (Tim), Karen Barker (Vernon), and Rita Jewkes (Leonard Dean). She was preceded in death by her husband (Leonard Kay) and son (Leonard Dean) as well as her brother (Merlin Peterson), and three sisters (Zelpha Anderson, Della Johansen, and Tempi Henningson.)\n\nFuneral Services will be held Wednesday, 7th September at 10:00 a.m. at the Green River LDS Church (101 North Clark Street). A viewing will be held Tuesday, 6th September from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. also at the church. Interment will be in the Elgin Cemetery. Services are in the care of Fausett Mortuary. Family and friends may sign the guest book and share memories of Dora at www.fausettmortuary.com.\n\nOur family wishes to express a very special thank-you to Rocky Mountain Home Health and Hospice of Logan--especially Lisa Mitchell and Nancy Hanson. We also want to thank the staff at Logan Rehabilitation and Nursing for the wonderful care they gave to Mother for the last weeks of her life. Good-bye Mom, we will miss you but believe we will "see you later."

subset: commoncrawl


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One of those, you don't know how important this will be until you need it things. Unpleasant to think of but very good advice :)
The Terri Schaivo case was one of the most explosive events to rock the medical world. Sadly, the legal battles over what Terri would have wanted may have been prevented with a living will. Living wills usually include language stating what kinds of medical care you would or would not want to have in order to keep you alive, and they are intended to be followed in the event that you are unable to convey these directions yourself. In addition to having an advance directive, many states also require a durable power of attorney, which appoints someone who has been informed of your wishes to communicate on your behalf.
I'm no lawyer, so keep in mind that every situation will be different. I can speak from experience, however, and tell you that many people haven't even thought of having a living will until it is almost too late. After I found out that I was pregnant with my fourth child, I was informed of the possible complications that would arise from having yet another planned cesarean section. I quickly put together an advance medical directive from free resources available from my local health and human services. Here's how I did it:
Know Your State – Every state will have different requirements for what constitutes a legal living will. It is important that you follow the guidelines for your state to know what will be valid in the event of a legal dispute. My state of Nebraska has everything needed to get started on the Nebraska Health and Human Resources website. To find your state's website, do a search for your state and "health and human services." Many of the resources are free, and they can offer the same quality documents that legal document services charge for. (Many states also require that these documents be notarized.)
Know Your People – Since many living wills are not enforceable if they are not made known to your friends or family, it is important that you know who you can trust. It is also important to note that many states require a separate durable power of attorney, which assigns someone the right to make decisions for you, if you are unable. Obviously, you want to choose someone that cares for and respects you greatly and will be sure that your wishes are carried out.
Know Your Wishes – If you haven't given careful thought to the methods of life support and how you really feel about them, now is the time. There are many medical options, and it is important to know where you stand on the each of them. While some people will not be comfortable with feeding tubes or breathing machines, others will want everything done to keep them alive. Thinking through these questions may be unpleasant, but it is necessary.
Know Your Rights – Many of the pre-made forms available are very one-sided. My home state of Nebraska, for instance, offers limited language in their free downloadable living will. If you are leaning toward a total "Do Not Resuscitate" (refusal to receive any intrusive life-saving care), know that your directive can state this. If you want everything possible done to keep you alive, however, make sure you convey this. The National Right to Life offers state-specific definitions and help in their "Will to Live." If you are using a template provided by your state to make your requests, feel free to add specific procedures that you feel strongly about. These are your wishes, so be clear about them. (If you are unsure about how to state your wishes, please consult a lawyer.)
Know Your Situation – As you grow older, your life wishes may change. You may also find that you need to make a change to your power of attorney. It is best to change your legal documents to reflect this right away. Your living will is only as good as the terms contained within it.
Know Where You Put It – This seems obvious, but you'd be surprised at the number of people who say they have a living will, but either don't know where put it, or they don't let family know where it is. Be sure that it is in a safe, fire-proof place, have copies if necessary, and let your power of attorney, as well as other family members, know where it is kept.
Our hope is that you will never need to use your living will. With a little planning, however, it just may save your life, or at least the quality of it.
(This article is not a substitute for sound advice from a licensed attorney. We encourage you to seek professional legal counsel with any questions you may have.)
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
One of those, you don't know how important this will be until you need it things. Unpleasant to think of but very good advice :)
I downloaded my living will for my state from Compassionandchoices.org. You enter your name and address and then they email you instructions for downloading the forms. The downside is that they add you to their emailing list and ask for donations, but the forms are free and come with very clear instructions.
This book is a useful resource for this kind of planning


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Now streaming on:
But let's say you already accept the reality of climate change. Or that you don't. Either way, "Chasing Ice" by Jeff Orlowski is heart-stopping in its coverage of the brave and risky attempt by a scientist named James Balog and his team of researchers on the Extreme Ice Survey, where "extreme" refers to their efforts almost more than to the ice. At a time when warnings of global warming were being dismissed by broadcast blabbermouths as "junk science," the science here is based on actual observation of the results as they happen. When opponents of the theory of evolution say (incorrectly) that no one has ever seen evolution happening, scientists are seeing climate change happening right now — and with alarming speed. Here is a film for skeptics who say "we don't have enough information."
James Balog has photographed many stories and films for National Geographic, often about endangered species. This time he bit off more than most people would be terrified to chew. During repeated expeditions to Greenland, Iceland, Alaska and Montana, his team took stop-motion cameras, anchored them in place, and shielded them from violent winter weather. Some were destroyed, and they returned with improved installations, using ingenious methods to match up camera locations in a constantly evolving ice-scape of blinding white.
The Extreme Ice Survey has been collecting the results since 2007. The images in this film are mostly three years old, but definitive. We see glaciers retreating from ice mountains to expose the rock they rest on. One glacier loses the height in ice of the Empire State Building. We join a team of Balog's scientists as they hunker down inside anchored tents and wait days to film in real time an event they know is about to happen: The "calving" of an iceberg as a large chunk breaks off into the sea. I believe I saw some of this same footage on the news, but this film provides the context, and an idea of the scale I didn't get on TV: The chunk that breaks off is the size of lower Manhattan!
Did some of that melting ice later visit Manhattan in the form of Hurricane Sandy? Does melting ice cause a rise in the global sea level? Does the bathtub fill up when you turn on the tap? As a scientist, how can you be sure the very ice you're standing on won't crumble beneath your feet?
You can't be. At one point Balog and his colleagues want to photograph a glacier that is already rotting, with streams of water pouring down sinkholes that descend out of sight. Using spiked shoes and pitons, they advance down the frozen side of one of these sinkholes, and he decides: "I'm not going down there. It's bottomless."
Balog himself is in the tradition of Arctic explorers who endure great pain to carry out their missions. Born in 1952, the craggy scientist isn't a young man when he conducts his treks across the ice, and eventually undergoes four knee surgeries. He tells his doctor: "I could feel chunks of bone moving around inside my knees. I realize I was masking the pain with steroids and medication." The damage he did was severe, and yet in the next season, we see him returning again to inspect his cameras — on crutches.
The opponents of the theory of global warming often seem to be financed by the fossil fuel industries. The "green" teams looking into such energy sources as solar, wind and nuclear are often ridiculed. Watch "Chasing Ice" and see if you laugh.
Note: Photographer James Balog will host a Q&A session after the 7:20 p.m. screening.
74 minutes


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Mayor Mike McGinn suffered a couple of stinging setbacks today when a major environmental group and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce both endorsed state Sen. Ed Murray for mayor.
"This a big blow to the mayor and a big win for us," said Dean Nielsen, a political consultant who is heading up the newly-created People for Ed Murray, an independent campaign expenditure committee.
"We are blessed to have several mayoral candidates who hold strong environmental values, but Ed Murray is the clear choice to be Seattle's next mayor," said Brendon Cechovic, executive director of Washington Conservation Voters .
Cechovic added, in an interview with Seattle Weekly, "I think McGinn will be surprised."
Asked what factors may have hurt the mayor in not getting the group's stamp of approval, Cechovic said, "When it came to leadership, building coalitions and valuing compromise, we thought Ed Murray was the superior candidate."
As expected, McGinn has already won the endorsements, as he did four years ago, of the other two influential environmental groups, the Sierra Club and the Cascade Bicycle Club, but failing to win WCV's nod could have electoral consequences. The group spent some $750,000 in independent expenditures on behalf of Jay Inslee in the 2012 campaign and also recruited hundreds of volunteers to ring doorbells and make phone calls.
Cechovic said the group, which endorsed former Mayor Greg Nickels in the 2009 primary, then stayed on the sidelines in the general election, has not yet determined what resources it will devote to Murray.
"But it will be more than just an endorsement. We are in this to win it," he said.
Murray also won the backing of the Civic Alliance for a Sound Economy (CASE), the political arm of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
"Senator Murray is endorsed for his visionary leadership, his commitment to fair and predictable regulation and his ability to bring together broad bipartisan coalitions around complex and groundbreaking issues, from transportation to marriage equality," Maud Daudon, president and CEO of the Chamber said in a statement. "His political experience and achievements are invaluable in moving a regional vision forward."
In '09, the Chamber endorsed T-Mobile executive Joe Mallahan over McGinn..
It is hard to gauge how much cache a Chamber endorsement carries, but Murra is certain to use it to make the case that he may be a good liberal and all, but can also be a friend to the business community.
Though McGinn has made serious inroads with the business establishment and certainly with the major property developers (see Paul Allen's real estate firm Vulcan and South Lake Union), his veto of an aggressive panhandling measure sponsored in 2010 by Council member Tim Burgess.


