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|Publications by Eduardo D. Sontag in year 2003
|Articles in journal or book chapters
|Monotone systems constitute one of the most important classes of dynamical systems used in mathematical biology modeling. The objective of this paper is to extend the notion of monotonicity to systems with inputs and outputs, a necessary first step in trying to understand interconnections, especially including feedback loops, built up out of monotone components. Basic definitions and theorems are provided, as well as an application to the study of a model of one of the cell's most important subsystems.
|A new notion of input-to-state stability involving infinity norms of input derivatives up to a finite order k is introduced and characterized. An example shows that this notion of stability is indeed weaker than the usual ISS. Applications to the study of global asymptotic stability of cascaded nonlinear systems are discussed.
|This paper addresses the time-optimal control problem for a class of control systems which includes controlled mechanical systems with possible dissipation terms. The Lie algebras associated with such mechanical systems enjoy certain special properties. These properties are explored and are used in conjunction with the Pontryagin maximum principle to determine the structure of singular extremals and, in particular, time-optimal trajectories. The theory is illustrated with an application to a time-optimal problem for a class of underwater vehicles.
|The fundamental relaxation result for Lipschitz differential inclusions is the Filippov-Wazewski Relaxation Theorem, which provides approximations of trajectories of a relaxed inclusion on finite intervals. A complementary result is presented, which provides approximations on infinite intervals, but does not guarantee that the approximation and the reference trajectory satisfy the same initial condition.
|Some biological systems operate at the critical point between stability and instability and this requires a fine-tuning of parameters. We bring together two examples from the literature that illustrate this: neural integration in the nervous system and hair cell oscillations in the auditory system. In both examples the question arises as to how the required fine-tuning may be achieved and maintained in a robust and reliable way. We study this question using tools from nonlinear and adaptive control theory. We illustrate our approach on a simple model which captures some of the essential features of neural integration. As a result, we propose a large class of feedback adaptation rules that may be responsible for the experimentally observed robustness of neural integration. We mention extensions of our approach to the case of hair cell oscillations in the ear.
|This paper studies a feedback regulation problem that arises in at least two different biological applications. The feedback regulation problem under consideration may be interpreted as an adaptive control problem for tuning bifurcation parameters, and it has not been studied in the control literature. The goal of the paper is to formulate this problem and to present some preliminary results.
|In the early embryonic cell cycle, Cdc2-cyclin B functions like an autonomous oscillator, at whose core is a negative feedback loop: cyclins accumulate and produce active mitotic Cdc2-cyclin B Cdc2 activates the anaphase-promoting complex (APC); the APC then promotes cyclin degradation and resets Cdc2 to its inactive, interphase state. Cdc2 regulation also involves positive feedback4, with active Cdc2-cyclin B stimulating its activator Cdc25 and inactivating its inhibitors Wee1 and Myt1. Under the correct circumstances, these positive feedback loops could function as a bistable trigger for mitosis, and oscillators with bistable triggers may be particularly relevant to biological applications such as cell cycle regulation. This paper examined whether Cdc2 activation is bistable, confirming that the response of Cdc2 to non-degradable cyclin B is temporally abrupt and switchlike, as would be expected if Cdc2 activation were bistable. It is also shown that Cdc2 activation exhibits hysteresis, a property of bistable systems with particular relevance to biochemical oscillators. These findings help establish the basic systems-level logic of the mitotic oscillator.
|Suppose that an equilibrium is asymptotically stable when external inputs vanish. Then, every bounded trajectory which corresponds to a control which approaches zero and which lies in the domain of attraction of the unforced system, must also converge to the equilibrium. This "well-known" but hard-to-cite fact is proved and slightly generalized here.
|This note provides a simple result showing, under suitable technical assumptions, that if a system S adapts to a class of external signals U, then S must necessarily contain a subsystem which is capable of generating all the signals in U. It is not assumed that regulation is robust, nor is there a prior requirement for the system to be partitioned into separate plant and controller components. Instead, a "signal detection" capability is imposed. These weaker assumptions make the result better applicable to cellular phenomena such as the adaptation of E-coli chemotactic tumbling rate to constant concentrations.
|A construction is given of a globally asymptotically stable time-invariant system which can be destabilized by some integrable perturbation. Besides its intrinsic interest, this serves to provide counterexamples to an open question regarding Lyapunov functions.
|Conference articles
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On any team, the support staff is often just as important as the players to the success of the organization. The Avs are no exception. This group of people is often overlooked, but their experiences and decisions play a vital role in the shaping of this club.
The makeup of the Avs' management and coaching staff is very family-centric, for better or worse. This applies in two ways: first, the literal meaning (there are two father/son pairings very, very high up in the organization) and the other, a more symbolic one (the majority of our staff members were either promoted through the Avs' ranks or donned a burgundy and blue sweater at some point). The term "Building from Within", used by General Manager Greg Sherman to describe the process of drafting and developing the future Avs stars instead of trading for them later on, can also be used to describe the Avs way of thinking when it comes to off-ice personnel. In some ways, this is a good thing - it makes the organization a worker-friendly one because promotions are handed out fairly regularly, but it also may limit the Avs in terms of new ideas and ways of approaching problems. It's possible this mentality helped contribute to the traditional secrecy of the organization, but the secretive personalities in charge of the Avalanche may have something to do with that was well.
Another important thing to note is that the management (and really, the team as a whole) can be divided into 2 eras: Pre-2009 and Post-2009. After the "season that did not exist" ('08-'09) and the retirement of Sakic, the team ended up in the cellar of the Western Conference. Since then, almost everyone in a major position (besides the President) has been replaced. There was even a slight transition of owners in the summer of 2010. When this team talks about rebuilding, they don't just mean with the players. The front office staff and the coaches are new too. Top to bottom, this is an organization essentially entering its third season, despite the fact it's been in Colorado for 16. However, the management has shown that it has learned from its past success and mistakes - the first 13 years of the Colorado Avalanche are not ignored, even though they are clearly a thing of the past.
This organization also tends to play things very close to the vest. Over the past year, the management has made an effort to open up and keep the fans more informed, but the old saying is "if you hear about an Avs trade, then it isn't going to happen". Trades, when they do come, are often huge and catch people off-guard because the Avs never let on when they're up to something. It's that way with everything (determining the Captaincy, moving players down the AHL or calling them up, free agent signings) - everything is very hush-hush. It's a very different dynamic than many teams have, and it does take some getting used to. It's also a fairly common source of frustration for the fans.
However, the first step in understanding this very secretive organization is to understand the people in charge. After the jump, there's a breakdown of all the major behind-the-scenes players of the Avalanche. Just strap yourself in - it's a long one.
The Owners: Kroenke Sports Enterprises and Stan and Josh Kroenke
Enos Stanley "Stan" Kroenke started out in real estate after graduating from the University of Missouri in 1973. That same year, while on vacation in Aspen, he met and later married the heiress to a still-small Midwest retail chain called "Wal-mart". After he got his degree, he started to work with a successful retail developer in Missouri on the construction of Walmarts and the surrounding lots. He split and went into business on his own in 1985, and found himself on the Walmart board of directors from 1995 to 2000.
Kroenke has always had a passion for sports. He played basketball in high school, and even to this day is a self-described fitness nut. In 1994, he convinced the Los Angeles Rams to move to St. Louis and bought a minority stake in the organization. However, he remained fairly unknown until 2000, when the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and the newly constructed Pepsi Center were in dire need of a new owner. Ascent Entertainment, the tv company that had originally purchased the then Quebec Nordiques in 1995 and moved them to Colorado, had been basically pushed out of business by Comcast. Due to the money crunch, their shareholders pressured them to put the teams and their recently completed arena on the market. The teams and arena bounced around from owner to owner for a while before Stan Kroenke finally wrote a $420 million check.
Since then, he's purchased the Colorado Mammoth lacrosse team (2002), the now defunct Colorado Crush arena football team (2004), the Colorado Rapids soccer team (2004), Arsenal, an English Premier League soccer team (10% ownership acquired in 2007, built up gradually to majority ownership in 2011), and built Dick's Sporting Goods Park (2004-07). In 2004, he founded Altitude Sports and Entertainment, the TV channel that broadcasts all his Colorado teams' games, and TicketHorse, the company that distributes the teams' tickets. In 2010, he purchased the majority stake in the St. Louis Rams, but since the NFL prohibits owners from owning sports teams in other NFL markets (the Colorado teams are obviously in the Broncos market), he is required to sell his majority stakes in the clubs by 2014.
What is a billionaire to do? Why, sell them to his son of course.
Josh Kroenke was grew up in Columbia, MO and was primarily a basketball player, although he dabbled in just about every sport but football. He decided to follow in his father's footsteps and attend the University of Missouri (Mizzou), but on a basketball scholarship. His playing time fluctuated greatly and he caught a lot of crap for being the Walmart heir there on scholarship. So, after college, he left the Midwest and worked for Lehman Brothers in New York before deciding to get into the family business in 2007. He spent time in both the Avs and Nuggets front offices before becoming the President of the Denver Nuggets and the owner of both teams. He is now also the official Governor of the Colorado Avalanche.
Both Kroenkes are known for their work ethic and very "down to earth" personalities. They aren't very well known - in fact, Stan's nickname is "Silent Stan" because he rarely gives interviews, and Josh has been asked to show his ID badge in the back hallways of the Pepsi Center during Nuggets games. Stan doesn't meddle much in the day-to-day operations of his teams, and Josh has been accused of concentrating more on the Nuggets than the Avs. However, with the NBA in lockout right now, the Avalanche is the only team on Josh's plate.
Despite the owners being called
cheap SOBs
All in the Family: Pierre and Eric Lacroix
Pierre Lacroix, a Quebecois from Montreal, got his start as a highly successful sports agent. He then joined the Nordiques as their General Manager in 1994 and followed the team to Denver a year later. He was the guy responsible for crafting the teams that won the Cups in '96 and '01. To say he was never afraid of a big trade would be an understatement. After all, he was the one that pushed the Roy, Bourque, and Blake trades through. He continued to serve as the Avs GM until 2006, when he passed the title off to Francois Giguere and took over the role of President and Alternate Governor.
