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Prepared by the ACRL Standards and Accreditation Committee
Adams, Roy, et al. Decision Support Systems and Performance Assessment in Academic Libraries. New Providence, NJ: Bowker-Saur, 1995.
This rather interesting report is a sponsored research project of a British Library, Leicester Polytechnic, done in the late 1980s. Its purpose was to show in step by step detail how to purchase an off the shelf decision support software package, a detailed criterion for selection was given, and then install it and make it a contributing member of your systems area. This report is long winded in some areas, but overall it is informative and thought provoking. One area in the conclusion touches on the importance of administration commitment such system into a library.
American Library Association. Library Administration and Management Association. Library Research Roundtable. Reference and Adult Services Division. Library Effectiveness: A State of the Art: Papers from a 1980 ALA Preconference. Chicago: American Library Association, 1980.
Consists of a collection of 24 papers from a 1980 ALA Preconference. Topics include Managerial Rating, Collection Size, Library Surveys, and User Oriented Approach to Assessment. Six papers are specific to public library assessment and five address reference services.
Aversa, Elizabeth. "Organizational Effectiveness in Libraries: A Review and Some Suggestions." Drexel Library Quarterly 17, no. 2 (1981), 27-45.
Aversa addresses some of the criteria that have been used in measuring library effectiveness. She evaluates the basic models and recommends a systems approach based on efficiency rather than effectiveness.
Boles, Janet. "Statistical Software for Libraries: a Review of OUTPUTM." Computers in Libraries 9 (June 1989), 28-29.
Boles's short, but helpful article, is simply a review of the statistical software mentioned in the ALA's Output Measures for Public Libraries, with the intent of helping librarians who are engaged in this effort. Boles writes in simple terms and librarians can make the best use of this paper when in front of a computer running this program. It is just what it claims to be, a review of software.
Boyett, Joseph and Henry P. Conn. "Developing White-Collar Performance Measures." National Productivity Review 7 (summer 1998), 209-218.
Few measures are available to gauge the performance of white collar managers, who now represent 55+ percent of the U.S. work force and may represent 90+ percent of the work force by the year 2000. Boyett and Conn reinforce what is already known, viz., that there are problems in trying to measure the performance of these workers. Nonetheless, they offer some suggestions if future attempts are made to measure the performance of these workers. They suggest some approaches that include measuring results, not activities; the use of group or team based measures; and, the use of a family of indicators. With concepts taken from years in the business world they offer some thought-provoking ideas that center around the involvement of these white collar workers themselves in any search for measurement.
Braunstein, Yale M. "Library Funding and Economics." in: Rethinking the Library in the Information Age, V. II. Washington: U.S. Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Office of Library Programs, 1988, 201-215.
Braunstein believes that libraries, as non-profit service organizations, are difficult to measure in terms of productivity. In order to measure productivity better, output measures such as circulation and the effect of the library on its parent organization should be explored. Libraries must be measured on both their effectiveness and their efficiency. In studying the area of performance measurement, it should be noted that the more direct the focus is on library operations and on its costs the better the chances for success.
Broom, Cheryle A. "Performance Based Government Models: Building A Track Record." Public Budgeting and Finance 15, no. 4 (winter 1995), 3-17.
The first part of this article offers a summary of strategic planning, performance-based measures, and result-oriented budgeting developed by five states. The process and the product, in the form of a list of important elements of performance/outcome based budgeting, is provided. The author also identifies critical success factors and lessons learned from statewide efforts and devotes a few paragraphs to the discussion of each factor. Even though the overall approaches that the five states pursued in establishing a performance-based/outcome-oriented budgeting process were very similar, the manner of implementation varied from state to state, providing an interesting comparison.
Calvert, Phillip James. "Library Effectiveness: the Search for a Social Context." Journal of Library and Information Science 26 (March 1994), 15-21.
Calvert reports on a survey of public library effectiveness in New Zealand. Libraries are viewed as social agencies which must be responsive to the needs and wishes of various constituencies. The author suggests that in the process of analyzing library effectiveness, it is necessary to determine not only what was done but also which of these tasks the library was supposed to do. Calvert enumerates and discusses many service indicators which have been grouped into broader service categories and subsequently were used in measuring library effectiveness.
Carbone, Pierre. "Survey of the Development of Library Performance Measures in France." I NSPEL 27, no. 3 (1993),196-198.
Carbone begins with an overview of the challenges and changes which public and academic libraries have undergone in the last twenty years in France. These developments resulted in greater complementarity between different libraries and created the need for libraries to clearly define their role, mission and place in local and national networks. In the course of library evaluation, academic libraries were among the first to pursue this area of investigation. The author identifies several surveys and conferences on library evaluation.
Clark, Tobin de Leon and Elmer U. Clawson. "Output Measures for Evaluating the Performance of Community College Learning Resources Programs: a California Case Study." Advances in Librarianship 17 (1993), 175-202.
The study of learning resources programs in California was undertaken to develop output measures and to produce a data-collection manual for two year colleges. In addition, through this survey the authors attempted to address whether there is a need for the adoption of statewide standards. The authors provide detailed discussions of events leading to the development of these output measures as well as review of statewide survey results.
Cronin, Mary J. Performance Measurement for Public Services in Academic and Research libraries. Washington, DC: Association of Research Libraries, 1985.
Cronin looks at input and output measures in public service operations and addresses specific functions including document delivery, collection development, provision of information, and library instruction. She concludes with a look at the future that is surprisingly still quite relevant.
Cross, Kelvin F. "For Good Measure." CMA - The Management Accounting Magazine 66 no 3. (April 1992), 20+
Setting and attaining a few key performance measures within various units in an organization is essential to its effective and efficient operation. It is important to define and subsequently manage critical performance indicators. The four key performance measures include an increase in quality and delivery, and a reduction in production time and waste. Measurement of performance improvement must not only be continuous but also its rate of progress must keep ahead of the competition.
Cummins, Thompson Randolph. "Demand Analysis: Inputs, Outputs, Outcomes, and Productivity." Public Libraries 27 (spring 1988), 10-13.
Cummins describes productivity analysis as a way for public libraries to work smarter and to make more effective use of resources already committed and in place. The real challenge of productivity analysis involves balancing the need to change what is inappropriate, irrelevant, or inefficient with the equally important need to strengthen what is worthwhile and sound.
De Prospo, Ernest R., et al. Performance Measures for Public Libraries. Chicago: Public Library Association, 1973.
De Prospo discusses the progress on the Measurement of Effectiveness of Public Library Service Study which grew out of an accreditation project by the Public Library Association. It describes new ways of gathering library statistics and applying them to decision making. A bibliography is included.
Du Mont, Rosemary Ruhig. "A Conceptual Basis for Library Effectiveness." College & Research Libraries 41, no. 2 (1980), 103-111.
Du Mont proposes a systems-based model that emphasizes the continuous process of being effective. The model is responsive to the environment and accommodates change.
Edwards, James B. The Use of Performance Measures. Montvale, NJ: National Association of Accountants, 1986.
Edwards focuses on performance measures used by management accountants for internal purposes in many different industries (not libraries in particular). Examples of measures include output variances, overhead variances, and profitability.
Evans, Edward, et. al. "Review of Criteria Used to Measure Library Effectiveness." Bulletin of the Medical Library Association 60, no. 1 (1972), 102-110.
This article contains the results of a study based on a literature review of library effectiveness. While the focus is medical libraries, the information is relevant to other libraries, but the information is somewhat dated.
French, Beverlee A. "Library Performance Measures." College & Research Libraries News no. 2 (February 1987), 72+
French describes the work of an ACRL committee charged to oversee the publication of an initial set of performance measures for academic libraries. A bibliography is included.
Goodall, Deborah. "Performance Measurement: A Historical Perspective." Journal of Librarianship 20, no. 2 (1988), 128-144.
Goodall has compiled a comprehensive historical review and assessment of performance measurement literature since the 1960s. The author concludes that future work is required to develop standard output measures in assessing the effectiveness of library services.
Hernon, Peter. "Utility Measures, Not Performance Measures for Library Reference Service?" RQ 27, no. 4 (1987), 449-459.
Hernon describes his in-depth examination of the use of performance measures for reference service, paying particular attention to those service areas that require attention and improvement. The author encourages managers to renew their commitment to those priorities that meet the information needs of library users.
Kantor, Paul B. "The Library as an Information Utility in the University Context: Evolution and Measurement of Service." Journal of the American Society for Information Science 27, no. 2 (1976), 100-112.
Kantor has written a highly technical examination of the problem of the objective measurement of library service performance based on the multi-dimensional and aggregate factor of "Total Contact Time per Potential User." The author provides a thorough analysis of the proper versus improper modification of goals and performance measures for library planning and decision making systems.
Kaplan, Robert S. and David P. Norton. "The Balanced Scorecard: Measures that Drive Performance." Harvard Business Review 70, no. 1 (January-February 1992), 71-79.
As part of a year-long research project with 12 companies at the leading edge of performance measurement, a "balanced scorecard" was developed to give managers a set of measures providing a fast but comprehensive view of their business. The scorecard provides answers to four basic questions: how do our customers see us? at what must we excel? can we continue to improve and create value? how do we look to our shareholders?
Kelley, Patricia M. "Performance Measures: A Tool for Planning Resource Allocations." Journal of Library Administration 14, no. 12 (spring 1991), 21-36.
Kelley introduces the reader to the concept of performance measures and data that indicate to managers how efficiently or satisfactorily the library serves it clientele. How performance measures differ from current data collection practice, why performance measures are needed, and how measurement can assist a library's planning process are emphasized.
Lancaster, F. W. The Measurement and Evaluation of Library Services. Washington: Information Resources Press, 1977.
In his extensive and informative examination, Lancaster discusses techniques that can be used to evaluate library public and technical services through the use of objective procedures. The author places a particular emphasis on evaluation methodology in determining whether a library meets the immediate tangible needs of its users.
Linke, R.D. "Some Factors for Application of Performance Indicators in Higher Education." Higher Education Management 4 (1992), 194-208.
Linke was commissioned by the Australian Department of Employment, Education, and Training to chair a study of performance indicators in higher education. Following actions by the Australian government to establish a funding system in higher education which would take into account institutional performance, Linke attempts to describe certain principles of institutional performance appraisal. The principles outlined are intended to provide a practical framework for developing a more comprehensive and effective indicator system.
Maguire, Carmel and Patricia Willard. "Performance Measures for Libraries: Statistical, Organizational, and Cosmetic." Australian Academic and Research Libraries 20 (December 1989), 262-273.
Building upon the theoretical models proposed by Orr and Buckland, the authors examine problems of measurement.
Maxstadt, John M. "A New Approach to Reference Statistics at Louisiana State University." College & Research Libraries News 49, no. 2 (February 1988), 85-86.
Collecting reference statistics is considered a waste of time by many because it is time-consuming, and statistical systems are designed without a sound scientific basis. In 1986/87, the LSU library developed a new approach which would collect statistics by both question type and patron type. To free the reference desk professional staff to concentrate on the information needs of patrons, they determined that a random statistical sample of 60 hours per year would provide sufficient data with an acceptable confidence level. New statistics gathering sheets were designed, and using graduate assistants, the new approach yielded 53 separate data elements. In general, the new sampling approach to reference desk statistics has been highly successful and is recommended for emulation by others.
