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SANTA FE — On February 20, New Mexico's House Energy and Natural Resources Committee gathered for one of its regular meetings in a drab room here at the capitol, a circular building known as the Roundhouse. On the agenda: a bill that would hike fees and penalties for energy companies drilling wells in the state.
The votes fell along party lines, with five Republicans lining up against the bill and the committee's Democratic majority voting to send the legislation to the House floor. The Republicans argued the bill would stifle business and cost jobs, and for one lawmaker, the issue hit particularly close to home. Rep. James Strickler spends most of the year running his own small oil and gas production company, JMJ Land & Minerals Co. The bill would directly affect his profits.
Strickler, a 58-year-old from the sparsely populated, gas-rich northwest corner of the state, speaks with a gentle western drawl. In an interview after the committee vote, he said the bill would put New Mexico's regulations out of line with those in other states. Ultimately the bill was voted down on the House floor, and Strickler was among those voting 'no.' Over seven years in office, Strickler has been a staunch advocate for his own industry and has twice introduced legislation to reduce the amount of renewable energy that utilities must purchase. He has never recused himself from a vote on energy issues, he said, even when it directly affects his bottom line.
"I don't think it's a conflict of interest," Strickler said. "I think it's a blessing that a few of us have some understanding of that industry."
New Mexico's legislature meets for just 60 days each odd year and 30 days in even years. Lawmakers earn a $154 per diem payment while in session, but they receive no salary. These men and women are true citizen legislators, and unless they are retired or wealthy, they must find another way to earn a living. While all other states pay legislators at least a small salary, only ten state legislatures approach full-time status. The rest are part-time, and most lawmakers hold regular jobs the rest of the year.
As a result, situations like Strickler's are the norm; insurance agents vote on insurance bills, doctors vote on health care bills and school administrators vote on education funding bills. Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is also a partner at a prominent property tax law firm and has used his office to shape legislation and push state contracts that have sent millions of dollars to clients of the firm. Utah state Rep. Johnny Anderson, who runs for-profit day care centers, has pushed to change the state's child care laws to benefit businesses like his; he told local reporters that all part-time legislators have conflicts. A 2010 review by the Deseret Morning News found that two out of three Utah legislators had introduced a bill that created a potential conflict with their private employment. In extreme cases, some lawmakers head groups that lobby the legislature, or even work as lobbyists themselves.
"It's an absolute problem," said Ben Bycel, a lawyer who used to run the ethics commissions in Los Angeles, and later, Connecticut. Bycel said many states do not pay legislators enough to discourage them from using their office for personal gain. In Connecticut, where Bycel worked from 2006-2007, he said many legislators' outside employment was clearly a benefit of their public office. "Many of them were involved in situations [in which] they would not have had the job, they would not have kept the position, unless they were legislators. The reason why they were given the position was because someone up there thought they could do a good job for whatever industry it was."
Advocates of part-time legislatures say they bring real-world experience to government and discourage the type of corrupt politics that can plague career politicians. But the system raises obvious conflicts of interest. States try to juggle these roles by requiring that lawmakers disclose their sources of income—which all but three states do—and by limiting what lawmakers can vote on — which 40 states do to at least some extent, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Generally, lawmakers are supposed to recuse themselves from votes on bills that would give them a direct financial benefit, but it is often up to the legislators themselves to make that determination.
Many states, however, lack the combination of clear rules and strong enforcement that might ensure conflicts do not become real problems. While 41 states have some form of ethics oversight body, a review last year found many of those bodies to be weak and ineffective. The review, a state-by-state ranking of ethics and accountability carried out by the State Integrity Investigation, a project of the Center for Public Integrity, Global Integrity and Public Radio International, gave grades of D or F to 28 of the state ethics agencies.
In New Mexico, there is no independent body for legislators to turn to for advice or to enforce the state's ethics laws. While legislators are instructed not to use their office for private gain, lawmakers and government watchdogs say it is essentially up to individual legislators to decide whether a conflict exists, and whether they ought to recuse themselves from a vote.
Dede Feldman served as a Democrat in the legislature for 16 years before deciding not to run for re-election last year. She was a long-time advocate for creating an independent ethics commission, but she grew tired of legislative gridlock, and particularly frustrated with the lack of progress on ethics. She said lawmakers rarely recuse themselves, and that conflicts of interest have become so ingrained in the legislature that they rarely draw attention. "People have come to accept conflict of interest from legislators as the way we do business here," she said.
Inside Stories
The Roundhouse consists of four circular hallways stacked on top of each other like doughnuts, with an open rotunda where the hole would be and offices lining the outside of the ring. The fourth floor hosts the governor's office, which this winter featured an exhibit of the state's prominent chile pepper industry that posed New Mexico's basic existential question: Red or Green? The legislative chambers sit on the lowest level, underneath the floor of the rotunda. Lawmakers' dress ranges from casual suits and blouses with New Mexico flare like the bolo tie, to the power-broker business suits common in Washington, D.C.
John Ryan sticks to the formal end of the scale. The Republican senator matches well-tailored suits with neatly parted chestnut hair. He's represented parts of Albuquerque and its suburbs since 2005, and spends the rest of the year working as a federal lobbyist. His clients last year included a town in eastern New Mexico, a public water utility and two electric transmission and generation companies that operate in the state. According to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, they paid Ryan $240,000 last year to represent their interests in Washington.
Ryan is not registered to lobby in New Mexico, but he has voted on bills involving some of the same issues he lobbies for in Washington. Last year, he voted on a tax bond measure that funded dozens of projects across the state. One of items in the measure sent $278,000 to build a wastewater pipeline in Clovis, NM, which paid Ryan $40,000 last year. Ryan's contract with Clovis cites a similar project on his to-do list. The same bond measure contained $210,000 for the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority, which paid Ryan $80,000 last year, according to federal records. Over the past few years, Ryan voted on several other bills that either helped finance or otherwise affected his clients.
Ryan has recused himself from some votes, including a committee vote in February on a bill that would affect electric transmission projects, and he does not generally sponsor bills that would benefit his clients. But the various relationships have led some veteran statehouse-watchers to say Ryan has gone too far. Leanne Leith, the political and programs director for Conservation Voters New Mexico, said she thinks Ryan should not have voted on the tax bond measures, even though other projects were included in the bills. "Where is that line?" she said. "If you're passing a bill where three of the four clauses affect your clients, but the fourth doesn't, do you say you were voting on that fourth piece?"
Ethics experts outside the state have reacted more strongly. "That's outrageous," Bycel said, after having Ryan's situation described to him. "Legislators should not also be lobbyists."
Ryan declined repeated requests for an interview. His arrangement raised few concerns in New Mexico until recently, when the Santa Fe Reporter profiled a complaint against Ryan with the Secretary of State brought by Joe Carraro, who lost to Ryan in the 2012 general election. Carraro served in the legislature as a Republican for two decades until 2009. Five years ago, he was accused of conflicts himself after he requested appropriations for school field improvements that eventually led to contracts for an artificial turf company that had hired him as a consultant. Carraro denied knowing that the appropriations would eventually lead to work for the company.
The essence of Carraro's complaint was that Ryan had run afoul of the state's conflict of interest laws with his votes and that he was lobbying within the state without registering. In December, the Secretary of State's office sent Carraro a letter saying that based on his allegations and a response from Ryan, it did not find "sufficient evidence" of a violation of ethics laws. Even after the report, some people in the Capitol do not seem surprised by the details of the case and point to several similar examples.
Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, a Democrat, is executive director of the New Mexico County Clerks group, and for years lobbied the legislature on the group's behalf until he was elected last year. While he no longer lobbies, he still runs the group and has even sponsored a bill, which updates marriage license procedures, that he helped draft as a lobbyist.
"I am the most knowledgeable person in the building on this issue. I've been dealing with this for three years," he said. "What sense does it make to say, oh, let me give this to somebody who doesn't know a thing about it."
Sitting in a meticulously organized office, with a map of the 15th Senate district on the wall, Ivey-Soto said his work as executive director is not evaluated on the basis of legislative success. He also said he would recuse himself from any bill that could affect his compensation.
Mark Moores, a hulking, former college football player now serving his first term in the Senate as a Republican, is also the head of the New Mexico Dental Association, which has its own legislative agenda. The group has lobbied against a bill this year that would expand the work of dental therapists, and Moores said he will vote on the measure and sees no conflict.
"I don't have a financial interest in if that bill passes or not," Moores said. Because he is not a dentist and has no practice, Moores said the bill poses no direct financial concern for him. "But I have more expertise in that area than anyone else in this legislature because I've studied it, I know the issue. And if people ask me questions about it, I'm willing to share."
Viki Harrison, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, said Moores should recuse himself from voting on the dental bill. But she pointed out that the vote is only a small part of the problem. "I'm going to tell you what happens in a citizen legislature. Other senators are going to look to him for direction because they just got slammed with a thousand bills in 30 days," she said. "It's not like every legislator has their own bill analyst to help them out."