His son, Eric, played for the Avs from '96-'97 to '98-'99. He was never a hall of famer, but he played 8 seasons and over 450 games in the NHL as a left wing. After he left the NHL, he worked in the Avs' hockey operations department, then moved to Arizona and was the co-owner and assistant coach of the CHL Arizona Sundogs (who were the CHL champions in 2008 under his tenure). After that, he became a pro scout for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2009, he decided to come back to the Avs and currently serves as the Director of Hockey Operations.
Greg Sherman, General Manager and Executive Vice President
Even though he was born in Scranton, PA, Greg Sherman is a Denver boy who graduated from Cheery Creek High School. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of San Diego in '92 and joined the Avs organization in '96. He worked his way up through the ranks and served as an Assistant General Manager for 7 years, mostly negotiating contacts and working with salary cap management. After Roy turned down the vacant GM position in 2009 after Francois Giguere was fired, Sherman, a highly unlikely candidate (Dater had him at about a 10% chance of getting the job), was hired. Even to this day, he's still seen as more of an accountant than a true hockey guy, and he's arguably the most unknown GM in the media-saturated NHL. However, this may not make him a bad one.
At the time of his hiring, the Avs had $43 million (a major amount of the allowable payroll) going to only 13 players, 7 of whom were over 30 years old and not producing many points at all (Darcy Tucker). They had just finished at the bottom of the Western Conference. Sakic was done, and the future of the Avs was in question. One thing for sure was that it was time to clean house. Pierre Lacroix took care of most of it - firing Giguere, head coach Granato, and a number of other management people, then hiring Sherman, Sacco, and others (like his son) to fill the vacant positions all within a very short period of time. Overpaid players were also dropped, and new ones - young ones - were brought in via the draft.
Sherman was seen as a figure head for Lacroix - holding the title while Lacroix pulled the strings. However, in the next few years, one could argue that it became more of a partnership. Sherman is better with salaries, Lacroix better with player analysis. Put the two together in the rebuilding situation the Avs are in right now, and it's perhaps the best solution possible. Lacroix is the hockey guy - he excelled in the pre-salary cap era because when he saw a player with talent, he went out and got them no matter what. That mentality is what caused the extreme overpaying that the Avs experienced in 2009. Sherman, on the other hand, tempers that and makes sure payroll stays low while the Avs are building their core. He's much more of a businessman, figuring out risk-to-gain scenarios. He's perhaps the least flashy GM in the league, and people tend to judge him for that. However, they forget that Lacroix is still around, quietly overseeing everything. The last few major trades (Johnson, Varlamov) have shown this - they're gutsy and very Lacroix-esque in scale, but they're also budget-friendly career reclamation projects with moderate- to high-risk but enormous gains if they pan out.
Sherman by himself would probably not make a great GM. But Sherman + Lacroix + now Sakic could be a very potent combo. Like the players on their team, there is more talent and skill in the Avs front office than they are given credit for. Sherman is still new to the job - this will only be his third season - but he's made some pretty smart moves so far. If one of the major trades goes south, he may be scapegoated by the rest of the organization, but his track-record to this point is at least decent and could get even better as the young players he's brought in continue to mature and improve.
Long story short: Don't write Sherman off as a failure yet. There's a very balanced management running the Avs right now as more of a business than a purely hockey club. When it's time to spend, they'll spend, but they'll do it in a way that maximizes performance instead of just spending for spending's sake (here's looking at you, Toronto and Florida).
Sakic's Back in Town
Part of the front office equation just joined this summer. Super Joe Sakic, long time captain and anchor of the entire pre-2009 Avalanche franchise, came back to the organization and is now the Executive Advisor and an Alternate Governor. Even though his exact duties are a little ambiguous, one thing is for sure - he'll be offering Sherman opinions on the game from a player's point of view. He knows just as much as Lacroix on which players are needed to create a successful team, but he has a unique locker-room perspective instead of a solely talent-based one. Expect to see traces of that in the moves that the Avs make from now on.
Also, it appears as if Sakic is being groomed to take over the post of GM. However, when Super Joe talks about learning the "business side of hockey", there is no greater mentor in the organization than Greg Sherman. In the post-lockout NHL, teams have to be run like a business due to the salary cap, but the knowledge of how to effectively do that can be taught in a relatively short amount of time. The knowledge Sakic brings to the table, as well as the brand name - everybody knows who Joe Sakic is - is something that can't be duplicated. A change will probably come eventually, but don't expect it before next summer. If the trades from last year pan out, Sherman will probably stay on a while longer, at least until the rebuild is over. Sakic will almost certainly be the Avs GM at some point, but just like the young players coming into the league, it's best if he is mentored a while before taking over the position.
In Pracey We Trust
Rick Pracey, the Avs' head scout, started his hockey career in the OHL as a goalie for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He only played one season and 10 games with them, but during that time, he was a teammate of a prominent young defenseman named Adam Foote. After that, Pracey bounced around from league to league (including some college time) for the next few years, playing only one game at the AHL level. He never played in the NHL. However, after retiring in '98, he came back as a scout for the OHL in 2000. He joined the Avs soon after and was a scout of the organization by the 2001 draft. He worked his way up through the ranks and became the Avs' chief scout prior to the 2009 draft, replacing Ted Hampson.
Up to that point, the Avs hadn't put much stress on the draft - they were a team designed to "win now", not 10 years from now. When the bottom fell out from under them in '08-'09 and they didn't have any prospects to replace their aging players, drafting instantly became a top priority. Pracey is one of the primary reasons the Avs' rebuild has gone so smoothly. Not only does he get the top picks right (let's be honest - even a blind ostrich could have picked Duchene at #3), but he finds talent deeper in the draft as well. He goes against the grain and relies completely on his scout's reports, often snagging players that have fallen out of favor due to injury (such as 2010's brilliant first round pick of Joey Hishon).
Not many hockey fans care too much who their chief scout is. Fewer still can name them. But around here especially, Rich Pracey is held in very high regard. He has shown enough competence in three short years that when an Avs fans have doubts about a draft pick, they'll shrug it off with an "In Pracey We Trust". He is extremely well respected by the fanbase and is talked about quite often around MHH and the Avalanche community.
Coaches and the Phenomenon of "Building from Within"
Joe Sacco, the head coach, does not enjoy the instant acceptance of his moves that Pracey does. "The Other Joe" was drafted #71 overall by the Maple Leafs in the '87 draft. He played right wing for Boston University and a whole set of NHL teams (none of them the Avs) before retiring in 2003. Two years after he stopped playing, he accepted a head coaching job with the Avs' newly-created AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, and coached them to two decent seasons considering the lack of talent on the roster. He was promoted to the Avs head coaching position in the summer of 2009 and led the team to an unlikely playoff appearance (Anderson playing like a beast helped). He was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award (best NHL coach), but lost to Dave Tippett of the Phoenix Coyotes. Things were looking up for Skipper Joe.
Then 2010-11 happened.
The first half of the season went really well. The team was running a fast break system that took advantage of the speed of both the Avs' forwards and blueliners. Even though their GAA was terrible, it didn't matter because they were leading the league in Goals For and winning their games. But in late December, the LA Kings showed the hockey world how to neutralize the Avs' offense. Instead of switching to a different gameplan, Sacco and the players kept running the same one and got owned for the rest of the season. The ineffective plays, combined with the ungodly amount of injuries the team sustained, were enough to cause that second-half tail spin. Sacco went from the golden boy of the organization to public enemy #1 in the eyes of the fanbase (well, maybe public enemy #2 after Brian Elliott). If Sacco doesn't improve his record this year, he'll be looking for a new job very soon.
Now, it should be said that Head Coaches often receive both more praise and more blame than they actually deserve. I personally think Sacco is a pretty decent coach who is simply inexperienced. He had to deal with a lot of stuff in his sophomore season that he just wasn't prepared for. He's a player's coach - most of them really seem to love him - but there was only so much he could do to motivate them last year. Give him a few years and he'll be just fine. Besides, stability in the coaching position is sometimes more valuable than experience. Still, when a team needs a scapegoat, the coach is often the first one to go.
But not all the coaching blame can be placed on Sacco. Over the past two years, he had two assistant coaches: Steve Konowalchuk and Sylvain Lefebvre, both former Avs. Defenseman Sylvain Lefebvre made the jump with the franchise from Quebec to Colorado and won the Cup with the team in '96. He was later traded to the Rangers and retired in '04. A year later, he was Sacco's assistant coach in Lake Erie and made the jump to coaching his former team in '09 and has been there since.
Konowalchuk played LW for the Avs in '03-'04 and '05-'06. He graduated to the assistant coaching position in 2009 after working in the Avs' player development department, but left this summer to coach the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. His replacement, Adam Deadmarsh, also is a former Av - this time a RW. He too made the jump from Quebec to Colorado and won the Cup in '96, but was traded mid-season in '00-'01. After he retired, he became the Avs' video coach and was promoted to the position of Assistant Coach this summer.
Kirk McLean joined up with the Avs in 2010 and is starting his second season as their part-time goaltending coach. He played goalie for a number of NHL teams over a 16 year span, but spent most of his time with the Canucks where his still is the most winningest goaltender in their history. When he isn't helping our netminders, he's running a restaurant in Vancouver called "McLean's" and also owns a Junior team in the BCHL. The fact that the Avs' don't have a full-time goalie coach is a very hot-button topic right now, especially with the steep priced paid to get the young and still-in-need-of-guidance Semyon Varlamov. It's a problem. With any luck, the Avs will fix that problem soon. If Sacco is fired, given the Avs history, there is a chance that Patrick Roy could be offered the head coaching job. If that does in fact happen, a goalie coach would become much less important. However, until that point, it's still a major concern that the entire fanbase is hoping gets addressed as soon as possible.
To sum it up, the Avs not only have one of the inexperienced teams in the NHL, they have one of the most inexperienced coaching staffs as well. Pierre Lacroix and Milan Hejduk are the only true veterans ANYWHERE in the organization, and that's not going to help the coaches all that much. Everybody's learning as they go and mistakes will be made. But this is a big year. For Sacco especially, it's do or die. If he can come up with a winning season and prove he has what it takes to be an NHL coach, he'll be sticking around for a while. If he doesn't, it's bye-bye Sacco and hello David Quinn (LEM's current coach), Roy, or some other former Av/person in the system.