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Seems comedian Seth Rogen used comedic license when recalling his conversation with Lucas about 2012's doomsday. Never! Lucas' rep did say however that George is "an adamant believer that the world is flat, that Stonehenge was built by aliens..."
...and that the sun revolves around the Earth." His Lucasfilm representative Lynn Hale told Wired.com that "these are among the many subjects he commonly discusses at length with Elvis, who he's going to digitally insert into Indy 5 along with a roster of famous dead actors."
Hale may've been joking, but word on the Tatooine street is that Lucas is already buying up the film rights for deceased actors, so he can digitally insert them in his movies. Having seen Elvis turning tricks in Wild In The Country, it's not completely crazy to imagine him propping up the cantina in Star Wars: Return of the Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich.
Nonetheless, Rogen's definitely going to get in trouble for this—and if he thinks he's in for a chance of hitching a ride on the Millennium Falcon when the world really does end, fat chance—according to Hale, "George and Steven are taking Chris Rock with them on the Millennium Falcon!" [Wired]


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Mike Capps, president of Gears of War development studio, doesn't regret Bulletstorm. That game got a lot of hype—and some extraordinarily odd press coverage—when it was released earlier this year. It was an odd first-person shooter that was vulgar in tone and creative in execution, rewarding players for, well, being creative in how they executed kills in the game—more points, for example, if you shotgunned a guy into a giant space cactus.
I played it, enjoyed it, and tell people it's one of my 2011 favorites so far.
But Bulletstorm could hardly crack 300,000 units in its first month, according to a financial analyst. Someone from its publisher EA recently told me the game "under-performed." And Capps told me yesterday that it "didn't make money for us."
A game to regret, though? No way.
Capps is keynoting Game Developers Conference Europe next
week month, where he will deliver a talk on the topic of making high-quality games. Epic may be defined by some people as the Gears of War studio and by others as the profitable mechanics behind the widely-used Unreal graphics engine. But they've also turned out to be a studio that keeps making highly-regarded games, including the critically-acclaimed Infinity Blade, which is considered one of the best iOS games out there, and Bulletstorm which did very well with critics.
Capps' talk is called "Size Doesn't Matter: How Epic Brings AAA Attitude to Every Game, from Gears of War 3 to Infinity Blade." The idea, he told me, is to dispel myths people may have that Epic's games are high-quality due to infinite budgets or unlimited development times, neither of which the studio actually enjoys. He wants to emphasize that even back during Epic's Unreal Tournament days, the company did some of its best work thanks to an internal drive to keep polishing and experimenting. Headshots, a;t fire, triple kills—some of the signature elements of the first UT that other studios then riffed on—he said, were only added in the game's final six months.
These days, Epic is trying hard to make top games on a variety of machines, games that are certainly good ads for Epic's Unreal Engine on the various platforms on which it runs, but also just very good games. Some are hits. Some are not. Would it have been nice to make money on Bulletstorm? Sure. Capps says they could have taken the easy route all along, not done Bulletstorm and gotten People Can Fly, the Epic-owned Polish development studio on that game to just churn out Gears of War content. That's not what he wants those folks doing. That's not what he wants Epic doing.
"The studio has shipped AAA content," he said. "The next thing we do with People Can Fly will be great."
I hope Capps will use some of his talk to discuss why Bulletstorm didn't thrive, a topic we didn't have time to go into during our brief chat. I wonder if it was too short, too new in a crowd of shooter games or too lacking in addictive online gaming—it was the rare first-person shooter with no competitive multiplayer—but who knows. If only all the games that studios were proud of could be hits.
Capps' keynote will help kick off GDC Europe in Cologne, which runs August 15-17.


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DENYS (Denis) DE LA TRINITÉ, SIMON, member of the Conseil Souverain, second son of Jacques Denys de La Thibaudière and Marie Cosnier; younger brother of Nicolas Denys; ennobled by Louis XIV; b. 1599 at Tours, France; buried 11 Nov. 1678 in the parish of Saint-Barthélemy in La Rochelle, France.
Simon Denys came from a family of some distinction, with a record of service to the state in both military and civil affairs. During the greater part of his life Simon was established at Tours. He was at some time "conseiller du roi et lieutenant civil au grenier à sel de Tours," presumably in charge of the collection of the salt tax, or gabelle. He was twice married in France, first to Jeanne Dubreuil, also of Tours (d. 1639), secondly to Françoise Du Tartre (1621–70), and founded a large and notable family.
In 1632 Simon accompanied his brother, Nicolas, to Acadia. Nicolas established a fishery at Port Rossignol (near the present-day Liverpool, N.S.) and put Simon in command of a vessel purchased for the trade. When the ship was unloading its first cargo of cod at Oporto, hostilities broke out between France and Spain, of which Portugal was then a part, with the result that the ship was lost and Simon was imprisoned in Madrid. On his release he returned to France, bearing confidential messages from the French ambassador to Cardinal Richelieu. As compensation for his sufferings, the cardinal gave Simon command of one of the king's ships.
Evidently Simon maintained his residence in Tours until he moved to Paris in 1648. In 1650 he rejoined his brother, moving his entire family to Acadia. In 1645 Nicolas had set up a post at Miscou, holding a concession possibly from the Compagnie des Cent-Associés. In 1647 Menou d'Aulnay was appointed governor of Acadia and, asserting his authority over the whole domain, seized the post. At some later date, perhaps after the governor's death in May 1650, Nicolas attempted to establish himself in Cape Breton, setting up a habitation at Saint-Pierre, while Simon rebuilt Capt. Charles Daniel's post at Sainte-Anne. In the fall of 1651 Mme d'Aulnay [see Motin], widow of the governor, sent forces to seize these posts. The brothers were taken prisoner and, in October 1651, sent to Quebec. Thus Simon, too, was drawn into the rivalry between Menou d'Aulnay and the company.
Nicolas returned to Acadia but Simon remained in Canada. In August 1652 the Jesuits, seigneurs of Notre-Dame-des-Anges, granted him a concession, called the "ferme de la Trinité." He subsequently received several additional grants, established himself and his family, and put his land under cultivation. In addition he is mentioned in 1660 as being seigneurial attorney and receiver general ("procureur fiscal et receveur général") for the Compagnie des Cent-Associés. In September 1664 he was appointed to the Conseil Souverain, serving until 6 Dec. 1666.
Simon Denys apparently amassed no great fortune but he won the esteem of the authorities for, on the recommendation of the intendant, Talon, he was ennobled by the king in 1668. Although the patent of nobility was not registered by the Conseil Souverain until 1680, after Simon's death, no one contested the right of Simon or his descendants to bear arms. Louis XIV's abolition of unregistered titles in 1669 had, in practice, no application in New France.
Denys, Description and natural history (Ganong). Hugolin Lemay, Le père Joseph Denis, premier récollet canadien (1657–1736) (2v., Québec, 1926). JR (Thwaites), passim. Thomas Guérin, From the Crusades to Quebec: "The Knights of Malta in the New World" (Montreal, 1949), 202. Le Jeune, Dictionnaire, I, 493–94. "Lettres d'annoblissement de Simon Denys," BRH, XII (1906), 345–46. Lettres de noblesse, généalogies, érections de comtés et baronnies insinuées par le Conseil souverain de la Nouvelle-France, éd. P.-G. Roy (2v., Beauceville, 1920). Benjamin Sulte, Histoire des Can. fr., III. P.-G. Roy, "Les conseillers au Conseil souverain de la Nouvelle-France," RSCT, 3d ser., IX (1915), sect.i, 175.
Revisions based on:
Arch. en Ligne, Charente-Maritime (La Rochelle, France), "Reg. paroissiaux, pastoraux et d'état civil," La Rochelle, Saint-Barthélémy, 11 nov. 1678: charente-maritime.fr/CG17/jcms/cg17_34489/les-archives-en-ligne (consulted 2 Aug. 2011).
© 1966–2023 University of Toronto/Université Laval
Cite This Article
Jean Lunn, "DENYS (Denis) DE LA TRINITÉ, SIMON," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed October 2, 2023, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/denys_de_la_trinite_simon_1E.html.
The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:
|Author of Article:
|Jean Lunn
|Title of Article:
|DENYS (Denis) DE LA TRINITÉ, SIMON
|Publication Name:
|Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1
|University of Toronto/Université Laval
|Year of publication:
|Year of revision:
|Access Date:
|October 2, 2023