State by state
The situation is hardly exclusive to New Mexico. Ben Kieckhefer, a Republican state Senator in Nevada, is also the director of corporate communications for a Las Vegas law firm. In 2011, he told the Reno Gazette-Journal that he talks with the lobbyists at his firm so he knows what they are working on. "We need to make sure I have a clear understanding of what they're testifying on so I don't have a conflict of interest I don't know about," he said.
Last year, the government watchdog group Integrity Florida examined lawmakers' financial disclosure forms in that state and discovered that at least 11 legislators earned money from firms that lobby the legislature. Only two of the 11 reported potential conflicts of interest on votes, and only five listed their clients. Dan Krassner, the group's executive director, said there were large inconsistencies in financial disclosure reports and that many were filed late or were not filed at all.
"Certainly, there's an appearance that legislators and other officials that have clients are in a position to help their clients with little oversight," Krassner said. He said the state's conflict of interest rules are weak, and that financial disclosure is insufficient. "Too many officials are using their office for private gain."
David Freel, who used to run Ohio's Ethics Commission and now teaches ethics at Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, said that working for a lobbying firm, while not banned in many states, lies at the edge of what is appropriate in a part-time legislature. "I think it creates an exceptional caution and risk signal to have a legislator be both a legislator and a lobbyist simultaneously," he said. "Because then the question is, what is the separation?"
A fine line
The general rule of thumb in New Mexico and most states is that lawmakers ought not to vote on bills that affect them in particular, but that they are free to work on bills that affect an industry of which they're a part. Most ethics experts say it's difficult to write rules that are any more restrictive without having problematic side effects, such as precluding anyone except the independently wealthy from serving.
Alan Rosenthal, an expert in state government and legislative ethics at Rutgers University, said he's in favor of banning dual office holding — when legislators hold a second public job such as sitting on an administrative board — and also supports preventing lawmakers from working as lobbyists or in other political fields. But he said overly restrictive rules would have unintended consequences. "The alternative there is to start trying to restrict the ability of legislators to participate because of where they earn their income," he said. "The problem there is that you're limiting the representation that your constituency gets."
The problem becomes complicated when a lawmaker, as is often the case, works in a field in which he has clients who deal with government contracts and regulation. "If he's an insurance salesman, if he's a lawyer, if he's in any of these kinds of fields," Bycel said, "you bet he's going to have clients and customers who want something from him as legislator."
Illinois' House Speaker Michael Madigan is an extreme example. In a series of articles over the past few years, the Chicago Tribune reported on several cases in which Madigan, a Democrat known for his tight control of the legislature, pushed bills and contracts that reportedly steered millions of dollars to clients of his firm, Madigan & Getzendanner. In 2009, for example, Madigan helped secure $18 million in state funds for a highway interchange that a coalition of businesses had been promoting for years. Two of those businesses had hired his firm. In 2005, months after his firm was hired by a company that owns nursing homes, Madigan and the House made permanent a program that funded assisted living homes for the poor. The Tribune reported that the move unlocked millions of dollars in investment money for the company, Pathway Senior Living LLC, and allowed it to nearly double its number of facilities and collect tens of millions of dollars in additional federal and state funds.
One Tribune columnist called Madigan a "walking conflict of interest." An editorial said that he had weakened bills affecting banks, nursing homes and pharmacies that had hired his firm, but noted there was no "smoking gun" indicating that Madigan had violated any ethics rules. "You don't need an ethics expert to deduce that something is very wrong in Illinois."
Steve Brown, a Madigan spokesman, said none of the companies in question had hired Madigan's firm in order to secure contracts or funds. He said that Madigan has not violated any laws, and that he complies with a personal code of conduct that says nothing he does in his public work will benefit him or his firm privately. "The most important thing is the end conclusion, that at no point did they demonstrate that Mr. Madigan used his pubic office for private gain," Brown said.
Illinois' Gov. Pat Quinn this year proposed explicitly prohibiting legislators from voting on issues where a conflict might exist. It's unclear what exactly Quinn would qualify as a conflict, however, and a spokesman from his office did not answer specific questions on the proposal.
Maryland has a long history of similar dealings, said James Browning, regional director for state operations at Common Cause. In 2004, the organization reviewed votes and financial disclosures in Maryland and found that 50 legislators had sponsored 127 bills that affected their employers.
More recently, the state Senate censured Sen. Ulysses Currie last year for failing to disclose nearly $250,000 in consulting fees he earned from a grocery store chain, even as he helped the company win concessions with the state. Months earlier, a federal jury had acquitted Currie on charges stemming from the scandal; members of the jury said they felt Currie's indiscretions fell short of criminal behavior. In the wake of the Currie scandal, Maryland lawmakers passed a bill requiring themselves to post some conflict of interest disclosure forms online, but they did not require that full financial disclosures be posted.
"The practice of pushing these bills to help your employer or yourself is pretty widespread," Browning said, "and for the most part allowed under the rules."
Broader perspectives
In many states, the concept of a full-time, professional legislature is a non-starter. In North Dakota and Texas, for example, lawmakers meet every other year. Many lawmakers in New Mexico say a citizen legislature brings a diverse group to the capitol with "real-world" experience.
"The writers of our constitution did not want a professional legislature," said Moores, the first-term senator in New Mexico. "They wanted people coming in from the four corners of our state with different backgrounds."
Robert Stern, who helped write California's conflict of interest laws in 1974 and went on to work for the state's ethics commission, said part-time legislatures bring a broader perspective to government and can actually reduce lawmakers' reliance on campaign contributions. If legislators rely on other jobs for their incomes, he said, they may be more willing to alienate donors because serving in office is just one part of their professional life. Attempts to make legislatures full-time have gathered little support in Florida and Texas, and some people have pushed to shorten sessions in California, Michigan and Wisconsin.
But some experts and lawmakers say part-time legislatures harbor systemic flaws. Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, an Albuquerque Democrat and retired social worker, supports giving New Mexico's legislators a salary. He said the brief legislative sessions mean lawmakers do not have enough time to wade through a wave of more than a thousand bills introduced each session. The problem is compounded by the fact that they do not have staff to help analyze legislation. The situation creates reliance on lobbyists—and their gifts—to help lawmakers sort out the details of legislation, he said. Ortiz y Pino and others also argue that rather than broadening its scope, a part-time legislature actually limits who can serve, because most people cannot afford to take two months away from full-time jobs.
"Having a citizen legislature sounds good on the surface," Ortiz y Pino said, but the problems associated with it are "enormous."
Browning of Common Cause said the problem has grown worse as Congress has given greater discretion to the states over how to spend federal money through block grants. The move has shifted more work from Washington to state capitols, he said, but states have not kept pace by devoting more resources to their legislators. "If you consider how much is at stake, how much money is being carved up by budgets and in these committees and how little is being invested in these people in salaries and in resources," Browning said, "it's hard to argue that we've set up a system to get the best and the brightest and have them fight for their constituents."
Conflicts of interest have simply become part of the system in many states, experts say, where legislators earn little pay and have no effective oversight. In New Mexico, disclosures are inconsistent and are not audited. And without an independent ethics commission, oversight and enforcement simply does not work, said Harrison of Common Cause New Mexico. People can submit complaints to the Secretary of State, which rarely pursues ethics investigations, or to a number of legislative committees. Those committees have received about half a dozen ethics complaints since 2005, but have not found probable cause in any of them. "From our perspective, there's really very, very little ethics oversight, and there are very few rules," Harrison said.
The same could be said for many other states, where ethics agencies remain weak and under-funded, if they exist at all. Experts agree that independent oversight and strong disclosure rules are critical to preventing conflicts, as is paying legislators an adequate salary. But even under the best laws, conflicts are an inherent part of the system —and that issue can't be squared, certainly not at the Roundhouse. "In some ways it's an indictment of part-time legislatures," Browning said. "This will always be a problem."
Editor's Note: The Center for Public Integrity, a Washington-based watchdog journalism group, produced this story as part of the State Integrity Investigation, a 2012 analysis of transparency and accountability in all 50 state governments. The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting produced the investigation's story on Maine and has continued to follow the resulting ethics reform measures proposed in the statehouse.


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subset: commoncrawl


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ST9900805SS Seagate 900-GB 10K 2.5 DP 6G SAS HDD - NEW
Description:Seagate 900GB 10K 6G 2.5-inch SFF SAS Dual Port Hot-Plug 64MB SAS Hard DrivePart Number(s)Seagate Part# ST9900805SS
Overview:This 2.5 SFF SAS 10K drive offers the advanced SAS 2.0 interface and operates at 6-Gb/s transfer rates. SAS 2.0 provides the next generation of signal and data integrity features making SAS ideally suited for use in high-end network storage applications. The SAS 2.0 feature set and 6-Gb/s transfer rate supports larger topologies by connecting more expanders host bus adapters and RAID controllers within or across more storage arrays; by communicating over longer distances with high signal integrity and by moving data two times faster thereby doubling data throughput. This powerful 2.5-inch drive's advantages translate into greater overall value to IT organizations and administrators who want to optimize their data center performance efficiency.