subset: commoncrawl


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Daniel Kemish – FULL BAND LIVE STREAM CONCERT
Performing with his full band with Pro Audio, Lighting and Video.
Please note that once order is processed you will receive your digital ticket link. You will need this to access the show.
We all really appreciate your support.
On Sunday 10th May, Daniel performed a very special live stream concert with his band
I really wanted to create something special and at the same time give work to some of my team. We performed an hours show with Pro Audio, Lighting and a Film Crew.
This concert was broadcast LIVE via a unlisted youtube link.
Purchase your ticket by giving whatever you can afford or whatever you would pay to go to a normal show.
Suggested Donation of about 5 Euros per person but this is entirely up to you. I am a firm believer that music should be for everyone but I obviously want to try and support my team if I can. (all tickets proceeds are going to be split evenly amongst everyone who worked that day so know your contribution is helping a lot of people out in these tough times)
Once purchased you will be able to download a virtual ticket that will contain a downloadable ticket containing the private link and there you have it. Click the link and it will take you to the youtube concert.
We hope you enjoy so get some cold ones in, stick it on the TV or Projector or get out in the garden. However you do decide to watch, make sure you crank up the volume and lets make some noise.
Stay safe and let's party.


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The NBA world was saddened early Monday morning by the passing of former Blazers coach Dr. Jack Ramsay. Ramsay was a mainstay in Philadelphia basketball and in the NBA for nearly the past 50 years. He was a head coach for the Sixers, Blazers and Pacers before becoming a broadcaster for ESPN Radio and various other outlets. He won a championship in the 1970s with the Blazers.
He spent some of his broadcasting years with the Heat until 2000. There he did, in fact, meet Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. Spoelstra was actually eight years old. Ramsay was there with Pat Riley, another young coach Ramsay helped mentor way back in the day.
Ramsay's coaching web did reach all the way to Spoelstra, who became the Heat's coach in 2008, and it did reach all the way to Miami's championship victory last season as Spoelstra explained to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
"He gave me a play that he used quite a bit during his championship year, with the Blazers. And it's a play that I've used from time to time after timeouts. We've affectionately called it 'Ramsay,' and it was one of the biggest plays in Game 7 last year, coming out of a timeout.
We executed it to perfection and Dwyane [Wade] got that curl for a layup, one of the biggest plays of the game. That play is called 'Ramsay' to us."
There are probably countless other stories about Ramsay exerting his influence and having his presence on several other NBA coaches. He was always a knowledgeable coach and a great teacher of the game to players, coaches and fans. His voice will be sorely missed on NBA broadcasts.
Thank you, Dr. Jack. Rest in peace.


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Largest by revenue, APPS West is the freight forwarder of the APPS Transport Group.
APPS West is your conveyor belt to western Canada. With five new terminals in the major centers, APPS provides seamless LTL and FL service from anywhere in eastern Canada. Major retailers, CPG firms, wholesalers and commercial/industrial suppliers rely on APPS West for consistent and careful service.
Key Fact
APPS West moves over 10 million pounds of freight to Western Canada every week!
APPS is an active member of the business community with memberships and affiliations with many industry, business and governmental bodies including:


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Saving & Using Rainwater
Groundwater resources in Florida face high demand for consumption, agricultural, and industry needs. Taking advantage of Florida's seasonal rainfall can reduce pressure on groundwater for non-potable uses during drier seasons.
For the homeowner, saving and using rainwater reduces your water bills and allows you to use the stored water at your discretion—it is not public water, so you do not have to follow water restrictions.
Depending on your water needs and the amount you want to store, you can incorporate rain gardens and ponds, rain barrels, or cisterns into your landscape.
Rain Gardens
Rain gardens are water retention zones for drainage. They help prevent erosion and runoff and can also filter out pollutants in surface water. Depending on the liner, the water stays in the garden until it's used or it percolates into the soil.
To plan your rain garden, take advantage of existing drainage; place gardens where water already accumulates. Make sure the garden drains water away from structures to prevent flooding.
To build a rain garden, partially excavate the site, then backfill with stone and gravel. Check local and homeowner's association rules about whether or not you will need a liner or sump. You can also add a liner to turn the collection area into a pond, rather than a groundwater recharge area.
Landscape using resilient plants that can withstand periods of inundation and drought. Water the plants, mulch, and weed the garden to ensure successful establishment. Once established, the garden should be relatively low maintenance. Supplemental irrigation during dry times will depend on plant choice.
For more on plant selection for your rain garden, visit "Rain Garden" on the Gardening Solutions website.
Rain Barrels
Rain barrels can refer to any container that captures rainwater. They are usually large containers situated under downspouts to catch roof runoff. Rain barrels are fitted with screens over their openings to keep out debris and mosquitoes.
You can purchase a rain barrel or create one yourself when using rainwater for various purposes. There are many online resources as well as information and classes offered through local Extension offices. Check the Extension calendar for any classes in your area.
One inch of rainwater per 1,000 square feet of roof will result in about 600 gallons of collected water. You can set up a system of rain barrels, each collecting overflow from the previous one in line, to hold the amount of water you want to store. You may want one rain barrel or you may want ten.
Most people install spigots on their rain barrels and attach hoses to use the stored water. Depending on the elevation of the rain barrels, you can use gravity or pumps to move the water through the hose to where you need it.
Cisterns are a good choice for those who want a greater storage capacity than rain barrels provide. A 6'x6'x6' cistern can hold 1,600 gallons.
Cisterns can be above- or below-ground or partially submerged. They need to be watertight, have enclosed lids, and be made of non-reactive material (e.g. reinforced concrete, galvanized steel, or plastic).
More so than rain barrels, cisterns need good pre-filtration of rainwater coming from the catchment area (usually a roof). Regularly clean gutters and downspouts, and consider installing gutter guards. Do not collect water under overhanging trees.
Keep in mind you will need access to the inside of the cistern for cleaning. Other design considerations include an overflow pipe, a pretreatment zone with a screen and filter, screened input and outlet valves to control water flow, and weight load.
One gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds, and a cubic foot, 62.4 pounds. If you have an elevated tank, make sure it is placed on a structurally sound platform.
Local regulations and construction costs may limit your cistern installation. Check with city or county offices to see what permits you may need. Also try searching for grants offered by community, regional, or national organizations to help offset costs.
Using Rainwater
All of these methods are for collecting, storing, and using rainwater. Your stored water can be used for uses that do not require potable water. (Do not use stored water for drinking.)
A popular option is using the water to irrigate lawns and gardens. You can install a pump or use gravity to feed hoses. Another option is to just hand water. Make sure you set up your tanks for easy access to spigots, outlets, or lids.
For gravity-fed irrigation: Every 2 ½ feet of elevation of the water source above the water outlet (e.g., the elevation of the tank versus the elevation of the garden) will create one pound of pressure. Keep in mind that friction in the pipe or hose will reduce water pressure.
Contact your plumbing or building department before connecting a pump, plumbing, or irrigation lines to see if you will need backflow protection for your potable water line. Do not connect your rain barrel or cistern to your in-home plumbing because of the risk of contaminating potable water.
Other Uses
Beyond watering your garden, stored water can be used to wash vehicles; fill ponds, fountains, and swimming pools; and used in home toilets and washers (check local regulations).
Saving and using rainwater is a great way to conserve water, decrease your water bill, reduce your impact on groundwater sources, minimize your vulnerability to drought, and create a sustainable landscape.
For more information on rainwater harvesting and water conservation, talk with your local Extension agent.