McClure, Charles R., et al. "Output Measures: Myths, Realities, and Prospects." Public Libraries 25 (summer 1986), 49-52.
The authors review the effectiveness and value of the original Output Measures for Public Libraries (1982) and suggest areas of improvement for revised standards. They assert that problems with the publication include: (1) confusing utility with precision of the measures; (2) assessing the value of the measures for unintended objectives; and (3) invalidly attempting to generalize measures from specific situations and contexts. Suggestions for improving the new output manual include: (1) providing additional information about interpretation and meaning of the various measures; (2) acknowledging the trade-off between quality of the data and the level of effort required to produce them; (3) suggesting situations in which use of a particular measures is or is not appropriate; (4) developing data collection procedures that attempt to minimize measurement imprecision; (5) integrating measurement better with overall library planning and decision making; (6) including a broader range of measures; and (7) informing users of the level of confidence that can be associated with data resulting from a particular sample size.
McClure, Charles R. "A View from the Trenches: Costing and Performance Measures for Academic Library Public Services." College & Research Libraries 47 (July 1986), 323-336.
Increased concern about the efficiency and effectiveness with which academic libraries operate has spurred the consideration of method-ologies (1) to cost selected services/operations, and (2) to develop performance measures for such services/operations. McClure reports the results of a pilot study to identify the issues and concerns of public service middle managers on costing and the use of performance measures. The findings suggest that participants have little faith in the usefulness of producing cost data and using performance measures. The study participants believe: (1) the availability of such data rarely has an impact on decision making; (2) in-house data frequently lack reliability and validity; and (3) they are too understaffed to take time away from the provision of services to identify, collect, and analyze such data.
Measuring Quality: International Guidelines for Performance Measurement in Academic Libraries. (IFLA Publication, v. 76) New Providence, NJ: Bowker-Saur, 1996.
This monograph is the product of an IFLA working group which evaluated the existing literature that is designed to measure academic library effectiveness not efficiency, and is concentrated on user-oriented indicators. Each included indicator is designed to assess either the quality of the library's overall performance, or the quality of a specific service or activity. The publication includes a comprehensive bibliography (37 pages) of literature dealing with performance measurement. Also included are English, French, German, Russian, and Spanish glossaries.
There is a general introduction on the need for, and use of, effective management tools in academic libraries. The discussion covers: quality, quality management, mission & goals, stakeholder approach, performance measurement, measuring outcome, and results of performance measurement. More detailed discussions are included in the chapters, "The Measurement Process" and "Cost-effectiveness."
Seventeen performance indicators are described in detail in the following seven categories: general library use and facilities, collection quality, catalog quality, availability of documents in the collection, reference services, remote use, and user satisfaction.
Measuring the Performance of Nonprofit Organizations: the State of the Art. Sarasota, FL: The American Accounting Association, Government and Nonprofit Section's Committee on Nonprofit Entities' Performance Measures, 1989.
The American Accounting Association is a voluntary organization of persons interested in accounting education and research. The Association's Committee on Nonprofit Entities' Performance Measures produced this document, which was the result of a project focused on expanding the means by which the performance of entities within the government and nonprofit sector are assessed. Performance measures already in use were of particular interest since they could be assumed to have already met a cost-benefit criterion.
The committee focused on performance evaluation and reporting as a broad topic encompassing program evaluation. A major outcome of the project was an annotated bibliography of relevant references (76 pages).
Several resource providers, such as foundations, may require the collection of statistics on performance or of measures of service efforts. Accrediting agencies establish standards of performance which may include quantitative performance measures. The committee determined which associations and other organizations were already compiling performance information or encouraging self-assessment programs. The report is not an exhaustive source of information on performance evaluation systems in place, even at the time of publication (1989) but provides useful guidance for nonprofit organizations interested in performance measures.
The document discusses sources of performance measures, problems inherent in measurement, issues in the reporting of performance indicators, and provides a conceptual framework for performance measures. The chapter on colleges and universities gives an overview of institutions of higher education, reviews performance assessment activities (including accreditation), and discusses institutional reporting of performance indicators. Appendices provide useful information, including instruments and sample reports, as well as listings of ten outcome areas for higher education and of performance indicators for colleges & universities.
Meyer, Richard W. "Focusing Library Vision on Educational Outcomes." College & Research Libraries News no. 5 (May 1995), 335-337.
Meyer urges library leaders to articulate a library vision within the context of the overall mission and educational outcomes of the parent institution. He compares and contrasts a land-grant institution with a small liberal arts college to illustrate how institutional mission drives the library's mission.
Michalko, Jim. "Higher Education, the Production Function, and the Library." Journal of Library Administration 19, no. 4 (1993), 11-22.
"Reorganization, reallocation, and retrenchment" characterize higher education's response to increasing financial pressures. Michalko argues that the production function, an economic theory which correlates an organization's inputs with its outputs of goods and services, is now being used as a planning model in higher education. Libraries, unlike academic departments, have multiple outputs (e.g., information provision, collections, preservation of cultural heritage, etc.) which need to be reassessed. Libraries are well positioned to take advantage of technology as a determining element in their production functions.
Orr, R. H. "Measuring the Goodness of Library Services: A General Framework for Considering Quantitative Measures." Journal of Documentation 29, no. 3 (1973), 315-332.
Orr has conducted a literature review illustrating the advantages and disadvantages of quantitative measures as valuable tools to be used in the planning and management of library services. The author concludes that the effectiveness of library operations and services can best be measured through quantitative criteria.
" Performance Measures in Libraries." North Carolina Libraries 48 (fall 1990), entire issue.
This issue of North Carolina Libraries contains ten articles which address myriad issues surrounding performance measures in different types of libraries, and for different library services. A "Selective Bibliography on Library Performance Measures" concludes the issue.
Powell, Ronald R. The Relationship of Library User Studies to Performance Measures: a Review of the Literature. (University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science Occasional Paper, no. 181) Champaign-Urbana: The School, 1988.
Powell surveys the literature of user studies in relation to performance measures, examining in particular user studies themselves, data collection, and the benefits and limitations of such studies. The paper focuses on two major approaches used to determine library effectiveness and the relationship between user studies and performance measures.
Ralli, Tony. "Performance Measures for Academic Libraries." Australian Academic and Research Libraries 18 (March 1987), 1-9.
Ralli discusses issues raised by performance measurement in academic libraries: purposes of performance measures; definitions of performance measurement, effectiveness, efficiency, goals, and objectives as these concepts relate to performance measurement; definition of the objects of measurement; and areas suitable for measuring, such as collections, reference services, document delivery, and usage.
Rzasa, Philip V. and Norman R. Baker. "Measures of Effectiveness for a University Library." Journal of the American Society for Information Science 23, no. 4 (1972), 248-253.
As Rzasa and Baker state, "the purpose of this paper was to develop an adequate measure of effectiveness for university libraries to evaluate ongoing programs or in determining the impact of proposed programs." The authors believe using a cost-effectiveness analysis is the best way to select programs to be continued or to be implemented. One thought to be kept in mind, besides cost effectiveness, is how does the program in question relate to the goals of the library.
Senkevitch, Judith Jamison. "Analyzing Productivity in the Era of Accountability." Bottom Line 5 (fall 1991), 25-28.
Senkevitch critiques current methods for reporting library effectiveness, and then espouses productivity measures that measure efficiency that is, average cost (in dollars or staffing) per unit of output. She proposes there be widespread dissemination of unit cost information for library services so administrators can make comparisons and can at least highlight where trouble spots may exist.
Shapiro, Beth J. "Access and Performance Measures in Research Libraries in the 1990's." Journal of Library Administration 15, no. 3-4 (winter 1991), 49-66.
Shapiro posits that since libraries now provide information that they do not physically own, traditional (input) measures do not adequately indicate effective services. She reviews work done by members of the Association of Research Libraries, and proposes access and performance measures for libraries based on that work. Access measures are defined as the measures of the ability for users to use the mix of information resources owned by the library and information resources to which the library provides electronic access. Performance measures are defined as measuring effectiveness of library services and user satisfaction with those services. Shapiro's measures to be collected annually fall into five core areas: instruction, gate counts, electronic database access, circulation, and reference/directional transactions. Measures to be collected less frequently also fall into five areas: facilities, automation, resource sharing, services provided, and "local characteristics."
Thompson, Ronelle K. "Evaluating Library Service." Technical Services Quarterly 5, no. 4 (1988), 27-39.
Thompson describes a user survey conducted at her library to track availability of library resources. In the process, the library learned other things about the effectiveness of library programs such as instruction and collection development.
Van Heerden, Louise. "Productivity Improvement in Library and Information Services." Mousaion 12, no. 2 (1994), 56-69.
All librarians face "the era of accountability" and must now ensure that the strategic management of their enterprises focuses on improved productivity. In this article, Van Heerden, Subject Librarian, University of South Africa, concentrates on ways to increase productivity and efficiency in South African library and information services. The author also considers, within the context of strategic management, why productivity, in general, is so important; identifies factors which cause low productivity; and suggests actions to improve productivity in library and information services.
Van House, Nancy, et. al. Output Measures for Public Libraries: a Manual of Standards and Procedures. Chicago: American Library Association, 1987.
Published in 1987, this manual is intended to be used for public library development. Geared primarily toward small libraries (with at least one full-time professional staff member), medium-sized libraries, regional systems, and state libraries, the manual defines a basic set of output measures to be used to assess and evaluate public library services. Instructions are also included for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data.
Van House, Nancy. "Output Measures in Libraries." Library Trends 38 (fall 1989), 268-279.
Van House briefly traces the history of the use of performance measures in libraries and discusses several key issues connected with the use of such measure for decision-making and problem solving. The author covers conceptual issues relating to the definition of library effectiveness, to the question of who judges effectiveness, and to the definition of information needs and uses. She also describes methodological issues pertaining to data collection methods, sampling, and statistics. Finally, she addresses management issues, describing the appropriate use and interpretation of measurement data. Librarians are encouraged by the author to draw on research in related areas when considering the problem of organizational effectiveness.
Van House, Nancy, et al. Measuring Academic Library Performance: A Practical Approach. Chicago: American Library Association, 1990.
This manual offers a set of practical output measures designed for academic and research libraries. The measures are intended primarily for internal library decision-making, performance assessment, and resource allocation. A secondary purpose is to demonstrate a library's performance to its parent organization. The measures are service-oriented and address the quality and quantity of services (excluding bibliographic instruction) delivered to users. In addition, the book includes sample reports and forms.