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Highest accuracy for loading viscous bitumen
GRISARD BITUMEN AG relies on Promass Q 500
GRISARD BITUMEN AG develops, refines and distributes bituminous adhesives of high quality. The standard bitumen delivered to BITUTANK AG by ship is refined with additives to make polymer-modified bitumen (PmB) and then transported to the customer by rail or tank car. To load tank cars, GRISARD BITUMEN AG uses a truck scale and the new Promass Q 500 Coriolis flowmeter. This flowmeter enables the bitumen, which sometimes outgasses, to be measured with unprecedented accuracy.
The results
Measuring errors could be reduced from a maximum of 8% down to 0.1 to 0.2%
Greater plant availability thanks to web-based data handling
For years we have found Endress+Hauser to be a skilled and reliable partner. The very close and good cooperation with the service engineer was particularly decisive.
The customer's challenge
Previously, the amount of bitumen filled into the tank cars was determined using a truck scale and another type of Coriolis flowmeter. Due to the outgassing processes in highly viscous bitumen, however, this older Coriolis flowmeter showed measuring errors of up to 8% as compared to the truck scale. Since the flow measurement point is operated system-dependently on both the discharge side and intake side of a pump, outgassing processes are the norm due to pressure fluctuations.
Our solution
The bitumen application made it necessary to search for a flow measuring technology (i.e. Promass Q 500) that ensures the greatest loading accuracies for viscous fluids and is not sensitive to process pressure and gas content fluctuations.
Another requirement, based on the need for better plant availability, was to enable all measured data to be saved, evaluated and retrieved using a web-based cloud solution.
Proline Promass Q 500
In place of the original Coriolis flowmeter – which had provided flawless measurement results for bitumen that was not outgassing – a Promass Q 500 was installed specifically for the bitumen loading station:
– Measurement is not dependent on fluctuations in process pressure and temperature
– Excellent performance for business transactions, e.g. custody transfer and/or invoicing
– Patented "Multi-Frequency Technology" (MFT) for reliable measurement of fluids with gas entrainment or microbubbles
Customized IIoT software solution
For web-based data retrieval and evaluation using the cloud, Endress+Hauser developed a specially tailored IIoT software solution:
– Worldwide access to all measured data of current or prior completed loading processes
– Evaluation options, e.g. trend analyses of process and/or quality parameters (mass, volume, density, temperature, etc.)
– Heartbeat Technology for reliable detection of changes in the process and/or device, e.g. through cavitation, buildup or corrosion
Sản phẩm đơn giản
- Dễ lựa chọn, cài đặt và vận hành
Công nghệ vượt trội
Đơn giản
Sản phẩm tiêu chuẩn
- Đáng tin cậy, mạnh mẽ và ít bảo trì
Công nghệ vượt trội
Đơn giản
Sản phẩm cao cấp
- Chức năng cao và tiện lợi
Công nghệ vượt trội
Đơn giản
Sản phẩm chuyên dụng
- Dành cho các ứng dụng đòi hỏi cao
Công nghệ vượt trội
Đơn giản
Có thể thay đổi
|Lựa chọn FLEX
|Công nghệ vượt trội
|Đơn giản
Lựa chọn Fundamental
Đáp ứng nhu cầu đo lường cơ bản
Công nghệ vượt trội
Đơn giản
Lựa chọn Lean
Xử lý dễ dàng các quy trình cốt lõi
Công nghệ vượt trội
Đơn giản
Lựa chọn Extended
Tối ưu hóa quy trình bằng công nghệ tiên tiến
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Đơn giản
Lựa chọn Xpert
Làm chủ các ứng dụng khó khăn nhất
Công nghệ vượt trội
Đơn giản
Có thể thay đổi


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Whenever I see a reversal like this I always wonder if someone has started to pad his/her wallets to contradict themselves.
Disappointing: Tim Berners-Lee Defends DRM In HTML 5
from the he-should-know-better dept
We recently wrote about the truly stupid idea of building DRM into HTML5. At SXSW this week, web inventor Tim Berners-Lee was asked about this, and he surprisingly defended the decision, claiming that it was necessary to get companies to use HTML5:
During a post-talk Q&A, he defended proposals to add support for "digital rights management" usage restrictions to HTML5 as necessary to get more content on the open Web: "If we don't put the hooks for the use of DRM in, people will just go back to using Flash," he claimed.
Berners-Lee is so good on so many issues (most of his talk seemed to be about the importance of openness) that this response really stands out as not fitting with his general view of the world. Cory Doctorow has responded eloquently to TBL, explaining why he should be against the DRM proposal.
What's more, DRM is wholly ineffective at preventing copying. I suspect Berners-Lee knows this. When geeks downplay fears over DRM, they often say things like: "Well, I can get around it, and anyway, they'll come to their senses soon enough, since it doesn't work, right?" Whenever Berners-Lee tells the story of the Web's inception, he stresses that he was able to invent the Web without getting any permission. He uses this as a parable to explain the importance of an open and neutral Internet. But what he fails to understand is that DRM's entire purpose is to require permission to innovate.
For limiting copying is only the superficial reason for adding DRM to a technology. DRM fails completely at preventing copying, but it is brilliant at preventing innovation. That's because DRM is backstopped by anti-circumvention laws like the notorious US Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA) and the EU Copyright Directive of 2002 (EUCD), both of which make it a crime to compromise DRM, even if you're not breaking any other laws. Effectively, this means that you have to get permission from a DRM licensing authority to add any features, since all new features require removing DRM, and the DRM license terms prohibit adding any features not in the original agreement, and omitting any of the mandatory restrictions featured in that agreement.
Doctorow makes two other key points in this: (1) that the W3C (the standards setting body for HTML5) has an enormous role in keeping the web free and open — and imposing DRM is abusing the trust it has built up and will backfire badly and (2) that the big content players who insist they "need" DRM are bluffing.
As the leading standards-setting body for the Web, the W3C has an enormous, sacred and significant trust. The future of the Web is the future of the world, because everything we do today involves the net and everything we'll do tomorrow will require it. Now it proposes to sell out that trust, on the grounds that Big Content will lock up its "content" in Flash if it doesn't get a veto over Web-innovation. That threat is a familiar one: the big studios promised to boycott US digital TV unless it got mandatory DRM. The US courts denied them this boon, and yet, digital TV continues (if only Ofcom and the BBC had heeded this example before they sold Britain out to the US studios on our own high-def digital TV standards).
Flash is already an also-ran. As Berners-Lee himself will tell you, the presence of open platforms where innovation requires no permission is the best way to entice the world to your door. The open Web creates and supplies so much value that everyone has come to it – leaving behind the controlled, Flash-like environs of AOL and other failed systems. The big studios need the Web more than the Web needs big studios.
The Big Content guys have been seeking to remake the web in their image (i.e., "TV") for over a decade now, still believing that they're the main reason people get online. They're not. There's room for them within the ecosystem, but professional broadcast-quality content is just a part of the system, not the whole thing. If the world moves to HTML5 without DRM, the content guys will whine about it… and then follow. Especially as the more knowledgeable and forward-looking content creators jump in and succeed.
Filed Under: cory doctorow, drm, html5, internet, openness, permission, tim berners-lee


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Manchester terrier
Manchester terrier, breed of sleek, alert terrier developed in England in the 19th cent. There are two varieties, the standard and the toy (see toy dog). The standard variety stands from 14 to 16 in. (35.6–40.6 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs about 16 lb (7.3 kg). The toy Manchester, bred down from the standard, weighs from 5 to 12 lb (2.3–5.5 kg) and stands about 7 in. (17.8 cm) high at the shoulder. The only distinction other than size between the two varieties is in ear carriage; when not cropped, the ears of the standard are semierect, while the toy's natural ear carriage is erect. The dense, short, smooth coat is glossy and is a combination of jet black and mahogany tan in color. Believed to have been the product of breeding a whippet to a famous brown crossbred terrier, the Manchester was originally used in destroying rats and in the widely popular sport of rabbit coursing. Today it is raised chiefly as a house pet. See dog.


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The title of my blog is Civil Civics. That is not an accident. When first working with The Almanac editors to nail down the scope of what this online "column" would be about, I came up with the name because I wanted to remind myself, as much as readers, that public debate is healthiest when it has an air of mutual respect and fairness. On any given topic, you may not agree with me, but I hope you will keep an open mind. I know I am far from perfect. I admit that I have a snarky side that may rear its head in, say, a certain "bullet train" article. But even when dealing with subjects involving elected officials or City employees, I try to address the issue, not the person, as much as possible. Whether or not I'm successful is up to you.
The trouble with using certain labels or analogies is that it stops conversation dead in its tracks. When you use an analogy to the holocaust or to the Nazi party, emotions ratchet up and understanding and dialogue cease. To me, it also dampens the true horror of genocide from that chapter of history.
It happens on both sides of the political spectrum. I recently had a conversation with someone who is a leader in his local Tea Party movement. I was curious about the issue of "name calling" vs. dialogue. He recounted a recent story in which he was at his local gym, and overheard another man speaking very loudly about how "racist" the Tea Party was. This Tea Party member approached the man and, very politely, introduced himself and explained that he had helped to organize the local chapter. He offered to talk to the man about some of his concerns about smaller government and fiscal conservatism. The other man wanted no part of it, but instead shouted to the other gym goers nearby: "hey everyone, can you believe this racist wants to talk to me?"
What a missed opportunity for conversation and understanding. Here you had someone actually involved in putting together a local political group who wanted to explain his policy opinions, and the other party couldn't get past name calling. (Again, I know it happens in the reverse with terms like "communist" and "socialist".) You don't have to agree, but listen. Or don't engage but don't name call. If you read the above sentence about what the Tea Party member stated about his beliefs and scoffed, have you ever talked to someone involved with that political movement? I always find it fascinating to go directly to the source because my pre-conceived notions based on the "noise" are so often off track. I'm usually pretty humbled.
I don't know for certain what was in Mr. Perkins' heart, but I believe he is truly concerned that there is a growing trend of vilification of successful people. I think there is truth in that statement, and vilification of any group of peoplerich or poor, male or female, blue or orange, is wrong. Mr. Perkins obviously feels personally passionate about it, and I can infer from his reference to Danielle Steel, who he was married to from 1998 to 2002, that he is aware of the emotional toll that personal attacks have. I respect him for wanting to stand up for someone close to hima loved one he has watched be personally-- and publicly -- attacked. Having money doesn't protect your heart from that.