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You are here
Student Records and Student Information System (SIS)
If you wish to request your student transcript, click here to download the request form. Fill out this form and email to email@example.com.
Student record collection in Nunavut is mandated by the Education Act (2008). The purpose is to maintain current information on past and present students in order to help educators manage schools as well as produce necessary reports. Data that is collected includes areas such as student demographics, achievement and attendance. Official student transcripts can be requested by the school, student or parent, and accessed by the Student Records office through the central database called the Student Information System (SIS). Validation Statements (Validation Statements) and unofficial transcripts can be produced by the school.
The introduction of the SIS to school staff and administration started during the 2012-13 school year. The purpose of implementing this system was to collect accurate records on student attendance and achievement in schools from kindergarten to Grade 12. This central database allows school staff to monitor and report on student attendance and achievement at a local level and for the Department of Education to analyze and report on territory-wide data such as attendance and general student achievement for planning and implementing effective professional development opportunities for teachers to support and advance instruction, assessment and evaluation practices. The SIS team provides training and technical support to school staff in the operation and maintenance of the database system.
What is an official student transcript?
An official transcript is an official document that lists all the approved courses a student has been enrolled in with the marks the student has received, and the credits that were earned. If a course has been taken more than once, only the best mark will appear. Any failed course attempts will not be listed. Transcripts are frequently requested by graduates or current students who are applying for Colleges, Universities, scholarships and some jobs.
What is a validation statement?
A validation statement is an unofficial document that lists a breakdown of all required credits for graduation (see graduation requirements), the credits earned to date, the credits that are still required to graduate and in which subject or classification area, the courses taken (successfully completed and failed courses) and marks received (including Grade 12 Alberta Diploma Exam marks), and the marks that would be transferred to a transcript. These statements are mainly used to ensure that schools, parents, and students have accurate information as a student progresses through high school. Students and parents can request a validation statement directly from the school.
Request form for an official transcript – by parents, students or schools.
Request for Correction of Student Information
A request to correct a student's legal name and/or birthdate in the Student Information System
Contact Information:
Registrar, Student Records
P.O. Box 609
Pangnirtung, NU
Phone: (867) 473-2681
Fax: (867) 473-2695


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Are you fascinated by the structure and intricacies of high-rise buildings with a zeal for creating something different?
Well, if you're looking to leave your mark in modern society, then you might be better off becoming an architect. Like most professions, architecture requires passion, and with society changing at a rapid pace, it's necessary to make buildings that meet modern standards.
We're not only referring to the layout, but the times demand that you've to prove yourself at various steps along the ladder to qualify as an architect. It's an intricate profession that needs several qualifications, but there's no reason to be overwhelmed.
To help you, we've narrowed down all the steps that one must follow to make it as an architect. Along with enthusiasm, you need to know everything you're expected to do, academically and experience-wise, allowing you to plan accordingly.
So, without further ado, let's dive into the world of building plans and blueprints.
Basics Of Architecture
Table of Contents
What Does Architecture Entail?
As an architect, you'll be involved in making numerous structures from hospitals to government buildings and, of course, civilian households. Designing a building consists of a series of detailed steps, and you've to consider numerous factors like safety, legal concerns, and the practicality of construction at any particular spot.
Furthermore, you've to be involved in every step and act as the connecting link from the time the plan is conceived until it's brought to fruition. No surprises then, that you should be ready to burn the midnight oil because meeting deadlines along with the quality of work is essential to uphold your reputation as an architect. For people to trust you, you can't afford to be complacent.
But that's true of any profession, so there's no need to be worried. There are, however, specific skills that one needs to cement their place in the world of architecture. Firstly, you must have strong communication skills, backed up by a penchant for critical thinking. It's essential to mention that you need to be organized to handle all the steps effectively.
Moreover, it's vital to be visually aware of replicating the blueprint in actuality. To do that, you've to have a working knowledge of the latest technology being used and the tools for your purpose. It's best to be well prepared rather than expect others to teach you how to operate modern machinery.
How Much Do Architects Earn?
We're sure one of the first questions that comes to mind is related to the pay architects receive. On average, you may get close to $89,560, but the figure is likely to vary because it's determined based on people who regularly handle projects.
When you start, you'll have to work for long hours without any substantial pay and, therefore, you need to be prepared to grind it out. Like most jobs, no one's going to pay you the big bucks right at the outset. You'll have to work your way through several lesser paid projects before landing the first big paycheck.
Academic Qualifications Required
Now, coming to the academic requirements, you'll have to get a bachelor's degree in architecture from any institute accredited to the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). The course lasts for five years, at the end of which you'll earn a degree termed as Bachelor of Architecture.
Moreover, more than 100 colleges offer the course, so you don't need to worry. As part of the program, you'll learn about producing systems and technology, managing projects, planning for the environment, and supervising the various structural elements.
Meanwhile, you can also enroll in various competitions that are specifically targeted towards students in architecture. One of these competitions is hosted by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, which presents a good platform for kick-starting your career. Most of these competitions have a theme and require participants to think out of the box.
It promotes innovative thinking and offers an insight into what you can expect in the field. Besides, you get to meet top professionals who know what it takes to succeed, and they offer the necessary inputs to help you improve. And at the end of the competition, you can add experience to your resume and showcase your work during interviews.
Another factor to keep in mind is that the bachelor's degree requires a candidate to have at least 150 credit hours in professional and elective studies. Similarly, if you choose to pursue a Master's degree in the field, then the credit hours increase to 168, out of which 30 must be at the graduate level.
For further studies, you can opt for a doctorate or Doctor of Architecture, which requires 120 credit hours at the undergraduate level and 90 hours at the graduate level. But there's no need to feel burdened as the course at various universities will ensure you meet all the requirements.
How To Gather Experience?
Before you can become a licensed architect, it's necessary to gather the relevant experience, which is made possible by the Intern Development Program (IDP). It's catered to help amateur architects acquire the required work experience by involving them in multiple projects. It aims to promote learning and development, but the program is also mandatory to become a professional architect.
Most states require you to complete the IDP program before receiving your license to work in that respective state. Moreover, what's crucial is that in keeping with contemporary times, the IDP program isn't one-dimensional but requires you to develop your skill in various aspects.
It helps one to become an independent architect by imbibing the requisite knowledge and expertise. In that regard, professionals' advice comes in handy with every student being supervised by a senior architect. In some cases, you may also be guided by an expert from another field. Meanwhile, as you start working with architectural firms, you learn how to turn your education into practical knowledge.
You get the first-hand experience of what it's like to work in the industry, and interns usually deal with designing, preparing documents, or researching building codes, among other things. In case you're wondering about the duration, let us tell you the internship is complete only after 5600 working hours in the field over 17 different categories.
It may sound like a lot, but it speaks about the all-encompassing nature of the course. You'll be required to document your work timings, which will be evaluated by the supervisor and finally requires his signature to be passed off. Likewise, the National Board evaluates the performance regularly, so you'll have to deliver consistently.
There are two ways in which you can report your experience – either on an hourly basis or through the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) Portfolio. The hourly basis requires candidates to file their assessment, based on the different areas, within the stipulated time.
On the other hand, the AXP Portfolio is for designers who have already gathered at least five years' worth of experience. Within the portfolio, one is required to submit documents, images, or even PDFs that highlight your completion of the tasks listed in the AXP.
What's The Architecture Registration Exam?
The Architecture Registration Exam has been broken down into seven different segments and is compulsory for you to become licensed. The various parts involve seven formats, and you also get multiple graphs and choices as part of the curriculum. We loved the structure because it allows you to take the exam at your own suitable time.
After your preparation is complete, you get to decide when you want to clear the papers rather than having to follow a strict schedule. It usually takes a person close to 2-1/2 years to complete the process, but some candidates are confident enough to complete it within a year.
Furthermore, it evaluates various aspects of your learning, and throughout the seven papers, you get tested extensively. It's essential to keep your cool and have the relevant information in mind, thereby making the jump from architectural schools quite massive. Consequently, be ready to put in the long hours because handling all the different aspects is challenging for most candidates.
If you need more help, you can try reading the book – How To Pass The Architecture Registration Exam. It provides a comprehensive idea of what you're up against and helps students plan accordingly to take the necessary steps towards success.
Receiving And Maintaining Certification
After you complete the exam, you've to submit the requisite documents. It should have details regarding the number of working hours along with the clearance of the ARE. After that, it's over to the states, in which case the procedure varies from one place to another.
You'll need to call up your registration board to learn about the process, but one thing's certain: you may need to sit for more exams and interviews. However, receiving the certification is one thing; the next question is, how do you maintain it?
The only way you can renew your license is by continuing to earn credits via education. Depending on the state, you'll have to dedicate a certain number of hours that show your ongoing education, which is required to be presented at an interval of one or two years. The reason it's important is it helps you stay updated with the latest trends.
It is pivotal to keep track of what's going on, and knowledge about modern technologies ensures the profession doesn't stagnate. Moreover, you get incredible variety in your choices with the National board allowing you to learn about fire safety, architectural acoustics, and energy-conscious architecture.
What's The Latest In Architecture?
As the world expands, so does the need to stay relevant, and architecture is no different. You get to choose from several areas to study for your architecture degrees, and one of the hottest trends right now is green technology. With the world moving towards efficient energy sources of production, architecture has developed something called sustainable design.
It ensures that buildings meet modern standards and permit healthy living that will benefit the environment in the long run. As a result, anyone who knows green design will have a distinct advantage over others in the field.
It's a promising area to work in, and most architectural firms that accept you as a partner will more often than not look for qualities that make you stand out. The firm will improve if you specialize in the latest trends while, in return, it'll provide the much-needed fillip to your career.
Final Words
We've reached the end of our guide, and hopefully, you've got a better idea about becoming an architect.
It involves several steps, so we suggest you take your time and go through all of them to make an informed decision. It's also essential to have a clear idea of the field you want to study in and then gather information about the state's policy.
It may appear cumbersome, but we assure you it's not that difficult. So, all the best and take care. Bye!
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In the Shadow of Poughkeepsie
Since the release of the POWER5 MPU, IBM has held an enviable position in the high end server market. IBM's pSeries servers are unmatched from a performance standpoint, boasting a 2x performance lead over the nearest competitor in TPC-C and within 5% of the #1 SAP 2D result (which is for a system with twice as many cores). This was achieved by strategically focusing on system level design, and migrating mainframe technologies, such as the 70 layer ceramic MCMs to the POWER4 and POWER5. As a result of this strong product line performance and consistent execution, IBM has been able to rapidly expand server market share, largely to the detriment of Sun Microsystems.
While IBM has made some improvements since the POWER5, the sheer magnitude of the performance lead has given IBM the option of a more leisurely pace of development. According to roadmaps, the POWER5+ was supposed to hit 2.3GHz in 2005. However, with the delay and revised expectations for Montecito, that clock speed boost is probably not needed till mid-2006.
Far from sitting on its laurels, IBM is actively working on the next two generations of their POWER based servers. In fact, the POWER6 has already taped out and the first samples have returned from the fab and are running. This generation of MPUs will be far more interesting than the prior generation, which was largely a refinement and improvement upon the POWER4. The POWER6 is also referred to as part of the eCLipz project, an acronym that stands for "enhanced Core logic for iSeries, pSeries and z Series" (thanks to Philip Payne of Isham Research for that tidbit).
IBM has been rather quiet about the eCLipz project and future POWER and mainframe (zSeries) processors, which has lead to rampant speculation. Naturally most of these theories are extremely dubious, such as a system using coherent interconnects between zArch and POWER processors. However, some of the rumors probably have a micro-kernel of truth to them. Hopefully this article will bring together some of truth out there and avoid the fictitious, fantastical and unlikely. In particular, this article will focus on facts and informed speculation about the nature of the eCLipz project, the upcoming POWER6 MPU and its performance characteristics.
Discuss (61 comments)