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A while ago, I asked my co workers to answer that question, and for us it's not an easy answer. Why would we lodge in the place where we work IF we would ever consider doing it? I got very good answers. Here are 10 good reasons why we would stay at the Antlers at Vail:
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6. Marshmallows for hot chocolate in the lobby,
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9. Free rides around town (when staff is available),
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The report on the global "Adaptive Optics market" offers detailed data on the Adaptive Optics market. Elements such as dominating companies, classification, size, business atmosphere, SWOT analysis, and most effectual trends in the industry are comprised in this research study. In this report, the global Adaptive Optics market is valued at USD XX million in 2018 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2025. In addition to this, the report sports charts, numbers, and tables that offer a clear viewpoint of the Adaptive Optics market. The dominant companies Teledyne e2v, NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION, Thorlabs, Iris AO, Adaptica, Active Optical Systems, Flexible Optical, Imagine Optic, Boston Micromachines Corporation, Phasics Corp. are additionally mentioned in the report.
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The global Adaptive Optics market report includes a profound summary of the key sectors of the Adaptive Optics market. Both quickly and slowly growing sectors of the Adaptive Optics market have been examined via this study. Forecast, share of the market, and size of each s and sub-segment is obtainable in the study. The key up-and-coming chances associated to the most quickly growing segments of the market are also a fracturing of this report. Furthermore, classification based on geographies as well as the trends powering the leading regional markets and developing geographies is offered in this research study. The global Adaptive Optics market report wraps regions that are mainly classified into: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa.
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The report on the global Adaptive Optics market furthermore offers a chronological factsheet relating to the strategically mergers, acquirements, joint venture activities, and partnerships widespread in the Adaptive Optics market. Remarkable suggestions by senior experts on tactically spending in research and development might help up-and-coming entrants as well as reputable companies for enhanced incursion in the developing segments of the Adaptive Optics market. Market players might accomplish a clear perception of the main rivals in the Adaptive Optics market in addition to their future forecasts. The report also analyses the market in terms of volume [k MT] and revenue [Million USD].
There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Adaptive Optics market
Chapter 1, Definition, Specifications and Classification of Adaptive Optics , Applications of Adaptive Optics , Market Segment by Regions;
Chapter 2, Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;
Chapter 3, Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Adaptive Optics , Capacity and Commercial Production date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;
Chapter 4, Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);
Chapter 5 and 6, Regional Market Analysis that includes United States, China, Europe, Japan, Korea & Taiwan, Adaptive Optics Segment Market Analysis (by Type);
Chapter 7 and 8, The Adaptive Optics Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of Adaptive Optics ;
Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type Wavefront Sensor, Wavefront Modulator, Control System, Market Trend by Application Consumer, Astronomy, Military & Defense, Biomedical, Industrial & Manufacturing, Communication;
Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;
Chapter 11, The Consumers Analysis of Global Adaptive Optics ;
Chapter 12, Adaptive Optics Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;
Chapter 13, 14 and 15, Adaptive Optics sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.
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Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe, South America, Middle East & Africa.