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"Don't judge a book by its cover."
That oft-cited idiom, attributed to English author Mary Ann Evans — who wrote under the manly pen name George Eliot — in her 1860 novel The Mill on the Floss, cautions us to avoid forming an opinion of someone or something based solely upon what we see at first glance.
Sage advice, right? Or, is it?
Here in fashion-conscious Italy — where everyone, it seems, dresses to the nines to parade their bella figura (pride in one's appearance) around their weekly, local open-air market — Evans and/or Eliot's proverbial book cover is repeatedly turned on its spine in the form of l'etichetta: the stylish labeling and packaging of an individual product fighting for a prominent spot on store shelves around the Bel Paese and beyond.
It really is l'etichetta that catches the eye of the consumer and draws him/her into the tent for further inspection and, hopefully, a purchase.
Sitting in my car, strumming my fingers on the steering wheel as I wait for the automatic barrier to rise and let me drive through, I'm pondering Georgy Girl's seven-word warning. Can I truly judge a book based solely on its cover? Maybe not, but I'm here at the latest stop in the Traveling the Wine Roads of Italy series to find out.
Welcome to Bottega S.p.A., an award-winning estate built inside a renovated and expanded 19th century manor house (Villa Rosina) and surrounded by ten hectares of vineyards. It's located in tiny Bibano di Godega di Sant'Urbano, 45 km north of Venice and smack dab in the middle of Italy's Prosecco and grappa-producing Veneto region.
I'm being double-teamed for this l'etichetta primer by Bottega's Claudia Gambin, the UK-Ireland-Scandinavian Area Manager, and Irene Patruno, the brand's International Press Officer.
Like three-quarters of the cast from The Wizard of Oz, we stroll down the sidewalk that links the corporate offices with the production-fermentation-distillery plant chatting it up as we go.
"So, Claudia," I ask, "what sets Bottega apart from the rest of the competitive Italian wine industry?"
"Simple," she replies, "Bottega's colorful, creative, hand-blown bottles that envelop superlative grape, grappa and liqueurs." Claudia adds, "Bottega places as much emphasis on the look of the bottles and packaging as it does the liquid inside that bears our mark."
Not your run-of-the mill winery, Bottega has its own off-site glass-blowing factory, where artisan craftsmen create eye-catching, award-winning bottles across eight trademarked lines in the same tradition as those exiting furnaces on the Venetian island of Murano.
Bottega's "book cover" just keeps getting better and better as we move along.
"We're an event-oriented estate," explains the PR-savy Irene, "specializing in customized orders for individual clients and large global corporations, including in-flight sales and duty-free air terminal shops."
The estate's latest initiative was the launching earlier this year of the Bottega Prosecco Bar aboard select vessels of the Viking Cruise Line.
They're upscale lounges that closely resemble the old Venetian bácaro (tavern), where passengers can sample Bottega's fine wines and spirits paired with tasty stuzzachini (appetizers), or enjoy full course Italian lunches and dinners, or just pop in for an aperitivo as the sun sets across the horizon.
We did say Prosecco, didn't we? Cin cin!
Bottega, ever expanding, ever evolving, has an annual output of 10-million bottles, and climbing, of wines, grappas and liqueurs, with 70% of its productivity devoted to Prosecco.
Along with its backyard vineyards in Bibano di Godega, where it produces its signature Prosecco, other sparkling wines, grappa and sweet liqueurs, Bottega also has terroirs in Valpolicella to harvest its premium Amarone, Recioto and Ripasso blends, and in Montalcino where it produces the princely Brunello under the Tuscan sun.
Not limiting itself to just the grape in all its variations, Bottega thought outside the bottle to bring a handful of high-quality food products to the international marketplace, too: extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, arabica coffee and packaged cakes.
Okay, the "book cover," in all of its different shades, looks attractive, but I came here to sample the grape as well as see it produced and described. I'd really like to experience firsthand the WOW! factor as one of Bottega's art museum-worthy bottles is uncorked.
As if on cue, Claudia and Irene whisk me off to Mela Cotogna (the Cotogna Apple), a nearby restaurant that Bottega uses for its degustazione (wine tasting) accompanied by some exceptional antipasti (appetizers) prepared in the kitchen.
I swirl, smell and sip my way through four different wines, four creamy killer liqueurs and one incredible grappa while Claudia explains in great detail each label's characteristics. In between the changeovers, I savor a host of delectable regional dishes plated before me.
Not a bad drop in the entire lot, but the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and take notice when I taste the Cantine dei Poeti (Cellar of the Poets) Pinot Grigio IGT delle Venezie, a surprising dry white with incredible citrus fruit scents that's a fun, anytime wine. It actually winks at me.
The hairs lowered a bit, but not too much, this unbelievable degustazione continues.
I slowly sip my way through short glasses of Crema di Limoncino, Fior di Latte, Nero and Latte Macchiato — four of Bottega's 20 creamy liqueurs that are each accented with 10% grappa content.
And, I end this liquid tour de force with a shot of the velvety smooth Grappa Alexander Moscato.
Before calling it a day, Claudia and Irene gift me a case of six different wines, spirits and liqueurs so that I can continue my "research" at home. With kiss-kiss, hug-hugs all around — I think we're BFFs now — I thank the ladies profusely for their unbelievable hospitality and the ton of information they provided me along the very detailed tour and delightful tasting.
As I motor away, here are a few more footnotes on Bottega.
It started out in 1977 as a boutique grappa distillery and expanded into wine, first with Prosecco, in 1992.
Today, the company is managed by the brother-sister-brother act of Sandro, Barbara and Stefano Bottega, and boasts 12 distinct lines with annual sales topping the €37 million mark.
Seventy percent of its full-time workforce are women, with many serving in top-level positions.
Lastly, Bottega gives as good as it gets as it devotes time, energy and money to great local, regional and international causes, like the Breast Health Institute; the "Drink Well" educational program; the Italian Association for the Blind; and, distance adoption of African children via the Millennium for Peace initiative.
Everytime Bottega products are sold, the company donates a portion of the proceeds to these causes.
Based upon its "book cover" alone, Bottega S.p.A., a respected and trusted brand around the international marketplace and socially responsible at its core, is, at first glance, well worth the read.
To plan your own customized tour and wine tasting at Bottega, just click HERE for complete details.
And, if Italy's just too far away for you to sample the grape, don't fret. Palm Bay International (PBI), Bottega's importer into the United States, can put you in contact with retailers located in your state. Just click HERE, then go to PBI's handy PRODUCT LOCATOR tool.
A special word of thanks goes out to Neil Cassidy, Managing Director of Cassidy Wines in Dublin, Bottega's exclusive supplier in Ireland, who made this blog entry possible by paving the way and arranging for my VIP visit to the estate. Thanks Neil. I owe you.
©The Palladian Traveler | ©Tom Palladio Images


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Goscomb Technologies are London (UK) based providers of business grade Network and Hosting Services operating an International network. Based on this solid foundation Goscomb Technologies can offer a range of services from simple website hosting through to collocation and BGP IP / data transit at a variety of speeds in the UK, Netherlands, France and the USA.
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This is an unexpected treat: Windows Phone 7's SDK came out today, and apparently it includes DivX support up through DivX6. That means no DivX7, but it's still a lot more than you can find on the iPhone.
Taylor Lorenz Talks "Extremely Online"
While the move decidedly puts Windows Phone 7 way ahead of the iPhone in terms of natively supported media codecs, it's still unclear what the allowed maximum resolution will be. But so far, add it to the list of things that we've found out today about Windows Phone 7 that have exceeded expectations. [Microsoft Visual Studio Developer Center, thanks Daniel!]


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Please visit our Open House at 263 FURNESS ST in New Westminster.
Open House on Saturday, October 26, 2019 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Welcome to "Port Royal". Rare opportunity to own this gorgeously maintained 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom craftsman style home. These homes were crafted with care and offer 9ft exposed cedar beam ceilings, skylights, hardwood floors, 2 gas fireplaces, laundry room with sink, and detached 2 car garage. The easily maintained outdoor space includes a welcoming front porch and a private sitting area in the backyard. This home is perfect for the first time home buyers. Located close to schools, transit, shopping, parks. Go for a beautiful evening walk along the river and jump on the Q to Q ferry to the New Westminster Quay. Open House Saturday Oct. 26 from 2-4pm Call today for a private showing.


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Daniel O'Grady, an Australian into exploring old Japanese castles, happened upon this random sadness pile in Kurume City on Kyushu island. It's definitely a five-hanky lot of cars gone to seed, though rife with rusty-muscle-car porn.
Not counting the Suzuki van amid the period iron, the pile includes at least 11 American muscle cars of archeological interest, all from the late 1960s through the 1980s. They're mostly pony cars of the Camaro and Mustang variety.
The Camaros range from what looks to be a badly-rusted 1970 Z28 with the split-bumper RS package and a hugger orange '69 with the low-rent 307ci V8, to a malaise-era junker. A '79 Pontiac Trans Am with T-tops and, assumedly, the W72 Pontiac 400 "T/A 6.6" engine, looks rough, but could be in the best shape of them all.
The Mustangs, ranging from '67-'68 to the early '70s are in the sorriest shape, with two '69s left forlornly under a pile. and two malaise-era Corvettes dot the lot like faded actors. Maybe someone shipped them over from the states with the intent to restore, and either died or just didn't get around to it.