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Empty Bottles by Wassink and Lundgren
I'm going to attempt something that will probably seem unethical to some -- that is, review a book that I do not own (or as I see it, review a book that I wasn't suckered into buying). This is a book however that I've spent some time looking through and admittedly have been tempted to buy (mostly due to the hype surrounding it) but every time I move the pages from cover to cover I have the realization that I'm looking at crap and therefore -- when my brain starts working again -- I put it back on the shelf and step away. This has happened a few times and each time I feel the pull of hype and I am able to repel it thankfully even with the sticker on the new edition touting its greatness.
The book I'm speaking of is called Empty Bottles by Wassink Lundgren and it won the Contemporary Book Award for 2007 at the Rencontres d'Arles photo festival in France.
Let me proceed by asking a question. How many photographers does it take to make mediocre photographs of Chinese people picking up empty plastic bottles? In this case it would be two. The photographic duo of Wassink and Lundgren have worked on many books together and Empty Bottles is the latest. Yes, that is right, this is a collaborative effort between two people. Stunning collaboration gentlemen. My question is are there two brains at work here?
The first printing of 750 copies sold out quickly after the hype at Arles with a copy now fetching over $400 on the Photoeye auction website. Hundreds of copies were available at the first annual New York photo festival which featured an exhibition of his work curated by none other than Martin Parr.
Now if you've noticed in the past here at 5B4 Photography and Books I do not particularly enjoy negatively reviewing books. Who would? I don't have axes to grind and I want to share work that excites me in a finely crafted book. In this case, what kept me picking up the book was the design and presentation and had absolutely nothing to do with what I realized was incredibly boring photography. Has photography turned down such a blind alley to where this is an example of something that we are holding up for higher consideration?
Arles or no Arles...don't believe the hype. I hope there is a day when we come to our senses and realize that there is much more to be offered and much more to get excited about. I can only hope that that day arrives soon as I do not think I can stomach picking up more of these empty vessels.


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In recent weeks, we have had new neighbours move in on either side of us. Whereas the previous bunch were happy never to go in their gardens other than to install over-size satellite dishes, these guys both set about their lawns and beds with impressive vigour, quickly turning junk yards in to beauty spots. This is a classic example of a positive externality - an action by another person that benefits us (we now look out over nice gardens), without having to pay a penny.
On the other hand, the guy opposite's steadfast refusal to buy any sort of blind for his overlooked toilet window can politely be described as a negative externality.
What are the things that your neighbours do which improve or reduce your quality of life?


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Okay, who ever discovered Butter Paneer is a genius. "Sirji, tussi great ho". I had never ever thought I would utter these words and always dissed butter paneer aka paneer makhani as a misconstrued representation of the rich Indian cuisine. I am sure I have said things to that effect in my earlier posts too.
But that was when I had not foreseen a future where hoardes of bengali kids(including mine), age ranging from 5 to 15, who might have otherwise complained about dal-bhaat-mangshor jhol, would eat butter paneer with rice in rapt silence. That was when I had no idea that the biggest fan of this dish, is being nurtured in my own home, until now fed on a careful and involved diet of chhanar dalna, charchari and murgir jhol . Yes, that is my nine year old, more frequently referred to as BigSis. She has always liked orange glo paneer makhni with naan at Indian restuarants, her favorite thing to order. I had thought she would get over it. Apparently she didn't and the fondness just grew stronger.
So, I took matters in my own hand and started making a Paneer Butter Masala at home. It was much appreciated and I started making it more frequently.
The more, I made it, the more I streamlined.
I cut corners and butter and heavy cream. I pared down the recipe to bare basics, something that could be done in 15-20 minutes flat whether you were cooking for 2 or 20. Yes, 5 main ingredients, few spices, 15 minutes and you have the easiest, quickest dish which is guaranteed to please loads of kids if not their finicky parents. I started adding vegetables along with paneer to the gravy and calling it my version of Navratan Korma. Instead of paneer, I added Eggs and called it Egg Masala. The horizon holds many possibilities with this dish but before I share the recipe, I have to tell you about another genius.
The discoverer of Rainbow Loom, a contraption which lets you make you bracelets with rubber bands. "Whaat??", you might ask. But I think, you won't. Almost everyone with school going kids have experienced the Loom fever.
Way back in Spring when my 9 yr. old oldest, BigSis came back from school and showed me a bracelet made of rubber band, I honestly did not understand what was so special about it. She and her friends are always making pretty bracelets or necklace out of beads and the rubber band ones seemed pretty flimsy in their comparison. Soon, however every other kid I came upon was making rubber brand bracelets and every other kid seemed to possess a "Rainbow Loom".
"Can I get a Rainbow loom?", BigSis asked in June. Now, I am not the kind of Mother who right away buys anything that the kids will ask for unless it is a book, again in which case I will first check the library. A kit that makes rubber brand bracelets and sells for $25 seemed a bit too much to me and I said, I will consider it only later.
Soon however BS learned to make a basic pattern with her two fingers and started making bracelets by the dozens on her fingers. Around end of summer she took one of her Taekwondo wood boards(the ones she breaks in class), pushed 3 thumbtacks in it and started using that to make more patterns. Some of her friends who did not have the loom yet did the same. Her neighborhood friends who had the store bought loom would pop in every other day and she used theirs to make the more difficult patterns that she and her friends learned from YouTube. Now, BigSis has a very rare quality where she doesn't really ask for toys or clothes or anything much. It is also a drawback in the sense that rarely there are incentives that excite her. So, in this case though most of her friends possessed the Rainbow Loom, she didn't feel deprived and did not ask me for one again. Almost all of August, she and her friends made bracelets of rubber band like crazy. The husband-man referred to it as "Kutir Shilpo" -- a burgeoning cottage industry.
Until that is a few weeks back. "I cannot make the complicated patterns using my 3-pin board," she grumbled. "I want to make more designs as they show on YouTube". Now, in our home, I am the more indulgent parent in such commercial product matters and so this time I was just this two clicks away from ordering on Amazon. The Dad is the one who thinks that kids these days anyway get too much and will learn to improvise only when they don't get desired stuff easily. So I held off buying the loom, mentally making a note to put it in as a December gift.
Finally tired of not having the complete loom, last week on her 4 day holiday, BigSis sat down to make a complete template board. She painted and glittered the wooden board. Then went on to replicate the full template with thumbtacks. There were a few trials with the pin placements as there needs to be a certain pattern and distance for optimal bracelet making. The hook posed a problem and so I bought a crochet hook which served the purpose. Finally the Rainbow Loom worth twenty-five dollar was made at home at almost no cost. It was cheap, sustainable and looked far better than the plastic ones made in China.
BigSis was also very proud of her home made loom as her friends and teachers praised her effort. Some of her friends wanted to make their own hand painted loom too.
As I read the story of Rainbow Loom's success and how its inventor had initially done the design using push pins on a wooden board, it seems the loom has come a full circle. As I see it, kids are immensely resourceful and if they want something, they will put in all their efforts to do it. How to excite them is the question and I am really amazed that these rubber brand bracelets were motivation enough.
Disclaimer: Now that BigSis is older, she does not want me to write much about her. However she particularly wanted me to take pics of her loom and share her hand made loom with you all.
Very Quick Butter Paneer
Buy a block of Nanak Paneer if in US and Canada. In other countries buy the best brand of paneer. With Nanak, the paneer is really soft and no soaking in hot water is necessary.
Cut up the paneer block in cubes.
Puree fresh juicy tomato to make about 2 cups of pureed tomato. OR use canned tomatoes and make two cups of pureed tomato.
Start Cooking
Heat 1/2 tbsp Vegetable Oil in a deep bottomed pan or kadhai. Add 1/2 tbsp of butter.
On occasions that call for rich gravies, I increase butter to 1tbsp. For only family meals I often skip the butter totally.
Temper the warm oil+butter with
2 Tej Patta
2 Black Cardamom lightly bruised in the mortar
1/4 tsp of methi seeds
Once the methi seeds start sputtering, switch off the heat for a minute and let the oil soak in the flavor of methi seeds. I don't think switching off is necessary but I like to give the oil a little time to absorb flavor of methi seeds and cardamom while I make tomato puree.
Now put the pan back on heat again and add
1.5 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
Fry for a few secs and then add
1 tbsp of tomato paste
If you don't have tomato paste, it is okay to skip
Next goes in
2 Cups of pureed tomato
Mix well with a spatula and add
1 tsp Kashmiri mirch powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/4 tsp of homemade Garam masala
Now stir and mix and let the tomato puree cook for about 7-8 mins at medium heat until the raw smell is gone. Keep stirring in between else it will char.
Add salt to taste and about 1/2tsp sugar and mix. As a reader Hasina Ahmed said, the sugar prevents the milk from breaking up later so make sure you add it.
Once the tomato is cooked and you see the oil seeping around the edges, lower the heat and add
2 Cups of Evaporated Milk(from can)
+ 1 cup of warm water
If you don't have Evaporated Milk, substitute with Whole Milk.