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Promethean and Epson have launched a partnership designed to help educators make classrooms more collaborative and interactive.
The agreement gives Epson licensing rights allowing them to sell Promethean's ActivInspire software to customers using BrightLink interactive projectors in the United States and Canada.
Epson's BrightLink projectors are available in short-throw and ultra short-throw models, and can project onto any smooth, light-colored surface. The projectors also feature dual pen support and built-in annotation technology.
Compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, features of ActivInspire teaching and learning software include:
"We want to give educators the flexibility to create environments where students can experience a 21st century lesson with the tools and resources that make sense to them," said Jim Marshall, Promethean CEO, in a prepared statement. "By pairing our award-winning interactive teaching and learning software with Epson interactive projectors we provide them with options. And with over a million teachers worldwide using our software, they can have the confidence that using our software with an interactive device will motivate, engage and inspire students."
Shipments are expected to begin in April, according to a release about the move, with a suggested retail price of $299 in addition to the cost of the projector. Current BrightLink customers will also be able to purchase ActivInspire from Epson for $299.
More information about AcivInspire is available at prometheanworld.com. Go to epsonbrightlink.webengager.com to learn more about Epson's BrightLink projectors.
About the Author
Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Recently, the use of video streaming, virtual learning and online instruction has increased greatly, as digital learning became more widely adopted in the classroom. This has caused many school districts to adapt at a faster pace than some are prepared for.
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Designing new ways to probe aerosols for more accurate climate models
Dust storms, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes are tangible events that send particles of sand, soot and salt into the atmosphere. These particles can alter the climate cycles that heat and cool the Earth. Less obvious sources of aerosols affect these cycles, too; the sea salt sprayed off breaking waves or volatile organic compounds emitted from trees. But nearly untraceable chemical transformations also lead to the birth of new atmospheric particles. Accounting for these newborn particles and their role in cloud formation is key to improving climate models. Scientists recently gathered at EMSL to discuss ways to more accurately chronicle the clandestine lives of these aerosols in the lab and the field.
The precise processes that govern how new particles are created out of vapor, then grow and nucleate clouds – enticing other organic molecules into chemical reactions – largely remains a mystery. Increasingly sophisticated instruments provide scientists with new details about these transformations; they also point out big gaps between theoretical models and field findings.
"We discovered nucleation is an important source of atmospheric particles more than 20 years ago. And ever since we've been trying to figure out the chemical and physical processes that lead to their creation," says Peter McMurry, a professor at the University of Minnesota. "The goal is to achieve closure between the rates observed in the atmosphere and those predicted by models. This will lead to more credible climate models. Right now we can't do that."
In the Beginning
Part of the problem is catching the particles in the act of doing whatever it is they do. Researchers spend weeks in the field stalking new particle formation events. With little lead time the particles are born. Within a few hours they grow to sizes large enough to serve as cloud condensation nuclei, sending a brief bloom of data across suites of specialized sampling instruments. "It's a challenge," says McMurry. "Some of the species that lead to particle formation are found in almost unimaginably low concentrations. Sometimes it's like trying to pick out one person in a thousand or a million Earths."
From Field to Lab: An Inside Job
For the last 15 years Alexander Laskin, an atmospheric aerosol chemist at EMSL, and collaborators have been using the unique analytical chemistry capabilities of EMSL on particle samples collected from test facilities, laboratory studies and far-flung field sites. A variety of off-line chemical imaging techniques have been advanced at EMSL – including mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, microscopy and microanalysis methods – to probe the composition and properties of these particles. But there's no single technique in existence that gives us all the information we need to know. says Laskin"
The ability to run multi-modal analyses on the same sample is a particular strength at EMSL. But even interrogating particles with multiple techniques can't answer some of the pressing questions. So EMSL researchers are devising new strategies in collaboration with scientists across the country.
Laskin and his colleagues want to understand the physical and chemical properties of aerosols that nucleate ice clouds. Although ice nucleation has been studied for more than two decades, much about the process remains unknown.
"In the traditional view of ice nucleation events, there are very few particles in the atmosphere with the right properties to become ice nuclei," says Laskin. "But now there's growing evidence that's not always case," he says. "Particles with mediocre ice nucleation propensity – but present at high number concentrations – can play an equivalently important role. So the big question is how to delineate the two scenarios: Under which conditions would different nucleation particles prevail?"
It would be easier to figure out if they could visualize nucleation events, says Bingbing Wang, a postdoctoral researcher at EMSL. To see which individual particles nucleate ice first, he started a project coupling ice nucleation experiments with scanning electron microscopy, complemented with particle spectro-microscopy. Then he can probe the composition of the instigating particles. "From that knowledge we can achieve better understanding of heterogeneous ice nucleation. Then with further data analysis we can provide better parameterizations for cloud and climate models," says B. Wang.
The study involves a group of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory experts in collaboration with Daniel Knopf of Stony Brook University and Mary Gilles at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
An Outside Approach
Another way to analyze these perplexing particles is to look at them one by one. To accomplish this, transmission electron microscopy, or TEM, is the technique of choice for Peter Buseck, a professor at Arizona State University who attended the recent user meeting at EMSL. "We want to know the intimate details about these aerosol particles," he says. "TEM has been used on a larger scale, but now the technique is needed on a nanometer scale because there's a whole range of particle sizes in the atmosphere."
Although Buseck already has the TEM capabilities he needs, EMSL could devise novel ways to combine electron microscopy with instruments such as the helium ion microscope in EMSL's Quiet Wing. No one's doing that now with aerosols, says Buseck.
Probing the Surface
It's not just the particles that need to be accounted for.
"An intrinsic scientific problem is how reactions occur and the particle surface is key for those. From mass spectrometry you can find out what kind of molecules are in aerosols, but you don't know how they are arranged on the particle surface," says Hongfei Wang, a chief scientist at EMSL.
To get at the structure of the surface, in 2011 H. Wang and his colleagues developed a unique high-resolution sum frequency generation, or HR-SFG, spectrometer to discern surface particle reactions with a resolution 10 times better than any other instruments out there. That kind of resolution was critical for Sergey Nizkorodov who studies aerosol photochemistry in his laboratory at the University of California at Irvine and then sends samples to H. Wang for high-resolution studies at the surface.
"We want to be able to detect minor species that might be important for controlling reactions," says H. Wang. "We've improved resolution, but the sensitivity of the signal needs to be improved for field measurements. It's possible – but will take at least several years. It will be a real milestone to do this."
Another pioneer in applying SFG spectroscopy to aerosol particles is Franz Geiger of Northwestern University. After meeting H. Wang at an American Chemical Society conference two years ago, he started using the high-resolution instrument to study alpha-pinene, one of the main components of secondary organic aerosol particles. EMSL's HR-SFG gave Geiger a significant improvement in his analytics, getting resolution from standard values of about 10 wave numbers down to 0.6 wave numbers.
To bridge the gap between particle analysis in the lab and the field, Geiger is working with Northwestern colleague Regan Thomson, Victor Batista of Yale University and Scot Martin at Harvard University on an EMSL user project and with matching funds from Northwestern (and he hopes, the National Science Foundation).
Geiger is focused on the organic emissions of trees, namely pinene, that react with ozone at the ground level. The resulting cascades of reactions create aerosols that can interact with water vapor and ultimately make clouds. The questions he wants to answer are: Will future, possibly warmer, climates lead to faster emission rates of pinene over the Northern hemisphere? And if more organic particles form, potentially leading to more clouds, would this cause a negative feedback mechanism to cool our planet?
The answers to how these particles form will be found on their surfaces, thinks Geiger. But it's hard to analyze what's never been identified before. So the collaborators are creating synthetic compounds they surmise could be created when pinene reacts with ozone and are also surface reactive. By analyzing the chemical signatures of these lab-made components they'll build a reference library to help identify the unknown surface components they discover on these particles.
"There's no silver bullet," says Geiger. "But more current tools will give us a more complete understanding."
Helping Solve Problems
Aerosol research may also get a boost with instruments that haven't traditionally been used for studies in this field. In the past, the tiny sample sizes and filter collection methods for aerosol particles have hampered efforts to use analytic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance, or NMR, spectroscopy. But at the recent EMSL user meeting, NMR lead scientist Karl Mueller told researchers they're building smaller and better tools to aid aerosol research.
"NMR is phenomenal for determining chemical structure," says Nancy Washton, the capability lead for EMSL's NMR group. "But it's considered an insensitive technique because it requires such a large sample size – I want a vial full of stuff, about 20 milligrams."
Now Mueller and Washton are working with a team of scientists to make very small volume NMR detectors. "We're combining our abilities as 'spin jocks' with miniaturization and microfabrication capabilities to work with picoliter amounts more suitable for aerosol studies. Success here would be a real breakthrough," says Mueller.
Washton anticipates they'll be able to run aerosol samples within the year. The possibilities have already enticed collaborators to send samples and she thinks NMR will be very useful for scientists who are synthetically producing atmospheric molecules.
Another technique that might prove useful is atom probe tomography, or APT. EMSL Scientist Arun Devaraj thinks APT could provide a way to visualize the three-dimensional element distribution within a single aerosol particle at sub-nanometer spatial resolution.
"Even if a potential user doesn't quite know what capabilities they need, the staff at EMSL can discuss their needs and provide guidance," says Alex Guenther, the lead scientist for atmospheric aerosol science at EMSL. The staff will make extraordinary efforts to understand what scientists need for their research and how the laboratory's capabilities can be applied to answer their scientific questions, he says.
Although new tools are nice, Nicole Riemer, a computer modeler at Illinois University, thinks researchers may squeeze more information out of the tools already on hand. "As modelers, we are using different tools from the researchers in the lab who measure these things," says Riemer. "But we're trying to solve the same problems."
The aerosols are really, really small. So it's difficult to develop equations that reflect the complexity of those minuscule – but critical – interactions without bogging down the ability to scale up to global proportions. Riemer believes careful, repeated experiments under varied conditions, using the equipment already in EMSL laboratories, can provide key details needed to derive more accurate aerosol predictions. For example, our models are based on particles with spherical shapes, says Riemer. Yet Laskin's work shows particle morphology changes. "Is that important?" she says. "If it is, we need to know how it changes over time so we can incorporate it into our equations."
Gathering Better Field Samples
But even the best available laboratory instruments don't really capture the conditions in the atmosphere. So, Guenther invited scientists to brainstorm better ways to get samples from the field. Among the more immediately feasible possibilities discussed were ways to build a better Orbitrap.
"I was excited to hear discussions about making a smaller high-resolution mass spectrometer to carry around in a truck or plane," says Nizkorodov. "If there's a way to get those measurements in real time, that would be a big step forward."
With that kind of innovation, Franz Geiger may one day realize a decades-old research dream: to analyze aerosol particle surfaces without plucking them out of the air. "People once said we couldn't study aerosols from ships or planes and now we do that all the time," he says. "It's not impossible."
Provided by Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory


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Calmness in our lives
I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives.
By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace. Dr Phil proclaimed, 'The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished. So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos, and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now.
This page was last updated October 1, 2008.


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More than 4,000 groups and websites have signed on to support a day of protest against U.S. National Security Agency surveillance programs, scheduled for Tuesday.
In addition, tens of thousands of people have pledged to make calls and post messages on the Web in support of surveillance reform, said organizers of The Day We Fight Back.
Among the groups supporting the day of Web protest are the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, BoingBoing, Demand Progress, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Fight for the Future, Free Press, Mozilla, Reddit and Tumblr.
"Together we will push back against powers that seek to observe, collect, and analyze our every digital action," organizers wrote on TheDayWeFightBack.org. "Together, we will make it clear that such behavior is not compatible with democratic governance. Together, if we persist, we will win this fight."
Supporters of the NSA surveillance program say they help keep the U.S. safe from terrorist attacks.
Organizers of the protest are encouraging websites to display banners calling for a scaling back of NSA surveillance program. The groups will encourage people to call or email members of the U.S. Congress and to post Twitter messages, write Facebook posts and engage in other online activity.
Many organizers hope the protest will spur Congress to pass the USA Freedom Act, a bill that would scale back the NSA's bulk collection of U.S. telephone records. The bill, introduced in October following leaks about NSA surveillance from former contractor Edward Snowden, has more than 140 co-sponsors between its versions in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Organizers are modeling the protest after one two years ago that helped defeat two online copyright bills, the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act. Ironically, Senator Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, was the lead sponsor of the Protect IP Act and is now the lead sponsor of the USA Freedom Act, the NSA reform bill supported by the protest groups.
"We will not stand idly by while the freedom of the Internet is threatened by abusive government surveillance," David Segal, executive director of Demand Progress, said in a statement. "We will unite as a community, and we will defend this vital resource. And we are strong."


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Looking Beyond A Gem's Beauty
(ISNS) -- Each precious stone carries within it clues that scientists can examine to prove the gem's original location. The diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires in a jeweler's cases come in many colors, cuts and settings, but where a gem was mined is not apparent from its physical appearance.
From the startling blues in Brazil's Paraiba tourmalines and India's Kashmir sapphires, to the deep red of Myanmar's Mogok rubies, some regions are especially renowned for their precious stones. In turn, those gems gain cachet, and value.
Rubies and sapphires -- each a form of the mineral corundum -- both offer a considerable amount of visible variation. But that variation is not attributable to a country or region of origin. Scientists must rely on a battery of tests, including microscopic examination and laser-based chemical assessments in order to solve that riddle.
"Over time other deposits may be found in other parts of the world that are equal in beauty but still there's this cultural attachment to Burmese [Myanmar] ruby, Kashmir sapphire, Paraiba tourmaline, things like that that have traditionally been part of the early phases of building the enthusiasm and emotion of a particular material," said George Rossman, a geochemist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif.
Diamonds are beloved, but the verification of that gem's place of origin, or provenance, is often more difficult to address than the origin of other types of precious gems. Rossman said that laboratories have not yet developed "techniques that could work reliably on a single diamond." Governments and industry instituted a tracking system called the Kimberley process to protect against the transportations and sale of so-called "blood diamonds," stones mined in areas of political unrest whose sales help finance wars against legitimate governments.
As helpful as tracking can be, scientists can often discern a gem's origin only after subjecting it to various objective tests.
"Some deposits have compositions that are so unique, that you could pick those out with many techniques. But some of them are very, very similar to each other," said Nancy McMillan, a geochemist at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.
Identification of the origin requires a large library of samples from all over the world; the job of collecting samples is never done, since new deposits and mines pop up regularly. Scientists examine the gems to gather information and in the future compare any gems of unknown origin against the library.
"We almost always start with a microscope because that gives us an idea of what kind of environment the gemstone formed in and whether it's magmatic origin or metamorphic origin," said Shane McClure, the director of identification services at the Gemological Institute of America laboratory in Carlsbad, Calif.
Along with looking at the gem under magnification, scientists rely on a number of other techniques to characterize it. They examine the little bits of other minerals captured inside a gem, called inclusions, the chemical variability within the gem, and its fluorescence -- how it shines under certain types of lasers or ultraviolet light.
The most advanced techniques examine the chemical makeup of the gem, element by element. Scientists use lasers to transform a miniscule amount of the gem into plasma, and then analyze the individual elements within the plasma. One of these methods is called laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry, or ICPMS.
"This technology is extremely sensitive for trace elements; it's becoming one of the methods of choice for doing provenance studies," said Rossman.
However, McMillan, even though she allows that ICPMS "is the most accurate and most precise geochemical analytical tool known to mankind," favors a different technique, called laser induced breakdown spectroscopy, or LIBS. This technique also shines a laser at a sample, producing gas and a spectrum of light. Analyzing that spectrum provides a dizzying 14,000 pieces of information with each shot -- much more than ICPMS -- said McMillan.
"We've analyzed rubies and sapphires from, I think, 21 locations," said McMillan. "Using our method, we can tell at 95 percent assurance where a specimen is from, which is fantastic in my humble opinion."
McMillan also said she believes that LIBS can be used to identify the provenance of diamonds, although much work remains to prove that the technique works sufficiently well.
Rossman said that he uses both instruments, but finds ICPMS "more versatile," especially when the concentration of certain elements is very low. McClure said that LIBS can be too destructive of the sample gem. Both methods can detect minute amounts of elements within a sample.
In 2003, some sapphires on the market that had been treated with beryllium in order to change their color, said McClure. He said that ICPMS can detect that element at levels of about .02 parts per million in sapphires, and is much better equipped than LIBS to address this type of issue.
Despite the many sophisticated techniques at scientists' disposal, the provenance of some gem specimens can be difficult to identify, said McClure.
"Our end goal is to protect the public and what the public buys in the gemstone industry," said McClure. "We take that responsibility very seriously."


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Born in Troy, Missouri, Robert Wilson McCoy studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, The American Academy, and the St. Louis School of Fine Arts, where he later served on the faculty. As a commercial artist, he made paintings for Liberty Magazine covers, calendars, prints, pin-ups and advertisements for major companies. When his friend Ray Moore served in the military during WWII, McCoy took over the responsibilities of illustrating the syndicated newspaper strip, 'The Phantom'. His wife, Dorothy, did the lettering.
In his artwork for this adventure comic, McCoy could draw from his own experiences as a world traveler, since he had visited far-off jungles and native tribes himself. McCoy continued to produce the strip with creator Lee Falk until his death from a heart attack in 1961, after which it was continued by Bill Lignante for a short while, and then Sy Barry. Wilson McCoy's popular work on 'The Phantom' has been featured in comic books and continues to be reprinted today.