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With a beach for every season and a beach for every reason, Cape Town is one of the best sun, sand and sea destinations in the world. South Africa was the first country outside of Europe to have Blue Flag Beaches, which signifies a high level of water quality, facilities, cleanliness and safety. There are three blue flag beaches in and around Cape Town: Clifton Beach, Mnandi Beach and Bikini Beach at Gordon's Bay right out on the eastern side of False Bay. There are loads of beaches to choose from and you'll need a bit of inside info to end up on the right one.
Just for starters, there is the western and eastern side of the peninsula - divided by a 1,000m-high mountain so you could have totally different weather within 20m. And, naturally, the sea conditions can differ widely - dead flat calm on one side and crashing waves on the other. Another very important thing to bear in mind is the 'culture' of the different beaches. Generally speaking, those on the western side are more sophisticated and fashionable, while the eastern side is more popular with local families who don't want to drive too far from the sprawling low-rent suburbs on the Cape Flats. But - and this is a big but - the water is usually 3 or 4 degrees warmer on the False Bay side.
The water temperature is usually between about 10°C and 14°C on the Western Seaboard and between about 12°C and 17°C on the False Bay side (very occasionally as high as 20). But it's not a good idea to generalise - each beach has its own particular charm so here they are - starting from False Bay and heading off around the peninsula. False Bay curves in a huge arc from Gordon's Bay and Strand in the East, right round to Cape Point at its westernmost extremity.
The eastern side is more like the western seaboard, with the water temperature a few degrees colder than the eastern side. It's a rocky shore, with a few beaches, mainly, which has great surf but is not a great swimming beach, and more family friendly beaches at Gordon's Bay and Strand. Bikini beach, at Gordon's Bay, is one of Cape Town's three Blue Flag Beaches. Also on the eastern shore of False Bay is Strand, which is a great family beach, Koeëlbaai - well loved by surfers but not offering the safest of bathing.
The northern shore of False Bay is a long stretch of beautiful, rather exposed, coast with a number of great beaches that, because of their proximity to the almost exclusively black suburbs (or townships) of Langa, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Khayalitsha and Mitchell's Plain are frequented almost exclusively by black people.
These are Macassar, Monwabisi, the blue flag Mnandi Beach and Strandfontein. Muizenberg Beach, situated in the corner where the rather wild northern shore meets the rocky but well populated eastern side of the peninsula, is a long family-friendly beach where almost every Cape Town surfer learned. It's pretty crowded, loads of kids, families, dogs and noise. There are all the usual facilities, like showers, and a couple of nice coffee shops close by. There is a useful walkway from Muizenberg to St James.
just on the seaward side of the railway line. Muizenberg is one of the most racially integrated of Cape Town's beaches, with a good sample of the whole spectrum of the rainbow nation. St James Tidal Pool and beach is usually very crowded in summer and is not a particularly restful experience, but the nearby Danger Beach is much quieter and is frequented almost exclusively by local residents. Probably because it is really well named and there is a pretty nasty little undertow and some big dumpers. Dalebrook Pool in Kalk Bay is much the same as St James.
Fish Hoek Beach stretches for just over a mile at the head of a beautiful bay. It's also popular with families, but there is much more space for them to spread out - and the northern, Clovelly, side is usually relatively peaceful. Fish Hoek often has a nice little wave and it's very popular with young surfers. From the southern end of the beach another one of those great walkways hugs the southern end of the bay. It's a great walk, especially in whale season, and there are lovely tidal pools. Long Beach, Simon's Town is not very long at all and should not be confused with the other Long beach (below).
It's very sheltered and is a great place for children as there are virtually no waves and the water slopes gently into the shallow bay. There is an interesting view of the Simon's town harbour and the yacht club. Seaforth is another very sheltered beach. A restaurant and other facilities make this more a family beach than a quiet getaway. There is a nice walkway from just past Seaforth to Boulders, with a few nice mini-beaches en route. Boulders is the most fabulous swimming beach in Cape Town - if not the world. Huge boulders create sheltered little coves and the resident penguins often swim past for a look at the people. This is a pay beach in season.
Windmill Beach is another gloriously sheltered, gently sloping beach with flat, shallow water that's ideal for families. It is just past Boulders.The coastline from here on to Cape Point is quite rocky, and offers excellent diving and snorkelling, especially in winter. Little beaches along here are Froggy Pond, which is conveniently close to the road, Miller's Point, which is primarily a launching place for powerboats, and the beautiful but virtually inaccessible Smitswinkel Bay. Within the national park, there are a number of small beaches. On the False Bay side, Buffelsbaai, with its safe tidal pool and lovely beach is the most popular. On the western side of Cape Point, Platboom and Olifantsbos are the most popular, but there are numerous small beaches and it is possible to walk for miles along this coast.
Just outside the national park, on the western side, is the lovely beach village of Scarborough, with its long sandy beach, great surf, interesting rock pools and lovely walks. There are minimal, but sufficient, facilities and a couple of good restaurants in the village are really close.Kommetjie is a small village with a large tidal pool and a really lovely long beach - also called Long Beach, but with far better reason than the one near Simon's town.
It's a very popular surfing beach and there's a great walk all the way to Noordhoek Beach, at the foot of the scenic Chapman's Peak.Hout Bay Beach stretches from the other end of Chapman's Peak to the Hout Bay Harbour with its numerous fishing boats and yacht marina. Hout Bay beach is a great family beach, but it's also popular with horse riders, dog walkers and kayakers.Sandy Bay, which can only be reached by walking along the coast from Llandudno, is Cape Town's official/unofficial nudist beach. Llundudno is one of those beautiful beaches that seem to have it all. Parking is a bit of a headache, so it never gets tooooo crowded.
It's one of the most popular sundown picnic spots in Cape Town. Llundudno is also one of Cape Town's most desirable residential areas.At Oudekraal the unPC-named Hottentots Huisie is a very popular family beach with picnic sites, braai places and the like so it is not at all restful. Just around the corner, in front of the hotel, where the divers go in, is a tiny little beachie but there are some nice rocks to lounge on and a bit of grass here and there, and you can usually just slip into the sea off the rocks when the sea is calm.Bakoven is a gorgeous, tiny beach with lovely big rocks on which sun-worshippers drape themselves with glorious abandon. It's also a very exclusive residential area.
One of the few beaches on the Western Seaboard that is not protected from the south east wind, Camps Bay Beach is still very popular and quite frenetic with families, stylish singles, tourists, the lot. It's a long-ish beach, backed by a row of palm trees, a busy road and a bank of fashionable restaurants and coffee shops that overlook the beach. It's a great sunset spot.You can walk from Camps Bay to Glen Beach, which is a perfect little enclave with a few beach houses, awesome surf (with some very territorial locals) and a lovely beach.Around the next point is Maiden's Cove, which is pretty much a family beach. Just behind the beach is the Glen Country Club and the very popular La Med, which overlooks a large grassy area where paragliders come in to land after taking off from Lion's Head.
Next in line is the iconic Clifton with its four beaches - rather unimaginatively named 1st,2nd, etc. But that's where the lack of imagination ends. Actually - the bathing costumes usually seen on Clifton don't require much in the way of imagination either but this is the premier beach in Cape Town - make that in South Africa - and it's probably one of the top ten or twenty most fashionable beaches in the world. The wealthy all aspire to owning homes fronting its snow white sands and the beautiful people fly from all around the world to see and be seen and to strut their gorgeous lithe bodies against the backdrop of the unbelievably turquoise water dotted with gleaming white yachts.
But, hey, you don't have to be beautiful or rich to frolic on Clifton's sands and sun yourself next to the rich and famous. It's a free country, after all.Sea Point is more oceanfront that beach, but there are a few small ones. Saunders Rocks, has a small beach with a tidal pool, Rocklands is another beach with just a small patch of sand, and Three Anchor Bay is a tiny little beach, and there is also a small patch of sand next to the boathouses also at Three Anchor Bay launching site. The Sea Point Promenade is a lovely long walkway right near the sea that is often frequented by joggers, dog walkers, families, and senior citizens taking advantage of the perfect surface to glide their Zimmer frames. It's a cultural experience.
The Mouille Point Beach is more a walking beach than a sun tanning or swimming beach and it ends where the V&A Waterfront and the harbour begins. North of Cape Town city centre and the harbour, the beaches front onto Table Bay and are kind of the beginning of the West Coast. Milnerton Beach is a long beach that offers excellent walking and reasonable swimming and sun tanning. Further on is Sunset Beach, which can usually be spotted from miles away by the multi-coloured kites hovering above it.
Bloubergstrand, which consists of two beaches - Big Bay and Little Bay - is a favourite windsurfing and kitesurfing spot. It's also a great family beach.
*Distances are shown as the crow flies and not necessarily the actual travelling
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La Rose is an eclectic mix of French, Indian, Cape Malay and African influences, where old world and...
Capetown4u Guest House is a 4 Star graded guest house situated on the outskirts of Cape Town. The g...
Signal Hill Lodge is ideally located amidst the slopes of the Signal Hill Nature Reserve and offers ...
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Overcome Your Obstacles to Optimal Health
If you know you want to improve your diet and are having challenges turning that desire into a reality, you may find great benefit with nutrition counseling and health coaching.
Get Support for Making Changes
Health coaching can provide much-needed support in helping you overcome obstacles and being successful in eating foods that make for a healthy and vibrant you. Even if you think you already eat healthily, you may benefit from checking in with an expert nutritionist for some fine tuning or just learning some new recipes, helpful food prep tips, and lifestyle adjustments.
Nutrition Counselors Go Beyond Meal Planning
A nutrition counselor can provide:
- Support for your discovery of your optimal diet at this time in your life.
- Specific guidelines for customized, therapeutic, elimination and general healthy diets.
- Instructions and tips for food preparation.
- Recipes.
- Recommendations for resources that support your healthy lifestyle, including books, magazines, websites.
- Instructions on planning, scheduling, and shopping for a new lifestyle.
- Support on how to make changes while living and eating with other family members.
At Elevate Health, nutrition counseling and health coaching is included in the monthly membership fee.
Coordinated Care
Your nutrition counselor works closely with our medical providers. Understanding your specific health issues and your latest diagnostic test results will help them customize a nutrition plan just for you.
Provider: Courtney Cronk, MA, NTP
Fees info: Fees, Insurance and Forms
Learn more about the functional medicine approach Dr. Perkins and her team use.
Learn more about primary care services at Elevate Health.
I am about two-thirds of the way through the RESTART Program. I have not felt this good in years. I have more natural energy now than I did a decade ago. I strongly recommend giving it a try. It's a challenge, but your body will thank you! Courtney has a wealth of helpful information and hosts an awesome support group!
Working with Courtney has a made a huge difference in my life. I came to her with several issues, all traced back to digestion, and within a few visits she has me on the road to recovery. I feel great—healthier than I've been in a long time!
I realized that the traditional nutritionist was going to be way too entrenched in mainstream modern medicine – take a pill, fit the mold and keep coming to me, so I can fix you. I needed something different. That's where Courtney Cronk came in. She's a nutritional therapist and I think she pretty much saved my insides. When I started with her, my entire digestive system was really ravaged and sore, but as I began to do the elimination diet – cutting out more allergens from my diet and taking high doses of natural supplements to repair my digestion – I started to feel better. … She's been a total game changer in my life and she can do that for you!
Nutrition Counseling FAQ
Courtney works collaboratively with Dr. Perkins. Similar to how a hygienist works with a dentist, Courtney's expertise in nutrition and coaching will help you implement her medical advice. She'll gently guide you in making dietary and lifestyle changes to help you optimize your health.
A health coach is a supportive mentor that assists you in making lifestyle and behavioral changes to achieve your health goals. Some areas that are addressed include nutrition, physical activity, stress management and sleep. Courtney can help you identify the obstacles to making desired changes and find ways to overcome them. She can provide accountability if that is helpful to you.
Courtney can assist you in making good food choices whether you're eating out or picking up prepared meals. She'll direct you to good restaurants in town that can address your dietary needs. She can coach you on how to pick out a healthy meal from just about any menu. She can also connect you with local, healthy, prepared meal services. And, if you're interested in learning how to cook or figuring out how to find the time to cook, Courtney can help you get started.
Courtney can direct you to stores and websites that will have harder to find ingredients and higher quality products. She can provide you with meal planning resources, recipes, and time saving tips
Neither you, nor your insurance, are charged for her services. Her expertise and guidance is included in your membership and there's no limit to how many sessions you may have with her.
Your first session is usually an hour long. Follow up sessions are 30 to 60 minutes depending upon your needs. How often you follow up will be decided at your first session. Some people just need and want one session. Others may have monthly or quarterly sessions.
Courtney's approach is a holistic, individualized, systemic "whole body" approach to obtaining optimal wellness. She looks at you, your physical body, and your mind as a whole system, not as separate parts that need fixing. Your diagnosis does not define you. She understands that healing comes when you explore and address ALL aspects: body, mind, and spirit.
The two are vastly different: The education is different; beliefs are different; outcomes are different. An FNTP looks at the underlying cause of dis-ease, and uses real food as medicine, plus lifestyle-balancing modifications, to address it. An FNTP uses science-based holistic nutrition knowledge to empower people to reconnect with the innate wisdom and unique needs of their bodies, thereby supporting lasting wellness without counting calories, points, or weighing food.
That really depends on your situation. Some patients see Courtney every single week, others less often. On average, Courtney will work with you every two to four weeks, or as needed to implement nutritional and lifestyle changes.
Courtney teaches the RESTART program, a 5-week group class that guides participants through a diet that is designed to help them:
- Lose sugar and starchy carb cravings
- Reduce or eliminate PMS
- Improve sleep
- Regain your energy
- Savor the taste of REAL food!
- Glow with healthier looking skin
- Overcome mood swings
- Boost your immune system
- Enhance your brain chemistry
- Reduce inflammation and pain
Get the nutrition and lifestyle support you need to make lasting changes.
Nutrition counseling is included in the membership plan!
2230 NW Pettygrove St #110
Portland OR 97210
(503) 227-0350 tel
(503) 227-0745 fax