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Enterprise HR systems store and maintain critical information about the people making enterprises run. These systems are updated daily as people join the enterprise, change positions, reorganise, leave and return - to name a few of the very large number of key data elements typically collected and tracked.
All people working in an enterprise need training and development regularly, and most of the training and development they need is directly related to information maintained in the enterprise HR system. The way data is stored in an enterprise's HR system depends greatly on both the enterprise HR system being used and they way the enterprise HR system has been configured for the enterprise.
HR import allows the people, position and organisation data in Totara Learn to be regularly and automatically updated with all the relevant data delivered from enterprise HR systems. HR import is a one-way synchronisation process (from the enterprise HR system to Totara Learn) supporting two types of data exchanges:
- CSV file
- External database connection
(This video is taken from the Creating users in Totara Learn course in the Totara Academy, where you can access more resources and learning materials - including other videos).
Using HR import
If you want to use HR import by uploading a CSV file then you will need to follow these basic steps.
- Configure the default settings.
- Configure the element.
- Configure the source.
- Create the file.
- Upload the file.
- Run HR import.
- Check the HR import logs.
You can find more detail on each of these steps within this Help documentation - as linked in the steps above.
Benefits of using HR import
HR import keeps Totara Learn up-to-date with enterprise HR systems without the need to manually enter, update, and delete data. The process automatically creates, updates, and deletes these record types: users, positions, organisations, as well as assignments to positions, organisations, and managers.
When HR import is used in combination with Totara Learn's Audience management and Report builder features, Totara Learn will dynamically deliver access to learning content and learning records to the appropriate people within an enterprise based on current HR information.
Audiences can be defined on the basis of rules, where membership and learning assigned to audience members can be updated on a regular basis. Audience rules can be comprised of any HR data field found in Totara Learn (i.e. organisation, position, and user data). Audience rules (e.g. 'Organisation name is Corporate Finance') can be combined into rule sets (e.g. 'Organisation name is Corporate Finance AND Position ID is 988 AND User Start Date is less than 12 months ago AND Employment Status is Full-time AND Employee ID is not ADV994'). When Totara Learn has up-to-date HR data (via HR import), audiences will keep membership and assigned learning consistent with the current status of every person in the enterprise.
See Audiences for more information.
Report builder
Report builder allows reports to be created and configured to control which columns of data and filters are shown in a given report, as well as which records are shown to a user viewing the report. Similar to audience rules, a report's columns can be comprised of any HR data field found in Totara Learn (i.e. organisation, position, and user data). For example, reports can include columns such as User Department, User City, User Country, User Organisation, User Position, User Manager Name, and User Manager ID.
A report's filters can also leverage all of these HR data fields as well as the hierarchical relationships in the HR data. For example, a report viewer can filter a report by organisational hierarchies such as or below organisational levels. Report builder can also leverage hierarchical data to only show records to report viewers based on their relationship to other users (e.g. direct reports, in the same area of the organisational hierarchy, etc). When HR import runs on a daily basis, every report's available records, columns, and filters are up-to-date with the latest HR data.
See Report builder for more information.
Learn more and try it for yourself in the Creating users course on the Totara Academy.
The Totara Academy has a whole course dedicated to Creating users in Totara Learn. Here you can learn more on how to create users, see best practice, and give it a go yourself.


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You have a strong technical background and have been a solid individual contributor on scientific, engineering or technology projects.
But you want more. You want to bring new products to market, improve existing technologies and lead high-performing teams in an increasingly interconnected world. In short, you want to transform yourself from an engineer or technologist into a global business leader.
The Purdue One-Year MBA can help you get there. The STEM-focused program combines critical business skills and leadership training with active learning projects, providing context around the opportunities and challenges associated with leading engineering, scientific and technology (STEM) organizations.


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Our team of professionals has made Meest Corporation Inc. the parcel distributor of choice for people who value customer service, knowledgeable staff, and customer support. Since launching our business in 1989 within the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, we've built a reputation for having the knowledge and providing a wide range of delivery services that allows you to send out parcels on time and on budget. This is a direct result of our ongoing commitment that focuses on superior service to all of our customers, regardless of the size of your order.
Meest Corporation is dedicated to being a strong and effective partner in countries with a Ukrainian diaspora, providing support to friends and families in Ukraine, creating centres throughout the world to join Ukrainians together and to enhance cultural and business relationships between Ukraine and other countries.
Meeting Our Mission:
Uniting the diaspora with their friends and family "back home", we at Meest Corporation have learned over our years in business of how to "build bridges" to connect and collaborate with people, organizations, and countries.
Today, Meest Corporation is the undisputed market leader in Canada, the U.S., Europe, and Australia by providing value added services, such as delivery of parcels, commercial goods, money transfers, gifts, humanitarian aid, and more – not only to Ukraine, but also to Russia, Moldova, Belarus, the Baltics, and the Central Asian countries. These services are enjoyed internationally by hundreds of thousands of customers from many countries worldwide every year.
Enterprises, incorporated in the international Meest Corporation, work in Canada, the U.S., Australia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Poland, and the countries of Eastern Europe. With our Headquarters located in Toronto, Meest Corporation has over 500 offices and branches in North and South America and approximately 250 outlets in Europe.
Joining people, businesses, and continents, Meest ("bridge" in Ukrainian) has become a real bridge - integrating and linking communities in places across the globe!


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Utah home inspired by movie 'Up' sold
SALT LAKE CITY -- Two self-described Disney "fanatics" have purchased a house in Utah modeled after the colorful home featured in the animated movie "Up."
Discovering the house in the Salt Lake City suburb of Herriman, Utah, was a dream come true for Clinton and Lynette Hamblin of Petaluma, Calif. The couple had been looking for a house with some of the same flourishes as the one in the movie, such as a multi-colored exterior or a blue kitchen with retro appliances.
They initially looked in California until they saw news reports about the house in Utah that included every possible detail from the movie and was even officially recognized as the "Up" house by Disney. Even more surprising was the $400,000 price tag, which was less than homes they looked at in California.
For them, however, the real attraction to the house was it underscored the overriding theme of the movie.
"We just love the message of the movie -- adventure is out there," Lynette Hamblin told The Salt Lake Tribune.
The house is modeled on its appearance early in the movie, when Carl and Ellie Frederickson are flush with the optimism of newlyweds. That was before infertility undid their hopes for a family and Ellie's death left Carl a curmudgeonly recluse who refuses to succumb to developers and sell his house.
Homebuilder Adam Bangerter told The Associated Press earlier this year that he and his brothers -- who collectively own Bangerter Homes -- wanted to replicate the house because it's iconic and plays an important role in the movie.
"It illustrates what homeownership really is, and it's not an investment. It's part of the American dream to have a house to care for, to improve and to make part of your family," Bangerter said during a tour of the house.
Herriman City spokeswoman Nicole Martin said about 45,000 people have visited the home for tours, and will continue to do so through the month of December. City leaders even recently passed a resolution honoring the house for its economic impact.
The Hamblins plan to move into the home after closing Jan. 4, which happens to be Lynette Hamblin's birthday.


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Adam W. Meyerson
Software Engineer
Dr. Meyerson has moved on to an engineering position at Google, Mountain View. He will no longer be teaching courses or advising students at UCLA. This page is defunct, but remains to provide access to publications and such.
Publications sorted chronologically.
Adam Meyerson received his PhD from Stanford University in Fall 2002, with a thesis on approximation algorithms for design of minimum-cost computer networks. He spent the 2002-2003 academic year as a postdoctoral fellow of the Center for Algorithmic Adaptation, Dissemination, and Integration (Aladdin) at Carnegie-Mellon University. He joined the faculty of UCLA in Fall of 2003. Major research results include the first constant approximation for buy-at-bulk network design, the first online algorithm for the facility location problem, and the first constant approximation for orienteering. Recently he has focused on randomized online algorithms, making substantial progress towards the randomized k-server conjecture, devising a randomized algorithm for online matching, and introducing a new model for time-sensitive dynamic online problems.
As of summer 2011, Adam has joined the engineering team at Google Mountain View. He is now working on improving ads quality.
Graduates of UCLA's PhD program under Dr. Meyerson's supervision include: Douglas Carroll (PhD 2007, now at Netseer.com), Aaron Cote (PhD 2010, now a lecturer at USC), Gunes Ercal (PhD 2008, now an Assistant Professor at Southern Illinois University), Michael Shindler (PhD 2011, now an engineer at Hulu), and Brian Tagiku (PhD 2011, now an engineer at Google). Masters graduates include Tyler McHenry (MS 2008, now an engineer at Google), Laura Poplawski (MS 2006, now at BBN Technologies), and Corey Worrell (MS 2010, now an engineer at Western Digital). Dr. Meyerson also used to advise David Felber and Alan Roytman, but they have been traded to Prof. Ostrovsky.