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After Bryce Harper ran full-speed into the Dodger Stadium wall on Monday, he "had no idea where he was." He was nauseous all day yesterday, and couldn't play. He's expected to miss tonight's game as well. But he's totally fine, the Nationals would like to assure everyone. Just a little sore.
The Nats won't publicly say what's wrong with Harper, only that x-rays on his shoulder and knee came back negative. But it didn't take an armchair neurologist to assume the worst when Harper went down in a heap, lying completely motionless on the warning track for a few scary seconds. Denard Span, the first man on the scene, said, "it was like he was confused. I don't think he realized he was on the ground."
Harper walked off under his own power, and later in the evening, a little too quickly, Nationals officials—and agent Scott Boras, oddly—announced that he had passed a concussion test. A "rung bell" then, or as hockey would put it, an upper body injury.
But Harper woke up yesterday feeling pretty miserable.
"I feel kind of crappy today," Harper said. "I feel a little carsick, I guess you could say, like the feeling of that. I don't have a concussion or anything like that, which is very pleasant to hear."
Harper would have played through the soreness, he said, but the queasiness and disorientation were too much. Manager Davey Johnson said Harper will "probably" undergo more testing because of his nausea.
MLB's concussion protocols, enacted in 2011, are very clear. Testing is required for
evaluating players and umpires for a possible concussion, including during incidents typically associated with a high risk, such as being hit in the head a by a pitched, batted or thrown ball or by a bat; being in a collision with a player, umpire or fixed object; or any time when the head or neck of a player or an umpire is forcibly rotated;
The Nats gave Harper the imPACT cognitive test, a popular exam used across sports in the immediate wake of a brain-rattling blow. That seems to be the source of their declaration that Harper is concussion-free, but the test has been criticized for its accuracy and effectiveness.
ESPN investigated the imPACT system, and found that the majority of studies touting its benefits were conducted by the same researchers who developed imPACT, which sells its tests and training to thousands of pro, college, and high school teams. The studies by unaffiliated doctors are much less fawning. One study found that athletic trainers, even when armed with imPACT, "relied more on symptoms than on neurocognitive test scores." Another study reported that imPACT tests gave a false positive rate of "30 to 40 percent," with a comparable rate of false negatives.
As we've noted before, "having a concussion" or "not having a concussion" is a false dichotomy. You get concussed, and maybe you suffer symptoms from it. Bryce Harper was concussed, in the non-medically-loaded sense of the word, when his head banged against a wall. He's been feeling pretty miserable since. Something's not right.
So why won't the Nationals use the c-word? Ideologically, no one wants the poster boy for balls-out baseball to become the poster boy for concussions. More immediately, Washington is gearing up for a season-long dogfight for the NL East, and if Harper is diagnosed with a concussion, he'd have to go on baseball's 7-day concussion DL. To get off, he'd have to pass a battery of tests, and be approved to play by MLB's independent medical director.
Harper tweeted yesterday (as he was battling nausea, we now know) that he'll "keep playing this game hard for the rest of my life even if it kills me." Once his vision clears, he should read up on Pete Reiser, a Dodgers outfielder who could've been an all-time great if not for a habit of knocking himself out running into walls.


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By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com November 12, 2008 A company out of Sheldon, Iowa called JARD, Inc. has introducted a new semi-auto .50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO) anti-materiel/sniper rifle called the JARD J50. The J50 is a gas-operated direct-gas-impingement (DGI) rifle that utilizes a 9-lug rotating-bolt locking locking mechanism. The combination of the weapon's DGI operation, 30" free-float …Read More »
Tag Archives: cobb 50 bmg
Meet the New Cobb FA50(T) "Fast Action" .50 BMG Sniper/Anti-Materiel Rifle.
by David Crane defrev at gmail dot com There's a new .50 BMG sniper/anti-materiel rifle in town, and it's called the Cobb FA50(T). The "FA" stands for "Fast Action". The "T" stands for "tactical". The following is an email letter DefRev received from Cobb Manufacturing, Inc. President, Skip Patel, on the Cobb FA50(T) Fast Action .50 BMG rifle: "Dear David, …Read More »


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Glory rings
View of a Glory on clouds over the Alps
Streets of Ghadames, Libya
A shaft of light descends from the level where women walk to the level where men reside when they are in town (Ghadames, Libya).
Sand dunes of the Sahara in Libya
Sunset over the Sahara
The light of the Sunset is cast over the sand dues of the Sahara in SW Libya.
Christmas Eve 2007 party
Laara Garcia
Xi'an China
Xi'an south gate and wall at night
Lava fountain from a Pu'u O'o lava tube of the Kilauea volcano
Photo taken near Kalapana, Hawaii, close to the ocean
Ahu Tongariki
Ahu Tongariki is the largest Ahu (stone platform) on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) supporting fifteen Moai (monolithic human figures carved from rock) including an 86 tonne Moai: the heaviest ever erected on the island.
All the Moai here face sunset during Summer Solstice. The Poike volcano can be seen in the far background beyond the Moai. On the far left rises the Rano Raraku volcano whose stone quarry supplied Tuff (stone from compressed volcanic ash) for 834 of the 887 known Moai.
Several red Pukao topknots can be seen in the left foreground. The Pukao are believed to represent dressed hair or headdresses of red feathers worn by chiefs. The Pukao is carved from a very light red volcanic stone called Scoria. The Scoria stone was quarried from a single source at Puna Pau.
In the days before Ahu Tongariki was destroyed in civil war, Ahu Tongariki was the main center or capital of the Hotu Iti: the eastern confederation of the Rapa Nui. What remained of the Ahu was swept inland by a Tsunami in the 20th century. Ahu Tongariki was substantially restored in the 1990s by a team of archaeologists let by Claudio Cristino and Patricia Vargas.
TQ 2010 memory book image 1 of 11
Shadows of the past
Be they standing or toppled, the Moai give us a hint of past events on Rapa Nui. Much of that past was lost due to war, plague, or burning of written records by missionaries. Oral traditions combined with modern archaeology allow us to glimpse into the mysteries of Rapa Nui and to speculate about the root causes of such destruction.
TQ 2010 memory book image 10 of 11
Taha'a in the late afternoon from the Paul Gaugiun
Bora Bora House
Living on the water in Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Mists of Nuka Hiva
High up on a coastal ridgeline on the island of Nuka Hiva in the Marqueses
Ice Dunes of Antarctica
Ice, stripped from blue ice near Union Glacier Antarctica, piles into sand line dunes.
Mt. Rossman
The ice and shadow of Mt. Rossman
Sinking Antarctic rock
The sun warms a rock resting on the blue ice of Antarctica. The rock melts the Antarctic ice and begins to sink into the glacial depths.
Ice Falls in the Ellsworth Mountains
Ice from the polar cap of Antarctica falls through a gap in the Ellsworth Mountains onto Union Glacier.
Glowing Blue Ice, Ellsworth Mountains
The Antarctic winds swept clean ice dust resting on the surface, revealing the Blue Ice on the slopes of the Ellsworth Mountains.


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At the TCA press tour, Michael Lombardo, HBO's president of programming, spoke about the future of No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Though it won't be continuing as a TV series, there are plans to continue the story in the form of two movies.
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency ran for seven episodes on HBO, from March until May in 2009. The comedy-drama was filmed on location in Botswana and follows Mma Ramotswe as she operates a detective agency. The cast includes Jill Scott, Anika Noni Rose, Lucian Msamati, and Desmond Dube.
This weekend, Lombardo said, "We're talking to our friends at the Weinstein Company about the possibility of, and actually developing two scripts, possibly to do two movies. And if we can get the cast together and if everything can come together we've love to do it. So it's alive."
If they get the final go-ahead, the two HBO movies would likely be shot back-to-back. It seems they won't be filmed completely in Botswana however.
It was reported last month that the show's producers had relocated from Botswana to Cape Town. The Botswana government, hard hit by the recession, balked at the idea of subsidizing film production while South Africa doubled their rebate offer.
If the movies are actually made, they'll be filmed mostly in Cape Town with occasional lensing in Botswana, the locale where the story is set.
What do you think? Are you a fan of No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency? Would you like to see it return as a pair of movies?
Image courtesy HBO.