Remember to simmer at low heat as milk will break if you cook the gravy at high heat
Mix well and let the gravy simmer at low medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Adjust for taste and fine tune salt/sugar. You can add little more Garam masala and kashmiri mirch at this point if you think the dish needs more
Now add the paneer cubes and about 2 tsp of Kasoori methi crushed between your palm. Ahhh...the fragrance
Let it simmer for 3-4 more minutes at medium heat. Check that paneer is cooked and does not taste raw. Switch off heat. Cover and serve after 15 minutes.


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In this post has listed some of the most common questions asked on Singleton pattern during a Java Interview. I have not provided the answers to these questions as they are easily available via google search but if you guys need I can try to modify this tutorial to include answers as well.
As promised earlier and have received a lot of requests for providing answers to these questions, I have decided to update this post along with answers. By the way, if you are preparing for an interview on Java technology than you can check my collection on Java interview questions and multi-threading interview questions.
There are a lot of resources in Javarevisited which can help you in your interview preparation. On the other hand, if you are more interested in design pattern tutorials than you can check my post on builder design pattern
10 Interview question on Singleton Pattern in Java
Here is my collection of interview questions based upon Singleton design pattern. They are collected from various Java interviews and highlights key aspects of pattern and where it is broken, if you know how to create thread-safe singletons and different ways to implement this pattern, and pros and cons of each approach. Questions starts with :What is Singleton class? Have you used Singleton before?
Singleton is a class which has only one instance in whole application and provides a getInstance() method to access the singleton instance. There are many classes in JDK which is implemented using Singleton pattern like java.lang.Runtime which provides getRuntime() method to get access of it and used to get free memory and total memory in Java.Which classes are candidates of Singleton? Which kind of class do you make Singleton in Java?
Here they check whether candidate has enough experience on usage of singleton or not. Does he is familiar of advantage/disadvantage or alternatives available for singleton in Java or not.Answer : Any class which you want to be available to whole application and whole only one instance is viable is candidate of becoming Singleton. One example of this is Runtime class , since on whole java application only one runtime environment can be possible making Runtime Singleton is right decision. Another example is a utility classes like Popup in GUI application, if you want to show popup with message you can have one PopUp class on whole GUI application and anytime just get its instance, and call show() with message.
Can you write code for getInstance() method of a Singleton class in Java?
Most of the java programmer fail here if they have mugged up the singleton code because you can ask lots of follow-up question based upon the code they have written. I have seen many programmer write Singleton getInstance() method with double checked locking but they are not really familiar with the caveat associated with double checking of singleton prior to Java 5.Answer : Until asked don't write code using double checked locking as it is more complex and chances of errors are more but if you have deep knowledge of double checked locking, volatile variable and lazy loading than this is your chance to shine. I have shared code examples of writing singleton classes using enum, using static factory and with double checked locking in my recent post Why Enum Singletons are better in Java, please see there.
Is it better to make whole getInstance() method synchronized or just critical section is enough? Which one you will prefer?
This is really nice question and I mostly asked to just quickly check whether candidate is aware of performance trade off of unnecessary locking or not. Since locking only make sense when we need to create instance and rest of the time its just read only access so locking of critical section is always better option. read more about synchronization on How Synchronization works in JavaWhat is lazy and early loading of Singleton and how will you implement it?
This is another great Singleton interview question in terms of understanding of concept of loading and cost associated with class loading in Java. Many of which I have interviewed not really familiar with this but its good to know concept.Answer : As there are many ways to implement Singleton like using double checked locking or Singleton class with static final instance initialized during class loading. Former is called lazy loading because Singleton instance is created only when client calls getInstance() method while later is called early loading because Singleton instance is created when class is loaded into memory.
Give me some examples of Singleton pattern from Java Development Kit?
This is open question to all, please share which classes are Singleton in JDK. Answer to this question is java.lang.Runtime- Java.lang.Runtime with getRuntime() method
- Java.awt.Toolkit with getDefaultToolkit()
- Java.awt.Desktop with getDesktop()
What is double checked locking in Singleton?
One of the most hyped question on Singleton pattern and really demands complete understanding to get it right because of Java Memory model caveat prior to Java 5. If a guy comes up with a solution of using volatile keyword with Singleton instance and explains it then it really shows it has in depth knowledge of Java memory model and he is constantly updating his Java knowledge.Answer : Double checked locking is a technique to prevent creating another instance of Singleton when call to getInstance() method is made in multi-threading environment. In Double checked locking pattern as shown in below example, singleton instance is checked two times before initialization. See here to learn more about double-checked-locking in Java.
public static Singleton getInstance(){ if(_INSTANCE == null){ synchronized(Singleton.class){ //double checked locking - because second check of Singleton instance with lock if(_INSTANCE == null){ _INSTANCE = new Singleton(); } } } return _INSTANCE; }
Double checked locking should only be used when you have requirement for lazy initialization otherwise use Enum to implement singleton or simple static final variable.
How do you prevent for creating another instance of Singleton using clone() method?
This type of questions generally comes some time by asking how to break singleton or when Singleton is not Singleton in Java.Answer : Preferred way is not to implement Cloneable interface as why should one wants to create clone() of Singleton and if you do just throw Exception from clone() method as "Can not create clone of Singleton class".
How do you prevent for creating another instance of Singleton using reflection?
Open to all. In my opinion throwing exception from constructor is an option.Answer: This is similar to previous interview question. Since constructor of Singleton class is supposed to be private it prevents creating instance of Singleton from outside but Reflection can access private fields and methods, which opens a threat of another instance. This can be avoided by throwing Exception from constructor as "Singleton already initialized"
How do you prevent for creating another instance of Singleton during serialization?
Another great question which requires knowledge of Serialization in Java and how to use it for persisting Singleton classes. This is open to you all but in my opinion use of readResolve() method can sort this out for you.Answer: You can prevent this by using readResolve() method, since during serialization readObject() is used to create instance and it return new instance every time but by using readResolve you can replace it with original Singleton instance. I have shared code on how to do it in my post Enum as Singleton in Java. This is also one of the reason I have said that use Enum to create Singleton because serialization of enum is taken care by JVM and it provides guaranteed of that.
When is Singleton not a Singleton in Java?
There is a very good article present in Sun's Java site which discusses various scenarios when a Singleton is not really remains Singleton and multiple instance of Singleton is possible. Here is the link of that article http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/Programming/singletons/Apart from these questions on Singleton pattern, some of my reader contribute few more questions, which I included here. Thank you guys for your contribution.
Why you should avoid the singleton anti-pattern at all and replace it with DI?
Answer : Singleton Dependency Injection: every class that needs access to a singleton gets the object through its constructors or with a DI-container.Why Singleton is Anti pattern
How many ways you can write Singleton Class in Java?
Answer : I know at least four ways to implement Singleton pattern in Java- Singleton by synchronizing getInstance() method
- Singleton with public static final field initialized during class loading.
- Singleton generated by static nested class, also referred as Singleton holder pattern.
- From Java 5 on-wards using Enums
How to write thread-safe Singleton in Java?
Answer : Thread safe Singleton usually refers to write thread safe code which creates one and only one instance of Singleton if called by multiple thread at same time. There are many ways to achieve this like by using double checked locking technique as shown above and by using Enum or Singleton initialized by class loader.14) Singleton vs Static Class?
15) When to choose Singleton over Static Class?
16) Can you replace Singleton with Static Class in Java?
17) Difference between Singleton and Static Class in java?
18) Advantage of Singleton over Static Class?
I have covered answers of couple of these questions in my post, Singleton vs Static Class in Java - Pros and Cons. If you like to read more Java interview questions you can have a look on some of my favorites below
More questions:
133+ Java Interview Questions from Last 5 years (questions)
50+ Java Multithreading Questions from Last 3 years (questions)
50+ Programmer Phone Interview Questions with answers (more)


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On NBC's Parks and Recreation, former stand-up comedian Retta plays office manager Donna Meagle. Donna is mostly in the background of the show, but is known for obsessing over her Mercedes SUV and for creating the Parks and Rec Treat Yo Self holiday.
Retta says this character is quite different from the roles she was offered in the beginning of her acting career.
"When I started, it was all meter maids or the sassy nurse, or the sassy receptionist in the hospital," she tells NPR's Neal Conan. "And I felt like: Are those the only jobs that large, black women have?"
Retta says she felt these roles didn't "look truthful" on her.
"I would often get called in to play a very loud, obnoxious — which, truth be told, I can be loud and obnoxious. My issue was when it was like a ghetto girl, I didn't think I was good at it; I didn't feel authentic. And so I had insecurities about going in on it."
She also worried that if she became known for those parts, casting directors wouldn't take her seriously. Retta started to get a wider range of roles when friends who knew her well would ask her to work on their Web projects or shorts.
"Casting directors, who don't necessarily know me — all they get are pictures. So they see your face, and they're like, 'Oh, we can place her in this or that.' "
Hollywood casts all kinds of stereotypes, from the ditzy blonde, to the Latina maid, from the Asian doctor to the Middle Eastern terrorist.
China-born actor Raymond Wong started his career in Pennsylvania and was one of very few Asian actors.
"It's a smaller market, so whenever they wanted an Asian actor I was the one they called," Wong says.