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Arctic meltdown not caused by nature
Rapid loss of Arctic sea ice - 80 per cent has disappeared since 1980 - is not caused by natural cycles such as changes in the Earth's orbit around the Sun, says Dr Karl.
The situation is getting rather messy with regard to the ice melting in the Arctic. Now the volume of the ice varies throughout the year, rising to its peak after midwinter, and falling to its minimum after midsummer, usually in the month of September.
Over most of the last 1,400 years, the volume of ice remaining each September has stayed pretty constant. But since 1980, we have lost 80 per cent of that ice.
Now one thing to appreciate is that over the last 4.7 billion years, there have been many natural cycles in the climate — both heating and cooling. What's happening today in the Arctic is not a cycle caused by nature, but something that we humans did by burning fossil fuels and dumping slightly over one trillion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere over the last century.
So what are these natural cycles? There are many many of them, but let's just look at the Milankovitch cycles. These cycles relate to the Earth and its orbit around the Sun. There are three main Milankovitch cycles. They each affect how much solar radiation lands on the Earth, and whether it lands on ice, land or water, and when it lands.
The first Milankovitch cycle is that the orbit of the Earth changes from mostly circular to slightly elliptical. It does this on a predominantly 100,000-year cycle. When the Earth is close to the Sun it receives more heat energy, and when it is further away it gets less. At the moment the orbit of the Earth is about halfway between "nearly circular" and "slightly elliptical". So the change in the distance to the Sun in each calendar year is currently about 5.1 million kilometres, which translates to about 6.8 per cent difference in incoming solar radiation. But when the orbit of the Earth is at its most elliptical, there will be a 23 per cent difference in how much solar radiation lands on the Earth.
The second Milankovitch cycle affecting the solar radiation landing on our planet is the tilt of the north-south spin axis compared to the plane of the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. This tilt rocks gently between 22.1 degrees and 24.5 degrees from the vertical. This cycle has a period of about 41,000 years. At the moment we are roughly halfway in the middle — we're about 23.44 degrees from the vertical and heading down to 22.1 degrees. As we head to the minimum around the year 11,800, the trend is that the summers in each hemisphere will get less solar radiation, while the winters will get more, and there will be a slight overall cooling.
The third Milankovitch cycle that affects how much solar radiation lands on our planet is a little more tricky to understand. It's called 'precession'. As our Earth orbits the Sun, the north-south spin axis does more than just rock gently between 22.1 degrees and 24.5 degrees. It also — very slowly, just like a giant spinning top — sweeps out a complete 360 degrees circle, and it takes about 26,000 years to do this. So on January 4, when the Earth is at its closest to the Sun, it's the South Pole (yep, the Antarctic) that points towards the Sun.
So at the moment, everything else being equal, it's the southern hemisphere that has a warmer summer because it's getting more solar radiation, but six months later it will have a colder winter. And correspondingly, the northern hemisphere will have a warmer winter and a cooler summer.
But of course, "everything else" is not equal. There's more land in the northern hemisphere but more ocean in a southern hemisphere. The Arctic is ice that is floating on water and surrounded by land. The Antarctic is the opposite — ice that is sitting on land and surrounded by water. You begin to see how complicated it all is.
We have had, in this current cycle, repeated ice ages on Earth over the last three-million years. During an ice age, the ice can be three kilometres thick and cover practically all of Canada. It can spread through most of Siberia and Europe and reach almost to where London is today. Of course, the water to make this ice comes out of the ocean, and so in the past, the ocean level has dropped by some 125 metres.
From three million years ago to one million years ago, the ice advanced and retreated on a 41,000-year cycle. But from one million years ago until the present, the ice has advanced and retreated on a 100,000-year cycle.
What we are seeing in the Arctic today — the 80 per cent loss in the volume of the ice since 1980 — is an amazingly huge change in an amazingly short period of time. But it seems as though the rate of climate change is accelerating, and I'll talk more about that, next time …
Published 27 November 2012
© 2023 Karl S. Kruszelnicki Pty Ltd