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Getting and Staying Motivated for Exercise
As all people with diabetes know, one of the greatest challenges you will ever encounter is confronting the problem of maintaining an exercise program. Unfortunately, it is a challenge requiring skills that are not taught by most health clubs or included in most fitness literature.
Is this due to a misunderstanding of the health benefits of exercise? I believe most of us know that uncontrolled diabetes can lead to cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease, kidney disease and vision loss. Control of high blood sugars through weight loss and exercise will reduce the risks of long-term effects of diabetes.
Staying Motivated
To understand why people lack exercise motivation, you first have to acknowledge a simple, yet important, characteristic of exercise. Unlike many behaviors, such as paying your income tax or going to work, exercise is something you don't have to do. Without the guidance of a qualified personal trainer, exercise can be unrewarding. Let me give you some real-life examples of what I mean.
Mary began her daily exercise program because of annoying increases in weight. She chose exercise rather than some other behavioral option for two reasons; First, she was convinced exercise would not only help her control weight but give her a much needed zest for daily living. Second, she felt that with exercise she could still eat a few choice desserts.
Initially, Mary was excited and enthusiastic. She purchased a slick new running suit and had no problem waking up an hour earlier each day. Mornings were kicked off by a half hour of aerobics followed by a one-mile jog. Like so many other people, however, Mary's workouts were short-lived. Exercise had not given her the zest for daily living that she expected. Instead, Mary experienced increased general fatigue. She found it more and more difficult to get those early morning starts, and complained of an inability to manage work and family demands. She just lacked the necessary energy. Contrary to original expectations, Mary experienced decreased rather than increased vitality.
Having Better Things to Do
Chuck remained faithful to his health club for nearly three months before he quit. His real downfall was that he began his membership in order to develop a sleek muscular appearance, but it never materialized. His quitting seemed to have had very little to do with lack of desire. After three months, he rationalized, "Hey, come on, apparently I just don't have the right genes. Why knock my head against the wall? I have better things to do." Quite simply, for Chuck, dropping out was a function of unreinforced behavior.
Sacrificing Life's Pleasures
For Tom, who was in an aerobics program for six months before he quit, early-morning workouts just became too costly. Because of them, he had missed too many entertaining breakfast engagements with his buddies, and he did not appreciate sacrificing life's pleasures. In short, exercise sessions competed with other reinforcing events, which he valued more.
Tom's predicament actually deserved more attention. He certainly appeared committed to exercise and made some respectable gains while he was involved in the program. During these first six months, he was rarely absent and always seemed to enjoy himself. Quite frankly, his decision to quit was a total surprise to program personnel. Yet, everyone sets priorities in life. People choose not to do some things they enjoy, because doing them would mean losing something of greater value. Mindful of this process of setting priorities, we must evaluate fitness activities in relation to other interests and responsibilities. This evaluation is indispensable in the development of a system of motivation. Competition of needs explains a great deal of why people don't continue with an exercise program.
Seeing the Solution but Not the Problem
In the words of a friend of mine, "It isn't that they can't see the solution, it is that they can't see the problem." The most important guideline is to establish several positive outcomes and benefits of the specific exercise behaviors. Furthermore, it is important that the outcomes you or a qualified personal trainer establish are specific, realistic and objective by design.
It is also important for us to understand the significance of certain changes that take place with exercise. Why is it advantageous to have a low-resting heart rate or a high HDL? Although this knowledge may be known to the exerciser, the nonexerciser may be unaware of these facts.
For example, visually presenting materials offers much more in the area of attention and retention than a mere description. Don't look at things in a mechanical manner, but rather, personalize your thoughts.
Exercise may not be a number-one priority in everybody's lives. It is important to include benefits or outcomes that make exercise more attractive. For example, a good hour of aerobic activity can be followed with time in the sauna or hot tub. By looking at a reward system such as this, you are simply increasing the reinforcement value of exercise, a behavior that, for many people, does not have much inherent attraction.
Next, consider tangible reinforcement for proper exercise behavior. For example, a minimum number of exercise sessions per month will result in friends or family contributing to a special three-day weekend at the hotel or campground of your choice. Not a bad plan, and everyone wins!
Plus, don't forget the obvious. Always search for the forms of exercise that are more appealing. When running is too hard on your joints or just plain boring, why not try aerobic dance, swimming or biking. Find an activity you enjoy. Exercise sessions have become known as "workouts." If done with a qualified personal trainer, these sessions can be known as a "playouts." Your attitude will control your level of enjoyment and your exercise program retention.
Therefore, when it comes to being a success at exercise, your attitude must be: "If it is to be, it is up to me." However, that does not mean you have to go it alone. Seek guidance and soon you will be adding years to your life and life to your years.


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The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Featured Player of the Week for Week 3 is Punter Tim Masthay.During Monday's contest against the Seattle Seahawks, Masthay helped keep the Seahawks' return game in check by posting a 43.7-yard net average on six punts, including three inside the 20-yard line.
The Hall of Fame's Featured Player of the Week program features an exhibit with memorabilia from each week's game, including a game ball autographed by the selected player.
Each week, the game football will be placed on display to be viewed by visitors to the Hall and at the end of the week will be awarded randomly to a Hall of Fame visitor who signed up for the drawing.
Also in the exhibit will be the featured player's jersey, as well as potentially other items such as a face mask, shoes, gloves and other equipment.
The exhibit opened Sept. 10 and will continue through the season. Hall of Fame admission is required to see the exhibit, and visitors are able to fill out a drawing form for a chance to win the ball. One drawing ticket will be distributed per each paid admission. Drawing winners will be selected at close of business Saturday and be notified on or before the following Monday.
The winners of game balls thus far have been Tom Byers of South Bend, Ind. (Week 1, Randall Cobb) and Pam Bue of Black River Falls, Wis. (Week 2, Clay Matthews).
The featured player will be selected after each game and will be indicated on the team's Web site, Packers.com. Packers.com also will feature a photo of the display at the beginning of each week.
* * *
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Hours may vary on gamedays and holidays. Cost is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors (62 and older), military (with valid military ID), student (with college student ID) and youth (12-17); $5 for children (6-11); and children 5 and under are free. Group pricing is available for schools and other groups; for more information, contact the Hall of Fame at 920/569-7512. Information also is available online at www.packers.com.
For fans desiring to visit the Hall and take a Stadium Tour, combination pricing for an adult is $19, a savings of $2. Combination pricing is available only where Stadium Tours are sold.


text: Promoting Independent Journalism, Media, Means Defending 'Our Right to Truth', Secretary-General Says in Video Message on World Press Freedom Day Antonio Guterres A free press is essential for peace, justice and human rights for all. It is crucial to building transparent and democratic societies and keeping those in power accountable. It is vital for sustainable development. Journalists and media workers shine a light on local and global challenges and tell the stories that need to be told. Their service to the public is invaluable. Antonio Guterres Laws that protect independent journalism, freedom of expression and the right to information need to be adopted, implemented and enforced. Crimes against journalists must be prosecuted. "On World Press Freedom Day 2018, I call on Governments to strengthen press freedom and to protect journalists. Promoting a free press is standing up for our right to truth."