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Study: Chemical in McDonald's fries could cure baldness
McDonald's fries might be bad for your health, but there's a chance they'll put hair on your head.
In a study published in the journal Biomaterials, a stem cell research team at Yokohama National University developed a method that could lead to a new treatment for hair loss.
Dimethylpolysiloxane, which Newseek reports is a silicone added to McDonald's fries to stop cooking oil from frothing, was used to regrow hair on mice.
Early tests showed that the "simple" method used was likely to be just as successful when tested on human skin cells. Scientists were able to successfully mass-produce "hair follicle germs" (HFG) for the first time ever in this manner.
Alec Baldwin's Trump calls into 'Fox & Friends,' eats McDonald's
HFGs are the cells that drive follicle development and they're the key to hair-loss research.
Professor Junji Fukunda wrote in the study that 5000 HFGs were successfully prepared simultaneously, leading to new hair growth after they were transplanted onto the bodies of mice with a chip.
"The key for the mass production of HFGs was a choice of substrate materials for the culture vessel," Fukuda said in the study. "We used oxygen-permeable dimethylpolysiloxane (PDMS) at the bottom of culture vessel, and it worked very well."
Fukuda later reported black hairs were found on the parts of the mouse where the chip was placed.
Trump can order quinoa burgers, raspberry pie at Swiss McDonald's
"This simple method is very robust and promising," Fukuda said. "We hope this technique will improve human hair regenerative therapy to treat hair loss such as androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness)."