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Dennis Emanuel Brown
Years Active:
'70s, '80s, '90s
Dennis Brown
BiographyOne of Jamaica's most beloved and prolific artists, the late Dennis Brown has left behind a slew of classic songs and myriad hits, a rich musical legacy born of a career that spanned over 30 years. Born Dennis Emmanuel Brown in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1957, his childhood home virtually destined him to a future in the music industry. He grew up on Orange Street, the heart of the island's music scene, with most of the major recording studios a mere stone's throw away. As the stars and future hitmakers paraded by day and music pumped out of the studios, the child could not help but be entranced. It was truly serendipitous that Brown himself had a voice that would set the studios ablaze. It didn't take long for the producers to discover his talent and by the time he was 11, the youngster had a first hit to his name, with a cover of the Impressions' "No Man Is an Island." It was the beginning of a successful, but not exclusive, partnership (Brown also scored with "If I Had the World" for producer Prince Buster). However, Dodd was responsible for Brown's debut album, 1970's No Man Is an Island, and its follow-up the next year, If I Follow My Heart. . Now entering his teens, the singer was ready to start making the studio rounds on a regular basis, cutting songs with a clutch of different producers. The album Super Reggae & Soul Hits gathers some of his work during this period and features a mix of superb, if lightweight, covers alongside a number of self-penned classics, all cut with producer Derrick Harriott. 1975's Best Of gathered a similar selection of material recorded for Joe Gibbs earlier in the decade. In 1972, the 16-year-old entered Gibbs' Duhaney Park studio and recorded the song that later established his international reputation, "Money in My Pocket." However, it wasn't Gibbs himself who oversaw this session, but a young engineer/producer who had replaced the recently departed Lee Perry. Twenty-year-old Niney "the Observer" Holness had stunned the island two years earlier with his seminal "Blood & Fire" single, a roots classic. Now he was presented with a teenager best known for his sweet ballads and silky lovers cuts. Regardless, the two young men immediately clicked and by 1973, Brown was recording exclusively with Holness. Their work together virtually defies belief, as hits rained from the sky and the pair redefined the roots genre in their own image.
Perhaps it was simply a matter of timing as the teen was determined to leave his youthful balladeer image behind, and Holness was offering the perfect opportunity to present himself in a more mature light. The young producer was seeking a singer to help bring his own musical vision to fruition and Brown was malleable enough to make that happen. Or perhaps it was just fate. In any event, over the next two years, Jamaica was rocked by a stream of seminal songs, all released via Holness' own Observer label. The haunting "Westbound Train," the powerfully emotive "Cassandra," the evocative "Africa" — the list goes on and on. Many of these were bundled up, along with a few unreleased songs, on 1975's Just Dennis album. Brown cut his last song, "Tribulation," with Holness that same year. At this point, Brown's reputation was established; an awed Bob Marley was even ecstatically calling him the best reggae singer in the world. Brown's own songwriting was now razor-sharp, and whether taking on cultural themes or lovers' concerns, his lyrics and delivery were always emotionally potent. Now he was ready to strike out on his own — or so he thought. Over the next year, the teen sensation made the studio rounds, recording a handful of songs for the likes of Phil Pratt and Sydney Crooks. But it was evident something was missing and by the end of the year, Brown had returned to Holness' side. The pair began recording again early in 1977 and their chemistry was still as strong as ever. The 1978 album Wolf & Leopard, titled after one of their hits, compiles most of the seminal string of singles the two men unleashed, including such masterpieces as the poignant "Here I Come" and the title-track.
The Heartbeat label has helpfully compiled all of the pair's work across two albums — Some Like It Hot and Open the Gate — while Cleopatra's two-disc The Golden Years: 1974-1976 draws heavily from this material (into 1977, regardless of the title). In 1978, the 21-year-old singer was now determined to stand on his own and set up his own label, DEB. Although it folded the following year, during that time Brown released a clutch of his own singles, as well as those by other artists, and a number of albums. The latter include his own excellent So Long Jah Rastafari and Joseph's Coat of Many Colours. Although the latter was produced by Gibbs and Errol Thompson, Brown himself was now also moving into production, and his work behind the board is featured on a number of DEB releases. It really was a stellar year, with the singer also one of the highlights of the One Love Peace Concert that year, as well as being one of the major draws at the first-ever Reggae Sunsplash. Upon DEB's closure, Brown again began the studio rounds, cutting singles for a wide variety of producers, including Bunny Lee, Ted Dawkins, and Ossie Hibbert. And Joe Gibbs, of course, with whom he had continued recording even during DEB's lifetime. 1978's Visions of Dennis Brown contained some of the fruits of their labor, and unusually, many of the album's strongest tracks never graced a 45, helping to push the sales of this stunning record even higher. The following year, a resurrected "Money in My Pocket" gave the pair a mega-hit and spawned the Words of Wisdom album, which also boasted the classic "Ain't That Loving You."
By 1979, Brown was already a legend, even though he'd barely reached adulthood. In addition to his work with Holness, he had a virtual shop's worth of successful singles to his credit: "Man Next Door," "Cup of Tea," "Equal Rights," "How Can I Leave," "Funny Feeling" (a duet with DJ Trinity), and many more. And the hits just kept coming. Unbelievably, it took until 1981 and interest spurred by that year's Gibb-produced Spellbound album for a major label to finally show serious interest, and Brown finally inked a deal with A&M. By this point, the singer had emigrated to London and it was there where he recorded his next two albums: Foul Play and Love Has Found a Way. But perhaps the move abroad was unwise, for although Foul Play in particular contained some classic roots, Brown seemed to be losing touch with his audience. The Prophet Rides Again did little to change this situation, with the vinyl's A-side pushing into instantly forgettable light R&B.
Inevitably, perhaps, it spelled the end of Brown's deal with A&M and the demise of his relationship with Gibbs. Back in Jamaica, however, the island had given roots the heave-ho in favor of the exuberance of DJs. Brown had already stuck a toe into these fresh waters back in 1979 when he had recorded a duet with Trinity. Now the singer would wade back in, first as a contributor to DJ Brigadier Jerry's 1983 album Live at the Controls at Jack Ruby Sound Ocho Rios J.A., and then alongside a similarly intrigued Gregory Isaacs for the Prince Jammy-produced Two Bad Superstars Meet. The success of that record demanded a follow-up and in 1985, Judge Not duly arrived to further acclaim. During this time, Brown also cut singles with the likes of Gussie Clarke, Sly & Robbie, and Starlight Productions, all on the cutting edge of the new scene. Meanwhile, the rise of DJs had prompted a group of veteran vocalists to join forces and retaliate with truckloads of their own releases. Brown, Gregory Isaacs, and John Holt were among the leading co-conspirators. It was a clever plan, based on the theory that DJs were only succeeding because there wasn't enough fresh vocal material in the market. Now the market would be flooded, with the vocalists each releasing around six albums a year and as many singles as they physically could. Compared to Isaacs (estimated to have released over 400 albums and counting), Brown was pretty lax, releasing a mere 100 or so full-lengths and over 200 compilations. Many came from his own new label, Yvonne's Special (named in honor of his wife), but the singer also cut records for just about every label who would let him. The flaw in this plan was that quantity took precedence over quality, and fans should choose carefully from among the clutter. However, Brown continued to release much material of note throughout the rest of the '80s, as well as continuing his chart success with a string of seminal singles.
1985's Prince Jammy-produced Slow Down and its follow-up, The Exit, are both classic albums recorded at the beginning of the digital age and showcase the singer's vociferous talent across cultural themes and into the passion of lovers, all cut through with a simmering dance beat. Co-producing with Trevor Bow, that same year Brown also offered up the much rootsier Wake Up. The following year's Brown Sugar, released by Sly & Robbie's Taxi label, compiles seven superb hits (and three 12" remixes) from this period. 1986 also saw the release of a collaborative album with Horace Andy, Reggae Superstars Meet, bringing together two of the most beautiful voices in reggae's history. The decade was seen out by the mega-hit "Big All Round," a duet with Gregory Isaacs that was produced by Gussie Clarke, which helped spur the trio to record the full-length No Contest, again boasting both solo tracks and duets. Clarke helped Brown inaugurate the new decade with the stellar Unchallenged album, which boasts a fiery guest appearance by Mutabaruka and the sweet vocals of Beres Hammond.
Across the decade some of the artist's most intriguing work was in collaboration with other artists. 1991's One Man One Vote, a recording by an artist's collective led by Mikey Bennett, found Brown singing alongside Cocoa Tea and Third World's Bunny Clarke. That same year, he recorded the excellent Victory Is Mine album, cut with producer Leggo Beast. Brown reunited with Tea and, joined by Freddie McGregor, recorded the Legit album, which boasted solo cuts as well as trio numbers. But there was also a series of truly disposable albums, notably 1993's abysmal General, a whole album of MOR covers done MOR style. Yet that same year, the singer reunited with Holness for Cosmic Forces, a crucial record powered by Sly & Robbie's rhythms in a deeply rootsy, totally dancehall mode. The Riddim Twins were also featured on the following year's Light My Fire, which, while not quite as innovative as Forces, is essential as one of the final recordings by the classic lineup of the Roots Radics. 1994 also was graced by Nothing Like This, which was co-produced by Brown and Junior Reid. And amidst this flood, Brown was continuing to provide the dulcet singing to complement DJ's toasts.
Back in 1991, the singer had stormed the dancehalls in the company of Twist, Brian, and Tony Gold. The next year, Brown's otherwise mediocre Blazing album was set alight by a version of "Fever," a duet with Maxi Priest that also featured the gruff tones of Shabba Ranks. Then, in 1994, Brown recorded a full collaborative album with Beenie Man and Triston Palma: Three Against War. The singer also cut singles with a host of other hot DJs during this period, among them Bounty Killer, Tiger, and Fabiana, joining forces with Roger Robin, Peter Hunningale, and Saxon later in the decade. At the same time, Brown's success as a soloist also continued unabated across a further string of hits. 1994 saw the release of the Flabba Holt-produced Blood Brothers and its follow-up, the far superior Milk and Honey. (The RAS label's May Your Food Basket Never Empty fills up a CD of Brown's recordings with Holt.) Equally entertaining was another reunion with Holness, 1996's Dennis, while producer Musclehead bundled up a batch of hits for You Got the Best of Me that same year and tossed in some new intriguing versions of old classics to boot. As the decade deepened, the artist's output continued unabated — singles and albums flew out of the studios in breakneck fashion. These include: Tribulation (produced by Alvin Ranglin), Hold Tight, Bless Me Jah, the Gussie Clarke-overseen Stone Cold World, and a clutch of albums all claiming to be Brown's last.
Perhaps it was to maintain this output that Brown first started using cocaine. Addiction eventually followed, and with it inevitable bodily ravages. Still, few expected it to end in his death. But on July 1, 1999, the unconscious singer was rushed to a Kingston hospital with a collapsed lung. This is not usually a fatal condition, but Brown was so weakened from drug use that he expired on the table. Jamaica had lost one of her greatest stars. Brown's legacy, however, was in no danger as new compilations, best-of collections, and reissues continued to appear regularly.
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Media owners: ask not what Facebook can do for you …
Jeff Jarvis
Monday June 11, 2007
The Guardian
At Davos this year, a powerful newspaper publisher beseeched Mark Zuckerberg, the young founder of the hugely successful social network Facebook, for advice on how he could build and own his community. The famously laconic Zuckerberg replied "You can't."
Zuckerberg went on to explain that communities already exist and the question these magnates should ask instead is how they can help them to do what they want to do. Zuckerberg's prescription was "elegant organisation". That is what he brought to Harvard's community when he started Facebook, then to more colleges, high schools and companies (including half the BBC, which has 10,000 friends, says its director of global news Richard Sambrook). And now it is open to the rest of us.
I finally joined Facebook and have become obsessed with Zuckerberg's creation. Until last autumn, one could join only with a university "edu" address. As a professor, I finally got that. Once inside, though, it felt terribly lonely; I had no friends. But since Facebook opened up, a flood of fellow old cronies have joined. So I spent a weekend morning inviting people I knew to be my Facebook friends – which would mean that we could see each other's pages and follow each other's actions in the service – and what floored me was the speed with which they replied. In a day I had 150 friends. What's notable about that is not that I'm liked but that these 150 people were on Facebook within a weekend. They, too, were addicted.
What is Facebook's secret sauce? I think it starts with identity. On the otherwise anonymous and pseudonymous internet, this is a place where real identity matters: I use my name and I associate with people whom I actually know. Soon after I started, I got invitations from strangers and asked my blog readers about the etiquette of responding. I was told that, in school, one accepts all invitations, because you are all in the same institution and it's rather like an arms race; school is, after all, a popularity contest. But we newcomer adults already seem to be developing a rule (borrowed from the similar business site LinkedIn) that we should befriend only those we know; it is an endorsement. So we are the masters of of our identities and our communities, which establishes trust. I think internet users have been yearning for such control.
Next, Facebook introduced what it calls a newsfeed, filled with simple updates about what your friends have done on the service: one posted a photo, another a video, two more befriended the same person, four others started using a feature. This was controversial when introduced – mainly because users were surprised by the change – but now it is popular, even essential. Zuckerberg says it is not news as we know it, but it has news value: if four friends I respect start using a program, that's good enough reason for me to look at it. As one blogger said, this isn't the wisdom of crowds but the wisdom of my crowd. It is like the talk around the cracker barrel in a frontier general store: the protonews of my small society.
Finally, a few weeks ago, Facebook turned itself into a platform. That is, it enables anyone to create applications on top of the service. Already there are scores of aps hooking up users' information with other services such as calendars, maps, chat, music, news, shopping, and much more. Every media, entertainment and web company needs to figure out how Facebook can help their communities. It is not just about widgetising content – the latest web 2.0 fad – but about people doing things together.
Zuckerberg's ambition for Facebook -which he has so far refused to sell, even though it is said he has been offered more than $1bn – is nothing less than for it to become the social operating system of the web, the Google of people. If the service opens up yet more – if it becomes the twine to tie together my lives online in my blog, my work, my town, YouTube, Flickr, Del.icio.us, Amazon, eBay, Twitter, and more – then his ambition may be attainable. That would be elegant organisation indeed.