In his 20s, he would get cast for roles of 40- and 50-year-olds simply because there were not many other Asian actors around. Still, these roles were few and far between. "When they cast something else they never think of Asian actors to fill those roles," Wong explains. "So I never get called for any of the other stuff when they don't specially say 'Asian.' "
Wong is now based in Hollywood, which is a different story in terms of competition.
He remembers showing up for one casting call for a Chinese man in his age range.
"I thought, 'Oh, that can't be too bad!' I went there and there were hundreds of Asian actors — from Korean to Japanese, to Vietnamese, everywhere. They don't really care what the casting sheet says."
Retta says that little communities develop among actors of a similar type. "You tend to get really familiar with your peers in your type group, because you see them over and over and over again. You'll see me with the same girls having brunch because those are the girls I see all the time," she says.
Wong had a role in the 1995 film Roommates and on TV's Sex and the City, but has found the majority of his work in commercials. He says casting directors in advertising are focused on attracting a lot of different demographics with diversity on screen.
Ricky Sekhon, is a British actor of Indian ancestry who has embraced the terrorist roles that he's often called for. He played Osama bin Laden in the Academy Award-winning film Zero Dark Thirty, but only appeared in the movie briefly and didn't have any lines. Sekhon, who lost 25 pounds for the role, wrote about becoming bin Laden in a piece in The New York Times.
Sekhon says he didn't really have many qualms about playing the man who once topped the FBI's most-wanted list.
"If you just go on appearances, I have a little bit of a terroristy look about me," Sekhon jokes. "There's no getting away from the fact. I'm not at a point in my career where I have the luxury of choosing to turn down roles or not go up for roles."
He also believes that a sense of honesty and some level of connection to a role is important. "You won't find me being cast as a Beverly Hills guy because it would be very, very difficult for me to try to pull that off honestly. I'd have to work on the accent."
Sekhon says he hopes that gigs like Zero Dark Thirty will open up opportunities for more control over his roles, but he's making the best of it for now.
"Even if you do play stereotypes, as an actor, you're not going to play every single part the same," he says. "You know, if ... I'm playing one terrorist in one film, and I'm playing another in another movie, you're going to be working with a different writer, a different director, a whole different bunch of actors. You're going to be bringing something new to the part."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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The Fedora Channel FAQ, or how to maximize the support you receive from IRC. Users should check the resources here to enable a more enjoyable experience in #fedora. The behavior guidelines here apply to everyone equally.
Stay Up-To-Date
There is a very good chance that the problem you are experiencing has been resolved in the latest Fedora release. For users of older Fedora versions that are End of Life, please consider upgrading to a newer version. You can get community support for older versions at #Fedora-EOL.
Fedora Prerelease
Please use #fedora-qa for prerelease support.
Keep To Fedora-Provided Packages
Please use the packages Fedora provides. Deviating from these can render your system unstable or introduce bugs. You should exercise caution before adding software from third-parties, especially unpackaged software. Please let people who are trying to help you know when you have added such packages.
Chat In Your Native Language
There are also support channels in languages other than English available. These channels are named as #fedora-cc, where "cc" is the country code. There are also other Fedora channels used by specific groups within Fedora. For more information about other channels and languages, please visit the communication page.
It is also very important to understand that using excessive punctuation isn't necessary as well. If you ask a question and use 10 ?'s after it doesn't automatically mean everyone is going to jump up and start answering your question just because you feel it to be so very urgent. The best way to handle things is to type your sentences/questions just as if you would in real life on paper or something similar. Excessive punctuation only draws attention to you as being in a hurry and sometimes it's even considered rude. One exclamation point(!) or one question mark(?) is plenty of punctuation to get your point across. Try and avoid typing many short lines in a row. This makes it more difficult for others to see your questions. Think about your query and type it in complete sentences if at all possible.
Always Look For Your Own Answers First
Showing others you are actively trying to solve your own problem(s) increases the chances someone will be willing to help you out and decreases any irritation you may receive or inadvertently transfer to others. There are may places to look for help prior to going to the Fedora channel, such as Google, CommonBugs and askFedora. Many of the basic questions that are asked in the Fedora channel can be answered from those sites.
Be Observant
Be observant of information given to others and yourself, people do not like to repeat themselves when you can just as easily scroll up and re-read what was typed to others or yourself. Also, do not use "leet talk" such as "1d107" or heavily abbreviated words such as "hlp plz" or similar forms of "communication". This does not help you and will most likely turn off any potential help you might otherwise receive.
Keep A History
Keep a logical and accurate history of the troubleshooting efforts you've already attempted and in what order (i.e. don't repeat steps that have proven fruitless). Keep a notepad next to your computer or open a text editor:
- To help you remember complex tasks you've completed.
- For keeping detailed troubleshooting records
- To create your own succinct text help files.
Memory retention is far greater when we combine the physical act of writing with the visual stimulus of seeing what we have written; (i.e. Self-Programming). Periodically, review what you've written to refresh your memory. Use what you've learned to help others with the same problems. Helping others helps you remember as well, help pass knowledge on. This is more respectful of others time and your own. Showing respect for others time and effort is more likely to get you the help you are looking for. People want to help those who can get along with others and use common sense. Remember, people are donating their time, money, and other resources to help you.
Be Polite
The #fedora channel can sometimes move at a fast pace, especially on release day, so it's best to remain on-topic and avoid large pastes. If you need to paste information consisting of more than one line, please use paste.centos.org. All off topic conversation should be directed to #fedora-social. The old adage 'you catch more flies with honey' could not be more true on the net. Here you are judged by what you say and by your reactions to what others say. Be aware that although sometimes sarcastic comments are not meant to be offensive, others in the channel will sometimes take offense. Try to remain on-topic and provide helpful feedback. Don't accuse, bait or otherwise cause disturbances in help forums such as IRC; it's you that will be remembered negatively. Additionally, avoid taking offense at things other people say. Assume they meant them in a positive way, or ignore those who are not assisting you.
No Foul Language
The Fedora channel is a family environment please avoid cursing or the use of other offensive language. Keep in mind that #fedora covers all time zones so there is no 'safe time' to use foul language a child could be present at any time. This rule includes the use of obscene nicknames. If your nickname is found to be offensive you may be asked to change it.
Away Messages
There is absolutely nothing worse than any type of away message that generates noise. Generally, it's in your best interests to turn off all broadcasting "aways" that your IRC client may have. When using a new IRC client, before connecting to a server or going away, you should check to make sure that your away message settings are all set to silent. Especially since a few popular IRC clients come with away message broadcasting enabled by default. Switching your name based on your various periods of inactivity can also be rather annoying, especially when overused. There are many people in channel, please be considerate of their attention.
Nick Changes
Similar to Away Messages, changing your nick repeatedly is annoying and creates needless noise in the channel. Changing your nick infrequently is fine, but regularly changing your nick in the channel is not acceptable and inconsiderate (eg instead of using /away to tell people your status). If you regularly make nick changes for some reason, please /part from #fedora during those times or adjust your client to not change your nick in #fedora. This same rule applies to repeatedly joining and parting from the channel in a short time-frame.
L33t Speak
On IRC, it's very important for users to be able to understand what you're saying, so, obviously, sp43k1ng with symbols and numbers in the place of letters is not a very good thing to do if you want people to assist you. Using painfully bad grammar and ridiculous amounts of nothing but smiles generally go along with l33t speak and both practices are frowned on.
Avoid Flaming
"Flaming" is expressing a strongly held opinion tactlessly, without holding back any emotion. Topics that lead to flame wars include promoting or denigrating other distributions, window managers, or other matters of personal choice that inspire strong emotions. This is not the channel for that type of discussion, which leads to arguments and unfairly monopolizes bandwidth from users that need legitimate help. When faced with someone who you feel is doing this, bring them to the channel operators attention and ignore them.
Pay Attention
When asking for help, try to listen to one person at a time. Often, there are several ways to accomplish the same task. If you try accepting information from more than one person you may quickly become confused and experience errors, conflicting information or be unable to proceed. It is ok to try different methods but you should try to stick with one at a time so that you can understand each method's process, benefits and weaknesses. Also, when accepting advice, follow the instructions of the person giving it. Listen to them respectfully; don't go off on your own tangents typing commands that weren't asked for or giving incorrect responses. This is extremely frustrating, disrespectful and will most often lead to people no longer willing to help you with your issue.
When posing a question, your best bet is to paste all pertinent information on fpaste, dpaste. Then, give a brief synopsis of your problem in the channel with a link to your pasted errors and other information. Also, --sysinfo in fpaste is a very helpful tool to helping you with your issue. In a terminal execute the command 'fpaste --sysinfo' and post the resulting link in the channel. Pay attention to the information you receive, if someone is abusive or unhelpful, simply ignore them and do not respond at all, or report them to the operators in #fedora-ops. Fighting or arguing with others (even if you believe you're right) will only make you look bad and unnecessarily complicate your issue. This is the internet, let it go.