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This page lists metaprogramming techniques in Ruby, how they are used in Rails, and what their equivalent is in JavaScript (if any).
greeting = "Hello" bob = "Bob" def greeting.say_twice puts self puts self end greeting.say_twice # This will print "Hello" twice bob.say_twice # This will throw a NoMethodError
Rails uses this technique in its DRb (Distributed Ruby -- one of the several options for storing session information) server setup for ActionController. With this technique, access to the session_hash is synchronized. They use the alternate syntax of 'class <<obj' since they are adding several methods to the class at once. Here is an excerpt:
session_hash.instance_eval { @mutex = Mutex.new } class <<session_hash def []=(key, value) @mutex.synchronize do super(key, value) end # More methods ommited end end
Eval is the most basic. Also, it is probably the most powerful and the most dangerous. Probably for this reason, it does not seem to be used much in Rails.
The other 3 eval methods are more often used. They differ from the basic eval method in that they can also accept blocks of code, meaning that they can be used with much less risk.
The main purpose for instance_eval() is to gain access to the private members of another class. The class_eval()/module_eval() methods are designed to add to the functionality of a class or module and to include variables from the current scope. Together, all 3 of these serve to allow the programmer to inject functionality into another class.
Ruby has a variety of methods that help in defining methods on the fly. I had already talked about define_method and alias_method. These can be used to create a wrapper around a class. In addition, this seems to be used to change the functionality of a method. For example, ActionController uses this to change which method is really executed when page.render() is called.
Proc, block, and lambda are collectively referred to as 'callable objects'. All three are variations of the same idea -- they are ways to define temporary pieces of executable code. Javascript can already create anonymous functions, so there is little that it is missing.
Ruby has a 'method' method that returns a reference to the specified method. This is mostly needed because of the blurred line between properties and methods. (JavaScript does not have this issue. 'music.method(:play)' in Ruby would translate to just 'music.play' in JS.) Often used along with 'method' are the 'bind' and 'unbind' methods. Together, these can be used to allow method references to be moved around between objects. The need for this is unclear, and Rails seems to make little use of this. In fact, in his discussion of this, David Black suggests that if you are using this, you probably have a design problem. (Ruby for Rails, p. 358).
Ruby has several different points where a programmer can hook in to the application. They are:
Of these, const_missing is used the least. It does not seem to be particularly important.
I've covered method_missing extensively before. It is often used for creating shortcuts -- it seems to be the primary spoon for serving syntactic sugar. Nonetheless, it really does not seem to offer many impressive leaps in what you can do.
The included and inherited methods seem to be the core of Ruby metaprogramming, at least for how it is used in Rails. This is used heavily in ActiveRecord and even more so in ActionController. Here is an example from the base ActionController class:
module Layout def self.included(base) base.extend(ClassMethods) base.class_eval do alias_method :render_with_no_layout, :render alias_method :render, :render_with_a_layout class << self alias_method :inherited_without_layout, :inherited alias_method :inherited, :inherited_with_layout end end end # ... Rest ommited
When the Layout module is included, it rewires the render method of the host object so that it will use the layout. It also changes the behavior of the inherited method.


text: The French Market class in Paris is always the favorite day of A Taste of Paris travelers. It's so fun to visit the market, learn how the French shop and eat and then to go back to the cooking school with all of the ingredients and craft a gourmet meal. The classes curated for ATOP ... Read more


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Manistee, MI
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians' (LRBOI) new Governmental Center, located in Manistee, Michigan, centralizes the branches of government and consolidates departments. Charrettes with the Tribe resulted in multiple plans to achieve balance of tradition, function and convenience for visitors and employees. Initial design efforts focused on developing interiors that harmonize with the overall environment. LRBOI desired an interior design sensitive to Tribal cultural traditions without being stereotypical or maudlin. Thus, the design is notably sensitive to honoring Tribal heritage and culture. The result is unique, timeless, and reflective. The shape and design treatments infuse symbolism of the "Long House" of the Woodland Indians with extensive use of native Michigan materials. Earth, sky, water, fire and rock are evident in ceramics, skylights, waterfall, exposed timber and fire place/fire pit. The Governmental Center's 54,000 square feet of interiors radiates with serenity and respect for the surrounding environment while welcoming Tribal members to enjoy their governmental center. Natural elements were incorporated to create the ambiance of meditating in the forest. The floors in public spaces are concrete tile symbolic of sand and stone. The reception area is detailed in a style that reflects the artistry of the Tribe with stained wood installed to look like abstract twigs. Murals of birch trees and a river bank welcome visitors at key entry points. Exam rooms include wood plank vinyl tile with soft blue green walls and leaf pattern upholstery on chairs. Elements that more specifically reflect the art, culture and respect for nature include basket weave wall cladding, river rock fire pits, earth tone paint colors, birch wood finishes and handcrafted ceramics. Background colors are inspired by animal hides; brighter accent colors inspired by beadwork. The result is a
Status: Completed
Project Credits:
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Cycle for Health
SUMMARY: Cycle for Health is a pedal powered catalyst that when placed into a failing rural East African transport system mobilizes medical resources, personnel and patients. The initiative capitalizes on thousands and thousands of bicycles left unused in the garages, apartment buildings and streets of North America by recycling them to rural African communities to save lives. The initiative is an immediate need for rural communities with ample medicine and skilled professionals not being delivered or accessed because of poor roads and the limited use of motorized vehicles. When advanced care is many miles away, timely diagnosis, treatment and drug delivery is critical, especially true in the case of pregnant women and HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB patients. In the rural setting, mild delays in initial care dominos small, treatable problems into serious ailments, resulting in a long, costly journey for advanced care at city hospitals.
To treat this rural health care problem at its root cause, Cycle for Health collects idle bicycles in North America, packages them with spare parts and tools, and ships them in purchased 40 ft. containers to community based organizations (CBOs) in rural East Africa. The fully stocked, containerized bicycle workshop becomes instant storage and workshop space upon arrival. The non-governmental organization (NGO) First African Bicycle Information Organization (FABIO), trains recipient CBO staff to repair, refurbish and remodel recycled bicycles into ambulances, goods carriers and off road transporters. The bicycle designs are marketed to hospitals, health care organizations, NGOs, and women development groups as a resource to mobilize their resources and improve their services.
Cycle for Health is a breakthrough in its comprehensive package of materials and trainings. Where current aid programs see bicycles as a donation dropped into a needy community, Cycle for Health envisions recycled bicycles as a capital to start sustainable small scale bicycle enterprises which improve mobility of medical resources, create jobs, and enhance quality of life.
PROBLEM SPACE: Cycle for Health organizers conducted a 2007 baseline needs assessment for bicycle use and health care delivery systems in Uganda. Community buy-in and project planning is complete for a pilot workshop in the rural Kigezi District of southwest Uganda. Technical trainings are being facilitated by FABIO and implementation is being managed by the CBO Kigezi Community Project (KCP). The two organizations have an MoU with Two Wheeled Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) which is coordinating recycled bicycle shipments, fundraising, and conducting monitoring and evaluation.
The Kigezi bicycle shipment departs mid-November from a collection point in Calgary for the Red Cross compound in the village of Kabale, located in the heart of the Kigezi region. During the two month travel period of the oversea shipment, KCP will establish a Cycle for Health office and schedule trainings with FABIO. The containerized bicycle workshop will be established in Kabale early 2009.
The Cycle for Health three year implementation plan rolls out satellite bicycle workshops from the central "hub" in Kabale. The satellite sites double as bicycle repair points and stops on a KCP mobile health clinic route. With empirical evidence of a Kigezi model, Cycle for Health scales out to other Ugandan and East African communities.
SOLUTION: Cycle for Health operates within the 'global village ideal' and emphasizes treating the root cause of social problems. It presents a bold, visionary initiative backed by a solid plan and administered by a capable team of globally conscious, grassroots experienced, technically savvy organizations. It is a comprehensive package, integrating health care delivery needs with an appropriate transportation technology. The program leverages existing medical resources and empowers existing health providers rather than re-inventing the wheel.
Cycle for Health is ecologically responsible, promoting pedal power as a carbon-free transportation choice. The initiative builds on bicycle recycling programs involving North American groups and recipients in Ghana and Namibia. The impact of bicycles can be measured quantitatively and qualitatively in studying health delivery in the Kigezi region. The bicycle is an accepted and valued form of transport in rural areas, and so the concept can be adapted to a broad range of conditions.