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Two of the big, non-Chris Paul acquisitions this NBA offseason were trades involving big men and the Dallas Mavericks. First, Tyson Chandler was sent to the New York Knicks in a three-team sign-and-trade involving the Washington Wizards. The Mavericks then made a second deal, with the Los Angeles Lakers, bringing in Lamar Odom, who will replace some of the size Dallas lost in Chandler but is, of course, a very different player. Both moves could make or break the season for the Mavs and Knicks, respectively, so it seems worth examining which player is the better fit for his new team.
At first glance, Odom seems a confusing addition for the Mavericks. You can't really blame them for getting him, since all they had to give up was a draft pick for him, but it's hard to see where Odom fits on the Dallas roster. The Mavericks already have Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion at the forward spots, and the team won't want to limit Nowitzki's minutes, because he is Dirk Nowitzki. So it looks like Odom will be starting the year as Marion's backup. Despite Odom's reputation for being able to play several positions, he played almost all of his minutes with the Los Angeles Lakers last season at power forward, according to 82games.com.
That said, Odom has the skill set to play small forward. To see if he fits into what the Mavericks think a 3 should be, I think it would be interesting to look at how Dallas used Marion last season and ask if Odom can do the same things:
As you can see in the chart above, Marion's three most used play categories were cutting off the basketball, posting up, and spotting up. While Odom didn't do them as often as Marion did, he did perform better than Marion in each of the three areas, and he logged those numbers while playing at the 4. So can Odom duplicate Marion's performance from last season? Based on the stats, it seems like he can.
Now, let's look at the tape. First, Odom's movement without the ball: With teammates like Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and Jason Terry, Odom will have myriad opportunities to cut to the basket while his teammates have the ball (and the defense's attention). According to Synergy Sports, basket cuts made up two-thirds of Marion's total cuts last season. Odom, too, made basket cuts 68.6 percent of the time when he was cutting off the ball, and he was very successful doing so. Odom's PPP of 1.394 in these situations was in the top quarter of all NBA players, and he made 68.6 percent of his shots that came off basket cuts. It's particularly interesting to look at how Odom cuts off of his teammates when they post up:
Odom cuts so well off post-ups for a number of reasons. First, he reads the defense well. When Odom is on the weak side or when he enters the ball into the post, he always reads the defense. If his man turns his head or leaves him to double, Odom cuts to the rim. He also cuts in ways that provide his teammate in the post with a passing lane to get Odom the basketball. Once he makes the catch, Odom keeps the ball high and shoots quickly, so help defenders usually don't get a chance to block his shot. Given how often the Mavs use Nowitzki in the post, we can definitely expect to see lots of Odom making cuts around the reigning Finals MVP.
Marion is not known for his low-post game, yet the Mavericks chose to give him the ball rather frequently last year. This strategy makes sense when you consider that many opposing small forwards were mismatched against Marion. If Dallas also uses Odom, who at 6-foot-10 is listed as three inches taller than Marion, at the 3 this season, the mismatches will be even more pronounced. Against small forwards, Odom should be almost impossible to stop in the post without drawing a double-team.
On both sides of the court, Odom's favorite low-post move is to turn toward the baseline. This move allows him to take advantage of his length, which he used effectively against power forwards last season. The thought of Odom posting up against small forwards and turning toward the baseline should frighten every 3-man not named LeBron James, because Odom will simply be too big down there.
The final requirement for small forwards in Dallas' system is to be able to make spot-up jumpers when Nowitzki passes out of double-teams. Nowitzki has become an above-average passer, and Odom will be expected to make defenders pay for leaving him to double Dirk. Odom is long and has a high release on his shot. There won't be many players who can close out on Odom and then block his shot, especially since Odom should spend most of this season matched up against shorter defenders at the small forward position.
In addition to these three categories, Odom's versatility will give Mavs coach Rick Carlisle a chance to be a little more creative than he was with Marion. On its own, Odom's ballhandling ability is a scary thing for defenses. Now, imagine Odom coming off a ball screen set by Nowitzki. I can't think of a tougher pick-and-roll combo to defend; if they start running it well, Odom and Dirk could be even deadlier than the Westbrook/Durant and James/Wade pick and rolls we saw last season.
While Dallas had offense in mind when it acquired Lamar Odom, the New York Knicks signed Tyson Chandler away from the Mavericks because they coveted his defensive presence. Chandler looks to be a perfect fit for the Knicks. With his length and activity, Chandler can hide the defensive errors that Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony make. On top of that, Chandler is a fantastic cutter whose movement will create scoring opportunities around Stoudemire's and Anthony's isolation plays. But let's take a closer look to determine if Chandler is really such a perfect fit.
First, defense. It's hard to quantify weak-side help defense and the effect it has against isolation offense, but one way you can try to quantify it is by looking at the isolation points per possession that a team allows. Two seasons ago, the Mavericks were ranked 17th in the NBA in PPP allowed against isolations. They gave up 0.857 points per possession and let opponents shoot 43 percent from the field. Last year, the Mavericks jumped all the way to sixth in the NBA in PPP allowed against isolations, giving up 0.799 points per possession on 37.8 percent shooting. Based on these statistics, there is no question that Chandler had a positive effect on the Mavericks' defense:
Chandler is a great team defender. He recognizes when his teammates need help, and shifts over fast enough to provide that help. Using his athletic ability and smarts, Chandler gets into the paint and gets his hands on a number of shots. When he doesn't block those shots, he usually alters them and forces opponents to miss. The fact that Chandler was able to transform a defense with Nowitzki (for all his talents, Dirk has always been a poor defender) into one of the league's best goes to show just how good Chandler is as a help defender.
As great as Chandler is, he will definitely have his work cut out for him in New York. This season, not only does he have to cover Stoudemire's back — a role similar to the one he played with Dallas and Dirk last year — but Chandler also has to help a second defense-averse superstar in Anthony. So Chandler will have the power forwards who get by Stoudemire and the small forwards who beat Anthony attacking him. This could lead to all manner of complications, including more baskets allowed and more fouls committed by Chandler. With Chandler guarding the basket, and a horde of opposing small and power forwards attacking it this season, I wouldn't be surprised to see a jump in Chandler's foul rate. Even so, Chandler should still have a positive impact on the Knicks' isolation and overall defense, although that effect may not be as great as it was his first season with Dallas.
Offensively, Chandler fits in with the Knicks because he doesn't need the basketball to be effective. In Stoudemire and Anthony, New York already has two players to dominate the ball, so it's important to surround them with guys like Chandler who get their points by moving without the ball and by pursuing offensive rebounds. Chandler is adept at cutting to the open spaces on the floor, catching the ball, and finishing strong at the rim.
This video shows Chandler cutting off of isolation plays. Chandler is effective in these situations because defenders focus on the ball and lose track of him. Once Chandler's teammate attacks the defense, he dives to the rim and makes himself available for passes. Once he gets the ball, Chandler's athletic ability allows him to finish at the rim or at least draw a foul.
With the Knicks running so many isolation sets for Anthony, we should expect Chandler to feast off these plays and cut to the rim. The one problem is that once Anthony is isolated, he's not too fond of passing to cutters. With the Nuggets last season, Anthony hit the cutter only 15.2 percent of the time when passing out of isolation situations. For whatever reason, Anthony was much more comfortable passing to spot-up shooters, and while that works for guys like Landry Fields, it leaves Chandler stranded, cutting to the rim and looking for a pass that will never arrive. So although Chandler's movement without the ball makes him seem like a perfect fit in the Knicks' offense, Anthony's passing preferences may limit Chandler's effectiveness.
On the surface, the Mavericks' acquisition of Lamar Odom doesn't make much sense, while the Knicks' acquisition of Tyson Chandler seems brilliant. When we look at the statistics and the video, however, it becomes much more difficult to say which team made the better move this month. There are reasons to believe Odom could thrive in Dallas, as well as causes for concern that Chandler's impact in New York may be limited. On Christmas Day, when the Knicks play the Boston Celtics and the Mavs host the Miami Heat, we'll begin to see how Odom and Chandler fit with their new teams.
Sebastian Pruiti runs the blog NBA Playbook. Follow him on Twitter at @SebastianPruiti.
Previously by Sebastian Pruiti:
James Harden's Path to NBA Stardom
How Chris Paul will change the Clippers' offense
A breakdown of Eric Gordon's path to superstardom
Chris Paul and the Lakers: What could have been
How John Wall can become a Star in his Second NBA season
The Pros and Cons of Kentucky's Anthony Davis
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While we know how to help low-income individuals prepare for and find work, too many end up in low-wage jobs and never advance up the career ladder. This policy memo describes what we've learned about advancement strategies — both those that show promise and those that don't work.
Final Evidence from the UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) Demonstration
The British ERA program's distinctive combination of post-employment advisory support and financial incentives was designed to help low-income individuals who entered work sustain employment and advance in the labor market. It produced short-term earnings gains for two target groups but sustained increases in employment and earnings and positive benefit-cost results for the third target group, long-term unemployed individuals.
Delivery, Take-Up, and Outcomes of In-Work Training Support for Lone Parents
This report presents new findings from Britain's Employment Advancement and Retention demonstration, which tested the effectiveness of a program to improve the labor market prospects of low-paid workers and unemployed people. The report assesses whether coaching by advisers and financial incentives encouraged single-parent participants to take and complete training courses and whether training had an impact on their advancement in the labor market.
Findings from the Employment Retention and Advancement Project
This 12-page practitioner brief examines the work, education, and training patterns of single parents in the national Employment Retention and Advancement Project, which evaluated strategies to promote employment stability among low-income workers. The findings support other research in underscoring the importance of changing jobs and of access to "good" jobs as strategies to help low-wage workers advance.
The Cost of Services and Incentives in the UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) Demonstration
Preliminary Analysis
This report presents a preliminary analysis of the cost of operating Britain's Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration, which is being evaluated though a large-scale randomised control trial. This assessment of costs will become an important element of the full cost-benefit analysis to be presented in future ERA reports.
Evidence from the UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) Demonstration
The largest ever random assignment test of a social policy in Britain is being applied in a demonstration of the Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) program. This report, written by MDRC and British colleagues as part of a consortium of social policy research firms and produced for the UK Department for Work and Pensions, examines how well random assignment worked.