Poll And Be Banned
Bringing up topics in an IRC Channel which require personal opinions are highly discouraged as they tend to degenerate into flame wars. Such questions include "Which is a better desktop environment KDE or Gnome?", "Which audio player is better Audacious or Amarok?" users who initiate those types of questions are considered to be polling. In the #fedora channel people that continually pose those types of questions may be asked to leave the channel.
Avoid Open Ended or Over General Questions
Avoid asking questions that are over-general, such as "Does anyone use <insert software>?", "Are there any <insert software> Gurus here?", or "Did they fix the bug in <insert software>?". Be specific in your question. Describe the exact bug/issue or provide links to bugs you are referring to. This will allow people who occasionally help in the channel to assist you and not dismiss your question as being too vague to assist with.
Support for US Embargoed Nations
Unfortunately, Red Hat cannot provide Fedora software, documentation or support to individuals in Embargoed Nations, because of US export law.
Operator Assistance
Typically there will be channel operators monitoring the channel and helping folks follow the guidelines. If however, you note some behavior that requires IMMEDIATE operator help, you can use the '@ops' command to alert any active operators to take a look at the channel. Please use this command only when there is a problem with behavior in the channel, not to seek support.
Complaints About Other Channels
The fedora channel is not a place to complain about behavior or issues from other channels. Joining #fedora to complain about your kick, ban, or quieting in #fedora-social may result in you being banned from both channels. Please take those complaints up in the appropriate forum https://fedorahosted.org/irc-support-sig is a perfect place for complaints or general feedback. You may also check in #fedora-ops to appeal your case. Please note: #fedora-ops is not a channel to sit idle in. You may be asked to leave after your issue has been addressed.
Special Thanks
A special thanks goes to Opsec of FedoraOs.org for generating some of the information found on this page.
The IRC support sig welcomes all feedback on the channel, help you get there or ways to improve support. Please go to https://fedorahosted.org/irc-support-sig to file a feedback ticket. The SIG will discuss in their next weekly meeting.


text:
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text:
Hot Air Balloon Explodes in Mid-Air Over Egypt, Killing 18
Twenty-one passengers were onboard at the time; the pilot and two other survivors were taken to the hospital. The explosion, probably caused by gas, occurred while the balloon was about 1,000 feet in the air.
Hot air balloon trips are a popular excursion for tourists in the region, giving them a chance at some breathtaking views of the surrounding desert and farmland. Also visible is the renowned Valley of the Kings, where many ancient pharaohs were entombed.
According to officials, among the dead are nine visitors from Hong Kong, four from Japan, three from Britain, two from France and one from Hungary. The survivors included two Britons and the Egyptian pilot.
All hot air balloon trips have been suspended for the time being in Luxor. In 1989, 13 people died when two balloons collided in Australia, which had been the deadliest balloon incident on record.


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If you have been told you need root canal treatment, you may be feeling a bit nervous. Not to worry — treating root canal problems is a routine part of dentistry that can relieve certain kinds of tooth pain and help your teeth last longer. As you learn more about this beneficial procedure, you will understand why it's needed — and how it will leave you in far better shape than you were when you came in to the dental office! Here are some answers to frequently asked questions.
Dentists use the term "root canal" in referring to the tiny, narrow passageways that branch from a central, hollow space in your tooth (called the pulp chamber) down to the ends of the tooth roots. The term can also be used as a shorthand for "root canal treatment" — that is, the procedure used to save the tooth if the soft tissue deep inside of it (called pulp) becomes acutely inflamed or infected.
If tooth pulp becomes acutely inflamed or infected — because of decay or injury for example — the tissue will need to be removed in order to save the tooth and stop the infection from spreading. As an adult, you don't actually need the pulp — its primary use is to aid in tooth development during childhood.
We could remove the whole tooth, but it's always better to try to save it — especially since root canal treatment is routine and has a very high success rate (over 90%). Saving the tooth can prevent other troubles from occurring later on; these could include bite problems from teeth shifting position, difficulty eating, and loss of jawbone volume and density.
The procedure normally causes no more discomfort that a filling would. Root canal treatment may have a bad reputation, but it is undeserved; in this case it's the disease that's to blame and not the cure. In other words, the infections that make the treatment necessary in the first place are often painful because they are inflaming tissue that has lots of nerves and therefore is very sensitive. Root canal treatment actually relieves this pain!
After numbing the area, a tiny hole is made in your tooth to access the pulp chamber and canals. After we remove the diseased tissue, we will disinfect the chamber and the canal(s) all the way to the root end(s). Teeth in the front of the mouth have one root and generally one canal; back teeth have two or three roots and generally three or four canals. We will fill those canals and the pulp chamber with an inert, biocompatible material, and seal it with adhesive cement. The access hole will receive a temporary filling.
Your tooth may feel sensitive for a few days, but any discomfort can usually be relieved with over-the-counter pain medication or anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen. You will be instructed to avoid chewing on that tooth until it receives its permanent filling, which can be placed a few days later. Depending on how damaged the tooth was to begin with, it may need a full-coverage crown. We will discuss your options with you.
Keep your teeth decay-free by brushing and flossing every day. Eat a healthy diet low in sugar and avoid acidic beverages such as soda. Come in to the dental office regularly for professional cleanings and exams. And if you're active in sports, consider ordering a custom-made mouthguard to protect your teeth from injury.
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text:
I have kids. 3 of them. A rambunctious bunch. We generally avoid taking them anywhere like our appointments, and in the rare case where we have no choice we bring distractions: Nintendo DS, books, etc. I know that not everyone has easy access to child care, and understand that.
It's amazing how many people come in thinking my staff and office supplies solely exist to keep their kids busy. Neither Dr. Pissy nor I see anyone under 18, so we don't keep kid stuff around.
I've seen people tell their kids to just go sit up by Mary's desk and play with her. Or give them scissors, crayons, and glue to "make something" out of the lobby magazines. Or ask me if they can play online games on my work computer. Or just let them run amok in my exam room with my stethoscope, hammer, tuning fork, whatever. Ed has been knocked over 3 times in the last year by kids.
I've had patients leave my practice because their kids caused trouble during the appointment, and I've told them they can't return unless they find a sitter. I don't care that it pisses them off. I can't treat you effectively if I'm chasing your child all over because you think it's my job.
In a pediatrics office this is more common, and they are prepared for it. I go to my kids' appointments, and they have all sorts of books and toys to keep them busy (but we still bring Nintendos). But I don't see kids, and don't consider that something I should provide.
Unfortunately, this kind of behavior is common elsewhere. You see kids running wild, knocking stuff off grocery shelves. I know a veterinarian who had a kid, with his parent's permission, urinate on his office floor, and the family thought the vet was being unreasonable to ask them to clean it up. They figured a vet would be used to dogs and cats doing that, so what's the big deal if they let their kid do it?
Although frequently told by patients under these circumstances that "you obviously don't like kids," that's not the issue.
The problem is parents who won't control them.


text:
The AES Historical Committee is an international forum open to all
who wish to investigate and learn about the achievements of those
pioneers whose innovative ideas and inventions have contributed to
audio's rich past. Dedicated to the preservation of over a century of
audio history, the Committee is developing a broad-based history of
audio engineering and the audio industry. AES membership is
encouraged but not required.
There is a Table of Contents (below) to help you find topics of interest to you.
If you have questions about the history of audio engineering, search this site or its links or for patents from all countries; check out the Audio Engineering History and History of the AES. Join our E-mail reflector and post a historical question to it -- many of the people who made that history are here, and can answer your questions.
We would be glad to have you volunteer to help us with our projects -- AES membership is encouraged but not required.
Bill Wray
and Gary Gottlieb
Co-Chairs, AES Historical Committee
2006-11, 2017-10
Last Revised 2019-03-04 jm
This Site and Its Links -- Use the Search Box at the top of this page.
Author's Affiliation Index of AES Publications: Know the author's company but not the author's name? Look here, in the AES E-Library. Click "Advanced", go down to "Author's Affiliation", enter author's company name, click "search", and you'll get a list of all the papers by authors from that company.
Historical Committee Activities at AES Conventions
Dr Steven Schoenherr's "Recording Technology History"
Motion Pictures, History of Audio Engineering In
Company Histories (Ampex & 3M)
Historical Committee Administration
Do you need help preserving programs on obsolete audio media? Click here for links to sites with preservation information and techniques.
Exhibits, talks, presentations, etc at the AES Conventions.
Agendas for Committee meetings: What's planned for the meetings.
Reports of Committee activities for the previous half year.
Minutes of the Committee meetings.
The Craft of Recording Through History
Links to Other Historical Sites, and Museum Coordination project
Timeline of Audio Engineering, from cylinder to DVD
Audio Patents Project from 2007 to 2017, a project to improve access to the patent literature.
Auditory Perspective, the classic Bell Telephone Labs "stereo" paper from 1934 (4.5 MB file)
Book Listings and Reviews in the AES Journal, 1990...2002, Index of
Books & video tapes now available on audio engineering history
The Thiele-Krause Archive for Audio-Visual Media Technology (currently off-line)
Historical Developments in Audio Engineering 1877...1977, a summary paper by Daniel von Recklinghausen, with 81 references to papers and patents
Historical Issues of the AES Journal, The contents pages for "The Phonograph and Sound Recording After One-Hundred Years" (1977-10) and "The AES: 50 Years of Contributions to Audio Engineering" (1998-01).