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> Mobile Recruiting
As technology advances, so does recruiting (and many other industries, of course).This means that recruiters are always trying to spot the next technological breakthrough that is bound to fundamentally alter the way people search for jobs and recruiters, well, recruit.
Right now, mobile recruiting is a hot topic. The emergence of smart phones and tablets has redefined what it means to do things "on the go." Here are some statistics courtesy of the Global Recruiting Roundtable blog (http://goo.gl/jiUJ5O):
- 3 in 5 job seekers have searched for jobs on their mobile device in the past year
- 68% use their mobile device to search for jobs once a week or more
- 1 in 4 would not apply to a job if a company's career site is not mobile optimized
- 84% believe mobile devices will be the most common way people search for jobs
- 15 minutes before an interview, candidates use a mobile device to read the job description
- 1 in 10 use the mobile device during an interview to show off technical skills and past achievements
Most of these stats lend themselves to the idea that mobile recruiting isn't just the future – it's the present. Recruiters must ensure that they have a mobile-friendly website to accommodate today's job seekers. Smaller screens and the "on-the-go" attitude make long job descriptions and complicated application forms unlikely to attract candidates.
Of course, there is the flip side to this discussion. First, not everyone has a smart phone or tablet. This may change 10+ years down the road, but the fact is smart phones (and their data plans) are still relatively expensive. Second, mobile devices simply cannot replicate the experience found on a computer. Sure, they might be more convenient, but given the choice between typing on a 4-inch screen and a keyboard, I'll take the keyboard every time. Not to mention, navigating between windows and forms, uploading resumes and typing cover letters – all of that is much easier to achieve on a computer.
The takeaway here is pretty simple: mobile devices are just another way that job seekers can look for jobs, and recruiters would be wise to give the mobile platform the attention it deserves.
What about you? Did you use a mobile device during your job search? If you are just starting a search, how much do you plan on using one?
– Cobey Culton


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New Signature Project
After years of research, we are excited to narrow down our focus and find a true need in the Columbus area where our members can make a big impact. The Junior League of Columbus' new Signature Project supports youth aging out of the foster care system.
When kids in foster care turn 18, they are no longer part of the foster care system, and many find themselves living alone, without the support, resources, and guidance of a stable family or other caring adults in their lives. Each year in Ohio alone, close to 1,000 youth transition out of the foster care system. The Junior League of Columbus is working diligently to find ways to guide, advocate, and provide for our local youth in need.
In the 2019-2020 league year, we are partnering with other local organizations, including Star House, on the Franklinton Housing Project or newly named the Carol Stewart Village. This $4.5 million project is converting two former motels into 105 studio apartments with a campus-like setting. The complex will primarily support youth ages 18-24 who are homeless or have aged out of the foster care system.
Each unit will have a bathroom, kitchenette, and at least one dedicated parking space. The campus will be designed to create a sense of community with front porches, indoor and outdoor community spaces, a community garden and a different theme in each building. The Junior League of Columbus' contribution will be to provide 105 youth with household necessities to help transition to independent living. We are seeking monetary donations to provide household items for their kitchen, bedroom, and/or bathroom.
In the next few months, the Junior Leauge of Columbus will officially launch this new project.


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Yes. Like the popular Nine Inch Nails song of the same name. This is the end of our Roland/Thonnen mini-saga for a while, because I love deliciously inconclusive endings. At this point, Roll (and Joel, remember him?) will be returning to college, but the problems of Thonnen's family will return another day.
I'm sure a lot of you have forgotten this by now, but the comic is supposed to take place in a movie theatre... Where we will be returning next week*. Since I'll be returning to college soon, expect Tuesdays to return to a black-and-white format. Probably. * And by next week, I mean "as soon as I fix my laptop".


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I forgive Stash many things:
1. its name (to me, "Stash" doesn't jibe with the advertising or bottle);
2. the fact I could only smell Stash at Ulta Beauty (I went to two Ulta stores in order to get a sample of Stash. At Ulta No. 1 the S.A. said: "Uh, nope, we have Stash but not a tester bottle...I have a bottle here I'm making into a tester." Me: "Can I sniff it?" S.A.: "I'm making a tester...SOON." She chuckled and moved on. The store was empty.
3. Sarah Jessica Parker (whose roles never resonate with me). SJP: hie thee to a desert, strip your face of all makeup and play a character with little money and no "wardrobe;" perhaps a graveyard-shift nurse who also runs an animal rescue farm near Albuquerque with her lazy-ass teen sons and bitch of a mother...Sissy Spacek? Kathy Bates?
I admit I didn't have much hope for Stash, even when Parker said the perfume was "all about leather, cognac and, yes, body odor. 'It's old and sexy, like a sweater from a guy who was on the Eurorail too long or something.'"1 Though that statement and the notes (grapefruit zest, black pepper, sage, Atlas cedar, patchouli, ginger lily, pistachio, olibanum, massoia wood, vetiver and musk) sounded promising, I couldn't believe Stash would come close to the perfume Parker dreamed of making pre-Lovely (the one based on her own recipe of Comme des Garçons Incense Avignon, Bonne Bell Musk and "Egyptian Musk").
I was wrong!
When I finally sprayed on Stash, I smelled sweet grapefruit and pepper, a resonant wood note and perhaps a floral touch; the perfume was very light. Minutes later, something great happened: the fragrance bloomed and surrounded me with wonderful aromas of grapefruit, vetiver, milky woods, frankincense and benzoin. For some faint-nosed souls who hate all things "dirty," Stash may be a bit "unclean" but to me its grapefruit, cedar and vetiver don't conjure an unwashed man on the Eurorail (notice how Parker can't find a similar guy on...Amtrak?) In fact, Stash joins the meager ranks of non-Eaux de Cologne that I would wear to bed; its final stage of talc-y vetiver is soooo comforting and cozy.
Stash reminds me of a quieter Frédéric Malle Vétiver Extraordinaire; it also brought to mind Eau d'Italie Bois d'Ombrie and one of my favorite soaps: Nesti Dante Villages and Monasteries. Stash has good lasting power but stays close to the body; it's unisex but veers masculine to my nose (but will non-perfumista guys buy it?) I wore Stash after my test run of Versace Pour Homme Dylan Blue and all I could think was: "Donatella, hire Sarah Jessica Parker and her team of perfumers (Clement Gavarry and Laurent Le Guernec) the next time you need a new Versace men's scent." I'm serious.
Sarah Jessica Parker Stash SJP Eau de Parfum is currently exclusive to Ulta and is available in 30 ml ($50), 50 ml ($75), and 100 ml ($85) sprays, a 0.34 oz rollerball ($25) and a 30 ml/$50 "Elixir" (fragrant oil in a dropper bottle). As Parker says herself, Stash calls for liberal application; keep that in mind as you choose a size.
1. Via Sarah Jessica Parker's New Fragrance Smells Like Sexy European Men at The Coveteur.


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Let's have an 'oh man!' moment: Uniqlo and Jil Sander have announced today that their partnership is over as of next season, when they'll discontinue the collaboration and cut creative ties.
Jil Sander's been designing her +J line for Uniqlo for three years with resounding success – including instant sell-outs – so we're a little surprised to see the pair parting ways.
"With the recent completion of the design of the fall and winter collection, Ms. Sander and Uniqlo agreed that they had fully explored the possibilities of their creative collaboration and accomplished what they had set out to do," Uniqlo said in a release. "Consequently, the two parties have decided to wrap up their design consulting agreement with this collection."
This is bad news for several reasons: not only was it one of the better designer collaborations on the high street and a chance to actually get something Jil Sander touched at a reasonable price, it offered some of the best coats around, too.
We know where we'll be flocking this autumn – grab it while you can!


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There is absolutely nothing spooky about this month's playlist.
This month's release schedule is punctuated by new albums from a handful of alt-rock icons. Beck is back with Colors on the 13th, his first proper full-length since the Grammy Award-winning Morning Phase. Liam Gallagher is set to release his first-ever solo album, As You Were, on the 6th. And Billy, er, William Patrick Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins fame debuts Ogilala mid-month.
Don't sleep on the rest of the list, though. New albums from St. Vincent and Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile will likely end up on a number of end-of-year, best-of lists. Personally, I'm most excited for Swedish punks Makthaverskan and their album III.
Here's the playlist.