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Munich Re / HSB Ventures invests in and partners with innovative companies to develop growth opportunities for Munich Re, including its subsidiary Hartford Steam Boiler. Munich Re is the world's largest reinsurance company, with a global platform spanning all aspects of primary insurance and reinsurance. Hartford Steam Boiler is a leader in equipment breakdown insurance and coverage for renewable energy and cyber security, as well as engineering-based risk management for businesses, homes and farms.
Munich Re / HSB Ventures is responsible for corporate venturing activities that deliver both strategic and financial value through minority investments, business partnerships, and acquisitions. The focus is to grow our business by leveraging new technology-enabled products, services and data to serve our customers, as well as to identify emergent insurance gaps in the start-up ecosystem. Our current areas of focus include the Internet of Things, Cyber Security, Insurance Tech and Big Data/ Analytics and AI. We are active investors who frequently lead rounds and our syndicate partners include top tier venture capital and corporate venture capital firms. Our portfolio includes relayr, Helium, Augury, Slice, Bought By Many, and other IoT and InsureTech companies.
Internally, the team works hand-in-hand with leaders in the Businesses, Engineering, Product Development, Innovation & IT to craft the corporation's growth and investment strategies. Externally, the team works with venture capital firms, incubators / accelerators, universities, entrepreneurs, and other corporations to develop technologies, companies and management teams that help us to strategically grow and transform our business.
The Investment Associate will be a member of the investment team, with previous venture capital or consulting experience and a background in data and analytics or computer science, ideally with some exposure to financial services. The Investment Associate will participate in the end-to-end sourcing and execution of deals, as well as post-close engagement in on-going relationships, and the on-going processes of the venture group. In addition, as a member of the Ventures team, this role will help to develop key strategic themes for investment in partnership with the businesses. The position is located in San Francisco, with frequent travel within the US and internationally.
The Investment Associate will:
- Partner internally with the businesses to understand and inform their strategy, evaluate specific opportunities, gain business sponsorship, and identify specific activities to deliver strategic value.
- Assist in development of strategic themes and actionable investment thesis in areas of strategic relevance, in collaboration with the businesses and rest of the Ventures' team.
- Network externally to generate deal flow and relationships.
- Assist in preliminary due diligence on specific opportunities to assess attractiveness.
- Assist in preparation of review materials, updates, and Investment Memos for Ventures' governing bodies, including Investment Committee, Venture Advisory Board, and Functional Review Board.
- Manage deal tracking and reporting.
- Conduct research on industry sectors, specific companies, and venture activity.
- Communicate successfully with entrepreneurs, management teams, syndicate partners, and other stakeholders, including attorneys, advisors, consultants, and Board Members.
- Represent Munich Re / HSB Ventures at various corporate venture capital, investment, and innovation conferences and topical industry events.
The successful candidate will have strong analytical business experience and a passion for new technology and engaging in the start-up community.
- Strategic Vision & Passion for Creating the Future: To be effective in this role requires gaining an understanding of HSB's and Munich Re's global insurance and reinsurance businesses, including business models, drivers of economic value, the insurance value chain, competition, risk transfer mechanisms and products, and regulatory environment. Individuals must be able to then build upon this knowledge to envision alternative futures and growth strategies and specific tactical paths to getting there, based on emerging trends, market dynamics, and evolving customer needs and partner opportunities.
- Intellectual Curiosity: This role requires an innate and insatiable intellectual curiosity about business, technology, and business models. Active and constant monitoring and engagement with the innovation ecosystem is essential.
- Strong Analytical Skills: Candidates must have requisite financial and investment analysis and research skills.
- Superior Visual & Written Communication Skills: This role requires the ability to sift through large quantities of information, both quantitative and qualitative, identify the salient points, and then communicate them in the appropriate form in a succinct and elegant story or case.
- Superb Communicator & Relentless Networker: The position requires a high level of communication, influence and interpersonal skills in order to network, navigate, and execute internally with cross-functional teams and externally with multiple stakeholders and partners.
- Disciplined Adaptable Tactician: This role requires strong execution and follow-through in emergent and uncertain situations. The ability to be adaptable and problem solve in the face of evolving internal and external stakeholder agendas and changing priorities is critical.
- 3 + years of experience, including 1-2 years in venture capital, investment banking, strategy consulting, or business / corporate development
- MBA required, preferably combined with a degree in computer science
- Knowledge and fluency in emerging technology and business models in sectors relevant to HSB & Munich Re
- Superior oral, written and visual communication skills
- Superior proactive networking and relationship development skills
- Proven teamwork skills both as a leader and cross-functional team member
- Self motivated with high initiative
- Willing to travel 15-20% of the time including internationally
If interested, please apply here.


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07 October 2006 20:30
The Web 2.0 Toolbar - The Best of Web 2.0, Right in Your Browserby springnet
1. Paul Terry Walhus - October 7, 2006 You too can get rich with the web 2.0 toolbar! I did. I downloaded it and with just a few clicks my sites at http://spring.net http://web2.0slides.com http://tagslides.com were getting millions of hits and my google
1 (1 marks)


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Twitter removes French-language anti-Semitic tweets
Microblogging site agrees after Jewish group threatened to sue
Twitter agreed to pull racist and anti-Semitic tweets under a pair of French hash tags after a Jewish group threatened to sue the social network for running afoul of national laws against hate speech, the organization said.
The decision came a day after Twitter bowed to German law and blocked an account of a banned neo-Nazi group there.
The freewheeling social network is increasingly running up against European anti-discrimination laws, many of which date to the aftermath of the Holocaust by governments that acknowledged the contribution of years of hate speech to the Nazi attempt to annihilate the Jews.
Friday's action, which was not carried out immediately, would mark a dramatic new stage for the company that has famously refused efforts to police its millions of users.
"Twitter does not mediate content," the company said in a statement.
"If we are alerted to content that may be in violation of our terms of service, we will investigate each report and respond according to the policies and procedures outlined in our support pages."
Slurs, photos evoked Holocaust
The company's policies require international users to comply with local laws regarding online conduct and acceptable content.
The French Union of Jewish Students, which planned to supply Twitter with a list of the offensive tweets to be pulled, said it would still file a formal complaint against the social network to bring the tweeters to justice. The union held a conference call Thursday night with Twitter executives in California.
The anti-Semitic tweets in French, which started Oct. 10, included slurs and photos evoking the Holocaust, including one of a pile of ash and another of an emaciated Holocaust victim. They were followed by offensive, anti-Muslim tweets.
On Thursday,Twitter blocked the neo-Nazi's account in Germany, although its tweets were still visible to any user whose settings include a different location.
The French-language tweets came from hundreds of users, not all of them necessarily in France.
Twitter dismisses criticism
Almost immediately after the French group announced its agreement with Twitter, tweets went up against what some users saw as an attack on freedom of expression — all using the hash tag that started the wave of racist posts on Oct. 10.
Elie Petit, vice president of the group, dismissed the criticism: "I don't think a call for murder is freedom of expression," he said.
French law forbids all discrimination based on ethnicity, nationality, race or religion.
German law is more specific. Because of its Nazi past, the country has strict laws prohibiting the use of related symbols and slogans — like the display of the swastika, or saying "heil Hitler."
After the decision in Germany on Thursday, Twitter's general counsel Alex Macgillivray said in a tweet that the site's administrators "never want to withhold content, good to have tools to do it narrowly and transparently."
In a statement, Jonathan Hayoun, the French group's president, said the group wasn't trying to be the "garbage collectors of the Internet." But, he added, "Twitter can't be a place of illegal expression."


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From Zero Hedge (6/13/2012):
And so, the little rating agency that could, just gave Spain the triple hooks, downgrading the country from B to CCC+, negative outlook. As a reminder, the Uganda credit rating is B: it sure is no Spain.
From EJ:
Synopsis: KINGDOM OF SPAIN EJR Sen Rating(Curr/Prj) CCC+/ CC Rating Analysis - 6/13/12 EJR CP Rating: C Debt: EUR805.9B EJR's 1 yr. Default Probability: 18.0% Spain continues to be weakened by high funding costs (6.75% for 10yr today), the gov. deficit of 9.6%, an estimated decline in GDP of 1.7% (per the Economy Ministry), the 24.4% unemployment, the IIF's recent estimate of additional bank loan losses up to EUR260B, and possible depositor withdrawals. Over the past four fiscal years, that is from 2008 to 2011, Spain's GDP declined from EUR1.09 trillion to EUR1.07 trillion. Meanwhile, its debt mushroomed from EUR519B to EUR806B. With the EUR100B infusion for Spain's banks, the debt to GDP will rise to 90% plus future additions for the government deficit, support for its regions and additional support for its banks. Social benefits are a major problem; while payments to the govt have been down EUR 3B (2008 to 2011), payments from the government have been up EUR 29B). As a result, Spain is short about EUR50B per year for social payments, EUR35+B per year for interest, and an additional EUR 30B for asset growth; hence the EUR110+B per annum increase in debt. As we expected, Spain requested support for its banking sector and will probably need cash for weaker provinces. Assets of Spain's largest two banks exceed its GDP. We are slipping our rating to " CCC+ " ; watch for more requests for support from the banks and money creation.
Just the reminder that the Greek election is on Sunday, June 17, and people are withdrawing money from the banks at a furious pace ($1 billion, or about 800 million euros per day). As CNBC reports, they are stocking up on non-perishable food:
...New Democracy has been telling voters they must choose between the euro or the drachma, while Syriza promises to end the austerity measures imposed by Greece's international lenders, such as salary and pension cuts, that have driven many Greeks into abject poverty.
Fears that Greece will collapse financially and leave the euro have slowly drained Greek banks over the last two years. Central bank figures show that deposits shrank by about 17 percent, or 35.4 billion euros ($44.4 billion) in 2011 and stood 165.9 billion euros ($208.1 billion) at end-April.
Bankers said the pace was picking up ahead of the vote, with combined daily deposit outflows from the major banks at 500-800 million euros ($625 million to $1 billion) over the past few days, and 10-30 million euros ($12-36 million) at smaller banks.
"This includes cash withdrawals, wire transfers and investments into money market funds, German Bonds, U.S. Treasuries and EIB bonds," said one banker, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Retailers said consumers were stocking up on non-perishable food while almost all other goods were seeing a huge drop in sales as cash-strapped Greeks have no money to spare in the country's fifth year of recession.
"People are terrified by the prospect of returning to the drachma and some believe it's good to fill their cupboard with food products," said Vassilis Korkidis, head of the ESEE retail federation.
"It's over the top, we must not panic. Filling the cupboard with food doesn't mean we will escape the crisis," he said.