History of Audio Engineering as Told Thru the AES Journal: The "non-technical" part of the Journal that's not contained in the "Electronic Library"
Forensic Audio Engineering: The complete "Watergate" report, formally called "The EOB Tape of June 20, 1972: Report on a Technical Investigation Conducted for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, by the Advisory Panel on White House Tapes May 31, 1974", that is the basis for much of present-day forensic audio engineering.
Recording Studios, A Thirty-five Year History and Evolution (1980) by "Bill" Putnam.
Standardization Activity of the AES (1982) by Langdon, Queen, McKnight, and Campbell -- the History Before 1982.
One of the best histories of magnetic recording is
Dr Steven Schoenherr's "Recording Technology History"
The most awesome (and I don't use that word lightly) website for "Recording Technology History" was created and maintained for many years by Dr. Steven Schoenherr, Professor of History at the University of San Diego. (His site was formerly "history.sandiego.edu/gen/recording/notes"). So I was distressed recently when I found that it was "404" -- not found. On digging around a little, I found Dr Schoenherr, and asked if we might host his site at the Audio Engineering Society's "Historical Committee" site. He replied:
"Thank you for taking over the hosting of this website. I started the Recording Technology History site in Dec. 1994 at the University of San Diego when the Department of History went online. At that time, there were only 2 other history departments in the world listed in the Yahoo index of History Institutes (Saskatchewan and Rochester). With the help of students, I integrated web pages into my history classes and found the web to be useful in presenting primary documents, both text and audiovisual. I also used the web pages to publish my research on Bing Crosby, William Randolph Hearst, Charles Sumner Tainter, newsreels and film sound. Primary documents and images and recordings were published on the web site from Bell Labs, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the Edison National Historic Site. The history department web site outgrew several servers, reaching a high point in May 2002 of 180,000 hits per day. I retired in 2007 after teaching 30 years at the University of San Diego, and am happy to pass on the Recording Technology History site to a new server at the AES."
This page has a number of out-of-date URLs, and a very few errors. We will be updating the URLs, and correcting the errors. To see Dr.Schoenherr's original page, go to Schoenherr
Jay McKnight, Chair Emeritus, AES Historical Committee, 2012-08-22, corr. 2013-09-23
SIGSALY -- The Origins of DSP and Compression, by Jon D. Paul. Some pale gleams from the past; a historical perspective on early speech synthesis and scramblers, and the foundations of digital audio.
Digital Audio Engineering Standardization History at the AES: The history of the development of the AES digital audio standards, as given in the AES Journal minutes and reports of the Digital Audio Standards and Technical Committees between 1977 and 1984, and in Bart Locanthi's 1986 summary of the Committees' work.
"The Dawn of Commercial Digital Recording ", (published 2008 Spring, updated 2015 Fall) by Thomas Fine. Although wide-spread digital commercial recording is only about 30 years old, much mythology and many claims of "firsts" have sprung from the mists of time. This article seeks to set the record straight.
Audio Record,
a trade publication of Audio Devices, Inc., of which several volumes
are available from its start in 1945 July until 1952. Hopefully more
material of this kind will turn up. Audio Devices, Inc. was a licensee
of Pyral lacquer disc technology from 1938, but created a very strong
in-house research team, developing not only Audiodisc, Audiopoints
(stylii) and Audiotape products, but also played a major role in the
huge upheaval from 78 rpm to 33 1/3 and 45 as well as early tape
development and recording. Audio Devices, Inc. was one of the big
magnetic tape suppliers from late 1948 to about 1970 along with 3M,
Reeves Soundcraft, and Orradio Industries (Ampex).C.J LeBel was a vice president of Audio Devices, Inc.and a
founding member of the AES, and its first president. In 1947 he took
over a series of regularly featured technical articles in Audio Record,
and they are among the most level-headed I have read. There are also
magnificent listings of disc cutting and very early tape recording
equipment with prices and thumbnail descriptions. You will also find
reports on recording projects and recording studios, in particular in
broadcasting and educational institutions. [Thanks to George Brock-Nannestad for calling our attention to this publication.]
History of Disk Recording, (1985) by John G. Frayne. (with 9 references)
Evolution of a Recording Curve, by R C Moyer (RCA), Audio Engineering, 1953 Jul, p 19+. "A discussion of the reasons for the existence of 'recording curves' and a presentation of the official specifications for the 'New Orthophonic' curve currently used for RCA Victor records and well on the way to universal adoption by all record manufacturers." This became the RIAA and IEC mechanical disk recording equalization.
Looking for an historical issue of an audio-related magazine, including Audio, db, REP, Studio Sound, Western Electric catalogs, GR Experiminter, Bell Labs Record, RCA Review, and much, much more? See americanradiohistory . For the SMP(T)E, Journal see Motion Pictures (below).
One of the best histories of magnetic recording is here.
Bibliography of Histories of Magnetic Tape Sound Recording, Selected
Standard Alignment Tapes -- A History At and After Ampex, by Jay McKnight>
"Standard Tape Manual" compiled by Bob Morrison. Bob had a long and distinguished career in magnetic tape recording - from 1952 working at Ampex, then managing the Ampex Standard Tape Lab in the 1960s, to founding his own company, Standard Tape Laboratory (STL) in 1970. In 1978 while at STL, Bob compiled and self-published his "Standard Tape Manual -- A data book for the audio tape recordist, engineer, or designer", which is his telling of the theory and practice of magnetic recording as of 1978. We are now pleased to make a scan of this manual available online.
Popular Misconceptions about Magnetic Recording History and Theory—Things You May Have Missed over the Past 85 Years, by Jay McKnight
Calculating the Wavelength Response of the Magnetic Recording and Reproducing Process -- A Historical Review, by Jay McKnight
Ampex Museum & Historical Collection at Stanford University
Stanford Libraries' Ampex Model 200A Magnetic Tape Recorder, Restored by Larry Miller ("All About the Ampex Model 200A")
AC-Bias at Bell Telephone Labs, 1936-1939, by Jay McKnight
Develpment of Coated Tape and the Magnetophon in Germany in the 1920s thru 1950s
3M Tape types,; and the Index to, and scans of, all 46 issues of 3M "Sound Talk," etc.
Agfa, BASF, and IG Farben Tape Types
Before 1943, History of Audio Engineering and Magnetic Recording
"Tape Degredation Factors and Challenges in Predcting Tape Life", a link to Richard Hess' ARSC Journal paper. Squealing tape, and what can and can't be done about it to play those tapes, including a new method.
Studio microphones -- manuals, descriptions, pictures, schematics, sound samples, characteristics, notes and comments. A site by Prof. S. O. Coutant (retired), Performing and Communication Arts, Pasadena City College.
Finding His Voice (1929). An animated cartoon synchronized to voice and sound. A Western Electric Sound System picture." An excellent layman's explanation of how sound on film works. The equipment shown is an accurate drawing of how motion picture sound equipment looked in the late 1920s.
SMP(T)E Issues Available Online
from Archive.org (this link also has instructions on using the Archive).
Much of professional analog audio engineering was developed by or for the
sound systems for motion pictures, and was published in the Journal of
the Society of Motion (later: and Television) Engineers. The Journal of
the Society of Motion Picture Engineers and its successor, Society of
Motion Picture and Television Engineers, (J of SMPE, and J of SMPTE, respectively) from 1930 to 1954 are
now available online.
Audio Engineering in Motion Pictures, including EW Kellogg's 44-page review paper, with 406 (!) references, from the 1955 J SMPTE.
" A Brief History of Early Motion Picture Sound Recording and Reproducing Practices", (1985) by John K Hilliard
[History of] Motion Picture Sound Recording", (1976) by John G Frayne.
"Motion Picture Sound Engineering": Motion Picture Sound Engineering must be the "great-granddaddy" (1938) of all of the really technical books on audio engineering. See the rest of the introduction here, and read or download the whole book (40 MB PDF file) here.
"Elements of Sound
Recording" by Frayne and Wolf (1949) is the second historical sound-recording text.
Volume Indicators ("vu meters")
Early History of the Evolution of the Volume Indicator, (1984) by John K. Hilliard. An original contribution, finally published.
A New Standard Volume Indicator and Reference Level, (1940) by Chinn, Gannett, and Morris. The classic IRE paper on the development of the "vu meter". Includes the history of volume indicators, the engineering factors in designing the meter, and the text of the original standard.
Some Questions and Answers on the Standard Volume Indicator ("vu meter"), by Jay McKnight. A personal interpretation of the Chinn et al paper.
"Measuring the Dynamics of a Standard Volume Indicator (SVI)", by Jay McKnight. A "How to do it" paper.
("In Memoriam"), Index and links to the Journal pages.
John Herbert Orr, by David Morton.This historical
study examines part of the career of Alabama native John Herbert Orr
(1911...1983).Orr is perhaps best known for his OrRadio Industries,
Incorporated, of Opelika, Alabama, a company that manufactured magnetic
recording tape after World War 2. While a radio technician in Europe during the
war, Orr studied advanced recording tape manufacturing methods developed by the
Germans. When Orr returned to the United States, he used this knowledge to
establish his own tape manufacturing company in eastern Alabama. Because Orr
used this German technical knowledge and avoided most research and development
costs, he was able to establish his manufacturing business with a minimum
Oral Interviews, including
Oral Histories are available for purchase at the
Historical Committee Web Store.
Also see the
"AES Celebrates 60th Anniversary".
Talks and Papers, including some "Afternoon With..." Ray Dolby, Cyril Francis, Ross Snyder, Robert Callen, John Hilliard, Bill Putnam, John Frayne, Harry Bryant, Paul Klipsch, Carson Taylor, and John Leslie Texts of Interviews and Talks
"Magnetic Recording: The Ups and Downs of a Pioneer, The Memoirs of Semi Joseph Begun" is again available at the AES Historical Store.
"Success Story" - Ampex Corporation A
30-minute video about Ampex Corporation and Ampex tape recorders, from a
kinescope recording of a live television broadcast originally made by
KGO-TV and broadcast in 1955 June, and accidentally found by Charlie
Anderson (one of the original
Video Recorder engineers) in 2003 Sept. (Viewable by AES members.)
We see a visit to the Ampex headquarters in Redwood City, with an explanation of audio and instrumentation recording. Brief interviews with Bob Sackman (Instrumentation Div. Manager), Walt Selsted (Engineering and Research Div Manager), Phil Gundy (Audio Div Manager), George Long (Ampex President), and Alex Poniatoff (Ampex Founder), then a demonstration of making a "Sound-on-sound" recording.
Finally a review of manufacturing a Model 600 audio recorder: making heads (stacking laminations, lapping pole tips, winding the coil, assembling and testing the finished head), and making a wiring harness (with [the other] Charlie Anderson).
Sel-Sync and the Octopus: How Came to be the First Recorder to Minimize Successive Copying in Overdubs" by Ross Snyder. Early in 1957 Ampex Corporation delivered the first multi-track professional audio recorder to be equipped with a scheme called Sel-Sync to the recording artist Les Paul. Paul nicknamed it The Octopus, for its eight channels. It has become something of a landmark in recording history, since it appears to have been the first tape recorder to make possible performances consisting of many parts - these to be recorded not in real time - now greatly reducing the compromise of quality that was formerly imposed by the necessity of extensive successive copying of copies. This article recalls the invention of Sel-Sync.
"History of the Early Days of Ampex Corporation" by John Leslie and Ross Snyder
Ampex History Project Description
Stanford Libraries' Ampex Model 200A Magnetic Tape Recorder, Restored by Larry Miller ("All About the Ampex Model 200A")
"Ampex Factbook 1970" This Factbook gives details on the company from 1944 to 1969. It was published by Ampex Corporation in 1970, and tells about the Corporation, the Divisions and Subsidiaries, the Principal Technologies, Historical Highlights and Product Development, Financial Record, Personnel Growth, Management, Facilities, and Field Offices. It is a searchable PDF file.
"3M – Magnetic Media Maker, a history of the first four decades (1944...1985)", by Charles L Alden. See review for details.
Another Company? If you have the history of another company, please tell us so we can post it.
AES Celebrates 60th Anniversary presents oral history to complement the written history below in "How the AES Began" and "Histories of the Founding of the AES".
How the Audio Engineering Society Began, and Volume 0 of the AES Journal -- 1947...1952. Letters in 1947 and 1948 to "Audio Engineering" (AE) magazine suggesting the formation of an Audio Engineering Society, plus an index of all of the AES papers published in AE ("Volume 0" of the Journal) before the Society started publishing its own Journal in 1953. With links to all of these AES papers.
Histories of the Founding of the AES: Then-Executive-Director Don Plunket's tabulations of Officers and Governors, Conventions and Conferences, and Awards.
AES Members, 1951 Found & scanned courtesy of Del Eilers.
Japan Section of the AES, History of
Using the AES HC E-mail Reflector
Joining the AES HC E-mail Reflector, Changing Your Email Address, , etc.
Structure: The Committee's charter. Guidelines
Committee purpose, officers, membership requirements, and meetings.
and Project Leaders. Current Projects listed, with their leaders names and email address links.Historical Committee Administration
2007-03-08, --07-19, --07-27, --08-23,
--08-24,--09-20, --09-27, --10-17,
2008-01-01, --01-06, --04-14,
--04-23, --06-10, --06-12, --09-18, --10-01, --11-17,
2010-06-27/30, --07-29,
2012-08-13, --11-03, --11-04, --12-10, --12-13, --12-25 jm
2013-09-23 jm
2014-05-06, --06-04, --07-09, --10-16, --11-21 jm,
2015-07-12 jm
2017-11-06 jm
2018-01-01, --01-09 jm


text:
British runner Mo Farah has won the men's 5,000 meters, sending Olympic Stadium into a frenzy. His time of 13:41.66 barely edged Dejen Gebremeskel of Ethiopia. American Bernard Lagat came in fourth, while Galen Rupp finished seventh.
Farah is now the sixth man in Olympic history to have won both the 5,000m and 10,000m events at the same Summer Games. He emerged at the front of the pack 700 meters from the finish, and held on to stay ahead of Gebremeskel.
"Unbelievable. Everybody knew he was the favorite. I knew it. All 15 runners knew it," Lagat said after the race, according to the AP. "We were going to run against the favorite guy, he was the greatest of all. The crowd helped him. He ran 100 percent and they added another 10. So you had a guy running at 110 percent."
U.S. runner Lopez Lomong, whose story of recovery from life as one of the Lost Boys of Sudan we've previously discussed here on NPR, finished 10th, at 13:48.19.
In addition to his past, Lomong also made headlines earlier this year when he blew away the field at a 5,000 meters race in Oregon — only to realize he had one more lap to go. He counted them right Saturday, but couldn't get onto the podium.
As he prepared for the race yesterday, Lomong tweeted, "Tomorrow I run for Olympic gold. I also run to help children live their dreams."
He then asked people to join the #globalhunger discussion on Twitter.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
"Russia's counterintelligence agency has detained a CIA agent in Moscow trying to recruit an officer of the Russian secret service, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced. The agent was operating under guise of career diplomat."
According to Reuters, the Russian foreign ministry has summoned U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul for a discussion.
The BBC adds that:
"The alleged agent was held overnight before being released to U.S. officials, Russia's Federal Security Service said. He is said to have been working as a secretary at the U.S. embassy in Moscow. The man was reportedly arrested with a large sum of money, technical devices and written instructions for the agent he had tried to recruit."
Other news outlets have identified the alleged agent, but NPR has not independently confirmed his name or that he is in fact a CIA officer.
Update at 7:00 p.m. ET: Russia Declares Diplomat 'Persona Non Grata':
On Twitter, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Fogle has been declared "persona non grata" for "provocative actions in the spirit of the Cold War."
It also said it had summoned U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul to make a formal statement of its position.
Update at 5:10 p.m. ET: Diplomat Ordered To Leave Russia:
The Associated Press says the diplomat, Ryan Fogle, has been ordered to leave Russia.
Update at 11:15 a.m. ET. No Comment From U.S. Ambassador:
The news about the alleged spy broke, NRP's Michele Kelemen notes, just as the U.S. ambassador to Moscow, Michael McFaul, was taking questions on Twitter about U.S.-Russian relations. "Many tweeted about this case, but McFaul refused to say anything about it," Michele tells our Newcast Desk.
Update at 9:45 a.m. ET: Russian authorities have released photos and documents showing the alleged agent. They've also identified him as Ryan Christopher Fogle. American officials have not yet commented.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
The shooting outside the Empire State Building on Friday took a new turn Saturday: New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says all nine bystanders wounded in the deadly incident were "struck either by fragments or bullets fired by the police."
The incident began when Jeffrey Johnson, a disgruntled worker who'd been fired from his job last year at a clothing and accessories firm, shot and killed a former co-worker, Steven Ercolino, outside the historic building. Johnson subsequently pointed his gun at two police officers, who drew their weapons and shot him to death.
But as they responded to Johnson's threat, the officers also shot other people nearby. Commissioner Kelly told CNN three people were hit by police bullets, while six others were struck by some kind of "fragment."
Three victims remain hospitalized, notes CBS-New York, and they're in stable condition. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Friday everyone was expected to recover.
There's been confusion about whether Johnson actually shot at the two police officers. Kelly said Saturday that investigators examined Johnson's gun, and it appears he did not shoot at the officers, according to The New York Times. Kelly says one police officer fired his gun seven times, while his partner fired nine times.
The incident with police officers unfolded very quickly, according to grainy video of the scene released by the NYPD and shown here by Huffington Post. (Warning: this video is extremely graphic). From the time the armed Johnson actually confronted the officers until he was shot and fell to the ground, fewer than 10 seconds elapsed.
The police department says it is investigating the incident, according to CNN.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.